Feb 25, 2015

Fancy Fishtails













The fishtail - my absolute favourite hairstyle when I was coming into my early tweens.  I must have been about twelve when I was first introduced to it.  I was at church camp (Camp Valaqua - a fantastic facility and program.  Our kids are absolutely spending some of their summers there).  Anywho, my CIT aka ‘councillor-in-training’ asked me if I wanted a cool new hair style for the day.  I was so thrilled!  She sat me down and ‘fishtailed’ my then very very long blonde hair down my back.  I felt like a total princess all day long.  I knew all the other girls wanted to get their hair into a fishtail too so I got the CIT to teach me so I could braid some and then we could all have them! 
 Fast-forward ten years (cough cough) and here is my version of a baby meets mommy fishtail.  I’ve still been practicing my braiding skills for Scarly’s ever growing hair.  Hopefully I'll just continue to improve...  

Have a great day friends!
Kate

XOXO


Feb 23, 2015

15 weeks POST-PARTUM

How are you feeling? 
 Pretty swell. 

Sleep?
Awful night last night but fantastic night before that.  We’re all still in the middle of figuring it out.  Then once you do - it changes again.  haha!  Thank gosh for concealer to hide the bags.   

My Nutrition?
Good.  I’ve been pretty healthy this week.

 Any weight loss?
1 pound this week for a total of 28 pounds putting me at 115.  Finally back to where it all started.  From here on in I’m fine with going two or three pounds in either direction because a range is easier to manage versus a set number - especially since your weight can fluctuate depending on the amount of fluid you have had.  Even though the pregnancy weight is now off, I’m still not back to pre-preggo measurements so that will be a bit of a focus in the next weeks. 

Best moment this week?
When the four of us went downstairs for the first time after the development was complete and played as a family for two hours straight!  Dinner was super late but we didn’t care.  It was sooooo much fun.  Here are a few pics of one of the spaces down there.  I’d like to post completely ‘done’ pics in ‘Home’ once decorating is finished, but that won’t be for a few more weeks.


(I drew the dinosaur...)



I've always wanted an ART WALL!

 How is Scarlet coping?
She’s getting over a little cough so we’re really happy about that and she is talking SOOO much these days.  She can sing her ABC’s all the way through to the end of the song part (now I know my abc’s, next time won’t you sing with me!)  Nate was so impressed he looked it up online and said: ’Kate! Kids don’t do this till they’re three!!!’.  He was so proud.  

Baby Will?
Will is just a sweetheart.  I’m gushing, but it’s true.  He’s also still very much a mommy’s boy.  We’re STILL working on his sleep but he’s a baby so it’s understandable.

His weight?
 I’m guessing 15 pounds

His disposition?
Lovely.

What are you looking forward to?
My Mom coming home from her trip!

Fourth Trimester Rulebook: I will do my best to implement these rules for the next three months.

1. I will be kind to myself, my mental well-being, my body and my heart.

2. I will do my best to let go of the cleanliness of our house.

3. I will ask for help and ask often.

4. I will do my best to sleep or rest when the baby sleeps.

5. I will resist the urge to feel guilty when I am not with Scarlet and Nate.  I will value and cherish my time with sweet baby William. 

6. I will not workout or be physical ;) for at least 6 weeks

Feb 20, 2015

ELSA HAIR!!! (kinda)







Well first off, you’ll have to excuse the extremely awkward bathroom selfies that I took here - I’m actually sitting on the edge of the bathtub.  But it was the only place that I could take the pics while the kids slept upstairs that wasn’t going to be too disruptive.  

Also, forgive the sparse simple black cami that I’m wearing in the shots too - I was super hot from nursing Will just a few minutes earlier and took off most of my layers…

So now that we have THAT out of the way.  Since Scarlet starting growing hair (WHHHHOOOOO HOOOOOOO!), I thought I better brush up on my braiding skills so that I could properly do her hair when it gets long enough.  I personally don’t love a braid on myself (that’s why I never do them) but think they are just adorable on little girls.  So everyday, I’m practicing various ‘styles’ on my own mane with the hopes that I’ll get really good for when the time is right.  Here’s my ‘ELSA’.  It’s just a dutch french braid pulled out on top.  I think it’s pretty close to the Disney version but that girl must be wearing some extensions or something because the tips of her hair are THICK!  Haha.  

