Hello 4 Months Old! I feel like I say this every month, but this has been a BIG one.

Hadley:

After weeks, and weeks, and weeks of trying Hadley is FINALLY taking a bottle. We watched so many videos, looked up so much info, tried so many different nipples/bottles, cried SO many damn tears. Just to find out that she likes the Dr. Brown bottles that we originally tried. However, she likes to lay on the couch and eat aannnndddd the temperature of the bottle needs to be just right as well. She sure isn’t high maintenance. Lol She also started teething this last month. She is droolin’ like a fool! Hadley has started reaching for ANYTHING and EVERYTHING, it makes it v. Hard to hold such a wiggle worm. She is obsessed with my moms dog right now.  At her four month checkup the weighed her at 15 lbs! She is getting bigger and stronger everyday. Her personality is really starting to come out. I can’t wait to learn more about her!

Kennedy:

The big sis is back in school. She is loving making new friends, and playing outside. She is very excited for Halloween, She wants the whole family to dress up as My Little Pony Characters, That should be interesting. That is also the theme of her birthday party coming up in just a few short months. As far as being a big sis goes, she is still the best. I can tell there are times when she is frustrated by the baby. But, I can also see how much she loves her already. We do need to work on our sharing skills, which will have to come with time. Kennedy and I  started doing some daily affirmations which has become our special time together.

Mommy:

I started going back to work this month. So far, I’ve only been working part-time. But, tomorrow I start back full-time again. It is such a bittersweet feeling. I’m excited to have some me time, but I know there are things I will miss out on. One of the things that I’m most nervous about is being able to keep my milk supply up. I haven’t had any issues so far, but I know from experience the pump just isnt the same as that one-on-one time with your babe. I feel the most nervous about leaving Kenny home alone with the girls for most of the day. I know from these last few months, its hard not having a partner there to help you out. Especially when you’re running on minimal sleep. I know that everything will work out though, it always does.

I am so excited for my favorite time of the year… FALL!  I can’t wait to take the girls to do all of our favorite things. Thanks for keeping up with my crazy little family.. until next time.

Xoxo Brit

Good Morning! I am here to give y’all an update on how the Baxendale’s are doing, three months into our journey with Miss Hadley May!

Hadley:

This last month has been HUGE for Hadley. Last month she was looking at her toys all the time. This month she has started reaching, holding onto, and playing with them. Hadleyhas started to smile socially and LOVES to talk to us. Sometimes it even seems as though she is yelling at us. HAH!  Most recently she hit one of her big milestones! She started rolling over and now she can’t stop, lol. I haven’t gone back to work yet and was happy that I was able to be there for one of her first big moments. I don’t think it wil be long before we’ve got a crawler on our hands. She wants to keep up with The Big Sis! We are working on getting Hadley to take a bottle. We’ve been trying the last few weeks, but so far, not so good. She LOVES the boob. She has continued to sleep through the night like a champ!

Kennedy:

Kennedy is still rocking it out as a big sis! She is always willing to help. There have definitely been times when she has become frustrated by the baby, but she is doing better than I could have ever expected. She is always very patient and waits her turn. She is going to start back to school in a few weeks, and I think we are both pretty excited about that. I think she will enjoy some time for herself, and being back with all of her friends.

Mommy:

With Kenny going back to work, I thought that I might loose my marbles staying home all morning long with the girls. And some mornings I do! Hah! With the exception of a few hard days last week it hasn’t been too bad. I’ll be headed back to work in a few weeks, and I think I’m ready. I’ve really just been trying to make the most of my time with the girls. I have also been trying to get a few projects done around the house while I still have time.

Time is already passing by too quickly. I’m sure next month will be no different.If you’ve got any tricks to getting back to work let a sista know! I’d love to hear from you!

XOXO Brit

Now that the sun is out Kenny and I have been packing the girls up and taking this (shit) show on the road! If you’ve followed along, you know that Kenny and I both work jobs that require us to work weekends and Holidays. Since we are both off of work, on maternity leave, we have been trying to make the most of the summer! We have hit the Detroit Zoo, local farmers market, a vintage market, and we plan to do tons more.

