chanelmovingforward

Evelyn turns One

January 10, 2016

Dear Sweet Little Evie –

Today you are ONE! You have been mine for 365 days and they have been some of the best of my life. Your first year went by faster than Henry’s. I guess that’s to be expected when momma is chasing around your wild + energetic brother while also trying to enjoy your baby phase. When I was younger I would dream about having a little girl but as I grew into my twenties that changed and I thought I only wanted boys. That rang even truer once your brother was born. I totally wanted to be a boy mom, with a houseful of little guys running around wrestling each other and being the best of brothers. When I became pregnant with you, I even hoped you would be a boy. I found out you were not a boy when I had your 13 week ultrasound. I had no idea gender could be revealed that soon so I innocently asked the doctor if she “knew what it was.” Once I heard her say ‘it’s a girl!’ all those boy feelings immediately went away and were filled with bows, dresses and cute pink shoes. The excitement was overwhelming and I could not stop smiling. The first thing I did when I got home was pull out your brothers clothes I had saved and see if there were any gender neutral things I had. Thoughts of how I would decorate your nursery, the coming home outfit you would wear and other girly things filled my mind. I couldn’t wait to meet you. buy celexa online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/celexa.html no prescription

The two favorite moments in my entire life was when I first met you and your brother. If I could go back in time to any day and relive it, those are the two days I would pick. There is no greater feeling than seeing your baby and hearing them cry for the first time. If there was one gift I could give to people, that would be it. No matter how many amazing places you have traveled or fun things you have experienced, I guarantee meeting your children tops them all. Even my wedding day is second to when I saw you and Henry for the first time. I hope you get to experience that one day. buy zoloft online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/zoloft.html no prescription

You treated me pretty well while you were in my belly, until the very last few weeks when you lodged your little body so high that you dislocated some cartilage from my rib cage. I spent time in the emergency room and slept sitting up for the last week. When you finally came {read about Evelyn’s birth story here} I felt like I was watching a movie in slow motion. It was nearly midnight, you came early, fast and unexpected. I had never experienced my water breaking and rushing to the hospital so the whole night was a whirlwind. Once the doctors brought you to me, I could not believe I had a daughter! You were the sweetest baby girl I had ever seen (totally biased I know) with the best demeanor. As you grew into your little self, your personality started to really shine. You totally go with the flow and let your brother take the lead. You love watching him talk and play and even let him chase you around sometimes. He is working on playing nice with you and you’ve been so patient while he learns to share and be gentle. I know you two are going to have such a great relationship. I think the reason walking has come so easily to you is because you want to keep up with Henry. You mastered walking before you were 10 months old. No falls, bruises or bumped heads. Pretty soon you will be chasing him around! buy fluoxetine online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/fluoxetine.html no prescription

Last night when I laid your baby self down to sleep, I was flooded with emotions thinking of all the memories from this past year. How did all of these 365 days go by so fast? Why can’t I remember every second I have spent with you? If I could relive this year with you I would. I’d try to slow down time and treasure every moment we’ve shared. While I was pregnant with you I was worried I wouldn’t love you as much as I loved Henry. How could I possibly give love to another baby when your brother took up my whole heart? It’s safe to say that I never had trouble loving you. From the moment I first held you I fell in love. You have brought sweetness and balance to our family. Thank you for everything you have given us in your first year. It’s been such an honor being your mother.

“If I could give you one thing in life, I would give you the ability to see yourself through my eyes, only then would you realize how special you are to me. “

NYE Recap + 2016 Word of the Year

January 4, 2016

Happy New Year! We are already three days into 2016 and having daddy home for four days straight is ending. Tomorrow starts back to real life and a new year, which is always so exciting and bittersweet. 2015 was a great year for us, mostly due to the fact that we welcomed Evelyn on January 10 so this time last year we were in total baby mode and filled with excitement and nerves. Her first birthday is a week from today and I’m still in denial. This week I’ll be in full party mode but now I’m still soaking in the fun memories from the holidays.

