Mommy Style Monday: Bedtime Routine

Alright so writing about this kind of makes me nervous. Let's keep in mind that there are so many right ways to put a baby/toddler/kid to sleep. The way we have chosen to put Gwen to sleep will probably make us sound like "pushovers" or "weak" to some parents (and non-parents). We were never successful at the whole sleep training/"cry it out" method. I just could not stand to hear my baby cry, alone, in a dark room. I think maybe if we didn't live in a townhouse with wall-to-wall neighbors, and maybe if Gwen ever had her own crib (instead of the twin mattress we used to share on her bedroom floor), then maybe I'd feel a little differently about it? But I co-slept with Gwen until she was a little over a year old, or whenever we decided to wean her at night. There were definitely some hurdles to get over that brought her to where she is today, but, from listening to fellow moms' stories about sleep struggles, I've concluded that there are always difficult things us parents must encounter when trying to figure out the best ways to put our kids to bed. 

Here are the things I am so glad that Gwen is not dependent upon anymore when going to sleep:

-My breast milk: Thankfully this was the first crutch to go! Our breastfeeding relationship gradually ended after 19 months, and it's something that I'm rather proud of. 

-Co-sleeping: I think my husband secretly misses co-sleeping because some nights he jokes that he's going to sleep in Gwen's room. It's adorable. Sometimes he does sleep in there.... 

-Milk/a bottle: I feel terrible about this one because we gave Gwen cow's milk before bed for soooo long before we realized it's what caused her eczema to flare up! She loved her bottles and didn't want to sleep without one. 

-A sound machine: Ok, I don't know if she was necessarily dependent on this, but sometimes  it did make putting her to sleep go a little smoother... even if it was only in my head. But we've stopped using it recently and she still sleeps all night, so win! 

Up until a month or so ago Gwen would sneak into our bed in the middle of the night. It was kind of cute, but she hogged the bed! I thought that once the new baby was born we'd buckle down and have to send Gwen back to her room, since I intend to co-sleep with the newborn. After we came home from a couple of summer vacations, she just stopped on her own! And now we sleep all night without interruptions. It's a nice little break before baby boy arrives- then let the sleepless nights commence. 

Alright, let's finally get on with our bedtime routine! Pictured above is Gwen in the bath. In reality, Gwen only gets like 2 baths a week. #conservewater 

We started giving her fewer baths after the doctor suggested that it might help clear up her eczema, and now I buy all natural, expensive baby wash to avoid any flare-ups as well. *eye-roll emoji* 

Does anyone feel like baths only make your kid hyper?? All the internet sleep tips tell you to give your baby a bath at night to help make them become sleepy, but Gwen just gets excited. That's another reason we do fewer baths. Sometimes she'll just have her bath in the middle of the day- because we get bored, so why not? 

After a bath it's time for pajamas and a fresh diaper. This is usually the first step on nights that she doesn't bathe. Then she'll "read" book after book on her own, and nowadays we need to persuade her to let us read to her. She really likes looking at books on her own, lately. We each read her a few books before brushing her teeth. 

To Gwen, brushing your teeth means playing with water.
Then we go back to her room and have a family prayer. She is finally starting to be obedient and reverent when we say prayers! I thought it would take another year before she understood.
My husband and I take turns putting Gwen to sleep- every other night. One of us will sit in our big rocking chair with her as she hugs a stuffed animal, we sing songs, and then rock until she knocks out (it usually takes maybe 10-15 minutes, sometimes less) and then place her in her toddler bed. I try to give her a different stuffed animal each night so she won't become too attached to just one. I'm happy that she relies on us rather than a lovey (lovie?) to fall asleep. And I know there will come a day when she won't need us at all to fall asleep each night.

Some nights are annoying, but I've talked with mom friends about their kids' different sleep habits, and I realized that it's completely normal to have that bad night once in a while. I'm sure I won't sleep properly again until all my future kids are school age... or teenagers? Or out of the house completely? I've only been doing this mom thing for 2 years, so what do I know.