It’s not always easy for me to take these adventures on. My anxiety always jumps to the worst case senerio. Sometimes this keeps me from doing things. But I never want to MY anxiety to keep Kennedy and Hadley from being able to have certain experiences. Besides, the “fears” that I have about going out with two kiddos, are never as bad in real life as they are in my mind. If something goes wrong, or not according go plan Mommy mode kicks in and I handle it. Plus, sitting around with a bored toddler makes me wanna pull my hair out sometimes. And braving and outing seems like a much better alternative. Ha!

Here are five quick tips for getting it of the house with your littles:

1. JUST DO IT! It is never as bad as it seems, and you will feel so much better once you have committed.

2. Get things ready the night before. Pick out what everyone is wearing, pack the diaper bag, snacks, etc. It will be so much easier in the morning if you are prepared.

3. Speaking of snacks, PACK LOTS OF THEM. I don’t know about you, but I am forever hungry. So, I make sure to pack snacks for everyone! That way there are no hungry meltdowns from anyone in the bunch.

4. Make sure to pack extras. Its never a good thing when you have ran out of diapers or wipes and need to change the second, or third blowout. Also, pack extra outfits you never know when you’re going to need one.

5. Have a little extra patience, both with yourself and your kiddos. It’s not always easy, I know. But the day will be much smoother if you can keep your cool.

I hope you guys are enjoying your summer, and that your kiddos aren’t driving you too cray cray.

Xoxo,

Brit

I am by no means a low maintenance gal. I love a full face of make up, clothes, fancy coffee drinks, etc. However since becoming a Mom of two, it has become harder to find “me” time and focus on these things. So today, I’m sharing some of my must have beauty items for quick and easy makeup!

1.  I love hopping out of the shower and starting the day with the Mario Badescu Facial spray. It’s totally an uncessary step, but it makes me feel extra fancy. Plus, the price point is excellen! I’ve tried a few of the scents and have liked them all.
2. Having a newborn comes along with many sleepless nights. Thus, I CANNOT live without my concealer. I use it to brighten up those under eyes and actually look alive! I usually have two concealrs; one that is a little more natural and one that is a little fuller coverage for those mornings after a v long night. Concealer is also great to hide any blemishes from those hormonal changes.
3. I highly suggest finding  yourself a mutlipurpse palette. I’ve really been loving the Becca x Khloe Kardashian and Malika Haqq Bronze, Blush and Glow palette. I use the bronzer and blush topper as eye shadows! The Glow in this palette is R E A L and perfect for summer time. I love the effortless, sunkissed look that it gives the skin. 
4. A great mascara is another necessity. I never feel complete without it. I love buying the travel size mascara. I find that they don’t dry out before you are able to use them this way. This way you are also salving a few extra dollars.
5. One of my A L L time FAVORITE makeup products is lipstick, and I’m not picky. I love ’em all! There are so many different options when it comes to finishes, colors, and price points. There is literally something for everybody. Plus, lipstick is a great way to dress up any look and feel a little extra special.
6. I always have makeup wipes on hand. I bought the Burt’s Bees Micellar Water Towellets in a travel pack for my hospital bag, and they have become my new favorite. I usually take my makeup off with these before any kind of cleansing. They are great to clean up any mistakes while you’re doing your makeup. ANNNDDD they work really well in a pinch to clean up toddler messes #momhack
7. A good lip mask at bedtime saved our lips during the winter months. Kennedy was getting terribly chapped lips. We started doing a lipmask at night and it helped her tremendously. I really love the Laneige lip masks. I had a travel size that I keep in my purse and wear throughout the day as lipgloss!
8. Dry shampoo.. need I say more?
9. SPF yo face. This is something relatively new to me and my makeup routine. right now I’m trying the SUPERGOOP! Everyday Sunscren Broad Spectrum SPF 50. So far I like it a lot, I find that it wears really well under my makeup.
10. Last but not least get a special product, or do something a little extra for your self. I love to do a facemask at night after the kiddos have gone to bed. Even if its just painting your nails, or hell remembering to brush your teeth. Do something for you! ‘Cause we both know you deserve it

 You don’t have to use all of these items to achieve a great makeup look. In fact, you can use whichever you are most comfortable with, and that make you happy. I enjoy trying out new products So what are your makeup must haves? I would love to know! Leave them in the comments below. 🙂

Wow! I can’t believe that Hadley May has already been with us for one whole week! It honestly feels like my pregnancy went by in the blink of an eye. Kenny and I went in for our induction Thursday night and Hadley was born Friday morning. We were not prepared for such a quick delivery. With Kennedy we had been in labor for about 24 hours before we actually had her. I thought since we were being induced again that labor would be close to the same experience. Turns out, that was not the case at all. Which is fine by me because it was quick and for the most part painless.

