Chanel Moving Forward

A modern lifestyle blog dedicated to the moments in between

Henry THREE year update

Ahhh my sweet, wild, determined boy. Whoever coined the phrase “terrible twos” has obviously never met the number 3. He is full of emotions and can be super happy and my big helper one second and then spiral into a crazed pshychotic meltdown because I gave him a bowl of blueberries. WHEN HE ASKED FOR BLUEBERRIES. Oh motherhood … This too is just a phase and will pass but there are some days when I literally count down the minutes until nap time. I know all my boy moms out there feel me! In all fairness though, he can be the sweetest little boy. Lately he tears at my heartstrings by saying things like “but I want to hang out as a family together”, telling our dog Sammy that he’s his buddy, and saying to Dolly “I missed you today, girl.” He approaches everything without fear. He is confident, brave, resilient and curious. 

One of my favorite bloggers, Bluebird, used to do a series called Conversations with Birdie in which she would film conversations with her youngest daughter. I had stored this idea in the back of my mind until Henry was old enough to actually have a real conversation back and forth. As you can see from this video, his attention span is not that long so the conversations are short. I always take plenty of pictures of the kids but never enough videos so this is my way of trying to consciously be better at it. 
Henry’s Three Year Update

Height: 38″
Weight: 34 pounds 
Favorite Songs: Hot Dog, Chugga Chugga Soul, Honey I’m Good, Ain’t Nothing but a G Thang
Favorite Shows/ Movies: Mickey Mouse Club House, Super Wings, Cailou (my least favorite show ever. Cailou is a whiny little B), Thomas the Tank Engine, Toy Story and most recently Sheriff Kallie. A show about a girl cat who is a sheriff in the wild wild west who rides a my little pony. He is totally my child. 
Likes: Singing his ABC’s thirty times a day, dancing in his batman boots for his sister, showing off his muscles, swimming and playing in the water. Last month he also started Karate and looking at him in his uniform makes my heart burst. 
Dislikes: The word NO
Proudest Mom Moment: Three year olds have no control over the volume of their voice and it’s often high pitched and loud. It’s the perfect pitch to sometimes break glass, communicate with dogs and wake sleeping babies. One time when his dog calls woke Evelyn up, I said “Henry you woke the damn baby!” Now, every time there is a problem he uses the word ‘damn’ to emphasize how upset he is. So I cannot really fault him for this because he is using the word in the right context. Like so:
“I can’t find my damn shoes” 
“We need to clean up this damn mess” 
“The damn cat got out”
Until next time my sweet boy <3

Evelyn 6 Month Update

Evelyn turned 6 months old on July 10 but didn’t have her check up until this past Thursday. How has (over) half a year flown by so quickly? I can’t believe how much she has changed in this short time. I think with your second baby you really appreciate how fast and how quickly they grow up, especially when you have a 3 year old running around having actual conversations with you and your Time Hop app is constantly reminding you of how little they used to be. 
She is fully sitting up now and still trying her best to crawl. She can get up on all fours and rock herself forward so much to the point where she falls on her face and cries. Poor girl, still working on moving the arms. I imagine she will be crawling just in time for us to go to California in September when she stays with my mom and her 5 flights of stairs.
Size: The pediatrician said she is the size of a 9 month old (insert 100 sad emoticons here). 18 lbs 4 ounces and 27.5 inches long. These stats were taken on the 23rd, so she was almost 6.5 months. 
Features: Her hair is getting a tad lighter but still brown. Eyes are a dark blue and skin tone almost matches her brothers exactly. Still no teeth, which is fine by me. Gummy bald babies are the best. 
Sleeping/Eating: Sleeping through the night without waking up for a feeding but sometimes cries out for her paci. Her naps are very frequent, sometimes 3 or 4 a day. She drinks a 6 ounce bottle 5 times a day and began solids at five months.  There hasn’t been one food she hasn’t liked. Sweet potatoes, green beans, corn, bananas, blueberries etc. and most recently yogurt. She can down four ounces of food like nobody’s business. 
Stats: Wearing size 3 diapers and 6 month clothes. A lot of the 3-6 month still fit her which is surprising considering what the doctor said. Very well because she still has a ton of clothes in that size. 
Favorite Things: Sophie the giraffe, rolling all over the living room, watching our dog lick himself and laughing at her brother pretending to take her to jail with his firetruck (more on Henry’s three year shenanigans later). 
Here are some of my her favorite looks over the past few weeks. Dressing her has been so much fun! I wish she knew how obsessed we all are with her. She is so smiley, loving and happy. I rarely catch her without a huge smile on her face. 

