7 months...

Since he's about to be 8 months old, I guess I should post his 7 month photos.  Geez.
The outtakes from the card shots might be the best part of these sessions. They tell an awful lot about what 7 months looks like!
We love our little man, and he just keeps getting cuter.

Catching up...Isaac's first Easter

I'm still attempting to catch up over here.  I couldn't let Isaac's first Easter get away without documenting it here.

We went to church in the morning, and Isaac wore his Sunday best.  I was running around frantically the day before.  I had bought his Easter outfit a few weeks prior, in a size 6 month, and the day before decided to try it on before I washed it for the big day.  This little chunky monkey wasn't going to fit in the 6 month!  At least not for more than that one day.   So, it was back to Carter's for an exchange.  His legs are so short though, that the 9 month pants were way too big, so I found some cute little shorts to go with it instead.  His shoes are from Target, and were indeed my favorite part of the whole outfit. 

I painted up an extra special Easter basket for my boy for his first Easter. I love the colors and how it matched his first Easter outfit.  It was filled with a little Easter book (which he loves chewing on still), a cat shaped like a ball (looks like Miles), a toy phone, a bunny, and a couple candy treats for mom and dad. (Come to think of it, I don't think we've even eaten those...yay for us!)

The rest of our day, we relaxed as a family, and went for a walk.  It was a beautiful spring day!

Doesn't daddy look handsome too?

Six Months...

Six months was such a fun age.  This boy's personality just keeps getting better.  As you can tell, he is starting to get a little ornery.  Ha! 
During his 6th month, he started rolling back over, sitting in the Bumbo, and in the cart at the store from time to time (with alot of help of blankets and the safety strap).  He loves, loves, loves his car bouncer, the cats and oatmeal.
This is also the month of Isaac's first Easter.

Five Months...

 

Isaac rolled over on 3/1/13!  I was such a proud mama.

He started making lots of noises, splashing in the tub, laughing those great belly laughs, and sleeping 12-13 hours a night.

He loved his rattle and Grover, and I introduced him to Baby Einstein videos, which he loved.

During this month, he started going to Grandparent's houses for the day from time to time so mom could get some work done.

Four Months...

At 4 months, Isaac was laughing at mommy and daddy, sleeping through the night (10+ hours...hello, rock star baby!), and watching everything intently, soaking it in.
He started going to the nursery at church, got to experience a major snowstorm when we got 20 inches of snow!
He was 17 lbs at his 4 month checkup (90%), 25.5 inches long (55%) and had a 17.5 inch head


*Yes, I'm a tad behind on posting these.  Just a tad....but better late than never!  I'll be getting them up as I can! 

I miss blogging....

I miss blogging.  I miss reading blogs too.  I miss the friendships and the inspiration I used to find here. 

I've been thinking about this alot lately.  About how I want to get back to visiting this place regularly.  I know it doesn't do much good to write about how I want to write, or to promise to be here more often, because it will just happen as it can. 

Tidbits, because that's what I have time for at this moment:

Since I quit my day job and reopened the shop, I've been blessed with more orders than I can keep up with.  I haven't even been able to find the time to add the new items I was planning on introducing within weeks of opening back up.  I do hope that in time those things will be a part of the shop.  For now, I'm holding them back.

Rest assured, I took Isaac's 4, 5 and 6 month pictures, they just haven't made it here....yet.

My days go by faster than they ever have.  When I was working my 9-5, I was constantly feeling like time was dragging by, and now, it seems every time I turn around another week has gone by.  It really is true that time flies when you're having fun.  I am certainly having fun!

At this point, I'm probably more active on Instagram than anywhere else.  I'd love to connect with you there.....come find me and say hello, I'm under jdavissquared. 

I'm still writing for Pregnancy and Newborn once a week.

I've completely changed my eating habits, and am actually seeing results on the scale.  Hotness, here I come! 

I guess this was all to say I'm still around, and I'm not giving up hope on blogging again!  Hope to see you soon!

One year ago today...

A year ago this morning, I woke up extra early. (6:00 am, I think) because it was the day.  It was time to take the pregnancy test. 

I honestly was expecting to be disappointed, and to go back to bed and compose myself before getting up for work and going about my day.  This wasn't the first test I'd waited for, and I had braced myself for another failed attempt.

After we waited the requisite 3 minutes,  Jon and I looked at the result at the same time. It took me longer to register what it said than it did Jon.  I'll never forget that moment.  I'm getting choked up just thinking about it.  Jon let out an excited "THAT'S POSITIVE!" and grabbed me in a giant hug.  I immediately broke into tears and we just stood there in our bathroom holding each other for the longest time.  Our prayers had been answered.  Many, many months, and years we'd been praying for that moment, and it had finally arrived!  I demanded we snap a couple of pictures, and while they're not magazine worthy, they are some of my favorites ever.  When I look at us, I can see the pure happiness in our eyes.  God is good.

