Ephraim at 4 months

This is the little face that I get to look at all day, every day, and I am the luckiest girl!! He will search the room for me, and when his eyes land on mine, he gives me the most adorable smiles that melt my heart. Now that it’s summer, I can dress Ephraim in onesies and shorts and oogle over his chubby little thighs and sweet little toes. I will say this in every month’s post, but time is sure flying, and I am setting the goal right now to slow down and enjoy it! This next month is going to include Ephraim’s baby dedication at church (this Sunday), and our first major family road trip!

4 Month Stats

Weight: 15 pounds, 5 ounces

Length: 25 inches

Eating: Nursing exclusively—every 3 hours during the day. I am so happy that I haven’t needed to give him a bottle or supplement this entire time! At this point, Nolan was already on some rice cereal and some formula since he was skinny (though I would do a lot differently now).

Bedtime: We swaddle him for the night when we go to bed at about 11:30 pm, and he sleeps next to me in his Rock ‘N Play.

Awake: He wakes up at 6 or 7, but after I feed him, he’ll snooze until 9.

Naps: He is still having trouble napping by himself without me holding him, but I’ve had decent success setting him down in the Pack ‘N Play sometimes. He takes a morning nap, afternoon nap, and early evening nap.

Diapers: Size 2

Clothes: I just put away the box of 3 month clothes, and we’re now on to 6 months. I’ve been needing to collect more summer clothes for him because Nolan’s 6 month clothes are all very warm & wintery! I just bought him the large size velcro swaddles.

Favorites: He hasn’t quite discovered toys yet, so he LOVES his hands and putting them in his mouth. He needs his paci for naps, but doesn’t sleep with it at night.

Dislikes: The dog barking, Nolan crying, Mommy setting him down… He has started shrieking for me when I walk away from him.

Latest Tricks: Standing up, chewing on his hands, watching Nolan play, staring at Mommy, grabbing my face to pull it towards his mouth. He is starting to roll both directions (tummy to back and back to tummy). It is so ADORABLE how he laughs on the changing table when we tickle under his arms or kiss his tummy. The laughs are just my absolute favorite sound in the world! I put him in the Bumbo for the first time, and he enjoyed it. Pretty soon, it’ll be time for the Jumperoo!

So I still think my babies look alike, but this picture of Nolan certainly doesn’t show that! Nolan had so much more hair! Ephraim still has his brown hair from birth on the back of his head. I finally got rid of most of his cradle cap, and he’s getting some new fuzzy hair on top :) I love these boys!!

what i wore wednesday & mary kay

I am getting really into playing with makeup lately. I have always worn eyeliner, eyeshadow, and mascara. But recently I’ve been experimenting with blush/bronzer, lipsticks and lip butters, concealer, and eyebrow pencils. I feel like there is so much to learn about different products and the variety of ways to apply them! I was really excited when my friend Jennifer sent me a Mary Kay Lash Love mascara a couple of weeks ago. I’ve only had small sample mascaras for the past few years, so I love having a full-size one again! Jennifer sweetly included some samples for me as well, including some of the products from the amazing “Botanical Effects” line, which is made for sensitive skin, and the “TimeWise” anti-aging set.

If you need anything Mary Kay, Jennifer is wonderful! She can be reached at JenniferFlynn@MaryKay.com, or at www.MaryKay.com/JenniferFlynn. :)

I call this dress my “nautical dress.” My favorite part about it are the little fabric flowers on my right shoulder.

 
Dress: TJ Maxx
Sandals: Crocs Sexi Flip
Earrings: Fossil
 
   I don’t have very long eyelashes—I would say they are medium length. (It is my husband and sons that have incredible lashes!) The Mary Kay Lash Love adds great length to my eyelashes. My favorite part about it is the wand because it allows for precision without clumping.

I am wearing Mary Kay mineral eye color in Moonstone, Silver Satin, and Sweet Plum. The blush is Bold Berry, and the lipstick is Whipped Berries :)
 
Nolan kept trying to get in my shots! He’s a natural :)

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Linking up with Lindsey, Alison, and Shanna.

lemon blueberry cheesecake + memorial day photos

A few nights ago, my friend Christina “Bootsie” recommended this recipe to me. She said they were a big hit with her friends, and she thought I would love them. Well, Bootsie—I definitely do! I don’t own a food processor, so I borrowed one and whipped them up yesterday morning. They are exceptional! The texture turns out so smooth and creamy, and the lemon taste is delicious!

Ingredients:
For crust:
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
9 graham crackers (1 sleeve)
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

For filling:
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1  1/2 cups fresh blueberries
powdered sugar for dusting


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper.

In a food processor, mix up the sugar, cinnamon, and graham crackers. Add the melted butter, and pulse it a few times until it’s well-incorporated.

Spoon the mixture into the pan, and press it down firmly. Bake it for 12 minutes until it is golden. Let it cool completely.
 

While it’s cooling, put the cream cheese, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and vanilla into the food processor. I blended mine for at least a minute until it became a really smooth consistency with no visible chunks of cream cheese.



Pour it onto the cooled graham cracker base and smooth it out evenly.



Cover with blueberries. Bake for 35 minutes or until the center has set. Let it cool completely, and then refrigerate it for three hours before serving.



I sliced mine into 9 square servings. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Enjoy!!

We had a very nice Memorial Day weekend that sped by way too fast!

Uncle Josh taught Nolan how to roll down a hill :)


Nolan spent quite a bit of time playing outdoors in beautiful weather at our house and both grandparents’ houses.


