puppy love

I've said it before and I'll say it again ...  Baby girls don't need to wear pink and frills all the time.

Yes, a little pink here or there can be cute (as I've demonstrated before), but I don't think it is a prerequisite.

Case in point: The green puppy dog onesie that I picked up before I knew our baby was a "she."

 Paired with some (girly) polka-dot leggings and you've got yourself a cute little outfit.

Onesie: Carter's (thrifted for $0.25)

Leggings: Carter's (thrifted for $0.50)

No pink necessary.

cute floral centerpieces for my cute baby girl

Pearl was baptized over the long weekend, which meant a gathering of extended family and friends at our house afterward.  In order to make our garage a little bit nicer for my girl's first ever party in her honor, I put together some simple floral centerpieces for the folding tables.

I already had the small metal pails from Malcolm's second birthday party, so all I had to do was remove his "street signs" and put flowers in their place.  Easy!

Here is a quick tutorial ...

To make the centerpieces, you will need:

Small metal pails
Floral foam (mine were half spheres that fit snugly into each pail)
Silk flowers (I purchased mine in bulk from www.afloral.com)
Wire snips
Shredded paper

Clip the silk flowers to your desired length (I found that about two inches off the bottom for the central flower and four to five inches for the perimeter flowers worked well).

Insert the stems into the floral foam.

 

Once all of the flowers are in place and how you like them, use the shredded paper to "fill in" the gaps and create a more finished look.

Proudly display your final product!

In all, each centerpiece cost just under $5.00 and took less than five minutes to make from start to finish ...  Not a bad little decoration, if I do say so myself!

little lady by the lake

When I was taking photos of Pearl during an impromptu weekend away at Conneaut Lake (her very first overnight trip!), I remembered that Malcolm also posed on this same towel when he was but a wee lad.

Onesie: Carter's (hand-me-down)

Almost (exactly) two years later and here he is, again ...  But with a sister to join him.

What a good-looking pair!

a lesson in babywearing

Are you dad enough?

no ifs, ands, or butts

When Malcolm was born, I had a good eight months to get "back in shape" (also known as, "back to my pre-pregnancy weight") before it was bathing suit season in Ohio.

This particular arrangement was perfect, because I could literally hide all of my problem areas under layers (and layers) of clothing until things just sort of went away on their own, little by little ...

Winter (and, I suppose, my metabolism) was very kind to me in that regard.

With Pearl, things are quite a bit different in the "back in shape" arena.

For one thing, time is much, much shorter.

In fact, we are nearing the end of May, giving me only two months to get my act together (four since her birth) if I want to look halfway decent in my summer clothes.

Summer, unlike winter, isn't as kind.

Even with my modest fashions (tee-shirts and tank tops and shorts of a reasonable length are the norm), clothing options are just smaller.

Let's face it.  Less skin is covered no matter who you are.

And there are fewer layers to hide the post-partum curves that I'd rather not flaunt.

To make matters worse, although I didn't gain more weight while gestating Pearl (I actually packed on five pounds less), I somehow got bigger than I did when I was carrying Malcolm.

As in, there's a bit more of me to love ...  Especially in the butt and thigh area.

Certainly not ideal for bathing suit season in Ohio.

So, this Mother's Day (at my request after seeing an infomercial and feeling really pathetic about myself and my post-partum body), my husband purchased me some exercise DVDs.

The Brazil Butt Lift to be exact.

An exercise regimen guaranteed to "reduce, shape, and lift" my behind using proven Tri-angle training ...

And Latin dance moves.

Latin dance moves that my uncoordinated self can barely manage (I must look absolutely ridiculous as I flounce around the living room) and leave me feeling all sore and achy when I am finished ...  So sore and achy that I have trouble sitting up in bed ...  Or bending down to tie my shoes ...  Or walking up the stairs ...

Hey!  It's like being big and pregnant all over again (but without the baby in there)!

But ... 

But!

If all goes according to plan (and I don't break an ankle or tear something important in the process), I should have the backside of my dreams ... Or, more realistically, a decently-sized butt that will actually fit into my shorts and bathing suits again.

And that won't be so flabby.

All I have to do is stick to the schedule that comes with the DVDs ...

And maybe cut back on my sweet tooth tendencies (at least for now).

We'll see how long I can keep it up.

pearl: two months

Although she turned two months old on Tuesday, I wanted to wait and get her "official" measurements from the doctor this morning ...

 

Stats:

Height: 23 inches

Weight: 10 pounds 11 ounces

I can't believe how quickly my little girl is growing!