I was a little concerned with how Kennedy would adjust to having the new baby home with us. She is doing amazing! She is so gentle and kind to Hadley. Kenedy likes to sing to Her sister and try to make silly faces to “make the baby happy”. I on the other hand, am feeling some guilt when it comes to Kennedy. Pre-baby we had a pretty set morning routine together, and since the baby has come our routine has obviously  been thrown off. We have also had visitors over almost everyday, so instead of being able to spend quality time with Kennedy Ive been busy entertaining guests. It’s also been hard because I have to spend so much time feeding the baby. I am missing the snuggle sessions with my girl! I’m super lucky that Kenny also has time off of work, so he is able to give Kennedy a little extra attention.

Now. lets talk about the breastfeeding. This and delivery, were my two of my biggest concerns leading up to Hadley’s arrival. It was one of the biggest insecurities I had during my postpartum time with Kennedy. I felt like we never “figured it out”.  Although we made it eight months, we had to supplement with formula. I ended up almost exclusively pumping. I felt like I had failed, not only myself but Kenny and Kennedy too. This time around things seems to be going a lot better! I think its helpful that I’m not so nervous and unsure about everything lol. I’m really trying to be patient and remember that we are both learning. My nipples are a little sore and cracked, but it is NOTHING compared to the damage that Kennedy did to them. At one point during breastfeeding Kennedy, my nips looked like ground up sausage… and that is not exaggerating.

My postpartum recovery has been amazing. I keep comparing everything back to when Kennedy was born. (Which I’ve been trying to do less of, because every baby is different). My delivery and recovery experience was very painful and difficult. I didn’t feel like myself for a few weeks. Four days after giving birth to Hadley I was wearing my maternity jeans and a full face of make up. Sometimes because I do feel so good I have to remind myself  that my body just went through a traumatic experience and I need to slow down. If I don’t, then I end up being REALLY sore by the end of the night, or by the morning.

Over all things have been amazing! I am so blessed with this sweet family of mine. Kennedy will be ending school soon. And I’m hoping things will get settled down in the next week, so we can start a new routine for our family. Plus, take advantage of the fact that we have the summer off of work!

I just have to give a quick shout out to my awesome hubs! He is such a huge help to me and to our babes. And the best part is that he doesn’t feel obligated to be here, he genuinely wants to be here and show up for us. I couldn’t have made it through the last nine months without him.

Thank you to everyone who sent love our way! ❤

Dear Kennedy,

I’m writing this letter to you during your nap time. I thought it would be fun to have something like this to look back on. But dang, its hard! Every time I start to compile thoughts I get so emotional! Not sure if its my pregnancy hormones, or just me getting emotional thinking about our life together. Probably a little bit of both I suppose. I’m sure it doesn’t help that I ended up looking through your baby pictures right before I started writing this..

This will be our last Mother’s Day together, just you and I.  && Knowing that these will be our last days together has me going back and forth through so many thoughts and emotions. You are the first person to make me a mommy, and for that you will always be so special to me. As cliche as it sounds, you have changed my life. You have allowed me to make mistakes while navigating motherhood, and have shown me nothing less than unconditional love even on my worst days. Because of you I am a more patient person, a more kind person, and just an all around better person. I am so thankful that God chose me to be your mom. You have saved me in more ways than you will ever know. && you are the reason that I can now be confident in who I am as a Mother as we welcome your little sister into our life.

One of the things I love most about you, is how sill you are! This is not something that comes naturally to me. It might sound weird, but I appreciate that you can push me outside of my comfort zone this way, and help me not take myself too seriously. I love that you love makeup, sprinkles (glitter), the color pink and so many other “girly” things. While, still never hesitating to go on an adventure with your Dad, or hold a reptile at a friends birthday party. I love, love, love the way your little nose scrunches up when you know you’re being funny. I love how kind you are, and that you aren’t afraid to share your kindness with others. You’re only three, and everyday before you leave school you give all of your friends a hug. You are all of the good parts of your daddy and I, mixed with a little bit of sass and I wouldn’t have you any other way. I am so proud of you and the little lady that you are becoming. I love you so much.

