It Doesn't Have to be Perfect...

I've always been a perfectionist of sorts.  It's that first-born, always-wanting-to-please-your-parents kind of thing.  Sure, there are aspects of my life when my perfectionist ways fall short, or are of less importance.  But there are also times I'll pour my heart and soul into something until it is absolutely {in my eyes} perfect.

But things don't always have to be perfect.  And that can be hard concept for me to grasp. 

Last night, I made birthday cupcakes for Brantley to take to daycare.  From scratch, of course.  (See?  Perfect.)  My plans were to decorate the cupcakes as Elmo.  I saw the idea on Pinterest {months ago}, and though Brantley likes balls and even Mickey Mouse far more than Elmo these days, the idea was too cute to pass up!

Around 6:30, I started the cupcakes.  Around 7:30, I made buttercream frosting.  I added an entire bottle of red food coloring liquid.  The result?  Pink frosting.  Well since Elmo is nowhere near pink, I packed up the babe and headed to Michael's.  (Brantley was with Craig on a run.)  I bought a jar of red gel (which is what I typically use, but just so happened to be out of red...every darn holiday uses red it seems!) and headed back home.  After adding nearly half the jar, and still having pink frosting, I googled "How to make deep red frosting."  As instructed, I added some cocoa (still not a deep shade of red), and then some black coloring gel.  BIG mistake.  I now had maroon frosting.  Frantically I tried adding more red gel.  In fact, I added the remainder of the 1-ounce jar.  It didn't matter.  It didn't help.  I was stuck with maroon frosting.

Part of me debated starting over.  That would mean going back to Michael's, and I still had thirty minutes before they closed.  But that also meant a trip to Target for more butter and powdered sugar.  And significantly more time in the kitchen.  It was already 8:30 and I was exhausted.  All I wanted to do was finish these darn cupcakes and sit down to relax.

In the end, I decided to use the frosting I had and send twelve maroon Elmos to daycare.  But let me tell you - it was so hard for me to come to terms with that.  Why??  Who cares if they were maroon?  Brantley didn't.  He quickly identified Elmo in spite of his maroon fur.  And the daycare kids sure wouldn't.  I'm pretty certain they would have gobbled up the cupcakes had Elmo been red, maroon, or lime green for that matter.

So why in the world was I so bummed about this failed attempt at red Elmo cupcakes?  For a boy who isn't even quite two and will never, ever remember this anyway!?

My perfectionist self is in part to blame.  But I also blame the world of Pinterest, blogs, and other forms of social media.

Do I feel bad about the cupcakes that didn't turn out perfectly?  You bet!

On a related note, do I feel guilty for not throwing him an over-the-top, themed, Pinterest-worthy party for Brantley's second birthday?  Heck yes, I do!  But why?  I never had such a party growing up.  Yet I have such fond memories of my birthday parties through the years.

In this day and age, it's easy to forget what really matters.  That we're providing our children with everything they need - a home, clothing, food, and above everything else, love.  Brantley loves me more than any cake I bake and any party I throw.  He loves me because I am, and will always be, there for him.  He doesn't care if I'm perfect.  Because in his eyes, I am.


So what did I do to make myself feel better?  Head to Pinterest, of course.  Funny how the same place that makes us strive for perfection can also give us encouragement and inspiration.  Here is what I found.

 

Don't these speak the truth?  Unfortunately (or fortunately?), there will be no favors, no decor, and no chevron-striped drinking straws in mason jars at Brantley's upcoming second birthday party.  (No red Elmos either.)  Just your old-fashioned, family-oriented party with cake, ice cream, and lots of fun.  I'm sure I will be back to my perfection-striving, party-planning ways in the years to come.  Because after all, I truly do enjoy it.  But for now, I must say, it feels good.  It feels good to enjoy *perfection* without lifting a DIYing finger.

A Special Day

I normally don't post on here to wish friends and family members a happy birthday, happy anniversary, or happy anything.  Not because I don't care, but mainly because it's hard enough to blog about everything I want to blog about, let alone all these special days in our lives.  But today, I'm going against my norm because this deserves a special post.

