Addy in iPhone Pics

Addy Pearl has been such a blessing to our family already! I thought it would be fun (for me) to share her first week in iPhone pictures..... Our photographer  always says that your best camera is the one that you have with you, so that's my iPhone. Here's a look at Adalyn's first week.

DJ holding Addy before our family came in to meet her. 

In the hospital, just a day old.... she totally looks like Gretchen here!

Her first flower boom headband!

And her first hair flair!

MC proudly holding her little sister when we were home. 

And Gretchen holding her baby sister.

I have loved spending my days holding this baby girl.

Addy's first doctor's appointment. 

More snuggles.

Swaddled in her bassinet. 

And, more cuddles!

I think I have loved holding her and snuggling this precious baby girl!

Our first full day home were our newborn family pictures, and we spent the afternoon hanging around the house. 

Tuesday, was my 31st birthday, and we spent the morning taking Addy to her doctor's appointment. My mom and the girls baked me a cake and we enjoyed a pasta dinner brought over by a friend. 

On Wednesday, DJ took the girls and my mom to meet my stepdad in Arkansas. They took the girls through Friday, when we went down to meet them.

Thursday, Addy and I spent the day snuggling while DJ went in to work for a little bit.

Friday, we left the house around noon and made our way to my mom's house. Addy did so well in the car and we only had to stop once to feed her.

What a great first week home with her!

Moms Know: Big Ticket Baby Purchases

Today I'm linking up with Leslie, a fashionable first time mom to be over at A Blonde Ambition!

Over the next several weeks, she's offering a series of link ups for us veteran moms, new moms, and moms to be! I guess I fall in the veteran mom category since I have three honey pie's, but man, I feel like there's still so much out there that I don't know!

Today, i'll be sharing with you my picks for strollers, carseats, cribs, and high chairs and why we chose each item.

Six years ago when I was pregnant with Gretchen, we purchased an Evenflo carseat and stroller combination. It was on sale at Target, and it was a perfect purchase for just starting our family. I liked that it was black and neutral, so we could use it with future bambino's, and it's served us well. 

The carseat doesn't expire until this coming December, so we are using it over the next few months with Adalyn. And, I've walked MC around the block many times in this stroller!

At the time, I wasn't aware and i'm not even sure they made the fancy strollers that are on the market today! Part of me wishes I could go back and buy a new one, but there's no point now and they all look so fancy and space-agey!

When I had Megan, we  I decided that we needed a double stroller, so I purchased a Joovy Caboose Sit n Stand.  It had good reviews, I had friends who loved it, and it seemed like a fairly easy stroller to use.

My only complaint about this stroller is that it's so long and can be difficult to maneuver when shopping, but then I realized that it's much easier to shop without the kids in tow, so the stroller and the kids stay home!

The stroller also doesn't have any adult cup holders, but we make do. And, I purchased a stroller hook to hold my diaper bag. 

I love that it has the tray for the front seat, or it can be removed, and there's a separate attachment for the infant stroller. This stroller has seen us through many football games and trips, and I know we'll get two more good years out of it! G always enjoyed sitting on the little bench or standing on the back, and now it'll be Megan's turn to ride in the back!

Now that my girls are older, and out of the infant carriers (well, except Adalyn) we use the Britax Boulevard carseat. The reviews are just amazing, and I love that it can be used at 5 lbs on up to 60 lbs! If we hadn't of had Adalyn, G would still be in this carseat, but it was too big for the back row of our car, and she weighed enough for a booster, so we went ahead and moved her to one. MC uses the Britax, and I plan on putting Adalyn in G's Britax when she's 3 months old.

This isn't the print that we have, but I love it! I honestly rave about the Britax and recommend it to all of my friends. It's really the only carseat that you'll ever need. The only problem is that if you start out with the Britax, you always have to remove the baby for transporting, and infant carriers are just so convenient if the baby is sleeping!

When it was time to purchase a high chair, I really, really, really wanted the Eddie Bauer wooden high chair. I loved that it looked like furniture and it reminded me of the high chair my mom used for me. But, DJ won out, and he convinced me to register for a Fisher Price booster, and I have to say, that he was right. This booster has served us well with both G and MC, and I love, that we can take it with us on vacations, and it folds up so easily! This is also a really good choice, if you're tight on space, and 5 1/2  years ago, we definitely were! It's also easy to clean because it's all plastic, and the tray is dishwasher safe.

