7 months

i am in complete disbelief that Owen is 7 months old today. where did my infant go? the tiny person who slept all day, wrapped in a swaddle. the little angel who had to be woken up to eat because otherwise he was "happy to starve." 

nowadays my big little man fights sleep, hates being held tightly, and would eat all day if you let him.

the fact that he's over half way through his first year is blowing my mind a little bit...

O grows and changes so much every month, but especially this month.

milestones and firsts:

• he is now an expert sitter and loves to rock on all fours. i would not be surprised if crawling came in this next month (no matter how nervous that makes me).
• his absolute favorite activity these days is standing. i wrote a whole post on that last week.
• he still refuses to roll over unless he's in his crib. he can roll both ways, just doesn't like to. 
• he loves music and dancing. one of his favorite things is to play the piano. we have a musical prodigy on our hands!
• as of last week he is saying "dada." we know he isn't saying it with meaning yet, but it's still exciting and oh so cute.
• he has started staying in the church nursery while Beau and i take FPU on saturday mornings. i'm still a nervous wreck about it, but does great!

anything and everything he gets his hands on still goes straight into his mouth to get gnawed on, but still no sign of teeth...
having no teething isn't holding him back in the eating department though. we've gone from mostly purees and a few finger foods to hardly any purees and most meals being eaten off of Momma's plate. i am so impressed by his love of all foods. he tries any new food without hesitation and has yet to try something he doesn't like (besides nasty jarred baby food)
some of his new favorites are lentils and tomatoes.

he is such a happy baby. he spends all day "talking" and squealing to anyone/thing that will listen.
he has started to have a little bit of separation anxiety. he is fine playing on his own unless he sees me, then it's all over until he's in my arms. i don't mind at all, it just means the house ain't gonna get cleaned!

stats:

weight- ~20 lbs*

height- ~28in*

clothes- 9-12m

diapers- size 3
*no dr appt. this month. measured height and weight at home.

february cara box reveal

i signed up again this month to take part in Kaitlyn's cara box exchange.

she paired us up with girls from our state, so i got to meet two new Georgia bloggers!

Katie & Erin

this month's theme was #clubsexy

 i got to spoil Katie and send her a box full of stuff for the perfect girls night out

Erin completely spoiled me! she sent me a box full of things to make a perfect night in with my hubby.

bath bombs, baby lips, and nail polish (in my favorite color) to pretty myself up for our date.

she wrapped the wine glasses so nicely, but only one survived...

i love the one that did though, and it all works out ok cause Beau would rather drink a beer!

a cooking magazine and chocolates for while we prepare dinner

popcorn and a romantic movie to top the night off!

she also included a sweet note explaining what each item was for. 

me and Beau were both so excited to get this box- i think he really liked that this month's box was for both of us!

if you haven't participated in the cara box exchange yet i encourage you to go sign up for march.

it is such a fun way to make friends and meet fellow bloggers!

what i wore sunday

i'm linking up again with fine linen and purple for what i wore sunday

today we were blessed with gorgeous weather, so i of course took advantage of it and wore my favorite warm weather dress. i bought this dress at target a few years ago from one of the designer lines they bring in. i fell in love with it instantly and it's still my favorite dress. i might have a slight obsession with floral print that will become more and more obvious as the weather gets warmer.

{dress- tucker via target; leggings- forever 21; shoes- madden girl}

{earrings- from kohl's about 4 years ago; headband- forever 21}

h54f

HAPPY HAPPY FRIDAY! 

today Beau has a morning shift ride along. that probably doesn't mean much to most of you, but to me that means i get my hubby home early on a friday! 

and that, my friends, is cause for celebration!

i'm linking up the highlights of my week for h54f!

1. i found this adorable pair of boots for 50% off at target!

2. Owen had his first taste of ice cream courtesy of Grandda {of course he loved it!}

3. i scored this basket for the living room for 75% off at michael's

4. i love dates with Beau. even when we just go to zaxby's and kohl's

5. my cara box arrived on wed night! YAAAY for bloggy friends!

