Happy Valentine’s Day!

February 14, 2015February 14, 2015Leave a comment

(Photo taken at The Land of Nod by Alison Bernier)

With all the construction going on here at the Wall house, we’ve decided to take up my sister and brother-in-law’s offer to escape to Mammoth Mountain at their condo-cabin for Valentine’s weekend. Instead of driving the night before, as we would normally, seeing that the hubby was would work late and we’re all at the tail-end of our colds and sicknesses, we decided that we would drive the following morning (Valentine’s Day). Our plans haven’t been set out for the actual day yet, but we’re excited to spend family time up in the mountains and escape the Winter heat-wave here in Orange County. Keeping you posted on Instagram. Hope everyone has one very Happy Valentine’s Day spent with your loved ones!

And since the photo above was taken at The Land of Nod, thought I’d share some of the cutest LOVE items I found in store and online that would work all year-round!

Love, Love, Love Rug – seriously in “Love” with it!

Hedgehogs in Love Poster Decal

Bunny Love Wall Art

And seriously debating about whether to get this Posh Pouf for Penelope’s Nursery!

What’s a Sprinkle?

February 13, 2015February 14, 20151 Comment

As the weeks roll by and the belly grows bigger and bigger, I’ve been contemplating whether having a Sprinkle would be a good idea… Originally I was opposed to it! Seeing that I just had a baby shower not too long ago when I was pregnant with Huntley and seeing that this baby is also a girl, I didn’t think it was nice to have people gifting baby items again and so soon. However, my sister in-law is also pregnant and is expecting mid-April and I totally understand why she is having another baby shower – she is after all having a GIRL and with the first born being my nephew, she is looking forward to all the girly-things that I’ve already had the joy of experiencing and will experience all over again.

When we found out that we were expecting another little girl in our lives I knew that we could put a lot of our baby/newborn items on the repeat (i.e. our pink bouncer and anything else pink). What I didn’t realize was that we were going to have two little girls under the age two at the same time! I didn’t realize that with another nursery comes a lot of the same things we already have but are still being used by Huntley, think – crib, crib bedding, dresser/changing table, curtains/blackout curtains (this room has x2), rug, changing pad, changing pad and crib mattress covers, diaper pails, diaper pail liners, baby hangers, sound machines, additional camera monitor, and this list can go on and on… Luckily, I had some covered with my crazy Craigslist/HomeGoods/Amazon finds and early preparation I was able to get the crib, dresser, bedding, and rug, and thankfully Huntley is out of the rocking to sleep phase and we can reuse her beautiful rocker/glider for her little sister’s room! However getting the rest, although small and doesn’t seem too expensive when you look at them individually, I’m quickly seeing how this can really add up! Besides needing to re-purchase many of the same items, I’ve also come to realize that before Huntley I was a working pregnant woman with more time, energy, and money than I have now. It was easy to purchase whatever I needed and wanted for her, but this time I am a stay-at-home mom. As the things we need for Penelope add up, and trust me I’m still going, I’ve come to realize why new mamas might want/need to be sprinkled.

Now what’s a Sprinkle? Even though throwing Sprinkle showers have gained more popularity over the years, there are still many people that haven’t heard of the term or even know what it’s about. A Sprinkle is basically a smaller scaled, less pressure, informal baby shower in which friends and family can “sprinkle” the soon to be new mom (again) with little necessities that she might need for the new baby in which she doesn’t already have. A baby shower is the time when new moms are showered with big ticket items that baby will need (i.e. carseat, stroller, crib, bottles, high chair, etc.) where as a Sprinkle might be the time to get baby new clothes (especially if hand-me-downs are getting bit too worn, out of style, and/or out of season), bathing products, pacifiers, bottles/bottle nipples (feeding things that might have gotten overused), toys, new sheets/bedding, books, wipes, diapers, diapers, and more diapers or anything that deals with poop and pee. Sprinkles are also meant as a way to celebrate each new child, which I love the idea of being a second child and all.

Luckily I still have time to decide whether I’d like to go this route, but I’m glad I have the sister and best friends I do, who were already on top of this before I even knew to be. And they couldn’t be more supportive and positive about throwing me one! Feeling very lucky and blessed to have these people in my life!

(Images found on Pinterest)

Love is in the Air!

