Bath Time

Let's talk about bath time shall we?  I love to hate bath time.  If I am being honest... which as you know is to be expected,  I sort of dread it and enjoy it.  At two my little man likes to stand, jump, swim, slosh, and for lack of a better word go ham in the tub.  I sit on my little floor pouf, sipping my tea while he pretends to be Shamu and me the idiot in the front row.  The only thing that helps ease the crazy are entertaining bath toys.  Nuby sent me a few of their newest toys to try out and I have to say I may have stayed dry for the first time in ages.  All the toys are BPA free which is a nice bonus for me!

The Nuby little submarine pull string bath toy 

was a hit because as soon as he pulled the string it cruised around the tub making a fun little noise that entertained the giggles out of him.  The submarine made its way on to dry turf and came to bed with us he enjoyed it so much.

The tub tugs floating bath boats are larger than most bath toys and double as a bath squirt.  The two pack makes it perfect for parents or siblings to play together.  Luckily he likes being squirted with the boats more than he wanted to squirt me! 

The Fun bath links toys are awesome for hand eye coordination.  My son is a lover of blocks and this gives him a fun extension of that in the tub.  The little critters that link up are soft and can be used a bath squirters also.  The suction cups are nice to string across the tub or hang them from the shower wall to dry out when bath time is over.  There are 15 pieces in the set which makes the possibilities for little ones endless!  

To enter to win the bath links follow us on Instagram and Facebook and like the giveaway post this will be your entry!  For an extra entry tag a parent or grandparent you think would love to win this for the special little one in their lives! To be eligible to win you must be a U.S. resident.  Giveaway closes at midnight on Monday March 28th 2016 and the random winner will be announced on Tuesday the 29th!

Brining up Leavitt is a Nuby Parent Blogger and was given products in exchange for reviews.  All opinions are and always will be my own.  

Easter Egg Hunt

My husband is under this impression that I take holidays a little too far and that Easter is not a major gift giving holiday.  Wrong.  It totally is.  Especially when you had a mom like mine.  I remember getting the catalogs out, circling which vacation outfits I wanted and selecting my swimsuit for the upcoming heat wave we may or may not be getting here in Maine.  She would buy us a frilly dress, purchase our selected items, have the perfect Easter baskets, and have a huge dinner for us after church.  I always remember her having lots of decorations and special Easter china.  I love those memories that were only second to Christmas.  Then there was the annual Easter egg hunt she would do for us.  Candy and as we got older money was hidden in them.  Something Nick rolled his eyes at when I told Leavitt that when he was a little older we would throw some cash in there to make things exciting.  He didn't believe me until my mom chimed in and said "Oh yeah we did that".  

She's still at it and this year she threw an awesome Easter egg hunt for our kiddos.  Along with the egg hunt she made lunch and had a dessert bar for the men in our life.  I totally love and appreciate how serious she takes the holidays and that she is making them still so special for us all.  I love even more how happy Saylor was eating a Reese's... if spinning on your bottom in delight while noshing on some candy isn't the cutest thing I don't even know what to say to you.  Leavitt had a pretty adorable moment himself when halfway through his hunt he remembered he had stashed some chocolate covered oreos in his basket and laid down in the grass to enjoy them.  Russell was the voice of reason telling Leavitt over and over that we shouldn't make a mess.  He's going to have his hands full when his sissy turns two!!

Hope you all love love love these pictures they make my heart so happy!! I can't wait until this little love inside of me can do this with us next year, for now I will enjoy a piece of candy with him! 

                                               

Biggest News Ever!

Well the cats out of the bag now.  For those of you that follow along on my social media platforms you now know why I have been MIA.  And by social media I mean Facebook and Instagram because mama don't tweet or snap.   For those of you that don't I am pregnant!!  I also have had a cold since we left Florida so basically my ambition is nonexistent.  Good news is we are 12 weeks I can share some fun little pregnant facts with you!

So far I have had no morning sickness... unlike baby number one who made me gag at the smell of water... yeah.  I also am not nearly as sleepy.  However last time I was working and had to be to work at 5AM on my feet all day.  Hardest way to be pregnant ever! I have it so much easier this time... if you asked my husband he would tell you it has been easier on him too.  Pregzilla has yet to rear her ugly head this time around! Third trimester, I make no promises.

I have been craving weird things but once I have it the craving totally subsides never to return.  One day it was corn chowder, another day it was Bologna sandwiches.  Yeah yeah I know I am not supposed to eat that but I did and avoided listeria and I won't do it again.  I crave some of the same things more during pregnancy that I love when I am not.  For instance chips and salsa, I want a virgin margarita like whoa.  I have become a lover of orange juice, and the thought of bacon makes me cringe.  Send all the avocados to our house, Leavitt and I will be eating them with a spoon in our pajamas morning, noon and night.  If you are judging hop right over to that X at the top of your screen we feel no shame for our avocado addiction!

