five on friday (08/12)

Friday AGAIN? Seriously! Today is actually my half-birthday (you totally get half a party or half a cake for that, right? 😉 ), which also means that it was just about six months ago that we found out we were expecting our little Pumpkin. Somehow, that feels like yesterday and an eternity ago all at the same time! Time is such a strange thing.

Here are our top five moments from the week:

ONE. Our sweet neighbor/fellow church member gifted us some toys she was getting rid of, and one of them was this alphabet puzzle. Kaya has been obsessed with it all week long, and I have to say, I’m so proud of her for being able to put it together on her own! Her letter-recognition skills are strong! 🙂_MG_4378 TWO. We braved the 100% humidity and spent some time outside. Outdoors is our favorite place to be, and any amount of sweat, heat, and sunscreen is worth seeing these smiles (and in all honesty, the weather almost feels cool once the sun starts going down, anyway)!_MG_4382 Post-nap pigtails are the messiest… 🙂_MG_4395

THREE. If you had unexpectedly stopped by my house for dinner any night this week, there’s a 90% chance that this is what you would have had on your plate- a pepper-jack grilled cheese with roasted red peppers. I’ve had a lot of nausea this week, and nothing really sounds good to me anymore… but apparently this is acceptable to my stomach.

FOUR. Kaya stole one of my old t-shirts for bed one day this week, and now she wants to wear it every single night. She’s a big Snoopy fan, which is only made even more appropriate by the fact that his “real” birthday was apparently on Wednesday. Happy Birthday, Snoopy!

FIVE. Michael posted this a couple of weeks ago, but I just had to share it. That giggle! She melts my heart every single day.

Laptop? Check. Purse? Check. Pants? Who needs those? #readyforwork #crazylaugh

A video posted by Michael Irwin (@mikesir87) on

Happy Friday!

Linking up here, here, and here today!

the kid behind the blog (august 2016)

This little marshmallow-stuffed face is back for another question and answer session! I love how silly some of her answers are, but the best part of this questionnaire was hearing her joy and enthusiasm for our “homeschool preschool”. I spend too much time worrying that we aren’t learning enough, I’m not making it fun enough, or I’m depriving her of going to an actual school. Seriously… This is a happy kid if I ever saw one._MG_4130What was your favorite thing you did over the summer? Go sledding.
You mean pulling the sled in the grass? (giggles almost uncontrollably)… No, in the SNOW! (she totally knows the difference between summer and winter… she’s just a goofball!)

What’s your favorite topic to learn about at school? About firefighters! (Firefighters and fire safety were part of our preschool lesson that day. She was paying attention!)

Who is your best friend from school? Mia!

What do you want to be when you grow up? Not anything! Just stay with you guys and play toys. (Hahahaha… Does she already see how crazy adulthood can be?)

What is your least favorite thing about school? (almost yelling) Actually I like school! You like everything about school? YEEEEEEES!

Linking up here!

baby #3: 29 weeks

The last week of the 20’s! This is when it really starts going fast for me!29weeksBaby’s size: About 16 inches long and somewhere close to 2.75 pounds!
Maternity clothes?: Yes, and I’m starting to feel like even some of my smaller maternity shirts are getting a little short.
Gender: Girl!
Symptoms: By the end of the day, my belly just feels tight and uncomfortable. I’ve been wearing my support belt for running, but I might have to start using it more regularly during the day as well.
Sleep: I’m so grateful for naps! I’m usually out like a light as soon as I lie down, and I sleep very soundly.
Movement: Wild and crazy! She also LOVES to push HARD with her heels as high up in my belly as she can. If I touch my stomach where her feet are, sometimes it even hurts a little. This girl has heels of steel or something.
Cravings: Chocolate-chip cookies and spinach in my salad every day.
What I miss: Nothing really!
Anything making you queasy or sick?: Cereal, Italian salad dressing, and Kaelyn’s coconut-flavored Greek yogurts.
Belly Button in or out?: Kind of flat…and if I lie down, it pokes out a little. So weird.
Exercising?: Ran 21.8 miles. I haven’t been walking much because we’ve had 100% humidity (or close to it) every single day, so after I run, I just really want to stay inside! Fitbit total: 77,050 steps.
Mood: I love this little girl with my whole heart, and I daydream every day about who she’ll look like and how it’ll feel to hold her for the first time. Honestly though, I am a little nervous for labor this time for some reason. I could write a whole post on this alone… but hopefully I can calm my fears and have another empowering birth. I just keep feeling stressed about it, and I’m not really sure why when I’ve already done this twice.
Best moment this week: Visiting the Allens in Ohio and going to the temple!
Looking forward to: Hopefully getting some rest this week and still accomplishing some of the projects on my to-do list.
Big sisters: Kaelyn will put her hand on my belly now and excitedly say “Mommy!!!” I’ll tell her that there’s a baby in there, and she usually smiles and nods her head. She also loves to use my stomach as a pillow, haha.
Comparison: 29 weeks with Kaya; 29 weeks with Kaelyn.

