Hey hey! Hope you are staying warm out there (if it’s as cold where you are!) and having a wonderful holiday season.
November 1st we ventured to HomeGoods and Target. Target is Quinn’s favorite store because they have Bullseye the dog!
Don’t look at the weeds- we’ll just pretend those don’t exist- but my mom planted these flowers in my garden when she was here in the Spring and they bloomed so beautifully!
That afternoon DJ did a scavenger hunt with Quinn. I hid “treasure” in a toy treasure box in our backyard and then DJ drew the map to help her find it. She loved this!
That day was beautiful, so we made sure to go for a family walk.
That evening I made chicken patties out of the force of nature ancestral blend. This is our favorite ground chicken- the flavor is tremendous, and it’s packed with nutrients.
Now what is ancestral blend? It’s made of ground chicken, skin, liver, heart and gizzard… but it just tastes like chicken, literally. For the longest time I’d been buying the ancestral blend beef too, and DJ had no clue what it was made of. Now that he knows, he’ll ask “are we eating the chicken brain tonight?” 🙄 lol. It is really good and super nutritious though! I served that dinner with murasaki sweet potato and broccoli. (P.S. If you come over for dinner I won’t subject you to the ancestral blend, do not worry- lol!).
November 2nd we went on a walk and said goodbye to Quinn’s favorite Halloween decorations before they were taken down (read: Gargantuan mummy monster). We got a Kiwi Co crate too so we worked on that in the afternoon. The theme of this crate was gardens. We made a planter with different veggies (made of different colored beads) and then completed a flower project that demonstrated how capillary action works in plants.
November 3rd we busted out the Thanksgiving sensory bin activities to replace the Halloween ones. She spent a while doing this color sorter activity.
After that she pretended to make different muffins. We put them in a muffin container and whenever I asked to try one I was hit with a “they’re not ready yet” 🤷🏼♀️.
She also loves to play pretend daycare and will take all the chairs in our kitchen, arrange them into her car formation, buckle in each doll/stuffy and drive them to school!
Daycare snack time! I let her have some Little Spoon containers to play pretend with. I see containers differently than I used to- a yogurt container is now a fun craft or a “building” rather than just a tub to be recycled!
That afternoon we went to Rock the Spectrum. We always have a great time there especially if Quinn finds a friend her age, which she did this time!
Tripp was even enjoying it too!
They have a great little baby area. What I especially love about rock the spectrum is it’s not very big which makes it easy to keep eyes on the kids at all times. I can be playing with Tripp in the baby area and still see Quinn easily.
Time for grocery shopping!
That evening I made a sheet pan meal. I was inspired by previous recipes and then just doctored it up as I saw fit.
We couldn’t stop talking about how much we enjoyed this. I tried to remember how I made it and jotted down some notes, here they are:
Fall sheet pan :
vegan beyond Italian sausage
Brussels
Mushrooms
Onion
Vegan feta (follow your heart)
Butternut squash
2 tbsp maple syrup
1.5 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper
Toss veggies in marinade, then put in oven
Roast 385 for 20, turn up heat to 425 then check frequently
Sauté sausage on stovetop until crispy and then combine with sheet pan when done
At some point in the evening, Quinn decided to practice her name on her playroom wall 😆.
I really don’t mind her exercising some creative liberty on the walls in her playroom. I think it’s because my Mom let us have pretty free rein on our bedroom walls growing up. We painted them, put up murals, they were messy with melted crayons, etc. I figure we can always just paint it someday but then I probably won’t want to 🩷.
November 5th we did library story time & craft!
That afternoon we went to Gigis with Moose too. Oh my goodness Moose was living his BEST life running freely around their yard. He has space in ours, but not that much space- and he was loving it! Quinn was getting such a kick out of it running after him giggling. Tripp didn’t mind hanging around outside either!
We had a lovely afternoon at Gigis and then headed home.
For dinner we had meatballs with vegan feta, couscous, roasted carrots, cucumbers and hummus.
November 6th we went with a neighbor and her kids to the library for baby music and play time! This was a big hit with all the kids.
Quinn has become quite fond of the library’s Curious George.
That evening I needed some fresh air. I had chat GPT create a scavenger hunt for us – and Quinn was all about it!
That evening was- you knowwwww it- Chili!!’
November 8th we went for a family walk then set up the Christmas tree. Quinn was such a big help this year and was so into it! I think I’m near as giddy this year for Christmas as I was as a kid- seeing the joy of Christmas through their eyes is just the best 🥹.
That evening we had non-aesthetically plated tacos with peas and potatoes. Some days you make a pretty meal and others you are throwing food on a plate as fast as you can before everyone melts down 😅.
Oh also – DJ and I had a funny discussion. I often say “I just need to plate the food” before dinner. He thinks it’s a funny way to say put food on the plate- but to me it just sounds right/natural. I’m wondering if it’s because I worked at a catering company for weddings- it was all about food being “plated”. Does anyone else use that use of the word at home?
I’d say this is a good place to wrap! Chat more soon 🙂
Mackenzie
P.S. this post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I might earn a small commission if you make a purchase. Please know I’ll only ever share products I truly stand by and use! 🫶🏻
Hey hey! This post I’m going to do a little October fill in- mainly anything I didn’t include in the other posts since it wasn’t specific to Autumn/Halloween.
September 28th we played in Quinn’s “rocket ship” in the garage. Rocket ship = an oversized cardboard box our deck furniture arrived in.
She takes a lot of pride decorating it with stickers and markers & it’s always fun when we get a ride to outer space!
For dinner that evening we had delicious orange chicken. Most recipes I’ve made from Delish.com turn out great!!
That evening I spotted a bees nest and brought Quinn back out with me to see it. She was all belly laughs as I ran as fast as I could with her in the stroller to see the hive. I love how the little things bring little ones pure JOY!
