The Séamus Weekly - week 14

This is a pretty big week for sweet Séamus.  He turned 3 months old and he is celebrating Halloween for the first time!!

I am in disbelief that on this day, just one short year ago, our little man was just a tiny 4 day old embryo chillin in a petri dish!!  Thomas took the girls out for Trick or Treating while I stayed home and just relaxed awaiting our very very big day.  

We had our five day transfer done on November 1st, 2017.  Séamus was our top embryo, earning a nearly perfect rating!!  and that has continued on because I have to say...he is still perfectly perfect.

Eats: little man is still exclusively on the boob.  He has gotten a bit distracted this past week during his nursing sessions, he'll nurse a little bit then pull off and give me the biggest grin...I adore it while also just want him to eat!!  My let down is much heavier in the middle of the night, maybe that's why he is still waking up twice in the middle of the night for it??

Sleeps: when he gets to be swaddled an in his SnuggleMe (after I've sprayed it with sleep spray) in his room, with the sound machine going he will take a solid nap.  He still sleeps in the car seat - which is great but I'm hoping to switch him into a convertible car seat this week, so it's time to work on the transfers.  Nighttime sleep is hit or miss.  The past several days he has been extra fussy right before bedtime so what I have been doing is putting a couple of drops of Peace and Calming II on my hands and rub on his swaddle and my shoulder.

Goes: I don't think that Séamus has ventured to anywhere new this week.  We did attend the Harvest Fest at Ellie's school this weekend and he slept his way through it.  We've also just been to the usual suspects: grocery store, school, home, and the car.

Wears: we busted out the Halloween clothes this week and he is filling out the 0-3 month clothes very well.  I'm thinking it's almost time to start putting him into some 3-6 clothes.  I am not even sure if we managed to get through our entire 0-3 stockpile!!  He is still wearing size 1 diapers.

Does: Séa is a total tummy time champ.  He's even started bringing his knees up under his belly so we might have ourselves and early crawler 🙏.  He has amazing head control, loves to look around and observe and we have been working hard on his core muscles getting him to sit up.  I just know that it's a whole new world once they can do that and they really are so much happier once they can sit!  We also carved our pumpkins this week, I sprayed the inside with Thieves household cleaner to preserve them longer and we used these punches to make the faces!!

Mama: I hit a new rank in my business this week, which is so incredibly exciting!  It's given me more motivation to keep on going and has really validated my desire to help bring wellness into the homes of friends, family, and acquaintances.  The more I learn about oils and toxin free products the more thankful I am to have them and the more I want to share them with everyone!!  I have also been trying to be super mindful of all the stages that Séamus and the girls are in because I know that these moments are fleeting and Séamus is the last.  His giggles and coos give me life, Finnley's obsession and desire to be next to him bring me great joy, and Ellie's willingness to help and desire to love on both of them is everything to me.  I am also just really remembering back to this time last year, when life was full of hormone injections, follicle studies, ultrasounds, and desire that our pipedream would become a reality.  I really had no idea what I was getting myself into, I was so hopeful yet still so very guarded.  I prepared myself for the worst and tried to not get too attached, to any of it.  Thankfully, our last ditch effort of IVF worked!! And here he is in all of his 3 month glory!!

Sisters: Finnley's vocabulary is blossoming.  She loves to grab the Boppy, climb up onto the couch and announce that she is ready to hold the baby.  She calls him Séa Baby, has picked him up and carried him on several occasions (including dropping him on his face when she got caught....), she plays with him, squeals in his face, laughs so hard, and just wants to poke his eyeballs out...the classic 2 year old.

Ellie is totally rocking it at school.  We got her school photos back this week and she absolutely nailed it.  She is constantly kissing Séa's head, wanting to hold him and has yet to pick him up.  She makes silly faces and really cannot control herself when she is overwhelmed with love for him, she will hug him no matter what!  She still wants to include Finnley in all the things and is truly the best big sister I could have ever dreamed of having.  It's because of her that I love 5 year olds!

previous weeks:

Séamus week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, week 5, week 6, week 7, week 8, week 9, week 10, week 11, week 12, 13 weeks

Finnley at 14 weeks

Ellie at 14 weeks

♥ Ashley

What's Up Wednesday: October Edition

Happy Halloween!! I can't believe that we are already at the end of October.  It feels like it just started, alas it's time to get the kids dressed up and cross our fingers that it won't rain while we take them out Trick or Treating.

October has been exciting and full of so many things.  I am sad to see it go but I'm also super excited for November and to get into the holidays!

What we're eating this week: I made one of our favorite soups a couple weeks ago and I think that we're going to have to have it again on Soup Sunday. 

Other items on our menu this week: Prosciutto Chicken has been on my mind lately 

and I think that will be great along with Brewer Brown Rice, 

both of these are total crowd pleasers and really couldn't be much easier.  

Saturday I have pancakes on my mind and these are my favorites ever!

And I have some bananas that are looking a little sad so I'm going to make our favorite 

Banana Chocolate Chip muffins!

