Naming our Son {Baby #3}

If this baby boy had been born 6.5 years ago he would have had a very different name. And isn't that funny? How much our preferences change? Before we found out that Kinsey was a girl we had our boy name settled: Braylen Gary- a "B" name to honor Brian and Gary after my papa. 

We can't really put our finger on why we won't be using that name now it just isn't our ideal son's name so without further ado: 

CLARK AUSTEN

will be oh so shortly joining our family!

"Clark" fulfills a few favorites. Brian's love for Superman lore and my adoration for surnames as first names (and 2/3 of our kids now boast them.)

"Austen" has always been a name I've liked. In Kindergarten a boy had that name and though I didn't give a hoot about that boy, his name always resonated with me. 

A couple of friends, Courtney and Stephanie actually asked if this was a homage to Jane Austen and yes it is, but only in spelling :) #bookloverforlife

For the longest time we were torn between order- Austen Clark or Clark Austen but then I had a dream (as always haha) that someone yelled "Clark" and I thought, "that's my son's name." And that was that.

So there you have all the nitty gritty (and maybe a touch of fan boy/girl) details of how we named our son!

Linking up here.

   

   

Month 9 final Bumpdate {Baby Boy}

How far along: THIRD Trimester :: Weeks 36- 40

Size of baby: 38 weeks is a winter melon

Weight gain: And the final weigh in tops the scales at 36 pounds gained; Same amount as I gained with Kinsey but feels like so much more. I'm not upset with gaining the weight, it's where the weight has distributed (lower body- legs & thighs) that has me feeling bad; that is not going to burn itself off and working out/dieting is not in my nature, lol. 

Maternity clothes: Still rocking the same old things and feeling less than stellar. 

Gender: boy!

Movement: So much! Which is funny because he's definitely running out of space in there! 

Sleep: I've been so tired lately, going to bed early has been a priority. But once I lay down, the fun begins. I get upset stomach instantly and then my back and hips hurt. Thankfully once I fall asleep it's sound.  

What I miss: Feeling comfortable in my clothes. Sleeping on my back and stomach. Being able to tie my shoes, shave my legs, heck, just being able to see my feet!

Cravings: All the fruit! 

Symptoms: The need for TUMS has been exponential which has me thinking maybe this boy has some hair after all?

Highlight of the Month: This will be my last bumpdate!! I am relishing the movements and the feel of the last baby growing within my body but am really looking forward to holding him earth-side. 

Today is also my hospital pre-admin and probably my first physical to check dilation and I'm definitely curious what that will show! 

I have been so extremely lucky winning baby giveaways this week that I joked it should end with me having a baby, well that hasn't happened (yet) but the odds are definitely in my favor ;)

Saturday my mom and MIL are throwing me a little sprinkle so that will be sweet day and the last hurrah before little man's arrival!

Linking up here.

   

   

Freshly Picked Moccasins for our Dapper Little Dude {Baby #3} + Giveaway

My love for Freshly Picked moccasins is no secret around here (or here or here!) and when I became pregnant I knew I had to have a pair of itty bitty moccs for the new babe. Thanks to Freshly Picked for sending baby boy a pair of moccasins. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links, if you make a purchase using one I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog!

When baby became Baby Brother I really got into finding the perfect pair for him! In the last few months Freshly Picked has introduced two new styles of moccasins, the City Moccs without fringe around the ankles and the Penny Loafer no fringe and a cute "penny holder" detail that are pure perfection for the dapper little dudes in your life!

I am so smitten with the Penny Loafer style, the classic look in quality leather sized just for new baby feet, that it makes my heart positively melt.

I have a set aesthetic when it comes to our son's wardrobe (give me all the gray neutrals, black and whites/creams, stripes and a few pops of bright poppy) and these slate penny loafer moccs will go with everything!

So now we just wait until our baby boy makes his appearance and when he does (three weeks and counting!) he will be our last babe to make his first shoes Freshly Picked moccasins.

***Head over to my Instagram to enter to win a pair of Freshly Picked moccasins of your very own!***

Linking up here.

   

   

First week of First Grade // Back to School 2017

My heart, how is Kinsey in first grade?! I swear just yesterday I was taking her to my work to start Preschool. Time is a funny thing.

