This Unfamiliar Road

Junebug is another year older. It's hard to believe 4 whole years have passed since this little lady made us parents. I can't even remember life before she was here (nor do I want to!).

Peyton has brought us so much joy, entertainment, love...and yes anxiety :) I will say it a million times-being a parent is the hardest yet most rewarding job in the world!


For her birthday this year, Peyton decided she wanted to do the same things she did when she turned 3. Yes, her memory is that good. So, off to Dunkin Donuts and the mall we went to celebrate our new 4 year-old.






Right now, P loves Rapunzel, Shopkins, and arts and crafts. She is an exceptional artist, and her detail in coloring is amazing! She enjoys writing notes on post-its...all over the house, and is starting to read, too.

Her favorite foods are cereal, mac n cheese, yogurt, sugar snap peas, carrots, hummus, taco salad, breakfast burritos, and cheeseburgers with pickles.


Although she takes the occasional nap, P typically just has rest time every day. I think this time is really important for her to enjoy some time to herself (and to give Momma a break!). She colors, plays matching games, reads books, and has some iPad time. I think rest time will continue until college, maybe :)

Peyton is still quite the social butterfly, and will tell you her life story if you ask her name...just a fair warning ; )



We ended her birthday with a sleepover at GiGi's house. But first, cake!





Oh Sweet P/Bug/Magoo/Peyton Caroline,
You have the kindest heart and you truly care about the well-being of others. You are so inquisitive, and your specific questions continue to amaze us. This past year has been a challenging one, but now it seems you are better able to express your feelings and needs. You are the best big sister, hands down and Eliza adores you. Mommy & Daddy love you so so much!

This month's fitness goal can be tricky, but I've got some great tips to make it easier!

Here we are in May already! It's gorgeous outside, so this month's goal is quite appropriate...

Spring is here, and summer is around the corner. Perfect timing for this month's fitness goal...

Our little lady is quickly leaving the baby stage and has become a full blown toddler. She's 18 months y'all...going on 18 years!

Eating: That fun picky toddler eater has invaded my home. Bean is opinionated about her food choices, but at least she can let me know what she likes and doesn't like (or thoroughly enjoyed the day before and has become poison today!). Her favorites are yogurt, cheese, crackers, fruit, eggs, and mac n cheese of course. Veggies are hard! We weaned shortly after her first birthday and she truly did not have trouble at all!

Sleeping: My girl sleeps from about 7pm-7am. On a good day, she takes one 2.5 hour nap. She loves her Mickey Mouse, Seahorse, and 2 sassies (pacifiers) to go to sleep!


Skills: Eliza started walking between 13-14 months and hasn't looked back! She tries hard to keep up with big sister, and truly thinks she's a big kid, too. We can understand most of her words, and her vocabulary grows every day. She can easily follow directions, and enjoys helping out (for now!).

Teeth: A total of 12, with 4 more poking through. It must be hard to be a baby...whew!


Happy Times: Our boo loves going outside, coloring, washing hands, and watching Mickey Mouse. In general, she's still a pretty easygoing kiddo. Eliza is a climber, and really just enjoys doing anything that Peyton is doing.

 Unhappy Times: The 18 month old tantrums have taken over. Eliza has dealt with quite a few ear infections lately, and it seems that there are days she's just moody and irritable. Just a phase....


Stats: 22 lbs, wearing 18-24 month clothing


Oh Eliza Cate,
 You keep us on our toes these days, for sure! As Peyton so nicely puts it, you are "nothing but trouble." Even though you are in to EVERYTHING, I know it's just your way of exploring your world and testing those boundaries. I love watching you learn new things every day. Keep loving life sweet girl!

For the second Easter in a row, I was scheduled to work the weekend. For night shift, that means Friday and Saturday night. Technically I had Easter Sunday off, but I knew I would not be feeling very social.

On Saturday morning, Ben and the kids went to his Mom's house for the day to celebrate and let Mommy sleep in a quiet house. Eliza enjoyed her first Easter egg hunt...taught by the pro, of course!



On Saturday night, I got the best surprise...cancelled from work for the night! I enjoyed the evening with my kiddos...and then promptly fell asleep on the couch.
On Easter morning, we woke up to fun-filled baskets and some more family QT.


 So there we were on Easter morning with no reservations, nothing to cook for breakfast, and rain in the forecast. What did we do? We went to Waffle House of course :)


After breakfast, we got home for a quick Easter egg hunt before the rain came. It was a little cold, so I let Peyton pick out an outfit for hunting...








No cute monogrammed outfits, church, or fancy breakfast this year. Time with my family. It's all I needed.

This month, our fitness goal is all about the zzzzzzz's!

As a whole, our country really underestimates the importance of sleep. We put so much emphasis on filling our schedule that we forget to sleep!

Here are some guidelines to making it a priority:

How Much? The average adult needs 7.5-9 hours of sleep per night! Researchers have discovered that only 3% of the population carry a gene that enables them to function well on 6 hours a night.

How it Affects You: It's not just daytime drowsiness that you have to deal with. Chronic sleep deprivation can cause generalized fatigue, moodiness, and inability to cope with stress. It can also have a negative effect on your immune system and has a direct link to overeating and weight gain.

How To: 
-Establish a consistent bedtime routine and stick to it, even on the weekends
-Avoid screen time right before bed, which can cause over stimulation
-Consider sleep environment, like a dark cool room with the TV off
-Avoid caffeine or sugar right before bed.

Please visit these articles to learn more about sleep deprivation and how to sleep better!

Because I work night shift, I really have to focus on getting good sleep when I can. I have become fascinated with sleep cycles and rhythms.
We sleep in 1.5 hour cycles, and waking in the middle of a sleep cycle can make it difficult to become fully alert.

I use THIS bedtime calculator to determine when I should go to bed to ensure enough sleep that aligns with my sleep cycle.

Check out January and February fitness goals, too!

Happy Snoozing