February 12, 20153 Comments

We were invited to attend a LOVE IS IN THE AIR party/playdate with our playgroup yesterday and boy did Huntley have fun! She wouldn’t even stay still long enough for a picture with a prop (aside from the fact that she kept trying to eat the props – teething baby joys). I took the camera out and stayed on manual, probably not the best idea since I don’t have much of a steady hand these days, let along a steady baby. These babies were on the loose and they’ve sure come a long way from when they were little tykes who weren’t so mobile (we quickly gave up on this group photo as you can see the meltdowns appeared). Our host for the event was a fellow mommy who did an amazing job with decor and snacks including veggies, fruits, sandwiches and Trader Joe’s Sparkling Pink Lemonade (a favorite of mine!) Once the party came to an end the babies (more like the mommies) passed out Valentine’s, and guess what? i was the mommy who forgot to bring Valentines for everyone…where has my mind been lately?! Luckily, all the mommies are super sweet and understanding and I am so grateful for this!

My Maternity Must-Haves & Must-dos

February 8, 2015February 14, 20152 Comments

So here comes baby #2 and here comes all the maternity must-haves that I have stored away a couple of boxes labeled ‘maternity’ in our garage. It wasn’t even that long ago when I packed these things away, but as soon as I found out I was pregnant again i was happy to dig it out – dust free! As with every child, every mama and pregnancy is different! These are my maternity must-haves through both pregnancies! 1. At least one pair of ‘perfect’ jeans! – As with any jeans you purchased pre-pregnancy, you’d probably want to try them on first. We’re very lucky these days as there are so many jean options out there, whether it be designer or not. Since I practically live in jeans these days, I have several. My favorite brand by far is J.Crew Maternity Toothpick Jean and coming in next is JBrand’s Maternity Legging, both for there low rise soft elastic panels and high backing. I have also found that the Target Liz Lange Maternity Under-the-belly Denim Jeggings to be quite similar in style and cut but for a fraction of the price! However, as I’ve said, everyone’s different and some of you might prefer full-panels or wide elastics. I say do your research on the different styles and.or try them on first to get a feel for them. And don’t forget leggings too! 2. A good body pillow – Although my husband might not like this new buddy of mine in bed with us, he’s much happier when I’m happier. And I’m much happier when I get a great night’s rest! Here are my two favorites, yes, I have two! Of course you don’t need two, I’m just a bit crazy about my pillows. One for the earlier stages of pregnancy and one for when I start feeling HUGE! I went with the most popular brand and choice of maternity pillow the Leachco Snoogle Total Body Pillow with the added Heather Grey Jersey Knit Cover. And the Leachoco Back N’ Belly Maternity Pillow in Taupe. My fave pillow! I imagine this is what it feels like to be swaddled as a baby whenever I lay into this! 3. Flat Slip-on Shoes – Think on-the-go, what would be the easiest, yet still cute and fashionable for a quick trip to the market, but can also work for a casual lunch out with friends? My favorite go-tos since it still feels like summer here in Orange County are my Sperry Top-Sider ‘Hope’ Espadrille. I have two pairs that I wear to death these days! As with jeans, I would say try them on before buying. You’ll want a comfy pair of flat shoes that fits your style. 4. Maternity Tanks – Like in multiples, same or different colors depending on your style. These work as key pieces to wear under almost everything. Think some of the looser tops and stretchy sweaters and shirts that your loved pre-pregnancy and want to wear still while transitioning into full on belly mode. Maternity tanks make it super easy to cover up while still looking cute and trendy! Since I look at these pieces as more of undergarment I don’t have much of a preference in brand or particular style. I own many bought from Target to Ross (yes, Ross $6.99 each). Bonus, if you can find a nursing cami, even better! If you have any particular brand you like, do share, iI’d love to know why. 5. Comfy (Stretchy) PJs – There are tons of different styles of PJs out there! I love ones that are made for nursing or your typical button-up flannels or cottons in a bigger size for growing into and using postpartum to feed in. 6. Floss – I’ve always had sensitive gums, but I’ve noticed that my sensitivity worsens when I’m pregnant. Finding a good floss and keeping up with good dental hygiene is very important during pregnancy. I’ve learned that gum disease can actually affect the health of your baby! My favorite floss is Oral-B Complete Satin Floss. 7. Stretch Mark Cream or Oil (or follow my secret to an inexpensive stretch-mark free pregnancy – I’ll post details later) – I’m sure you’ve all heard of Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Lotion, a nice thicker lotion/or cream version that has you coming out smelling like a cookie! Works great, but I probably over-lather on the lotion and end up going through bottles each month… My favorite product to use is Bio Oil, since I use less of it and doesn’t leave a residue feel to it. I like to lather up right after I shower or bathe. 8. Prenatal Vitamins – Any OB will tell you, take your vitamins daily and make sure they have DHA. Any brand will do, I prefer New Chapter WholeMega Prenatal. 9. A Supportive Bra – As with the rest of maternity wear, try it on. Find one that fits perfectly and is comfortable for you. The best thing you can do for your growing breasts is providing support, even if they are sore and painful. My pick is the Bravado Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra (which comes in handy once baby is born). 10. Sore Breast Relief – This is definitely an area that I’ve struggled with during both pregnancies during and after (yes, I started lactating early) so you can imagine, I’ve tried them all! My favorite brand is Earth Mama Angel Baby Booby Tubes! 11. Water Bottles – I admit, I am terrible, like terrible about drinking enough water throughout the day. I usually end my night trying to catch up on water intake that I missed during the day (my nightstand can attest for it). I have found that when I have a water bottles handy I drink a lot more of it throughout the day. Another great tip I recently received was flavoring my water with fruit in a bottle the night before and sticking it in the fridge so that when I wake up I have yummy water ready and waiting for me. 12. Healthy Snacks – With my last pregnancy I was queen of the drive-thru, which is terrible! I worked 8-10hr days and never had enough time to prepare snacks. This time around I keep the house loaded with easy to grab-and-go snacks whether it be nuts, granola bars, or fruit.

