Exercise Power Hour!

The weather around here has been whack. It warmed up about a month ago, and then the temperatures decided to plummet back into the 30's like a big fat April Fools trick. It's almost Easter and I fear my grass shall never been green again.

So even though it's been stupid cold (sorry, my New England friends, but seriously, people live in the South to be able to enjoy spring temperatures when it's actually spring, which it is now, so I have no idea what's going on) - but, we've been going outside anyway. Every day after the boys wake up from their afternoon nap, sometime in the 4 o'clock hour, we high tail it outside and move our bodies. I've started calling this exercise power hour, because even though it's not exactly enjoyable temperatures (and my flowers haven't bloomed so there's no yard decor going on), it's still so important to move and play and get some fresh air. For their sanity and mine - cabin fever has gotten real around here these last few weeks and we all need the sunshine, even if it is still bathed in winter's chilly breath.

I decided to start giving Everett some exercise pointers. I taught him how to do squats, lunges, push ups and planks. And since he loves to run, we sprint in between these sets and really get our blood pumping. And it's been SO much fun! Daxton just toddles around and watches us, but I actually picked him up the other day and squatted with him for extra weight and GOOD LORD. I could only do 3. That kid is hoss.

My activewear was sent to me by Yandy.com and I chatted about the line over on 5 Minutes for Mom. Check out the post I wrote about why moms should never apologize for living in their activewear! Because for real you guys. It's my mom uniform.

Happy Friday to you, friends! xx

Prayers of a Mama.

I pray that he is strong. But sensitive, too.

I hope that he is confident. Sure of all the goodness that is unique to him.

I just know that he is going to be funny. I don't know why, but I just do.

I want him to be trustworthy. Accessible. Humble.

I want him to dream enormously, radically big dreams.

I pray that some things come easily to him -  like making friends and understanding the letters on the board.

I pray that he knows how loved he is. All the days of his life, that the love would saturate into his bones and rattle his DNA.

I can't wait to hear his voice sing, see his features mature, and watch where his feet take him.

It's going really fast. I am having trouble catching my breath, because he's just growing right before my eyes. Every day that I get him out of his crib, he is longer, stronger, his eyes more engaging. How is time speeding up?

Everett and I like to call him our lovey dovey :) It's amazing how a baby can melt you into a cooing, ridiculous, baby-talking fool.

My 2-month-old Daxton might just be teething. I know you probably think I'm crazy. Everett teethed reeeeeally early, and lately Daxton has started gnawing on everything in sight. I started wearing my Mama & Little teething jewelry last week as a way to get him used to it. Training him to know that this it's just for him - something he can practice cutting his little soon-to-be teeth on :) He's catching on.

I was introduced to this jewelry because I won some of it on an Instagram giveaway! So seriously you guys... enter those giveaways (ahem, see below for your chance...) Mama & Little jewelry is made of 100% food-grade silicone, is FDA-approved, and is free of all creepy toxins, including BPA, PVC, phthalate, cadmium, latex, lead and heavy metals. The necklaces feature a breakaway clasp (for added safety) and an exposed cord design to avoid hair snags and tangles. So basically Arleene (the founder of M&L) has thought through every scenario that would make a piece of teething jewelry really convenient and comfortable for on-the-go mamas. Thank goodness!

My favorites out of the collection are the ones I'm wearing - the Frida, the Nicole and the Alexa. Interested in winning some of this fun jewelry? Visit my instagram - I'm running a giveaway for a $50 Mama & Little gift card! Winner will be contacted on March 1 - best of luck to you, friends!

Many thanks to Mama & Little for sponsoring this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

Beltline Brunch & Play.

I admit, I've done a poor job getting into Atlanta and exploring. Since I've grown up here, I just don't make time to keep exploring. Stevie and I do such a great job exploring other cities, because it's an adventure! But when we are home, I tend to hibernate a bit more and just enjoy my immediate surroundings. Like my backyard and the golf cart paths :)  But every time I go into the city I am reminded how close it is and how we should just do it more. Because the food is better, you guys. It just is.