Btw,  I was sooooo excited to show Scarlet when she woke up from her nap!  I was totally thinking that she was probably going to call me Elsa or ‘Pretty’ or something.  Well, I went into her room and she didn’t even bat an eye.  She looked at me and said ‘Milkshake please mommy…’.  I was so disappointed.  

And, just cause I was feeling extra girly today, I answered the 73 Questions found on the fourthreads.com blog.  Super fun to do!  
  1. What's the first thing you notice about someone when you meet them? Their eyes
  2. What's your favourite Beyonce song?  Irreplaceable 
  3. Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate!!!  
  4. Favourite type of flower? Light Pink ranunculus’ 
  5. What toppings do you put on your pizza? I love it all but I like the pineapple pepperoni combo - trust me - try it asap. 
  6. What city were you born in? Calgary!!!
  7. What city do you spend the most time in? Calgary
  8. Favourite city? Paris
  9. Favourite movie? Girl Interuppted
  10. What's the greatest invention? The bed.
  11. Mexican or Italian? Italian
  12. What's the craziest hairstyle you ever rocked? Braids, but not the mexican braids you get at the resort.  I’m talking about the ghetto thug life braids hip hop girls rock.  I need to find a picture of it…
  13. What was your first dance song at your wedding?  You are so beautiful - Joe Cocker
  14. Hotdog or hamburger? Hamburger
  15. Thanksgiving or Christmas? This is a joke right?
  16. Are you allergic to anything? Ignorance.  But it really is bliss.
  17. What's your favourite colour? Pink
  18. What's your biggest fear? Elevators, being stuck on a plane sitting on the tarmac and a zombie apocalypse.  
  19. What was your first car? A blue van with wood siding.
  20. Favourite workout? I love them ALL!  But probably running really fast and BodyStep
  21. What's the most meaningful gift you ever received? My engagement ring
  22. What three traits do you look for in your husband? Faithful, hard worker, makes me laugh
  23. Who's the last person you called? My husband
  24. How tall are you? 5’6
  25. Any tattoos? Nope
  26. Do you have a favourite animal? I love Bambi
  27. What's something you miss? The beach
  28. Zodiac sign? Cancer (I like the sign but can we come up with a new name?)
  29. Do you wear contacts? Yup
  30. What's your favourite time of the year? SUMMER!!!
  31. Stay-cation or african safari? African safari
  32. Who's your fashion icon? hmmm.  I like the way Kate Hudson dresses for awards shows.
  33. Place you want to visit? India
  34. Who was your first crush? Bob off of Sesame Street.
  35. Favourite piece of jewelry? Diamond earrings (which were also my push present)
  36. Do you have any siblings? Three brothers and three sister-in-laws.
  37. What colour are your eyes? Green 
  38. Restoration Hardware or West Elm? RH
  39. Where did you go to Uni? The University of Calgary
  40. Why did you start a blog? To vent (haha) and have fun.
  41. How long does it take for you to get ready in the morning? 10 min.  I need to write a post about this…
  42. Who was the last person to text you? Nate
  43. Finish this sentence…I'm really bad at ___ : Parking. 
  44. What's one thing your really good at?  Dancing and breastfeeding.  I could probably do them at the same time too.
  45. What's your favourite smell? It sounds sick but my husbands armpits.  He seriously doesn’t stink - he actually smells amazing there! 
  46. What was the last thing you splurged on? Another clothing haul for myself.  Yesterday I spent a fair amount online cause thankfully my clothes aren’t totally fitting anymore.  Whoo hooo post-baby body!
  47. What's an accessory you've had for ages? A fancy black beaded clutch my mom gave me.
  48. Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus? Nordstrom
  49. Favorite family heirloom? My memories
  50. Favourite actress? Angelina Jolie
  51. Leather or lace? Leather
  52. Velvet or fur? Faux-fur
  53. Vintage or new? New
  54. Polkadots or stripes? STRIPES all the way.
  55. What would you never wear? Bell bottoms and a jumpsuit.
  56. What are a few items that you always have in your bag? Diapers.
  57. What are you reading right now? The Bible (no seriously I am) New Testament start to finish.
  58. What's the best vacation spot? Anywhere on the water but mostly Kauai
  59. What country have you always wanted to visit? Morroco
  60. What's the best part about your job? The teenagers.  Oh my goodness I miss them.
  61. What's your favourite cocktail? Stolli blueberry with water and a lemon and/or a white riesling.
  62. Beer or wine? Wine
  63. For water, sparkling or flat? Flat
  64. Coffee or Tea? Coffee!!!  Never tea - sorry.  It’s like dirty water.
  65. Favourite food? Sushi or spicy Indian
  66. Least favourite food? Ethiopian.  I was feeling adventurous with a friend and we went together and ended up not eating much of anything.  
  67. Favourite desert? Chocolate cake
  68. What's your guilty pleasure? Reality TV
  69. What have you learned from your husband? Patience and how to be calm.
  70. What movie did you cry the hardest: The Notebook, it gets me every time
  71. Best fashion secret? Less is more
  72. Beauty product you can't live without? Concealer 
  73. Favorite animal print: Leopard
Hope you guys have a fantastic FRIDAY!!!
Kate
XOXO