30 second thursdays- shallow

i'm linking up again this week for 30 second thursdays!

it's so much fun, so if you haven't done it yet click over to one of the hosts and join the party!

beautiful hosts

Kaitlyn // Wifessionals Samantha // Hooah And Hiccups Hallie // Life Oceanside

question

what things are you shallow about? (name brands, certain jobs, anything... yep, embarrass yourself!)

there he is in his Oakley sunglasses!

standing up

the fact the my little baby is going to be 7 months old on monday is kinda blowing my mind....

where the heck is the time going?

i know i should probably be used to the months feeling like weeks, but each one sneaks up on me way too quickly.

7 months just sounds so old. when i think about a 7 month old i don't picture a tiny baby, yet my sweet boy still feels like my tiny baby. but everyday he grows up right before my eyes. i swear i can already hear him saying "i can do it my self! i'm not a baby!"

his latest thing is standing...

he can't pull up yet and he still hasn't quite figured out that if he lets go he's going to fall, but that boy.. he just ain't happy if he ain't standing these days.

i'm slowly beginning to accept the fact that this is just the beginning (and the smallest act) of him claiming his independence.

watching him become his own person is bittersweet...

drawing a blank

lately i've been very uninspired to write. 

even the easy, prompted link ups... i just can't get excited about them. 

for that reason you may (or may not- i'm not quite sure how many people actually pay attention) have noticed the lack of blog posts lately. you see, i might not be absolutely sure where i want this little old blog of mine to go but i am sure of where i don't want it to go. i don't want to host millions of giveaways- one here and there is enough. i don't want to write shallow posts just because i feel like i need to write something- quite frankly i don't have the time to write for no reason.

when i started this blog 5 months ago i planned on it being a place where i could work out all the thoughts bouncing around in my head and keep some sort of record of our life as a family for Owen (and lets be honest, mostly me) to look back on in years to come. 

that being said, i love some of the link ups i regularly participate in. they're so much fun!

and sometimes it's fun to participate in giveaways and meet new ladies.

i am in no way saying these things are going to come to an end. 

i'm just challenging myself to not allow my blog to slip away from me. 

to keep it my own. 

a place where people can come and find something they can't find anywhere else.

a place where people can find me.

what i wore sunday

today was the first sunday of Lent.

this year i am trying to give up most processed foods, but more than that i am making the effort to make more time in my day for the Lord. everyday life can get so busy that sometimes it's easy to forget to make time for your relationship with God.

i am going to move my relationship with God to the top of my priority list and i am willing to bet it will make a huge difference in the rest of my life.

{shirt- delia's; skirt- forever 21; shoes- mossimo supply co. via target} 

 {these earrings are one of my favorite pairs- forever 21}

 {lets take a moment to celebrate the awesome deal i got on these boots! i found these gems on clearance at target on friday for just $17.48- 50% off the original price. needless to say, i'm pretty proud of my find!}

linking up with fine linen and purple 

h54f {link up}

HAPPY FRIDAY!

i couldn't be happier that the weekend is here! Beau's been working late all week busting his butt at the academy, so a long weekend is just what we need!

i'm linking up with Lauren again to bring you the top five highlights of my week.

1. we found out Owen's heart murmur is innocent, which means i can breath again

2. this little friendship has been blossoming lately- Tiger is so sweet and patient with O

3. we had fun getting dressed up and going out for an early valentine's date

4. O got his first ashes on ash wednesday, and loved being up way past his bedtime

5. our son is a musical genius! his new favorite activity is playing music on his mini piano

i hope everyone has a great weekend!

Beau has been working late all week, so i plan on taking full advantage of the extra time with him.

every love story is beautiful, but ours is my favorite

i remember the first time i laid eyes on Beau. 

i was working as a cashier at Zaxby's. it was a busy night so he got into the end of a long line. i can remember speeding through each order praying that he would end up at my register. then, finally, he was up. "hi! can i take your order?" i said as i beamed up at him trying to look as pretty as possible in my awful uniform. he ordered his food as i told my self he was being extra friendly and he must be flirting with me, and then it happened... he asked "is Leslie here?" my heart sunk. i got Leslie for him and then spent the rest of the night totally bummed out. that cute guy gave Leslie a ride home from work almost every day that next week in his big red jeep. i remember feeling terrible, Leslie and i had become good friends and i had such a huge crush on the guy she was with.