I'm very curious to read these moms' different sleep tactics:

Kiana at Glitter & Donuts

Madeline at CaseyLand

Sue at Sue's News
Juli at Journey of J^3
Erica at Good Job Momma
Monica at It's All About

If you're a blogger and would like to join us for the next Mommy Style Monday, click here or here to sign up. 

Mommy Style Monday: (Family) Date Night

I'm back at 'cha with another Mommy Style Monday! I've missed the last couple, I think, due to sickness and travel. But I'm back and excited to share some more style posts. 

The prompt this week was "date night." Yo, Ryan and I are kind of bad at planning dates. I often like to do things last minute, but you can't usually find a babysitter last minute.... so.... we end up hardly ever going out childless. We need to be better! Maybe that could be a New Year's resolution of mine. Starting ASAP. 

Before going out, I asked Ryan what he'd like me to wear when we go on a date and he said "That, I guess." I was wearing this striped dress after I got out of the shower because it was clean and comfortable, but I wanted to see what kind of outfit Ryan would come up with. He also said I shouldn't wear make-up, haha! I had already put on some make-up, so it was too late for that.

I've been meaning to try this smoothie place, Genuine Fresche, for a while now, and a date night blog post was the perfect excuse to go! Gwen and I got the Peanut Butter smoothie bowl and Ryan got the Extreme Green smoothie. It was delicious! I ordered a medium but next time I'm definitely ordering a small- it was very sweet! Ryan's smoothie wasn't nearly as sweet- it was kind of earthy but delicious. Gwen was a bigger fan of the green smoothie than the bowl. 

Here I am, wearing another striped maternity dress from Target. If you're pregnant, go buy this dress. They have the same one in black with white stripes, but I can't justify buying it! I feel like I wear this one enough to justify buying the black one. If it goes on sale, I'll probably cave. 

My mom gave me this bag last week and I was all heart eyes over it. I know I'm late to the party, but I am loving tribal type prints. I've been swooning over Nena & Co bags, so when my mom pulled this out for me, I was like, "How did you read my mind??" It's definitely not a high quality bag and I still want a Nena & Co bag (or one that's similar quality) someday, but it's still cute and I'll probably use it until it's all gross and falling apart. 

After we had our smoothies we went to Walmart for groceries. What a romantic evening. 

p.s. I had brought my DSLR camera to take these photos, but I forgot to put my memory card back in it! It was super annoying, but I'm thankful for decent phone cameras. These were taken with Ryan's Android phone. Not too bad, right?

Check out these ladies for more mama style!

Kiana at Glitter & Donuts

Madeline at CaseyLand
Britt at My Little Sunshine
Juli at Journey of J^3
Erica at Good Job Momma
Kristen at Eat Play and Go
Chelsea at Tessa Marie

Interested in joining us? Go here or here to sign up. 

Mommy Style Monday: Girls Day Out

I'm participating in Mommy Style Monday, again! This time we're sharing an outfit we'd wear when going out, whether it be with girlfriends, sisters, or our own daughters. As you can see, I chose the latter. You guys, this dress is everything when I'm pregnant. It's a maternity dress from Target that I got a couple of years ago while pregnant with Gwen. It's not sheer, it's the perfect length, and it's very stretchy! It makes my baby bump look very prominent, which is fun because I finally feel like I'm showing and I want the world to know! Before I was ever pregnant, I thought that I would hate random people asking me about my pregnancy, but from my experience it has been the opposite. Moms love talking about their babies, y'know. And it only became more fun for me to answer strangers' questions once the baby was outside of me. 

Okay, on to the post. When Gwen and I go out during the summer, it's usually to the pool or an indoor place with AC. (We really have no choice when it's 100+ degrees outside, you know?) My plan for these photos was a bust- I thought to take these photos at the library. We get to the library on Saturday and after only 5 minutes of being inside, they announce that the library is closing?? Since when did the library close so early? I was under the impression that the library closed at 9pm, not 5pm. Apparently it only stays open that late Monday-Wednesday. Lesson learned. So we took these photos outside of the library, which ended up being alright because it was 10 degrees cooler than the day before. We had a monsoon come in the night before that cooled things down just a little. 