What I'm reminiscing about: That this time last year we had finished up all of my IVF injections, our egg retrieval and waiting for our transfer One Year Ago tomorrow!! Halloweens of years past.  I can't believe that this is going to be Ellie's 6th, Finnley's 3rd and Séamus 1st Halloween!! We're doing out best to make the most of it.

 my daily injections

 my final injection

 just before my Egg Retrieval

 2017

 

 2016

What I'm loving: all of my Young Living Thieves cleaning products, I have the Household Cleaner, Dish Soap, Foaming Hand Soap, Laundry Detergent, Essential Oil, Mouthwash, and Toothpaste. For year's I've been obsessed with cleaning my house and clothes to get rid of all the germs.  Little did I know that many of the ingredients in the cleaning products I was buying at the store were actually doing more harm than good.  I'm so glad that I decided to join Young Living and have access to safe, chemical and toxin free cleaning products that are boosting our body systems while really cleaning our home.  Also the number of products in our home has greatly reduced, which is an additional bonus because now things are falling off the shelves, spilling out of the bins, or being shoved into cabinets.

What we've been up to: we've been filling up our days with school drop offs, play dates, library visits, business meetings, MOPs, house cleaning, decluttering, reducing the stuff in our house, donating said stuff, decorating for Halloween, visiting the grandparents, going to pumpkin patches, diffusing Thieves and other oils, working on my business, school pickups, working, and just enjoying as much time we can as a family.

What I'm dreading: I can't really think of anything I am dreading.  I guess the only thing I can really think of is that Daylight Savings in nearing and I really don't like the time change.  It makes me annoyed at how early it gets dark once the time change happens.

What I'm working on: all things with my business. I am absolutely loving my Young Living business and having the opportunity to help out families lead a more toxin and chemical free life.  I love all the things that I am learning about what it actually in products that I used to buy, how essential oils are made and what they are used for, and the whole business side of it.  When I have someone sign up with me, I am so humbled that they have decided to put their trust in me and so extremely happy that they have made the decision to make their household a safer place to be.  That they are taking charge of their wellness and doing their part for the environment.

What I'm excited about: I am so excited that I get to be home with my kids and watch them build their relationships and bond.  I love that I am being challenged and growing into who I am supposed to be.  I am excited to watch Ellie come home from Kindergarten every day and to hear about what she is learning and how she is growing up.  I am excited to listen to Finnley's vocabulary explode and to see her little personality shine.  I am excited to see Séamus grow and develop, I cannot wait until he can sit on his own and then start crawling and walking.

What I'm watching/reading: I am reading up on all the oils in our FB communities, I love perusing through my Martha Stewart and Better Homes & Gardens magazines.  I just finished up the second season of "Anne with an E", we're back to watching "The Walking Dead" - I wasn't too excited about it before this season aired but now I am hooked again.  I also enjoy watching "The Gifted" and am crying my way through every episode of "This is Us".

What I'm listening to: podcasts have become my life.  I binged my way though "The Minimalist Moms" and it has made me realize how cluttered our house is and that I have it full of stuff that doesn't bring me joy, so I've been working on releasing that and it is SO good!  I am also loving  "Revolution Oils" I am learning so much about oils and I couldn't be happier.  I have a few other podcasts on my list but haven't really gotten too into them.

What I'm wearing: I'm between sizes right now so I'm alternating between joggers, maternity pants, and one pair of pull on jeans that fit.  I've been living in nursing tank tops and then any loose fitting shirt I can find that's easy to pull up for Mr. Séamus to have easy access.  Toms are pretty much my favorite shoe to wear because they are easy to slip on and off.  My hair has been shedding like crazy and now I fully understand the whole postpartum hair loss mess.  So my hair has been up in messy buns pretty much all the time.

What I'm doing this weekend: so much celebrating this weekend! We're celebrating our niece's birthday and then one of my good friends is having a baby shower for her sweet boy to come!  We're going to have some family time and I'm sure fill up any of our extra time with something outside of the house.

What I'm looking forward to next month: I'm so excited to get out the rest of my Fall decor and put away the Halloween stuff.  I'm super excited for Thanksgiving this year and am looking forward to spending it with family and to have Séamus there on the outside.  I am also excited to wear more scarves and sweaters and to continue working on my business!

What else is new: finding a rhythm with three has gone pretty smoothly, we've had our challenges and then with Ellie starting school it has really affected our daily routines.  So just figuring that out and to make sure that we are giving attention to each of our children is high on our priority list.  I feel like Thomas and I have come to a point in parenthood where we feel like we've got this sorta figured out and we know what each other's strengths and roles are, which is so nice.

We finally got Cooper's meds figured out and now the dogs are welcome to come in the house because we aren't fearful of Cooper just pissing everywhere.  This has made Finnley extremely happy because she loves to chase the dogs around.

Thanks for stopping by!!

♥ Ashley

 

Harvest Fest 2018

On Friday night Ellie's school hosted a Harvest Festival for all the kiddos. So she dressed up as Rey, Finnley said she wanted to be Snow White but once her costume was on she immediately wanted it off! So she attended sans costume.  Séamus got dressed up as Mickey Mouse but we have no photographic evidence of that, please take my word for it.