then one magical saturday, march 19th 2011, Leslie and i were tanning in her driveway when she got a text and said her friend Beau was coming to get something he had left at her house. i didn't think much of it, i didn't know Beau's name yet. all of a sudden you could hear this loud music blasting from a car and then that big red jeep came swerving around the corner. i started panicking when i realized it was that cute guy that gives Leslie rides. he was going to see me all sweaty from laying out in the sun and oh God i was totally not ready for him to see me half naked in my bikini. he pulled up and i tried to play it cool as he said hey, ran inside and got his stuff and then chatted with us for a while. after about 10 min Leslie needed to go to work, so Beau left and i gave her a ride. on the way she got a text and then asked me "so, what do you think of my friend Beau?" i was like "um, i don't know. he's funny. why?" "he thinks your cute." "what!?!?" "yeah! he just texted me 'your friends cute we should all hangout sometime'." 

i was over the moon excited! so that night when Leslie got off we went off-roading with Beau and his best friend Joey. I remember not being able to take my eyes off him the entire night and being oh so impressed by his off-roading skills (we are so redneck). then on the way back to Leslie's house we stopped at a gas station to get some drinks. Beau helped me out of the back of the jeep and as he took my hand and i jumped down, he gave me the sweetest kiss.

we spent all night talking and kissing more and then spent the next day together and the next and the next. about a week later he officially asked me to be his girl friend and the rest is history. 

from the night we met were inseparable. it was one of those things where you meet somebody and it's like you've known them your whole life.

i later found out that the reason he gave Leslie rides home from work was so he could see me and he came over to 'get some stuff' from her house because she had told him i was coming over. 

 almost exactly 8 months later, on november 18th 2011, Beau took me up to the mountains to a spot with a beautiful view and he asked me "do you feel like you're on top of the world?" i was mad at him about something (i can't remember now) and i said "not really" and then he got down on one knee, pulled out a ring and said "how about now?" i was in shock and so filled with emotion that i couldn't even respond at first, but as soon as i was able to speak i of course said yes!

almost a month later, on december 14th 2011, i took a pregnancy test and it came out positive. we were so happy and excited, but nervous and scared at the same time. 

we got married at the court house on january 27th 2012 and then had our marriage blessed by the church on may 19th 2012.

on july 25th 2012, four weeks before his due date, Owen Beau made his grand entrance into this world and all the love i had for Beau since the summer of 2011 tripled.

seeing Beau as a father has made me fall in love with him so much deeper and for so many reasons that i didn't notice before.

our love story may not be traditional, but i wouldn't change it for the world.

it is my favorite and i feel so blessed to get to continue living it for the rest of my life. 

happy Valentine's Day!
hope everyone's day is filled with love- no matter your relationship status
if you do have a significant other link up your love story, they're so much fun to read!

30 second thursday- PDA {vlog}

i'm linking up again this week for 30 second thursdays!

it's so much fun, so if you haven't done it yet click over to one of the hosts and join the party!

beautiful hosts

Kaitlyn // Wifessionals Samantha // Hooah And Hiccups Hallie // Life Oceanside

question

in honor of Valentine's Day, what is something that couples do in public that is totally barf-tastic? (gross PDA, weird actions, etc...)

a pantry staples quick fix {recipe}

being the mother of a 6 month old, sometimes (ok at least twice a week) 6 o'clock rolls around before i even think about dinner. by that point the last thing i want to do is change outfits (my clothes are always covered in spit up by this point), load the baby in the car, and drive to the nearest wally world! so i head over to the pantry, open it up, and stare.

now normally i stare for about 5-10 min before deciding that the hubby better grill tonight and  feeling like a failure of a wife. 

but last week something amazing happened! 

as i stared into that pantry, instead of my brain turning off the wheels started turning.

believe it or not folks, i came up with a completely original recipe for dinner that night and it actually tasted good!

so i decided that i had to share my genius with the rest of you (it just wouldn't be right to keep this all to myself)

ingredients

3 cans of tuna {drained}

1 can of corn {drained}

1 can of cannellini beans {drained}

1 1/2 c mayo

1 cap-full of apple cider vinegar

1 bag of fresh spinach

parsley

place all 3 cans of tuna in a large bowl. add the mayo and vinegar, mix until completely combined.

