So We Had a Baby

Oh hey there. So it's been a few months.

3 to be exact.

And basically the most important thing that you need to know about what's been going on with us during that time is : We had a baby!

On October 16th we welcomed sweet, handsome Greyson George Romney into the world.

Our days are now a little crazier and our nights involve a little less sleep, but what an immense blessing this babe has been to us already. I am simply overwhelmed with love for both of my kiddos.

There is so much more that I want to say about how I love my sweet babies, how I appreciate Blake, how we've been adjusting to life with two kids. I will definitely be writing more soon,

but the truth is that both kids went to bed before 8:00 tonight and all I really want to do right now is go to sleep!

More to come... :)

- e

Our Week in Pictures

Our week, according to Instagram :

Finished up celebrating Annie B's birthday! 

Spent a morning of celebration & relaxation by kidnapping this lady (one of my best Utah gals, Becky ) for a birthday treat at the spa, courtesy of her sweet husband!

We spent another fun-filled weekend in Park City with my mom & dad!

We have been SO spoiled having them visit between all of the fun activities, amazing food, & help with Annie - they even kept her for two extra days so that Blake & I could have a break & enjoy some time to ourselves :)

I love, love, love this cozy mountain town - even though it's right in our backyard it feels completely different from our desert valley.

I would move there tomorrow...so if you have any job contacts send them our way!

Annie and her best bud Makayla (Annie calls her KK) at the zoo!

A few more zoo pics!

- e



Throwback Thursday : Making Room for Baby

Seriously terrible iPhone photos - but the only ones I have!

Came across these photos from a ways back & thought I would use them as a little throwback post. Annie was such a little thing & just starting to get into trouble :)

We recently started making a few changes around the house so that we can start getting baby boy's room ready. Annie has been sleeping in a big bed (a queen thank you very much - spoiled little lady) for most of the year, so it was definitely time to move her crib out of her room and rearrange a few things.

This was such a bitter-sweet feeling.

The realization that she is getting older.

She is truly no longer a baby.

Soon, the time that was "just the three of us" will be no longer.

But with this comes another sweet spirit to love.

Another hand to hold.

An eternal bond with another little soul for Annie & for us.

I never really finished Annie's room - something I've felt so guilty about - & have never really been fully happy with it. I went in a completely different direction than I ever planned & then it was just too late to turn back.

I know people - first world problems.

So, while we're getting ready for our little man we're also going to slowly make some changes to Annie's room as well. I guess I've just decided that this in this phase of life, while we're still this young & our tastes are still changing, our house will be constantly shifting.

Honestly, this could be an every phase of life thing for me, but who knows.

Trying to be grateful & focus on what I do have & all that we've been able to accomplish with our home.

Looking forward to changes ahead.

- e



Wednesday Words of Wisdom

via

So much truth in one simple statement.

Food is very important to me.

And I don't know about you, but when I don't have it I tend to get a little "hangry".

So, if you happened to have an encounter with me on Monday morning anytime before 12:30 PM - let me just apologize now.

I had my glucose test that morning and was therefore not allowed to eat.

Cruel & unusual punishment could be another name for it.

Ah, the joys of pregnancy.

11 weeks until we meet our guy :)

- e

Just FYI :

My top is from Anthropologie! You can find it, here. They have so many amazing flowy tops that can totally work as maternity shirts and will be awesome post-pregnancy as well  - hallelujah! 

Catch Up According to Instagram

Wowzers y'all. 

This whole blogging thing has reached a new level of pathetic, considering it's been a whopping five months since I've typed a single word on here! I got a little tired of Blake incessantly asking me if I was ever going to update it - but guess what BW?

It worked.  

  

Here is an incredibly quick and not nearly well enough explained catch up of the last several month via my Instagram photos:

There are about a million things that I didn't cover in this epically horrible catch up, due mostly to the fact that I am the world's worst at remembering to take pictures: 

our efforts to survive the unbelievably long winter, swim lessons, weddings, weekend getaways, an incredible visit from Annie's Uncle Brandon & Aunt Brittani & their kiddos, or some of our regular summertime activities (bubbles, sidewalk chalk, trips to City Creek, playtime with Annie's bestie KK, daily visits to the park, etc.). 