Feb 18, 2015

Workout for the Week!


Last week I kinda slacked off so my goal is to work a little harder for the next seven days.  I'll aim to do this set everyday, once a day if I can as consistently as I can.  

Have a happy Wednesday friends!
Kate 
XO

Feb 16, 2015

Weekly Update

14 weeks POST-PARTUM

How are you feeling? 
 Tired.

Sleep?
We’re all tired.  

My Nutrition?
It’s good.  I have a treat here and there but I’ve been good.  But I’m tired.  HAHA!

 Any weight loss?
2 pounds this week for a total of 27 pounds putting me at 116.  Finally some progress!  Honestly, I'm basically getting in a little workout at 3:00am every night.  Nursing and then bouncing/rocking Will back to sleep is like going to the gym for an hour.  

Best moment this week?
The 10+ degree weather we have been having here.  It’s basically spring!  Outside living is the best.  I need to move to a beach - and sleep on it.

 How is Scarlet coping?
Really well.  Her only ‘deal’ this week was a cough that she contracted from the floor at the mall.  Goldfish fell and she still ate it.  We’re still working on things like this.

Baby Will?
He’s still feeding every two hours during the day and three - four at night.  Negative: we get very little sleep right now.  Positive: It’s great for my waistline! 

His weight?
 I’m guessing 14 pounds

His disposition?
He’s a sweet little grunter.

What are you looking forward to?
THE BEACH!!!!!!  Countdown is on.  Oh my goodness I can’t wait to feel that sand beneath my toes.  Only two and a half weeks to go and I’ll be in ocean.  

Also, looking forward to the nights I will sleep all the way through from 11pm-7am.  #ineedsleep

Have a fab day friends
Kate
XO

Fourth Trimester Rulebook: I will do my best to implement these rules for the next three months.

1. I will be kind to myself, my mental well-being, my body and my heart.

2. I will do my best to let go of the cleanliness of our house.

3. I will ask for help and ask often.

4. I will do my best to sleep or rest when the baby sleeps.

5. I will resist the urge to feel guilty when I am not with Scarlet and Nate.  I will value and cherish my time with sweet baby William. 


