Memorial Day Rewind

We spent the weekend at Andrew's parents so that we would be closer to our friends and be able to enjoy a barbecue. When I checked the weather on Friday, Monday was supposed to be fabulous and in the 70s. Mother Nature, however, had other plans. We had visions of barbecue, corn hole, sunshine, and drinks, but our reality was barbecue with the garage door open to cover our head while it poured rain, and everyone cramming in the basement to eat and watch re-runs of Pawn Stars. Not exactly what I had in mind...

Anyways, when I woke up, I was determined to have a festive Memorial Day, despite the uncooperative weather, so I made some Paleo Pancakes: 'Merica Edition! (For those of you who don't know, I have, within the past few months, switched my eating habits to a Paleo lifestyle.) So, with my star-shaped cookie cutter and food coloring in hand, I whipped up a batch of these delicious bad boys!

I also have to mention the ADORABLE plates that I got from the Target dollar bin...they look like paper plates...but they're PLASTIC! I LOVE them!

For the barbecue, we provided all the meat and our guests brought different sides. I was able to find grass-fed, gluten free hot dogs to enjoy along side my bunless burger, fruit salad, and Paleo guacamole with sweet potato chips. So, so good!

This was our first time being "away" with the baby, and there wasn't a single problem! I've mentioned before that I'm a bit of an over-packer, so this time, I was bound and determined to keep my bags packed with practicality. This was also my first time packing for a baby, and I'm proud to say that I didn't over-pack!

With my beloved label maker and Ziplocks, I was able to condense all of her outfits (with accessories!) and bath stuff into a half of a bag! Her outfits and pajamas were already picked out for every day, and I even packed a few outfits in case nature decided to change it's mind...which is never out of the ordinary for Michigan. I'm seriously thinking of buying a closet organizer to pick both of our outfits for the week. I never realized how much stress that relieves in the morning! Especially for this indecisive mama!

Another great thing about going away last weekend was being able to really try out her Aprica Haven OpenAir Play Yard. She still slept her full ten hours each night! I've loved this thing since before I bought it. Not only is it super durable, it folds up with the bassinet insert set up! The bassinet "mattress" is plush and can be cleaned easily, and the bag it comes in has a lot of extra room to store sheets/blankets/etc. I love the gender neutral color (all of Layla's big ticket items are black so that I could reuse them again!) and the simplicity. Takes two seconds to set up and tear down. I'm sold! A great plus is that any pack n play sheet fits perfectly! For those of you that worry about a mobile, I use this Tiny Love Take Along Mobile that can attach to almost anything!

All in all, I would have to say our first "going away" experience was a total success! We've got lots of little trips planned for this summer, so I'm glad to have had this trial run. Since we didn't get to wear our adorable Memorial Day outfit because of the cold weather, I'll leave you with this adorable picture of Layla's post-bathtime scream sesh!

Hooded Princess Towel

Keep your eyes peeled for my green cleaning and Father's Day gift ideas posts! And I hope you all had an amazing Memorial Day weekend!

Second and Third Month Home

We're officially reaching our third month home! When you're elbows deep in shit and breastmilk, time sure does fly! Being a mom comes with more happiness than I could ever explain, but there's absolutely nothing glamorous about it. Unless you're Gwen Stefani. Then you're always fucking glamorous. Baby shit and all.

This past week it's been so nice out here in Michigan, so we've been trying to play outdoors more. However, Layla isn't as enthused as most.

(Outfit from Old Navy, last season)

She is seriously so over it. haha Hopefully that will change as we spend more time outdoors! Her cousins are coming back this summer, so we will be doing tons of fun stuff. I have visions of beaches, barbecues, zoos, and Greenfield Village filling up our days!
We also went to a bowling fundraiser for a family friend last weekend. When the cosmic bowling lights came on, she completely zoned out. She loves lights already, so to see people glowing completely tripped her out. haha I did make her an adorable onesie to wear, complete with pink painted toe and finger nails, and a big, pink tutu!

  Can I just say that Piggy Paint is an absolute essential for baby girls?! How can you not love those chubby little digits covered in pink?!

Anyways, these past few months have been completely amazing, but I've also realized that even though there's a lot of pointless shit you can buy for your kids out there, there are some things that you wouldn't last a second without. I'm pretty proud to say that everything I've registered for and purchased have all be completely useful so far. Which is surprising, considering I have a house full of my own useful pointless shit.

