Scarf Swap!

I look forward to Meredith's Annual Scarf Swap every year.

It signals that the sweltering Texas summer
is just about over and scarf weather is upon us!
Plus, I get to make a new friend. :)

 This year I was paired with Laura,
and it was fun to chat with her via email about the things we share -
notably, that yoga pants are our uniform most days. Ha!

There were so many scarves that I thought Laura might enjoy,
but ultimately selected this beauty from LOFT:

(Thank goodness for online shopping!)


I was SO EXCITED to receive my package in the mail last week.

It contained not one but TWO scarves plus a couple of other little goodies!
Laura really outdid herself. :)

This was such a treat for this exhausted mama!

I cannot wait to showcase these beauties - once the weather gets a little cooler.

Thanks so much, Laura!

Two Months

This past month has just flown by!

I cannot believe Miles is already two months old.

 

We went for his well check today,
where Miles weighed in at 15 pounds, 5.5 ounces (96th percentile)
and measured 24 inches long (87th percentile).
This little champ did great getting his shots too. :)

We are still in size 2 diapers, but I have a feeling it might not be for long.
Many of the 3-month clothes are snug, so I'm hoping the weather cools off soon
because the majority of his 3-6 month stuff is long sleeved!

Miles nurses 7 times a day, waking up once at night to eat.
Unfortunately he hasn't stretched out his night sleep any more;
he'll give me anywhere between 3.5-5 hours. (Come on, kiddo!)
We still swaddle him at night, though he's about to outgrow our Miracle Blanket!
I think I'm going to try not swaddling him at night to see how he does.

I think Miles isn't sure how he feels about the WubbaNub -
sometimes he'll take it, other times he spits it out with a face of disgust.
For a while he was getting his hand to his mouth
to try to suck on his fingers, but I haven't seen him doing that recently.

He is a super-fast nurser, which had me worried,
but he's happy between feedings so I'm okay. :)
And he spits up quite a bit - but again, he's happy so I'm happy!

We are getting all kinds of adorable smiles from this guy and I love it!
It just melts my heart every time I see that toothless grin of his.
He makes lots of cooing noises that are equally as adorable.

 Miles can roll tummy-to-back both ways (left and right),
though he's still perfecting it and doesn't do it during every tummy time
He enjoys (or maybe tolerates) laying on his activity mat
and has given the dangling farm animals a swat or two.
We get some pretty big grins when Mommy sings,
and Miles loves to be held upright so he can push off with his legs.

He loves to look around, especially at the framed pictures we have around the house.
The ceiling fan is also of particular interest. :)

This past month, Miles took his first road trip to Abilene for Labor Day.
He slept almost the entire ride both ways!
(Thank goodness Max was sleeping too, otherwise it could've been a different story.)

He also had his first trip to the Fort Worth Zoo
to see his (almost) birthday buddy, baby elephant Belle.

 

 For the most part, Miles is a laid back baby.
I really appreciate his flexibility, especially since he gets toted around
a whole lot more than Max ever did.
We have thoroughly enjoyed watching his sweet little personality
unfold this month. What a joy you are, Miles Christopher!

Brothers' Bedroom

Clay and I have made the decision
to be more financially conservative with our housing,
which means that Max and Miles will eventually get to share a room!

I am still not exactly sure how all of the logistics will work out
since they are both so little...

but I know others have done it before, I guess we can too. :)

 I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot of this in the future...

It was kind of tricky to figure out exactly how

to arrange the furniture in this new shared bedroom -
especially since there really isn't another place in our house
that makes sense as a play area to keep their toys.

But I think we found a solution that works!

The crib is along one wall next to the closet.
(But for now, Miles is snug as a bug in the pack n' play in our room.
We hope to move him when he starts sleeping through the night consistently.)

Max's big boy bed and its convenient location
next to many distractions (which we didn't realize when we set it up...)

You can see the little reading chair next to the bookshelf
where Max spends quite a lot of time poring over his books.
Then a shelf to hold some of the toys - I try to rotate the toys periodically
but don't have many places to store the ones that aren't in use!

Here's their fun little magnetboard
(more commonly known as a drip tray - thanks, Pinterest!).

I have a couple of other ideas I'd like to incorporate eventually,
but we will see if I can find the time. :)

Growing up, I had the privilege of 

sharing a room with my sister for a few years.

 I distinctly remember when we moved to a new house

and each got our own rooms, what a BIG deal that was.

Although I definitely enjoyed our separate spaces

(and getting to decorate the way I wanted),

I have fond memories of being in such close proximity.

My hope is that our boys will enjoy their shared space too. :)

(And not kill each other in the process!)

Things I'm Good At

I've had my fair share of crazy moments the past few weeks, moments where I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. My friend Sarah has such a great sense of humor, and reading her blog often reminds me that laughing is WAY more fun than crying. (Does laughing through your tears count?)

So when I saw this blog post last week, I thought it might be a good idea to help get me out of my funk. :)

Things I'm not so good at:
Cooking sweet potato fries. I can never get them crispy enough to satisfy my husband. 
Asking for help from others - or accepting it, for that matter.
Thinking on my feet. I need to know things as far in advance as possible so I can formulate a plan.
Entering receipts into Quicken in a timely fashion. (Again, ask the husband.)
Resisting any kind of dessert that is in our house. I seriously think I have a problem, y'all.
Recognizing sarcasm. It's pretty embarrassing when I get mad at my own husband - and he's totally joking.
Gracefully opening our double stroller. It's more like wrestling - and the stroller usually wins.
Buying things online that are the right size. (You'd think I would have learned by now.)

Things I'm good at:
Addressing envelopes. For a while I even thought this was a marketable skill and addressed many of my friends' wedding invitations. For free. (Guess I didn't get the whole "marketable" thing.)
Wrapping presents. Thanks to my professional gift-wrapper mom for teaching me about those folded corners!
Organizing things, preferrably not my own - and so you can never find them again.
Making up the random songs that Max requests. (Good thing he doesn't notice I change the verses of the "blue truck song" every time.)
Overanalyzing any situation. You're trying to tell me there's no hidden meaning in "good morning"?!!!
Spending gift cards and/ or cash gifts almost immediately. Otherwise they'd burn a hole in my pocket.
Substituting ingredients in a recipe the first time I make it. What can I say? I like to live on the edge. :)
Copying other people's awesome blog posts. Thanks for the idea, Sarah!

Now it's your turn to share. :)

This Weekend

This weekend four years ago, 

we spent with friends at the riverhouse in Bandina, Texas.

This weekend three years ago, 

we took in the sights (and cool weather!) of Vienna, Austria.

This weekend two years ago, 

we celebrated my grandmother's 80th birthday in Nashville, Tennessee.

This weekend one year ago, 

we enjoyed a lazy weekend at home.

This weekend, we spent time with family in Abilene, Texas.

(Thanks, Jack and Karen, for a wonderful time!)

Who knows what fun Labor Day 2014 will bring!