We arrived a few minutes after the doors opened and Thomas took the girls in while I parked the car and got Séamus out.  I knew for sure that Ellie was going to have so much fun and basically the time of her life, I wasn't too sure about Finnley since she has recently become afraid of masks and isn't too fond of chaos.  Much to my surprise both girls loved Harvest Fest and enjoyed playing the games!

Ellie started off with cake walks and somehow managed to win two times in a row!  

I live for her luck 😉.  Then we were off to a couple of other classrooms to play some games.  The kids were all awarded one piece of candy after playing the game (regardless of the outcome) and Finnley held onto her Starburst for dear life!

We went outside for Trunk or Treat, this was the part of the Festival that Finnley was the most unsure about.  Ellie got to try launching a whipped cream pie into someone's face, while Séamus was sleeping the entire time.

Back inside we went to the Monster Bash and getting to watch Ellie dance her heart out was simply the best.  Finnley enjoyed herself just observing.  We met up with my nanny kids and they all had fun dancing for a while.  Then we made our way to the other classrooms before we peaced out for the night.

It was such a fun night.  I love that school's have these special nights to make it more fun so that kids can connect with each other and find something fun about school.

♥ Ashley

The Séamus Weekly - week 13

What?!! Little man is in the teens already!  We are seriously just living it up around here and I have to pinch myself that we are all here and complete and loving each other.  Little man did come down with a little bit of congestion and a cough this week and his poor little voice is hoarse...leaving him with the cutest and raspiest little cry!

Eats: nursing all day long and still a couple times at night.  His latch is so much better and his feedings are getting quicker.  He has been grabbing onto my tops a bit as he's nursing and right now, I think that is so adorable.

Sleeps: we are getting a longer stretch at night (which is very welcome) and I have been able to get him back into the Halo after his first feeding instead of keeping him in the bed!  Séamus has had many many naps in the car seat this week as it seems we just live in the car lately...anyone else?  Although when we are home and I have the chance to swaddle him up, get him in his SnuggleMe, and turn his sound machine on in his room we get a very substantial nap out of him.

Goes: we've been in the car a lot going to Ellie's school for drop off and pick up, we went to Ellie's school for her Parent/Teacher Conference (Spoiler: she is doing splendidly), we stayed home all day Saturday and Sunday, and he napped practically through Ellie's entire cheerleading practice.  We also had a play date at our house with the babies from our Centering Group.  It was so fun for the little tiny babies to have a "play date" and to hang out with their moms!

Does: little man still loves to do tummy time and is totally rocking it.  We are working on him sitting up (in my lap) to work on both those neck and core muscles.  He is smiling almost all the time (especially on his changing table) and I have even gotten a few laughs out of him.  He kicks his legs, bats at his toys, try's to suck on all the things, and just seems to enjoy watching his crazy sisters.

Wears: nothing too new here in this department.  Still wearing size 1 diapers and 0-3 clothing.  He is back to getting frustrated with his footed sleepers (his feet don't seem to stay in and often times we'll find him in a "merman" state).

Mama:  I have been battling some congestion myself but finally feel on the up and up thanks to making a seasonal support roller (lavender, peppermint, and lemon).  I have started to go to sleep earlier so that I can maximize the amount of sleep I can get while Séamus is sleeping.  I hopped on the scale the other day and I am just over 5 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight! My body definitely has a different shape but sometimes that number on the scale is so reassuring! 

I am really enjoying my Oils Business and moving up in ranks and achieving goals is seriously giving me life.  I know I've said that I'm going to dedicate a couple of posts to that - they're in the works, I just have to proof and fine tune them a bit, so stay tuned!!  One of the things that I love about my business is the opportunity for cummunity - that is something I have been craving since I graduated college and I am so happy to be building one and also being a part of one.

Sisters:  these two girls will forever have my heart.  They both love Séamus so much but I really feel like their bond has gotten even stronger as the weeks go on.  They love to play with each other and are both so creative.  I love how they both include each other and are pretty good at sharing.  We've had our moments for sure and emotions run high sometimes but we're doing our best to raise them to share, love, and be friends with each other.  They both love to hold Séamus, and prefer to do so with the Boppy.  Oftentimes they will run over to the couch grab the Boppy and announce that "I'm READY" meaning they're all set up to hold their brother...which usually only lasts about a minute or less.  

Finnley is obsessed with her brother and has started to get physical with him.  I've caught her on multiple occasions dragging him around by his feet, and my heart dropped the other day when I walked into his room and she was carrying  him!!! Every time she catches me catching her, she drops what she is doing and exclaims "I'm sorry, I'm sorry"....so we have some major work to do.  She is strong willed and hard headed, so like with most things with her it's bound to be a trip.

previous weeks

Séamus week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, week 5, week 6, week 7, week 8, week 9, week 10, week 11, week 12

Finnley at 13 weeks

Ellie at 13 weeks

♥ Ashley