Kinsey started school ridiculously early, like, the second day of August early and that is why it has been quiet on the blog this week; making that mind shift and getting everything prepared for a smooth transition takes some work.

I actually have been enjoying getting up at 6:20a every morning (ten minutes earlier than when I was working!) because it affords me ample time to get us all ready and out the door without feeling rushed. And since I get to put Brielana down for her noon nap, I also get to take some zzzz's, if need be!

Kinsey has rocked her first week of school. She came home on Friday with Student of the Week! It may have been a short week, but girlfriend owned it. She is in a smaller sized class (such a blessing) with a few of the same friends as last year and it is her teacher's first year teaching! Gotta love that fresh-faced enthusiasm. My favorite part is she didn't go overboard with the class supply list (you know what I'm talking about ;)

I also wanted to take a minute to sing some praises about using essentail oils to fight the onslaught of school germs. True story (thanks Facebook for reminding me) but this time last year, Kinsey was already sick. A full week of school and her poor immune system was overloaded. Well, this year I wanted to be proactive and it has been working!

I recently discovered Plant Therapy from listening to an old The Healthy Moms podcast (thanks to Laura for turning me onto Katie!) and really love their KidSafe line of oils. I got the KidSafe Wellness Trio and started diffusing Immune Boom about two weeks ago. I also mixed up some coconut oil with it and have been rubbing it to the tops of both girls feet before bedtime. I know I enjoy the nightly ritual, so I'm hoping its just as relaxing for the girls. Once we get into the flu season I know I'll be able to rely on Sniffle Stopper (rubbed onto the chest as a decongestant) and Germ Destroyer.

So here we are back in the swing of things. Everything lableled with Kinsey's name. New structure and routines. A new school year!

When does your kiddo go back to school? Are you feeling prepared?! I know a handful of mamas who are sending off their babes to Kindergarten, let the emotions flow and don't feel awkward if you cry; we're all dying a little inside every first day of school.

Linking up here.

   

   

Baby Boy Buys // Baby #3

I have been slowly filling up Baby Brother's dresser with all the tiny things and I just had to share some of my favorite buys. I'm not one to spend a lot of money haphazardly but when quality and craftsmanship (and good customer service!) collide plus throw in a good sale, I can't pass up those deals!

L'oved Baby

This organic baby clothes and gear company was started by a mom whose own mother was diagnosed with breast cancer around the time she was pregnant with her first child. After researching the benefits of breastfeeding Sharon made a commitment to nurse and made her first nursing cover, which evolved into L'oved Baby. The apostrophe is so clever as "Oved" is Sharon's last name (I'm a huge sucker for special little details like that!) I love this company's baby clothes and have had so much fun waiting for their Big-Find Thursday sale each week where a certain color or item of baby clothes is featured and you're sent 3-4 pieces for only $40!

Right now I'm hosting a giveaway on Instagram to win a $30 shop credit to L'oved Baby!

Modern Burlap

Full confession- I never really got the hang of swaddling my babies. Brian is a pro and Kinsey was swaddled up for the first two months of her life. But come Brielana, she hated feeling confined and all the swaddle blankets seemed unnecessary after that. Well, in an attempt to get some longer stretches of sleep, I'm going to try my hand at swaddling again and when I came across Modern Burlap's beautiful designs, it definitely solidified my want for swaddlers. I didn't realize how much the black and white patterns really resonated with me but when my eyes fell upon this Jeremiah 29:11 verse swaddle, I wanted to cry and immediately purchased it (it's on sale still!) because this verse is my touchstone and it was meant to be. Plus, if the whole swaddling thing doesn't happen to work out, I can always use this as a wall hanging!! 

source

June & January

I've become a tad bit obsessed lately because I've absolutely have fallen in love with their color "poppy" (a reddish orange color) and just can't get enough! J&J specializes in basic children's pieces, think solid, striped and dotted prints that can be mixed and matched to create several different looks with just a few pieces. Right now I'm anxiously awaiting their new Baby release so I can complete little misters coming-home outfit!

PS- if you shop through my referral link you can get 15% off your first $50 purchase! 

Am I missing out on any fun and unique baby boy shops? Let me know what your favorites are so I can check them out!

Linking up here.