Eight and Nine Months Old

Eight Months Old

You’ve been busy growing up this month! You got your first tooth (bottom right) on April 15^th and your second tooth (bottom left) on April 27^th. You’ve started eating Cheerios and puffs and love feeding yourself. You can now hold your bottle on your own and have started drinking from a trainer sippy cup. You’ve been a rolling machine, like to push yourself up on your arms and giggle like crazy when your daddy whistles!

This month you had your very first Easter. You looked precious in your Easter dress! Even though you also had your very first cold, you were a total trooper. Your Easter basket was full of lots of fun goodies. Your favorites were a new toy remote control (which you love!), new books and decorative glitter eggs. You tried really hard to share your glitter eggs with Lucy. Such a sweet little girl!

Nine Months Old

This month, you’ve been a mover and a shaker! You simply will not stay still when we are changing your clothes or diapers. You love swinging at the park, rocking on your rocking horse and being tossed into the air. You went on your first trip to the Art Institute with daddy and had a great time. Dad said you were the star of the museum! You stopped by the Bean twice for a couple family photos and you got your very first swimming pool. You really like playing “This little piggy”, have been working hard on saying “meow” and love Star and Nina, Chica and Bubble Guppies (in small doses of course!). Bananas are quickly becoming one of your favorites and you liked yogurt and Goldfish from the get-go.

It was time for another pediatrician check-up this month. You weighed 19 lbs 12 oz putting you in the 60% for weight and you’re now 31” tall, which is still above the 95% for height. How in the world are you already 31”tall?! We had to move you out of your infant car seat and into your big girl convertible car seat. You love looking out the window of the car and chewing on the strap of your new seat. Silly goose!

-Jessica

The Stress of Coupon Shopping

Coupons, coupons, coupons.  I love a good coupon, but boy can they stress me out.  Those little expiration dates hidden among the fine print screaming "USE ME BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!" add too much pressure!  This month was my birthday month, and we all know what that means - special birthday coupons!  Yay!  They of course expire at the end of the month. Boo!  Side note:  I personally think birthday coupons should be sent to all your friends and family with the disclaimer "you can only redeem this if you are shopping for Ginger" that way other people can spoil me and I don't have to spend $$$ because we all know it's a waste not to use them right? This year I did a pretty decent job using up all my sweet coupons without spending too much of my own money. 

Anthropologie 15% - check.

www.anthropologie.com

Victorias Secret - $10 off purchase - check (7 pair of undies for just $16 -holla!)

www.victoriassecret.com

 Sephora - free birthday gift (FRESH Sugar Kisses Mini Lip Duo -amazing!)-check.

www.sephora.com

www.sephora.com

   

DSW - $5 coupon - wholly stress ball, but check! I had an additional $20 coupon (and a I would have gotten an additional $10 off with another coupon that expired on the 28th but I missed out - grrrrr, those pesky expiration dates strike again!) I looked and looked and looked for a pair of new shoes. I found a cute pair, but now after purchasing them, I realize that I still spent $37 and for me I probably would have just found a cheaper pair that only cost $25 had I not had the coupons. 

www.dsw.com

I did miss out on my 15% coupon at World Market, which is a bummer b/c there is a cute doorstop I've got my eye on - I would have saved $1.94!

www.worldmarket.com

And if there is one thing I have learned growing up in the Beverage family, it's a "penny saved is a penny saved!" 

Alas, my birthday month is over and all my coupons are expired, so no more shopping.  Well at least until tomorrow, when I'm sure I'll get an email from Ann Taylor or Gap with "Today only 25% off entire purchase." I'm feeling stressed already!



Try It Out Tuesday - Shirt Cape

As I mentioned in the "Poor Baby Harper" post Jess and I will be starting a series of blogs called "Try it out Tuesdays, which will simply be one of us trying out something and letting you know how it goes.  My first installment is about a shirt cape that I found on pinterest by The Southern Institute. Click here for the complete instructions T-shirt cape.  I modified step 5.  I felt like it was way easier to just sew the neck together.  I didn't cut the neckline, just folded it over and sewed it together.

My capes are far from perfect, but Harper loves his and Hattie likes hers when she feels like it, but that's just how nuggie rolls. 

STEP 1 - Cut the sleeves off



Step 2-4 Cut out the shape of the cape

Wild Man to the Rescue!



The Joy of Gift...Receiving

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mom's out there.  I hope yesterday was filled with love and affection from those who love you the most. Children should always, always, always love their mommies (and daddies) because at some point they have changed your dirty diapers and if that doesn't scream "I deserved to be loved forever" then I don't know what does. Mom, if I haven't told you lately I LOVE YOU!  My own personal mother's day was filled with more than just surprises in the the twin's diapers.  Starting on Thrusday of last week I received the best birthday/mother's day gift from my husband, our nanny and Hattie and Harper.  Joey and Jesi worked together to have a photographer come to the house one day while I was at work and take a bunch of adorable photos for me!  The pictures turned out amazing and I love them all! Then on mother's day my husband gave me a new watch and perfume and we all went out for my favorite ice cream - Graeter's Cotton Candy flavor!  Plus I received the best news - my friend Caroline gave birth to her new beautiful baby daughter, Isabelle!  I know they say giving gifts is more fun than receiving, but sometimes I really do beg to differ!

 

Happy Birthday, Baby Sistor!

Happy Birthday Ging! I'm so grateful to have you as my sistor! Enjoy your day!

