Yes, I’m a slacker mom and I skipped Month 5. He turned 5 months on Thanksgiving and after that, everything got so hectic with the holidays! But I have a lot to catch up on because he’s changed so much in the last 2 months.
Sawyer weighs 12 lbs and 4.5 oz, he’s 25 inches long and wears 6-9mo clothes. We’ve been having a lot of issues with his weight and have to go in once a month for weight checks. They expect him to gain .5 ounces a day, and last month he only gained .5 ounces in a month. He’s not losing weight, so that’s good, we just can’t figure out why he isn’t gaining much.
Today we celebrate two years of marriage, and I can’t believe all that has happened since January 4th, 2014. I learned so much during our second year of marriage. I have so many things to thank my husband for these past two years.
Thank you for being my biggest supporter no matter what I chose to do. Thank you for always trying to understand, and for loving me even when you don’t. Thank you for standing by me through a horribly difficult pregnancy and delivery. Thank you for being with me when I got sick, for coming to every doctors appointment, and for giving me back rubs. Thank you for always feeding me ice and picking up my cravings. Thank you for helping me soak my feet and rub my back. Thank you for loving me even when I was a huge, swollen, emotional, monster of a pregnant woman. Thank you for standing by my side during my surgery. Thank you for praying over me and holding my hand. Thank you for taking care of me and Sawyer while I was in recovery. Thank you for changing diapers and heating up bottles. Thank you for loving me when I was a stressed out, non-showered, still swollen, postpartum mess. Thank you for thinking I’m beautiful despite all this. I’m surprised you still even want to be around me after all this. Thank you for seeking The Lord, thank you for leading our family. Thank you for making me laugh. Thank you for loving me despite all the wrenches thrown in our plans, all the stress of work, being parents, and trying to finish school. I could not be more proud to call you mine. You have blessed me more than I could ever put into words.
Happy Sunday! Every Sunday, if Kurtis is off, I like us to have Sunday dinner as a family. This casserole is really delicious and really easy. Plus, it makes for a lot of leftovers, which I love for easy lunches!
Chicken Cordon Bleu is one of my favorite dishes, but it can be kind of hard to make and perfect. Doing it in casserole form makes it a lot easier. I was so excited when I stumbled across this recipe!
2015 was the year I had a baby. It was the year I got sick and hospitalized with severe preeclampsia. It was the year my husband and I faced unexpected twists and turns and endless trials. It was the year I decided to turn blogging into a business, and actually had success! It was the year everything changed. And it was the best year of my life.
Thank you all so much for your support. If it wasn’t for you visiting, liking, commenting, and sharing, no one would ever read my little corner of the internet. I owe it all to everyone who reads! Happy New Year!
It feels so great to be writing again! I decided to take the month of December and focus only on my Holiday Gift Guide, and the business side of my blog. It was a great chance to get caught up on all the technical aspects of my writing/blogging/business. I then took the whole week of Christmas off to be with my family. Now that I’m all caught up, it’s great to be back!
We had a hectic holiday season. My husband is a Department Head at Dillards, and, obviously, the holidays are an insane time for him. He was working 10 hour days, 6 days a week, all month long. Christmas day was the first day we had off together the whole month of December. But, we tried to make the most of Sawyer’s first Christmas by doing fun, holiday things on days when he was off early (“early” meaning 6:00pm).
Today, we’re talking about a shop that all women will love. I love doing collaborations and writing reviews for products for babies and mamas, but today I’m really excited to review a shop that has something for everyone.
Lemon Sweet Jewelry is hand-made, hand stamped, jewelry that can be customized to whatever you want. She makes beautiful, unique pieces, that everyone is sure to love! She offers necklaces, bracelets, and earrings in a wide variety of styles. She truly has something for every woman on your Christmas list!
When I started working with Lemon Sweet Jewelry, I knew I wanted something customizable, and something sentimental. I found exactly what I was looking for! I ordered a personalized heart necklace in brass. It has 2 heart pendants, each hand stamped with an initial. One is stamped with an S for Sawyer, and the other is stamped with a K for my husband, Kurtis.
For me, nursing is an ordeal. I need everything to be set in place before I sit down to feed Sawyer. I need to have a comfy chair, a place to rest my arms, a blanket, a glass of water, a shield, essential oils diffuser, a burp cloth, something to entertain me, and maybe even a snack. Something that I recently added to my list is a Burpshawl!
If you have a baby, and you have an Instagram account, then you know exactly what I’m talking about when I say Freshly Picked.
Let me cut to the chase by saying, there is no better shoe for your little. Not only are moccasins adorable, but they’re durable, which is exactly what kids need isn’t it? As Kurtis and I were looking through the website, trying to decide which pair we wanted to get Sawyer, we slowly saw our cart filling up with pair after pair, we loved them all! And narrowing down was hard. We finally decided on “Prince George”, the deciding factor being that I’m obsessed with the royal family. They were all so adorable, how could you possibly decide?
I’m been extremely excited for this gift guide in particular. For this reason: We’re doing giveaways for 3/4 of the products featured! This whole week you’ll have chances to win awesome products on my Instagram! So, turn your post notifications on, and make sure you enter! These shops all have products that I have personally used and loved. Sometimes, as moms, we need things that make our job easier. And sometimes, we need something pretty to remind us we’re doing a good job! This guide compiles the pretty with the practical!