My high school bestie, Sarah, lives in Austin, TX.  This is the same girl that lived (and got married) in Hawaii and then moved to San Diego shortly after.  (We visited her and her hubby in San Diego a few years ago.)  Anyway, she had a precious baby boy, Adrian, back in February.  He's nearly five months old now and has yet to meet his Daddy.  That's right.  Her hubby, J.C., has been overseas for more than six months.  He missed the last few months of her pregnancy, missed the birth of his first born, and missed the first 4.5 months of Adrian's life.  All the while, Sarah rocked motherhood.  Can you imagine?  Laboring/delivering a baby sans hubby, leaving the hospital sans hubby, dealing with the stressful first few weeks of a baby's life sans hubby, tending to a hungry baby overnight--each and every night--sans hubby, washing bottles and pump parts around the clock sans hubby, keeping the house in order sans hubby.  I could go on and on and on and on.  And you know what?  I never once heard Sarah complain.  Now that is a rockstar mom!  I complained the few times Craig was out of town for work, and sometimes even when he left on Tuesday nights to play basketball for two hours.  Her husband was gone for six long months!!  Overseas, nonetheless. 

But today is the day he returns.  Today is the day he meets his precious little look-alike, Adrian.  Today is the day Sarah's been waiting for for months.  Gives me goosebumps and tears in my eyes just thinking about it!  And what's better?  Today is their 3-year wedding anniversary.  I don't think it gets any more special than that.

Sarah, you are one of the bravest and strongest mommies I know.  I don't know how in the world you did you it.  I am confident that if you could handle these last 4.5 months as gracefully as you did, you can handle pretty much anything--way more than I ever could.  You are amazing.  J.C. and Adrian are two extremely lucky guys.

I know you're not spending time on the Internet today, or maybe you are helping to pass these last few hours before hubby returns home?  Needless to say, I want to wish you guys the best anniversary ever (as if I even have to say that) and a happy homecoming to JC.  Enjoy soaking up every moment with your newly united family of three.  Can't wait for pics.  Lots and lots and lots of love, friend!

That Time We Camped

So we may be crazy.  I like to think of it as adventurous. 

On Friday night, we decided to camp in our backyard.  All five of us - 10 week old baby and dog included - in a tent.  We've talked about it for some time now and can't wait for the day when we can take our little family camping for real.  But for now, the backyard it was, and since we tend to do everything as a family, I wasn't about to let Craig and Brantley experience this first without the rest of us.

Brantley had some fun playing inside the tent with neighbors, before a firepit, which kept us up way later than intended.

When we finally headed to bed around 11pm (thank goodness for summer), Brantley was ready to play some more.  I don't blame him, after all, that's what he does in his play tent we keep inside.  We calmed him down and he was asleep in record time.  Until he woke up a few hours later and wanted to play again.  He was excited to be sleeping in the tent, to say the least. 

We put him between us on the air mattress and put Holden in the bassinet part of the Pack 'n Play next to me.  Kinnick was in the corner.  He was probably the most weirded out by the experience.  Except for Holden, I'm not sure any of us got much sleep, and the whole Brantley-sleeping-between-us-thing reassured our decision to never, ever let kiddos sleep in bed with us.  Hello kicking, rolling, sleeping at a diagonal, and cover-stealing. :)  Still though, it was fun to snuggle with him all night long.  Needless to say, it was a fun summertime experience and I can't wait to go "camping" again.

(Please excuse the horrid photos.  The iPhone flash is bright and it was hard to take decent photos when we couldn't even see what was on the screen.)

Thoughts for Thursday

I haven't had anything major to blog about lately, but that's not to say I don't have anything on my mind.  So when I saw "Thoughts for Thursday" on another blog I follow, I thought that'd be the perfect way to update all my followers.

{ONE}

We've gone to two Royal's games in the past week.  The first last Friday vs. the Mariners, and again on Tuesday vs. the Dodgers.  I'm getting much more efficient at packing for games and getting out the door in record time!  It's really perfect - I pump on the drive there, and again on the drive home - though Craig is always under strict orders not to pull window-to-window with anyone. ;)  The boys have been very well-behaved through the ninth inning, and it amazes me how much our near 2-year old gets into the game!  He watches and claps whenever everyone else does.  He even went as far as putting down his hot dog on Tuesday so he could clap during opening lineup - cutest thing ever!  Too bad the Royals lost both games...and have ended their gig in first place.

