it's that time again

Holiday Time? Um, no...my baby turning 5 months old.

I've noticed that I'm only posting about once a month, when Koen hits another age milestone. It gives me a chance to rave about all the wonderfully awesome (in my motherly eyes) things that my infant has accomplished.

With that said, let's get on with it!  KOEN IS 5 MONTHS OLD TODAY!!

{cute candy cane hat his mami got him!}

Let's seeeeee.... during this past month our little tater has gone from eating every 3 1/2 hours to EVERY 2 HOURS. Yes ma'am, that means throughout the night. I wake up every 2 hours (because he's usually screaming) to feed him. That also means mommy has been a zombie lately. I feel tired like in my 1 st trimester all over again {sad face} Not to mention, my house is a wreck. My only chance to get things done is when daddy is home to watch Koen. 

Besides frequent feeding and no sleep, Koen has grown significantly in size. This meant a full wardrobe change.  Luckily, my mom and I hit up some great sales after Thanksgiving and got our little mister some cute winter clothes.....and the hat!

He has discovered his feet...finally. He can reach for them and hold them, but he has yet to put them in his mouth {which is prob not a bad thing}. He also continues to chew on his own hands and produces gallons of drool. Little teeth shouldn't be too far away. I just hope I discover them before we have a nursing accident!

Santa is coming to town. And so is my family from France. Next week actually. Did I mention my house is a wreck? I didn't? Oh, and my house is a wreck. BUT I am beyond thrilled for them to arrive and meet our little Koen. It's going to be great!

Hopefully while they're here for the Holidays, Koen will master that rollover which he CAN DO but refuses. He'd rather lay there, face down in the blanket, and scream. Life is so tough for a 5 month old. I don't know how he does it....

And let me apologize {again} for my lack of decent blogging lately. If there's a free moment to squeeze in a post, I try. But my free moments are reserved for squeezing in a cap nap or load of laundry. Hopefully, it'll get better...right? I have fun holiday posts in store so don't dump me yet.

Happy Friday, people. And Happy 5 months to my baby boy!

xoxo,

mama V!ck

November 14, 2012

My little man is FOUR MONTHS OLD!

Wow! Can you believe it?!? It's amazing to see the day by day changes in him.

He is more vocal... 

He has become even more smiley...

and giggly.

I think he is learning that his arms are an extension of himself. 

My little Guido loves to have his fists in the air ;)

And he is learning to stand (with help of course). 

He loves to stand up and wobble. That's his thing. 

I laugh at how his body sways and heads wobbles when he's "standing". It's like he's had one too many. Hahah! Sitting up, on the other hand, seems to be more of a challenge. He'll get it though. I'm not worried. I just hope he can sit up on his own by thanksgiving (ooh, that's right around the corner) or early December so we can take cute holiday pics ;)

But, Koen's most recent trick kinda grosses mommy out a little.... drooling

This often presents itself in the form of bubbles; something he seems to be doing ALOT, especially in the evenings. Yuck!

Pair that with all the 'chewing' he's been doing on his hand and it kinda makes me wonder if he's starting to teethe.

Could it be? Or is it too soon?

That could explain the fussiness, right??

Anywho, happy 4 months Koen!

We love you!

xoxo,

Mama V!ck

Mama, Mia!

So I haven't posted since a certain someone turned 3 months...now he's almost 4 months!! Ahh!... But we'll get to that another time.

Lately, I've noticed how people are posting on FB what they are 'thankful for'.  As we all know, November means Thanksgiving, so that got me thinking...

I make an honest effort to give thanks for everything my life has been blessed with. Every.Day. And there's one thing in particular that I have to say I am so thankful for: my mom.

My mom is the most incredible woman I know, and I don't tell her enough. She does so much for me and my little family, it would be impossible to repay her in this lifetime.

Since day one of Koen's birth, she has been there- to help with nursing, to cook dinner, to do laundry, to just be there when I need time to myself, to shower, to nap, to pee.  I could never have imagined how difficult it would be to get 5 minutes to myself to pee! She's been my 'go-to' in the midst of a mommy crisis. And for that, I say THANK YOU, MAMA!!

{Ko's first photo with mami}

{finally home}

It's hard to imagine how I would have been able to make it these last few months without her. Don't get me wrong, daddy is a big help but he's usually at work during the day. And sometimes, he needs her help too.  I mean, my lack of blog posts should tell you- there's not enough time in a day....

But she's stepped in when I needed her to lend a helping hand. I don't know many other new mommies who have been that lucky. Not even her.