Wee Kings
Fist up, Wee Kings! I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to be a brand rep for Wee Kings the past few months, and I don’t have enough great things to say about them. These necklaces come in so many different styles, every mama will love them! These necklaces are safe for you babe to chew on when they’re teething, or grab on to while they’re nursing. Sawyer is a hair puller, so I love having a necklace on to distract him from my hair. And they’ve been a lifesaver since he’s been teething! I wear them with my everyday outfits so he can grab onto, play with them, and even chew on them, whenever he wants.
All Wee Kings products are handmade with love in California. They come in fabric, sillicone, and wooden options. They are safe to chew, since they are non-toxic, and sturdy enough for your little one to tug on. They would make a great gift for an expecting mama or one with a teething little. Head here to shop. I honestly wear these necklaces all the time and highly recommend them!
So much so, that we’re giving away a $15 shop credit, so you can get a necklace of your own! Check my Instagram later today to enter!
Lemon Sweet Jewelry
When I went back to work I wanted something to remind me of Sawyer while we had to be apart. I’m a very sentimental person and wanted a way to keep him close to me, something I could look at when I was feeling sad or missing him and it would help me feel better. I finally found what I was looking for with Lemon Sweet Jewelry. The shop owner, Leslie, sent me a beautiful, simple gold necklace with 2 heart pendants on it. One is stamped with an S for Sawyer, and one is stamped with a K for my husband, Kurtis. I almost cried when I first opened it, it is so perfect.
If you’re looking for something personal, and beautiful, Lemon Sweet Jewelry is the place to look. She has tons upon tons of different designs, and she will customize anything for you. This jewelry would make an amazing gift for just about any woman in your life. I can’t say enough great things. Head here to shop!
Stay tuned for a full review and a giveaway coming soon!
Petunia Pickle Bottom
Y’all know I love me some PPB. I researched a lot of different diaper bags before deciding I wanted a Petunia Pickle Bottom. And I love it! I have not one, but two different styles of PPB bags and I love them both! You can read about my experiences with both bags here. These bags are so cute, colorful, and functional. Gone are the days of the ugly diaper bag! You deserve something cute and fun! PPB is the way to go and would make a great gift for any mama!
Burp Necessity
Alright ladies, I recently stumbled upon this shop and was shocked. Shocked that nobody thought of this idea before now! Kathleen, the creator of the Burpshawl, is a genius. When I first heard of Burp Necessity, I’m pretty sure my jaw dropped and I just knew I had to try it for myself. A Burpshawl is made of gorgeous minky fabric and wraps around your shoulders as a cute, stylish, and effective way to keep your clothes free of spit up stains. I don’t know about your babies, but Sawyer is prone to spit up for a good 1/2 hour or so after he eats. As soon as I’m done feeding him, I just put my burpshawl on for while I’m burping, sitting, and playing with him and it saves my outfits. I’m serious, I don’t know why nobody thought of this before, it’s amazing and so cute! Bonus: It can also be used as a nursing cover. They come in a lot of really great patterns, and would make an awesome gift! Shop here!
Stay tuned for a full review and giveaway coming soon!
Believe it or not, I’ve had a hard time shopping for Sawyer this Christmas. It’s our first Christmas as a family of 3 and I’m beyond excited. My first instinct is to go all out and spoil Sawyer with tons of presents. It is his first Christmas, and he’s currently an only child after all! But, at the same time, he’ll only be 6 months old, and the list of toys he actually cares about is short. I don’t want to waste a bunch of money buying him tons of fun toys, when he really only cares about things he can put in his mouth. So, I put together this gift guide of things for baby! Some of these items I already have and I know other mamas will love! And some of them are items I’ve been swooning over, and will probably be purchasing for Sawyer for Christmas. Enjoy!
Sophie the Giraffe– Sophie is by far my favorite teething toy for Sawyer. I first heard about it when I was pregnant, and I didn’t quite get the hype. But since Sawyer’s started teething, she’s been a lifesaver!
Sophie originated in Paris in 1961. She is appealing because she is colored with organic food paint, which makes her safe to chew. Because of the shape and size of the giraffe, baby can put any angle of Sophie into his mouth. She is easy to hold on to, and she squeaks too! They are the highest rated baby item on Amazon, and more Sophies are sold each year than there are babies born. Sawyer absolutely adores her.
Oliver + Kit– Oliver + Kit is my favorite swaddle blanket for Sawyer. They are made of muslin and have adorable prints! You can read my full review here!
Yummy Mitt– Okay, this product is absolute genius. I have been longing for one for Sawyer ever since I first heard of them. He is constantly sticking his hand in his mouth and chewing away. The Yummy Mitt by Darlyng & Co, solves that problem. The Yummy Mitt straps on to baby’s hand and acts as a teething toy, right at their fingertips! It helps prevent gagging and thumb sucking later in life. Sawyer will definitely have one waiting for him under the Christmas tree!
Bumbo Floor Seat– Now that Sawyer is holding his head up, I’ve had my eye on a Bumbo Floor Seat for him! It makes it easy for him to sit up while he plays and interacts. I feel like he spends all day on his back! These come with a 3 point harness, and option for a detachable tray for feeding.
Greenair Kids Diffuser– As most of you know, I love my essential oils! I recently connected with Greenair Wellness on Instagram and have fallen in love with the ducky diffuser for kids! I want one for Sawyer’s room so badly. They are currently unavailable on Amazon, but you can buy wholesale from their website.
Tiny Face Big Mess– Tiny Face Big Mess makes adorable bandana bibs, binky clips, and suck pads for your little. Read my full review here.
What are your favorite gifts for babies? Comment below!