I've been feeling a little insulated at home. A little baby-fried. I love being home with my kiddos but we are so in it right now, up to our neck in bottles and swaddles and no sleep and OUR MEAL TRAIN ENDED. So basically there hasn't been anything to look forward to (have I mentioned how much I loved my meal train? I can't even talk about it anymore. Because I get too sad that it's over.) But all that being said, we were due to have some good old fashioned FUN. So last weekend we trekked into the city and met our friends the Hunts for brunch in Inman Park, right along the Beltline. Everything at Parish was soooo good (hence the "food is better in the city" comment) - if you go, get the Croque monsieur, the cranberry french toast and the corned beef hash. It was SO GOOD.

Like seriously, I need more.

Then we walked the Beltline, found a playground and a water fountain (two musts when you're a parent with wiggly little people) and chowed down on King of Pops popsicles. I'll admit, the weather was still slightly chilly for popsicles, but we are beckoning spring onward, so it felt like our duty to have King of Pops. :)

I can't believe how BIG Everett has gotten. I remember holding him just like I'm holding Daxton these days, a little baby in my arms. I remember trekking into the city with him, along with my monster stroller and basically everything we own, just for a few hour stint in the city. I can't believe that time is over. I can't believe I am doing this again. I can't believe I made another baby and he's here and he's so big and beautiful. It's true when they say it - everything with kids goes by SO FAST. It feels so challenging when you're in the thick of it, but then you blink twice and maybe move once or twice and suddenly your baby is a toddler and you have another baby in your arms and its like - what happened? Are we really a family of four?! Wasn't I like, just living in NYC and going on auditions and doing whatever I wanted with my time? Oh the wonderful selfish years.

Those are gone.

But! That's why we trek into the city and play, because even though all my years going forward will be consumed with meeting everyone else's needs and making sure they're happy and healthy - this mama wanted a day in the city, and that's what she got :)

It was just a really, really good day.

P.S. - Recommendations for other family-friend restaurants and activities in the city are so welcome! I want to do more Atlanta things as the weather warms up - any suggestions?

P.P.S. - I'm running a giveaway for another few days over on my Instagram, gifting one special mama with some must-have postpartum products from Earth Mama Angel Baby - don't miss it!

P.P.P.S. - I'll be helping host an event at the Peachtree City Banana Republic this Thursday evening, 2/23 from 5:30-8pm and I would love it if you came out! There will be bites and drinks and pants (the promoted item of the evening :) I'll havemore details for you on my Instagram tomorrow :)

The Final Weeks of My Only.

I'm just really proud of the person he's become.

Yes, he disobeys and throws massive tantrums. And he does those things in public when it embarrasses me, sure.

But mostly, he is this sweet, funny, sensitive, polite, extremely observant person who makes me really really proud. He notices when the moon is in the sky (during the day!), even when I'm certain it's not out. He says please and thank you, and even though he mixes up when he's supposed to say "Yes ma'am" and "Yes sir", he still tries and it just makes my heart smile. He is a show off, which I can't fault him for, because I was the exact same way. "Watch me, Mom!", he shouts at the top of his lungs. All day long. So much shouting. But it works out pretty well because that's what I want to do - I want to watch him and marvel at the stunning person he is. The funny person he is. The smart person he is.

I have another baby coming soon. Soon I won't be able to tell my little son that he's my favorite boy in the whole wide world. Soon I won't be able to just sit endlessly in his bedroom with my morning coffee and watch him almost break the crib with his feats of jumping. Soon I will be a heart divided, a mind unfolded in full-blown multitasking, an attention that sways with the alternating needs of two boys.

And that day is nearing, all the time it's nearing closer.