{she loves her grandbaby so much}

{ice cream}

They say there's no greater love than a mother and her child, and I can certainly attest to that. But there's definitely something to be said about grandmothers and grandchildren.

{bottle time}

{look how little!}

{nap time with mami}

She truly is the best. Not only because of all she's done for Koen, but for all she's done for me, all that she has taught me, and all she does for others. My mom has been my role model and has shown me how to be a strong independent woman and mother. She has been my guidance, my reassurance, my support and my friend. I can only hope that I am half as good to my little Koen as she has been to me.

I am soooooooo thankful for you! Merci maman.

xoxo,

momma V!ck

Happy Day!!

October 14, 2012 marked 3 months for our little angel! Day by day, we see him grow, both physically and mentally. We celebrated by going to Sunday in the Park for some live music.

He is finally beginning to fit in clothes that are 0-3 months! Bye bye {tear} newborn clothes. I did a size comparison of the onesies he wore when he came home to now.

Wow! It's like comparing pistachios to walnuts. I'm so happy that my baby is growing big and healthy, but remembering how small he was brings a tear to my eye.  It's bittersweet.

But if a size comparison doesn't paint a clear picture, how's this:
When we brought Koen home, we were STRUGGLING to get him to drink 40ml (1oz) of milk per feeding (every 3 hours). Now, we feed him about 4x that amount (about 130 ml / 4 oz)!!

He has begun to coo and "talk"... when he's in the mood. Mostly he just likes to watch those around him (mommy, daddy, mami...) act completely ridiculous, simply for his entertainment. This makes him laugh. Especially words that begin with L or make the L sound. He likes to see us stick our tongues out, which he often mimics.

Another activity of interest for our little man is flailing his arms. They're out of control actually. Thank goodness for swaddlepods!

He is also learning the basics of supply and demand. He demands food, diaper changes, a trip outside, you name it... And we are happy to supply ;)

Besides all the interaction he has with mommy, daddy and mami, Koen has begun to develop a bit of a social life! He has been to at least 2 parties now, met new people, including 2 other babies close in age. He goes on outings to the park and shopping. This kid is quite the social butterfly!

His weight is a little over 11 pounds! As for his length, well, it's almost impossible to keep those legs still and straight long enough to get a measurement. Let's just say, he is probably going to take after daddy in the height department.

Halloween is just around the corner and is one of mommy's favorite holidays, if you want to call it that. Is Halloween even a holiday? IDK. Nevertheless, we are trying to narrow down costume ideas and places to go. Any suggestions?

{his first pumpkin. Look how he loves it!}

I can't say it enough, GOD I LOVE THIS LITTLE BOY!

xoxo,

mama V!ck

K's nursery: continued

You all know how bad I am about following up on DIY or renovations posts. I never even posted about our finished master bath. Yes, it's finished. No, I didn't blog about it.

But, I'm so proud of what I've done in K's nursery that I am making a point to share it with you. So far you've seen the furniture {here} Well, my design endeavors continue. I've been working on a frame collage since, oh I don't know, June? Don't judge! I was interrupted mid-july with the birth of my son, and I just haven't gotten back on track yet.

A frame collage isn't as easy as it seems on Pinterest, thankyouverymuch! There's probably a certain order in which to do this project, which I didn't do. Logically, the art or photos should be collected first, then the frames to fit. Not vice-versa like I did, because then you're stuck with frames and art that don't fit. Duh, stupid.

Nevertheless, I got my artwork and photos framed (though I'm still collecting a few) so the next step was to choose the right color for the frames. I wanted to add a pop to K's room but had the hardest time deciding which shade of orange or aqua to use. In the end I stuck with the navy and lime color that was already a running theme in his room.

Now for the hardest part...strategically placing the frames on the wall to look like a clustered collection of art, not a hot mess of craft painted frames.

What I did was lay the frames out on the floor and move them around, here and there, until I had them in precisely the right spot. I did this Over and Over and Over and Over. They're STILL not how I'd like them to look, thus the project continues.

But here's a look at what I've got going on, so far...

Here I laid out all the frames in a row, one above the other.

Here, I had already painted some of the frames, and tried a more clustered lay out. Also pictured is the kickass pouf and chevron rug I scored for $80 each. Hollaaaa!

Which layout do you think looks best? Horizontal {ph.1} or clustered {ph.2}... Honest opinions welcomed.

xoxo,

mama V!ck

my latest obsession

How many of you obsessively shop online? Guilty. I mean, it can't get any easier than Click. Pay. Delivery.