September 29th we put together our Kiwi Co box. This month was a robot and a car stamper. It was all about wheels.
We tinkered around the house a lot that day. Quinn had a new found interest in the baby blocks and toys and built some fun structures out of them. Sometimes our days at home without an agenda are our best- I think not rushing, not worrying over a schedule or making it back in time for meals, etc. lends to a calm flow. But I can usually only do this once or twice a week without getting cabin fever.
We also have played sooo much with those garage sale Paw Patrol vehicles we found. Her favorite make believe game with it is Paw Patrol daycare while the moms and dads go to work, to the dentist, to get a hair cut or go grocery stopping. She has little stations around the house where each errand takes place.
September 30th was a normal day followed by soccer.
October 1st was a gorgeous day! We tried to be outside as much as possible.
Quinn also has been saying she wanted some skeleton PJs. We went to Walmart and happened to see some right away!
October 2nd Quinn was our teacher and taught us with these adorable educational posters. Tripp was a little disruptive, but she was patient with her pupil ;).
October 3rd my friend Clair stopped by! Always great to see her.
We had some fun with filters! Anyone know Banana Bop by Sandra Boynton..
For dinner that evening, we were low on groceries but had some ingredients to make pizza that evening. DJ and Quinn had a basic cheese pizza, but I tried to use up some ingredients for mine. This had pesto, artichoke hearts, bison and vegan parmesan- it was actually so good!
I went out on a run with Quinn after dinner and listened to the Lenny Pearce toddler techno playlist. Y’all this is so much fun!
Yes my phone is chronically in the red 🙈. My version of living life on the edge.
October 4th Quinnie and I got a little date in at Nervous Dog. On our dates she loves to bring along this sticker book. This is a GREAT gift for any three year olds you know that like stickers. They have so many different theme options too.
October 5th Maggie stopped by in the afternoon on her fall break! It’s been sooo nice we’ve been able to still see her on a regular basis when she’s back in town. Quinn had set up a zoo that day and we printed zoo tickets for it too.
Gigi and Grandpa then came by in the evening and DJ and I went out for Mexican. We knew Tripp may not last long so we chose a nearby spot we knew would be fast (Los Girasoles). I order the fajitas every single time. I don’t know what DJ got because I was focused on my fajitas. I recently heard ordering fajitas is diva behavior because of the sizzling plate as they approach the table demanding attention- but I didn’t choose the fajita life, the fajita life chose me, ok?!
After we got back we got a nice little walk in, it was a beautiful evening.
October 6th we started our day with another glorious walk listening to Forrest Frank. Writing this post when it’s impossible to take walks outside in this cold with the kids is making me ache for the fall weather again!
After, Quinn and I got to work on DJ’s birthday dessert we make every year- Dirt!
This year he requested it with vanilla pudding instead of chocolate, and it was a huge hit! It was so fun having Quinn help me. This was the first year she did most everything for it with some guidance and assistance.
While we were at Walmart that week I had the kids pick out their cards for DJ. Quinn picked out the Bluey one, of course, and Tripp quite literally picked out the other😆.
That day we also went to Krieger to get a bouquet of flowers for Mimi. She shares a birthday with DJ and Amy, which is so special. That evening we went to her home to see her and wish her happy birthday!
I think that just about wraps everything up! Onto November next ☺️
Mackenzie
P.S. this post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I might earn a small commission if you make a purchase. Please know I’ll only ever share products I truly stand by and use! 🫶🏻
My heart (and my stomach) are so full! Thanksgiving this year was lovely, and I’m eager to share all about it! There is just so darn much to be thankful for this year. We would have been traveling to my mom and Pete’s for Thanksgiving this year, but since Tripp is so little they offered to come to us and Kevin, Halston and Captain (their pup!) were able to too!
I have been so excited to host. I’ve been planning the menu for a long time now (it helps that the Thanksgiving menu is pretty standard ;)). We put together our basement guest bedroom for Halston and Kevin, and Quinn helped me with the table decorations. We used her sensory bin pumpkins, corn, pinecones and acorns from Hobby Lobby for the decorative flare!
The napkin rings were a wedding gift from 2015, so I’m hard pressed to locate those! But I did find these similar ones.
We woke up to frosted grass and a light snow gently falling. It was a gorgeous morning to hunker down and enjoy cooking and coffee!
My mom and I prepped dishes a couple days prior to Thanksgiving to make things easy the day of. When it was crunch time (we ate around 2 pm), everyone was in the kitchen lending a hand (including the dogs who were our personal vacuum cleaners). Halston and Kevin made the most incredible Huaincaina sauce- a Peruvian sauce that goes over turkey (or anything). It’s stellar, and Kevin graciously made me a non dairy version because he knows how much I love it! They were able to find the speciality aji Amarillo chile pepper for it at a place called Zak Supercenter.
Pete was on turkey carving & roll duty, my mom helped with the final touches and kept food warm in the oven/Our Place oven. DJ and I warded off meltdowns from the littles haha. When everything was finally done we pulled it all out to serve. We realized I really need some type of multi-dish warmer! My mom said she’ll get one as a Christmas gift, so that will be very helpful for next time hosting.
My mom also made these!
You can put whatever you want in these fabulously festive glasses. Halston used it for a vodka sprite, Pete had white wine and we used them for sparkling water. You could also do red wine or a spritzer too! An easy idea for Christmas drinks ;).
For our turkey, I was able to find some non-plastic turkey bags. You guys, this worked so well!
Look at her!!
My mom really took over the turkey so I cannot take credit for that; she did awesome 😍. Of course, as moms do, she talked about it being dry and we looked at her like she was crazy because it simply was NOT. It was delicious!!
We had our work cut out for us this year since we made double of almost all the sides (a dairy version and a non-dairy version). We definitely took the path of least resistance for some dishes and used some boxed/canned items- but it worked out great.
