When we found out we were pregnant for the first time, I knew I wanted to have an original announcement photo. Only one problem... I'm not that creative. Also, I'm lazy. So creativity wasn't going to be happening any time soon. One night it hit me: A movie poster announcement! It was SO easy and now it has become our "theme" when announcing as we were able to do it with baby number 2 as well! We just snap a quick picture, and then add text with any photo editing site or the app "Over."

We followed these up by posting our videos of family's reactions. Admittedly the second baby had a lot less exciting of a video. Ha! I love that we have these memories for the kids on video. I encourage everyone to record the reactions of those closest to them. It's so special to look back on!

Liam's Nursery

Chair- Target

Dresser- Ikea Hemnes

Rug- Target

Peter Pan Doll- Disney Store

I had great intentions with Liam's nursery after finding out I was pregnant. Nevertheless, I never got around to decorating. Ha! We bought our house when I was nearly 9 months pregnant with him. Nursery decor was apparently not our first priority. ;) We hadn't intended on room sharing or co-sleeping for long, but that's what happened for the entire first year of his life. I wouldn't take back a second of it! The room-sharing put his room on hold even longer, and before we knew it, we were pregnant with our second baby. Sadly, I think this is the best picture we have of his nursery. Currently we are putting our original plans to action in his new big boy room and turning this room into Kate's nursery. I'm so excited to see how his room comes together! Stay tuned for updates! I'm can't wait to have the finished product ready for him. It's going to be a magical space for that sweet boy!

Disney At Home: Kitchen Edition

It's no secret that I have a Disney obsession. I love bringing things into my home that include that famous mouse or castle to remind me of my favorite place. They bring a bit more happy into my day, and it is fun to mix them into my decor. My tastes tend to be a bit more on the classy side, but sometimes I throw in a fun item that my 2 year old appreciates in the mix. ;)

1. The Indigo Home Decor Collection by Disney is fabulous. I LOVE the subtle prints (since I don't necessarily want Mickey so obviously displayed in my kitchen. The color is vibrant and so much fun.
2. Mickey Waffle Maker: If you've ever been to Chef Mickey's you know the waffles. It's fun to bring that home. We have a similar one to this, and my son gets so excited when we make them!
3. Mugs. All the mugs. This one is one of my favorites. It's the first one people grab when they stay over my house!
4. The Mickey Popcorn maker: My mom got me this for my birthday, and I'm obsessed. Obviously this one screams "Mickey" a little louder than the others on my list... but it's SO fun. Liam has a blast with this one and loves watching it pop!
5. These "Be Our Guest" chalkboard plates are to die for. I LOVE chalkboard art and think these are so much fun.

Happy Friday! I'm thankful that the weekend is here!

What Every New Momma Needs

Finding out you're pregnant is one of the most thrilling experiences in life. I remember that feeling of first stepping into the magical baby palace of Buy Buy Baby. Holy overwhelming. I had zero ideas of what I needed or wanted. Everything in that place looks like something you HAVE to have. Props to their advertising teams. They are good at what they do! I was the first of my friends to have a baby. Now that many are having their firsts, I have heard them ask what on earth they need for this little bundle. Crazy enough, the thing you need most can't be scanned with a registry gun in aisle 4. You need a Melody.

My Melody happens to be my cousin. She is the Momma to help guide you when you are about to cry your eyes out from exhaustion. The Momma that won't judge you for breastfeeding, bottle feeding, vaccinating, not vaccinating...not having any idea on how you feel about vaccinating. She's the person who has been there and can give you a squeeze or encouragement when your toddler is having the biggest meltdown ever. You need the Momma that sees the tired in your eyes and loves you big enough to chase after your toddler even though she has three of her own.

When you text your Melody at 3pm telling her that you've literally let your toddler watch Mickey Mouse on repeat since he woke because you are too sleepy to do anything else, she will just laugh and tell you how she's been there a million times. This person is the one that you can count on for advice out of love. You can turn to her with zero judgement and know you'll leave encouraged and ready to take on anything.

She's the one that gets you through this Mommy business. Motherhood is no cake walk. In fact it's basically a walk where the cake gets shoved in your couch cushions while a little nudist toddler walks around breaking everything in your house. ;) Find a mommy friend that loves you and encourages you. She is more valuable than diamonds.

My Hospital Bag Favorites

Having a baby is exhausting. Actually, the whole process of GROWING a human being is a pretty tiring thing. I'm still amazed that my body can do that! I look at these kiddos now and am in awe that I made them. Those crazy kids grew in my belly! 

This time around, I knew some of the luxuries that I wanted in my bag, and what to leave home. You should have seen the amount of stuff I brought when having Liam! I looked like I was planning on staying for a month. 

1. The Bellefit: Guys. I can't even tell you how great this thing is. It squeezes you back in and helps to pull your hips and abs back to where they need to go. I so wish I would have bought it the first time around. It was definitely tough to get on that first day, but now it zips on easily. I still have a LOT of work to do in the tummy area, but this thing helped to give me a big head start. 

