Hadley's Birth Annoucement

So I'm way behind on posting a few things...like Christmas, Hadley's room tour, and this--her birth announcement!

Big thank you to TinyPrints who printed these beautiful announcements for us. I really wanted a sleeping baby picture but girlfriend had a mind of her own from the beginning. She refused to sleep during her newborn session for no more than about 10 minutes, which we took a picture as a family. This picture really sums up our girl. Always pondering and soaking up everything around her. I also love the colors in this picture and her sweet headband. We are so thankful to have had the opportunity to share her birth announcement with family and friends!

2013: The Best Year Yet!

2013 has by far been the best year of my life. From the first day until the last I have never felt so much joy and love in my life.


We welcomed 2013 with a secret. We were pregnant. We found out just shortly before Christmas and told our families on Christmas day. It was definitely the year of family, like I had hoped.

January started off with a big move for my parents. We said goodbye to my childhood home. They left all of our neighbors who became our family. They moved into the country. Where there are no street lights. No lines on the road. And it's 22 minutes away instead of five. I cried a lot (like up until September). But it's a process and I have grown to love their new home. Not as much as "my home" but in its own way.

On January 10th, we celebrated four years of marriage. We were excited to go into our fourth year with a baby on the way!


I just loved linking up with Rachel in 2013 for Menu Monday. Two of my favorites I shared in February include the Spicy Pasta Sausage and Skinny Enchiladas (which are an overall favorite).

February 14, 2013 was a day that will go down in history for us. It's day day we told all of our friends we were expecting! We were overwhelmed with all of the excitement and joy we were able to finally share with everyone! The blog world was also a baby boom in 2013!

With a new pregnancy comes lots of hormones. I shared about my melt down with Wembley (who is still a sh*t)  and how my hormones were out of control when it came to animals. Glad I'm not as bad about this anymore. I'm pretty sure if I would have started watching Duck Dynasty then, I would have been in trouble. I also started weekly bumpdates in February. I'm so glad I did this because I plan to make my blog into a book. Then Hadley and I can look back and remember all that happened while I was pregnant with her--hormones and all! In February I posted weeks six, seven/eight, nine/ten, eleven/twelve, thirteen and fourteen. The day I told my students about baby G was one of the best days of the year. That class was so special to me (I miss this a lot this year) and I'm so thankful I got to share our joy with them! The end of February ended on a sad note. Our dear sweet George, my cat I grew up with, passed away. We miss him so much. He was such a sweetheart and will always have a special place in our hearts.

March was a fun month! I updated about week fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen. It's so fun to go back and read everything that was happening each week! We shared the gender of our sweet baby on March 18. Before we found out I read a lot of different wives tales trying to figure out what we were having! They were so much fun to read. On the Ramzi test, Josh later on corrected me telling me it was a girl. He knew from the beginning this "test" was going to be correct. We also told our families the gender in cute ways they will (hopefully) never forget. My mom still talks about it to this day! I was so thrilled we were having a girl but a little worried about Josh. I wasn't she he would know what to do with one. His sweet words reassured me everything would be okay. The great month of March ended with sharing Miss Hadley's name to the world!


April was a busy month for me. We had state testing at school and it was nonstop working! I did get to post weeks nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, and twenty-two. I finally reached the half way mark! I also shared some sweet pictures and updates of Oliver and Wembley.

Hadley's 20 week picture

We have a lot of family birthdays in May. It's also the end of the school year--my favorite time. But even though its busy, there were a lot of things to look forward to! In May I shared updates for weeks twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five {when I had my school shower}, and twenty-six. I got my craft on in May and made this adorable spring wreath. I'm not crafty at all, so for me this was a huge deal. I still really like it and excited to put it up again! At the end of the month I was looking forward to ending the school year, even though I was going to miss the crazy things the kids asked me about regarding the baby! I was also excited to celebrate Josh's 30th birthday on the 31st!

June was such a good month. It was the start of summer break and finally a time when I could relax. I was really not looking forward to having a fall baby when I found out I was pregnant. In fact, I cried about it a lot. I was worried about how we would adjust when I went back to work. But having a fall baby has been such a blessing! I loved that I got to spend the last couple months preparing without any stress. I loved being able to sleep whenever I needed to. It was so nice not to worry about dressing my huge baby belly when it was 90* outside. I could just sit in the A/C all day!