P.S. - Ask Brantley who his favorite Royal's players are and he'll tell you Alex Gordon and Mike Goose.  (Mike Moustakas' nickname is Moose for all you non-Royals fans.)

{TWO}

Speaking of my near 2-year old, I didn't start party planning until this week.  (Say what????  A far cry from last year when I started six months ahead of time!)  IF you even call it that, I should add.  I made and printed invites.  That's the extent of my "planning".  No Pinterest-worthy projects this year.  Just a rented out shelter, hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, cake, and immediate family members.  But that's okay, right?  The over-the-topness is not what the kiddos remember and besides, I'm sure there will be plenty more of that in years to come. :)

P.S. - He does get two parties.  One in Wichita and another in Iowa.

{THREE}

Can you believe July is almost here already?!  I love the 4th of July--it's my favorite holiday after Christmas--but it also brings a little sadness.  Once Independence Day hits, I feel like summer is gone in the blink of an eye. :(

 

{FOUR}

We spent a large portion of last weekend at our neighborhood pool.  I put on my swimsuit and fedora, and immediately, Brantley wanted to wear his {fedora}, too!  I've encouraged him to wear it other times, but he's had none of it...until he saw Mama in hers.  And because he and I don't often dress as twins, it called for a picture! 

P.S. - I also resorted back to my two-piece.  (After showing up in the same one-piece as a 50+ year old grandma a few weeks ago, I vowed to get back in my regular suits!)  I'm still up from my pre-prego weight/size, but ya know what--I don't care!  I just had a baby nine weeks ago and I'm feeling pretty good about my post-baby bod, considering I don't work out one bit. 

{FIVE}

How cute is this kid?

{SIX}

And this one, too?

{SEVEN}
And here's a funny story from this week.  I was getting ready to pump on Wednesday when Brantley picked up my pump parts and tried to pump some booby milk of his own.  Imitation at its finest.  I'm sure this will completely embarrass him someday, but it was too funny not to document.

That's all I've got for now.  Another low-key weekend in store before our crazy month of July hits!

 

Holden Beckett: 2 Months Old!

Wow, it's amazing to me how quickly two months has come and gone!  It goes quickly with a first baby, but even quicker the second time around!  And I'm already having anxiety about going back to work.  It's almost July, which means it's almost August, and sadly I go back on August 11.  Nine weeks of maternity leaver/summer have just flown by in the blink of an eye.  Seven to go.  Yikes.

I am definitely enjoying my time at home, and I especially love focusing solely on you on Tuesdays and Thursdays while Brantley is at daycare.  Sometimes we run errands, other times it's nice to not leave the house and just stare, talk, cuddle, and smile with you.  You continue to be the best baby ever.  We thought Brantley was a good baby, but I can remember times when we couldn't get him to stop crying to save our life.  Two months in and we have yet to have that problem.  Sure, you cry, but it typically just means you're hungry, tired, or need a diaper change and once we do something about whichever it is, you're fine.  You are a very chill baby, very easy to take places.  I seriously thank God for that every single day.  Props to all those moms with a colicky, inconsolable baby.  I'm not sure I could handle that.

You are growing steadily and surely.  You weighed in at 10 pounds 6 ounces at your 2-month-on-the-dot appointment, which was the 22nd percentile for your age.  Your doctor said you might not be huge, but you're "solid as a rock".  I've been taking you to the Mommy & Me Boutique each Friday for a weigh in.  Here are those stats.

05.30.14 (6 weeks old) - 9 pounds 0.5 ounce
06.05.14 (7 weeks old) - 9 pounds 9.5 ounces
06.13.14 (8 weeks old) - 10 pounds 2.5 ounces

You rocked your 2-month appointment.  You had your first round of immunizations, but like your older brother, you didn't seem bothered by them whatsoever.  You cried for about 30 seconds until I was able to pick you up, and then you were fine.

Your second month of life included a visit by Gramma and Papa Fritz and your first Royals game.  Otherwise, it was pretty low-key.