When I was pregnant with Gretchen, my cousin offered to give us her baby crib. I wasn't in love with it, but I also knew that for practicality purposes, we didn't need to purchase a brand new crib. Three children later, and we still have the same crib. DJ and I decided, that we would rather spend money on real furniture that could grow with the girls, and that they would have forever, rather than spending money on a crib. 

This crib has a drop down side, and just to let y'all know, i'm fully aware they've been recalled, and I wouldn't recommend buying one. Actually, we won't even be able to sell it when Adalyn is finished using it. However, i'm pretty sure that conversion kits are sold to keep the side from dropping down. DJ and I just decided that we would never use the drop down feature when it was recalled. 

Now, I do appreciate that this crib has held 5 sleeping babies, and we've managed to incorporate it into all of the girls nurseries. 

If I could choose any crib, I would definitely go with a Pottery Barn crib in either white or a dark woo with thick lines. I love this one and this one.

For me, I had to decide between practicality, budget, and prioritize. I won out with a few purchases, and in the end, they were all good solid pieces that have worked well with three kids. As I mentioned earlier, I'd love to have a super fancy stroller or even a brand new crib, but living within a budget, it just wasn't practical to indulge in some areas. I know that i'll only use many of these for another year, maybe two, and then they'll be put in a garage sale like so many other things the girls have grown out of.  And now, that i'm a "veteran mom", I'm glad we didn't purchase a $1,000.00 stroller! Although, I definitely think a $350.00 carseat is a wise and smart investment! 

Thanks so much for stopping over to ready our baby picks! Tomorrow, I'll be linking up with a baby clothes post!!!

Don't forget to follow HPA blog via Bloglovin!

Shop Update: Go Blue & Gator Love

I was asked to create a Michigan themed  collegiate set and I absolutely love how it turned out! Michigan is a little close to my heart, seeing as to how our former head coach at Ball State is now the head coach at Michigan, and tons of our former coaching staff is there. Those people were some of the best we've worked with!

I decided on a chevron "M" applique and a blue and gold fabric tutu skirt. I ordered matching "Go Blue" ribbon, and the customer asked if I could place the bow on a headband, because her daughter prefers headbands- not a problem at all! I never mind for you to ask about custom options!

I was also asked to create a second Florida Gator collegiate set. Our first plan was to put "Chomp" in letters across the shirt, but the letters were too big, so we opted for plan B and I love how the shirt turned out!

This set is being worn in a family 'house divided' photo shoot coming up, and I've created two other outfits for her! I can't wait to see all of them together!

For a full collegiate set, the price is $55.00, however the pieces can be purchased separately or you can choose a twirl skirt rather than a fabric tutu.

Collegiate orders should be placed now as my turn around time is slightly longer with a new baby in the house! Any orders placed now, should be shipped around the first of August.

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you all have a lovely Saturday!

4th of July

Now that Adalyn is here, and all that is blogged about, I should probably share what we did on the 4th of July! This was our very last day of a family of four.

Thursday morning, DJ woke up and mowed the grass while the girls and I cleaned up inside. Afterwards, we went to the pool and relaxed. I was able to lay out and DJ and the girls swam. We even had a picnic lunch at the pool. 

Around 1, we came home and put the girls down for a nap. My parents, Aunt, and little cousin showed up from Arkansas around 2, and we spent some time hanging out outside. 

G was so excited that her Gee was here! 

We decided after a while to head back to the pool. DJ was smoking ribs for our dinner, so he couldn't join us... the boys stayed with him, so it was just a girls trip to swim!

By the time we got back to the pool, it was pretty cool. I sat out for a while before getting back in, and eventually it started to sprinkle. 

I got out to put the camera away, and MC joined me. 

I just love this little picture of her!

I gave MC a snack, and then the sprinkles turned into a full blown thunderstorm!

Once we got home, Gee and the girls made homemade ice cream. 

MC had a little too much fun with the powdered sugar!

We had to hang out inside because of the rain, but the girls loved spending time with their grandparents!

DJ's mom arrived just in time for a dinner of ribs, grilled potato salad, corn on the cob, and apple cobbler!

That evening, DJ took almost everyone out to the football offices to watch the Tulsa fireworks. MC and I stayed at the house with my stepdad. 

It was so sweet when she crawled up in his lap for bedtime cuddles! They snuggled and watched a little t.v. 

I finished packing the suitcase for the hospital, packed the presents for DJ and the girls, and worked on some laundry, and finished packaging a few orders.

I don't think we made it into bed until 11:30- it was a long but fantastic day!

Adalyn Comes Home

On Sunday morning, we were given the go ahead to leave from my OB. We had to wait for the pediatrician to give us the go ahead, but they wanted to run a quick blood test to check for jaundice levels on Adalyn, once those came back clear, we were free to leave!