Here was every single thing we made (including our short cuts ;)):
Organic turkey from Whole Foods
Roasted multicolored carrots- roasted at 385 until softening then turned up to 425 until crisp (I just watch them so not sure on exact times)
The vegan creamed corn and vegan green bean casserole were new recipes and turned out incredibly delicious! We all agreed we could have just made those without the “regular” versions based on how good they were. I am absolutely keeping these recipes!
We are ready to chow!
Tripp was a big fan of mashed potatoes! I’m kicking myself for not getting a pic of him eating but you know how it is hah. Quinn ate one roll and a bite of turkey and called it good 🤷🏼♀️.
My mom did some turkey trivia which was fun! Pete killed it- who knew he was a turkey maven! I think the fact that surprised me the most is turkeys can make up to 28 distinct sounds! Not just gobble gobble- who knew!
Of course, we busted out the glasses from last year 😄.
My girl ❤️
There was a moment that gave us a particularly good laugh. As dinner was wrapping up, I got up from the table and came back and sat in Halston’s seat since she was up playing with Tripp. Quinn looked over and earnestly asked, “are you mommy or Aunt Hally?” 😂. We confused the poor girl! Even Tripp was soo content with Halston all weekend we think he just thought she was a mommy clone. I’ll never forget when Quinn first met Halston when she was about 6 months old and did a double triple take.
Haha moose
For dessert we had a vegan pumpkin pie that was actually unbelievably good. Halston said she didn’t want any, then tried a bite and got a slice immediately lol. DJ said he’d have no clue that it was vegan. Pete also made his famous pumpkin crunch that whole family is obsessed with. Next year when I can have dairy again I’ll be making up for lost time with that. We had all the fixings- whipped topping, reddi-whip and vanilla ice cream. I offered beforehand to get apple pie but everyone said they just wanted the pumpkin crunch, so that made that easy!
Family selfie time!
After, we partook in the important tradition of watching football late into the night.
Except the dogs who were tired from being dogs all day!
How was your Thanksgiving? And my favorite question to always ask- what was your favorite dish you had?
🦃
Mackenzie
P.S. this post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I might earn a small commission if you make a purchase 🫶🏻. Please know I’ll only ever share products I truly stand by and use!
Hey everyone! I have been so excited to share about my sister-in-law and DJ’s twin sister, Amy’s, wonderful wedding weekend!
Oh but first, here’s a sweet pic of Moose from Marie!
August 27th, Tripp started making moves like he wanted to pull up on furniture.
I did some weeding and yard clean up, but it feels like the minute I load up our compost bin the weeds just grow back lol.
Bubble time!
We are now in the exersaucer stage!
Also the stage of wearing more than we eat 😅. Tripp is a good eater though! It’s not usually a struggle to get him to eat whatever I’m giving him. Now check back in with me when he’s 2 😅.
August 30th we went to the zoo! We let Quinn wear her leopard pjs, which she got lots of compliments.
August 31st was our annual church picnic! It was hot but fun! There was a bbq buffet, bounce houses and kick ball.
Sweet Mooser man sunbathing with Quinn’s stuffies.
Maggie was able to stop by the afternoon of September 1st. We could not wait to see her! Quinn goes “her a nurse now?” (She knew Maggie was in nursing school). Wouldn’t it be great if it was that easy to become a nurse in a couple weeks! 😄
That weekend as long as Tripp would tolerate the exersaucer I tried to cleanup the beds a little. I kind of winged it, and I just pray the flowers come back next year haha.
The evening of September 2nd we had orange chicken (I had some leftover sauce from a previous recipe), brown rice and broccoli.
I used vegan cheese that’s why it doesn’t look quite like regular melted shredded cheese on top.
That week was spent playing at home, chalk outside, visiting the park and walks.
September 4th I was able to sneak away and get my hair touched up prior to the wedding. I had to choose my “beauty maintenance” priorities for the wedding since the little man doesn’t tolerate me away from him. Highlighting my hair was the one thing I had to get done because the roots could be seen from outer space. I also snuck in getting my eyebrows threaded since it was right next door to the hair salon. I did my own nails at home and used a self tanner that worked well! I usually use this tanner due to super clean ingredients, but it can be streaky if not done right, so I wanted to try something different since I’d be in the wedding. Anyway, Tripp did well with DJ! He cried a bit but then conked out in the carrier.
The day before leaving for the wedding the nook in our room and my brain looked like this.
I was having a hard time getting everything done in time (outfits ironed, getting packed, etc.), so I hired a woman from care.com who came by and held Tripp while I was able to knock out some of the big things. It was super helpful- just having that extra hand a chunk of the day made the biggest difference!
I felt much calmer going into the evening. Amy and Chris’s rehearsal was at the gorgeous Michelangelo’s Winery. This is actually where my other SIL, Renee, was married- so it felt a bit nostalgic! Tripp did have a blowout the minute we walked through the doors, so we marched back to the car to change him into his back up outfit hah!
Sweet picture of Emelyn looking at Tripp through the window 🥰
Amy and Chris were so easy to celebrate. They are such a perfect match. ❤️ All of us had the honor of being in the wedding party too which was so special!
Oh I’m getting ahead of myself! Back to the rehearsal- it was a lovely and delicious dinner! Buttt Tripp was pretty fussy that evening, so much so that I eventually just took him back to the car thinking I could just nurse him to sleep. Nope, as soon as we were in the car he was all smiles and just wanted to pretend he was driving the car lol. The stinker!
He did fall asleep right when we were about to leave, but he wasn’t getting out of a family selfie that easy!
