{Homemade} Tip of the Day

For all you caffeine junkies out there who are just like me and need a morning, afternoon and occasional nighttime jolt to keep on going (with a smile on my face, that is) I decided to take charge of my usual watered down iced coffee.  Let's be serious, I have two kids under two, so who am I kidding that I'd actually be able to enjoy my iced coffee before it got watered down from all of the ice cubes?

Problem... aka DILEMMA... seriously watered down iced coffee

Solution (insert angels singing here)...

coffee ice cubes = no more watered down iced coffee

With leftover coffee from the morning I made coffee iced cubes!  Now when I make my afternoon iced coffee I just fill up the cup with the coffee iced cubes and voila!  This may not be earth shattering for many of you, but for those of who you understand my pain of watered down iced coffee this is amazing.  Now, no matter how long it takes me to finish my cup, it always has the coffee flavor :)

What's your favorite drink that satisfies you to push through the afternoon wall?

What's Up, Doc? {4 Months}

Rory - 4 Months 

Our baby boy is four months old, already?  Wow that's gone by too fast!  We had our 4-month checkup with Dr. Joe on Friday and everything went great :)  He's growing wonderfully, as it's obvious he doesn't miss many meals, and he's hitting his developmental milestones as expected.  What more could anyone ask for?  Healthy, check.  Happy, check.  Eats well, check.  Sleeps well, check.  

Growth Stats:

Height: 26.5" (94% percentile)

Weight: 16lbs 13oz (74% percentile)

HC: 41.75cm (54% percentile)

Eating:

Nurses every few hours during the day... finally getting better taking a bottle. 

Solids: Eats cereal once a day... only every few days so far, we're still working on this.  

Sleeping:

Takes 2-3 long naps during the day. 

Sleeps about 12 hours at night, but has a newfound desire to wake up once to eat.

Favorite Activities: 

Jumperoo fun and blowing raspberries

Photo Credit: Grandpop

Everyday is something new and so much fun :)

Pretty in Pink {Ruffles}

I recently helped organize a baby shower for my best friend who was expecting twin girls... I say "was" because the girls are now a month old, I've just taken forever in getting current with my craft projects!  

My inspiration for this project was a super cheap basket I got at Michael's in the outdoor clearance bins and this oh-so-pretty 2" pink ruffle ribbon, also on clearance!  When I making a list of everything I had and then needed to do for the party, I decided this basket would make a great prop to hold all of the thank you favors... chocolate covered pretzel rods, of course!  

I debated spray painting the basket a white or pink so it was a seamless project but time was against me, especially considering I did this in the middle of the night - you know basically feels like the middle of the day when you have a newborn as I did at the time.  

So I started with my basket and did a mockup by just pinning to the ribbon a couple different ways to see how I wanted to do final placement for the most aesthetically pleasing view.  Once I decided how much overlap I wanted each ribbon row to be I warmed up the hot glue gun and started wrapping away.  I used the glue gun because it was the best adhesive I could fine in my craft bins that would keep the ribbon attached to the basket; originally I wanted to be able to remove this ribbon and switch it up for various functions but thankfully it was a cost-effective project.

The one above looked too much like a ruffle skirt so I decided space them out further and only do three rows instead of four... much happier with the result below.

After we assembled the favor bags/tags/ribbons I filled the bottom with tissue paper to have a smooth even surface and we filled the basket with our chocolate covered pretzel favors.  Voila!  Pretty and function :)

Last minute change to the basket included adding a thinner polka-dotted ribbon around the handle.  It helped to have something on the handle so the whole basket coordinated and made sense rather than just decorating the bottom part.

At the restaurant, we decided to add frames to either side of where the basket was sitting.  The side facing the entrance was a copy of the shower invitation, and the other side was a note thanking our guests for celebrating the highly anticipated twins soon to arrive!

Invitation & Favor Tags: Baby Buns Designs, Etsy

{Homemade} Summer Baptism Celebration

I'm finally getting around to finalizing my post from Baby Boy's June Baptism festivities.  We hosted the luncheon reception at our home and somehow managed to have it on a day with high heat and humidity, even though it was low eighties for the week leading up to it... oh well, what are you gonna do.  It was an extra special day spent with loving family and friends, and we have to again thank you all for celebrating in our family's blessed day!