HENRY TURNS 3

Ahhh, where does the time go? Henry’s 3rd birthday has come and gone, all the party planning and setting up is over and we still have tables set on our porch. In time they will come down, but for now,I keep them up because 1. I’m too tired to move them and 2. No matter what time of day it is the temp always feels like 100 degree and 3.  Having some party decorations still up makes me feel that his birthday didn’t come and go too quickly and that we are still celebrating my new three year old. 
This year we went with a pirate theme which I think is totally appropriate for my wild dude. There is definitely no shortage of pirate themed goodies out there. My suggestion for efficient party planning is to plan ahead! Pick a theme and buy ahead. Look out for deals, use coupons, research on line and make any crafts ahead of time. You have no idea how much things can creep up on you. It’s a good idea to set aside some cash too for the day of to pay any vendors (photographer, caterer, etc). 
Since Henry’s party was in the evening on a Saturday, we decided to have JR’s BBQ cater for everyone since there were so many people. The food was so good and we had a lot left over. If you are in the Atlanta area, you must visit their restaurant or have them cater your event. I still remember getting breakfast there on weekend mornings in high school with my girlfriends. One of the managers is a good friend of ours and was recently telling us about Utility Bidder. This website is a great resource for businesses who are looking for ways to reduce their energy bills as it allows you to compare a number of different suppliers in order to get the best price. Take a look and see how much you can save!

The weather was pretty crappy on the day of the party and we went back and forth about setting up outside but it was too unpredictable. Luckily the rain held out for a while so the kids could play in the back yard on the playground and get some energy out. We hired a cute face painter who came dressed as a pirate and she turned the kids faces into the cutest characters. Oh and she also made balloon animals. Double win! 

I highly recommend having a friend or professional take pictures at the party so you can enjoy your child’s day and hang out with your guests. For Henry’s first two birthdays, I had my sweet friend Shayda photograph the details and party. However this year she and her husband became parents and I wanted them to be able to enjoy the party without worrying about anything else. Thank God for our wonderful photographer, Whitney, this year. She was able to capture so many great pictures that we will cherish for a long time! 

It really takes a village to throw a birthday party, especially when you have little ones running around.  I would not have been able to do prep or set up without my husband, family and friends who all spent their time helping set up and prep. Definitely enlist people in your life that offer and are willing to help. It will save your sanity! 

(high school ladies! friends for almost 20 years <3)

In the kids snack packs I included pirates booty, an applesauce pouch and and honest juice box. There was also water for them on the table because if you know toddlers, their attention span is about 4 seconds long and they never stop to eat. 
Thank you to all of our family and friends who came out to celebrate our wild child with us. Until next year, we love you! 
Vendor/Supply List:
Pirate Yard Sign: Party Pail
Pirate Pails (I used these for the “goody” bags): Party Pail
Pirate Flags & Fish Net: Oriental Trading
Red letters: cardboard letters from Joann’s, painted. 
Burlap: from any fabric store
Black and White table runner: etsy vendor
Bandanas/Eye Patches/Swords: Target
Table Cloths/Napkins/Plates: Target
Misc: Party City, Target, Etsy, Michaels … pirate stuff is everywhere. 
Local: 
Pirate Cake – local Atlanta baker Cake Envy
Photographer – Whitney Huynh from Tulle & Grace
Face Painter - Once Upon a Fiesta 
kids tables & chairs: The Rental Place
Outfit: 
#3 Shirt - Sugarboo & Co
black & white harem pants: etsy vendor 
shoes: converse 

