This Unfamiliar Road

What's happening this week...!


{ONE} New planner.
OK, OK...I know I already posted about this, but I just can't help it! I love this planner, and it's making me happy this week :)


{TWO} Coffeeee.
One of the not-so joyous moments of being a Mom is that 2am wake-up call from the little one. Followed by 4am, then 6:30am...Indeed, the 4 month sleep regression has arrived. Although I still limit my caffeine while nursing, my one (and a half...) cups of joe makes me happy, and ready to take on the day! Or at least function at some capacity.



{THREE} Redesign
While our Christmas tree was up, we rearranged the living room furniture to accommodate. Afterwards, we got the itch to mix things up...which has affected the living room, the playroom, and even the master closet! I'm having fun redesigning these areas in our home to better suit our needs and style. I will definitely post our updates, but here are a few of my fave inspirations:

 {FOUR} Menu Board.
I have always written out my menu for the week, but I felt like I was wasting so much paper throwing it away each week. I jumped on Pinterest and found a cute free printable, put it in page protector (because, really...who has time to laminate or find a cute frame?!), and now it hangs on my fridge! I can easily erase and rewrite without the paper waste :)


{FIVE} TV is back.
Since when did our favorite shows take a 2-month hiatus during the winter? Not cool, Grey's Anatomy. I'm excited everyone is getting back into the swing of things, because I need some indoor entertainment for these coooold months!

Link UP

What a busy month we've had!



Eating: My sweet girl sure does love to eat! Still about every 3 hours-mostly to stay on a routine of Wake, Eat, Play, Sleep. (in 3 hour cycles)

Sleeping: Eliza still prefers a later bedtime (~10pm) and wakes around 8:30am with one snack around 3:00am. She isn't super consistent with nighttime especially when I am working overnight. She's a good napper, typically going about 1 1/2 hours. I think we are almost ready for a by-the-clock schedule!



Skills: Reaching and grabbing for toys, pulling toys, push-ups :)
Eliza loves rubbing her feet together like a cricket, so she's excellent at getting her socks off!

Happy Times: Still an easygoing baby! She's pretty content playing on the playmat, the swing, or tummy time. Although she likes to have a little company now! Bean loves being in the Ergo (and Momma loves it, too!).

Unhappy Times: Eliza fusses when she's bored, tired, or hungry. A new discovery: she doesn't like being held by people who are unfamiliar with her. It seems like she's too young to even realize who is holding her, but it's the only time she cries hard...so my only guess is stranger anxiety!



Stats: Length: 25.2 inches (80%); Weight: 14lb-12oz (70%). Wearing 6-9 month clothing (Carter's)




Our Little Cricket,
 You are really starting to develop quite the personality! I love the smiles I'm almost sure to get any time we talk or sing together :)
Unlike your sister, who doesn't know a stranger, I think you will be a little more shy. You like to stick close to Momma, and that's fine with me. I'm excited to watch you grow!

Making the decision to add to our family was not one we took lightly, yet it was almost "expected". We knew that we wanted to have more than one child, and that we preferred them to be somewhat closely spaced. I knew adding a family member would have a huge impact on our family, so I began preparing Peyton very early on.
We read books, watched shows, and talked nonstop about what it was like to be a big sister. Towards the end of my pregnancy, the guilt set in. Peyton's life was about to be turned upside down. It would change, and in mostly negative ways for her. Of course babies are hard work, but Ben and I would get a lot out of this-a new bundle of joy! What would Peyton get out of having a newborn in the house? I knew that someday she would love having a sibling, but just would not be able to appreciate it right away.

I. Was. Wrong.

My sweet Peyton has enjoyed being a sister from Day 1. I mean truly enjoyed. The pure love and adoration I see on her face when she's interacting with Eliza will absolutely melt your heart. She begs to wake her up, to hold her, and to play with her. I constantly catch her singing to her or telling her "You're the sweetest baby!" And the feeling is mutual. Eliza already looks up to her big sister, and smiles any time she's around Peyton.

Daily request in our house: cuddling in bed in the morning, then playing in the rocking chair.




I'm so happy Peyton proved me wrong :)

I use my iPhone for almost everything, but when it comes to my planner...I still like the feel of a paper planner! Writing my to-do's, checking them off, and planning my monthly projects brings me joy. I know, y'all...I'm a nerd. I'm ok with that.

I usually pick up a cute little planner from Target-and those have worked well for me! But I thought it was time to invest in a nice one...since it brings me so much joy and all :)

I'm really not interested in forking over $60 for one, so I was super pleased to discover Plum Paper Designs on Etsy. Shortly after perusing this shop and loving the planners, I read Elise's post about how happy she was with her planner! For about $30- I was sold!

I couldn't wait for my new personalized planner to come in.




Every month begins with a two-page calendar so you can see what your month looks like. I like being able to glance at the whole month.



Because I don't have many daily appointments or commitments, I opted for the "Horizontal Days + Notes Layout".
On this weekly view, I have one page to write my to-do list, and another to fill in actual appointments or, in my case, work days!
**Be sure to check out their shop for other layouts...there are TONS!





In addition to a contacts page, holiday page, and general notes page, this planner has a super handy pocket in the back!


Are you in love?

Be sure to check out the Etsy shop for other items: Family, Teacher, Student, Wedding, Meal & Fitness Planners!
Very well-made, cute, and reasonably priced :)

Wow, 2014 was a great year! It's pretty awesome to think back to January 2014, when we decided it was time to add another member to our family....and by the end of the year, our little Bean was in our arms!
Here are my favorite memories of the year:

I had fun playing with my new mixer: Making cookies with the cutest taste-tester there was!

Recipe here

We experienced some crazy winter weather and I was stuck at work for 4 days straight. Thankfully, the husband was able to stay at home and work....and enjoy P's first snow!


 We traveled to Nashville to celebrate a dear friend and to help her prepare for the arrival of baby Scarlett!

Guess what! There are 2 preggos in this picture :)

In March, we shared some exciting news. Oh, and Peyton got her first haircut. :)


A trip to Chattanooga to visit our buddies kicked off springtime!



We celebrated Mother's Day and watched the baby bump grow and grow!




We celebrated the marriage of dear friends. And Peyton enjoyed her first gig as flower girl!



In June, we celebrated our sweet Peyton's 2nd birthday, and partied Mickey Mouse style!



As the days grew hotter, the belly grew bigger! We attended our 10 year high school reunion and I accepted a job promotion and returned to night shift!





I blogged about my new favorite recipe


We got really brave and decided to potty-train Peyton! Using the 3-Day method made it easier, but it was still a lot of work!


 I celebrated my birthday and counted down the days until Bean's arrival! (Little did I know those days would turn in to weeks!)


We welcomed our sweet baby GIRL into the world and became a family of four!






Fall was a busy time with the fair, pumpkins,Halloween and Thanksgiving! Being on maternity leave allowed me to really enjoy this season at home with my family.





We enjoyed a visit from the Michigan parentals and Ben competed in his first BBQ competition and won FIRST place for sauce!


Christmas was a blast this year!




We celebrated Ben's 30th birthday, then I rang in the New Year with my work family!