6. I will not workout or be physical ;) for at least 6 weeks

Feb 14, 2015

Happy Valentine’s day everyone!
It’s love day!!!  Muwah!  Feb 14th, one of the most commercialized days of the year, but we embrace it!  What other day can you successfully mix the colours red and pink?!
This year Nate and I agreed to forgo the chocolate and candy since we are going to Mexico pretty quickly here.  Instead, he purchased tickets to Cirque du Soleil’s production of: Kurios!  #cirquedusoleil.  I couldn’t be happier or more excited.
Date night is about a billion times more appealing than Cadbury.
This was a little something that I got for him that he can wear when we go to the show. Haha!
You're welcome...

A very special love letter and a few new pairs of boxer briefs.

I also wanted to keep up a little tradition that my Mom started with us when we were tweens.  She gave us little gifts on Valentine’s day and it felt so special because whether or not we had significant others as young people, it was so nice to receive something special from my Mom on the day that it typically meant for ‘lovers’.  I would argue that it is meant to celebrate love, so I too will buy my little kiddies some cute treats every Feb.14th to remind them of my love.
Here’s what I decided on this year!

For Scarly:
 In honour of her new little pigtails - a sweet stuffed piggy with wings!  Seriously, I thought that her hair would never come in, but the pigs flew!

 Cute herringbone TOMS.  Grey and pink, definitely her colours.

For Will:
  Charcoal converse size 2.

 He's absolutely an All-Star at keeping us awake at night.  ;)

A few little t-shirts and a waffle from American Apparel

Since the kids don't eat candy (yet) these gifts probably won't be all that exciting.  But after giving Scarly the piggy this morn (which she loved) I asked her 'What is the piglet's name?  
She looked at me with the biggest smile and said 'Oinky'.

Haha!

Hope you all have a special someone to say 'I love you' to whether it's a boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, mother, father, sister, brother or fur baby!  Enjoy this special day.
XOXO

Feb 10, 2015

Will's 3 Month Update

(look at his hand placement here.  No wonder he's smiling!)

Will is 3 months old

WHAT THE?!?!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

 Ok, now that I’ve freaked out about the fact that my newborn is now an young infant - let’s move on.  

What does our life look like right now?  Well - it’s busy.  Most days I am a solo parent while Nate is at work but other days I have some help.  Either my Mom, Nate’s Mom or our mother’s helper Joti comes in.  I love the days there is help…

Routine
Will’s routine is fairly predictable but always a bit different than the week before.  He still wants to feed about every two and a half hours during the day (this boy is a hungry fella) and naps on and off throughout the day with one really big solid slumber from about 1-4pm.  Right now, he cluster feeds from 530 till bedtime - basically eating non-stop.  He doesn’t love being put down on his own so that’s what we’re currently working on.  He goes to bed almost every night at 830 which is really awesome because a) it’s very predictable and b) Mommy and Daddy get that much needed adult time together. 

The trick is meshing his routine together with Scarlet’s and on days that I’m alone things can be a bit hairy.  Sometimes they both need or want me and clearly I only have two arms and they don’t understand that.  So, I do what I can and usually try to manage the one that is demanding my attention the loudest.  80% of the time - it’s sweet Will.


Clothing
He is currently wearing size 0-3 month clothes and a size 3 diaper.  Some of his 3-6 month stuff is starting to come into the daily mix.  I try to dress both kids everyday, but often I’ll just leave Will in his onesie.  

Play
Will likes tummy time and those Lamaze toys that crinkle and squeak.  He loves to study peoples faces and is starting to really grab things (including my hair).  He has discovered his hands and loves to chew on them and also babbles and talks when he’s on his back.

Survival tricks
ok, so some days are just total write-offs and I'm up to my eyeballs in panic.  Here are a few things that help me out when the going gets tough with the littles:

- First thing after breakfast, I'll pack up both kids into the car and just drive around for an hour.  I get a Starbucks (drive-thru) while Scarlet watches the 'diggers' and bulldozers and Will is sawing logs in his carseat.  That hour is pure heaven.

- The t.v.  Yes, before Will was born Scarly was on a fairly strict 1/2 max everyday screen time rule.  Now with two under two it's probably more like an hour and I have zero guilt about it.  The positive is that her vocabulary has expanded exponentially.