I share week twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty, and thirty-one! I went through the dreaded glucose test, which turned out to be much easier than I thought. I also admitted I was a complete drama queen about it. It had also been six months since we found out we were expecting. Crazy how time flies!I continued to meal plan throughout the year and in the summer started freezer meals so we would be prepared for when Hadley made her arrival. These were a huge help and plan to continue freezer meals as much as I can!

My baby shower was planned for July and Tiny Prints really helped inspire the theme of the shower. I also had this great game at my shower which I loved reading and saving for Hadley. Speaking of showers, Jenny, Shannon and I were given a surprise shower by some of our Columbus blog friends. It was a wonderful night full of yummy food and great conversations. I'm so thankful to have these girls as my friends!

I just love July. Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays! In July I shared updates about weeks thirty-two {where we had our 3D ultrasound!}, thirty-three, thirty-four, and thirty-five.  Since we were getting so close to our due date I decided it was time to prepare our pets for baby Hadley's arrival and make up a to-do list when we had one month to go.

I also attended my hometown shower hosted by my mom, sister, aunt, and cousin. It was beautiful and I'm so thankful for all of the time they spent preparing it. My mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and Josh's aunt hosting a lovely shower in Josh's hometown. I loved that it was held outside in his parent's back yard. His mom has the most beautiful flowers and pots in her back yard. She is a wonderful gardener! I'm so thankful to have had two amazing showers!

August was by far my favorite month because it is the birth month of our sweet girl! I share weeks thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight, and thirty-nine. She was born on week forty! We were preparing for Hadley's arrival, thinking of all of the crazy last minute things we needed to do and picking out her birth announcement! I didn't blog a lot at the end of August because I was learning how to juggle wearing all of my new hats! Definitely worth the short break.

In September I posted Hadley's first pictures on the blog. Looking at this picture makes me miss how tiny she was! I shared her crazy twenty-eight hour birth story and how thankful I was to have J by my side during the delivery and when we got home. He was my rock and I'm still so thankful to have him by my side today. Going through labor and delivery for the first time taught me many things. I'm so glad I went in with an open mind because I sure did need it!

My favorite fall month is definitely October. Not only is it my birthday month but I think the foliage is just beautiful during this time of the year. It's amazing how time just flies. I shared about being a new mom and Hadley turning four weeks and a month old {I also learned the difference between these two}!

November was an enjoyable month. I took extra time off for maternity leave and tried to soak up every minute of my last month home with my baby. I'm a huge fan of meal planning {if you didn't already know} and shared how I started meal planning with a baby. It's a whole new ballpark! I also started Tasty Tuesday, where I share recipes and tips. I started out these weekly updates with how to organize your pinterest boards.I'm not sure if I'm going to continue TT into 2014. I really enjoy it and it keeps me organized but I want to make sure I'm sharing enough about our life--because that is why I blog.

We took newborn pictures at the beginning of September and I shared the beautiful pictures KariMe Photography took for us. We made her birth announcement and sent them out to family and close friends. Hadley also got to meet her great-grandparents, on her Gigi's side, for the first time. We are so thankful they came to Ohio for her first Thanksgiving!

Hadley turned three months old on November 26, but I was a little behind posting it. Then on December 26th, she turned four months old. Where does the time go? She's getting so big and definitely becoming more of a baby than a newborn. We celebrated her first Christmas at home on Christmas day. It was wonderful to open her couple presents and enjoy the day as a little family. We spent Christmas Eve with my parents and went to visit Josh's family a few days after Christmas. My favorite thing about this year was definitely not feeling rushed or pushed from one house to the next. We decided a long time ago that once we had a family we would not travel on Christmas day. Our families are always welcome to come see us but it was definitely the best decision for us.

2013 will definitely go down in history. I am so thankful that I posted about our new family. It will always be wonderful memories to go back and read. I'm excited to watch Hadley grow over the next year and hit new and fun milestones. This year will definitely be hard to beat, but now we have a whole new adventure in front of us.

