The Wednesday Weekly - Week 32

Yes, I am late posting once again...can I blame the holiday??  Hopefully I'll be able to get on track soon.  My sweet Finnley Ann is growing and progressing more and more everyday and I love where we are headed! 

Week 32

Eats: I am somewhat dumbfounded that she is already 32 weeks old but she has been eating up a storm!  We have tried all sorts of different jarred foods (something I wish we would have done with Ellie - hindsight am I right?) and with the exception of french fries Finn seems to like all sorts of foods.  One thing we're really working on is getting her to hold her own bottle - works about 25% of the time.  Additionally we have been giving our girl all sorts of big people food and she is all about it.

Sleeps: we are sort of getting our stellar napper back but she is getting to be on her own schedule which isn't quite meshing with Ellie's naptime.  It generally doesn't bother me when its just the three of us at home, but when we're working it makes me a bit anxious but such is life and I get over it.  We no longer need her room to be pitch black (all the praise hands), she sleeps well in the car seat, in her crib, on the floor, and we can make noise too!

Does: as mentioned before she is the sitting champ and is a rockstar in the shopping carts - she is so proud of herself.  The Finn is a roller and can scoot herself around on her tummy on our wood floors and is finding herself stuck under our coffee table.  I am unsure is the scooting is purposeful or is just happening as she tries to get up on all fours.  We are pretty close to crawling but not there quite yet...maybe next week?!!!

Loves: by George!!! we have another Dada fan!  It took some time for her to warm up to him but now he is getting all the smiles and seeing their relationship form and grow this week has been the best.  Finnley is in love with her sister, sitting up and all sorts of toys.  Especially Sophie, Sola, Oball, Doc McStuffins, and anything else she can get her fingers around and into her mouth!

Goes: we made a few trips out and about but our favorite stop was to Lowes.  We got some much needed items so that I could finish up our baseboard project (I'll share more on that later).  We also made a trip up north to celebrate my brother's twins first birthday with my family.  They all had a blast and watching two one year olds chow down on their "first" cake was the highlight of the week - I hope Finnley will follow suit.

Mama: we had a great week and I am more in love with my girls every day.  I am so excited that we are approaching Finnley's first holiday season and our upcoming trip to Disneyland.

Sister: these two girls are just the bees knees.  Ellie is still just as obsessed as ever and a great cheerleader for Finnley's progress, I think she wants her to crawl as badly as I do!  These two...seriously.

on Ellie: Top Pants

on Finnley: onesie headband

♥ Ashley

previous weeks

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thirtyone

Ellie at 32 weeks

Happy Thanksgiving 2016

Wishing you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving 

from the four of us!

♥ Ashley 

The Wednesday Weekly - Week 31

These weeks are just flying by!! Finnley girl turned 7 months on Sunday and I'm still wrapping my brain around her growing up so fast!!  She's making moves to want to start crawling and I am so looking forward to it.  I know that brings a lot of extra issues but I feel like once babies can move around on their own they tend to be much happier due to their new independence.  

Week 31

Eats: well well well we have ourselves quite the eater.  She wants to eat when we are and is more than willing to try what we give her.  So far we have gone all vegetarian so far and I don't think there has been anything that has disagreed with her.  While she is not a fan of french fries (the horror!) she does seem to like mashed potatoes...so maybe it's the salt? We had pizza the other night and she was chowing down on the crust, it was so fun and the first time that she put food in her mouth by herself!

Sleeps: we are going through a regression y'all and it is no fun, let me tell you.  Finnley has been waking up around 5:00-5:30 and what I would do for an extra 20 minutes!!  We had a road trip on Saturday and busy busy day on Sunday so her naps were ridiculous so I think we're just working on getting her back to her routine this week.  Hopefully I'll have better news on this next time.

Goes: we had a road trip on Saturday to my inlaws new home.  We spent the whole day there cleaning it out and getting it ready for some updates.  I helped pick out a paint color, wood flooring for the main floor, carpet for the upstairs and tile for the bathrooms.  Finnley was a total champ the whole day, so there is promise for our upcoming Disneyland trip ;) Baby girl also ran some errands with me this week and we've been really having some great bonding time together.  We spent some time at the mall play land and went to this fun weekly event at our local library...both girls had a total blast!

Does: nothing much new here, though she has started making the most hilarious face where she scrunches up her eyes and nose and then gets the biggest smile.  When she is sitting, she puts her hands out in front of her on the floor and I'm convinced she's trying to figure out how to get into a crawling position.  When she is on her tummy and pushing herself up with her arms she is also nodding her head ferociously and maybe that's also to try to help her move? Whatever it is it's super cute.  Oh and she is also sticking her tongue out and it's so sweet.

Loves: I'm in love with our carseat and I'm trying to figure out how to get another one for Thomas car when she grows too big for the infant carrier seat we have in his car, mostly because I don't want to have to move it back and forth.  We love these sleep sacks for napping and nighttime and how adorable are these jams (we have matching ones for the girls)?!  As far as toys go, girlfriend loves anything that lights up, makes music, or is small enough to get her fingers around it.  She is still not a fan of the pacifier (but isn't too attached to her fingers!) but she sure loves her bottles.