Our NYE was pretty low key in terms of staying in and having an early night. But definitely high energy since there were 9 kids, 10 adults, a balloon drop, lots of homemade yummy pizzas and plenty of booze and champagne jell-o shots. I loved having the kids with us so everyone could celebrate together. Holidays are more fun when you can experience them through your children’s eyes. Being with my family and best girlfriends was the perfect way to end the year and I wouldn’t have asked for anything different. buy zovirax online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/zovirax.html no prescription

Since I have one year under my belt as a mother of two, it’s definitely been an eye opener and balancing act. Therefor making my 2016 word of the year Balance. I watched this video of Jada Pinkett Smith discussing how hard it can be to be both a wife and a mother while also taking care of yourself and I could not agree with her more. It is so challenging to give equally to motherhood, your relationship, work, friends, family and then try and find time for yourself at the end of the day. This year I am definitely focusing on balancing my life and everything in it. All while trying to be the best mother and wife that I can. buy flomax online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/flomax.html no prescription

{headband // shoes // leotard}

This guy is growing up so fast! He will be FOUR this year. Looking back at last years NYE he seemed so tiny and still like a baby. Now he is a full blown threenager who speaks in full sentences, has his own opinions and gives me the “MOM” eye roll. He’s the cutest little devil and I need to spend more one on one time with him not that Evelyn is out of the baby stage and doesn’t require so much around the clock attention. I’m looking forward to some mommy son dates in our future 🙂 Here’s to another great year! buy lexapro online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/lexapro.html no prescription

Baby Girls Valentine’s Outfits

December 30, 2015

Now that Christmas is less than a week behind us, every retail outlet is now planning for Valentine’s Day. I was at Target yesterday and they had already begun putting up banners with pink hearts everywhere and their dollar spot is filled with goodies. I have to admit that Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays simply because the red + pink themed decorations and cupcakes always get me. The kids clothing and pjs are always super festive and this is my first year picking outfits for a girl. Last year Evelyn was only a few weeks old and really only wore pajamas so getting to choose real clothes and accessories is definitely exciting for first time girl moms. The heart romper is calling my name and we already have those gold flats. Here’s a roundup of some fun outfits for your little ones <3 buy paxil online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/paxil.html no prescription

Class Party: Love Top // Red Sneakers // Dark Denim // Striped Bow

Playdate: Heart Print One Piece // Gold Ballet Flat // Felt Glitter Bow

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Casual: XO Onesie // Skinny Jeans // Ivory Bow // Heart Sneakers

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Christmas 2015

December 28, 2015

Our Christmas was a whirlwind experience this year. I feel like it crept up on us even though we had things ready for weeks. It was definitely the most fun holiday my husband and I had in our seven Christmases together, mostly due to the fact that we had two kids to set up for this year. I love that we have a son and now a daughter so we can experience baby dolls + strollers as well as police cars + fire trucks. Once kids reach the age of two I think that’s when they can finally start to understand Christmas. Last year with Henry was super fun but he didn’t really understand the story of Santa and how he “works.” This year was much better and he finally grasped how he brings toys, puts kids on the nice list, lives at the North Pole, etc. He named our Elf on the Shelf Noddy and loved finding him every morning (even though a lot of nights we would forget and then throw him someplace fast in the morning when he asked … like the couch, the tree or the kitchen table).Christmas Eve was pretty low key at our house during the day. It was pouring rain so we watched holiday movies and ate marshmallows until nap time. buy priligy online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/priligy.html no prescription

We went to my moms house for dinner with friends and family. My brother is in town from Boston and the kids love him so it was really special. The food was excellent of course and included stone crab claws, shrimp, baby potatoes with caviar cream and endives, brussels sprouts apple salad with walnuts and blue cheese, honey baked ham and mushroom marsala on toast points.

The best part of Christmas Eve though is setting up the living room for the kids. We cleared out some of the furniture and pushed the couches back so we could really maximize the space and so the kids could play with their toys in the middle while we sipped coffee and watched “A Christmas Story”. We vacuumed and dusted and made sure everything was clean and perfect for them, mostly Henry since Evelyn is still too young to understand what’s going on. Next year we may even let them fall asleep next to the tree. buy bystolic online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/bystolic.html no prescription

Christmas morning went off perfectly. The kids woke up around 7 and Henry could hardly contain himself. I always record his reaction to his Santa toys because those are the things he wanted the most. You can see this years video here. Evelyn just kind of wandered around playing with boxes and chewing on wrapping paper, which was to be expected. We made sausage balls and coffee crumb cake and unwrapped presents well into lunch time. Henry enjoyed a nutritious breakfast of cookies. We love how long the morning lasted and really got to appreciate every gift that was opened and every smile and laugh as our family of four.

shirt // mug

the kids Christmas loot!