We had a friend come with us to be an extra hand that day since we were all in the wedding. She and DJ took turns taking Quinn to the park to play outside & Tripp slept on and off in my carrier. Quinn did have some tougher than usual meltdowns. I think we overdid it on the screen time that day & just being in a different environment I think really affected her. Also… this is kinda funny… she doesn’t like when I do my makeup- I think it doesn’t look like her “normal mommy” since she’s used to the disheveled version of me 😆. We took her out for fresh air and she turned the corner. She was an angel the rest of the day and had the time of her life!
We’re *mostly* ready (sans a pair of shoes hehe).
Quinn was going to walk down the aisle with me but became bashful and frozen once she saw everyone (which I get, that can be overwhelming!). I picked her up and walked with both her and Tripp in my arms – I’m pretty sure Tripp ate a couple flowers off my bouquet 😅. Diving right into the solids 😆.
It was a beautiful wedding with perfect weather too!
My boy 💕
I grabbed a few photos so you can see this stunning location!
There were treehouses available for people to stay in as accommodations! How cool is that.
For dinner, they had a Mac and cheese bar and a taco bar! It was FANTASTIC. They even had a vegan Mac n cheese!
S’mores cupcake anyone?!
The dancing was sooo much fun. All the kids were cutting a rug! I couldn’t believe how well they all did given it was probably past all their bedtimes haha!
A friend captured our attempt to slow dance with Tripp too ❤️Being dinos with the gorgeous bride, Aunt Amy! I was obsessed with her dress.
Their vision came together so beautifully. We talk all the time how wonderful of a wedding it was. We had soo much fun & could not be happier for Amy & Chris. Amy is the last one to ever make anything about her, she’s just always thinking of everyone else, so we were thrilled to be able to intentionally celebrate her and her marriage to Chris. The speeches were so touching & the whole day was just filled with such LOVE. 💕picture perfect.
💞
I cannot wait to see the professional photos from the whole day! We should be getting those soon, and I know they’ll be stunning 🤩
Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone!!
P.S. this post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I might earn a small commission if you make a purchase 🫶🏻. Please know I’ll only ever share products I truly stand by and use!
The size, the look, the durability – this is my new favorite beach vacation staple! (Just realized this is currently unavailable- I hope they restock soon!).
I lose and break sunglasses like nobody’s business. These are still stylish snd not heartbreaking if I sit on them, lose them in the ocean or leave them at a restaurant on accident (all hypothetical scenarios, of course ;)).
I wore these every day! Very comfy and went with just about anything I wore.
And that’s a wrap! Happy August!
P.S. this post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I might earn a small commission if you make a purchase 🫶🏻. Please know I’ll only ever share products I truly stand by and use!
Hey everyone! Where to even begin?! I have so much to discuss. I’m thinking maybe I should just stream of conscious this for a bit and then fill in the gaps after?! Here we go- this will be all over the place…especially with my sleep deprivation added to the mix, hah!
We returned from the hospital on February 27th. I was elated to bring Tripp home and be back with Quinn. However I have to admit I felt an uneasiness as I walked through the door. I think more than anything I had some anxiousness about how Quinn would deal with the transition. But she has adjusted way better than I could have expected. We have some tough moments where she acts out as any two and a half year old does, but it’s rarely directed toward him. She is the sweetest big sister. She just loves her baby brother & helps pick out his diaper for changes, reads him stories, shows him how to crawl, tells him “it’s me” (meaning “im here”) when he fusses, and loves to just look at him (she frequently asks “can I see him?!”).
The biggest challenges we have had include: not being able to pick her up (initially with my recovery and now when Tripp’s in the carrier wrap), not being able to just stop breastfeeding to play with her, and we have some trouble with bedtime since Tripp tends to be awake and want me at the same time I put her to bed. Bedtime is probably our greatest obstacle right now. I’ve held onto wanting to do bedtime with Quinn since it’s one of my favorite parts of the day with her, but I may have to give up the reigns to DJ with how it’s been going.
Each day and night looks different. Even over a month in we have yet to find a consistent routine that works- I think because the kids’ sleep is all over the place. Quinn wakes up a couple times a night usually and Tripp was an amazing sleeper for two weeks but then some reflux and gas kicked in that has really interfered with that. Hoping we can get him sleeping well again once those are under control!
We’ve been blessed with the best support and “village” during this postpartum period. I especially felt how much that was needed this time around with two kids. Also I got a sinus infection that first week following delivery and DJ got a cold, so the help was all the more welcomed. Our church organized a meal train and brought by a meal every other day for two weeks. Some people in the church we hadn’t even ever met participated and brought clothes for Tripp and activities for Quinn. The generosity and giving hearts of our church family blew us away! Meals included various soups (these tasted extra good with us being sick), lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, salads, homemade bread, fruit, cupcakes and chicken pot pie biscuits! I barely had to dip into my postpartum stash of freezer meals a month out!
My mother in law, Gigi, has been so incredibly helpful and selfless with her time and energy. She has responded to our calls every time of day from early morning to middle of the night to help us out. After coming home from the hospital, she was over almost every day until my mom and Pete could arrive, she watched Quinn while we were at the hospital and for doctors’ appointments after delivery, has helped with dishes, laundry and has held sweet Tripp many times so I could give Quinn some intentional time, do a few chores, or take a shower. And she brought over a delicious bbq pulled pork meal and other food through the weeks. I also just so enjoy her company always.
Emotionally – she’s really been a huge support for me this whole past year through absolutely everything and continues to be now too.
Finding caterpillars and worms with Gigi
We also have received the sweetest texts, beautiful flowers, cutest clothes and other gift packages to the house. Everyone’s thoughtfulness and care for our family has meant the world 🩵.
Many walked with us through a lot of grief last year & now it’s such a joy to share this happy, exciting time with everyone! (Including you all here!).
Quinn really enjoyed playing “keepy uppy” with this balloon!
Now to Tripp. The expression “your first child shows you how deep you can love, and your second child shows you how wide” is so so true.