Huntley’s Woodland One-derland!

February 8, 2015February 8, 20154 Comments

One thing that I’ve learned from becoming a mommy is that these days it’s much harder to go out and have fun without having to look up the nearest ‘family friendly’ places to hang out, whether it be restaurants, activities or attractions. However, with all the babies around us having one and two year-old birthday parties, it definitely gives us something fun to look forward to! As my husband dubs it, these parties (at least during these first years) seem to be more for the parents than the children, but they are always catered around the babies having fun with their friends and you can guarantee that they will be happy and tired after each party.

For Huntley’s first birthday this year (Jan.4th, celebrated Jan.3rd) we decided to throw it ourselves in our own home. Despite having only one restroom and over 80 guests, it worked for us and we had a blast hosting it for our sweet girl! When it came to party planning several months out, my original themed idea was for a ‘vintage travel’ themed party. But when the time drew near I realized that the party would have to be thrown shortly after Christmas and New Years, when/where we had planned to be out of state visiting my in-laws – we’d come back to a Christmas tree when we’d get home! So what was I to do about this?

Of course, I came up with the idea to throw a ‘woodland one-derland’ themed birthday party instead!

Top 5 Reasons to Join a Playgroup

February 1, 2015February 3, 2015Leave a comment

Being in a mommy group has been a great source of knowledge on parenting strategies and advice for us! My mommy group is made up of some the best woman/mommies that I know and I feel so lucky to be a part of it all. Spending time with all of them and their babies, I’ve come to realize that all babies are different. Everyone struggles a little bit or a lot depending on their situations, but not one of them is perfect.

Take for instance Huntley – she is a great eater, a good sleeper, but has a moment in her day usually around 5-7:30 p.m. (Yes, this includes dinner) that she whines constantly, throws tantrums, refuses to let you do anything other than hold her or stop her from wrecking the house. When I mean wrecking the house I mean it – breaking furniture, opening cabinets and doors, pulling out and throwing anything and everything… No movie, tv show, or toy will keep her occupied during this time. And trust me, you don’t see this part of her day, because if you were here she wouldn’t act this way…she loves company to entertain her. Tanner and I have been working hard on setting a good routine with her during this time, but like others, we’re not perfect and are still struggling a bit. I’ve learned that she is always in a better mood if I take her out to the park or on a play date beforehand but this isn’t always something I can do every day. Luckily, these past few days, actually four of the five week days, I was able to take her out either to the park or to play with friends. Also being able to bond with other mommies that get/know your child is another plus in my book!

