Logan's Lunches: Eleven Months

I've decided to start a new monthly series about what Logan eats for lunch! He generally has the same thing as us for night time meals, but lunches usually aren't very well planned out. Here are a weeks worth of  his lunches at eleven months old.

Starting at the top left and going left to right:

1. Scrambled egg with mushroom, spinach, and bell pepper. Blueberries. Cheese. Avocado.

2. Peas and carrots. Tuna salad. Strawberries and blueberries.

3. Cheese. Turkey Veggie burger. Orange bites. Avocado.

4. Avocado. Peanut butter sandwich. Cantaloupe. Orange bites.

5. Steamed broccoli with cheese. Strawberries. Avocado toast.

6. Chicken salad sandwich. Sauteed mushrooms. Strawberries. Black eyed peas. 

Day In The Life (with a 2 1/2 month old)

I decided to share a typical day for us. My husband works in retail management. He either works 7:30-4 or 3-10:30. This is a day for us on one of his closing days. We really like when he opens better, because our whole schedule is just weird when he doesn't leave the house until 3. 

6:08 I hear my little one beginning to rouse. (he went to bed at 9:00) I make a quick run to the potty (I have learned!), then go rescue him from his crib. I change my first diaper of the day and then we settle into my big red chair for him to eat. He eats for 14 minutes, and then we both head back to bed.

9:00 I have been laying in bed for a little while waiting to hear Logan, and have yet to hear anything! I sneak into his room and take a peek. He is still passed out, both arms above his head, mouth slightly parted. I take advantage of his sleeping in and make some coffee (1/3 caffeine, 2/3 decaff! woohoo! living on the wild side!) and have a bowl of cereal. 

I can hear Logan in his room slowly waking up on his own time while I eat my breakfast.

9:20 Daddy Low and I go to check on him together. He is laying peacefully in his crib and smiles when he sees us. Daddy is the lucky one to get diaper #2. Now we know what he was doing in there! ;)

9:35 Logan has breakfast again.

10:15 Diaper #3, dress Logan, and head out the door. The three of us are going to Hobby Lobby, the Dollar Tree, and the bank. 

11:15 Back at home. Diaper #4, and time to eat again!

Logan and I exchange smiles and sing songs in my lap. 

Then we all get in the floor and play and read books. 

He sits in his bouncy seat as Daddy and I eat leftovers and talk to him. 

Can you say, "deer in the headlights?"

12:10 Diaper #5. Logan changes from his going out clothes into a comfy at home outfit. 

Then it is time to eat again!

12:30 Logan is down for his first nap of the day. He slept much later than usual today. His first nap is usually around 9:30 or 10.

While Logan naps, Matt and I hang out for a little while. Then we may or may not have drifted off for a nap of our own...

2:40 Matt is out the door for work. I am astonished that Logan is still napping! We are lucky to get one hour naps, and now we are past two hours!

Before Logan wakes up I manage to empty and refill the dishwasher and start a craft project. Although most of my free time is spent searching for some paintbrushes that I was certain I knew exactly where they were. Aha! On top of the fridge... that makes perfect sense... not.

3:05 Logan is awake now. Once again, he wakes up as a happy baby. I love when that happens. Trust me, it doesn't always. Time for diaper #6 and another snack.

3:25 I spread out a quilt on Logan's floor and set up a fun play area for him, while I reorganize his dresser and closet. He has so many clothes. I am not sure he will have time to wear them all! During the time we spend hanging out in his room, I change diapers #7 & 8.

4:20 Time to eat again! Then Logan goes down for his second nap.

While Logan is sleeping, I start a load of laundry, work on my craft project a little more, and have some tuna made with jalapeno relish! Yum!

5:30 Logan is awake again. I change diaper #9, and then we sit down to read a book together. Logan has really taken an interest in books lately. I love to watch his face when he sees a new page. 

5:40 Time to eat again! Someone has some spit-ups, time for a new outfit! Don't worry, we have plenty. ;)

We settle in on his play area from earlier in the day and play with a few toys, and enjoy looking at Molly. 