2. New Mama Bottom Spray: Again, another thing I should have bought the first time. I had a pretty painful second degree tear and this stuff helped incredibly. The hospital spray is good, but this stuff worked better. It was so soothing after having a baby! 

3. The Boppy: I debated bringing this (another thing to carry!) but I am so glad I did. Newborns are floppy. When you are exhausted from labor, it's hard to support those littles and nurse at the same time. I don't use it much now, but in the hospital it was invaluable! PS Isn't that cover super cute?  

4. Cute pajamas: Button down pjs are your friend if you are nursing or planning on skin to skin! :) I threw a target nursing tank (the best!) on under these and was good to go. Tip: Buy DARK colors in pjs. Birth is messy. 

5. Earth Mama Nipple Butter: I was blessed to have two babies with good latches, so I don't use it often, but this stuff is great. You don't even have to wash it off before feeding! 

6. Aden and Anais Bamboo Swaddles: Check your TJ Maxx and Marshalls stores! I found these for a crazy good deal! They are the softest ever, and we still use these every single day. They make a great nursing cover if people are coming by your room! 

7. Water Bottle: I am so glad we brought our own water bottles! We had them filled before we checked in, and I was even sneaky and sipped on some during labor. ;) 

8. iPad/iPhone: It was nice to have these with me to texts friends/family about our arrival and to keep me busy during labor! 

9. Camera: Bring an actual camera. My phone takes OK photos, but not like an actual camera. It was great to take shots during our stay to capture those moments. If you are looking for a nice hobby camera, I definitely recommend the Canon 70D. I'm far from a professional, but love how my pictures turn out! 

10. Bamboobies: Chances are your milk will not come in during your hospital stay, but these things are fantastic. They are so comfortable and absorb a TON of milk. Investing in these saves a lot of money on disposables in the long run! 

11. Always Infinity Pads: Hospital diaper pads are great that first day, but were so annoying! These pads absorbed everything and were crazy thin and way more comfortable. 

12. Your own pillow: Bring your pillow with a brightly colored pillowcase (so it doesn't get left behind.) It was great having my own pillow and helped me to be more comfortable. 

13. Snacks: Bring lots of snacks! This was especially great for my husband. We brought lots of yummy goodies to eat while we were there. Our hospital food was pretty terrible and they only provided a small meal for the mom. Daddy was out of luck! I was pretty hungry after labor and it was nice to have lots to choose from in my bag. 

And if you have a girl... 600 bows to counteract your minimalistic packing like myself. ;) 

Kate is 1 Month!

I snapped this picture of Kate right after she turned 1 month old on February 27th, and totally forgot to post it! :) We are continuing the tradition of taking our monthly photos in this rocking chair.

Want an easy way to take monthly baby photos? Plop those babes in your chair and add some text with the app Baby Pics! Seriously the simplest way to capture their growth!

Kate has been such a blessing to our family. We love her to pieces already and I cannot believe she's only been with us 1 month!

Here's what she's up to:

• She is a party all night sleep all day kind of girl. (Ah, the joys!) 
• Kate LOVES to be held. All. The. Time. Don't even try to trick her and put her down while asleep. She knows. 
• Baby wearing is our BFF right now. Praise the LORD for my wraps!
• She started smiling! Her first big grin was while being worn in the wrap walking around Target. She looked up at me and gave me the sweetest smile! 
• She's going to be my first chunky baby! Girlfriend gained almost 3 pounds since leaving the hospital! 
• She loves kisses and gives me a smile almost every time I give her one. 
• She is already growing out of a few of her newborn items. (Slow down, baby girl!) 
• She is SO loved by her big brother. He is constantly trying to hold her, kiss her, and attend to her every need. 

We love you, sweet Kate! Thanks for joining our family!

Happy 2nd Birthday Liam!

It was a whirlwind week! Having a baby only a month ago, I wasn't wanting to have a big party quite yet. We decided to have a super small family party to celebrate Liam's 2nd birthday, and it worked perfectly! Liam had a blast and was totally spoiled.

One of my best friends, Brittany, had a Mickey themed baby shower for me when I was pregnant with Liam. She happened to save ALL the decor so let me use it for his party. She put in SO much work with these decorations! She made almost everything on her Cricut machine! It was sweet to use it again at this party, more than two years later. :)

We kept the food simple with subs, hot dogs, and cupcakes. It was sweet to watch Liam blow out his candle for the first time!

For his big gift from Mommy and Daddy, we found this truck on clearance at Target a few months back. He absolutely LOVED it. As soon as he wakes up he runs as fast as he can to find that thing. He's had all of his meals in it, too! This version is so much fancier than the normal Cozy Coupes I've seen! It is a lot roomier, and has a working horn. It even has a seat in the trunk for a sibling! He's going to get a lot of use out of that thing.

Moral of the story? Simple parties make the best parties. We had a blast, and it was a great no stress party for me!