Having to break our struggles with tantrums and constant whining during our never-ending witching hours, I have learned how important it is for us to have our mommy group who’ve now become some of our best friends ever! Here are my top five reasons to join a playgroup:

1. Baby/Infant Social Development – Huntley has been a part of her playgroup since 3/4 weeks old and if I knew about playgroups beforehand, I would totally have joined even while I was expecting! She is one of the most social, interactive, confident babies I know, granted she is mine after all and I’m a little bias, but I’ve got a lot to thank our playgroup for her fun and outgoing personality! I believe that being involved and interacting in her playgroup has shown her a world that expands farther than her own home and the people she calls family. Through our playgroup Huntley is able to to mimic and learn through “parallel play” with her peers older and younger than herself. She is constantly wanting to do the things that her fellow peers are doing and challenges herself to learn things that we’ve never taught her. Not to be a bragging mama, but my daughter has always been a little ahead of herself in the milestone department and I would like to credit her playgroup alongside wanting to everything cousin Kaitlyn does for this anomaly. For more insight on development read this 🙂

2. A Source of Support and Encouragement – There are many things that you don’t see or hear about from other parents in person or through social media; things that they are ashamed of, things that don’t feel are beneficial to share, and things that they struggle with their own children. However in a close playgroup that you remain active with, you’ll find that there are so many parents just like you! I guess, unless you have a “perfect” child or you’re just the “perfect parent” but c’mon who are you kidding?! There have been many of times that I had questioned how I would be as a mom before I was even pregnant. I’ve learned that there is no perfect way to do anything/everything whether it be breastfeeding/feeding, sleep-training, potty training, etc. Every baby is different and learns and reacts differently to different methods. And luckily I have my mommy group to give advice, encouragement when I need it, and all the support that I don’t get from my family and other friends. Sleep training was an important task for us and a major accomplishment that I have our playgroup to thank for! I learned and tried all different kinds of strategies and luckily found one that works for us! More about that in another post. All in all, I know that I’ll always have a special connection with the mommies in our playgroup and can’t wait to see how our relationships develop even more as our kids grow up together!

3. The Playgroup Bond (and quite possibly ‘lifelong’ friends’ for your babe) – Essentially our children will, as I’ve mentioned, grow up together! Or at least we hope this! These kids will know each other since baby-hood and so on. These mothers will know their children’s friends and personalities as they blossom into little adults. And these kids will have best friends to grow up with outside their own schools, families, and community. I learned through a friend, quite recently, that she had a playgroup as a child. She is now 27 years old and still remain in close contact with many of those friends in her group and her mother is still friends with her mommy group. I just love that and really hope that my girls and I will have that same continued bond with our group!

4. They Don’t Judge (or at least not to your face) – Bumps, bruises, blood, etc. It’s not wanted for our children, but it happens more than you think, even to the best of us! If you find the right group for you, you will understand what I mean about mommies that don’t judge. I’ll go over some of my most mortifying experiences in another post once I get the courage to share with you, but for now, I am tremendously thankful for my mommy group friends that are always there to laugh about my unfortunate experiences instead of shunning me from the group and dubbing me “worst mom of the year” for those accidents.

5. A Reason to Get Dressed (and get out of the house! or at least for stay-at-home mommies) – If it weren’t for my mommy group/playgroup (and my sister) I would probably end up staying home and looking like crap all day, every day! Having found a group that is so continuously on top of it, providing group activities (almost every day of the week) gives us something to do and something to look forward to! And not to mention, there are always opportunities to create activities for just mommies to, haven’t you heard of ‘mom’s night out’?

and an alternate #5

5. Working Moms need friends outside of work and family life too! – If you’re a working mom, more power to you! I commend you for taking care of your babes on a level that us non-working moms probably don’t understand. Sure it can be difficult for us with our long, constant, ‘never-ending’ jobs, but you come home and might try to do it all! We might be bitter sometimes about you getting some time away from your kiddos and even wonder how you manage to plan birthday parties better than we do… but being a part of a playgroup is amazing, that is if you could muster up some time for it. I’m sure there are a some amazing mama playgroups out there for working moms that would love to have interactions with other working moms and babies with working moms. And who knows, there might be a working mama network out there that I just never knew about.

Mama’s Feeding Must-Haves

January 30, 2015January 30, 20154 Comments

Since becoming a mom and being lucky enough to have a baby that eats almost anything and everything, I believe I have acquired quite the knowledge of mama must-haves on feeding. If I knew half as much about the quality, conveniences and other information on products as I do now, I wouldn’t have spent wasted time and money on all the failed products that I have tried. I also understand that each baby is different and I might learn this first-hand once our second little girl arrives, but for now I will share what I think is a universal “yes, I need these items” mama feeding must haves. Also, my Huntley girl has always been a little ahead of herself and is eating way more than I think most one-year-olds do. So here it goes:

The highchair – After tons of reviews and trying out her cousin’s Stokke Tripp Trapp Chair, we fell in love! Huntley loves that she doesn’t have to scoot up or sit high to eat as she is always perfectly positioned in this chair to eat! Mama on the other hand loves the clean beautiful design and quality of the chair, also with it’s adjustably with height and configurations this chair goes from baby, to toddler, to child, all the way to adulthood if you so desire to keep it! And as I mentioned, I have a very messy eater and this chair is so easy to clean! Did I mention with the assorted colors you can find one that matches your style and dinner table!