Of Note: sweet girl turned 7 months on Sunday which brings us one month closer to her 1st Birthday.  I haven't settled on a theme yet - I have time but I know the next five months are just going to FLY BY!!  We are looking forward to her first Thanksgiving next week, which btw how is it already next week?

Mama: I'm feeling really good.  I still have these times when I get super moody and I'm unsure if that is from lack of sleep or if it has anything to do with my partial tubal that I had last year with my 5th miscarriage/ectopic pregnancy.  I have gotten over the shock of the presidential election and am choosing to move forward.  I can't believe how quickly time is flying by and that we are a week from Thanksgiving and then all the festivities that follow!

 Sister: they're in love and it makes my heart so happy.  Finnley was getting really fussy while we were driving so I asked Ellie if she could hold the bottle for her and it was the most adorable thing.  When Finnley started laughing and giggling I told her to give me the bottle back and she kept saying "NO! I am feeding MY sister!!" once I grabbed the bottle from her she started crying because she couldn't feed Finnley anymore...oh to be 3!

♥ Ashley

previous weeks
one two three four five six seven eight nine ten
eleven twelve thirteen fourteen fifteen sixteen seventeen eighteen nineteen twenty
twentyone twentytwo twentythree twentyfour twentyfive twentysix twentyseven twentyeight twentynine thirty

Ellie at 31 Weeks

The Wednesday Weekly - Week 30

Y'all I should probably call this the weekly Thursday since I keep posting on Thursdays! It's been a rough couple of days but I'm turning the corner and keeping my eye on positivity!

Week 30

Eats: we're continuing on trying new foods.  Finnley has tried some eggs and a few different cheeses, pirates booty, and pumpkin pie and then the same other foods from previous weeks.  I really like using these spoons with her, since they're kinda like a spatula and help clean all the food of her face, and even though we use the Similac formula I try to introduce mostly organic solids to her.  The pouches are great but I also like to try some jars as well.  Her appetite changes each day but she is becoming quite the fan of 8oz bottles and they seem to do the trick.  I would say she eats about 26 ounces a day and then some solids and puffs.

Sleeps: the Finn is starting to get a nice little routine down that has been super helpful.  Of course each day has it's own obstacles, she generally wakes up around 6:00-6:30, takes a morning snooze around 9:30 (if she can it'll be about an hour otherwise she'll take another cat nap around 11) and then if all the cards are played right she goes down for her long nap around 1:00 which is perfect because that is Ellie's naptime too. Depending on how long her nap is she might have another little snooze before bedtime at 7:30.  When we're home she sleeps in her crib for her long nap and at night (occasionally her morning snooze too) and then her morning snooze is usually in her lounger. When we're nannying she takes her naps on a blanket in the other room.

Does: the Finnley babe is a sitting maniac, plays in her exersaucer for about 30 minutes, rolls all over the place and has become quite the laugher.  She is constantly putting her fingers in her mouth, kicks her legs like crazy, will sometimes assist in holding the bottle, and is babbling up a storm.  She has also started to turn herself around and can get herself from sitting to on her stomach - the cutest thing!

Goes: Finnley has been quite the little sidekick lately and I am in love with it.  Not only have we been going to work, but she has also been spending her Wednesdays with me checking out some stores and riding in the shopping cart and it makes my heart so happy.  She is rocking it in the car in her car seat and the ergo.

Of Note: as I mentioned above, she can get herself from sitting to her tummy, she smiles all the time, and got to be a part of her very first presidential election!

Mama: I'm not sure if this little lady could be any sweeter and she just melts my heart.  Sometimes her banshee screech can get to me but at the end of the day I forgot she even did it!! I had a rough week with the election.  I am not going to get all political on you but I never imagined that I would cry over an election.  I was a total mess on Wednesday and so disappointed but what really got me was listening to the radio and how classy Secretary Clinton was in her speech and her hopes for a successful term for Trump.  All we can do now is move forward and work together for a great country.

Sister: these two girls are so incredibly adorable.  The outtakes this week are everything.  Ellie is obsessed with Finnley and Finnley is obsessed with Ellie.  They make each other laugh, Ellie pulls Fifi around the house and they have started sharing toys - the sweetest!!  Just watching these two girls together gives me so much hope for their sisterhood in the future and I am so grateful that I get to know them.  These girls are strong, kind, and funny.  I love them so.

♥ Ashley

previous weeks

one two three four five six seven eight nine ten 

eleven twelve thirteen fourteen fifteen sixteen seventeen eighteen nineteen twenty

twentyone twentytwo twentythree twentyfour twentyfive twentysix twentyseven twentyeight twentynine

Ellie at 30 Weeks

Hello November - the month of being Thankful

Hello November! I know that October is such a wonderful month with the beginning of fall and all the pumpkins...but let's face it, November is equally if not more beautiful.  We are deep into all the fall colors and get to focus on being Thankful for all the things.

Sometimes I feel like Thanksgiving takes a back seat to Halloween and Christmas but it's just as nice.  I mean it's good food (and some traditional yuck) and when friends and family come together.  While we have never celebrated a "Friendsgiving" I think it is the most fabulous idea and hope that one year in the near future we will.