Thank you for sharing 2013 with us! Happy New Year!

Hadley's First Thanksgiving

A little late, but better than never!

I can't believe Thanksgiving has already come and gone. It's amazing how quickly the time goes, especially with a baby. Hadley had a wonderful first Thanksgiving. It was spent with a lot of family, including those we don't get to see very often.

Thanksgiving day was spent with my family this year (we alternate). It was our first Thanksgiving at my parent's new home. They have been there almost year but I still feel like they just moved it! It was nice to celebrate our first "big" holiday there. They moved in right after Christmas last year, so we missed that by just a few days. Most of my family was able to make it except for my aunt and three of my cousins, due to the whooping cough! I was sad they couldn't be with us, but thankful they were thoughtful of all of us, especially Hadley.

                                             

The food there was delicious! I was so proud of myself and all the cooking I had done. It was no easy take with a three month old, who sleeps 45 minutes max during naps. But it was done and was so good! If you read my Thanksgiving Timeline post, you remember I made Pioneer Woman Mashed Potatoes, Pioneer Woman Stuffing, and Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin from The Chew. I also made Pioneer Woman Blackberry Cobbler, which is my absolute favorite dessert...and I'm not a big dessert/cobbler fan.

Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin, which was so rich but so delicious! 

Thank you Clinton Kelly!

Homemade stuffing is the best!

On Saturday, we went to our second Thanksgiving dinner with Josh's family. I'm sad I didn't get any pictures of the food. We were all so hungry and excited to dig in! His mom and dad always make the best food. They're both great cooks. I think my favorite was the balsamic brussel sprouts. I don't eat them very often but love them. It was a nice change from typical Thanksgiving food. The stuffing was also delicious. It had cranberries on top. Yum!

My favorite part of Thanksgiving with Josh's family is that Hadley got to meet her great-grandparents. I shared this post with just a few of the many pictures we took from the day. We feel so blessed she was able to have that time with them, especially since they're in Arizona.

It's amazing how your point-of-view about holidays change when you have a child. While it's been hard for me to get into the Christmas mood this year (mainly with decorating), I'm so excited to share the holiday and traditions with Hadley.

Hadley meets her Great-Grandparents

Hadley is one lucky girl. She was welcomed into this world by four wonderful grandparents, two great-grandmas, on my side, and four great-grandparents, on J's side.We are so thankful she is able to meet them, spend time with them, and they can watch her grow. J and I both love learning about our family history and having four generations together is pretty awesome!

Over the weekend, J's grandparents came to visit from out of state. We have Skyped with them a few times since H was born but they had yet to meet her! We got up early, dressed up H in one of her winter dresses (it was 34* outside) and were on our way to meet them! Lately H has been really shy and timid around people she doesn't know. As soon as she saw them she was all smiles. J thinks it's because we've been talking so much about them and showed her pictures {let's pretend that's it}. Either way, she warmed up to them very quickly and we were able to capture a few pictures.

We definitely plan on taking more pictures when we see them for Thanksgiving. But we are thrilled to have these first meeting pictures to always remember! This spring we hope to make it to NC to see her other set of great-grandparents!

Newborn/Family Pictures

It just occurred to me today that I never posted Hadley's newborn pictures. Better late than never! We decided to go more for family and newborn rather than just all newborn. We found an amazing photographer, Kari, who came to our home to take these pictures. I am so thankful for this! Not only did it help that we didn't have to go anywhere but we also got to take the pictures in Hadley's room, which I loved the idea of doing. Because of Josh's work schedule we had to wait a little longer to get them taken (I think she was about two weeks). It made it a little more difficult because she was much more alert and basically refused to sleep except for about 15 minutes. Either way, the pictures turned out beautifully! We are so excited to work with Kari again next week for our first Christmas pictures!

Kari took so many beautiful photos, these are just a few of our favorites!

The main thing I learned about family pictures--plan your outfits ahead of time. When J told me he had a black shirt he left out the part it had a logo on it. Then when he put it on, right when we were starting, I noticed it. I later made him change and still wasn't thrilled with the choice, but we have pictures and that's all the matters. Our Christmas picture outfits are definitely planned, looked at carefully, and purchased already! Oh men!!

