FIFTY-ONEsie

There were SO MANY fun photos to choose from this week but the hubs helped me decide on this one. My flamingo-loving aunt was sweet enough to give me this fabric and I knew I wanted to save it for her Christmas post. Check out those sweet Santa hats! I realize that next week is Christmas {AH, Christmas} but I wanted the 52 week fabric to be in celebration of her birthday. SO… consider this our Christmas celebration fabric!

I’m a little bit in denial this week considering we only have one more weekly onesie post left. Yes, next week will be the LAST weekly onesie post… le sigh. I’ll have to come up with something else to get me over hump day! Seriously I don’t know what to do with myself, but I can’t deny I’m a little relieved that I don’t have to buy 52 more yards of fabric for this project {sorry future kids, we’ll do something a little more friendly on our bank account when you come along}. Thankfully I have all the past fabrics left over to put toward theKeenBean! Now if I can just have nothing to do all day BUT play with fun fabrics.

I wanted to give a big shout out and thanks to everyone who participated in Blogger Day of Silence yesterday as a way to honor the tragedy of Sandy Hook Elementary. I’ve been struggling with whether or not to write my thoughts out on what happened Friday, and I’m still on the fence. There are so many personal and emotional feelings that I don’t know if sharing them is something I’m able to do… or if I could even express myself adequately. Still contemplating… But anyway, I truly  loved seeing so many blogs displaying the support button. I’m so thankful to be part of such a caring community of writers and creative minds.

Alright, moving on to the latest developments in baby {almost toddler} land. I think I’ve shared that we are learning the work ‘NO’ in our house which has been more comical than anything else. Literally. Keelin usually laughs when we say ‘No’. What a goof. Well now that she’s into EVERYTHING I’ve decided she’s going to think her name is actually ‘Keelin-No’. My mom always used to say that about me when I was little. My name may as well have been ‘Sara-No’ with everything I was getting myself into. I guess it’s true what they say about your kids paying you back for all the crap you put your parents through when you were little. It’s alright. I’ll take it. Just as long as I remember that it will all come back to her when she has children of her own! Ha. I realize that I’ve been telling you that Keelin is into everything but without a real example you can’t quite understand the full extent of it. Allow me to take you back to last night in the Pierce kitchen:
Keelin’s high chair has a soft basket underneath it where I keep her bibs and wash cloths. She hasn’t really paid them much attention until last night when she realized that soft basket was like her very own amusement park. At first she was just pulling everything out of the basket and onto the floor. It was cute, I was busy. I didn’t stop it. Then I noticed she was patting the swinging door on the trashcan. Not the first time {don’t worry, I clean that lid like crazy knowing she finds it fascinating} so I didn’t think much of it. Then I look again and she is standing next to the trashcan, with a bib in one hand, and her other hand on the lid. I put two and two together, walked over to the trash can and proceeded to pull 6… count em 6… formerly clean bibs out of the trash can. Some of them buried below things I’d just thrown away so who knows how long she’d been at it! Boy oh boy, she certainly is learning! I had to call the hubs in for reinforcements while I finished making dinner because she couldn’t get over how fun it was to pull her bibs out of the basket and throw them away. I called my mom last night and told her about it and she just laughed and said “She’s a little Sara… just like you when you were a kid”. Quite frankly I don’t know what she’s talking about. I was an angel. I don’t know why I’m worried about coming up with things to write about once the weekly onesies are done… she gives me plenty to talk about!

I’m happy to announce I got all of my Christmas gifts shipped, Christmas cards addressed {mailing them today}, and I have every intention of checking the final items off my list this afternoon! After that it’s full on gift wrapping and cookie baking mode! Even managed to snag a HUGE bundle of Christmas cookie cutters for 70% off at JoAnn Fabric yesterday. WOOT

Until next time…

OH, and since Keelin’s birthday is next Thursday I’ll be postponing her final onesie pic until then! I can’t believe it’s already here!

