a photo an hour

{8} watching the morning news before the monster wakes

{9} making up my face

{10} a new church

{11} such a beautiful day

{12} grumpy guss

{1} rocking my baby to sleep

{2} not pictured, but imagine a picture of me cleaning all! the! things!

{3} someone woke up not feeling well

{4} a boy and his legos

{5} on the road again

{6} dinner

{7} fishies

{8} Sophia, my original cuddle bug

pinterest versus real lifle

Let's face it, we all pin a million things on pinterest exclaiming how wonderful it would be to organize it just like that or paint it just like this. I'm super guilty of it. I finally followed through on one of my pins and decided to link up with AP's Hey, that's Pin-tastic!

So here is my inspiration pin:

Source: iheartorganizing.blogspot.com via Desiree on Pinterest

When I first saw this floating around pinterest, I knew it was the perfect solution to my ribbon dilemma as well as my over-flowing wrapping paper bin. The craft room {slash office} has been neglected long enough. I'm ready to have my space to create therefore I need to start organizing everything. I want to remove the old wallpaper and paint the room so I first have to pull everything out. I've been trying to organize as I move everything to the guest room temporarily. 

While I'm very pleased with the end result, you can clearly see it's not quite as pretty as my pin. A couple things to mention: 

Apparently there are two different width baskets available at The Container Store. I was so excited to order everything that I didn't catch this and ordered the 13.75" ones instead of the 17.125" ones. Oops!

Also, I have spools of ribbon that do not fit in the baskets. This is pretty disappointing, but I'm making it work. 

Lastly, I couldn't fit any of my boxes in the rack. I guess I have too many gift bags ha!

five friday confessions

• I keep falling off the She Reads Truth bandwagon. It still counts if you keep trying, yes?
• I get irrationally annoyed when we are out of the "pretty" post-it tabs at work. Standard colors just aren't as fun as the tropical assortment.
• I'm trying to use the elliptical I have at home instead of getting a gym membership. I feel guilty putting Quinn in a gym daycare during the little time I have with him during the week. The elliptical at home can be easily done after he goes to bed. Just need to stick with it. 
• I have been lurking on websites that are mind boggling to me. It's like watching a train wreck, but worse. It's so filled with hate I know I shouldn't look. 
• I bought Quinn an Easter tote from Lands End {this one} and now I'm wishing he was old enough to do an Easter egg hunt this year. 

going home

This past weekend we decided to visit my parents. The hubs was meeting a friend to cut wood for their camping trip this spring and he also wanted to put up gutters on the garage at the Irmo house. He asked if I would like to spend the weekend at my parents' house instead of me staying at home with the baby and I excitedly agreed. We were going home for the weekend.

I had packed nearly everything up during my lunch break Friday so we were able to leave right around Quinn's bed time. I had already fed him and dressed him in his jam jams and we were on our way. I didn't really put much thought into his bed time routine. Mom and Daddy have a crib at their house so I just planed to transfer my sleeping baby when we arrived. Ha!

He woke up about 15 minutes before we arrived but had very sleepy eyes. Mom rocked him for about 10 minutes and then put him in the crib. He cried for about 10 minutes and then caved and all was quiet. I figured we would be fine after that. Instead this happened:

11:00pm - We all go to bed.
2:15am - Shiloh (one of our dogs) is pacing up and down the hardwood hallway {click click click click click go her claws on the floor} so I end up putting her in the craft room and locking her in with the baby gate.
2:20am - Quinn wakes up screaming bloody murder. I rock him and he instantly calms down. For the next hour any time I try to lay him down he starts screaming again.
3:30am - Mama to the rescue. She takes over the rocking duties and tells me to go back to sleep. I crawl into bed but I can hear him fussing through the walls every time she tries to lay him down.
4:00am - I cry to the hubs that I want to go home because the dog and the baby have lost their minds and I'm losing mine.
4:30am - Mom gets him back asleep in the crib {finally} and my stomach starts to gurgle.
5:00am - I emerge from the bathroom and get back in bed.
6:00am - The hubs' alarm goes off so he can get up to cut wood. He presses snooze.
6:09am - Alarm again.
7:15am - Baby is screaming again, but mom gets him.
8:00am - I give up on sleep and request a giant cup of coffee.