We totally cheated and did the blood test to find out what we are having.  Last time we were building a house so I couldn't plan the nursery until well after my 20 week appointment.  Once I knew last time we still had 3 months before we could move in.  This time I wanted to know ahead of time to decided if we would paint the nursery or if we could leave it.  I really didn't want to be painting a nursery in the summer heat, I would rather be at the lake with my favorite guy catching fish.  So it's a BOY!!! You know if the blue balloons didn't give that away.  I am so excited to be raising brothers.  It is the only combination of kiddos neither sides of our family have right now.  I am already keeping a mental note of all the annoying things people say to a mom who just found out she's having her second boy.   I will let it ride for another week and let you know, but people are crazy!

I am naturally more emotional right now.  I have been taking it hard looking at newborn clothes seeing how much Leavitt has grown.  He will be starting Montessori twice a week when this baby arrives, I could not be more excited for him to flourish but I will be shedding lots of tears this summer as we share our last adventures just us two.

For those readers who have e-mailed me in the last month and I spilled the beans to you thank you so much for keeping my dirty little secret!  You know I just can't help myself and blurt out whats really going on!!

Best Friend Status

Back when I was a brand new mom I thought my easy breezy babe would be my best friend.  I quickly realized that he possessed a few traits that would prohibit BFF status.  He's demanding, he doesn't listen well, I get no privacy, and he's hit me.  For the record if we are friends and you take a swing at me I'm going to go all crazy backwoods Maine broad on you and it won't be a good look for either of us.  There is a power imbalance that makes toddlers not worthy of the BFF life.  

Then last Friday happened.  We got up. Leisurely puttered around the kitchen.  Agreed on what we were having for breakfast, and made it out the door sans drama.  First stop was Target.  We perused the dollar section, and picked up a few basics.  The Starbucks line was intimidatingly long so I opted to dole out a reese's in lieu of a cake pop and we hit the drive through Starbucks after.  

I took my iced Latte to the salon... he took his iced apple juice.  He sat through his haircut while sipping on his juice and humored me into thinking he enjoyed it.  We strolled back to the car and he zonked out on the way home.  He took a nice long nap and I got some house work in while watching my favorite shows on DVR.  

My adult friend who happens to have a new babe text to see if we wanted to have a last minute lunch at Margaritas... uh yes, yes we do.  I felt like I was pushing my luck in the awesome day department but decided to wing it anyways.  We chatted with our buds, ate chips and salsa until we didn't even care we had real food coming and at the end of the meal we walked hand in hand back to the car.  

That night we watched a movie and ate popcorn by the fireplace.  I gave him a long bath and we snuggled until he dozed off.  I was texting Nick's Aunt and told her that today was one of the best days I have ever had as a mom.  No drama. No fighting.  Just fun.  I felt totally in my element. 

Days like that remind me why I gave it all up to be a stay at home mom and why he really is my best friend.  It really is the simple things that make it all so rewarding.  I cried a little as I thanked God for my life that night, tears of gratitude, a simple day that made me feel like everything in the world was really alright.  It really is so humbling to get to call Leavitt my son.  He totally got the BFF memo, and totally nailed it last week.  

Getting Real

Photo // Danielle Brady Photography

"You're slacking on your blog posts"  is the last text I received on my phone.  I obviously knew this but I didn't realize other people were noticing too.  The truth is I haven't been feeling it lately.  Back when I first decided to let you all into my life and share the blog I knew I didn't want to fluff anything or be fake.  It had to be all authentically me or I wasn't going to bother.  Much like my true personality I wanted the blog to be a representation of me, which is unfiltered, off the cuff, and unapologetic.  Sometimes I look at the number of views the page gets and I wonder if I should really share what is on my heart.  So for the sake of reckless honesty here we go...

I have the life I always hoped for.  I am where I would want to be on paper for my age.  At 27 I have a husband I still like getting busy with, a son who adores me, a beautiful home to be the backdrop for his childhood, and the time to enjoy it all.  He goes to daycare twice a week so that I can enjoy me time, get a manicure, see my friends and run extra errands so that my husband feels taken care of.  Of course anytime you make great gains a great sacrifice is usually made.  

