Friday Fives

Happy Friday!  This has been a long and busy week.  I'm definitely ready for the weekend.

1. Yesterday, Eli and I just happened upon the "Bugs" class at The Little Gym. I was literally eating lunch next door and wondered in just to see what they did. Ironically the class for 3-9 month old kids had just started. The staff was so kind to let us go ahead and join. Eli loved it and we can't wait to go back.

 

2.  Thank you to those of you who got me thinking about swimming lessons for Eli.  Luckily, I was able to find one lady who will take babies as young as six months.  If you're in the Memphis area, check out Swimming Lessons with Mrs. Holly. 

3. I am so excited because Fred and I have absolutely NOTHING to do on Saturday. This never happens.  Ever.

4.  The Memphis Grizzlies (NBA team) just advanced to the Western Conference Finals.  I couldn't be more excited or more proud to be a Grizz fan!  I've got my growl towel ready to take on our next opponent!

 
5.  I went to a neighborhood sale the other day and picked up Scentsy's "Skinny Dippin'" and oh my goodness!  It smells so good!  It's perfect for the summer.  

What are you looking forward to this weekend? 

The Boy of Summer

With the official start to summer just right around the corner, I've started looking at things for Eli.  My parents have a pool and we enjoy going to the lake in the summer, so I thought these things would be good to have for our little one....

Straw Fedora / Swim Trunks / Boat Shoes / Sunscreen
Swim Float / Sunglasses / Beach Towel

I can't wait to see how cute Eli looks in the pool and on the boat!  Is there anything else I'm forgetting for this summer??

Copy Cat

When it comes to cooking, I am a copy cat.  It's like I am incapable of creating any recipes of my own.

So, what's a copy cat to do?  Scour Pinterest, blogs and Instagram for delicious looking foods.

One of my favorite bloggers for delicious recipes is Christin.  I saw her post on Instagram on Sunday night and I told her that I needed that recipe for the next day.  No pressure, right?

Well, she came through and this was the result...

Stuffed chicken breasts, sweet corn and sweet potatoes

Stuffed chicken breasts
Ingredients: 
frozen chicken breasts, thawed
sliced provolone cheese
Roma tomato, sliced
1 egg
Bread crumbs
Italian seasoning
Pepper to taste
Green onions, chopped (omitted)

Directions:   
Split the chicken breasts and stuff with cheese and tomatoes. Dip in egg and bread crumbs. Season with Italian seasoning and pepper to taste. Top with green onions. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes

Mashed Sweet Potatoes
This was my first time making any sort of potatoes from scratch.  It was surprisingly easy.

Sweet Corn: 
Wrap corn in foil with 1 tbsp butter and bake in oven for 20 minutes at 350.

The meal turned out to be a hit and even Eli seemed to like watching us eat!   Thanks again, Christin!

My First Mother's Day

My first Mother's Day was nothing short of amazing!  I woke up just feeling so blessed to be mom to these two little guys.  They make me smile on a daily basis and they are the reason I am a mom.  

Daddy, I mean Knox and Eli, did good with my presents too!  (please excuse the insanely messy kitchen counter)

After morning snuggles, cuddles and presents, we dropped Knox and Eli off at my in-laws for a bit.  Fred and I met my mom and dad downtown for brunch at Bleu.  I'd heard their brunch was amazing, but we didn't have such a great experience.  After brunch, we headed to The Orpheum for a matinee showing of Rock of Ages.

Rock of Ages is not a musical for the family.  It's more of a "Rated R" type musical.  While it was good and the music was awesome, I have to say that the movie version was much better.  But if you like 80's rock music, this might just be the musical for you.

After the play, we went back to Fred's mom's to pick up E and take her out to dinner.  E was wide awake all through dinner and was on his best behavior.

 

On our way home, I was sitting in the 3rd row with E in the 2nd row.  I captured this pic of him just staring and smiling at me.  It was almost as if he was saying, "I love you, Mommy!"  

It was the perfect ending to my first Mother's Day! 

Mini Weekend Recap

Happy Monday!  I can't believe another weekend has come and gone.  

Our weekend flew by, like most of them do, but we managed to squeeze a lot of fun in there.  

We kicked our weekend off by braving the rain and heading to Greek Fest.  It's our annual tradition.  The food is always so delicious.  This year, they even had baklava ice cream!  Yum!  Eli seemed to enjoy the people watching and the music.  