We went to my moms again for Christmas dinner which was another buffet of yumminess. My husband helped cook while the kids opened more presents and played with their new toys. Dinner consisted of a mushroom burrata lasagna and veal meatballs with marinara sauce. Dessert was a trifle tiramisu and I could have eaten the entire thing.

romper // headband // shoes

It was nearly 75 degrees so both the kids wore summer attire since it was too hot and muggy for my planned holiday outfits. Such a bummer because they were super cute.

We did things a little different this year and took all our decorations and trees down the day after Christmas. Usually we leave everything up until January 1 but with two kids, all their toys, a new kitten and Evelyn’s first birthday coming up, we needed to clean so we could think straight. Henry was super sad and kept saying “But I don’t want Christmas to be over” which was super cute and we explained to him that if Christmas was year round then we wouldn’t appreciate it as much. Our four day weekend was filled with lots of family, play time and togetherness. 2016 is right around the corner and next Christmas will be here in a blink of an eye for sure. We’re really trying to savor every moment we have together!

Shopping without Kids

December 24, 2015

We fully took advantage of our last shopping weekend before Christmas and the weather could not have been better. It has been raining non stop for the past 48 hours and will continue through the weekend. So much for a chilly Christmas morning with a fire going and bring on the humidity and wetness. After dropping the kids off with my mom, our first order of business was to get some Starbucks of course since I haven’t had many of their holiday drinks this season nor have I drank from the controversial Satan Sipper.

After our morning coffee we headed to Ponce City Market. It was my first time there and it did not disappoint. The atmosphere and vibe remind you you’re not in the suburbs anymore, Dorothy. There’s a great selection of shops including Sugarboo & Co, Anthropologie and Citizen Supply (which is a marketplace for curated artists with the best local ATL goodies).

For lunch we stopped at H&F Burger which everyone has been raving about. The buns alone are worth going there for. I’ve always been a true Bocado fan but this has them beat. I chose the classic cheeseburger with a fried egg since I add eggs to just about everything and a side of fries. All the restaurants are located in a food hall, cafeteria style, which was great for people watching. H&F is right next to Williams Sonoma and I was eyeing their Christmas decor and goodies the whole time we were having lunch. They always have the best treats and baking gear around this time of year. buy plavix online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/plavix.html no prescription

It’s funny how having a few hours to yourselves without the kids can rejuvenate you but being gone more than three days is like torture. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, which I can’t even start to comprehend and it is still raining here in Atlanta. We stocked up on some peppermint bark hot chocolate but it feels more like Spring then Winter so I’m not sure when we’ll be able to enjoy it. I am envious of all the snow pictures I’m seeing in my instagram feed and have major wanderlust! <3 buy bimatoprost online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/bimatoprost.html no prescription

Christmas Gift Guide for Mama’s

December 9, 2015

Without further delay, my favorite roundup of gifts for all the mommies! A large chic tote bag to carry everything from lip gloss to diapers. Lounge pants because who are we kidding? Moms LIVE in lounge wear. The most comfortable socks to hide your in-need-of-a-pedicure feet. Fingerless gloves so you can still text your friends telling them what obscenity your toddler just yelled in the grocery store. Rain boots aka easy shoes to slip on when you’re wrangling kids and rushing out the door. A candle to make your rushed 5 minute shower feel like a spa day. A festive coffee mug for your sixth second cup of joe to keep you going until bedtime. Fun headphones for the gym (HA) or to block out the sound of a crying baby. A hair brush designed for thinning hair since having kids makes you go bald. And last but not least, a classic red lip pencil for the 3 date nights you get a year 🙂 Merry Christmas to all the mama’s out there. May Santa bring you lots of sleep and champagne. buy premarin online https://salempregnancy.org/wp-content/languages/new/premarin.html premarin no prescription

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11

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Santa … I Know Him!

December 7, 2015

Nothing is more exciting then seeing your kids excitement and fear when they meet Santa every year. I always secretly hope that I’ll get a picture with a screaming child. This was the second year my evil wish came true since sweet Evelyn hated Santa. We saw two different ones this year and her hatred toward the big man only multiplied since her first visit on November 1. Henry on the other hand loves Santa, especially this year. He is not frightened in the least bit and needs no coaxing from me. There was a moment after the below pictures were taken where he and Santa were sharing m&m’s by the fireplace. He has definitely come a long way since he was 18 months and had the best crying Santa picture ever (see last image). The holidays are way more fun when there are kids in your life to celebrate with and see everything through their eyes and this has been by far the best season yet. buy alesse online https://salempregnancy.org/wp-content/languages/new/alesse.html alesse no prescription

From 2013 <3

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