My Valentines

Happy Valentine's Day friends! I hope you are taking a moment to make the people in your life feel a little extra special today.  Because...why not?!  I love an excuse to be more intentional and these days I feel like I need the reminder. 

I have the sweetest Valentines in my life right now and I thank God every day for them.  Duke was in the best mood yesterday...the sun was shining and we were being extra silly after daycare pickup so I took advantage and snapped some pictures of my sweet boy.  He's always on the move these days so it's hard to catch him in action but I want to make sure these days are documented because they are the best!  He got to have a 'guys night' with his daddy while I went to Chick Flick night with my mom and sister last night so wins all around.  I saw Breakfast at Tiffany's for the first time ever and even though it was a little bit weird, I kind of loved it.

Before I left, I snapped a couple of pictures of their shenanigans.  Duke is obsessed with touching the lights and ceilings in our house and tries to get me to lift him up to do it but that's just not happening with this belly and his 27lbs.  Daddy to the rescue...

Today we got the sweetest little Valentine's gift with an ultrasound to see our sweet boy.  He looks JUST like his brother and I am dying to kiss those sweet little lips!  8ish more weeks baby boy!

Lastly, all props to Dennis who is the King of Valentine's Day.  He always leaves me surprises throughout the day, including multiple sweet cards and tons of chocolate.  This giant card was in my car after our appointment this morning and this was after he had Duke give me a card and chocolates this morning.  He also made a ridiculously good Valentine's dinner on Sunday night- homemade calzones, salad, and apple pie! Love you to the moon and back hubs!

I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

-T-

Five on Friday: Totally Over Winter Edition

Good Afternoon friends!  I hope everyone is having a wonderful Friday so far. I woke up this morning thinking it was Thursday so I am happy as a clam to be headed into the weekend in a few short hours.  Check out this awesome forecast for the next few days! I am thrilled to get a little taste of Spring because I was freezing my tail off earlier this week and contemplating a move to Hawaii...

one- Duke's big boy room

We are hoping to make some progress on Duke's future big boy room this weekend.  A few weeks ago, we had all of the bedrooms in our house painted and I have a renewed sense of energy to get these rooms decorated and "done" since they've been in some state of unfinished since we moved in back in June.  I'm having fun and getting some inspiration for his room all over the internet and here are a few of the things/themes we hope to incorporate: Lots of color, superheroes everywhere, functional storage. It's worth noting that I think Dennis might be more excited than Duke about this room...

tent // print // toy storage  

Getting so big! Side note: At his 15-month appointment yesterday, this nugget came in at 27lb14oz (95th percentile) and 33.5 inches tall (98th percentile).

So blurry but is there anything sweeter than a little human in an oversized t-shirt running for you?

two- nesting

I didn't really get a chance to "nest" with Duke because we moved into a new apartment about 3 weeks before he was due and I was way past the point of being able to clean like a crazy person.  This time, however, I feel like I am finding the delicate balance between #doingallthethings and feeling like my back is broken. At least I'm getting stuff done, right?!

three- dating-versary

Dennis and I celebrated 5 years since we first started dating last weekend.  February 4th will always be a special day for me, even though we have a wedding anniversary to celebrate now as well.  All relationships start somewhere, and I love thinking back on the early days of butterflies and nervousness and then seeing how far we've come in what feels like such a short time!

Love this guy

For fun here's our 4-Year Dating-versary and a tiny glimpse at our 2-Year Dating-versary {or at least a glimpse into what life was like 4 months before our wedding}

four- me time

I started reading this book last weekend and quickly finished it up within a few days.  I am loving my side business and my goal this year is to never stop learning how to be a better leader and take this business to the next level.  Offering great products that give people the best skin of their life and helping others change their family's financial future has truly changed our lives this past year and I can't wait to see where we take it!

Next up on my reading list is this book.  I can't remember where I saw it but I'm intrigued and hope it's a good one!  These days, reading is my favorite, quiet "me time".  It's so necessary and always manages to calm my nerves and quiet my mind.  #winwin

five- sunshine

I am praying that Spring makes it's real debut soon. I've got my eye on this double stroller and I am daydreaming about walks with baby Felecos and Duke in April.  They are also making awesome progress on the new city pool so even though my yard is covered in piles of snow, I've got my mind on laps in the lazy river with my sweet little fam.  A girl can dream, right? The only place I'm okay with snow is my snap chat filter...

