Life After I "Dew"

Good Morning!  I slept awful last night, how bout you?  I swear I saw every hour last night even though James slept {is still sleeping} all night and Kendall only woke up twice to potty.  I was restless, couldn't get comfortable, was hot, you name it.  Jimmy woke me up at 6 am because he couldn't find his badge for work and I said, to myself, "forget it!  I'm just getting up!"  So, here I sit and I'm going to just pretend that I'm meeting a friend for coffee and we're going to chat.  OK?

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I'm kind of over the whole Elf on the Shelf thing.  We started him, on accident, way too early this year and, well, he's lost his luster.  Every night, just as I've climbed in bed, I think, "SHIT!  I didn't move Rich!" and I crawl out of bed to find some magical place to put him.  Truth be told, we have not been creative at all this year. Last year, our first year, I went all out and every night was some new elf antics.  This year?  He's just in a new hiding place because I just can't.  Our advent calendar, on the other hand, I'm loving.  Kendall wakes up every day and says, "Is it time to open our first envelope?" even though it's the 15th one, she still calls it the first and I kinda love that.  We've had a couple of days we've had to "fudge" for whatever reason but overall it's a hit and we're loving all the special memories.  Today we make ornaments!

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I hosted a cookie exchange party at my house yesterday, for the first time.  My "blog friends" and my "in real life friends" got to meet so now when I tell my IRL friends "Yeah, so and so, my blog friend..." they don't think I'm a crazy person anymore.  It was so much fun having my two worlds come together, if you will.  I had lots of kids running around, way too many cookies, and lots of laughs.  And, guess what?  I didn't Instagram a moment of it!  It was kind of liberating.

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Speaking of, do you think that social media has kind of taken the "be here, now-ness" out of events?  I feel like, anymore, people {myself included} are so quick to take a pic for Instagram or to post on Facebook that we aren't actually just living in the moment anymore?  I kinda hate that, ya know?  Like yesterday instead of worrying about sharing my delicious adult hot chocolate I just enjoyed drinking it with my closest friends, no photo necessary.  Before we went to bed last night I told Jimmy, "You know, I didn't get on Instagram at all today!" like it was some sort of victory, and, truth be told, it kind of was.  Pathetic but true.  I'm going to be better about that.

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I have had our Christmas cards for a week or so now yet they're still sitting, addressed, on the counter waiting for stamps.  Ugh, I loathe going to the post office, especially with two tiny tots in tow, but I guess I better get on it seeing as Christmas is less than 10 days away.  We've been receiving cards upon cards and I have all but two photo cards.  I got to thinking, when I was growing up we NEVER sent a photo card or a photo in our card, just a plain Christmas card from the giant box that you buy at Target.  Now everyone sends a photo card and I love it.  I love seeing the people we love and what their families look like, what they've been up to, etc.  I love that this tradition is changing.

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 I think we've reached the end of napping days, for Kendall.  She hasn't taken a nap for the past four days.  You guys, I'm so sad about this.  I look forward to naps.  It's my time to get things done, whether it be laundry, prepping for dinner, checking emails, catching up on the DVR, whatever.  Luckily she's been going into her room for at least two hours, one day I even thought she had fallen asleep because she was being so good and quiet.  If she does that then I'm OK with no naps because it still gives me a chance to collect my thoughts and recharge MY battery.  So, I guess it's not so bad actually.

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We still have the majority of our Christmas shopping to do.  Like, we've only bought for two people so far.  I hate that we are last minute shoppers, hate it, it stresses me out.  I always say, every year, that I'm going to be one of those people who starts shopping EARLY and has it all done by some magical before Christmas date, in my head.  It never happens.  And this also means we're actually going to have to go out in the crazy to shop because I don't trust that stuff will get here in time, at this point.

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I need help.  Baby James has chubby little feet and no socks will stay on him.  He kick, kick, kicks all day and I'm constantly putting his socks on.  I need to know what your favorite baby socks are, ones that will stay put!  I used to love the Circo ones from Target but now those aren't staying on either.  I've even bought bigger sizes, 6-12 months, but he still kicks them off.  Little booger.  So share with me your sock secrets, please.

