Mother's Day

Mother's Day has come and gone. I still can't believe I am a mommy celebrating such a special day. I enjoyed a special morning with my two loves.

After a morning spent hanging out at home, we headed to the Mansion on Main Street for a special Mother's Day brunch. I love all things brunch. I love eating breakfast and then eating lunch right after. What is better than that? It was a gorgeous day, and we got on our Mother's Day best.

As we arrived at brunch, I was treated to a lovely pink rose and a complimentary mimosa. I couldn't enjoy my mimosa though, so I had a nice hot cup of decaf coffee. We had a nice time at brunch. Kay didn't eat a lot, but she sure LOVED her strawberry shortcake.

This Mother's Day, I didn't get to see my own mommy. I will make it up to her. Mother's Day isn't the same without celebrating her! I can't tell her enough how grateful I am for her. From taking care of me when I was sick to taking care of Kay when I am sick, she is always there for me, helping me, and making my life easier. She taught me the meaning of love and sacrifice. She has shown me the way to be the mommy and person I want to be. I love you Mom. I hope you enjoyed your Mother's Day.

And to the little girl that made me a mommy, you are such a special little person. I am so grateful that I am your momma, and I love being your mommy. There will never be a more important job in the world.

16 Weeks

Not much new has changed around here. I had my Dr. appointment last night, and I heard the thumping heartbeat of this darling baby! It never gets old... that wooshing sound you hear on the doppler. Steady heartbeat in the 150's ... just like my Kay.

At 16 weeks...
* My sweet baby bump is growing. (Not so) slowly but surely it is starting to show.

16 Weeks

* My highlight this week...I felt my baby move for the first time! At night watching tv, I am starting to feel the flutters.
* Honestly, not much else has changed from last week. I am just counting down these last 29 school days so I can get in total baby mode.

I can't wait to see Kay as a big sister. We bought her a little baby doll, and she tries to feed it a bottle. It is adorable until she spikes it off of the floor. I guess we have some work to do before October... "Do nice to the baby."

18 Month Well Visit

Kailyn had her 18 month well visit, and it was the fastest, easiest appointment by far! We took our sweet girl to this appointment with no questions, no worries, nothing. It felt good. When we arrived, I was ready to weigh her. I would have put money down that she was at least 27 pounds! Nope, I was wrong...

At 18 months...
* you only weigh 23.5 pounds (you made us work for this measurement because you were not happy about sitting on the scale)! You are still a little thing! You are 32.25 inches tall. 34% for weight and 67% for height. Tall and slim. Go girl!

*you are just the sweetest, funniest little girl around. Today, you learned "ring around the rosie" and watching you spin in circles and "fall down" might just be the highlight of my week.... uhhh maybe even my month. *Thank you Lisa!

* you have have 12 teeth! You cut your bottom and top molars without much fuss, and you LOVE brushing those teeth. You are OBSESSED with Mommy's toothbrush and you make a beeline for my bathroom to get it every chance you get.

* you don't really have any favorite foods. You do love pears and pasta. You are trying more and more new foods, and this makes your mommy proud. Just the other day, you ate an entire dinner of eggplant parm. I almost dropped dead.

* you love playing outside. You want to ride in your wagon every chance you get. You hold on tight, and you wave to anyone sitting on the porch. Being outside makes you happy. The second anyone says "outside," you sprint to the backdoor....just like Lexi used to do.

* you walk around saying "Ma ma" ALL day! I love it. It is so cute. Your little voice is adorable. "Ma ma, Ma ma, Ma ma." I am one lucky Mama. Some other words you say "Da-Da (for Daddy and dog), Hi and Bye, and Hot. You definitely knows how to tell everyone to be quiet... "Shhhh" with your finger to your lips is your new favorite thing to do.

I can't believe my baby is 18 months old! Now, if only her hair will grow in the next 18 months...

Product of the Week - Makeup Brush Cleaner

It has been awhile since I have linked up to post a Product of the Week, but this one was too good not to post! So, I am linking up with Tiffanie and Aly to to share this stuff...