I am so EXCITED to watch you be a big sister especially since I know how excited you are! I know that you are going to be amazing at it! I just want you to know that you will always be so special to me. To think that bringing a baby into our home would cause you any pain makes my heart so sad. This season of life is going to be an adjustment period for us all. And I know that if we stick together and have a little bit of patience, we will make it through just fine. Heck, we will be more than fine. Our little family is filled with so much love for each other. It is something that your Daddy and I work very hard at, and are very proud of. I can’t wait for my two girls to meet each other. I can’t wait to watch our family grow together!

I love you so much baby girl,

I hope you’re having the sweetest dreams.

Love,

Momma ❤

 

 

Well hello there! Long time no Blog! I am super excited to share that I am going to start back at the blogging game. : ) As some of you may know I am pregnant with our second little girl, our official due date is May 15th! We are over the moon… and a little nervous to welcome a new baby into our life. Kennedy is VERY excited to be a big sister! She keeps asking me “Momma! When is that baby coming out of your belly,”! When we first found out we were expecting Kennedy explained to us that she had a baby in her belly too, the size of a watermelon! Lol!

This pregnancy has not been an easy one. During the first trimester I was nauseas ALL. THE. TIME. Plus, I was dealing with some personal stuff that was pretty emotional, especially for someone who’s hormones were all over the place. During the second trimester I had a surge of energy! I was working out, keeping up with the house, and still able to Keep up with Kennedy, for the most part. I felt like I was kicking ass and taking names!  From then on out i thought this pregnancy was going to be a breeze. That pipe dream came crashing down at about 26 weeks. Instead, I was getting my ass kicked. Hadley has been hanging out pretty low my entire pregnancy. Which was Really putting pressure on my pelvic region. Lucky me! I ended up with “lightening crotch” pains for weeks. Working eight hours on my feet was really starting to take a toll on my body. I would get home from work and would need Kenny to help me  out of my car. Waking up in the morning was a joke, I could barely walk. I’m not sure if I’m just getting used to it or what, but my pregnancy symptoms don’t seem to be as bad these last few weeks. It is so crazy to me how different each pregnancy can be! I knew that I had an easy pregnancy with Kennedy. Having such a different experience the second time around definitely makes me appreciate it so much more.. lol.

With all of the excitement does come a little bit of anixety. I’ve been keeping pretty busy during this pregnancy. It is not often that my mind finds time to wander. With our due date rapidly approaching, and a little more time off of work. I’ve been finding myself letting those anxious thoughts creep in. When Kennedy was born I had a really hard time feeling secure in my roll as a mom. I was unsure of everything I was doing! Our breastfeeding journey did not go well, which just added to the insecurities I was already feeling. Im worried that having a new baby will bring these insecurities and all of the other emotions that go along with them flooding back.  This time it could not only  have an affect on the baby, but Kennedy too. It has been SO long since we have been around a little baby! It kind of feels like we are doing it all over again. I have so many questions, and have been leaning on my mom friends for support Trying to make myself feel more prepared for this next phase in life. 

Our life is obviously going to change. I’m just hoping that I will be able to give myself ALOT more grace this time around. Something I’ve been trying to work on in general is embracing the chaos of our life. It’s messy and crazy, but oh so beautiful.. why try to force it to be anything else? Besides, even if things do get a little crazy I know everything will work out. I can’t wait to take you all on this new adventure with us!

Xoxo

Brittney

I don’t know about you, but I am always rushing around and running behind  more times than not in the morning. This makes in nearly impossible for me to eat breakfast at home. I always end up buying something at work. Not only have i been trying to eat better, but I’ve also been trying to save money where i can. So, I started to make this SUPER and quick over night oats recipe. I found this delicious recipe while roaming Pinterest sometime last year. I have been LOVING it! This recipe has such delicious fall flavors. Especially, if you’re not the biggest fan of pumpkin spice everything, like me. Plus, it is super convenient  to eat on the go.

Ingredients:

1 Medium Sized Apple

1/2 Cup Almond Milk, Unsweetened

1/2 Cup Old Fashion Oats

1 Tbsp Pure Maple Syrup

1/4 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/8 Tsp Ground Nutmeg

1/8 Tsp Sea Salt

1/2 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

1 Tbsp Chia Seeds

1/4 Cup Raw Walnuts

 

Directions:

1. Combine the oats, almond milk, chia seeds, syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract,  and sea salt. Stir together until incorporated.