FIFTYsie

It feels so strange that our little bitty is into the 50’s in her weekly onesie count, and even more strange that I’m finally getting to use the Christmas fabric I bought LAST YEAR. I got some Christmas-y fabric about a month before Keelin was born, being that I was CONVINCED she was going to arrive before Christmas. It didn’t feel right using it after the holiday so I decided to keep it around for this year. Keelin is obviously loving her fabric this week as I was able to snap a relatively clear pic mid-giggle.

Things have gotten quite festive here in the Pierce household. Along with the tiny stash of decorations I bust out each year, we got our Christmas tree up! Keelin was in total awe and stood in front of it pointing and babbling away. It was as if she was describing it’s GLORY to me. Definitely a memory I will never forget. She seemed to be more interested in the tree itself than all the lights and sparkles from the ornaments… that was until she noticed some ornaments that had yet to be hung that were in reaching distance. Our evening of tree decorating was partnered with trying to catch our little thief mid-snatch. Seriously. Klepto.

On the walking front,  The Bean is still pitter pattering all over the house, running laps around the couch, sneaking into the kitchen when mom and dad are not looking, and stealing anything she can get her hands on. I love that this has become the norm. This is SUCH a fun age! Crawling is still a thing of the past except for when she needs to get her hands on something to pull up. She CAN  stand up on her own but prefers to have a little support. I think it’s because 98% of the time she has something {stolen} in one or both of her hands and it’s a little more tricky to find her balance as she stands. So she’ll crawl over to something nearby… which is often one of the dogs… and give herself a little support. But the solo-stand is happening more often so I have a feeling that pulling up will soon be a thing of the past too.

By far my FAVORITE new thing is that Keelin gives kisses. She’s such an affectionate, snuggly little girl and because her mama is always smoochin on her cheeks, she’s started joining in. If you make a kiss noise at her or actually ask her for ‘kisses’ she will open her mouth, stick out her tongue, and lean toward you for the sweetest, sloppiest, messiest, full-of-love kiss you’ll ever have. It is beyond adorable and I can’t get enough.

But enough about us… what’s up with you. Have you given/received any super sloppy kisses lately? Or maybe stood in awe of the majesty of your Christmas tree? What’s up folks?

Until next time…

FOURTY-SEVENsie + FOURTY-EIGHTsie

Yes, it’s a double dose of onesie goodness since I was without a computer for the majority of the last week and a half. Brace yourselves, most people can only handle the cuteness power of one onesie photo… I’m not sure what kind of effect TWO will have on my readers.

Talk about a sweetie!

Obviously the 47 week photo comes to you from TURKEY DAY! I thought I would change things up a bit and use a hat instead of a bow that week. Ok, I cannot tell a lie, I forgot a bow. BUT, I did want to show off my first hat knitting success! Yes, I have progressed from a knitting career of scarves {straight lines} to hats! My MIL helped me find my rhythm again and taught me a few tricks of the trade which made making this little beauty not only a blast but a breeze {after re-starting it about 4 times… but oh well}. And while I am totally in love with the Rastafarian dreadlock look {pointed out by my sweet hubby}, I have to admit the hat wasn’t originally going to look the way it turned out. As I as finishing things up I noticed there was a big hole in the top of the hat where the edges didn’t meet. So, tapping into my stash of brilliant ideas I decided to turn a gaping hole into a mop-top and voila! Knitting genius. I love it. Keelin loves it {when she’s not trying to pull it off}. And the whole family seemed to love it! Needless to say I  immediately started on another hat which is a few stitches away from being finished.

But enough about knitting… onto the Thanksgiving recap! It was a jam-packed week with far too much to talk about {I’m saving all of my NYC stories for a different post, b.t.dubs} but here are the spark notes. Before hitting the farm I was able to swing by my dear friend Layna’s house and meet her 6 week old baby boy, Ezra. What a cutie. I felt very special that he let me hold him both asleep and awake, without crying. He’s been a bit “attached” to mommy lately so I was half expecting him to start wailing as soon as I got a hold of him but it was like he knew exactly who I was. Layna has dubbed me Aunt Pancake {after Aunt Sara’s Pancake house} and I love the title. He’s the cutest thing and is so lucky to have such great parents. Mama looks stunning, as to be expected, and I was so thankful we got to visit and catch up. It’s been too long but I’m STOKED that we get to see them again in a few weeks! here in GA! WOOT