This is what our days out look like- me grabbing Gwen before she runs straight into the street or other foreseeable danger. Speaking of running, lets talk about these sandals. These are the first expensive pair of sandals that I've ever bought. I usually buy a new pair of cheap sandals each summer but they'd offer zero support and were never very comfortable. These sandals are a dream to walk in. The brand is Easy Spirit and I got them from Nordstrom Rack. Can we also talk about the shoes at Nordstrom Rack? Basically I love it because they have a good variety of shoes for my small, size 5 feet! 

^ I ran into the sprinkler to cool off a little and Gwen fell in a puddle. Everyday life. 

There you have it. One thing I love about this stage with Gwen is not really having to carry a big diaper bag around with us everywhere. I just pack her water bottle and a diaper, then we're off.

Check out these ladies' blogs to see some more Mommy Style:

Kiana at Glitter & Donuts

Madeline at CaseyLand
Bekah at These Are The Days
Monica at It's All About
Amy at Harris Inc. 
Melissa at The Frolics of Mama Llama
Rose at Babies & Bluejeans 
Juli at Journey of J^3
Susan at Sue's News
Anndee at Anndee Between the Lines

If you're interested in participating in the next Mommy Style Mondays visit Kiana's or Madeline's blogs. 

FLOG 3: Favorite Places

First off, this video is almost a week late! Oops. I had grand ideas for this FLOG prompt. I took my DSLR to a couple of my favorite places to film some clips, but when it came down to it, I felt like such a weirdo filming in public. I wish I were more brave about that kind of thing!! I did get a few clips from those attempts, but decided it wasn't enough to make an interesting video.

It's true that one of my favorite places is my living room, but mostly when it's clean. My original idea was to film a kind of "living room tour" showcasing all of my favorite details of the room, but my living room was such a mess! And I had already procrastinated too long to tidy, dust, vacuum, and organize my mess of a bookshelf, and then finally film it. I was running out of daylight and I had to prepare for our road trip/camping trip on top of that! So here's what you get: a sped up video of me cleaning said mess. #reallife

This is actually only from one clip. I had a second clip where I vacuumed and dusted, but it never imported? It's all good though, since this video is boring, anyway, and making it a little longer would make it a snooze fest.

P.S. Did anyone participating in this challenge make a video for prompt 3? I'm checking Riley's blog now and find nothing? lol 

Mommy Style Monday: What I Wish I Knew

I remember sitting in church as a newlywed and listening to a woman give a talk about motherhood. She shared a story about her "to do" list and how "painting my toenails" was a reoccurring item on the list because she was always too busy with other things to get that one little thing done. She was unable to fulfill this indulgence, week after week. Being the naive, newlywed I was, I thought she was being a little ridiculous- "How hard is it to paint your toenails?? Seriously?" 

Fast forward to today and I now understand her small struggle. It may not have been that she didn't have the time to paint her nails, but that other things have taken priority. I know when I have a trivial thing on my "to do" list that can only be done after bedtime, I often dismiss it. Instead I watch a show with my husband, get some blogging done/read other blogs, or get some chores done. Because at the end of the day, I'm tired and relieved that Gwen is finally asleep! I wish I used my time a little more wisely and practiced drawing or working on ways to advertise my photography. That's something I need to work on. Some moms are great at growing creatively and pursuing their dreams outside of motherhood, and I applaud them. Those women are my heroes and they inspire me. 