Logan has never seen his colorful xylophone before. He stares in amazement as I play a few tunes for him.

6:15 Little man is starting to get fussy. Diaper #10

6:30 Diaper #11

6:45 I put Logan into the Moby, and he, Molly, and I head out for a nice evening walk. I take our usual circular route, but instead of coming back inside I go around two more times. The comfortable ride settles him down for a while.

After we come in Logan sits in his bouncy seat while I quickly make a cake that I have been wanting to make for a few days. 

7:15 I strip Logan down to his diaper and swaddle him tightly. My little glow worm and I go into the kitchen, and I wash his head and neck. He absolutely hates taking a bath. (sad face, right?) So we stretch baths out a little more by giving his head a good wash in between. He isn't a fan of that either, but it isn't nearly traumatic as an actual bath.

After his head is dry and he has regained his composure, I change diaper #12 and put Logan into his jammies for the night.

There is that cute little deer again!

7:35 Logan and I settle in for his night time feeding. After only ten minutes he is completely zonked! He doesn't rouse at all as I carefully put him in his crib and cover him up. Goodnight little man!

10 minutes later... he is back awake!

I change his diaper, and nurse again. 30 minutes this time, that's more like it!

Goodnight little man!

8:33 Logan is sleeping soundly again. Now is as good of a time as any to start my load of diaper laundry. I will do the final rinse and hang them on the line in the morning. Oh, hello load of laundry I started at 4:30! Into the dryer you go!

8:55 Guess who is awake again!? I change yet another diaper (#14 for those of you keeping track) while Little Man smirks at me sleepily. He seriously makes the cutest faces.

A little snack to top off and ease him back to sleep. 

Goodnight little man!

After I add the finishing touches to this post I will take a quick shower and read until Matt gets home. 

I won't lie, I will probably eat with him then too. I know it isn't good, but neither is letting someone eat alone!

Today was a pretty good day for us! We had a little fussiness, but being a baby is hard!

As you can see he eats just about every hour, but it is an easy trade off for him sleeping 9-10 hour stretches at night!

I have enjoyed chronicling our simple day. I can see myself doing this again in the future!

Good Morning to Me!

I love iced coffee! But I don't want to pay $4 for it, or really have to leave the house either.

There are so many recipes on Pinterest for iced coffee and frappuccinos. I wasn't 100% satisfied with any of the ones I came across.

I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands! This is what I came up with:

I brewed an extra strong pot of coffee, and added sugar and caramel while it was still hot.

After it cooled a bit I poured the sweetened coffee into two ice trays, and popped those bad boys in the freezer.

Come the next morning I had two trays full of frap starters. 

I put 7 coffee cubes and 3 ice cubes into the blender.

Then poured in a little milk and a splash of water, (these measurements are very scientific, don't mess around!) and blended away!

The end result was icy and delicious! 

However, after having almost zero caffeine while I was pregnant and now that I am breastfeeding, I have quite the caffeine buzz going on today. I think tomorrow I will only use 4 coffee cubes! So far it doesn't seem to be affecting Logan. *fingers crossed*

The best part? I have enough left in my freezer to make five more frappuccinos! 

How I Cut Down My Laundry Detergent Use by More Than Half

I used to use WAY too much detergent! As in, I would almost fill up the measuring lid on the jug!

Now I probably use about 1/4 to 1/8 as much as I used to, and my clothes are still clean and smell just as fresh.

I start by letting the water run in the lid, rinsing out the detergent. Then I let the machine completely fill up before I add any clothes. 

My biggest laundry secret is to let the machine agitate for 20-30 seconds before you add the clothes. This makes the most of your detergent, and gets the water nice and sudsy.

Then I add the clothes/towels/sheets etc., and use my handy dandy laundry spoon to push them all down into the water.

I make sure everything is completely submerged before I shut the lid. 

Then wash as normal!

Isn't laundry fun?