I treasure each moment with him and know how fast these itty bitty newborn days fly. I look at him and can’t believe he’s ours. I don’t feel as overwhelmed or stressed about the exhausting newborn chapter this time because I know it’ll be over in a blink. (Although I do still feel overwhelmed and exhausted at times it’s just easier to keep in perspective). I’m just really trying to enjoy it. We had a pretty stressful start though- Tripp had a misdiagnosis that led to a specialist referral that was entirely unwarranted, then we also saw cardiology and neuro because of some concerning symptoms that arose within his first week. He had an echo and EKG and his heart was healthy as can be, Praise God.
Neuro also was not concerned and said his symptoms should resolve by two months. Last week was the first week without doctors’ appointments, and it’s been sooo wonderful just soaking up our time at home with a sense of normalcy and the peace of mind that he is ok!
Some things that he does that I want to remember: he loves his hands up by his face and sleeps that way like in the picture above, he makes this little sad face with his lower lip that simultaneously kills me because I don’t want him sad but it’s also soooo cute, he’s super intrigued by the contrast books and cards, when he looks up from the carrier and studies my face I absolutely melt, he actually is soothed by driving (which is huge because Quinn hated the car!), he loves the sound of running water, and there is nothing cuter than his sneezes and yawns… Except some of the little baby noises he makes- I don’t remember Quinn being as vocal as a newborn but he makes some seriously adorable little squeaks and coos.
The weather has been all over the place. Getting outside for walks was imperative to my mental well being when I had Quinn, but it’s been harder this time. I walk about two miles once DJ gets home on the treadmill if the weather doesn’t allow us to get outside that day, but any movement feels great.
Quinn outside with her “noculars”Quinn described a monster as I drew it. I have to say that is a pretty scary monster!!
I’ve definitely dealt with quite a bit of mom guilt. Especially these first few weeks I really wanted to give Tripp the same type of postpartum period I gave Quinn: 24-7 doting attention, tons of skin to skin, endless cuddles on the couch together. It’s just impossible to do that and split time with Quinn, who I also want to be with all the time & set a good tone in this transition so she feels prioritized. But it constantly feels like I’m not giving enough to either. However, once Tripp hit the weight limit with the carrier wrap, it was a game changer to being able to play with Quinn while he sleeps cuddled close to me.
I love this thing
I’ve also felt guilty about screen time. The screen time parameters were pretty much out the window the first couple weeks, but we’re back on track now!
Our toy rotation has been working out really well! Quinn has been pretty well occupied by the rotating bins & activities.
DJ is just the best. He does so much for all of us, is going on so little sleep while working full time and never complains for a second.
How most of our days look right now ❤️
One night that I felt extra terrible from the sinus infection, DJ took Quinn over to Gigi and Gordie’s so I could just lay on the couch cuddling Tripp. Quinn drew this Dino on the etch and sketch! I found it impressive.
March 4th was our first outing as a family of 4! We went to the Stow Park. It was so much fun and felt great doing something normal for Quinn. Plus that day had the first hint of spring weather!!
Quinn was too nervous to do big slides just last fall but is all about them now!
This boy loves his bear lounger.
March 5th I took Quinn on a mommy-Quinnie date. We went to a nearby McDonald’s and I got her an ice cream cone. I brought sprinkles along so she could add them. It was a sweet memory for us both I think 💞.
Later that day, Tripp met his Aunt Kylie for the first time!! He and Quinn also got some time with his Sissy & Poppy too!
(Also we got a playroom couch since then so we no longer all have to sit on the floor- yay!!). Haha.
That week and the next we had to go all over Timbuktu for Tripp’s specialist appointments which all turned out just fine in the end ❤️. On one of our drives, we discovered an amazing coffee shop in Cleveland called 5 Points. SO. Good.
March 7th we had a hankering for pizza. We ordered from Decheco’s, our new favorite! Not pictured: the charred hot honey pizza, so gooood.
We went to Sweet Frog after!
I tried making oobleck for Quinn one morning, but she had zero interest in this haha.
Moose has been very gentle with Tripp. He has adjusted well, and doesn’t seem particularly affected by his new human. He did get noticeably less demanding with his constant ‘talking’ to us, so I think he knows we are pretty stretched right now. We are also taking him to Marie’s more in this postpartum period so he can get good exercise and play with his friends.
Catching snow on our tongue after PJ day at daycare 🥰
Speaking of daycare, we are still taking Quinn once or twice a week to give her a sense of normalcy & also for some days of bonding with Tripp one on one. It’s been good for all of us & Quinn actually asked to go this past week which has never happened! We’ll change up the daycare situation at some point with me not working now, but we’re trying not to throw too many extra changes at Quinn all at once.
I love these doctor’s pjs I found for Quinn from Old Navy!
March 8th we went to the library! Tripp was super chill the first two weeks which made these outings a cake walk. We just kept our distance from people and sanitized our hands like crazy.
Tripp has grown a bit a lot fussier the last couple weeks due to some reflux and gas. The reflux is actually getting so bad I’m worried he has the cow’s milk protein intolerance like Quinn did, but we’ll see (update: since originally writing this post, pediatrician confirmed he does have it, poor thing!). The treatment for that is for me to cut out dairy from my diet since he breastfeeds, so I’m glad I could go back to my post about what I used during that time to jog my memory of what alternatives to get from the store.
Overall though, breastfeeding is going well! Although it makes me ravenous. I remember that with Quinn too, my breastfeeding hunger is nearly insatiable. I stopped losing weight about a week after coming home from the hospital, but I’m ok with that. I really don’t want to lose much this time around because with Quinn it fell off so fast, and then I ended up needing to gain back 20 lbs to get pregnant again. I’m not trying to have to go through that again if we decide to have another one, but also just for my own health the weight is good. Any time I start feeling insecure about how clothes are fitting or anything else I just try to focus on how grateful I am that these changes are what made it possible to bring Quinn & Tripp into the world. My overall physical recovery has actually been easier than it was with Quinn, thankfully!