The traveling chair – Although a bit more expensive than the Inglesina Fast Table Chair, our go-to favorite highchair is the Phil & Ted’s Lobster Highchair! We love the design and high enclosure to keep baby girl from wanting to stand up as she does with all restaurant highchairs. Bonus: it comes with a removable eating tray and carrying bag and fold up easily and is super compact!

If your are still breastfeeding, way to go mama! I wasn’t lucky enough to feed to one since I got pregnant and my milk supply diminished. I quickly moved Huntley to a bottle and luckily we already had tons! Our favorite bottle by far is the ComoTomo bottle! This bottle is great for all babies because of it super soft and natural feel of the medical grade silicone bottle base and wide mouth design nipple, but it’s also great for babies with colic because of its uniquely designed venting system. And unlike most colic reducing bottles, this one has only three pieces, meaning less to clean. (I will do a bottle comparison in another post.)

After our short-lived run with bottles, I’ve moved Huntley to taking her milk through straw bottles, since she already drinks from these her water and juices. (We skipped sippy cups, although I sometimes still use our Boon Sips since we still have some around.) We have two favorite straw bottles: First is the Thermos brand straw bottle, which is stainless steel and is highly durable! Having it be stainless steel is a definite A+ in my book since my girl tends to be rough and has broken multiple sippy cups and straw bottles that were not only hers, but also her friends…this bottle has proven to withstand a lot of falls/throws/etc. It also includes a pop-up handle! Plus, this bottle also comes in tons of assorted colors and designs, those including our favorite Hello Kitty and anything Disney princess!

Although the Thermos brand is one of the best quality, I’ve learned that some mom’s don’t like the heaviness and hard to carry design. This leads me to another favorite of ours – the Zoli Baby Bot straw cup! This BPA free plastic straw cup has a unique Siliflex straw that allows a nice flow for your baby or toddler without spills! The only downside is that it’s a bit temperature sensitive in heat. My girl loves having handles to hold and can even flip her straw out without any help. Also, my number one concern is durability! Our Zoli cups have withstood a lot falls and throws and are all still holding up and functioning nicely.

With a very messy eater I’ve come to realize that placemats are a must unless you want wasted food on the table. I’ve tried multiple reusable placemats, since at first glance it seems like a brilliant idea. However, I’ve quickly come to learn that many many reusable placemats suck! Since then I’ve committed to disposable placemats, unlike the reusable counterpart, these ones actually stick to most table surfaces (plastic, glass, wood grain, etc.) and won’t keep flipping off the table or can’t be easily pulled off by your tiny tot. Best of all – all that food that drops on the side of the mat, on the highchair, and on the floor can be scooped up with some napkins and thrown into a ball of trash with the placemat so you don’t feel terrible about the mess you’ve left for the busser that comes to clean your table afterwards. We are avid customers to Amazon and have found that these packs of Neat Solutions Neat-Ware Table Toppers can be bought in 60 count and work perfectly for our dining needs!

Next up is our traveling food container favorites! We love love love the LunchBots Thermal Stainless Steel Insulated Food Containers after having borrowed one from our cousin and getting to try it out first-hand. This is by far the best food container out there that we’ve used – not only to store take-aways for baby but also for mommy and daddy! Never a spill in sight even after toppling, rolling out, and dropping it! Your food always stays warm or cool for hours!

Even though we prefer the LunchBots container over any other container, with its hefty price we’ve come to try out other similar versions and would say that our second favorite is the Thermos Funtainer Food Jar which like the straw cup counterpart is highly durable and also comes in so many assorted colors and cute designs! It also keeps your food warm or cool for hours, but not as long as the LunchBots. However being almost half the price makes it well worth stocking up on!