I realized my parents' home is no longer my home. While I love them dearly, the hubs and I have our own creature comforts and our own ways of doing things. It's weird when you finally realize something like this. I know I've been married for 5 years and living on my own for 9, but it really hit me this weekend that I'm an adult now haha.

Of course we still had plenty of fun even on very little sleep. We did stay the entire weekend and the next night Quinn only woke up at 1 and was back asleep by 1:30.

Cuddling with Memere...

...which lasted about 20 seconds before it was party time again!

I brought all sorts of toys for him, but Memere's pots and wooden spoons were more exciting.

They look like they're up to no good...

Bang! Bang! Bang with Grandpa!

Nap time Saturday afternoon was spent in my arms so on Sunday we decided to leave right at nap time and pray that he'd sleep during the ride home. Luckily he obliged! Quinn was out before we even got onto 26.

I love how his little thumb is inside the passy in this picture.

The rest of Sunday was spent watching the race with Daddy, playing with legos, and eating dinner at Cracker Barrel. I crashed as early as possible last night and I still needed a very large cup of coffee this morning. It was worth it though!

I love this picture even though it's blurry. He was so excited to color like a big boy!

How was your weekend?

will you be my valentine?

After taking a quick poll at work the other day, it seems hardly anyone likes to celebrate Valentine's Day. They all say it's just a Hallmark holiday that isn't really a big deal. The hubs would be one of those people.

Myself, I just can't agree with that. I think it's sweet that there is a special day for love. Most would argue, why do you need a certain day to tell someone you love them when you should do it everyday? Well I do! We're so busy with work and kids and life that it's nice to stop and tell each other how much you love one another.

I don't need diamonds or bouquets of roses. Just a little note that tells me he still happy.

I got my card plus a few goodies from Fresh Market. I'm sure he thinks I'm crazy, but he must like it.

baby boy's valentine

the hubs' valentine

Of course I had to dress us appropriately. Pink for mama and red for my sweet boy. He's a little young for classroom valentines, but I am pretty excited to start that tradition. I pray that he'll become the sweet boy that gives everyone a valentine no matter how old he gets.

routine

It's taken seven months since we've moved into our new house, but I feel like we've fallen into a pretty good routine. The house isn't "finished" by any means, but it's settled enough that it feels like home. Since we live 5 miles from where I work, I'm able to go home during my lunch break. This is when I get all of my chores done. I fold laundry, vacuum, put away dishes, scrub bathtubs, and dust. It's amazing what I can get done in that hour all by myself. It's also the best feeling to come home in the evening and not feel pressure to clean something.

I leave work at 5 o'clock and pick up Quinn at daycare. We are home by 5:20 since daycare is on the path from work to home. Once inside baby boy goes into his high chair and I give him a finger food like cheerios and his milk. I'm able to feed the dogs and empty the daycare bag while he feeds himself. Then we move on to the "real" food which is normally leftovers I've pureed for him. He's now into trying to feed himself. I love how excited he gets but it makes meal time a bit longer.

He's normally "all done!" by 6 o'clock and we go into the living room to play. Stacking cups, blocks, and his Vtech walker are among the favorites right now. Quinn also loves to climb in and out of his Little Tikes cozy truck Memere and Grandpa gave him for Christmas.

At 6:30 it's bath time! He splish-splashes around for about 20 minutes and then it's into pjs and time for night-night. He still nurses at night and after a little rocking and snuggles he's normally asleep by 7:30.

It's nice to have some time with the hubs in the evenings. We make dinner together and catch up on our DVR in front of the fireplace. Sometimes I'll still need to stuff diapers so he'll help me finish a basket while we talk about our day.