Right. I had an idea of what it was like to be a mother before actually becoming one, but really, I was naive, as most childless people might be about parenthood. Here are some things I would tell my past self about being a mom:

1. You're not a strict as you think you are.

My past self would think, "Sleep training? Leaving the baby to cry in the crib to fall asleep? Discipline? No problem!! I won't bat an eye!" And then the hypothetical baby was my baby and I had become accustomed to co-sleeping (because its honestly the easiest option for nursing moms). You can ask me about my personal thoughts on sleep training, just not on the internet. Honestly, my thoughts are complicated. And when it comes to discipline- when's the right time to start that? I'm not sure Gwen understands being put in timeout when she misbehaves, but let's not get into that! As you can see, there are things that I wish my future self will tell me about discipline. 

2. Don't you dare judge other moms/parents.

I think I learned this one while I was pregnant with Gwen. It all starts when you become pregnant and everyone has different opinions about labor and delivery. I knew that I shouldn't judge other women for choosing to deliver their baby in a different way than me and I definitely shouldn't judge other moms that choose not to breastfeed. Those were the two big "no nos." But it was so easy for me to judge other people's parenting styles. I completely regret thinking this way! I was so harsh. It's such a struggle to raise a human being to the best of your knowledge and ability. Every time I might disagree with a mom I think to myself, "They may not agree with my parenting choices, but I would hate to think that they're judging me for it and/or thinking of ways I could 'improve.'" So I dismiss these thoughts and instead think, "I have no idea what it's like to be this person. I can tell that she is a good mom. There are so many good ways to parent!" 

*Related*- Never give another mom unsolicited advice! Seriously! You may be talking with another mom and venting about mom struggles, but unless she specifically asks for your opinion or advice, don't give it. Just listen to her. Also, never do this if you're not even a parent. I cringe at the thought of my past self replying to a couple of moms' Facebook statuses asking for motherly advice. I can only imagine that they rolled their eyes into oblivion. I do not blame them. 

3. Be open to changing your mind and accept chaos. 

Babies grow and change all the time. It may make your life easier if you're open to changing plans and being flexible, because although we don't like to admit it, our kids are kind of in charge. Not in the sense that we should succumb to their every whim, but that we need to listen to their needs and act accordingly. 

(^after Gwen ran away from me)

Thanks for letting me share the things I've learned so far about motherhood! Make sure and check out these other mothers' ideas and thoughts. I can't wait to read everyone's stories :) 

Kiana at Glitter & Donuts

Madeline at CaseyLand
Monica at It's All About
Erica at Good Job Momma
Justine at Little Dove
Amy at Harris Inc.
Bekah at These Are The Days

If you're interested in participating in the next Mommy Style Monday, visit these blogs:
Glitter and Donuts
Caseyland 

FLOG Video 2: "Three to One"

For the second FLOG prompt we were challenged to create three different outfits that showcased one piece of clothing. I had a really hard time thinking of what to wear for this and thought maybe of skipping this video. I felt like to do this challenge well, I needed to involve layers in the different outfits, and that is NOT a possibility for someone dealing with 100+ degree temps on the daily. I was explaining my dilemma on Snapchat and my genius friend Lydia suggested that I do swimwear! Specifically swimsuit cover-ups. It's very practical for this time of year as we all want to wear as little clothing as possible.

Finding these cover-ups was a little difficult considering that I'm 16 weeks pregnant. I feel like I won't be able to wear most of these for very long! Enjoy this video of me squeezing in and out of these clothes. Which ensemble is your favorite?

Watch everyone's "Three to One" videos here! 

FLOG Video 1: "Recipe"

Hello! Welcome to my first video of the FLOG (four vlogs) challenge. As you can see, I opted out of making a recipe video because I may not have the patience for it, but also I hate the lighting in my kitchen. If you've ever been curious about the Graze subscription box, then please enjoy this video!

Make sure to check out the other videos for the challenge here, and please join us if you'd like to make a few videos this month, too! 