New: Tasty Tuesdays

I've been thinking for a while that I wanted to start blogging again about our weekly menu. I also want to blog more about how cooking has changed since becoming a mom and then again as a working mom. I want to share how we meal plan and shop on a budget. I want to share this because I'm very proud of both Josh and I.

At the beginning I was completely clueless but I knew there had to be an easier way. We went from coming home at night searching for what were were going to make and not looking at the price of our groceries to meal planning for the week (or more) and sticking to a grocery budget.

I will share with you what works for us, what doesn't work for us, and other bloggers who have inspired us.

Originally I wanted to start these posts today but Hadley had her two month shots yesterday and hasn't been feeling too great, so I decided to wait until next week. Definitely stop back to see my first post on Meal Planning!

Also, I want to put out there that there are certain things that I am terrible at when it comes to cooking and planning and I also know there are many other ways to do things. If you would like to share any of your ways and write a guest post I would love to have you! Email me at NotSoNewlywedsBlog@gmail.com

Hadley: 2 months

On Saturday, Hadley turned two months old. I cannot believe how fast time went! She is growing and changing so much every day. I actually have dreams that she's growing faster than what she actually is--like talking at only 3 months! That needs to stop!

All about Hadley

Height/Weight

We still haven't been to the doctor for your two month checkup. Your pediatrician is amazing but books up fast. We have an appointment scheduled very soon though. Daddy weighed himself then weighed himself holding you and we are guessing you're around 14 pounds. We also measured you at about 24 inches! Oh my!! You are definitely making me nervous about this. I'm hoping everything evens out in the end and you're not 6'4" like your dad! Overall, we are so thankful you are healthy and able to grow as you should.

Diapers

You are currently in size one diaper. They work great, but you've been leaking at night sometimes. I read that going up a size at night sometimes works better so we will try that soon.

Clothes

You are definitely in three month clothes now. There are a few items that are a little big on you, but after we wash them, they fit fine. I'm hoping you don't get another growth spurt for a while so you can enjoy these outfits. You actually have two Christmas outfits that are three months. It would be nice if you could wear them!

Feeding

You are still doing wonderfully with nursing and eating from a bottle. I was really against you taking a bottle from me at the beginning but I had to slowly give that up. So I give you one every once in a while. At the end of November we need to practice taking a bottle at every feeding for about a week so you know what it will be like at the sitters. I'm hoping to practice over Thanksgiving so family and feed you and you don't rely on me completely.

Sleep

Oh sleep! You do very well once you are down and usually get a good 5-6 hour strech at first. Then you wake up between 3am and 4am to eat. Sometimes you will go back down and sleep until 8am, other times you will wake up around 7am, eat, then want to sleep until 10am! I try to wake you up earlier though. We are still working at getting a good nap schedule down. As far as bedtime, I gave up on putting you down at 7pm. You just were not having it. If we put you down around 9pm you do so much better! I'd rather have you happy and going down later than screaming for hours trying to get you down at 7pm. I read so many books, watched DVDs, and talked to friends. I don't know what else to do except work with you instead of trying to make you work with me. It will all work out. You still hate swaddling but we continue to use it because you sleep a lot better! We put you in the Halo Sleep Sack Swaddle but you can still get out of it!


Other Changes

You are so happy in the mornings. I just LOVE it. I love waking you up and seeing you smile!

You've been "talking" so much more lately. You will coo and make all kinds of noises when you get excited. Daddy always says, "use your words" and you always reply back with something.

You are SO incredibly nosey. You have to know what is going on at ALL times. You love to walk around with me when I'm doing stuff around the house. I have used the Ergo a little more lately but really need to put it to good use.

You have been loving bath time. Well, I think you do. You just sit there and are so relaxed. You never make a peep.

You are definitely a night owl and not a morning person. Your daddy and I are both this way, so we're not really surprised.

You're watching Oliver and Wembley so much more. They are both very jealous but they love you. Wembley will just stare at you and Oliver likes to give you kisses. They both hate when you cry and worry about you.