2. Layer apples and walnuts on top.

3. Place the ingredients in a sealable  jar, such as a mason jar. I’ve used Tupperware and it has worked fine as well.

4. Place in the fridge overnight, or for at least 6 hours

5. Then, Voila! You have a delicious breakfast ready to go!

Thanks for stopping in guys

Xoxo Brit

If you want to see the original recipe click Here

1.

We got a house everybody! After months, and months of searching and offering we finally bought our first home! We were able to move in the first week of August. Luckily, Kenny and I both had a few weeks off of work so we were able to get a lot of moving done then. So technically we are “moved in” all though we still have a lot of minor details to finish up. There are pretty much zero decorations on the walls. I want to have a more focused vision as far as decor for the house goes, compared to what I had up in our apartment. So its taking me a little bit to get her everything together.

2.

Kenny and I just recently celebrated 2 years of marriage! I can’t lie, year two was a little bit harder for me than the first year. But, I’m pretty sure that I have heard that is common? Not sure? We for defintely learned some lessons, and I am so happy that our marriage is rooted in communication and friendship. He is the yin to my yang. The jelly to my peanut butter. I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to share this cray cray ride with.

3.

Kennedy update: my not so baby, baby is doing pretty awesome. About two months ago she REALLY started taking off with the whole talking thing. Now, she pretty much talks nonstop. She is now able to recognize colors and shapes! We are struggling a little bit with the whole potty training thing. She knows when she has to go potty, but is just not loving the idea of sitting on the big girl potty. However, she does REALLY love her new mini mouse big girl undies momma bought her! She will be turning 2 in a few short months. I’m sure you will hear this a million times from now until then, but I really think two is worse than ONE!! At least when they turn one they are still kind of babies. At two, she is a full blown little kid! Insert all of the tears here

4.

Struggling. Sooooo I’m not gonna lie to you guys. Even though it is hard to say out loud, and share with you here: I have been STRUGGLING. My anxiety has been taking over lately and I’m just really having a hard time. Some weeks are better than others, but overall I’m just feeling a little lost. This has a large part to do with my absence here on the blog. There are so many things that I want to do and get done, and there is just not enough time in the day. So I am left constantly feeling like I haven’t accomplished anything, much less to the completion of my liking. I feel like I somehow need to focus my life, but am lost as to how.

Time is a huge source of my anxiety. I feel like there is never enough time in the day to get things done. Never enough time to spend with my family. Always too much time at work. Too much time trying to push past the mental wall that I build up for myself over, and over again. It’s a vicious cycle this anxiety, one that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. I get so frustrated with myself when I can’t push past, and I can’t break through. I’m angry that I can’t describe the suffocating feeling that comes over me to my loved ones so they can better understand me.

With that being said, I really want to focus on the things in life that make me happy. The things that are helping me, instead of hurting me. I can’t be a good wife, mom, friend, sister if I am not my best self. I owe it to myself and to my people to take care of me.

5.

Down to blog business. My one year blogaversary was not too long ago. I have learned so much from my first year of blogging! First of all, it is MUCH, MUCH harder than it looks. Finding the time to create content that matters is a true task, and I commend the “big bloggers” out there. They are the real MVPs guys. With that being said, I spent a lot of the last year blogging comparing myself to those other bloggers, and trying to be like them. Which in all honestly, made blogging less fun, and less inspiring for me.

For my second year of blogging I want to do a better job of just being me. Writing about things that matter to me, and that spark my interest. I want to stop playing the comparison game with all of the other bloggers, and even mommas on Insta and other social media platforms. I want to use my blog for its original intention. To share my story: the good days, and the bad days. I originally started my blog as a place for other moms to turn to and find a sense of non judgement and friendship. To read a post with my struggles and not feel so alone, because that’s what reading other blogs did for me. I want to use my blog to grow as a blogger, a person, and a momma. Long term, I would love to create a sense of community with my readers like so many of the great bloggers that I follow.

* Side Note: Now that we have a home, I would love to incorporate home decor and any home projects that we do! I just think it would be fun to share with you guys.  What do you think?

Thank you for supporting me!

Talk soon

Brit