If I am tardy to the party on this one, please just nod your head, pat me on the back, and tell me what a good job I am doing.

Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice

My parents are up seeing us this weekend. 

We are having SO much fun!

The next time they come to see us it will most likely mean a flying trip down the interstate and meeting at the hospital! Whoop! (has anyone taken a peek at the countdown to the right today!?)

When I saw this recipe on Pinterest I knew I just had to make it while they were here!

Hollowing out the pineapple wasn't very difficult at all, and the rest of the recipe is a breeze!

It was absolutely delish!

You can find the full recipe here.

Now back to enjoying our visit time!

Pretty Door!

Earlier this week I finally took down my Easter wreath... whoops!

and replaced it with this beaut that I made!

I wanted to make sure I chose something that could last a while. 

I mean, what is the next holiday, 4th of July?

The rosettes were particularly fun to make.

Also, I would like to publicly thank my mother for buying me a hot glue gun a few years ago, when I didn't even know I wanted one! Those things are super handy!

Smooth(ie) Operator

We went on a grocery trip today, and I made sure to get plenty of fruits and veggies for these last few weeks of pregnancy!

I had making smoothies on my mind for many of the choices that I made. 

Tonight after putting away all of the groceries, I made our first smoothie from the trip.

It included, plain yogurt, a banana, strawberries, blueberries, kale and ice.

Yum-ee!

I am currently enjoying my glass of deliciousness. 

Poor lighting, bad picture. They are much more purple than this shows.

To be honest, they are pretty thick. They could stand a little water, or maybe more yogurt. I could really eat mine with a spoon. 

Get your clean on!

Lately I have been a twinge bit obsessed with vinegar.

Strange, I know. 

It all started after I read an article, 45 Uses for Vinegar.

Vinegar is useful stuff!

Today I used it to clean my microwave.

Just put a small bowl of vinegar in the microwave and heat it for a few minutes.

I used the ever classic 2:22.

Then easily wipe away the ick!

(not the greatest pictures, I know)

I must admit, I have used this same trick with a bowl of water before. That works well also. I can't 100% say that vinegar works any better actually. BUT vinegar does kill germs, so for the sake of this post we will just go ahead and say that it looks nice and is germ free as well!

I have also been using vinegar as a replacement for Jet Dry(expensive!), as a softening agent in my washing machine, and to clean in the bathroom!

Using cheap household ingredients is pretty awesome, I must say. I am loving seeing what expensive chemicals I can replace, and different ways I can save money!

(and if you think vinegar is awesome, you should check out what baking soda can do!)

Busy Week!

This week has really felt non-stop, go-go-go!

It probably wouldn't feel as busy if I wasn't pregnant, but I am!

The house started out clean when we went to bed on Sunday night, by today it was another story! I am spending my afternoon trying to get it whipped back into shape!

Monday: I worked that morning and I am having issues remembering that night... I know I ate something, but I can't remember what it was! On days that I work I am pretty useless in the evening. 

Tuesday: Molly had her annual vet appointment in the morning for her shots. I was so paranoid that something was going to be wrong with her. I think that was my pregnant hormones shining. Luckily, she received a clean bill of health! Whew! 

That afternoon I organized and took inventory in the pantry, then made a grocery run. Matt was at work so it also involved unloading and putting-away by myself. If you have been to our apartment you know it is a bit of a hike from the parking lot to our front door. I also cooked supper that night!

Wednesday: I worked again, and cooked again! I really planned on cleaning the kitchen before checking out for the night, but the energy simply wasn't there.

Thursday(today!): This morning I had my 32 week dr. appointment. I only gained three pounds since my last appointment, four weeks ago. BOOM! Haha, I was so proud of myself. My dr. said that I should keep the rest of my weight gain from here to the end to under 10 pounds. If I follow the general one pound a week rule, that shouldn't be a problem. I am eating healthy and staying active, and (besides a bit of heartburn) feeling really great!

Right now the dishwasher, washing machine, and dryer are running (hello electricity bill!). I plan on cooking again tonight, and I really want to make some oatmeal cookies! But we will just wait and see how it plays out.