While Addy was gone for testing, I had plenty of time to get dressed by myself and enjoy some quiet time! DJ actually had to run back to the house to pick up my car and install the carseat.

Pops and Grandma Dee came by to say good-bye before they headed back home. 

After grandparents left, I got Addy dressed in her coming home outfit....

She wore a light pink dress that my grandmother had bought for Megan, but Megan never wore the dress, so it was perfect for Adalyn!

Adalyn also used a green blanket with lace trim that was mine when I was a baby.

Here's Addy and I before leaving the hospital.

Addy and her daddy.

Addy in the car ready to be home!

DJ and I actually drove through Sonic for lunch and dropped off my prescriptions before we headed home, and Addy slept the entire way!

We pulled in to the driveway and found DJ's mom, Gretchen, and my mom sitting on the front porch waiting on us!

I thought it was so sweet that when I got Addy out of the car, that G came running out to greet her!

(Megan was down for her nap!)

The three of us before going into the house. Gretchen didn't want in the picture, she decided that it should just be the three of us.

I put Addy down in the living room, and Bailey immediately came over to sniff her and figure out who this new person was. 

I love the picture above and the look on Gretchen's face! She adores her little sister!

And just Addy, waiting to learn what this life stuff is all about.

Welcome home Addy Pearl!

Addy's First Day

So we made it through Addy's first few hours of life. Our family left us pretty early at the hospital Friday night and took the girls out to eat. DJ's mom stayed and hung out with us for a while, and when she left, we were able to get some rest. 

We started getting ready for bed around 10, but I don't think we made it there until 11, and of courses, nurses were coming in all through the night. I tried to let Adalyn sleep in her bassinet, but she just wasn't having it, and I was more than thrilled to swaddle her and lay her in the bed beside me. 

My nurse reminded me that I shouldn't sleep with her earlier that evening, and I just thought, "hey lady, this is my third baby, pretty sure if she sleeps better this way, then we're gonna do it!" And we did. 

She slept 6 hours that first night! The nursery nurse told me I should've woken her up to feed her, and I told her we'd play catch up during the day to make up for the missed feedings, but i'm gonna be honest, I really enjoyed the consecutive hours of sleep!

We got Adalyn dressed and worked on getting dressed ourselves. I layed her on the bed at one point, and she started sucking her thumb, so I made DJ take a picture!

Here's Addy and I after I was able to shower, put on some make up and put on pj's. Because in the hospital, right after having a baby, you need pj's. I promise, you won't want to put anything else on.

I crawled back in the bed and enjoyed dozing off and on and snuggling with sweet Adalyn.

We had to change her clothes because she peed on them. Good thing I had plenty of outfits to change her into!

Here's DJ and I with our new baby girl.

And Addy and me with her Gee, my mama.... I swear, I could not do this without her. I'm so, so thankful that she's been able to be around for all three of the girls births!

DJ's mom came up that morning too.... and this is what you do when you're bored at a hospital- DJ was showing them house plans that we're interested in, because you know, we like to move and all. 

Later that afternoon DJ's dad and stepmom came up for a visit.

And finally my girls! I love watching all of them interact together, and yes, they had matching outfits! Thanks Gee!

The first thing Meggie said was, "I wanna hold baby" and she jumped up in the bed so she could hold her baby sister.

Meggie pointed out baby's eyes, nose, mouth, hands, and feet. Every time I tried to help Meggie hold Adalyn, she'd move my hands away and say, "I do it!" 

I love, love, love the picture above!

By this time, Meggie had jumped down, and Addy was being passed around and I was able to get some snuggles from Gretchen, my first baby girl. 

Gretchen decided she wanted to hold Adalyn, and she did such a good job! She just loved holding her!

And, we were able to get another picture of our family of five, full of princesses..... and one prince. 

I don't have pictures, because I wasn't with the girls on Saturday, but that morning, they woke up and played outside and my mom made them pancakes. Their pops and grandma Dee came over and took them to the swimming pool and to McDonald's for lunch, and then back home for naps. Aunt Jan stayed with the girls for their naps, and then loaded them up in the car to meet their Nana for mani/pedi's. Apparently, MC wanted nothing to do with the pedi, but G had her toes and fingernails painted and even had little sparkles on them! After their mani/pedi's they came up for their hospital visit, and then they went out to dinner at Olive Garden with their grandma's and Aunt Jan.

I am so, so thankful for our family that came, not only to see Adalyn, but to make the days special for the older girls!