March 9th we took Tripp to church for the first time! Our church has a “quiet room” that is separate from the sanctuary to watch the sermon. We came in early and left early. Only a mom and her son were in there so it felt a lot safer than actually going into the crowded sanctuary.
That afternoon DJ took Quinn to a new playground! I am so thankful he had off a few weeks for paternity leave. it made a huge difference!
We did tummy time with Tripp for the first time that evening. They told us to wait about two weeks to start, which was surprising to me. I remember with Quinn I started right away. Tripp actually loves tummy time just like Quinn did. Actually if he’s really fussy, I find doing tummy time helps. The little man has good strength- he moves his head side to side and lifts his hind legs into Superman pose!
Purple monkey in a bubblegum tree is backkkk, baby!
We found these awesome educational posters off Amazon that I’ve been using with Quinn. I find she interacts with them the most when I ask her to be the teacher and I pretend to be the student.
A couple times I’ve been able to get out for walks with Tripp in the carrier using my maternity jacket I got when pregnant with Quinn! It feels like stepping back in time since I took walks like this daily with Quinn.
My postpartum show of choice has been Severance and DJ’s has been The Office. Severance is the weirdest show I’ve ever seen, but I can’t stop watching!! I love the psychological element of it.
Quinn has been eager for walks to the park when the weather allows. One day she made Gigi and me mulch “pizzas”.
Emotionally, postpartum is a rollercoaster. I can feel the hormones dipping and shifting, but it helps knowing those will even out eventually. In general my perspective is very different this time around. I know all the difficult parts of having a newborn will be over in a blink. I don’t have a lot of anxiety either- my anxiety was definitely worse during pregnancy which was the case with my pregnancy with Quinn too. There is no greater joy than holding my two little ones.
March 13th Tripp met Kelley (Nini) for the first time! This was special as Kelley watched Quinn for some of our OB appts and has prayed for us & been such a source of encouragement through my whole pregnancy.
Yay for no coats on March 14th! that evening it felt like the whole neighborhood went to the nearby park. It was a gorgeous evening, and I met another mom I’m hoping to schedule a play date with soon!
March 15th Renee, Chris, Ender and Emelyn stopped by to meet Tripp for the first time 🩵. I always love watching the cousins play together.
March 16th I made pancakes to start the day!
That afternoon was Ender’s birthday party! Yes, Renee made that cake! She will never cease to amaze me with her cake making skills.
Tripp and I stayed back to avoid being indoor among a lot of kids with Tripp so young & with so much going around; it was hard not to be there, but DJ and Quinn had a blast!
That evening we had leftovers. I had a veggie bowl with tofu and orange sauce for dinner (I had leftover sauce from the orange chicken I made in the crockpot). It was so simple yet so good.
And my mom and Pete arrived that day! Can’t wait to share about their time here too!
Hello hello! I have admittedly procrastinated writing this post as my delivery experience was pretty scary this time around. But Tripp is here and doing well, which is all that matters.
On February 25th overnight I noticed he was not moving much along with contractions that were becoming pretty regular. So in the middle of the night we went to labor and delivery. I also was sick- I had an awful cold and felt like I’d been hit by a bus. I couldn’t stop shivering and had zero energy. Gigi met us at the hospital around 3 AM and took Quinn back home since we had no idea how long we’d be there. Thankfully Tripp got super active once they hooked me up to the monitor. His heart rate was running high, so they considered doing an induction right then and there. However after some fluids, his heart rate came back down where it should be and they felt safe discharging me. Around 9/10 AM we headed home.
Quinn was having a ball with Gigi even though she was going on barely any sleep and showed no interest in going back down.
DJ took work off and watched Quinn while I slept and lay in bed all day. I was miserable. Being sick doubled with the contractions was something else! I was sooo grateful I didn’t need to be induced that morning because I didn’t know how I would handle labor the way I felt. My platelets were also low so they didn’t know if it would be safe to get an epidural. Being induced without an epidural sounded like quite literally the most painful thing. I didn’t want to get an epidural to begin with, but if I was being induced it was a no brainer to get one.
My contractions never subsided and through the afternoon they got stronger and more intense. Around 3 PM I felt a smidge better (regarding my cold). I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (my pregnancy go to), and had a couple sips of coffee. Each hour that passed I felt like I was turning the corner more and more.
Around 6 pm I was having to sit during the increasingly painful contractions so we rang back Gigi with the “we think this is it” phone call. She immediately came by and took back over with Quinn who was still in her same pjs and happily sporting her St. Patrick’s day hat. She made sure her kitty got a hat too.
We zoomed to the hospital. There was some debate whether to induce or not again, but thankfully when they retested my blood my platelet count was in a place where I’d be able to get the epidural. I ultimately was not induced, but I still got the epidural considering I didn’t feel well and I didn’t even have enough energy to get out of bed to walk the halls. I was definitely not in a head space to conquer unmedicated labor, but I was grateful I felt better than the morning.
From the beginning of labor we were seeing early decelerations on the monitor (a type of heart rate pattern that usually indicates head compression during contractions). They weren’t concerned about these. But then the early decelerations became deep variable decelerations which are dangerous. Every time I had a contraction we watched his heart rate dip significantly. It was very hard to watch & every time it happened (which was nearly every contraction), we grew more concerned. They had me turning to different positions to try to find one to prevent the decels, but nothing seemed to be working. At that point the team started an amnioinfusion (infusing sterile fluid into the amniotic sac) to try to relieve any cord compression, but that also made no difference. I was desperate for my OB to actually get there. I trusted her and I felt like no one was taking charge. They started talking emergency C-section. They also thought I may have been having a placental abruption as bleeding picked up. Then shortly after that they thought they saw meconium in the amniotic fluid which would be dangerous for Tripp; they alerted us that a peds team would be in the room ready to intervene if necessary after delivery. When my OB entered the room she took total control- she immediately had me start pushing and used a vacuum so Tripp was here in less than 5 minutes. He was doing great and scored wonderfully on his APGAR scores which was reassuring. I did not have a placental abruption and he did not aspirate meconium, thank goodness. We were (and still are) praising God he is here and healthy.