We laid back down for a few minutes and talked about it.  How we really were going to be parents, and the reality that a tiny person was growing inside me.  I eventually got up and made my way to work.  I called the doctors office before I got out of my car in the parking lot, and ended up going there first to have the blood test done.  By lunch, I got a call with the official word from the doctor.  I was in fact pregnant!  
One year ago today, our lives changed forever.

Today, I'm sitting here with our beautiful baby boy playing next to me on the floor as I type this.  It's really quite amazing what a difference a year makes.

I am so very blessed.

Three Months...

Another month has come and gone, and Isaac keeps getting bigger! 

I cannot even begin to express how in love I am with this little man.  He absolutely makes me melt, and I'm so incredibly grateful for the honor of being his mama.

Alot has happened this last month!  Isaac had his first Christmas, which was so much fun!  {This one's gonna be a tad spoiled with 4 sets of grandparents, that's for sure.}  He has slept through the night {9+ hours} three times.  Hasn't happened now for about a week, but that's okay.  I'm fine with him staying little just a while longer.  We did finally move him to his own room two weeks ago, and he's done great.  Mama, on the other hand, misses having him close still.  What can I say?  I miss him when he's in the next room!

He's talking up a storm, and is the happiest boy in the mornings.  Although he always wants to get up earlier than I do, all the smiles and cooing make it well worth it.

It's so fun watching him figure things out.  He's starting to grab at his toys, and loves talking to Grover.  Cute story about his Grover doll...Jon put him on our registry, and I didn't know until later, after we got him that it was because Jon had a Grover when he was little, and loved him so much.  How sweet is that?!

Isaac's starting to grow back some hair, and I think is going to be curly.  I sure hope so.

Here's to another beautiful month under our belts!

We love you buddy boy!

jdavissquared is back...

The shop will re-open on Monday! 

Now excuse me while I prepare....

Whole Fruit Smoothies and Sweet Cinnamon SUPERPRETZELS...

First, I have to admit that I've been holding out on you, my readers.  Last fall, I was sent some Whole Fruit Smoothies and Sweet Cinnamon SUPERPRETZELS to review, and then life got crazy with Isaac's arrival and I'm just now getting to tell you about them!

But, better late than never, right? 

Let's start with these smoothies....

Overall, I really like these!  Coming in at only 100 calories each, they're great for a low cal snack or part of a healthy breakfast.   Personally, I wish they were a little bigger so that they could constitute a more substantial portion, but I get the appeal of having them at 100 calories. 

These would be ideal for all you folks who are trying to lose some extra pounds with the new year.  ;) 

The directions say to stick them in the microwave for 20 seconds to soften, and I often just eat them with a spoon like ice cream.  I could see (and had planned to before Isaac changed my plan) sticking them in my bag on the way out the door to work, where I'd expect they'd be just the right consistency by the time I would have arrived at my desk.  A great little way to start the day!

I'm not sure the packaging really lends itself to drinking them through a straw like a traditional smoothie, but that's alright with me.  I'm more than happy to use my spoon.  :)

Let's talk flavors...Strawberry Banana, Pineapple Mango and Mixed Berry.  All delicious, but my favorite was by far the Pineapple Mango.  What can I say, I like-a the mango.  (hehe)  It had a great tropical flavor that always makes me happy. 

You can find the Whole Fruit Smoothies at your local grocer in the freezer section.  I'd highly suggest giving them a try! 

Also, be sure to visit Whole Fruit's website, and connect with them on Facebook for special offers.

Now for the pretzels....

I've never been a huge pretzel fan, but you know if I was going to down some pretzels, they'd have to be covered in some cinnamon sugar!  Pretty delicious, if you ask me.

These babies have cinnamon infused dough and come with a cinnamon sugar packet to add yourself.  They bake up soft and delicious in your oven and make for a great snack.  You could even have them for breakfast or even as dessert.  (perhaps with a side of ice cream? oh my.)

These too can be found in the freezer section at your local grocer...give them a try!

You can find fun recipe ideas and more info on SUPERPRETZEL's website.  Connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, and they even have a blog!

Anyone tried either of these products?  What did you think?

**I was gifted an assortment of Whole Fruit Smoothies and Sweet Cinnamon SUPERPRETZELs free of charge in compensation for my honest review of the product. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are truthful and solely my own.

The First Day...

Source: seanwes.com via jennifer on Pinterest

Today is indeed the first day of the rest of my life.  Yesterday, I did something I've only dreamed of.

I quit my job.

Let me say that again...

I QUIT MY JOB.  

I still can't quite believe I did it.  It was not an easy decision, and it was a very long time in the making. A lot of thought, and a lot of prayer went into this, and I'm quite positive it's the best more for me and my family.