Okay enough of that let's talk about all things thankful, what we are looking forward to and what we are loving!

ONE

my girls are 100% the best and I am so thankful that I get to call them mine.  I mean how sweet are they?

TWO

Finnley and Ellie's first Halloween together.  We worked all day and then Thomas came and picked the girls up to take them to Uncle Tyler's house for dinner and trick or treating in the golf cart.  I followed about 30 minutes later once I got off work.  The girls had so much fun with their cousins.  We had chili and corn bread, opened Halloween gifts from Nanny and Papa, and loaded up the golf cart to hit up the houses in the neighborhood.  Ellie had a total blast and was running wild, refusing to accept the chocolate candy offered her, and was the cutest little Minnie Mouse Witch.  Finnley hung out in the Ergo with Thomas and just enjoyed being with us all.  After a walk around the neighborhood Finnley and I headed home to get her to bed and not too much long after Thomas and Ellie arrived home.  

THREE

I have had our Family Photo outfits picked out for well over a month and a half and have yet to schedule a session.  I am wearing this dress in maroon, Thomas is donning this shirt and the girls are going to be adorable Ellie in this top and Finnley wearing a skirt.  I am so looking forward to taking family pictures of the FOUR of us, I really need to get on scheduling them ;)

FOUR

I was browsing zulily a few weeks ago and found the most adorable stockings for the girls.  I just couldn't help myself and I put them in my cart.  They arrived this week and I love them so much.  I mean how adorable are they?  They will look so great with our green stockings and I'm thinking that I am going to get them monogrammed!!! Eek, Christmas is coming up and I am so excited.

FIVE

The new Gilmore Girls is coming up so I am giving myself a refresher on the series.  I can't believe how much happened in the first season!! I remember watching this show with my mom, she actually introduced me to it and I have such good memories sitting in our breakfast nook watching this show each week with her.  I love all the references to my high school days, the old cell phones, and Sookie is my spirit animal because we both have diagrams for how to load the dishwasher!!

Happy first Friday of November!!!

♥ Ashley

The Wednesday Weekly - Week 29

Y'all these weeks just keep flying by! I can't believe that it's already Wednesday again.  We are super busy and I'm hoping to make some changes here so that things can slow down a bit - yeah right like that can actually happen ;)

Week 29

Eats: we just keep trying new things and now the babe is a fan of cheese: of the havarti and kraft singles variety.  I opened up a jar of spinach/zucchini/peas and while she was hesitant at first she loves it now.  I don't feed her solids enough - because those bottles are just so darn easy - but she really does enjoy it so I need to make more of an effort.  The good news is is that we are one week closer to the end of the bottles!

Sleeps: we have finally turned a corner when it comes to napping!! The babe can now be known to sleep in the car, in Starbucks (and other restaurants), and in her room even though it doesn't get so dark!!  This makes me plum pleased because it is so nice to have a babe that can travel and go with the flow!  We are back to our decent napping in the afternoon - which is still coinciding with Ellie's nap - and then a solid 10+ hours at night.

Goes: Finnley and I had a Mama/Daughter day the other day and I just love my little sidekick.  She is so much fun and pleasant to be with, her smile is just everything.  We made a trip to Marshalls, TJMaxx and Starbucks.  I love this age for shopping and she had so much fun playing with my cup sleeve the whole time.  Additionally Finnley made it out for Trick or Treating and was the cutest little Candy Corn Witch...more on that below.



Does: aside from sitting up on her own Finnley babe is rolling around and playing with her toys.  She is doing swell with her indie play time and can now sit in the shopping carts, hallelujah.  She is laughing, cooing and making all sorts of different screeches and noises.

Of Note: girlfriend celebrated her very first Halloween and donned Ellie's candy corn witch costume...with a minor change of a white top.  She was the bees knees of adorableness and got to go Trick or Treating with all the cousins.  Thomas wore her in the Ergo and we all had the best of times.

Loves: we are still in love with the Ergo, our bottles, formula, and the Jellycat bunnies.  Also a big hit is her musical vanity and singing cow (similar)

Mama: these times with my girls is just the best.  I can't get over how much time I get to spend with them and how lucky I am to have them in my life and to call them my daughters.  Watching my babes growing up is perfect and my heart grows more and more every day.  I keep thinking about the past few years and how much better I feel emotionally and content and complete.  I've been working hard on myself and finally getting back to a place where I can recognize myself.  This is so good for my soul.

Sister: Finnley is everything to Ellie and I am pretty sure that Ellie is everything to Finnley.  I can't get Finnley to giggle like Ellie does and they have a very sweet bond indeed.  Ellie still exclaims multiple times a day that she "loves Finnley so much" and randomly told me this week that she wants a brother for Finnley...so we will see what we can do about that ;) Although I have to admit that I am so glad that she is coming around.

♥ Ashley

previous weeks

one two three four five six seven eight nine ten

eleven twelve thirteen fourteen fifteen sixteen seventeen eighteen nineteen twenty

twentyone twentytwo twentythree twentyfour twentyfive twentysix twentyseven twentyeight 

Ellie at 29 weeks