We had a wonderful time with PERFECT WEATHER up in Va. Z’s side of the family came for turkey day, we ate way too much, played a rousing game of Flickin’ Chicken, and even got an impromptu visit from my parents on their way back from visiting my brother, sister-in-law, and sweet nephew in LA. They got off the RED EYE flight and drove to have a quick visit before heading home. I’m so blessed to have such amazing parents. The whole week was a huge success sans a small incident with the dogs. You may remember way back when I was preggs that Z’s cousin Sarah came to visit with her mammoth dog Remus. You also may remember that despite being 4X smaller than their cousin, the Bostons attacked poor Remus and were quarantined to the cage for the entirety of Sarah’s visit. Well, we assumed the attack happened as a result of the Bostons being territorial, since Remus was on ‘their turf”. Turns out my dogs are just big jerks because as soon as Remus hopped out of the car at the farm, the chaos began. Pigs {aka “The Train”} went into attack mode and his idiot brother Buster followed suit. After a rousing game of ring-around-the-Prius and a pitiful yelp from the giant Wolfhound, we were left with a bloody ear, a bite on the belly, and ONCE AGAIN two quarantined Bostons. Seriously hate those dogs sometimes. The remainder of their visit I was secretly hoping they would wonder into the woods and ‘get lost’. Yes, I was pissed. Yes, I had to resist the urge to punt them across the farm. Please don’t call PETA. So, despite the blood lust of my dogs, it was a wonderful Thanksgiving. So much to be thankful for and a wonderful reminder of all we are blessed with.

And now to 48 weeks!

 

She said WHAAAAAT?

I can’t get enough of this little girl! Yesterday we celebrated Keelin turning 11 months old which was totally nuts because it made me realize that in another month we will have a 1-year old. How did that happen? No, seriously. It feels like we just got home from the hospital, so where did the year go?

I filled you in during the 46 week update that crawling has become a thing of the past in our house and that is even more so these days, except now the SPEED as set in. Z and I were cracking up last night as Keelin came tearing around the side of the couch with her wide-stepping strut and arms up in the air. It’s adorable. She’s like a tiny chimpanzee. I love it. I’m not sure how I will every REALLY punish this adorable, adorable child but I’m sure I’ll be eating my words one day when she knocks my favorite vase off the table, dumps an entire plate of food onto the floor, or decorates our living room walls with permanent markers. But for now… I’m fine with her being ridiculously adorable.

Speaking of adorable, I never knew pouting could be so cute. A few days ago Z picked Keelin up to get her away from something she wasn’t supposed to be messing with {because “no” is still funny} and the second he sat her down in a “safe zone” she looked right at him, stuck out her bottom lip, gave a solid lip quiver, a tiny fuss, and batted some very convincing puppy dog eyes. It was like something out of a cartoon. Well done daughter of mine, well done. It didn’t work, in fact it made us laugh, but valiant attempt!

Let’s see… what are some other updates. Oh, everything is ‘dada’. Z is ‘dada’, as he should be, but I’m also ‘dada’, the dogs are dada {although I think she’s actually trying to say ‘doggie’ for them} her reflection is ‘dada’, her food is ‘dada’, and the humidifier in her nursery is ‘dada’. EVERYTHING is ‘dada’. Z says she says ‘dada’ for all the things she loves, which is a very sneaky way of gloating if you ask me. She will call me ‘mama’ when she really thinks about it, or is prompted, and it’s still that motor-type mmmmmmma ma ma ma ma, but for the most part, the whole world is ‘dada’. I don’t mind because, again, it’s cute.

We are still finding discarded socks all over the house, loving bath time {sans a random FREAK OUT last week when she suddenly became deathly afraid of the water… what’s up with that}, staying on our toes, and wondering how in the world any parent can TRULY baby-proof their home. Seriously I feel like whenever I move something out of her reach I look over my shoulder and she’s found something else that makes my heart jump. My inner monologue is continuously saying “keep the kid alive, keep the kid a live, whatever you do just keep the kid alive”.