Happy Weekend friends! Make it a good one!

-T-

My Grandmother's Vanity

Last weekend this beautiful piece of furniture was hauled into my entry way by my husband, brother-in-law and cousin.  My grandma's {Nana's} vanity.  I can't tell you how many afternoons I used to play around this thing.  We went to my grandparent's house every Wednesday afternoon for years growing up and I remember us playing in her room {why did she let us do that?!} and messing with all of the beautiful containers, trinkets, and perfume bottles she had all over this marble top.  Jewelry was kept in various boxes and drawers and she had a cushy chair right in front of it that usually had a pile of clothes on it.

Years later, my grandma went through a phase where she tried to giveaway everything.  If you complimented her on anything...the shirt she was wearing, a picture on the wall, a trinket on a shelf...she would try to give it to you right then and there.  At one point she started asking what we might want when she passes.  I had shared my love of her vanity before, but I always laughed her off because at the end of the day, I never wanted her stuff.  I wanted her.  I thought she was joking when she said she would put a note on the vanity with my name on it, but she wasn't.  My uncles found a note in the drawer that said "Patricia would like this when I pass" so as we've gone through her things over the past few weeks, no one really questioned where the vanity would end up.

Nana was a wonderful woman and a very loving grandma.  She was sassy and spunky and equally sweet and kind.  She was honest {sometimes far too honest} but no one could deny the way she lit up when she saw us...her grandchildren, and later, our kids. 

I feel lucky and proud to have this piece of furniture in my home, but I can't help but get a little sad every time I see it now.  I look forward to the day when I see my own babies playing around it...messing with whatever decorations we have on it, hiding things in the drawers, making funny faces in the mirror.  There are few things I'm truly attached to, but I know this family heirloom will be one I'll always keep until the day I pass it along to someone else.  We are still playing around with how we want to use it but I think with a picture and a few more decorations, our entry way will be the perfect place for it.

Happy Tuesday, friends! February is rarely my favorite month, but as we continue to get our house a little more settled, a little more decorated, and a lot more ours, I am fully embracing nesting-mode.  Especially when it's far too cold to want to be outside!

-T-

Thoughts on my sweet 15 month old and bun in the oven

This stage is pretty amazing.  Duke is the sweetest little boy, snuggling more, laying his little head on my shoulder, giggling and cracking himself up on a regular basis.  He's starting to say more words and really understand what we are saying to him which makes me beam with pride when he's being a good listener and shake my head as he continues to test all of the new boundaries in his life.  His tantrums are generally pretty entertaining {don't worry, I hide my laughter} but I know how important this stage is for him and I'm doing my best to be consistent and help him communicate with us. I am doing pretty good at understanding what object he needs/wants out of the 27 options he'll inevitable be pointing towards at any given time.  We're trying to get him to repeat back words but he's not really into it.  He thinks his nose is his tongue and that might be the funniest thing he does right now. 

I am savoring the sweet sweet moments this baby boy gives me.  He woke up unexpectedly and very oddly at 5:30 a.m. the other night.  He was crying and restless and I could tell this wasn't a time when he would get himself back to sleep on his own.  I picked him up and he immediately gripped around my body and laid on my shoulder.  I could melt into a million pieces for this kid.  That feeling is the feeling I always hoped I would have with my own sweet baby.  We ended up getting him a little ibuprofen because I think he's teething again and he immediately snuggled in and fell asleep with us in bed.  This generally means I am up for the day, but those little baby hugs are everything.

I had a perfect stranger tell me I was going to have my hands full soon as she noticed my ever-growing belly and wild toddler at the store.  She was very kind and I just smiled and told her she was 100% correct.  Life is going to get nuttier.  And while I can't even imagine what it will be like to have a newborn right alongside my wild toddler, I immediately tear up when I think about the love we are about to experience.  I know that I have absolutely no idea what it will be like when we see this boy for the first time or when Duke meets him.  I know that it's impossible to know just how you could possibly love another child they way you love your first, but I have no doubt it will be the greatest feeling of my life {so far}.

In 10-ish weeks we will welcome him into our crazy little family.  There will be more laundry, more diapers, less cleaning, less sleep, but all I keep thinking about is the more...more love, more smiles, more laughs, more snuggles, more quiet blissful moments in the wee hours of the night while the rest of the house is asleep.  After looking back at the amazing ride we had in 2016, I'm getting more and more excited to see how this year unfolds. 

-T-