Friday: I work again tomorrow, but this time I will close. I don't have to be at work until 4, but I will probably sleep in and take it pretty easy all day. The evenings are when I am the most worn out, so I don't want to use up all of my energy before I get to work!

Saturday: Childbirth Class! From 9-5. I am so excited about this class! I cannot wait to see the hospital and learn more about their policies. We signed up for the class online several weeks ago. We never received an email or anything in the snail mail, so I started to worry that we weren't actually registered. This afternoon I called to confirm, and we were NOT signed up!!! I am so glad I listened to my worries on that one! I gave them all of our info and paid over the phone. Now we are good to go for Saturday. I can't wait!

I can't wait to see what next week will bring! Maybe a day with NO obligations!? We shall see!

Spring!

Every year about this time I start feeling more motivated and just down right happier. I LOVE spring! The beautiful weather, nicer temperatures, green grass, leaves on the trees, flowers! I don't even mind spring showers! 

Don't even get me started on the wonderful-ness that is Daylight Savings time! Only three more days!

To celebrate the season and the fact the Easter is coming up (one month from today!), I made an Easter wreath! I used this tutorial that I found on One Pretty Thing.

It was easy to make! And really cheap! This is actually the first wreath I have ever made. I must say I like having some decor on our door. I should have one for every season/holiday!

I wish I had a garden or at least a yard with some flowers. I definitely need more flowers in my life. 

What does Spring bring out in you?

Nursery Update: Busy Weekend

My parents came to see us this weekend, and we managed to pack SO much into a weekend visit! The first night I felt a little bad, because we left them about an hour after they got here to go to a going away party for a former co-worker of mine. 

Well, when we walked in the door they all yelled "Surprise!" while holding up cute plates that read "Baby." Those sweethearts threw me a surprise baby shower, complete with food, games, and gifts! AND my parents were able to come also! It worked out so perfectly!

I was so touched that they thought of me, and spent the time and effort to plan out this surprise. 

We did so much over just a few days that I couldn't possibly share it all, so here are a few tidbits.

We made cloth wipes from used receiving blankets!

Cut 7x7 inch squares. Sew two together back to back.

Pink the edges.

Voila! Cloth wipes!

While we were making the wipes, I prepped more prefolds.

My mom made Logan's curtains. They are too too cute!

We hung lots of things, curtains, pictures, his quilt.

I am saving "real" pictures of his nursery for a big final reveal later on. 

I thrifted this wall hanging many months ago. I was just about ready to get rid of it, because I didn't know what to do with it. My mom picked the perfect spot right away, and now it is hanging where I can enjoy it!

While my mom and I were working on organizing Logan's room, Matt and my dad hung these awesome towels hooks! Matt is going to share his with Logan when he gets here. :)

Thanks to my mom, those pesky boxes I kept putting off cleaning out and sorting through in the nursery are now out of there. The curtains are hung, there is a shelf for toys behind the door, pictures are hung, and the room is pretty much done minus a few small touches! 

We also did lots of shopping (mostly for fabric, TOO many choices!), cooking, eating, and even some cleaning! They definitely left our apartment in better shape than how they found it! 

Project Nursery: First Update

Remember what the nursery looked like before?

Well, it looks a lot different now!

We started by breaking down the guest bed. We went the classy route and covered the mattress in plastic and duck tape for easy storage on our patio. Do you have any better ideas? Eh? We stacked the box springs on top of our box springs. Now our bed is nice and tall. I must say, it makes getting out of bed easier on a pregnant lady! All I have to do is slide into a standing position.

Once the room was cleared, operation crib assembly was underway. 

The instructions were only mildly confusing... that thing has a TON of pieces! 

I think putting the crib together is a right of passage for all parents. Or at least it should be! 

Ta-da! 

Remember what the dresser looked like before?

After a few coats out on the patio...

It now looks like this! 

Right now the crib is full of random baby items, but it feels so good to finally have it all in the room and semi set up. 