And, yes, it does get one in trouble from time to time...especially those sites that have killer deals on designer goods. You know the ones, Rue La La, Ideeli, Joss and Main, Gilt and LuxeYard.  These sites offer discounts, sometimes up to 70% off designer clothing, shoes, furniture, decor- you name it!

Well it just so happens that there is a similar site to these, geared toward mamas and babies! May I introduce my newest online shopping obsession:  Zulily. It's awesome! And super easy to use. All you have to do it create an account, and an email will be sent to you with daily deals. Boom! Let the shopping madness begin...

So far, I've purchased waaay tooo many cloth diapers, a cute fire fighter outfit for Koen, more cloth diapers,  maternity bras, etc. And that's just me. Grandma, a.k.a. "mami" is also addicted to Zulily.

Here are some deals I found just this morning!

As you already know that I have waaay tooo many cloth diapers, but I had to share with you these cuties. Snaps and velcro make fastening these babies a breeze. And if you're not really into cloth diapers but want cute bottoms, check out the diaper covers. Imagine how cute your bebe's bum would look crawling around in a pair of these!

{cloth diapers by Growing Up Green; diaper covers by Zebi}

I also couldn't help drooling over these bibs and birth cloths, pun INTENDED, that come in separates or matching sets.

{all four items by Zebi}

And of course I came across a deal for the most adorable baby shoes. No, my shoe fetish is not reserved only to shoes my size, but for little footsies as well. Especially for that price. Just look!

 {little boy footwear by Baby Deer}

{little girl footwear, also by Baby Deer....for my future daughter}

Who says your little prince can't be stylish in a pair of leather loafers or froggy rain boots?  Or your little princess in super comfy faux leopard slippers or ballerina flats?...

There is one {minor} downfall to these super sale sites. Almost all items are NON-RETURNABLE. So if there's something you don't like, you're pretty much stuck with it. Oh, and sales usually only last about 48 hours, so please shop wisely. 

And, by all means, don't impulse buy! Or you'll end up with waaay tooo many cloth diapers.

Have fun shopping. The holidays are closer than you know. P.S. I wear a size 8 shoe...

xoxo,

mama V!ck

baby life

Baby life. What is there to say except that it's easy....for him. 

 I remind my little bundle of joy, when he cries out during a diaper change, that life will never again be as easy for him as it is now. Unless my baby becomes a ga-zillion-aire, no one will ever wipe his butt, feed him and let him sleep all day like he does now. lol. Well, maybe.

Actually, Koen's day-to-day routine isn't much different than his step-brother, Buddha {our Australian Shepherd}. Eat. Poop. Sleep. Repeat.

But, he has had more 'wake time' lately. Usually after his feedings, we exercise by doing bicycle kicks {this helps relieve gas} and we have tummy time to help him strengthen those neck muscles. Haha, poor baby had gotten pretty good at holding his head up during his first month, but then hit a growth spurt and now has to retrain his neck to steady that melon. I actually gave him a neck massage today after tummy time. he loved it.

What else? Oh, he's ticklish...like daddy.

His face changes. Every. Day.

And he likes to giggle. it's the most adorable thing to me. 
I thought puppies were cute. Puppies have nothing on this kid.

I've heard that if a baby smiles or laughs during his sleep, it means angels are talking to him. 
I've also heard it could be gas... but I think I like the angel theory best.

Parenthood has proven to be better than expected. Truth be told, I had no idea what to expect. I can tell you that I never thought I could function on so little sleep. Or that I could love a person I've known for only a short time so unconditionally. And I could never have imagined how excited daddy and I would get over poop. 

Yes, people, poop. Greenish-brown, sometimes runny, sometimes sticky, always explosive. Poop.

See,  breastmilk is almost 100% digestible so there's virtually no waste, therefore breastfed babies, apparently, don't need to poop but like once a week...  BUT, when you see your little one red faced and straining throughout the day, you tend to disagree with everyone who says it's "normal" not to poop. This is why I say daddy and I get excited over poop. We even sing a song about it- "Whoop whoop poop poop". Seriously.

There have been some difficult moments, as expected. For instance, breast feeding is not going as well as before. We started off strong. I was actually impressed at how easily he caught on, but now, nothing. It's like he changed his mind about 'ninny'. It seems like every time I put him to breast, he falls asleep before finishing. Then I have to pump and bottle feed him the rest. I've tried stripping him down to his diaper to wake him a little. Nah, didn't work. I tried changing positions. This just seemed to irritate him.

I'm hopeful though... We WILL get the hang of it, because mommy is so over that damn breast pump.

Ahhh, parenthood. Love.

xoxo,
mama V!ck