Easter Goodies

It’s crazy that this year I put together TWO Easter baskets for my kids. It has been so fun having a boy and girl and finding things that really suit their personalities (mostly Henry’s since Evelyn is only 12 weeks). Henry has been using my Easter basket from back when I grew up and I just bought Evelyn’s at Target. Most of their goodies were also found at my local Target (dollar hot spot, baby!) They always hit the nail on the head when it comes to holidays and their selection for kids. I got a bunch of cute little fillers (bubbles, a jump rope, rubber duckies, rattles) and then a few bigger items too. 

We will be hosting Easter brunch with my family and also having an Easter egg hunt in the backyard for Henry. I filled a ton of eggs with small toys and candy that I got at Party City. The eggs are from Target and Oriental Trading Company. This year Henry is definitely old enough to understand an egg hunt, the hard part will be to see if he actually cares to do it. I’m looking forward to hiding all the eggs in the backyard now that my husband has done a lot of work to clear it out. 

As for brother and sister styles, I went with simple whites so they would easily match (and get dirty in .5 seconds). Pairing accessories to their clothes has always been my favorite and this holiday is no different. I am torn between two adorable bows for Evelyn, so she might just have to alternate through out the day 🙂 The kids Easter outfits have been in their closets since before I knew I wanted to use them for Easter. My husband will breath a sigh of relief on that one. 
Pink & Cream Bunny Bow // White & Yellow Bunny Headband (sold out) // Bowtie 

Yesterday Henry and I dyed and decorated some Easter eggs (but let’s be honest, he just painted craft paper and I did all the decorating). It was a lot of fun though and I will definitely be putting a few in the baskets and in the back yard for the hunt.

We have a pretty busy weekend ahead of us with a friends dinner tonight, a play group egg hunt and family. Next week is also my last week on maternity leave (tear) so I will be soaking up baby snuggles for as long as I can before I head back to work. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! 

Newborn Essentials … Part 1

Being a new mom can be so overwhelming. Especially if you are the first out of your group of friends to have a baby, like I was when I had Henry. There are so many devices, gadgets, toys, etc out there to choose from that it can make your head spin. Thankfully, if you do the right looking around, you can save some money with Best For Mums on some of the most vital and sought after baby products out there. When we first registered while pregnant with Henry, our list was insane. Now that I have Evelyn, I realize that we hardly bought any newborn items this go round and quite a few were left over from when Henry was a baby. (there are still a few things that we have never used).
Aside from bottles, breast pumps and formula, here is my absolute must haves for newborns to get you through the first 12 weeks.

Baby Carrier – We love the Solly Baby Wrap. I never wore Henry for a few reasons: I had no idea these wraps existed until after he was too big to wear and since he was my first I wasn’t chasing after a toddler or multitasking as much so my hands were always free. I am baby wearing a lot with little girl since she will probably be my last baby (sad face) and I want to cuddle her as much as possible. There are a lot of choices out there when it comes to carriers, and whether you have a single baby or twins, you can always find which double carrier Baby Monitor Town recommends or a guide on which sling wrap is right for your baby. Plus I can still type on the computer, fill a sippy cup and change a diaper all while having her close to me.

Bibs/Pacifier – These bibs are the most practical on the market. They are super soft, neutral colored and easily velcro in the back. My favorite part is the dribble catcher at the neck to catch any milk that likes to drip down into the babies neck, which is disgusting and smelly. As far as pacifiers go, get a few and see whatever one your baby takes to but do yourself a favor and GET A PACIFIER. It is a lifesaver.

Boppy Lounger – This is the #1 must have that I recommend to all first time mothers, and even 2nd time moms. Henry took almost every nap in there and would lie there in bed with us while just hanging out. (Evelyn does the same). It’s the perfect little pillowy bed for brand new babies and Henry used his until 8 months.