I have some sadness.  I often feel inadequate that my role in our family is one of support.  I am secondary.  My husband gets to leave the house every morning with clothes I have laid out and run to and from the dry cleaners.  My job is to support him at home so that he can support us financially.  Often I feel like that makes me less important.  Less successful.  My real purpose is to take care of our babe and home.  His every need my task at hand.  The never ending sippy cup fill ups and diaper changes.  The play dates and activities to make sure he is well rounded.  The pressure I put on myself to get an outfit together so that I am not seen at target a hot mess the way I usually feel inside.  There is this guilty feeling that I look around and know I have it all. Yet feel a little empty when my husband is grumpy  and my toddler won't stop crying because he isn't allowed to have my phone or ride the dogs.  I want to scream "I had a job once upon a time and for all the grief you guys give me I could earn a pay check and you could all fend for yourselves!".  But that is ridiculous and I have probably only screamed twice over such a thing.  I think about it a lot though.  I even went so far as to apply at a local lab to go back to work part time, scheduled an interview out of spite for not feeling valued.  I canceled the interview the morning before, knowing that I really couldn't punish my child for my own selfish feelings and pride.   

I have been listening a lot lately to people around me.  Other mothers and wives.  Comparing myself, my child and my husband.  The good news is we are pretty freaking normal.  Phew.  The bad news is that life really is hard work.  Marriage, kids, bills, life stuff, its all so important and I think the stress we feel to get it right reflects how serious we take our roles.  I always tell my husband you make the living, I make the life.  Neither one can do their work without the other and maintain the life we have now.  We are in a partnership not a power struggle no matter how blurred those lines can get.  I don't want to be right if it means he has to be wrong.

So there you have it.  The reason I have been MIA.  I am a work in progress.  This is a journey I am blessed to have been chosen for.  These two guys are teaching me every day to have more grace.  I know so many of you feel the same things and I hope in sharing my heart with you that you all feel a little more normal.  We really are all in this together.  Someday we will be crazy old women roaming target spewing unsolicited advice to new moms about how these "are the best days of their lives" and hopefully they don't bitch slap us.

Flying with My Toddler

There aren't many things about parenting a toddler more intimidating than flying alone.  I have flown alone with Leavitt more than I have flown with help and have a few tips to share that make my life easier.

The first and maybe most important thing to remember when flying with a tot or baby is to buy them a seat even if they are under two.  We have never held him on our laps, having him strapped in and screaming is much more manageable for me than holding him while he flails and screams.  Also sit as close to the front as possible.  First row is ideal since there is no one in front for tiny feet to kick.  This also makes mommy bathroom trips easier.  I always ask a flight attendant to standby if Leavitt is sleeping and I don't take him with me.  Usually if I am more than a couple rows back I take him.  Flight attendants aren't always the most helpful but usually if they are close by they offer things to help a solo mom out.  The biggest reason for row one? Not having to lug a bag, toddler and, car seat down the aisle.... worst part for me every single time.  Make sure if you get to select your seat you choose the window seat since a car seat must go by the window and you will be taking someone else's seat if you have to swap.  Usually they don't mind but I did run across someone this trip who was pissed and they made sure to let me and everyone else know about it.  As much as I felt bad about it for him I felt worse for me having to sit snuggly between him and my toddler.  I had packed a whole bag of Reese's to bribe my toddler with.  I offered the guy a couple to try to ease the tension.

Do your homework.  Read up on TSA liquid regulations and flying with kids.  I always double check to make sure we haven't aged out of the "medically necessary liquids" which are milk, water, formula, breast milk and juice.  Keep those in separate zip locks and announce them as soon as you start taking other things out.  It takes longer to check those because they test them all individually.  Letting them know exactly what you have going on is the best way to get through.  My stroller must be hand checked so I tell them but I find that telling them last about the stroller is best so they aren't waiting to take it before I take him out.  He is the last thing I take out before going through the metal detector.  I never wear a belt or big jewelry while flying because its one more things to worry about at security.  I leave my car seat in the bag and send it through the x-ray machine.  If yours doesn't fit they will do a hand check and that can take a couple minutes so make sure to let them know when you let them know about the stroller.  Otherwise it can get left on the belt... I know its happened.  Usually my bag comes back to me first I try to have a small treat for him for being good and something to make him less fidgety as I am usually sweating by now.

I have already mentioned how important the car seat is to your on board sanity, and how to get it through security.  I have a little tip that has saved my life every single time since we have been out of the infant carrier.  I use a car seat bag which is more of a duffel but I use the straps like a backpack.  this keeps my hands free while schlepping all this gear to the plane.  My husband always says goodbye at the curb so I need that extra hand free for a suitcase when I get to my destination.  I actually prefer he leave us at the curb because it gives me a chance to wrangle all of our stuff under the best circumstances because I won't have help when we land.  Once we check our suitcase I have my car seat on my back, kid in the stroller, and mom purse underneath.

