A Few Minutes for Me: Reflecting over the past five months

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Well, it's been about five months since I grabbed a warm cup of coffee and thought to myself, "Today is a great day to visit my lonely blog."  The last trimester of my pregnancy had me like, "hello, sofa! Kids, watch this movie and let Mommy close her eyes!" It was also full of nesting, welcoming my two gorgeous new nieces to the world, finishing up some photo sessions before it was time to welcome our little guy in August, and lots of visits to the pool to wear out Ty and Elena.  Summer is always a crazy time of year, but I definitely feel like this summer was jam-packed and flew by. 
It was a Sunday night in late October... the night before Ty's first day of preschool that contractions started. I was in denial that we were in labor, but I labored all night and at 12:15 on Monday afternoon, we welcomed our third blessing to our family. It only took us an hour of his life to give him a name, but he,without a doubt, is Noah Alexander. The name fits him perfectly and he is the perfect addition to our clan.
Needless to say, the past five and half weeks have been pretty much a whirlwind and all the days and nights have run together.  People always told me and Justin that the transition from one to two kids is the hardest and all the rest aren't bad. I would beg to differ. 
Learning our new routine and being outnumbered in our own home was quite the adjustment.  This combined with Ty starting school all in the same week made for an incredibly emotional ride for a post-partum mama. But I can definitely say that it's been worth it.  

We are starting to get some sleep again because Noah is a great sleeper.  And we are getting into our real-life routines again after Justin went back to work from his month-long paternity leave (thank you, Jesus, for that!).  

I must say I have a whole new appreciation for mamas that have multiple children.  It really is a labor of love to keep things moving and making sure all the kids are happy and fed.  Let alone finding time to shower and even use the bathroom.  

There have been several moments when Justin and I just look at each other and start laughing because it is unreal to us that this so quickly became our life.  Once upon a time (only four years ago) we were going out mid week for dinner and drinks and thought we were busy with work and whatever else we had going on. Somehow though, in merely three and a half years we are neck-deep in diapers, carseats, soccer games, and picking up teeny tiny pieces of pretty much anything but the kitchen sink off the carpets all through out the house. How does it happen so fast?

I'm doing my best to really soak this time in. As fast as it came, I know it will go and I will look back and miss the chaos.

If I find time to catch up on the blog, I call that a win.  In the meantime, I have also been working on building my photography business and run this household. We stay busy. We stay crazy. I have no brain most days.  I hands have never been this full.  My laundry machine has never run so much. My sink has never seen so many dishes.  But my heart has never been this full.  I am so grateful God chose me for this life. I am thankful He chose Justin and me to be Ty, Elena, and Noah's parents. 

My favorite time of year is upon us and we have so many family activities planned, from pumpkin patches, to Halloween parties, to Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I cannot wait to see how we manage the holidays as a family of five.  
To all the mamas that have done it and done it well, you rock.  To all the mamas that are starting out and adjusting to life with a child for the first time, you rock. Motherhood is a wild ride. And that is the understatement of the year. 

Cheers to me for finding the time for me this morning. To sip a cup of coffee and write while my kids watch Daniel Tiger and baby Noah sleeps peacefully in the rocker. Happy Thursday!

What's Up Wednesday!

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Today I am linking up for What's Up Wednesday! I hope everyone enjoys today's gorgeous weather!

What we're eating this week...

with all the warm weather, we are eating SALADS! I did grilled BBQ chicken thighs over spinach salad and have summer strawberry salad on the menu! We also had TACO TUESDAY and grilled Italian sausage and peppers!
I've been referring to my salads Pinterest board for inpiration lately! 
Find it here: Pinterest Board: Salads!

What I'm reminiscing about...


I've lately been reminiscing about the births of Ty and Elena... it's not too long until we meet our third little baby and I'm praying for an easy labor and delivery!

What I'm loving...

JojoBacheloretteBracket
I am a longtime Bachelor/ Bachelorette fan, but this is the first season I am participating in the bracket with the girls I watch with. We had so much fun during the premiere with the bracket...I can't wait to see who wins!

What we've been up to...

trying to be outside to enjoy the gorgeous weather as much as possible! 

What I've been dreading...

STILL the transition from the bottle to a sippy cup for Miss Elena! I've made the first step and gotten some new transitional sippy cups, but it doesn't look promising. 

What I've been working on...

lots of lightroom webinars and tutorials! I am loving Cole's Classroom!!

What I'm excited about...

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the long weekend and lots of grilling out! We are in town for Memorial Day and I'm excited to get some things done around the house and then grill with friends!

What I'm watching...

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What I'm listening to...

my kids!

What I'm wearing...

maternity maternity maternity!