I tried very hard to channel my inner crafter (trust me, hidden far far away) and try to pull together so many great ideas I've found on pinterest.  What a great site to make you feel like absolutely any craft or project is do-able, however there wasn't enough for me to craft all of the things I wanted.  

I wanted to make sure to have special touches throughout the party so it felt like a special day and not just another backyard party we usually have.  I rented table linens for tables indoors and out, and also had a handful of tents to cover the dinner tables outside.   

The dessert table... my favorite part!  There were amazing desserts (most homemade by myself and our wonderful family) and decor to set the theme.  A rundown of the desserts...

• Fondant Cake with Buttercream Frosting from Classic Cake
• Chocolate covered pretzels rods using Merckens Super White Chocolate with Wilton's Blue Sprinkles (my new favorite treat to make!)
• Red Velvet Cake Balls dipped in Merckens White Chocolate/blue colored (I have some trial and error to work through dipping these)
• Super soft and delicious chocolate chip cookies
• Cross shaped butter cookies with icing on top
• Mini-cheesecakes variety platter - cinnamon, pineapple and strawberry!
• Cheesecake stuffed strawberries

The Delicious Dessert Table

Fondant Cake with Buttercream Frosting from Classic Cake

Red Velvet Cakeballs with Merkin's Super White Chocolate Coating

This dessert 2-tier stand is actually part of an Easter decoration I have and was once lime green and has coordinating plates... but I needed it to be white, not green, for this party so I spray painted it using Krylon white satin spray paint to make it work for the day.  Those plates are my daily dishware that happened to fit perfectly!

  

Unfortunately dark because of the bright window... but my homemade "desserts" dot garland banner

Although the picture is dark, the window decor was a two part process.  The vertically hanging garland is Martha Stewart White Glitter Garland that I purchased from my local craft store and then cut into sections to accommodate the wide window.   

The "desserts" banner was a homemade creation - here's a photo of the banner from after the party so you can see its actual color scheme.  I attached it to fishing wire for a clean look and spaced each circle about 1.5" from the next.

  

The drink table turned into two drink tables due to excessive quantity of beverages - adult and child friendly of course!  I always have homemade unsweetened iced tea on hand, spring water, and a light fan favorite summer sangria.  I'm not a big fan of lots of water bottles, it seems like so many are wasted because we put them down and forget whose is where, so I opted for buying a 2.5 gallon jug of spring water and put in my drink dispenser.  Now, onto the good stuff, I've made this White Lemon-Strawberry Sangria (a pinterest find!) a few times and I think it gets better each time.  The directions say to let the rum & wine soaked fruit sit for a few hours, but I try to let it sit overnight for maximum infusion... and quite honestly I add an extra half to full cup of rum!  

Drink Table

The banner I made turned out well I thought but I should have assembled it prior to the party starting because I could have edited the crosses so they actually looked like crosses and not random x's.  Lesson learned.  The banner was assembled using 1/8" white sheer ribbon tied in a knot to connect the letters together.  Once we disassembled the party decor, I couldn't part with the name part of the banner so I hung it on the baby's bedroom door... corny but I like it.

Banner Turned Hallway Decor

Yet another pinterest find was the ribbon wrapped foam wreath door decor just to add a small touch.  I used the tutorial found here and although I didn't find it as easy to do as the creator, I was very happy with the final result!  Her tutorial didn't include how to make the pinwheel using paper but once I googled it I found a quick and easy tutorial.

Door Wreath

The food turned out delicious and thankfully was enough for everyone!  Some of my favorites were of course in the appetizer selection!

• Caprese Salad Skewers, pictured below, pinterest find - quick & easy!
• Spinach-Phyllo roll ups
• Strawberry-Spinach Salad

Nom Nom Nom

I used left over blue & white polka dotted scrap paper and decorative labels to make these food tents.  Although I was picked on for labeling my food, I'm quite happy with the result.  I, for one, like to know what I'm about to consume especially when it isn't so obvious as in the caprese salad skewers.  Not to mention, it's my party and I'll label if I want to!