Of course it can't always be routine when it comes to having a child. Around 8:30 last night we heard giggles and "Lalala!" coming from the nursery. So we tiptoed to his door and listened. Another giggle and "Tada!" came out. When we opened the door the little monster was jumping in his crib and singing to himself. Where does the energy come from??

I know we should have just left him alone to fall asleep but we couldn't resist playing just a little bit. The hubs bounced him around and gave him some squeezes and tickles before leaving. Baby boy and I sat in the rocking chair and I just soaked up the moment. Part of me wanted him to fall asleep so I could get myself to bed, but part of me was so filled with love every time he giggled behind his passy. I stroked his forehead watching his eyelids become heavy and his breathing slow down. He won't always want to rock with mama, so I should enjoy it while I can.

a little catch up

I've become quite negligent about documenting our everyday happenings it seems. I've always wanted my blog to be a daily journal, but it's so easy to completely forget about it.

Quinn has certainly kept us busy. He is so close to walking now. He'll take about 5 or 6 steps towards you before becoming so exciting he just falls into your arms. As soon as he learns that walking can be faster than crawling {and running can be faster than walking}, I'm sure he'll take off.

Quinn has started saying mama! He's said it before, but it's usually when he's upset and crying. I'm so happy I was able to catch it on video. In the morning when the hubs goes into his nursery I can here him telling Quinn, "say mama!" and most times he responds with an excited "dada!" Ha! Before I know it he'll be calling out mama non-stop and I'll be threatening to change my name.

Quinn pretty much has full run of the living room these days. He has a toy box full of toys and there is a cabinet filled to the brim as well. Where does he like to play? Wedged in between the rocker and the table ha. Before I had stacked toys on top of the lego table {behind him}, he would crawl on top of the lego table to get up onto the side table. We are in trouble with this one.

He's become quite good at cruising. This foot stool gives him a good giggle because it moves as he is trying to walk around it.

Teething has been rough for what seems like weeks on end. I knew one of his top teeth was coming in, but last night after his bath I was able to pin him down and take a peek. Four top teeth are all coming in at the same time! I can't even imagine how that must feel. Some nights he wakes up crying and thrashing around and it just breaks my heart. The top picture was from a night where all I could get him to eat were goldfish and ginger snaps. The hard/crunchy food must have felt good on his gums.

You might have seen pictures of Quinn with an eye patch on. We've been patching one of his eyes for an hour at night to help strengthen the other eye. We had a check up with his pediatric ophthalmologist last week and good news, it's working! He said he noticed great improvement. We are still doing the patch, but only for 30 minutes a day. I'm praying that this keeps working and we don't have to put him in glasses. Could you imagine trying to keep glasses on a 15-month-old?

This past weekend I went to a huge kids' consignment sale in Greenville. After sitting in his car seat and then sitting in his stroller, monkey man was ready to move! I took him to the play area at the mall and he just loved it. At one point this little girl kept following him around and blocking his path. It made me giggle because he looked so confused as to why she kept trying to play with him.

I believe that's enough randomness for one post!

five friday confessions

• I love making the bathroom steamy during my shower. I hardly ever turn on the fan even though I know all that steam can't be good for the walls. 
• I got my hair cut because I wanted to feel a bit more grown up. Even though I have fallen back into my pony or french braid every day ways, I do feel a little more put together. 
• I am a hoarder of hotel soaps and lotions. I just can't help myself I suppose. They're there and they're free so I scoop up what we don't use during our stay and bring it home.
• I hate throwing away good products so I've been on a mission to finish all of the hotel/travel sized things in my bathroom. I've gone through all of the shampoo, condition, and lotion. Now I've moved onto the bars of soap. 
• I spent a ridiculous amount of time looking for a place that sold the Aquage Uplifting Foam. Now that I've finally found it, I'm too lazy to actually go to that place and pick up a bottle.