We also have our car seat and matching stroller now! When are you supposed to install the car seat? 

My boppy!

It is hard to tell in the pictures, but the dresser matches the light green in Logan's crib bedding spot on. My mom and I spent quite some time holding up paint samples with a crib bumper to make sure of it! 

Overall, I am very pleased with where we are in the nursery process. We still need to add decor, sew curtains, and organize his things. 

Cleaning and Organizing

There is nothing quite like a baby on the way to get you motivated to organize your home! Matt and I tackled the bedroom together a few days ago. It was something we had been putting off for a while. There were still some boxes sitting around from when we moved in (in June *ahem*). You know, "those" boxes. Once we actually started working, we had it looking like a different room in a just a little over an hour. We ended up throwing out a ton of stuff that we don't need, and filling two boxes with clothes to donate!

I took on this smaller project by myself one day after work. Since we moved in all of the random bathroom things had been in this box under the sink. Now imagine us digging through this box for seven months in search of certain items. It was a mess, not to mention the box was falling apart and starting to not even fit anymore!

I bought these baskets from Hobby Lobby and organized our stuff into three categories. I also managed to get rid of quite a bit. (Remember my mantra? Get rid, get rid, get rid!)

Now if we need something it is easy to find and it looks much better too!

Upcoming cleaning/organizing projects include, but are not limited to, our closet, front storage closet, nursery closet, and my craft box.

Planning Ahead

I am a planner. I can't help it. I have to plan ahead! Short term, long term, all of the above. And when it comes to planning I am very visual. I found this awesome weekly calendar at Hobby Lobby on clearance. Score! It is magnetic and the pages tear away. This will be the perfect way for Matt and I to remember each other's schedules and any appointments during the week.

This morning work was especially slow. I took that opportunity to map out the remaining weeks of my pregnancy on one of the pieces of paper we use to wrap breakable items. Having it all out on paper helps my brain comprehend what is to come. 

It looks like a lot, then at the same time, not much at all. Sometimes I still can't believe I am going to be a mother. What an amazing, amazing time this is.

I like blogging. Really, I do! So why do I make it so hard!?


Sometimes I feel like my days are too boring to provide any good blogging material. In that case, should I try to live a more interesting life or work with what I've got?


Here is a run-down of my day today.


7:45 Alarm
8:00 Breakfast, Special K in bed.
8:40 Leave for work
9-4 Work
4 Home, Snack of animal crackers, peanut butter, and milk.
5-7 Unplanned nap
7 We made hot dogs on the George Foreman.
Matt watched tv and I pinned things on Pinterest while chatting with my sister about childbirth on messenger.
Then I took a shower, turned bath, and shaved my legs.


The most exciting parts of today were the labor and delivery chat and actually shaving my legs. 


Was that interesting? Was it worth reading? Was it worth me writing???


Also, the next time I am pregnant, I really hope we live in a place with a comfy bathtub. I really feel like baths could benefit my back, but not when the back of the tub is at a 90 degree angle!


So, that is pretty much any work day for me. Of course, in a few months my days will be COMPLETELY different! I am sure I will have many more things to write about then! I can't wait! Until then, I shall persevere!

Project Nursery: Before

Things are finally falling in place for the nursery. Even though the room hasn't changed yet. The biggest decision to make was the crib bedding. Once that decision was made it was easier to start making more decisions about how we wanted to decorate, etc. 

Up until now this room has been used as a guest room and storage for too much junk!

We will be using the dresser in the nursery, but we are painting it more of a baby fun color. The mirror in the corner goes on top of the dresser. It will also be painted and attached to the dresser. 

This beautiful four poster head and footboard needs to be repaired. Once we make those small repairs they will be moved to our bedroom and put to use. 

All of my sewing and craft items are stored in this room. I plan on making room for them in our closet, and hopefully getting rid of some of it. 

There are also several boxes of who-knows-what in this room and closet. My mantra and goal for the next few weeks is "Get rid of! Get rid of! Get rid of!"