add the corn and beans and gently mix into the tuna salad.

you can serve on a bed of baby spinach or on crackers (pictured)

sprinkle with parsley and enjoy!

firmoo glasses {giveaway}

raise your hand if you wear glasses at least some of the time....

i bet you at least 80% of you raised your hands

well this giveaway, its for you!

and the other 20% of you. how many of you know someone who wears glasses?

all of you?

this giveaway is for you too!

if you haven't heard of firmoo yet you must live under a rock 

(i kid. but seriously, where have you been?)

they are a global online optical store that offers a huge selection of fashionable frames

and if you haven't checked out their site yet go do it now. you won't believe how many adorable choices there are!

these are some of my favorites 

{via}

{via}

{via}

firmoo has offered to give one woman in a man's world reader a free pair of glasses of their choice and six others a $30 voucher towards a pair of designer frames!

all you have to do is enter using the rafflecopter below!

the giveaway will run from 2/12 - 2/21, 11:59 PM EST 

*all entries will be verified*

GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

weekend update

happy monday y'all!

the majority of this weekend was spent house hunting which i am so so so excited about!

it is exhausting though, we'll go look at 10 houses and 8 or 9 of them wont be right for us. but we are really excited about one of them an we'll hopefully be able to look inside sometime this week.

in other exciting news- this guy is getting closer to crawling soon!

saturday we also started our 9 week course of financial peace university! we are really excited and hopeful for what we can learn through these classes. our big goal is to be able to put 20% down on the house we purchase.

sunday we had a lazy morning before heading off to Mass. i volunteered to help with registration for the annual precious feet 5k coming up on march 9th. i am so excited for it! all of the proceeds go to birthright which is an awesome organization that offers help to women facing a crisis pregnancy. 

we spent the afternoon hanging out with my brother Joey and his new fiance Chelsey. I am so excited to be getting such a sweet new "sister!" 

i'm also linking up with fine linen and purple for what i wore sunday

{shirt- merona via target; pants- merona via target; shoes- xhilaration via target ; bracelet- pier 1}

the newlywed game {week 3}

happy friday!
i'm a little late posting today, because Beau is going on his first ride along. so we spent the morning looking at houses (yes we've officially started the house hunt!) and Beau just went in to work the night shift. it feels weird having him leave half way through the day, but i guess i'm gonna have to get used to him working odd hours.
i'm linking up again for this really fun newlywed game. i always love any opportunity to learn more about each other and this is a really fun way to do that!

1. how long were you dating your spouse before getting engaged?

B: um... 6 months?

K: less than 8 months. we fell hard and fast!

2. do you remember your first big fight? if so, what was it about?

B: something stupid while we were drunk, that was all are fights!

K: yes. one of Beau's ex's told me that he was still talking to her. thankfully it was untrue.

3. who said "i love you" first?

B: i did

K: Beau. i was waiting for him to say it, but as soon as he did i was saying it like every 5 min.

4. what is your spouse most afraid of?

B: quote "dangerous dogs" end quote.

K: not being involved enough in our children's lives. he worries about balancing family and job.

5. who uses more hair-care products?

B: you

K: me. all Beau uses is shampoo.

6. who initiated the first kiss? how was it on a scale from 1-10?

B: i did. 20.

K: Beau initiated the first "peck" i initiated the first "real" kiss. you know that song 'are you gonna kiss me or not'? it's like they say- it was the best dang kiss that i ever had, except for that long one after that.

7. you are on your way out and have to turn around because someone forgot something... who was it that most likely forgot something?

B: Katie- who goes back in? Beau

K: me. i'm guilty of forgetting something almost every time we leave. thankfully i have an awesome husband who runs back in to get it ;)

8. who takes longer in front of the mirror?

B: Katie

K: before and after showering, Beau, but in general me.

9. what would your spouse name your children if you had one boy and one girl?

B: Owen and Elizabeth

K: whatever names i picked. as long as they weren't names he completely hated or that would be difficult for others to pronounce. he went through that as a child and hated it, so he doesn't want that for his children.

10. if you were able to give away one thing your spouse owned, what would you choose?

B: those damn shoes {he's talking about these}

K: his ugly old jacket. first of all an old girlfriend gave it to him in high school and second it's just ugly!