Daddy has watched you two times for over an hour in the past week. Once when I went to lunch with Glammy for my birthday and another time when I went to get my hair cut. You were pretty good for him both times. He also watches you every Sunday evening during piano. He might have come home crying a few weeks ago because he took you on a car ride and you had a major meltdown. He had one too because he felt so bad for you. He has such a loving heart for you!

We love you little pumpkin and so thankful to have you every day!

So What?!

So what if...

• Some days my house is clean, other days it's a disaster. More disaster days than clean days.
• I'm dreading going back to work already...and I have until the end of November.
• I cried on my birthday. H had a really rough night and her tummy was hurting her. I just wanted her to go to sleep!
• I'm almost done with Christmas shopping!
• We've run a million errands the past two days and H has slept in her car seat. Not ideal for trying to get down a nap schedule.
• I'm so excited to see a good friend in November, who is currently living in SC. While that day cannot get here quick enough, I want it to take it's time because that will mean November is half way over.
• I'm always looking at houses online. We really want/need to move.
• I'm behind on blogging. Still trying to find time to get everything done during the day!

Hello 29!

The past year has without a doubt been the best year of my life. There were many ups and downs, like every year, but the most amazing little thing came into our lives during my 28th year and that would be Miss Hadley.

Even birthdays have always been good to me. When I was 24, I married the best husband and father, Josh. Then on December 14, 2012 our lives changed forever at the age of 28 when we found out I was pregnant. These two events are so different but they're also so amazing and life changing they are in their own ways.

I really don't have any feelings towards 29. I'm mean really it's nothing too special. Yes, it the last year in my 20s but I'm okay with that. While I'm not looking forward to anything age wise for myself, I am looking forward to all the days ahead with my sweet little family. It's crazy how when you turn a certain age you look forward to things that involve yourself--driving, rated R movies, voting (was I the only one excited about this?), buying alcohol, graduating college, or even getting married (not that has to happen at any certain age). But now that I am married and have my sweet Hadley, everything is different. My age is just another year I get to remember with my husband, daughter, family and sweet friends.

So this year while I hope not to stress as much or worry about silly things (pshhh, like that will happen), I want to focus on spending time with my new family and making traditions of our own.

Cheers to 29!

Hadley: Four Weeks

Hadley turned 4 weeks old on September 23rd.
(I'm really late on this post)

Okay, stupid question...if she's 4 weeks on September 23rd, but her birthday is August 26th, does she turn one month on the 26th of September or on the 23rd? Get all that?

All about Hadley

Height/Weight

We haven't been to the doctor since August 30th and at that time she weighed 8lbs 3 oz. This made Mommy so happy since she left the hospital at 7lbs 15oz. She was still 20 inches long, like at birth. I'm excited to go back at the beginning of November to see how you've grown but that just means you're older!

Diapers

You were out of the newborn diapers around week 3. You are currently in size one. Thankfully we were able to use all of the newborn diapers! I have a feeling you'll be in size one for a while.

Clothes

I never thought you would wear newborn clothes but you worn them through week four and a little in to week five. We only had a few outfits for you but it worked! Now you're wearing 0-3 months or just 3 months. They're a little big but it really depends on the brand. I think you're going to be built like your Daddy with long legs, but I hope you have more of my height so you can wear pretty heels.

Feeding

You have been nursing like a champ from day one. I'm so happy and proud of you! Daddy has been giving you a bottle about once a day to make sure we are prepared when going to the sitters. You've been doing excellent with it. I still make sure we nurse most of the time, especially when we're out and about because honestly, it's easier! I'm so thankful nursing has gone well. For us it's really important that you get these nutrients to help you grow big and strong (and it's free)! I also love our time together...even at 3am :)


Sleep

Sleep has been an interesting topic around the house. You slept like a champ up every 3 hours at night the first month. The past week (week 5 going in to 6) have been rough. You're still up every three hours at night, which isn't bad, but you don't want to nap during the day. It's also been really hard to get you down at night. Glammy thinks it's gas related and rubbed your tummy a lot the other day when you were screaming. Mommy is going to watch what she eats just to make sure but it doesn't seem like that would be the problem. We have been giving you tummy drops and really need to make sure you're burping like a champ! Other than that sleep is good. Hoping you start making it to every 4 hours at night...or at least when I go back to work in December.