The gift/favor table was an unintended surprise.  I spent a few nights making the chocolate crosses and then wrapping them for use as our favors so I wanted to make sure that our guests received one on their way out.  In order for me to remember, I placed them in a footed bowl (wrapped with 1.5" blue and white polka dotted ribbon) on our entry way table, along with a framed invitation for the days' celebration, so as I walked people out I would actually remember to give them one.  This then by chance also turned into the location for people to leave their generous and thoughtful gifts for the Little Man himself.

Gift & Favors Table

What a memorable day, and a huge thank you again for everyone who celebrated with us and those who contributed with their homemade goodness :)

"Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him."Psalm 127:3 (NLT)

What a proud moment for us

Godparents... Uncle Lee and Aunt Jamie

Getaway to Grammy's

In order to give Ryan some time to work on the bathroom remodel without the rest of us bothering him I decided to take the kids to Grammy's house for a few days earlier in the week.  It was such a treat for the kids and I to have a change of scenery and do some different activities :)  Besides lots of fun playing with Grammy and Pop, Reagan got to go swimming in the pool where she was fascinated with jumping off of the side into the water and even went under a bunch of times for fun!!!  And of course we had to take a trip to the Cape May County Zoo... we will definitely be going back there again soon!

Happy Happy Man

Taking a walk pointing out the cars

 You can't catch me!

Only at Grammy's!

Grammy sung Rory to sleep :)

Happy Laughing on this Friday Night!

Make sure you watch until the end... hysterical!

Vacuum... Friend or Foe?

I tried to upload this last month but for some reason had technological issues and therefore it didn't actually upload.  But anyway, this video is absolutely HYSTERICAL (if I do say so myself, and I do) and shows how Reagan loves to play around with anything Ryan and I use.  The vacuum included.  Thankfully Ryan was able to capture this on his iPhone and I don't think Reagan even had a clue that she was being recorded, which makes this true "reality tv".

Enjoy!!!!

Note:  The quality is poor, but I'm hoping to upload the higher quality copy soon!

Watch this video on You Tube

Happy Boy!

Someone woke up very happy from their nap today.... love this smile :)

Rory's first smile (not due to gas!) was back on Thursday, April 26th... 

he's taking it all in and loving life!

Happy Easter!

Happy (belated) Easter to all of our family and friends!  We hope you had a wonderful day celebrating with your loved ones!

Not a fan of the Easter Bunny

The Loves of Our Lives!

Rory's First Easter 

Our Pretty Princess

He's Here!

We are so proud to welcome

Photo courtesy of Grandpop

RORY ANDREW PEDDLE

March 20, 2012 at 5:28pm

7lbs 8oz, 20.25in long

Virtua Voorhees Hospital




More to come as we adjust to life as a family of four!

St. Patty's Day 2012

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY from the Peddle's!  

We hope everyone had a wonderful day celebrating the luck of the Irish :)

                                             Click here to view these pictures larger

Spring Break 2012

Here's the album of photos from the week.... Spring Break with Ryan and a Spring warmup :)

What a great week it's been with the family!!

Click here to view these pictures larger

38 Weeks... Game on!

Appointment Follow-Up


How far along? 38 weeks, 3 days
Total weight gain/loss: 18lbs.
Fundal Height: he didn't give me an exact number but was happy with current growth
Sleep:  falling asleep is still a challenge and trying to stay asleep past 3am is an uphill battle
Best moment this week: the beautiful spring weather & having Ryan home for spring break
Worst moment this week: besides 9.5months pregnant pains, no complaints just happy to have all of us home together
Movement: lots of elbows in my hips and feet in my ribs
Food cravings: ice chips (can't get enough of them)
Labor Signs: uterine & back contractions that are thankfully starting to do their job.... 3-4cm with 50% effacement, so could be soon or could be two weeks (blah)
Weekly Wisdom: just trying to make it through the day
Looking forward to next week: hopefully holding my baby boy