On Saturday, I headed out to run the Junior League of Memphis' 5K for Kids.  Since I'll be the Vice Chair of the race next year, I had to show off a little.  I ran it in 23:23 (43 seconds slower than my PR last week, but still a good time).  I did manage to pull off a 2nd place win in my age category though.

The remainder of Saturday was spent running errands, watching the Memphis Grizzles in the NBA playoffs, and devouring this delicious homemade strawberry cake my neighbor made for my first Mother's Day!   Yum! 

But more on my first Mother's Day tomorrow!  How was your weekend?

Mother's Day Love

This Sunday will mark my official first Mother's Day.  I've celebrated the past four years as Knox's mom, but this year, I will be celebrating as Eli's mom (my favorite title).

This day makes me look back on our journey to becoming a family and makes me celebrate the most wonderful five months of my entire life.

Becoming a mom was something I've always dreamed of.  Over the past three years, there were days when I thought my dream would never happen.  Little did I know that I would soon be a mom to the sweetest, cutest, happiest little boy in the entire world. Being a mom is one of the hardest and most rewarding jobs anyone can have.  I would go through everything ten more times just to experience the love and happiness I have from this little boy. 

He's given me the greatest job in the world.  I never knew you could love someone so much.  He doesn't talk, but through his giggles and smiles, I know he loves me too.

My wish this year is for every woman, longing for a child, to experience this kind of love and happiness.  

I want to wish all of you mommies out there (whether you have grown children, children growing in your bellies or simply waiting in your heart) a VERY happy Mother's Day!  

 

Finish the Sentence...

Is it just Thursday?!  Well, thank goodness because this momma is tired and Jake and Holly are lifesavers!  How do they always know when I'm in a blogging lull???  So, I'm linking up today with them for another "Finish the Sentence"...

Unlike my sibling(s) (that I love very much)....I am not all that hairy.  (I'm an only child therefore my brother is a long-haired, miniature dachshund)
My best friend says...that we should look at marathons in Savannah, Georgia for 2014.  Any suggestions?
People call me...Carolyn and it drives me nuts!  My name is Care-O-Line.  Not that hard, people.
I most often dream...about being asked to go to Nationals with my high school pom squad.  This dream happens more often than I'd like to remember.
The best part of my day...is when I see E's face for the first time.
I really don't understand...the obsession with Glee.  It really annoys me.
I get really annoyed...when people don't listen.
There's nothing like a...real Hostess cupcake.  Someone please bring them back.
Lately, I can't get enough...sweets!  My sweet tooth is in overdrive hence the Hostess cupcake comment above.
One thing I am NOT is...a minimalist.  I'm cleaning out my closet and I am learning I am a bit of a clothes hoarder.
I spent too much money on...workout clothes.  Hey, at least I use them, right?!  And this goes back to the clothes hoarder thing.
I want to learn....Italian.  I did a study abroad there, but everyone spoke English.
If I ever met Jessica Simpson (insert person here, I would...DIE.  I seriously love that girl.
I can't stop...believin'!  Sorry, I had to!
Never have I ever...had a Big Mac.  I've just never had the desire to even try one.
Reese Witherspoon...is still America's Sweetheart.  She made a bad decision.  She apologized.  Let's move on....

Will you link up??

Baby Must Haves: 4 Month Edition

I know many of you are expecting out there, so I wanted to go ahead and do a post about the items that were most beneficial to us during Eli's fourth month.  I know every baby is different, but these items have been life savers for us.

Booster Seat / Linking Crab / Teether
Baby Bjorn / Links / Piano Gym

1.  I like this booster seat better than the Bumbo because Eli has toys built in that he can play with.  We also have the Bumbo, but he really likes the toys on the Summer Infant one. 

2. "Charlie" has been a lifesaver.  Eli loves to chew and suck on just about every part of his body.  We never leave home without him.  

3.  My mom saw a little girl chowing down on this teether and since Eli loves to chew now, I ordered it.  He's slowly, but surely learning to use it and it feels so good on his gums.

4.  The Baby Bjorn is our go-to carrier.  When the stroller doesn't work, we strap this on and we're good to go!  Eli loves to look and this is the perfect carrier to keep him happy. 