On the Night You Were Born board book: I've been slowly but surely scooping up books from the list of Top 100 Children's Books of All Time, and I haven't been disappointed with a single one yet. Layla especially loves this book (and so do I, even though I cry like a total sap every time I read it to her). The pictures are so cute and she just stares at all the pages as I read.
Little Noses Saline Drops: Because of horrible reflux that causes milk to come out of her nose, my poor little Layla bean is constantly congested. I've tried everything. Elevating her mattress, a humidifier (which has worked amazing with NO leaks!), holding her upright for 30 minutes after feedings...nothing really helps. Because of this, I'm constantly cleaning out her nose with the bulb syringe. She hates it. I hate it. People within a mile radius that can hear her screams hate it. These nose drops help to loosen everything up and keep her little nose moist. I've gone through about 3 bottles since she's been home!
Freddy Firefly: Andrew and I made the decision to limit the amount of light up toys that Layla has, so I did quite a bit of research on developmental toys for all stages. This one is definitely a winner! She smiles so big at this and just stares and stares and she loves the squeaker on it. There are so many fun aspects to this toy! We also bought Jacques the Peacock and Marina the Mermaid and she really enjoys them, too!
Skip Hop Bento Diaper Bag: I LOVE LOVE LOVE this diaper bag! It was really important to me that I get a bag that Andrew didn't feel like a total doucher carrying around, so this was perfect. Not only does it match everything we have (stroller/carseat/playard), greatly pleasing my OCD, but it has so many incredible features. Most importantly, it has STROLLER STRAPS. For those of you who do not know what these are...they are the holy grail of all diaper bag features. Instead of trying to cram your bag of crap into the small space at the bottom of the stroller, these clips allow you to hang your bag from the stroller handles! Can I get an Amen Hallelujah?! There are tons of pockets on the inside and outside to stuff things into and it comes with a bento box to put food in for older babes. All food/bottle pockets are heavily insulated and haven't failed me yet! I can't say enough good things about this bag, and I will be doing a "What's in my diaper bag?" post very soon!
BabyGanics Dishwasher Detergent: At first, I was so disappointed with this product, until I realized it was operator error. When you use this, only use the smallest amount you need! For some reason, I've been bread with the notion that the more soap you use the cleaner things are...this however, is not the case. Fill your little soap compartment and step away from the dishwasher! I love this because I can now stop washing everything by hand, allowing me to wash AND sterilize her bottles/choochies all in one shot! Seriously cleared up at least an hour and a half for me every day!
BabyGanics Stain Remover: This is by far and away the best organic stain remover ever made! I keep a bottle in her nursery and when her clothes come off, BAM! Straight shot to the milked up necklines (and sometimes the shit covered leg holes) and there it pre-treats until it's time to wash. She doesn't have a single item of clothing with yellowing or stains. I also went to the dollar store and bought a mini spray bottle to put some in to keep with me in her diaper bag for emergencies. (OF COURSE I labeled it with my label maker. OF COURSE I own a label maker!) They do make travel sized versions of this product, but it's not a spray, it's a dabber and it doesn't saturate the stains and takes FOREVER to apply.
Calming Waters Vibration Tub: Bath time was such a stressful event when Layla was in the NICU. It consisted of holding your slippery little baby over a pink bucket, praying to God you didn't drop her while all of the nurses watched on as you and daddy debate over holding techniques and whether or not she's warm enough. It was horrible. I purchased this tub because it had really great reviews compared to most tubs and it doesn't have the adjustable seat right under where the baby lays, so it doesn't stab them in the back. I never realized that was an issue with some tubs until I read reviews. The vibrate function on this can be a bit loud as it rattles against your own tub, but Layla still loves it. She just lays there quietly and relaxes. Bath time has actually become one of my very favorite times to bond with her.
BabiesRUs Sheet Saver: These were actually recommended to me by one of my best friends, and I could seriously kiss her for it. These tie across the mattress where you normally lay your baby's butt to help protect from those lovely overnighters we all enjoy waking up to. It's nice to just have a kid to clean up without having to undo an entire bed. Plus, these are super cheap and wash great!

Hope you're all enjoying the beautiful weather! Keep a look out for my summertime favorites and a quick update on spring green cleaning!

Playing Catch-up

So, I know this is coming a bit late, but I've been having some Mommy difficulties. Layla went through a week-long growth spurt in which she consumed 4oz of breastmilk every 2 hours and screamed in between, but she graciously slept for 9 hours a night. Now, we're back to 3 ounces of breastmilk and waking up every three hours, but the screaming hasn't really stopped. At her check-up last week she weighed 7 pounds 3 ounces, so I know my little not-so-chunky is getting enough food. Her pediatrician mentioned that almost every preemie goes through a bout of colic, so I can't help but wonder if that's what's going on.

A week of this face. She's lucky it's so cute!

Anyways, I'm going to start trying to get into more of a routine with blogging, and I might start making a few haul/favorites videos for YouTube, depending on the time!

This past month hasn't been very eventful, but we did manage to get some Cinco de Mayo celebrating in! Andrew's sister Amanda had a little get together at her house and we had a few close friends and family stop by. I didn't get to take any pictures of the food, but it was more of a buffet style and everything was deliciously covered in melted cheese anyways, so there wouldn't have been much to see! We had tamales, fish tacos, enchiladas, chicken taco salad, and all the margaritas and Coronas you could drink! It was heaven.

Of COURSE Layla was festively dressed, and so was her cousin Isabelle! Can you believe these two are only a month and a half apart?

Here's a better look at her dress:

Layla's Dress | Isabelle's Dress

So, all in all, the last month has been spent working on our bedroom/nursery (tour soon!), doctor's appointments, and growth spurts. Now that the weather is more consistent here in Michigan (yeah right), we'll be doing more awesome stuff outside and around the house. I can already hear the fireworks and smell the grills! I'll be posting soon with Memorial Day styles/food/party ideas, and another favorites post, so keep an eye out!