Buy an inexpensive car seat that is less than fifteen pounds.  Our car seat for every day use is close to thirty pounds and is hard to wrangle.  You also have to leave your kid in the stroller curbside while you install and uninstall at the airport.  I chose this one for the good reviews, inexpensive price and the fact that it is ten pounds.  I love that I can throw it in the back of my car when we get home and he goes directly into his normal seat.  At the end of a long trip the last thing I want to do is wrangle a car seat back into my car.

I gate check my stroller and will be honest I take my stroller everywhere despite the hefty price my husband paid for it.  Why have it if you won't use it right? Ok, so it is a little worse for the flight wear but I am familiar with it and that is key since there will be a lot going on when you hand that off.  For starters everyone else and their gear are boarding.  Transitioning the baby from stroller to arms while boarding with car seat and mom bag is the trickiest part of the whole trip and to be honest the shortest worst part of the whole thing for me.  This makes row one a real treat because the flight attendant will have to take a look at the car seat to make sure it is suitable for an aircraft.  I always take the car seat out of the bag before I take him out of the stroller, stuff it in my purse and then grab him.  Know where the aircraft symbol and writing is before you get your stuff in order.  You would think that someone would take it to your seat for you but that just has never been the case for me.

The two best tips other than these should be common sense for us moms, but truthfully in a stressful moment often gets lost.  No matter how stressed you get say please and thank you and stay calm.  I usually am chanting in my head "nothing to it but to do it"  if I start to get frazzled.  I always try to wear something reasonably comfy but that I feel stylish and put together in.  May sound weird but it gives me a little more confidence that I am put together and that I got this.  It also makes me feel better to know we at least look cute when the entire terminal stares.  Which they do screaming or not.  So give a fellow mom traveler a smile, a nod or even offer a hand if you are able.  I don't usually take people up on the help but the offer is nice.

If you are interested in the car seat bag you can get it here and lucky for you it is on sale right now.  I paid close to full price and has been worth every penny.  I love a mom not afraid to go it alone, and embarrassingly successful solo mom flights with Leavitt are a major confidence booster for my mom ego.  Happy flying friends!!

2016 Positive Thoughts

I let you in on my resolution last week and shared with you my indifference about starting a new year.  Now that I have rounded the corner and accepted we are in a new year, new times, and life is propelling us forward... ready or not.  Not to sound like an e-card but I have found a few positive things that will keep me afloat the remainder of this dreary winter.

Taxes I don't have to do anything this year except sign my husbands form or whatever.  I worked all of three shifts last year at the hospital and now that we are married the Mr. will be handling this for me and he's already sexier for it.  

I am also pumped about pale pink polish.  I always go dark for the Fall/Holiday season.  But my signature pale pink, almost white polish makes me happy.  I don't even care that I don't have any variety.  Consistency is the spice of my life.  The man that does my nails restocks the color just for me and even he was thrilled when I asked for the usual yesterday.  He was also pretty miffed at the condition of my nails... finally after telling him daycare was closed for a week (at least a million times) and thats why I looked out of sorts in the mani department he gave me a pass.   The matching pedi will have to wait until next week, but there is no way I will be showing my christmas toes in Florida.

I have kept my resolution and we are on day six!  Truthfully I chose an easy resolution that I knew I could keep because I don't feel like failing.  This early in the year letting myself down would suck the wind out of my sails.  My resolution has health benefits according to google and is almost fool proof.  I make the hot water when I make my coffee and drink them together.  If this negates the whole reason to drink lemon water just don't tell me.  Taking a girl off her high horse six days in is just rude.  I did however squeeze a lemon into my coffee this morning.  Im surprised it took me almost a week to manage that. 

After one day back at daycare I feel refreshed.  I went to a barre class with some mommy friends, had lunch with a non mommy friend at a the fanciest place in town and got a manicure.  I also hit up Walgreens and got my husband's dry-cleaning, after a knock down drag out phone argument with him about light khakis in the winter... clearly even he missed me having a daycare day to cross off the to do list.  All is well who is dressed well apparently.

I noticed the other day how much I love the sound my son makes when he eats.  He was making this delicate smacking noise while eating a banana muffin we had just made together.  I want to sit and eat with him more instead of setting him at his table while I clean it all up.  I also have been loving that he takes us by the hand to lead us to where he would like to go.  The not so subtle pull of the hand, is my favorite.  I don't want to look so busy that he doesn't try to show me or worse that I say not right now.  In some way these little moments are centering me.  In other ways the sound of him slamming doors in the mancave has me more than off center at the moment.  I really am loving the not so terrible twos right now.

I finally moved the portable crib out of the living room.  We had been throwing toys into it to make the room appear picked up but every time I looked at it I was a little stressed.  Packing it up and lugging toys to the playroom was a task but as soon as it was done I loved the extra space we have.  I have no idea why I didn't get around to that sooner but it for sure is the best task I have taken care of in the new year.

So there you have it the bright side of the New Year.