Velcro Swaddles – More secure than regular swaddle blanket which means no little hands and feet get out at night. This has been a godsend for us for both babies. We use it only at night so she knows it’s time to sleep for more than a few hours.

Blankets, Blankets and more Blankets – This is pretty self explanatory. We use blankets so much around here and they are constantly being dropped on the ground during walks, left in the car seat, used to wipe spit up, and being loved on by my toddler. Needless to say there are more in the hamper and washing machine then in the closet.

Rock N Play – Perfect for babies who have reflux and spit up a lot (like my newborn). The design also makes the baby feel like they are being hugged and held upright. It’s also light enough to carry easily from room to room. We keep ours in the master bedroom and I can move into the bathroom when I need to shower and also put next to my bed during nap time.

Swing – This isn’t really a shocker. Everyone will tell you that you need one. We actually have three in our house 🙂

Sound Machine – Henry still sleeps with this same sound machine on the white noise setting and so do we at night (since Evelyn is in our room, she hears it as well). It’s cheap, portable and durable. There are other sounds too but we only play it on white noise. I also recommend getting the Pure White Noise CD Sampler from iTunes so there are tracks on your phone for car rides and when you’re out and about. The hair dryer and vacuum cleaner are baby magic. Don’t bother investing in a white noise app because you won’t be able to do other things on your phone and still have it running.

{a little throwback to her first few weeks of life in two of her favorite apparatuses}
Now here are a few items that I think are a complete waste of money (speaking from my own experience of course. These may come in handy for others).
Bassinet – Henry slept in our room until he was 6.5 months old. By then our pediatrician said he was old enough for cry it out and he could also roll over both ways, so I felt confidant in moving him into his crib. While he was in our room, he slept in a bassinet next to me until he grew out of it within a few months. We then switched to a pack n play with the bottom raised up. That is one of the best features of the pack n play. Your baby is high enough for you to reach and he also has room to grow and move around. I also don’t know a single mother out there who doesn’t own one or hasn’t registered for one. So please don’t spend $100 + dollars on a pretty bassinet that you’ll use for 3 months. Evelyn is 10 weeks and has been sleeping in the pack n play next to me since her first night home.
Wipe Warmer – we used this for baby #1 because we thought “wow what a cool idea!” like many first time parents, strolling through the isles at Buy Buy Baby. However Henry didn’t notice the difference and it was just another clunky item taking up space on the changing table. Evelyn doesn’t mind getting her diaper changed so the warm wipe would probably just relax her more and she would wind up peeing all over the changing pad.
Dreft Laundry Detergent – Ridiculous. Baby clothes don’t need baby laundry detergent. Besides, the makers of Dreft don’t even list the ingredients on the bottle or their website. How sketchy is that? Wouldn’t you like to know what is washing the clothes going on your brand new babies skin? (You can find them online here, click under “The Bad Stuff”). EWG also gives them an F score. Wash baby clothes in the same detergent you already use, it’ll save time since you can combine loads.
Bottle Sanitizer – One more bulky item taking up room in your already cluttered kitchen. Sanitize bottles and parts in the dishwasher.
Fancy Burp Cloths – I’m sorry new moms, but please do not spend $30 on a piece of fabric with hearts on it that your baby is going to throw up all over! Get a pack of the Gerber cloth diapers. They last longer, are cheaper and you can bleach them if need be.

I hope these lists help some new moms out there 🙂

Weekend Wrap Up

Friday we met my husband for dinner at our favorite new Mexican restaurant. The food is so good and Henry just loves Mexican food. I love that they are loud, kid friendly and drown out a screaming baby or a tantrum. After dinner we headed to Target to wear Henry out and let him run around (plus, who doesn’t love a trip to Target after a few margaritas?) 

Even though the weather was overcast and cloudy all day Saturday, temperature wise it was perfect for being outdoors. After some coffee and Cars 2 we headed over to the greenway to get some exercise in and let Henry run around. It is the perfect outdoor place for him to run free (and safe too! nothing but woods).