While the rest of the blog world was off at Blissdom I was off enjoying some quality time with two ladies I love and are the closest thing I'll ever have to sisters.  Collectively we've been friends for 25 years and no matter what happens in life we always there for each other.

You know what's even cooler?  We're all pregnant. Due within 3 months of each other, May, July & August.  It's really cool and when we all go out in public it's like a freak show.  No, really.  We got all sorts of stares, comments, reactions, etc.  It was really fun.  We ate tons of junk food, got pedicures, went to Target ALONE,and even did face masks Saturday night.  Because no sleepover is ever complete without a facial.

It was just what the doctor ordered and I came home feeling refreshed and ready to be a mom and wife again. Best of all?  The house wasn't a total wreck when I got back!  Even sweeter?  Jimmy and Kendall had so much fun, just the two of them, and it made me feel even better about leaving for a couple of days.  Last night when he was putting her to bed he took his guitar into her room and I heard him over the monitor.  He had learned how to play "I See the Light" from Tangled {KP's favorite movie} and was singing her to sleep.  Talk about a total heart-melter.

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You know what's not cool?  The white stuff I {and the rest of the mid-west} woke up to today.  I mean, it's spring, right?  You wouldn't know it looking out my windows.  So instead of complaining and posting nasty pictures of the 4-5 inches that is piled up on my deck I'm going to think warm thoughts and look at our beach pics until spring decides to follow suit.  If I will it, it will come, right?

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I finished Gone Girl last week and I take back what I said about being friends with Amy.  Psycho.  I still stand by saying that I think Reese Witherspoon will do a good job in that role.  I can see why people don't want her to play a crazy girl {we all love Reese} but I think she'll be perfect because she's THAT good.  I, unlike everyone else, did not hate the ending.  It {kind of} ended the way I thought it would and in a twisted way {like the book was} I think it was the perfect ending.  The only thing I will say is that since the rest of the book was SO intense I thought the ending was a little...rushed?  But other than that I thought it was awesome.  Now I need a new book to read.

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Kendall is full on having conversations these days and it's so cute and funny to hear the things that come out of her mouth is so amazing to me.  How do they come up with these things?  She's even been going by an alter-ego this weekend.  Apparently starting Friday night she wanted to be called "Kendee" and "Kendee" is wild and talks in jibberish...I mean, really?  Where did this come from?  I swear just as soon as you think you can't love one stage more than the last they go and do something ridiculously awesome, like that, and you find yourself saying "this is my favorite age" every time.

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I have a bumpdate coming this week.  I can't believe I'm almost halfway through this pregnancy and I haven't done a belly pic {besides the occasional Instagram pic} since I was 15 weeks.  Well, I guess I can because not a whole lot has happened except I think my belly grew 2 sizes this weekend and I'm starting to feel movements throughout the day, not just at night, now.  Oh, and, in case you don't follow me on Instagram we have a full name now, James Weston Dew.  I kinda, sorta am IN LOVE with it.  The rest will have to wait till the officially bumpdate.

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Happy Monday!  

• So this weekend was awesome.  It started with ladies night on Friday so how could it be bad? We went to happy hour where we chatted too much and drank too many margaritas that we almost missed our movie.  If that's not a good time, I don't know what is.  I also had the chance to recreate an outfit I've been eyeing on Pinterest for some time now.

• Speaking of ladies night, we saw Magic Mike.  Two word review, shit sandwich.  Don't get me wrong, the dance scenes were HOT but there were not nearly enough of them.  The chick that plays Channing's love interest?  Practically as miserable as Kristen Stewart.  Matthew McConahottie...well I can't believe I'm going to say this, but he's seen better days.  Don't get me wrong, his body is the hottest of all of them, even if he is twice their age, but he needs to hang up his hot boy hat.  I don't get the appeal of Channing, at all.  He's got a fat neck and there's something weird about his nose.  But boy has some moves and DAYUM they were hot.  If it weren't for having a blast with my ladies I would have given it a big fat F.