*See one month here.

sleepy shopper

My parents always said that I was a good "traveler" that did well in the car.

I guess Pearl, like her brother, has also inherited that trait ...

Hooded fleece jacket: Carter's (hand-me-down)

Onesie: Carter's (hand-me-down)

Fleece pants: Carter's (hand-me-down)

Socks: unknown brand (gift)

It certainly makes for an easy afternoon of running errands!

i hate to say "i told you so"

But, I did.

I told you so.

I totally told you so.

Malcolm passed his speech therapy evaluation with flying colors.

He's right where a typical two-and-a-half year old boy should be.

Exactly where I thought he was all along.

Not to say that the evaluation was a waste of time or that our pediatrician was out of line for even suggesting (and pushing for) it ...  There, admittedly, are some things that we can work on.

Yet, there is just something extremely gratifying about knowing my gut was right.

That my motherly instincts were on target.

That my boy doesn't need speech therapy.

I told you so.

I totally told you so.

celebrating mom

Mother's Day is just around the corner and this mother of two is actually "on the ball" this year!

(Who knew I could be so productive with an extra kid around?!)

The cards have been made.

5x7 Folded Card

View the entire collection of cards.

(I don't think my Mom reads here much, so I shouldn't be spoiling anything!)

The gifts have been bought.

The itinerary for the day/weekend has been set.

All that's left to do is spend some quality time with the influential women in my life ...

And hopefully be doted upon by my own little family!

Happy (early) Mother's Day!

holy big kid, batman

They say that once you bring a baby home, your original children will look like giants. 

While that has certainly been the case since the middle of March, there are days were it seems even more evident.

Like the day these photos were taken ...

Long-sleeved tee-shirt: Old Navy (thrifted for $1.00)

Jeans: Genuine Kids (thrifted for $1.50)

Socks: Old Navy (gift)

I don't know if it's the skinniness of the long sleeves and/or the way they are a bit too long and fall past his wrists, but something is making my former baby look all tall and stretched out. 

At least he still sucks his thumb and had some chub to his cheeks ... 

Otherwise, I might just lose my mind over how big he has gotten this past year.

fry up a fiesta

With "Cinco de Mayo" this past weekend, I had the perfect excuse to make a dessert that I love, but never get the chance to have ...

Mexican Fried Ice-cream!

This version that I created is actually "un-fried" so it is as easy to make as it is delicious!

You will need (approximately) ...

3 cups of cornflakes
1/2 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
Vanilla ice-cream

To make the "un-fried" fried ice-cream ...

Begin by scooping balls of the ice-cream.  Use your hands to form and compact them slightly, then place them in a wax paper-lined dish and into the freezer.  Allow them to set for about 15-30 minutes.

In the meantime, put the cornflakes in a resealable plastic bag and use your hands or a rolling pin to crush them.  Add the sugar and cinnamon and shake to combine.

Working in batches, remove the ice-cream balls from the freezer and, one by one, coat them in the cornflake mixture.  I like to use my hands to actually smash the cornflakes onto the surface of the ice-cream, rather than just rolling it.  If at any point you feel like the ice-cream is becoming too soft, put the balls back in the freezer for about 10 minutes, then roll again ...  I like to roll each ball 2-3 times in the cornflake mixture to ensure that they are well coated.

Return the finished fried ice-cream to the freezer and allow them to set for another 30 minutes or so.

Enjoy with your favorite ice-cream toppings ...  My husband likes to drizzle his with honey and I like chocolate syrup.

Extra fried ice-cream can be stored in the freezer in the resealable bag ...  Although you will probably be tempted to eat them all in one sitting!

siblings

Finally!

Malcolm actually wanted to hold Pearl.

And did so long enough for a picture to be taken.

It totally doesn't matter that it was only because his cousin did it first, and, therefore, he had to do it, too ...

little baby butterfly

The one thing I've (already) noticed during the seven weeks of having a girl, is that I have so many more options when it comes to clothes.  Whether the items were given as gifts, or I am shopping a sale or second-hand, the variety has blown me away and it is a bit of a challenge (which I enjoy) to find things that aren't so obnoxiously pink, yet "girly" at the same time.

 

  

Onesie: Carter's (pack of three for $8.00)

Tank top: Bon bebe (gift)

Pants: Bon bebe (gift)

Socks: Unknown brand (from the hospital)

  

 

Although I can't take credit for choosing and/or purchasing the outfit in today's photos, I am excited to locate more like it ...  This girl needs to get out of her typical uniform of fuzzy sleepers (that usually belonged to her brother) as the weather continues to warm up!