five on friday (08/05)

ONE. We’ve been enjoying cooler, less humid evenings this week! The weather last weekend was just perfect for bringing the guinea pigs outside to enjoy some fresh air and nibble on grass. It was their first time out, and I think they really loved it!

Kaya and Kaelyn thought it was so much fun to have Freyja and Claire “playing” outside with them. Kaelyn repeatedly came up to them, pet them, and softly said “awwwwwww”!

TWO. We did the letter B for preschool this week, which entailed some super-fun sensory play! I filled up the water table with some rainbow bubbles (the idea is from here, although I used liquid food coloring, and the colors disappeared pretty quickly once the girls started playing with it). They had a blast mixing, whisking, scooping, and finding all the hidden rubber ducks for over an hour.

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THREE. I have a new favorite double chocolate chip muffin recipe! I’ve made these a few times now, and have figured out that they’re just as good with half the amount of sugar and some of the chocolate chips reserved for sprinkling on top. Mmmm!

FOUR. This girl and her dress-up outfits… I think my dinosaur-fox-princess-ballerina is ready for the runway!08022016_1

FIVE. There’s nothing like a girl and her… frog?! Apparently, his name is “Buggy Froggy” (because frogs eat bugs, obviously), and Kaya has been bringing him everywhere all week long. I love my little stuffed animal lovers.

Happy Friday!

Linking up here, here, and here today!

little moments make it all worth it

I always say how grateful I am to be able to stay home with my kids, teach them, and watch them grow- but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy and fun.

Although they are generally well-behaved, my girls will still fight over the same hair bow on Sunday morning, refuse to eat their dinner, scream and squabble over toys, or end up in time-out several times in one day. It’s enough to wear down anyone’s patience and sense of accomplishment, and that’s when it really does me good to recognize and cherish the small moments in the every day.

Time isn’t going any slower, and even though I usually feel like I couldn’t be any more tired than I am now, I know that these are some of the very best days of my life.

These days, I love…

…knowing that they are best friends and will forever have each other._MG_3593

…watching their wonder and amazement at a big thunderstorm rolling through the neighborhood.IMG_20160727_161527

…a little baby who never seems to stop wiggling in my belly.

…finding surprising new flowers budding in my yard._MG_4188

forehead kisses from my best friend.

…early-morning sleepy hugs in the last few moments before Daddy heads off to work._MG_4182

handcrafted bracelets, gifted to me with the tightest around-the-neck hug that it almost takes my breath away.

…impromptu hilarious moments._MG_4238

… how she always has an armful of her favorite stuffed animals, and blurry pictures of her real smile.IMG_20160803_112852

… a classic George Strait song that speaks right to my soul and has me imagining what my babies might be like when they’re grown.

… pretend tiny tea parties with my littlest._MG_4248

…that Kaelyn answers every single question we ask her with a resounding “NOOOO!”, followed by a giant laugh.

…when Kaya randomly says “I’m so happy that we’re having another baby”. I know that as soon as they see her for the first time, they will forever protect her and love her._MG_4099