- No hair, no makeup days.  It's nice to feel ready and prepared everyday but sometimes I just get out of bed and say 'Not happening today'.  It's nice because I get an extra twenty minutes to catch up on laundry or prepping food or writing a blog post.  Every girl needs these relaxed days once in a while.

- Take-out.  Twice a week.  Every week.  No questions asked.

- Online shopping.  Even if I just go online while the kids are napping or resting and fill my cart up with all the things I want to get and the total comes to a million bucks, that can be really fun too.  Obviously, I don't purchase every time but just looking is relaxing for me.

Finally,

- When all else fails, scrap the rules, routines, schedule and just go with what works in the minute.  It could mean that Scarlet is in her underwear and Will has spit-up all over his chest but if nobody is fussing - we're good and we're not changing  a thing.  

Have your having a great day friends!
Kate
XO

Feb 9, 2015

Lucky 13!

Scarlet admiring her little bro.

Lucky 13 weeks POST-PARTUM

How are you feeling? 
Great!  I love the fact that Valentine’s Day is coming up.  I plan on spoiling my hubby and my kids with little treats and ridiculous amounts of love.  

Sleep?
Slight set back this week - we were on a nice roll there for a while but Will’s sleep patterns regressed back to two night wake-ups.  

My Nutrition?
Pretty good this week.  I’ve been watching portions a bit more than I used to which I know
 will help with future body confidence.

 Any weight loss?
1 pound this week for a total of 25 pounds putting me at 118.  

Best moment this week?
House shopping with Nate and the kiddies.  No we’re not moving (yet), I just have a passion for gorgeous homes and so does Nate.  We’re just getting ideas.

 How is Scarlet coping?
She’ll tell you: ‘Good!  Yay!  Big sister!’  She looked me right in the eyes and said 'I love you' to me right after waking up and it just about melted me completely.  I almost broke down in tears.  She’s talking non-stop!

Baby Will?
He had what I thought was a bunch of dry skin on his temples and cheekbones.  Both Nate and I suffer from eczema so I called Health Link to ask what I could put on newborn skin (besides olive oil since that wasn’t working).  Health Link booked us an appointment with an after hours Doctor's office and we saw someone that evening!  Amazing.  He said that it wasn’t dry skin but the same type of thing as cradle cap that babies sometimes get on their head.  He gave us some lotion that I’ve been putting on daily so we’re hoping that helps.  Other than that he’s splendid!  3 Months old on the 10th!  Wowza.

His weight?
13 1/2 pounds!  He was weighed on Thursday before we saw the doc.  

His disposition?
He’s in a sleep chapter of his life right now - he sleeps almost all day (wakes for about 45 min every two to three hours) which is wicked.  The only thing is, he wants to be held when he’s sleeping.  Makes getting things done hard.  He’s still up twice every night except for last night when he only woke once.  Whoo hoo!

What are you looking forward to?
MEXICO!!!  Less than a month and we’ll be there!  Really can’t wait to get onto a beach.

Have a great week friends!

Fourth Trimester Rulebook: I will do my best to implement these rules for the next three months.

1. I will be kind to myself, my mental well-being, my body and my heart.

2. I will do my best to let go of the cleanliness of our house.

3. I will ask for help and ask often.

4. I will do my best to sleep or rest when the baby sleeps.

5. I will resist the urge to feel guilty when I am not with Scarlet and Nate.  I will value and cherish my time with sweet baby William. 


6. I will not workout or be physical ;) for at least 6 weeks

Feb 5, 2015

I’m so excited about this that I had to write a post about it.
My Daughter FINALLY HAS HAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s sad, but this has been a dream come true for me!  
Scarlet is ALMOST as excited as me... almost.

 After nearly a year and a half of being patient and putting in bows and headbands into her peach fuzz, I can actually 'DO' her do - and she let's me too!  