It's alarming to think about my heart opening up to another little person in the same way that it has with Everett. Because he made me the mom that I am. He made me love motherhood. He made me fall in love with myself in a new way. He made me believe in a capability that I wasn't prepared for - he made me follow my instincts, discover an awakening of my mothering nature, and grow as fast and mightily as him because, well, I didn't have a choice. As a mom, you have to be all in. This role is the greatest thing I've ever done, but if you had told me that prior to this precious boy, I couldn't have believed you. Because I had other things to do, and frankly, because mini vans really turn me off.

Did I mention Stevie really wants to get us one?

I am processing these thoughts this morning, because they need to be processed. I imagine that every mother goes through this phase when they are expecting another little one, but it feels unprecedented when it's happening to you. I am pursuing time and engagement with my toddler son right now, because soon everything will change and I want him to know, how very desperately, that I want him to feel my love and appreciation for who he is. I love and hate how big he's getting. My baby, my big boy.

P.S. - Thanks to Rocco + Norah for sending us my turban and his beanie for the changing weather of the season - I have been wearing mine every third day for weeks. You know what happens on the third day? Dirty hair. :)

Outfit Details:
Mine:
ASOS Cold Shoulder Top, Gap Maternity Jeans, Forever 21 Kimono, Rocco + Norah Mama Turban in Napa (c/o)
His:
Rocco + Norah Reversible Palm Springs Beanie (c/o)
 

ASOS Cold Shoulder Top

Rocco + Norah Mama Turban

Forever 21 Fringed Poncho

Gap Maternity Jeans

Rocco + Norah Palm Springs Beanie

Toddler Date at the Zoo!

Last weekend we paid Zoo Atlanta a little visit with Everett's "friend" (we say girlfriend, but don't want to be too obviously pushy... who am I kidding??) The last time I took Everett to the zoo, he wasn't that into it, so I'm glad that this time around he was super excited and engaged. He absolutely loved the giraffes and elephants, and kept yelling "MORE ANIMALS!" after each animal exhibit. We did a lot of the "extra" zoo stuff, like feeding the giraffes and riding the train and spinning on the Merry Go Round. It's so much fun going places like the Zoo with kids, because it makes you feel alive again. It makes you remember how freaking cool it is that these animals live on the Earth, so enormous and beautiful and exotic.

A few (alright, more than a few) pictures below of our time at the zoo with friends and Everett's "friend" :)

Preparing to feed the giraffes. Finley wasn't so sure.

Amazing!!! So so cool!

This is my favorite thing ever. Look at my happy blonde boys :)

Kind of a lame/blurry photo, I know, but he was really into the gorillas.

He was also really into baby Hollen, sweet Finley's new little sis.

The Merry Go Round! I stayed on for approximately 3 minutes before leaping off due to nausea. I think I freaked out the Merry Go Round attendant.

Just so you know, about half the photos I ever take have Everett doing something like this. It's not always rainbow and sunshine and laughter. Sometimes it's attitude, discipline and coping mechanisms.

And then we rode the choo choo train!

I'm dying here. WE DID NOT MAKE THEM DO THIS. It just came natural.

We had such a great day at the zoo (even though it was like 150 degrees and I was having mild heat stroke), and it made me reeeeeelly excited about taking Everett to Disney World in the fall. He did so great with all the exhibits and I just know he will be absolutely dumbfounded at all the whimsical fantastic-ness of The Magic Kingdom.

We absolutely love Zoo Atlanta and we will have to make a return trip in the fall. Because of the heat on this particular day, we didn't get to see the lions or the elephants because they were hiding out in their dens. I don't blame them. If I had a lair, I would milk that. Especially in this insane Georgia heat/humidity.

How are you enjoying your summer with your family? Any fun family ideas you can offer? We want to keep trying fun activities as a family of three before we have another little person arrive this winter! xox

P.S. I am wearing this Tart Maternity dress and this Clement cuff (c/o Le Tote), and these Anthropologie earrings and sandals. Everett is wearing this top from and these shorts from Old Navy, and Stevie is wearing who knows what. I should probably shop for him a little more.