What I'm doing this weekend...

lots of photo sessions and grilling out!

What I'm looking forward to next month...

HILTON HEAD! This is our first adult trip in three years! I. Cannot. Wait. AH!

What I'm looking forward to this summer...


BABIES! June goes to Erin's baby, July goes to Noelle's, and August goes to MY LITTLE BOY! :)

Linked up here today!

Friday Favorites

Friday, May 20, 2016

It's Friday!! Woo hoo! I am ready for the weekend and a fresh week of hopefully gorgeous weather! Today I get to spend lunch with my little family doing our tradition of lunch and visiting the fish at Bass Pro. It's one of Ty's most favorite times of the week and Elena is slowly catching on that she should be excited to go see Daddy too!
Here are some of my favorites from the week. All of which I have enjoyed this week!

ONE: Le Croix Passionfruit

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I bought this on sale from Teeter this week and it reminded me how much I love flavored water. Being pregnant and finding a new beverage to enjoy is the best. This Passionfruit flavor is delicious and it's doesn't make me feel the least bit guilty since IT IS WATER! 

TWO: Canisters of Ranch Seasoning

This week I needed to borrow Ranch seasoning from my neighbor to make the crock pot buffalo chicken.  When she told me she had a canister and I could use however much I wanted, I couldn't believe I had been missing out this long! All these years of buying the little  envelopes and I could've been stocked with a can of it! It's these little mom hacks that I love!

THREE: My new sunhat

For my birthday, one of my gifts was this cute sunhat from Nordstrom. My mom got it for me because she knows how much I love the beach and she wanted me to have something adorable to wear on my trip to Hilton Head Island. I tested it out a few weekends ago at Carolina Beach and it was awesome. It protected my face and it stayed on my head despite some gusty winds. I can't wait to sit by the pool with a mocktail and this hat on my head!


FOUR: Life Planner


I am so late to the Erin Condren party, but I made it! I have wanted an Erin Condren Life Planner for about 5 years now. There were some girls on my team when I taught that started using her gear, but I never wanted to spend $50 on a planner. Well, I noticed last month that they were 50% off and I knew this was my chance to see if it was worth it! I LOVE IT! I have taken it everywhere and I feel so organized. Not to mention it is so cute with pictures of all of my kids on it! :)

FIVE: Snickers Ice Cream Minis

I grabbed these from the freezer section last week in my pregnant state of mind, but they have been a happy medium for me. I love the mini size because it gives me all the pleasure but only a part of the guilt to have one after dinner. And I love cold treats like this because I don't have them very often. YUM!

Have a fantastic weekend, everyone! It's another big birthday weekend for Ty and Elena! We will be celebrating two special little girls tomorrow and then Sunday I get to put in my final hours as the two-year-old teacher at church. That makes me feel like this pregnancy is really flying! 26 weeks along now! :)
Linked up here!

Life Lately

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Life lately has been busy on the weekends and rainy during the week. This week we have had rainy days almost all week. On Monday after swim class I took the kids to a free "Go Ask Mom" event here in Raleigh. There were a bunch of activities that were perfect for toddlers to explore. They had a fire truck and ambulance that the kids could get on, a free toddler music class to take part in, crafts, and sports equipment to play with from Dick's Sporting Goods.
It was great because it was practically the only morning this week that has been sunny! My sister also met us there to hang out with the kids. Elena loved exploring the ambulance and Ty liked playing with the wiffle ball and rackets with his aunt.
Tuesday and Wednesday mornings we had play dates with our friends at their houses since it was so wet outside. The kids have been bonkers this week, so it was nice to have some time to get them together to burn some energy!
The weather has made me want to be in the kitchen cooking comfort food.  So far I've made Ree Drummond's Homemade macaroni and cheese, crock pot buffalo chicken wraps, and I admit we've taken a trip to Duck Donuts for half a dozen treats!
Evenings in our house have been lovely because Justin has been getting home ON TIME all week! YIPPEE!
Monday I got to have a girl's night out at Relish, one of my favorite Raleigh restaurants.  Of course I had to have the homemade donuts with the chocolate and raspberry sauce!
Tuesday we spent time with the kids playing inside and doing puzzles. Ty is getting pretty good at them!
Last night we started House of Cards on Netflix.  We haven't watched a show together on Netflix in a while so  I was excited to start a new one with him!
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The rest of our week we are taking it easy because this weekend is another jam packed weekend! I am hoping to make it to the Got To Be NC Festival at the fairgrounds if the weather permits!
That's life lately for the Schneiders. Meanwhile, baby boy is growing by the second and moving all the time. This week was the first time Justin felt him kick! I love those pregnancy milestones!
 
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