Alright… if I write any more I’m going to start losing some of you, if I haven’t already. Darn my rambling brain.

MANY updates on the way including my NYC trip, current work struggles, Christmas plans, DIY fun and more! It’s a busy time of year… bring it on!

OH and CONGRATS to Melanie from Career Desires to Bottles and Diapers for winning the Appliqué Christmas Towels from Thread Creations. More giveaways to come!

Until next time…

FOURTY-SIXie

If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it sound like my ear-piercing squeal?

Holy Moly I’m surprised I even managed to get a picture this week, sorry it’s so late in the day. Between Keelin running around at hyper-speed and my brain doing everything it possibly can NOT to shut down, it is definitely a miracle I have an update at all. Our photoshoots used to consist of me snapping away like a mad woman accumulating around 100 photos of the Bean {yes, that many} and then painstakingly sifting through them all to pick wich one I loved the best that described her attitude that past week. Now it’s more like scrambling to get her to stay still on the fabric long enough to snap about 5 decent pictures before giving up when she crawls away for the 10th time, all while praying I got a shot that isn’t a total blur. She definitely keeps things fun! PS. not sure why my photo editing made her hair look so green-y in this week’s picture. Oh well.

The biggest news in our household is that crawling is SO overrated. I am beyond amazed by this tiny person who seems to have gone from taking a few wobbly steps to high-tailing it across the room in the blink of an eye. Where did this little speed demon come from? I have to catch myself if I’m busy managing one task or another because one moment she’ll be at my feet hanging on to my pant legs and the next she’ll be trying to eat the dog’s food, ripping off one or both of her socks in the other room, or doing her darndest to see what’s inside the trash can. All thing’s she’s really good at. I swear if you were to visit my house it would look like a baby sock graveyard. They are everywhere. I put one pair on her and she shimmy’s out of one so fast and somehow manages to hide it somewhere in the house so I grab another one just so her feet aren’t cold. Then it becomes a game to see how many pairs of socks she can get on and off her feet in a day. I think our all-time high is 5 so far… and that doesn’t include repeats.  Needless to say the hubs and I are both running around like crazy trying to keep up with her.

In other news, Keelin is just such a SILLY little girl and I absolutely love it! She loves blowing raspberries {aka spitting all over my face}, splashing around in the tub, taking daddy’s credit cards out of his wallet {so wise}, and she’s a huge cut up. Any time either of us makes an odd noise, face, or movement she loses it. I have to say that baby giggles are like crack. I can’t get enough. So I may or may not intentionally look like a lunatic the majority of the day to keep her chuckling. I can’t help myself. She’s also become such a snuggly girl, and it’s the ONE thing I’ve liked about the temperature dropping. I hate cold weather and apparently Keelin does to. She’s always been a pretty snuggly kid but usually during story time, before naps, when she’s sleep, you know the usual times. Now it’s all day long, so I definitely think she has her mother’s need to be warm and meets that need through snuggles. She’ll be playing on one side of the living room and I will catch her eye and smile. Instantly she’ll be up walking toward me and when she reaches me she just lays her head on whatever part of my body she can reach. Is your heart melting yet? She’s super snuggly with the dogs too. She’ll crawl or walk over to them and just drape herself over their tummies with her cheek up against their fur. Generally such an action is followed by her saying some form of “awwwwww”. Again… heart melting? I’ll put pics up on Facebook.

I’m just so in love with this tiny human. And I don’t know what I’m going to do for 5 days away from her. ACK… can’t even think about it.

*on the “me” front… I seem to be fighting off this pesky cold {knock on wood}, have been plowing through my work load {fingers still crossed that I finish in time}, and I’ve successfully reigned in my excitement {although as NYC gets closer and closer it gets more difficult to contain!}

That’s all for us for now. I will say that I MAY BE LATE getting next week’s onesie post up. For shame… I know. I’ll be taking Keelin’s picture up at the farm but probably won’t have internet, therefore no way to post it. BUT, as soon as I get in you’ll have another adorable picture and a full report from our Turkey Day festivities… including some insight to traveling with an ACTIVE 10 {almost 11} month old.

Until next time…