This Daily Brush Cleaner from Sephora is amazing! I love this stuff. I am not one to go the whole nine yards to clean my brushes. Too much of a hassle for me... I prefer to use them until they are disgusting then I just buy new. Hey... just being honest here.

Then, I bought my new beautiful UD NAKED palette. That is when I started to run into problems in the brush department. I didn't want my beautiful palette mixed up or ruined in any way, and I wanted to be able to wear each color without worrying the the last day's makeup was still on my brush!

One or two little sprays, a wipe, and you are ready for a fresh makeup application! I love the smell of this cleaner too. It is amazing to see what comes off your brush with each swipe. I love this product and if you want a fast way to get a fresh brush between each makeup application, then buy this. It won't put a dent in your wallet either.

Puppies and More

The past two weeks, I have opened up my home to these sweet pups. These darling 8 week old babies were so close to losing their lives, but they were transported here and now both are headed to loving forever homes.

This sweet boy with these sweet eyes is a doll baby. He is so gentle and calm. We let him run around with Kay, and we aren't worried. He never jumps on her or nips her. He just follows her around interested in what she is doing. This little guy is headed to the nicest, young family. He will have the chance to grow with their expanding family. Lucky dog! He has a little cough so I get to keep him and love on him until the end of the week! I will definitely miss him when he is gone!

This feisty one has already gone home to her new, loving family. She was a pip, and I loved her spunk. She was all puppy and she was the cutest little spitfire. She was so cute that she was only here a week before she went to her new owner, a vet tech. She will definitely get the best care and the most love with a mom like that!  

It feels so good to help these sweet pups find forever homes when their outlook was so bleak just a short time ago. I love volunteering for this rescue, and I love being a foster. It is a lot of work with a toddler, but it is so worth it and so rewarding. I love animals and I always have. I am so lucky to have the most understanding, supportive husband who not only agrees to let me do this, but he helps out so much (sometimes I think he does MORE than me)! Thanks Dave for helping take such good care of my pups!

Recently, we decided we are ready to look for a puppy of our very own to fill the void that our sweet Lexi left. After taking care of these pups, I am more confidence that I will be able to care for and train a puppy with my toddler running around. As we have been searching our rescues and waiting to find the right pup for us, I am shocked by the number of perfect pups that would make the perfect pets. I can't imagine that someone would buy a dog from a pet store. Before you shop... adopt! It does make a difference.

15 Weeks

So excited to be starting my weekly posts! I am 15 weeks pregnant today! Let me tell you...that was the fastest 15 weeks of my life! I have been so busy the past few months with work, weddings, and showers that I am ready for a nice, long break to sit around and relax and soak up the joy of pregnancy.

I haven't even had much time to think about this sweet "apple" growing rapidly inside of me! This sweet apple that will hopefully go unidentified until he or she makes the big entrance into the world (hopefully we can stay strong and not give in)!

At 15 weeks,
Here is the belly shot...

* I am feeling great! I don't think I am quite getting my energy back yet, but I am starting to get used to managing while feeling like I can't lift one leg in front of the other. Teaching is one of the worst jobs for a pregnant woman.
* I have started to wear some of my old maternity clothes! What a relief! I hate having my pants digging in to my stomach by the end of a long day. My belly is definitely starting to protrude MUCH faster this time than last.
*  I have been eating a hell of a lot of oranges. and olives. Weird I know. Oh and let's not forget my current obsession with chocolate milk. I just make sure not to eat and drink these things together. I have been craving hoagies, and I am trying SO hard to be good and not give in! I am sure to just be craving them since they are off limits. Why does that always happen? When you can't have something you want it so much more.
* I have been getting up in the middle of the night 3 or 4 times a night to go to the bathroom. I have forgotten how much I despise getting up in the night!
* Everything else is pretty much normal as normal goes!

I can't wait to start really looking and feeling pregnant. I find it amazing to watch your body grow and change.