How We Wore It: Summer Workout

Hey! I'm joining a bunch of other lovely lady bloggers in "How We Wore It." Here's the photo that we all took inspiration from-

from Looks for Lovelies

Workout clothes! Yup. I was pretty consistent with working out before I got pregnant again. Isn't that always the way? The last two months I've felt like death. The first trimester was full of nausea, I thought it would never end. I still get nauseous, but no where near to the extent as the first trimester. I'm currently 15 weeks... I think? The rumors are true: you don't pay as much attention to the second pregnancy as you do with the first. I'll have to apologize to this kid when they see Gwen's baby book or my old weekly bumpdate blog posts from my pregnancy with Gwen. 

Onto the outfit I suppose-

Well I guess there's nothing too exciting about it, honestly. 

I do have a question for anyone who has been on the hunt for a good sports bra: WHERE DO I GET A GOOD SPORTS BRA? I tried one on at Victoria's Secret the last time I went bra shopping and it was awesome, but I'm not sure how I felt about the padding? I just have a few cheap-o sports bras from Target and Walmart, and they do not pass the jumping/running test. 

I'm on the hunt for some moderately easy workouts for pregnant gals like myself. Does anyone have suggestions? Links to YouTube videos I can check out? I want to get into prenatal yoga again. 

Make sure to check out the other bloggers' looks! 

Deidre from Deidre Emme

Ruth from My Little Nest
Jenn from What You Make It
Kiana from Glitter & Donuts
Jessica from Mason Jars and Lemon Bars
Alyssa from Pinsent Life
Sierra from Sierra's View
Madeline from CaseyLand
Riley from Riley Jo Blog
Samantha from The Samantha Show
Jen from Jam tart boutique
Beverly from What a Day
Brooklyn from Brooklyn Jolley
Amber from Amber Nicole blogs
Erica from Good Job Momma
Shelbie from 365 With RyGuy and I
Jenn from Give This Girl Coffee
Kelsi from Lovestrong
Justine from Little Dove
Chelsea from Tessa Marie
Monica from It's All About

Visit Deidre's blog to see how you can participate in the next "How We Wore It". 

Valentine Gift Exchange!

I participated in a Valentine gift exchange and was paired up with Caitlyn, blogger of Most Adoringly! 

And me oh my, do I adore her! 

 I decided to make a video while I opened the package she sent me, to make it genuine, ya know? (I like to see other's reactions when I give a gift, so...) This is only the second video I've posted here on the blog and for some reason the audio is WAY off! About two seconds off. (Maybe because I was playing music on my laptop at the same time?) It's pretty annoying, but hey, if you ever wondered what my voice sounds like, well, here it is! 

Caitlyn later told me that she made the headband and necklace herself. Awesome! I'm wearing the necklace right now, actually :) I think it will become one of my favorite pieces of jewelry. 

I was glad that Caitlyn and I got matched together because we ended up having so much in common! We're both art students, photographers, and enjoy thrifting. She is such a creative soul! It's nice to meet a fellow art student who can relate to all the craziness of art classes. Amirite? 

Be sure to visit Caitlyn's blog to see the Valentine gifts I sent her! 

A Borrowed Idea

So I follow this hilarious blog that belongs to a fellow New Mexican. He was in the same ward as me until he moved up north. The stories he tells about his daily life on each of his blog posts crack me up. You should take a look. ANYWAY. He made a venn diagram of his interests versus his wife's interest. It looked like fun, so I stole borrowed his idea. 

I don't have any funny stories to go along with the diagram, I mostly did this to see the things that Ryan and I actually enjoy doing together, haha. Sometimes they're easy to forget when we get into the habit of just watching Netflix every night. (Speaking of Netflix, season four of Parks and Rec is available now!) I like to see all the differences between Ryan and I. You can probably tell by this diagram that Ryan is a left brain thinker and I am definitely a right brain thinker. I admire all the things that he can do that I can't do/struggle with. He's definitely a well-rounded gentleman.

What are things that you and your significant other enjoy doing? I'd love to hear :) 

p.s.! I've linked up over at Modern Modest Beauty to take part in Jenny's Sunday Style Linky Party. Hop on over to take a look at the other girls who have shared their Sunday attire.