I said to Nate that it was what I had always hoped for in a little sister but it's about a million times better with a daughter because I can actually pick out and purchase all the hair styles and goodies!  (Major girly girl here)  

I love doing it so much, I even throw it up before she gets in the bath so I don't have to wash it everyday!  I'm trying to treat it really well so it grows loooooonnnnng.  


Haha!  Obsessed?  Yes, yes I am and I fully admit it.  Oh the multitude of hair dos this little one is going to be subjected to in the next years.  MUWAHAHAHA! (that's an evil laugh).

I also wanted to mention I know there are a few mommies out there that read the blog and have left me some of the sweetest comments via gmail and FB and even on here.  Thanks for the support and love.  It's so much fun writing it and I'm glad you're enjoying it as well.

LUVS!
Kate

Feb 4, 2015

Not to get crazy about it, but...

Ok, the last four pregnancy pounds are coming off whether they like it or not.  Here's what I'll be doing this week everyday and those four pounds can EAT IT!
I know they won't all come off in a week but I do expect to see some progress sooner or later here.  Next step after this - building muscle, tightening and toning.  Let's face it, just cause the number on the scale says one thing doesn't mean anything if there isn't the fitness and strength to back it up.  
So here's the plan:

Have a fantastic day friends!
Kate
XO

Feb 2, 2015

3 Months Post-Partum

12 weeks POST-PARTUM

How are you feeling? 
Kinda bummed.  We made the very difficult decision to forgo the vacation with my family and instead wait a month and go with Nate’s parents to Mexico.  It was for the simple fact that the timing was better with the latter.  My fam left yesterday and will be there for a week.  I’m so happy that they will have a blast but sad that we won’t be a part of it.  It was just too soon for us.  Also, Scarly was too light to receive the Twinrix needle this time so I didn’t want to be worrying about contracting hep a and b constantly.  So we'll get her that in a few weeks and she'll be set for life in that sense.  sigh.  Timing really is everything.

Sleep?
Better and better each week!  Also another reason we decided against the trip right now.  We’ve just started to get into a very nice evening rhythm that I don’t want to mess up.

My Nutrition?
Red wine and cheese have been staples this week (hence the annoying plateau in my weight loss).

 Any weight loss?
0 pounds this week for a total of 24 pounds keeping me at 119 which I should probably be fine with but I’m really eager to resume the 115 I was pre-pregnancy.  I think this is the third week with no loss so again I’m stepping up the intensity.  Check out Wed's post for a ramped up plan showing what I’ll do to lose them.

Best moment this week?
It’s so sad but the best part of my week was sitting down in front of the t.v with JUST Nate and eating popcorn and watching a movie while the babes slept.  Yah - it was that type of week.

 How is Scarlet coping?
True champ.  The poor girl ate too many strawberries and the acid from the fruit literally burned her bum when she had a bowel movement.  Her little cheeks were fire truck red but she had a few whimpers about it saying ‘Poopie Ouch!’ and then did her best to forget and keep up her super energetic mood and excited personality.  Btw, she is talking so much these days.  We have to be really really careful because she repeats everything we say and in the same tone too!  It’s awesome.

Baby Will?
Has been eating every two hours non-stop!!!  Growth spurt anyone?

His weight?
He’s gotta be at least 12 pounds by now.  

His disposition?
Smiley.  All day everyday except when he’s grunting.

What are you looking forward to?
The cleaners coming today!!!  Haha.  Also, Jenny and I (my BFF) are getting together again THANK GOODNESS!!!

Fourth Trimester Rulebook: I will do my best to implement these rules for the next three months.

1. I will be kind to myself, my mental well-being, my body and my heart.

2. I will do my best to let go of the cleanliness of our house.

3. I will ask for help and ask often.

4. I will do my best to sleep or rest when the baby sleeps.

5. I will resist the urge to feel guilty when I am not with Scarlet and Nate.  I will value and cherish my time with sweet baby William. 


6. I will not workout or be physical ;) for at least 6 weeks