This boy has no idea how many people love him already and have prayed for him.
He was born at 4:05 AM on February 26th. A couple fun facts- I guessed the date both Quinn and Tripp were born on correctly. Second fun fact- Quinn and Tripp’s birthdays are both made of the integers 2, 5 and 6!
Anyway, thankfully, I was still feeling better than the day prior despite giving birth. We ordered First Watch while waiting to be roomed on the postpartum floor.
Quinnie was all smiles with Gigi and Grandpa.
When we got to our room, we couldn’t believe the size! It was much more spacious than our postpartum room with Quinn which was a true shoebox haha. I have a tiny suspicion one of my colleagues arranged it for us, which is extremely kind if the case.
The whole day was spent trying to get a little sleep and soaking up all the cuddles!
A very special moment of the day- Tripp met his namesake, his Poppy ❤️. He also resembles him as a baby based on a baby picture we saw!
Meeting one of his Grandmas “Sissy” for the first time too 🥰
That evening one of the nurses offered to watch Tripp while we slept for a stretch. We were not about to say no! We got in two solid hours which felt incredible.
February 27th we ordered Anna Bean coffee– this was tremendous & the food was good too! I wish we had one near us.
We missed Quinn so much, and while we could have technically stayed another night we were eager to get home and back to her. Plus he was doing well & no reason for us to stay. That mindset was very different from our first time with Quinn where we stayed as long as possible and asked every nurse to show us how to swaddle 😂.
Before leaving, Gigi, Gordie and Quinn all came to the hospital to meet Tripp for the first time!
Quinn meeting Tripp was a moment I’ll never forget. It surprised me how well she understood what was happening, Tripp also gifted Quinn Daniel Tiger character figurines, books and a song player that won the way to her heart! 😉
Her face seeing him for the first time 🥰
One of the first things she did after meeting him was move back my vest and look at my stomach as to confirm baby was no longer in there. It was cute watching her wheels turn. And while he was nicknamed Winnie the Pooh a good portion of my pregnancy, she now solely calls him “baby brother”.
We left the hospital as a family of four!
Hopefully I can update y’all on the first month here shortly!
I reused the crib, changing table (if I could go back in time I would have ordered something GreenGuard Certified) and rocking chair from Quinn’s nursery
I wanted to share all in one place the meals I prepped to have ready for lunch or dinner postpartum. I doubled a lot of the recipes and then just froze leftovers. Hope this helps someone looking to do something similar!!
Moroccan Lentil and Chickpea Soup – I will note during the time I ate this soup I had some serious contractions. To be safe, I stopped eating it, but I do look forward to the leftovers postpartum! No idea if it caused those contractions, but just wanted to note this to be safe.
Hi all- first I just want to say thank you for such kind and loving words regarding my last post ❤️.
I hope everyone is doing well. I have been so eager to write this post. Our to-do list is dwindling, nursery is ready, air ducts have been cleaned, the house is deep cleaned and carpet cleaning is done. I had my last shift at work which was very bittersweet. We’re ready and eager to meet this little guy!! Ok let’s jump in!
January 12th DJ and I went to L’Albatros in Cleveland for my birthday while Quinn spent the evening with Gigi and Grandpa. This restaurant was DJ’s suggestion! He has been on a streak of finding the best gems lately.
This elegant and quaint French restaurant is tucked away in a corner of Case Western University’s campus. The building itself is actually an old carriage house.
One unique offering they have is the “assiette de fromages”, an assortment of cheeses. I stayed away because I wanted to be safe while pregnant, but we will be back to try as many as possible! DJ tried three different kinds and finally admitted how good they were when I pried it out of him (he didn’t want to brag since I was abstaining hah!). Also the fig jam and other accompaniments they serve it with were excellent. It transported me back to our cheese tasting in Austin at Antonelli’s!
Another appetizer we tried was the French toast. I expected it to be more like a crisp toasted bread, but it was actually French toast! It was savory with ragout of wild mushrooms and a balsamic glaze. The flavors went together beautifully!
Now, the main meal I ordered was one of my favorite meals of late. When they set it in front of me I figured I’d barely make a dent seeing the size. But I just about polished it off. So what was this dish?! Let me present you the duck confit with crispy duck leg, sweet potato puree and braised cabbage. This is a dish I will not forget!
DJ ordered the hanger steak and fries with bearnaise sauce.
While waiting for our food and enjoying the romantic moodiness of the restaurant, DJ asked if we had ever been to a French restaurant before. I remembered we had been to one in San Francisco. I couldn’t remember the name, so to the blog I went! I found the post where we visited Cafe Claude. It made us laugh that DJ ordered the same thing at L’Albatros he had ordered there!
After our fantastic meal we were so full but still had room in our dessert stomach. We stopped by the Handel’s near our house for some ice cream.
It was such a wonderful evening!
January 13th was my official birthday. 31 years! I am no longer 30, I am in my 30s. It was a really great, low key day. I soaked up a day with Quinnie, and everyone made me feel so loved 🥹. We ordered pizza from Decheco’s Pizzeria & it was fantastic! Maybe our new favorite pizza spot! The charred hot honey pizza and pineapple were where it’s at. And I was absolutely spoiled with the best birthday treats from friends and family!
January 14th we whipped out some toy bins in the basement for a change of pace.
Random- I have been craving carbonation a lot lately- but don’t really want to drink soda. I found this Sparkling Rainwater (yes actual Rainwater), and it gave me my fix!
