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!

Life Lately

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!

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!

MLK Weekending 2016

We didn't know how much fun we would have when we woke up on Saturday morning. It was one of those glorious days when we didn't have much planning, but we wound up staying busy having family fun all day long.

We decided to meet Justin's brother and family at Pullen Park so the kids could play and we could all catch up after the holidays. We hadn't seen them since the hustle and bustle of Christmas day.

Callan, Ty, AND little Elena had a great time jumping on all the playground equipment and we have a great time spending time with Frank and Erin.  The boys kicked around a soccer ball and we even rode the train and the boys rode the little bumper boats.  Of course they were the trouble makers that wouldn't sit down! Erin and I just laughed as the ride engineer kept telling the two of them they had to sit. NAUGHTY!!

After we tired the kids out at the park, we headed to the mall to hit the Disney Store (my fave), the Lego Store (Justin's fave), and the inside play area.  We wanted to take the boys to their first hibachi experience so we had time to kill before dinner time.  We were so ready for the boys to watch the chef to cook our dinner for us at the hibachi grill and to do some tricks with food and fire.  They just loved when he made a volcano out of an onion and lit it on fire!

my hot date ;)

We were so exhausted when we got home, we all passed out! On Sunday, we took it easy because Elena's runny nose got worse after the busy day we had Saturday, but on Monday, Justin took the kids to Barnes and Noble while I had a dentist appointment. I love when he gets one on one time with them.  He is such a good Daddy. He treated Ty to a juice box and spent time playing and the train table and reading books.

When we got home and Ty napped, Justin helped my take pictures of Elena for her first birthday invitation.  WHERE HAS TIME GONE?! I cannot believe it's almost time to send invitations for her birthday. I remember taking pictures of Ty for his first birthday! Time really flies when you watch little ones grow! This is just a sneak peek at the pictures we took!

Later that afternoon, he cashed in one of Ty's Christmas gifts and took him to the trampoline park. Meanwhile, I spent time with little Elena grocery shopping and playing at home.  This girl is almost walking now! She's just my little ray of sunshine.  The two boys lasted TWO HOURS! They both jumped their hearts out. Ty could barely make it through dinner before his eyes fell heavy.

Long weekends doing nothing and everything all at the same time are the memories I hope to keep the longest.

Linked up here today!

Life Lately: Post- holidays edition

Life after the holidays has been slow- moving around our house. We needed time to just be home and relax in our own space after traveling here, there, and everywhere.  

I'm not sure if it's just me, but getting back into the routine of real life with kids has not been an easy one. 

Piles of laundry are a constant around here and the thought of making a real home cooked meal makes me want to crawl back in bed right now.  After a week and a half of being back home, we finally have our Christmas decorations down (but still in piles out in the garage) and suit cases are put away.  What is it about the holidays that make us all slow down? I have not been one of those people who has felt renewed with the start of the new year. I am JUST NOW starting my morning work out routine again and just hit the grocery store to start meal planning again.  

What I can say is that my kids have been sleeping through the night, we have successfully started gymnastic class back up, and I have completely caught up on The Bachelor (is that a success?)

We have also gotten extra snuggles in and caught up on some Disney movies that the kids got for Christmas.

Please tell me I am not alone in the slow start to the new year! At least we are starting to hit a stride now. Happy Thursday!

Life Lately: Elena's first Santa visit

Life lately has been pretty busy in the Schneider house. Last week, Justin's grandmother was visiting from NY. It was the first time she's visited since Elena's been alive. We jumped at the opportunity to see her. She knitted all the kids the cutest red Christmas hats. We intend on having them wear them in the family Santa picture this year. SO SPECIAL!
On Thursday night we decided to check out Santa's Wonderland at Bass Pro,  I cannot believe we've always gone to the mall and never done this before! If you have a Bass Pro near you, you must go (and on a weeknight!)  They had an entire section transformed into a wonderland with a talking moose, elves, a cabin for Santa, winter treats like fudge and popcorn, a train set, coloring tables, free goodies, and Santa himself! Not to mention, everyone was given a FREE picture with Santa. And our Bass Pro was so sweet. It was Elena's first visit with Santa so they gave us a few shots of her meeting him. I was also able to take some pictures on my own.  Ty and Elena's cousin Callan met us there so it was such a fun experience.

This girl's facial expressions crack me up.

Elena absolutely loved Santa. She was grinning ear to ear when Justin sat her in his lap. Ty on the otherhand, knew everything he wanted to say, but when it was our turn, he stepped back. It took him a few minutes of watching Elena before he decided that Santa wasn't a monster.  My heart was OVERFLOWING watching my TWO children occupy both of Santa's knees.  Christmas time is magical as a child, but even more so as a parent.

Justin was able to take the day off on Friday. YIPPY!! We decided to go to his parents' house to spend a little bit more time with his Grandma before she had to leave.  My favorite part about our visits to their house is how comfortable it is to be there with the kids and how much his parents love being surrounded by their grandchildren.  We had a great time just being together and, of course, getting spoiled by his grandmother's cooking-- rice and beans and fried plantains!

On Saturday I had two more Christmas sessions with two fantastic families. I am so blessed to have clients who have referred me after their photo sessions. The excitement I have about this new adventure in my life has been overwhelming. I love every minute I have behind the lens capturing snippets of time for some beautiful families.

In my effort to make this holiday season less stressful with running from place to place, we set aside some weekend nights for home with the family. It's far too easy for me to say yes to every fun event that deals with Christmas, but sometimes it's important to say no for the sanity of your family. Saturday night was one of our wonderful nights at home.  After spending the afternoon in the yard, we set up a tent, built a fire, and snuggled in to the pile of pillows and blankets for Christmas movies-- all 5 of us (including Holden).  These are the nights that memories are made of. 

Justin and I are also starting an adventure together this winter. Last year, the Family Life coordinator at our church asked us to be a part of the team for an upcoming marriage retreat that we had been participants in last year. I JUMPED at the chance to do this with Justin, but he was skeptical.

Well, I finally got him to agree to do it with me and we had our first team meeting this weekend. We have so much to look forward to in being a part of this special teams. It's amazing how much can happen when you step outside of your comfort zone!

In the coming week, our Christmas adventure will take us on a pajama- wearing car ride to see all the Christmas lights! I. Can't. Wait.
Linked up here today!