We hit up Waffle House after, our favorite family breakfast spot. The food is good, the service is fast and your toddler can eat cheese grits with his hands without anyone turning heads.
After naps we headed to lunch for some carnintas enchiladas and then to the park so Henry could run around and play more. We are always trying to wear him out. This kid is non stop from 6am until we have to make him go to bed. Which has been between 8-9pm lately. You would think he would sleep a solid twelve hours but there must be sugarplum fairies in his dreams taunting him with playgrounds, lollipops and apple juice which makes him rise at the crack of dawn. 

The most exciting part of the weekend was our trip to the Atlanta Zoo on Sunday. Henry loved seeing all the animals but he mostly enjoyed running wild through the swarm of five thousand people. (Not stressful at all, right?) This kid never stops. We went along with some friends and their son and Henry liked having a playmate to hang out with. Evelyn slept 90% of the time except when I forced her to get out of her comfy carseat for a picture.

We ended the day with dinner at Six Feet Under which was so yummy. We had jalapeño hush puppies, gator bites, shrimp baskets and peach margaritas. The boys were being so cute together and kept dancing and hugging. 

Here’s to another fun and safe week! 

Two Months

{head wrap/monthly sticker)

Happy TWO months to my favorite girl! These past eight weeks have gone by in a literal blink of an eye. I am sad to leave her when my maternity leave is up next month. All I want is to spend my days just holding her and cuddling. I wish babies could stay small longer. (Side-note: how do I bottle that newborn baby head smell??) It’s so bittersweet knowing that each day is the oldest and youngest she has ever been. 
Size: She is still in newborn diapers but we are almost out of our last pack so she will move up to size 1 by next week I’m sure. We made it 6 weeks in newborn clothes, although there are a few random things she can still fit in (or that I force her in). She is wearing some 0-3 months but most are still a little big. She is kind of at an in between size: too big for newborn and too small for most 0-3. Carters make the best jammies and the 3 month fit her nicely so we kind of just live in those unless we have company or we leave the house. If you follow me on Instagram (@chanelvanreenen) you can see all of her outfits which she insists I put her in. Click the hashtag #eviemaeootd to see them all.

Features: She has dark blue eyes and dark brown hair (like her mommy). However her eyebrows have some red in them … a friend of mine told me that you can foresee their hair color with the color of the eyebrows. I would love a red headed little girl (and then my grandma’s red hair would have finally been passed along to someone in our family). I still do not see Jan or myself in her … but she does look like her big brother when he was a baby. I think it may be too early to really tell. 

Sleeping/Eating: Just like her brother, she has shown to be an excellent sleeper. Ever since 4 weeks she’s been going for 6 hour stretches at night and mostly still sleeping during the day. Knock on wood! (or my Ikea particle board bed which is the closest thing to me now). We started putting her in a swaddle at night just before four weeks and that helped tremendously with her nighttime stretch. She is eating a 100 ML cocktail of breast milk, formula and rice cereal every 3-4 hours. This was to help with her spitting up and weight gain but she occasionally still spit ups (and actually the past 24 hours she has thrown up every bottle. WHAT.THE.F.)
Stats: Her 2 month check up isn’t until next week but I know she has grown in height especially. Her little feet are already hanging over the boppy lounger. 
Favorite Things: her paci, drinking milk, spitting up milk, looking at faces, cooing, sleeping, bath time, snuggling, kisses and her mommy. this girl is a huge mama’s girl (but I feel like most newborns are since we’re their primary care giver and spend the most time with them). 
Least Favorite Things: her paci (they have a love/hate relationship), tummy time, the hiccups, her gassy nature. 
Here are some of my favorite pictures from the past month. I mentioned this before but I had no idea what I was missing out on when it came to dressing baby girls. I cannot believe the abundance of hats, bows, head wraps, booties, etc that there are available out there. It has been so much fun. Although dressing baby boys and now a toddler boy is still as exciting. Now they can compliment each other at holidays 🙂 

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