I still love your hair.  Though sometimes it makes me forget how young you actually are!  And you're still my mini-me.  Which I still love.  But my newest favorite thing has been your smiles.  Sure, I caught a few smiles on camera during your first month of life, but now you are smiling at us.  Real, true smiles.  And quite often.  I could stare at them all day.  So, so cute.

2-Month Update:

Size - Height: 22.0 inches (18th percentile); Weight: 10 pounds 6 ounces (22nd percentile); Head: 38.3cm (16th percentile)

Words - Recently started cooing and "talking" some.

Activity - A little bit of tummy time each day and some time in your Bumbo.  You love looking at things around our house and spend a lot of time smiling at the window blinds, your mobile, and the ceiling fan.

Food - You still eat about every 2.5 to 4 hours during the days, approximately 6 or 7 times per day - early morning, mid-morning, lunchtime, mid-afternoon, early evening, later evening, before bed.  You're not really on a "schedule" as your wake time each morning differs.  I'm still breastfeeding, but top you off with 2.5 to 3 ounces in a bottle after each session.  So far, I've been able to pump enough milk to only give you about 4 ounces of formula per day (the early morning bottle because I can take it upstairs and have it ready and the before bed bottle to keep you fuller longer).

Sleep - You've been sleeping through the night (about seven hours) consistently since my last update.  You go to bed around 10:30, after your last feeding, and wake up anytime between the hours of 4am and 7am (usually around 5).  You then go back to sleep after your early-morning feeding and sleep until you're hungry again.  You nap in your Rock & Play off and on throughout the day.

Bedtime/Waketime - See above.

Hair - Still dark brown.  I think there are some reddish pieces and people have commented on your "natural highlights".  It may be thinning a little, but you still have enough of it. :)

Eyes - Bright blue

Teeth - None

Wardrobe - Still newborn and 0-3 months.

Diapers - Size 1

Likes - Being patted on the booty, your paci (mainly when you're fussy or to fall asleep), the Sitter Seal white noise app, movement (the car, the swing, the stroller), being tightly swaddled. 

Dislikes - Being hungry, tired, or needing a diaper change.  Pretty typical for a 2-month old, I think.

Mommy's Fave - Your sweet little smile.

In these two months, you have taken our lives to a whole new level.  We are officially a family now and I sure am loving it!  I can't imagine life without you.  Keep on being awesome, Little Man!

Love, Your Mama

Fishing With Papa

I'm pretty sure my dad has been waiting for this moment ever since he heard the word grandson.  Ever since he learned that both of his daughter's unborn babies would be BOYS.  You see, fishing is his absolute favorite thing to do.  He loves it so much that he goes in the dead of winter, when it's zero degrees outside, and sits on a bucket.  (I honestly don't know about that last part, it's just what I envision.)  The rest of us think he's crazy, but it's his number one hobby.  Now, don't get me wrong - he taught my sister and I how to fish at an early age.  My grandparents lived on a farm.  And there were many a days we hiked down to their pond(s) ready, willing, and excited to do so!  But there's just something about teaching a BOY how to bait a hook, cast, and reel.  And, I don't know for certain, but I'm guessing it's even more special when it's your grandson.

While my parents were in town, our neighbor mentioned that it was a free fishing weekend in Kansas.  Meaning, no fishing license was required.  Perfect timing.  We headed to our neighborhood pond with pole in tow, hot dogs (i.e. bait) handy, and my camera ready to capture this special occasion.

Oh, I'm pretty certain Papa was in heaven.  It was a proud moment, that's for sure!

Thankfully, it only took about 1.2 seconds for a fish to bite.  And another 1.2 seconds to reel it in.  At least for those competent fishermen (i.e. not me, apparently it's been awhile).

Nonetheless, Brantley lost interest pretty quickly. 

However, he had no issues touching, holding, and tossing the fish back into the water.  He's never been scared of much.  A slimy, wiggly fish, for instance.  That's where he differs from me.

Did I mention we got rained on?  A quick spring-like shower.  The boys loved it.  They also loved playing with sticks and eating the hot dogs we brought for the fish.

What a fun experience for all of us!  Can't wait to do it again soon!