Since starting baby-led weaning (self-feeding) at the dinner table, we’ve learned that investing in good stick-on stay-put bowls and plates are very important! We’ve tried many many brands those including Sassy, OXO Tot, Munchkin, and Dr. Browns and have come to a conclusion on our favorite! The one we find that stays on the best and is the easiest to clean is the Boon Catch Toddler Bowl with Spill Catcher and Boon Catch Plate with Spill Catcher. Unlike the rest we’ve tried, there is only one piece to clean and with it’s minimalist design – it’s seriously the easiest to clean! The spill catcher and suction base are very flexible and soft and the whole piece can be washed in the dishwasher! I’ve also heard that the Calibowl Suction Bowls work great too, but for us Boon bowls work excellent!

Utensils are the least of my concerns for eating since we’re still working on this concept for baby girl. She already mimics us when using utensils and we haven’t had a problem with any kind of utensil, even disposable forks and spoons. So if you have any suggestions or favorites, please let me know! I’d love to hear! The Gerber Graduates Kiddy Cutlery has worked just fine for us and are quite inexpensive.

The catch-all bib! We’ve tried a few brand that make the silicone catch-all style bib and haven’t had an issue with any of them. We’ve found the Tommee Tippee Explora Easi Roll Bib to be the cheapest with the same function to work just as well as the rest! Although Huntley would probably tell you that her favorites are the Bebe Bib or Baby Bjorn Soft Bib since the neck part isn’t as thick as the TT Explora and is more comfortable for her, but for half the price, we aren’t discriminating.

I think that’s a wrap for now on our Mama’s Feeding Must-Haves. Would love to hear what your favorites are and any things I haven’t touched on.

“She’s such a good eater!”

January 30, 2015Leave a comment

Babies go through phases and I totally understand that! However as months went on and a year had passed, I think it’s safe to say – “my girl loves to eat!”

Even as a newborn, Huntley drank about 8-12oz of breast milk every feeding and there were A LOT of feedings! Only several weeks old and she was already eyeing whatever mama and dada ate and would give us the ‘hungry eyes’ while we were eating. At three months she would start licking her lips every time she saw one of us, even her auntie, put food to our mouths. By the time I finally let her taste her first puréed Plum Organics pouch at six months she would hold it herself and suck it down until there was nothing left. It wasn’t until her first solid food at six and a half months, mango, that the girl fell in love with food-food!

She always ate all her solids from that moment on, despite the lack of teeth. I knew baby-led weaning was for us! Her favorite meals in the beginning were brown rice, steamed veggies, and chicken. We also learned that this girl has great gag reflexes and every time we thought she was choking she would get it out herself really quickly! As time went on, we weren’t afraid to give this girl anything she wanted; mint leaves to mint chutney, mangos to mango lassi, pork meat to pork ribs and pork sung, macaroni to pho, tomatoes to Mexican hot salsa, this list could go on forever, but you get the point. I know some might think our parenting tactics when it comes to feeding be a little too far stretched, but we never cared about what others thought, because we knew it worked for us and our little girl. And don’t worry, we always supervise while she’s eating!

We knew from the get go that we didn’t want to be parents that had to spoon feed our baby first, before getting to eat ourselves. We knew that we wanted to set standards for our family meals right away – we all eat together at the table and wait for everyone to be done before we have our dessert, usually cut-up and chilled fruit or fruit and veggie Popsicles for our teething girl. Although it’s been a struggle these days with a baby that drops food on the floor then follows it with an “uh-oh” or likes to let us know when she’s done by pouring everything out of her bowl or plate, we’ve been very patient with her. We’ve been teaching her new ways to get her point across without creating such a mess, but we’re still working in this and I’ll update you on this later. All in all, if you follow me on Instagram you would already know, Huntley loves to eat and until her passion for food disappears I won’t be calling it ‘just a phase’.

Family of Four

January 19, 20151 Comment

We are here – halfway there! I am in my 20th week of pregnancy and am excited to finally announce the name Tanner chose for baby girl! Yes, my husband chose the name. Only seemed fair since I chose Huntley’s name. Luckily he has great taste! Can’t wait to meet our little bundle of joy Penelope Mae Wall!

Huntley’s First Birthday – A Cake Smash on the Beach!

January 7, 2015January 30, 2015Leave a comment

When I was putting together ideas for how I’d want to do Huntley’s first birthday “Cake Smash” photos, I knew I had to do them on the beach; after all, it is her favorite place to be! My sweet photographer friend Alicia, from Alicia P Photography, was optimistic and was willing to work with my crazy ideas and even helped me lug a teepee and a vintage highchair out under the beach pier. Well, the photos came out absolutely perfect and I couldn’t be happier with them!