Other Changes

Hadders I'm worried about your hair. You're quite the bald baby, especially at the top. And your widows peak...omg. I hope that changes otherwise half of your hair is going to be bangs! I'm sure you will have beautiful long locks and we will look back and laugh at this.

I love that you're starting to smile at us and recognize us. It's such a great feeling. You think we're quite funny too.

You love your swing but not a huge fan of your bouncy seat.

You also love to look outside. I can put you in front of the window and you're good for at least 30 minutes. You also love Sesame Street. I'm sure it's just because of the colors and sounds but you are entranced by it. I do want to limit your tv as you get older, but we are all for educational shows and Sesame has come even more educational from when your daddy and I used to watch it.


Since you've been born you've gone to Target a few times, attended two weddings and skyped with your family in Arizona

You're changing every day our sweet girl and as much as I want you to stay little forever, we are so very excited to watch you grow and see you change. I know daddy cannot wait to take you on daddy-daughter dates and I can't wait until we can have lunch at my favorite tea room. Until then I'm going to take in every minute with you because even when I need a short break, I miss you.

We are so thankful you are in our lives and we couldn't imagine living without you!

Five on Friday: First time mom

I've decided to devote this Five on Friday to being a first time mom because I learn something(s) every single day.

{one}

TIME! I have zero time. My cousin came over today and I finally finished unpacking my hospital bag (gasp!) and put my laundry away that has been piling up. I do get small things done during the day but it all depends on Hadley's mood. Sometimes I get 20 minutes; sometimes an hour or two. I will never take my time for granite again.

{two}

Hadley turned five weeks on Monday. I still haven't done her one month post. Note number one above and time. I'm quickly typing this while she is sleeping in her swing. I also was able to unload the dishwasher. Score!!

{three}

I've decided that if I tell too many people about one thing it will bite me in the behind. For example, so far H has been a really calm baby. She fusses sometimes but never had any meltdowns. That chapter has ended. On Tuesday night she screamed (very loudly) for two hours. She chilled out for about 20 minutes, to watch the colors on Dancing with the Stars, then started screaming again. Wednesday night was a little better but there was still some screaming. I will never talk about her being a calm, mellow child because I don't want to jinx it. No matter what she's still a wonderful baby and we are very thankful for her and her health.

{four}

It's amazing how the days fly by but the weeks are so slow. I'll never figure this out. But I'm enjoying every minute with my sweet girl.

{five}

Hadley has started to smile for us. She's the happiest in the mornings. It's the sweetest thing! I took her five week picture and she looks so silly. This isn't her normal smile but it just cracks me up!

Five On Friday: Recipes, Halloween, & Pictures

Don't forget to link up with Five on Friday here!

{one}

Last weekend we went apple picking. I've had ever intention to make apple crisps this week but it hasn't happened yet. Josh has even asked if I wanted to go apple picking again. Let's try to eat what we have (about 30 apples). He's an apple-pickin' machine!

Doesn't this look yummy?!

{two}

If you do not have children and are planning to one day, let me tell you about a little something called, "cluster feeding". I had no idea what this was until after H was born. Basically babies will nurse for hours at one time. Not going to lie-it's exhausting, especially at night when you're already tired. But it's great bonding time too.

{three}

I love Halloween. Actually I love all things fall. But my favorite part about Halloween is dressing up. I haven't dressed up in a few years but I can't wait to dress H up as she gets older. Pinterest is busting with costume ideas. Here are a few of my favorites family costumes!

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J is already hoping H will be Princess Peach one Halloween!

{four}

I still have not been behind the wheel of my car. I could have started driving this week but my dad had to borrow my car since his was getting fixed and I didn't need mine for anything. The more time that passes the more nervous I get to get behind the wheel. I'm already a nervous driver but add some time (which feels like nothing) and a newborn and I'm a mess! I'll be getting lots of practice this weekend.

{five}

On Monday our amazing photographer Kari came to take pictures of Hadley and do a few lifestyle pictures. I will definitely post more when I get them back but I have fallen in love with the ones we have so far!