Jessica 

A Terrible Week & A New Phone Case

This has been a really rough week. Last Friday night, Wrenn woke up in the middle of the night with croup. Poor baby girl was wheezing and had a horrible sounding cough. There is nothing worse than your sweet little baby not feeling well and you not being able to do anything about it.  Cue Tuesday morning and a 7:00 am emergency trip to the dentist for me and a doctor appointment for a still sick Wrenn. Found out on top of croup, she now has an ear infection. Great, what else is this week going to throw at us?? Probably shouldn't have asked that....Wednesday morning, I'm now beyond sleep deprived (completely forgot to rinse the conditioner out of my hair and didn't realize it until I was out of the shower and already dressed. I mean, really, who does that?!) and now Dan is sick. In addition to an ear infection, he also has strep. Geez! Here's hoping the weekend leads to the entire family feeling better!

Poor Baby Wrenn

On a more positive note, after dropping my phone about 20 times in the last month, Dan bought me a new case that I'll definitely want to keep my hands on. You really can't beat an ice cream sandwich!

Yummy!

Jessica 

My Apologies

I want to apologize for my lack of post. Life has been a bit crazy lately, but I promise I'll get back into things soon!

 

Easier Said Than Done

Every morning on my way to work I come up with a to-do list that includes things like workout, organize my never ending stack of magazines and mail, try a new recipe, write a new blog post, etc. I get really excited and super motivated to get things done and check them off my list. But by the end of the workday when I could finally start on my to-do list, my motivation is usually gone. Why is it so easy to be motivated to doing something when you can't do it at that moment and then so hard to be motivated when you finally can do it?

Jessica 

Poor Baby Harper

So my plan for today's blog was to do the first in a series of posts called "Try it out Tuesdays". However, my little guy isn't feeling well a - OMG as I was writing this he was sleeping in my arms woke up and threw up all over me! I wish I were joking but I am not. I think that pretty much sums up my night and explains why I didn't get around to blogging about the cool capes I made Hattie and Harper out of my old t-shirts. With all my throw up stories, maybe I should rethink Try it out Tuesdays and do Throw-Up Thursdays!
 

Team Building Makes Me Vomit

I first would like to apologize for being M.I.A!  I have been traveling with work a ton and I have had a really bad cold, which equals zero time/energy for doing much at all including blogging.  Most recently, I was in Orlando, FL for work.  Part of the trip consisted of a surprise team building activity. What was the surprise you ask?  A VIP tour of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Adventure Island and Universal Studios!  Awesome right?  I was beyond excited to see Harry Potter and let me tell you it delivers all the magic you would expect as soon as you walk to the entrance.

Entrance

Here is how our team building day unfolded:

7:05- hop on bus.

7:25-scarf a McDonalds saugage mcmuffin with egg and oj. 

7:45-arrive at park. 

Girls of the group - left to right Mattie, Jessi, Me, Connie, Ashley
(not pictured Christy who snapped the photo and all the boys!)

8:00 - First stop - the Dragon Challenge!  Two coasters representing a Chinese Fireball and  Hungarian Horntail Dragon. 

8:05 - Ride the Chinese Fireball - it was great!

8:07 - Step off and feel a little dizzy

8:10 - Ride the Hungarian Horntail - it was great!

8:12 - Step off and feel even dizzier.  Walk to Hogwarts Castle!

Hogwarts!

8:20 - Hop on the Forbidden Journey Ride - It was awesome and a bit scary!

8:24 - Immediatlely jump off the ride and lose my breakfast in the nearest trashcan!

Rest of day - Walk around feeling totally woozy and getting teased along with the other two guys who lost their breakfast a few minutes later!

Although I threw up, it was all worth it just to see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  It truly is amazing and worth visiting again.  There is so much more that we didnt' get a chance to see like Ollivander's Wand Shop, Zonkos, Honeydukes and the Sorting Hat! I can't wait to go again. 

 

Easter Sunday

Even though poor little Buggie is fighting off her first cold and is hard at work cutting her first tooth, she was still a trooper and had a great first Easter. She was pretty excited about her Easter basket, looked adorable in her dress and even shared her glitter eggs with Lucy! Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend!

-Jessica

I Think I Can, I Think I Can

Happy Monday! Over the (short) weekend I decided that I need to change a few things in my life so I can be a healthier and happier person. Here is my list:

1)Go to bed earlier!
2)Wake up earlier
3)Eat a healthy breakfast
4)Pack a yummy lunch filled with fruits and veggies for snacks
5)Cook at least once a week. I'm terrible at this, so I'm starting small
6)Exercise daily. No Excuses!
7)Block my work calendar on Fridays so I can finish up work and stop working over the weekends.
8)Do more activities with Hattie and Harper that get them (and me) out of the house
9)Read more. I love reading and really miss it.
10)Say one thing I am thankful for each night before going to sleep.

Wish me luck!
 

Seven Months Old

You are simply growing up too fast. Please slow down a little! You’ve moved up to size 3 diapers and 12 - 18 months clothing. You’re even almost too tall for your car seat! You like to fall asleep on your side. You can sit up all by yourself and you're a rolling machine during tummy time. You love taking baths and eating your poor rubber ducky’s head. You still talk and giggle all the time. We love listening to you laugh! You love Whisper kitty and squeal with delight when she comes in the room. You are a happy, little baby every single day. 


-Jessica