Oh and I have got to RAVE about this birthday gift of Caraway food storage containers!!! I am OBSESSED!
January 15th we had a quick errand to run at the mall and naturally we stopped by the play place for a bit. I was hungry before we left around three and knew Quinn could use a snack too.
We stopped at a sushi place and ordered veggie rolls. They were delicious, but don’t let this picture fool you- this girlie spit her first bite all over the table.
We had to stop in the photo booth, as we do. I’m not sure if it’s sophomoric of me to love these things, but I treasure my little collection of photo strips with my Quinnie girl. I let Quinn choose the themes and this is what we landed on 😄.
A bump pic! I don’t remember exactly how far along I was. 32 weeks if my math is right?
That evening I started my postpartum meal prep! Coming up in the following posts will be a lot of large, nutrient packed meals made in the crockpot. First, I made a beef enchilada casserole. So good!
Moose being able to play at Marie and Jorge’s this winter has been such a great thing. It still gets him some exercise when we can’t walk him and he loves the socialization with other dogs. Don’t know what we would do without them!!
Had to share this adorable picture of Moose snuggling with one of Quinn’s stuffed animals 🥹.
January 18th I started the day with a Nervous Dog au lait with oatmeal, yogurt and peanut butter, my go to lately.
That afternoon I packed up for our baby moon and Clair, Lainey (Clair’s sister) and Layla (Clair’s daughter) arrived that afternoon to have a girls’ weekend with Quinnie!
Quinn had zero issue saying goodbye to us and was so happy to be with them.
DJ and I headed to Cleveland, where we did a little babymoon staycation. First up- Cordelia! Halston and Kevin got us a giftcard here for Christmas and we were so eager to use it. We have heard nothing but rave reviews about this place.
It’s located on the classic East 4th street in downtown. This street is happening!! It’s been a while since I’ve been here, and it was fun to see the new stores and restaurants illuminating the alleyway.
Decisions decisions!!! It was so hard for me to decide. The pregnancy restrictions actually helped a lot in the case , otherwise I really wouldn’t have been able to make up my mind!
We started with a trio of party snacks. We opted for carrot muhamarra with hazelnut dukkah, thaxton’s garlic with honey and sumac, and pimento cheese with smoked chili. Goodness it was all fantastic. I think DJ’s favorite of the three was the pimiento cheese and mine was the carrot muhamarra. I have no idea what half these words mean but I know they translate into insane deliciousness.
We enjoyed our appetizer while taking in the cozy, bustling establishment. It has a great vibe. It’s refined, yet inviting. Warm and cozy, while casually elegant. We loved it!
Next up, we tried the “bone in Brussels” with Harissa, salted almond charoset, genmai and mint. The “bone” is the stalk of the Brussels. This was very yummy!
Now the star of the show- the “burger box” with smoked cheddar, pickle, onion and Cordelia’s sauce. This was tremendous. One of my favorite burgers ever! (Although I still think often about the one from Heck’s!).
First baby moon meal was a major success! Thank you, Hal and Kevin!
Quinn was busy making pizzas and we were so far out of her mind haha.
We went back to the hotel after- we stayed at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown, which has become our go-to place when needing or recommending a hotel in Cleveland. Last time I was here was for my 30th birthday!
We had a great view of the Browns stadium!
Given how cold it was, all that sounded good to us was Door dashing dessert and watching a movie. DJ humored me with watching Wicked, which I’d been dying to see.
We had seen it on Broadway together, so it was fun to watch the movie together too. We loaded up on some serious desserts- an outrageously good cookie and Afters ice cream. We were in dessert heaven!!!
Yes, we are watching on Quinn’s iPad 🤣.
Unfortunately I realized I had forgotten my thyroid meds again. I figured one missed dose would probably be ok, but DJ insisted on going back to get them for me. He knew I would be likely secretly spiraling over it. So he drove about 40 mins back home, got the meds and returned, acting like it was no big deal. He is just the best. I did feel bad it cut into our time together, but we were able to finish the movie the next evening when Quinn fell asleep.
The next morning I snuck in an early morning workout. I always have the best workouts when traveling, I’m not sure why! Throughout my pregnancy, I have tried to get in about 3-4 miles a day in some type of walk/run combo. The walking has mostly taken over at this point, but just feels good to move!
I received an adorable pic of these two cuties first thing in the morning!
And Mr. Moose had a play date at Marie and Jorge’s that day. They sent this picture of a spiffy Mr. Moose!
I had a hankerin’ for coffee shop coffee, so we stopped by Rising Star Coffee Roasters on our way to brunch (we knew there’d be a wait, so this would help tide us over!).
This coffee was SO good!
Brunch time! We went to Juneberry Table, one of the most highly rated brunch spots in Cleveland.
I was absolutely famished by the time we got seated (I think we had a 40 min wait), and I was ready to chow down. We hung out in the car and chatted during the wait which was still so enjoyable.
We started with the Cheddar and Chive biscuit with sorghum butter and jam. This may have been my favorite thing here!!!
Then I also tried their parfait because it sounded refreshing, and it was!
I also got the Ohio Spelt Pancakes with sorghum butter, Ohio apples and cinnamon and syrup. There are not words!!!!
DJ ordered the Gravy and biscuit with local mushroom gravy, spinach, soft scrambled eggs and sausage crumbles. This was super delicious too.
It was definitely worth the wait and the hype!
We had considered going to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame before heading home, but the roads were starting to get hairy. We headed home instead eager to see our girl.
She was not ready to be done playing with them when she saw us 😂. She clearly had an amazing time. They also made this sweet Valentine craft with her for us 🥹.
That was a very special weekend we will treasure!
Part 3 January coming atchya next, that is – unless it’s a birth announcement haha. I’m 37 weeks!