I will hereby be spending my days doing freelance graphic design from home, reopening (and expanding) my Etsy shop, and most importantly, being a mom.  I cannot wait!

I feel free and ready to take on the world.  So, here we go!

p.s. make sure you check out seanwes.com (where that image is from).  There are some amazing designs over there and many of them can be downloaded as backgrounds for your desktop or iPhone!

Have a Holly Jolly....MLK Day?

Are we the only ones who haven't taken down our Christmas decorations yet?  I'd like to use the excuse that we have a tiny human in the house, but truth be told, we do this every year!

It's just so hard to take them down!  I will always be a proponent of leaving them up til New Years, but it so quickly becomes embarrassing after that.  For instance, I'm not opening the blinds on the front of the house until the tree is down, lest anyone see that we're still all holly-jolly over here at the Davis'.  But, make no mistake, we're still plugging in those lights!  In my book, it's a travesty to have a tree up without the lights on, no matter what day of the year it is!

Yeah....we need to get those taken down. 

So, are we alone?

Baby K'tan Review...

Remember when I had the big Baby Shower Event here on the blog back in September?

Well, the kind folks over at Baby K'tan sent me a carrier to review after BabyD arrived!

Me looking oh-so frazzled.  Isaac was about 2 weeks old when this picture was taken.  Look at him all snuggly in there!  And look at how swollen my hands still were!  Yikes!

I have to say, I did not make good enough use of this in the beginning, partially because I was scared to strap any extra weight to myself for quite some time while I recovered from my c-section. However, the days I did remember, it was a fantastic way to get some things done when Isaac just refused to let me put him down. {Or when I just couldn't tear myself away from his sweet little face!}

First impression?  I was a little worried about picking a size.  It's hard to determine what size you'll be after birth when you're a giant house of a pregnant woman who's about to pop!  Just sayin'.  I went with the medium, and it seems to be working well.

Like any wrap carrier, I had to learn how to put the Baby K'tan on, but I must say, it really is quite simple. There's no real wrapping with this carrier since it's a big loop {kinda like a figure 8}, so that makes it way easier to get on and off.

At first I was concerned that it was too tight, but Baby K'tan's helpful twitter presence assured me that it looked perfect! Besides wearing it to get things done around the house, I've also used the Baby K'tan at Target, and even across the street to have dinner with the neighbors. It's so helpful whenever you'll be standing for long periods of time. Really helps keep your back and arms from hurting!

So far, I'm loving it!

I'll be posting more about the Baby K'tan throughout Isaac's first year...stay tuned!

Baby K'tan is offering jdavissquared readers 15% off now through January 31st with coupon code BKJD15.  Valid only on full priced Baby K'tan brand items on www.babyktan.com

*Baby K'tan sent me a carrier in exchange for this review

Fresh Start...

Source: pinkofperfection.com via jennifer on Pinterest

Happy New Year!  I hope you all rang in the new year just the way you wanted.  We spent ours with good friends eating apps, playing board games in our comfy clothes.  It was awesome!

Yesterday, I found myself getting a little sentimental about 2012.  It will forever be one of my favorite years, I'm sure of it.  When I look at the ways God blessed us during the last year, I am overwhelmed with gratitude.  It was a good year.

That being said, I'm not sure I've ever entered in to a new year with as much excitement as this one.  2013 holds so much promise to be just as good, or better than 2012.  I'm beyond excited to experience it!

In recent years, I've stopped making resolutions, and started setting goals.  I try to set my goals with the following in mind:

1.  Make them attainable, but challenging.  I have a tendency to want to hold back a little, to make my goals a little easier to accomplish.  However, I've found that if I set my sights on things that feel just a little out of reach, it helps me get out of my comfort zone and stretch myself to levels I didn't know possible.  For example, a couple years ago when I set my goal to run a half marathon.  I was more than a little nervous to set my sights on that one, but I did it, and it will always be one of my proudest accomplishments.

2. Write them down!  It's not real unless you commit to it in writing!  It also helps to keep them someplace where you will see them regularly.  {this I completely failed at in 2012...I have no idea where my list went! Whoops!}

3. Be specific.  I find that saying things like "Work out 5 days a week" is way more likely to happen than if I say "Get in Shape".  I need specific actions to strive for.

I'm not going to share all my goals here.  Some of them aren't ready for the world yet, but I will tell you that one of my goals is to get back to blogging regularly.  I've missed it.  It was never that I wanted to slow down, but life just got in the way!  I'm determined to make room for blogging, because I love having a record of my life, and now that Isaac is here, I don't want to forget a single day!

I'll be sharing other snippets of my goals as they start to unfold...stay tuned!

Are you a goal setter?  Or do you make resolutions?  Tell me what you're striving for in 2013!

If you want to get excited about goal setting, go read Nancy Ray's post.  It got me all fired up, and I think it will you too.