• After searching and searching and searching for an iPhone cover, I finally settled on one, and I love it. Whitney posted that she got one from Simply Monogram {a site I had favorited just days before} and that she loved it.  I was sold. Here's the kicker though, I'm like so over chevron and tried to avoid it like the plague but for some reason I just kept coming back to this one and I'm so glad I did.  I am obsessed!  I went with the silicone case because I find the hard cases to be too slippery and this one is like the best of both worlds.  It's silicone on the sides but hard on the back.  Love!

• I know Dora is a four letter word, in this house anyway, but she's taking over my life one day at a time.  It's not enough that the house is full of pink!yellow!orange! and hints of purple in preparation for KP's 2nd birthday, but not I'M starting to feel the effects of Dora. Friday night I sat down to read my book and noticed that my nails are, in fact, Dora inspired {not on purpose, obviously}.  Lord help me.

• Jimmy and I got super lucky {not in that way} and had two date nights last week! Our family rocks and offered to babysit Kendall on Wednesday so we could see Avengers because Jimmy was DYING to see it.  We hit up Happy Hour beforehand and honestly?  I wish we would have stayed at HH all night.  The weather was perfection, the patio was warm, the beers were cold, it had my name written all over it.  But, we went to the dark, cold, theater where I proceeded to fall asleep and Jim-bo got his movie fix for the first time in two years.  Yep.  It had been two years since we saw a movie last.

• Girl mamas, have you had as much of a hard time finding an Easter dress this year as I have?  I mean SERIOUSLY?  The stores are totally lacking in the cute dress department this year. Kendall and I hit up Macys, Children's Place, Gymboree, Crazy8, Gap, Target, Janie & Jack and came home with NOTHING for Easter.  There were cute dresses but nothing that screamed Easter and nothing that I loved.  Thankfully I came home and pulled this little beauty out of her closet, totally expecting it to be too small, and it fit!  Done.  We have a white cardi and so now she just needs some sweet white sandals and we're set.  I don't love it but I didn't love what I was seeing either so....this will do.

• Kendall and  I go to the park at least twice a week now that it's nice out.  I think I've made it my personal goal to try every park in our area, because, why not?  Kendall loves loves loves slides more than anything else at the park and me?  Well I have fun too.

• Kendall has been trying to dress herself every day lately.  She's got the pants almost down and the shirt, well I'm just happy it makes it over her head.  I just know that she's going to be the kid that shows up at school in mismatched socks, patterned pants with a striped shirt and snow boots in summer all because she wanted to dress herself.  And you know what?  I think I'll be OK with that.

• I rocked my first side braid last week.  I forgot how much I love this little boho hairstyle.  I mean it's not simple or easy by any means, in fact it usually takes me 2 or 3 tries before I get it just right but once I do I want to wear it every day.  And?  Maybe it's just me but this is definitely a style I only do in the warmer months.  Yet another win for summer.

• Speaking of hair, Kendall just got the SWEETEST new clips from our favorite shop, One Little Monkey.  Pretty sure we'll be back for more because she just keeps adding new stuff every time I look!

• Kendall's been doing this new thing where if she hears something she puts her hand up to her ear and ::gasps:: and makes the cutest "OH!  I hear something" face.  Seriously slays me.

• This weekend was a little cooler than the 80s we were enjoying last week which bummed me out.  I was getting used to sandals and tanks and suddenly found myself thinking, "gah I have NOTHING to wear in these cold {high 60s}temps!" And then I thought, "Hey!  I can still rock leggings as pants in the summer, right?" and took a fashion risk.   

• And a BIG congrats to Ashley who is the winner of our Thirty-One giveaway!  Trisha will be contacting you shortly to claim your prize!!!

• BIG NEWS!  I got a new car!  My lease was coming up on the Mazda and we figured we could probably cash in on some good "end of year" sales, and boy did we ever!  I am happy to say that I am now the proud new owner of a 2012 {it's still 2011 if you were wondering} Chevy Equinox.