5.  Eli loves holding on to these links and putting them in his mouth.  It's amazing how much entertainment they provide.

6.  My parents bought E this musical play mat and he loves it!  He loves to make the music with his feet and grab the animals at the same time.  It provides lots of entertainment.   

I hope this helps.  Like I said, every baby is different, but maybe these items can help you and your bundle of joy!  

What items worked for your baby? 

To see other "Must Haves" visit One Month & 0-3 Months.

Eli is Five Months Old

Dear Eli,

You are now FIVE months old.  You are quite the little charmer and loved more than you can ever imagine.

You keep changing on a daily basis and it's so much fun to watch you discover new things.  You are constantly putting your hands in your mouth (and just about everything else you can get your hands on). You are babbling up a storm and you love to hear yourself laugh.  You have quite the personality.

You rolled over for the first time on Friday, May 3.  You weren't surprised or anything but you worked very hard to get there.  You've been rolling on your sides for about a week now and Friday you rolled right on over.

You are eating about 6-7 oz. every 4 hours.  You usually eat 8 oz. before bed and you used to sleep through the night, but you have been waking up for a 3:30am feeding. The past two nights, you've slept through the night again and this makes for a very happy and rested Mommy and Daddy.

You've tried rice cereal on a spoon and oatmeal from a spoon, but you're not a fan of either.  It still may have been too early, but we have time.

You have been on nap strike for a while now.  You're really in to "cat napping" for 15-30 minutes then waking up and ready to take on the world.  We're doing everything we can to make you stay occupied.

We've broken out the "jump jump" and although your little toes barely touch, you love to jump.  You're also still a HUGE fan of your music mat.

You've become obsessed with you Baby Bjorn because you can see everything.  You also seem to get your best naps in it. The stroller works sometimes, but the Bjorn works best.

You even love to sit in your high chair.  I guess you feel like you can see everything.  It certainly helps Mommy and Daddy get things done.

You have brought more joy to our lives than we could have ever imagined.  You are just so happy and so beautiful.  We are so in love with you and so thankful to be your parents.  We love you!

Eli's 5 month stats:
Feed: 

 You are eating 6-7 ounces every 4 hours and 8 ounces before you go to bed.  

   

Weight: 

Between 15-20 lbs.

Birth Weight: 6 lbs. 14 oz.

Length: 

26 inches

Birth Length: 19 1/2 inches 

Diaper Size: 

Size 2.  I think we'll be purchasing Size 3 soon. 

Clothes Size: 

You are now wearing 6 month clothes.

Hair Color: 

You're getting more hair and it's coming in Blonde.  

Eye color: 

Big, beautiful blue eyes

Funniest moment this month: 
When you rolled on your side and were hanging on to the music mat pole for dear life.  

  

It Keeps Getting Better

Happy Monday!!!  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. 

Our weekend started off kind of slow with a wet Friday night which meant staying in for a quiet dinner and Newsroom episodes until we fell asleep.

Eli has finally started sleeping through the night again and I got my first decent nights sleep in a few weeks.  So, I woke up refreshed and ready for an 8 mile run Saturday morning.  It was cold and I needed my tights and ear warmers, but that wasn't going to stop me.  This is the year of no excuses, right? 

After a nice, relaxing shower, Fred, Eli and I headed to our CrossFit gym's open house.  Eli even enjoyed in some of the festivities.  I think we have a future CrossFitter! 

Our afternoon was spent running errands, watching the Kentucky Derby and trying to escape more rain.  I did manage to squeeze in a little girls night with some of my friends (but I forgot to take a pic).

Sunday was spent making last minute stops to the grocery store and getting the house ready for a little Cinco de Mayo dinner with my parents.

Later that afternoon, I ran the Oak Hall 5K benefitting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.  I found out my CrossFit trainer was going to run so I wanted to beat him and I wanted to beat my previous PR of 25:32.  I accomplished one of those...

I finished with a time of 22:40.  That's almost 3 minutes faster than my previous PR set just 3 weeks ago.

My CrossFit trainer hasn't run in over a year, but he beat me by 38 seconds.  So, it wasn't that bad.  I said that I let him win since it was his birthday.  I'm still calling a rematch.

After the run, we dined on some yummy fajitas cooked on Fred's new grill and called it a night!

So, how was your weekend?