I caught “The Lip” on camera last night! He mostly does it when someone else is holding him and he realizes that he misses his Mommy. :)

Or maybe it was because he wanted some lemon blueberry cheesecake… :)
 
But he’s a happy little guy!

Hope you had a relaxing weekend!

Linking up with Andrea for this month’s Recipe Club :)

favorite things May

I have recently become an aficionado of white spray paint. :) I am finding more and more things around the house that I want to give a quick and inexpensive makeover. I love how they turn out with a fresh coat of bright paint!

After we finished off our first can, Steve went back to Lowe’s for more white, and he surprised me by buying Valspar chalkboard spray paint too! I haven’t used it yet, but I am already dreaming up ideas for it! The Rust-Oleum white is $5.37 at Lowe’s, while the Valspar chalkboard paint is a dollar or two more.

The first things I spray-painted were frames from Goodwill. I chose very plain, wooden mis-matched frames—and they took the paint perfectly.

I also covered a couple tin cans to make pots for plants, or pen/pencil holders.

This was our mailbox a few days ago. It was a rusting mess…

In addition to the mailbox, I wanted to spruce up a jewelry holder that Steve made me a few years ago, a basket we found in the basement when we moved in, and some large wooden frames that I bought for cheap at a rummage sale.

Mid-process:

And how they look now:

 
The white frames look really good against our all of our wall colors—blue, dark gray, purple, and even off-white.

What do you think?

Have you spray-painted anything at your home?    

I have one extra item to throw in for under $10—Candace Cameron Bure’s book Balancing It All for the Kindle. I was able to catch it on sale a couple weeks ago for $.99, but it’s usually $9.99. I’m really enjoying it so far. And I’m happy she got 2nd runner up on Dancing with the Stars! :)

 

Linking up with Andrea and Erika today! I tried to stick to the Red/White/Blue theme :) Happy Memorial Day!!

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cool whip finger painting

After posting my list of 70 summer ideas for kids this morning, Nolan and I decided to choose one of the activities and try it out! This was so easy, fun, and surprisingly less messy than I thought it would be!

What you’ll need:
1 (8 ounce) Cool Whip
Food coloring
Muffin tin
Paper (we used cardstock)

Put a dollop of Cool Whip into each hole. Add a few drops of food coloring and stir them well. Let your kids have fun with it!
(Optional: dress your kids in tie-dye so their clothes don’t get stained :)
 
He kept saying, “Beautiful rainbow!!” :)


It was so fun for him to play with the smooth texture of the Cool Whip. He did more playing in the muffin tin than he did paint!
 
And the best part? It’s edible! And delicious :)

Happy Memorial Day weekend!!

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70 summer ideas for kids

 
I’m linking up with Kelly’s Korner today to share a list of 70 summer ideas for kids. I always tend to blank on fun activities if I don’t plan them ahead of time, so I’m sure I will be referencing this list often! Steve and I are both former summer camp counselors (He was “Program Director” and I was “Arts & Crafts Director”), so hopefully we know our stuff :)

1. Build a castle in the sandbox.
2. Go swimming at the pool.
3. Create with Play Doh.
4. Get ice cream. Frequently.
5. Visit a farm or other wildlife center.
6. Blow bubbles.
7. Go for a long walk.
8. Make a car wash for Hot Wheels.
9. Do crayon rubbings on different surfaces outside.
10. Finger paint with Cool Whip or shaving cream.
11. Pick dandelions.
12. Color with markers on poster size paper.
13. Go to the beach.
14. Put together a large floor puzzle.
15. Make a trip to the zoo.
16. Build with Legos or Duplos.
17. Paint with pastel watercolors or bold temperas.
18. Run in circles outside.
19. Play Duck-Duck-Goose with neighborhood kids.
20. Draw with sidewalk chalk.
21. Start a game of 4-square.
22. Plant seedlings and watch them grow.
23. Play with a water table (I really want one of these!)
24. Learn how to ride a tricycle.
25. Play catch.
26. Kick around a soccer ball. (World Cup this year!)
27. Decorate that soccer ball with Sharpies.
28. Make a fort or set up a tent in the backyard.
29. Visit a great-grandparent or elderly person.
30. Have a picnic in the backyard
31. Drive someplace else to have a picnic.
32. Have a backwards day.
33. Host a home-run derby.
34. Throw a beach party.
35. Dress up for a fashion show.
36. Invite friends over for a talent show.
37. Write and perform skits.
38. Play a home version of Minute-to-Win-It.
39. Cook an egg on the hot sidewalk.
40. Play “Will it break?” (Drop things off a rooftop.)
41. Plaster-of-Paris sand art.
42. Start a game of Braveheart. :)
43. Try frisbee golf, using trees as holes.
44. Have a campfire.
45. Make s’mores on that campfire.
46. Sleep in the backyard.
47. Run through a sprinkler.
48. Dress up like ninjas, pirates, princesses.
49. Press flowers in a phone book.
50. Make embroidery-floss friendship bracelets.
51. Braid a lanyard.
52. Play a game of croquet.
53. Tie-dye white T-shirts.
54. Host a bug race.
55. Read tons of books.
56. Play flashlight tag in the dark.
57. Catch fireflies.
58. Write in the air with sparklers
59. Do hopscotch.
60. Start a jump rope competition.
61. Learn to hula hoop.
62. Go berry picking.
63. Visit a cupcake store.
64. Feed the ducks at a park.
65. Make a birdfeed holder.
66. Swing by a children’s museum.
67. Attend the county or state fair.
68. Make snow cones.
69. Have a kid version of the Olympics.
70. Fight with water balloons. :)

 

Thanks for stopping by!
Have a lovely Memorial Day weekend!!

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