I know I say this all the time, but I am reeeeaaalllly going to try and be better about blogging on here consistently. I just went through all of my old posts and absolutely loved reading everything. However few and far between the posts might have been, they brought back so many memories! 

Will it happen?

We shall see ... but truly, I'm optimistic :) 

Coming up : a recap of a little photoshoot that we did on the Fourth of July of Annie, as well as photos from her 2nd birthday party!

I'm sorry what?

I have a two year old?

You better believe it.

- e

On My Heart : Motherhood

Tonight BW is working late , so I took the opportunity to get some extra sunggles in with Annie B .

She was restless as she tried to fall asleep .

She rolled one direction , then the next , until she finally settled on my chest .

It's one of my favorite sensations - the weight of her as she lays on me .

I tried to lay so perfectly still , taking in the moment , in complete awe that I have been entrusted with such a beautiful little soul .

I love her so much , it hurts .

One day too soon , she will find herself too big to wrap herself around me .

The snuggles will be few and far between .
And the weight on my chest will be a different one entirely .
But she will always and forever be my sweetest baby girl .

People often tell me I have a very worried mind .
Tragedies involving children tend to weigh heavily on my heart and stay cemented in my brain .
They leave my stomach in knots .
And until I can shake them , they leave me feeling completely and utterly terrified .

What if I lost her ?

I saw this quote on the lovely Casey Wiegand's blog , and felt it completely resonate within me :

"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." Elizabeth Stone

I have to remember that I am not in control .
I have to surrender that which I cannot control .
All I can do is hold her tight and have faith .

- e







My Weekend via Instagram

While I had great intentions for this weekend in terms of productivity , our days ended up being blissfully lazy instead .

Here are a few Instagram photos from the last few days :

While a part of me has to admit that I feel frustrated about the fact that I didn't get my " To Do " list fully marked off , a bigger part of me frankly . . . doesn't care .

It was the first full weekend just the three of us in over four months .

I'm actually grateful that it wasn't filled with errands and projects around the house .

Sometimes you just have to let it go and enjoy the moments that feel as though nothing is really happening - they are always full of little somethings that are fleeting .

Someday , I'll have an empty house and nothing but chores to keep me busy .

In those moments , I'll be grateful that I took the time to read Brown Bear Brown Bear for the 100th time and listened to Annie beam as she shows off her animal sounds , that I sat and watched Blake and Annie cook in her little kitchen , or that we danced the Hokey Pokey over and over .

I'll miss Annie's hand grasping for mine as she lays across our bed between the two of us , her head in Blake's back and her feet against my chest .  I'll ache to be woken up from an afternoon nap by a toddler knocking a boot against my head and shrieking " Mama! Mama! " I'll stand in front of my mirror brushing my teeth and I'll smile remembering how Annie had her very own collection of them, scattered all around the house .

There will always be lists and projects to be done .

But this weekend , they can wait .

I hope you take a moment to do the same with your family !

- e

  



Life's Messy Moments

This morning I was going through my morning ritual , answering emails and sipping my Starbucks (for free today , thank you very much ) , and checking the blogs that I frequent , when I came across a post that had me reliving one of my " new mom " moments .

One of my absolute favorite blogs , The Rockstar Diaries , has partnered with Clorox to do a great giveaway , and asked that we share one of our messiest moments with them .

This is what I wrote :

While I've had many messy moments in my life involving shoes covered in dog poop , a baby smeared head to toe in chocolate pudding , or a husband arriving home from flag football with the guys massacred by grass stains , the most memorable for me personally was one of the first times that I flew by myself with Annie , who was 7 months old at the time .

Let's just say that I was grateful that the paparazzi wasn't there to catch a photo of me as I got off the plane with my baby strapped  to my front Bjorn-style caked in a fresh layer of spit up , juggling my three bags , with no make up on and Dr . Pepper spilled all over my shirt .

It was , for me , the quintessential " I'm a new mom and I'm a mess - get over it " moments .

And yes , I legitimately think about what I would look like if the paparazzi snapped a photo of me out and about . Except in this scenario , I would have preferred to arrive at the airport with my child in tow looking impossibly fresh and completely together . 

For those of you that know me well - I imagine you're thinking right about now , " you would ".

But come on , you know you do it too . 

Here's to the messy moments . . .



Which are totally worth it when they end like this . . .

SMITTEN .

- e