So my appointment with the OB today was successful in terms that the contractions I've been having more regularly are finally doing their job and getting things ready for the baby to arrive.  At last check, there was absolutely nothing happening in terms of the baby's arrival and now today I'm 3-4cm and 50% effaced.  Being that I've been in this boat before, I know that it doesn't mean much... he could come tonight or in a couple weeks.  The only bright thought I'm going to keep in my head is that the doctor seems hopeful that it could be sooner than later, so we'll just work with those happy thoughts.  With Reagan, I was 1-2cm literally for 9 weeks, then was 3-4cm for a couple of days and then was admitted at 5cm and delivered the little monkey 6 hours later after just a few pushes :) 


I'm pretty open to a St. Patty's Day baby :)  It was my grandmother's birthday also!

Got My Shades On

Honestly, what could be better than this spring-like weather during the winter season?!  I'll tell you what's better.... RUTGERS SPRING BREAK!  That's right... not only do we get 70 degree weather, we get Ryan home every night this week, cha-ching :)

Spring officially doesn't start until next week, but with temperatures near 70 for the near future I think it's safe to say that old man winter is out!  We spent so much time outside today that Reagan was asking to go "night-night" at 6:15pm... but we held her off until about 7.  Running around outside definitely wears her out so keep bringing on the nice weather!  Even Roxie got some enjoyment out of the day... a long walk through the neighborhood and a spring cleaning bath, so fresh and so clean.

Roxie catching some sun (and P&Q) while Reagan napped

Family walk, all wearing our shades!

My Pretty Princess

What are you doing to enjoy the beautiful weather and longer hours of sunlight?!?!

Animal Sounds

Reagan is great at matching sounds to the animal it belongs to, but she definitely is not a fan of performing on command, let alone when there's a camera involved.  I got her to play along with me for a minute, but you'll notice that she just gets up and walks away when she's done putting on a show.  What a ham.

Where's Your....???

Reagan LOVES to play with our iPhones and will hold the phone up and say "CHEESE" since we're always taking pictures of her... it's pretty hysterical.  The other thing I like to do with her is to let her make movies of herself.  We do this using the iPhone on the forward-facing camera so Reagan can see herself as we're making the movie... similar to how you would hold the phone if making a Facetime call.

In this video, she spends the first few minutes saying hi to herself (I think she believes we're on a Facetime call & she's talking to another baby) and then we go into identifying parts of her face.  She really enjoys picking out her features and those on us as well!

More videos to come as she learns her animal sounds... so far we've got duck, cow, pig, and dog covered!

Hope you were able to enjoy the spring weather the past few days!

Congratulations, Ryan!

We want to send a huge congrats to Ryan on doing so well on his first semester of Rutgers Camden Law and achieving Dean's List for the Fall 2011 term!  He earned a GPA that puts him in the top 25% of all students enrolled at the law school (full-time and part-time combined).  

Additionally, he made First Year Honors List based upon a law school GPA that puts him in the top 25% of the first year class as well.  

Reagan and I are so proud of him for this accomplishment and all of the hard work he puts into school!  We know how hard it is on him to be away from the family so much with working full time and attending classes three nights a week, but his determination is paying off.  WE LOVE YOU!

Time For a Name Change UPDATED 3/8/12

And the winner is..... "Peddle to the Metal" as recommended by Erinn, a fellow mom-to-be and sorority sister of mine from Drexel.  I truly appreciate everyone's feedback and suggestions in renaming our family website.  There were a ton of great recommendations, which actually made it hard to choose from but I think Erinn really capture what our life is about now.... the insanity of being a young (growing) family taking on probably more than we can chew.

The Countdown is ON!

I had my 36 week OB appointment today and finally feel like the end is in sight with this pregnancy.  For those of you that know me well, you already know that I freely admit that I do not enjoy being pregnant.  Thankfully I don't gain a lot of weight but I still find it so uncomfortable to have a growing human being inside of me that is intruding on my short torso.  Enough complaining, baby boy will be here soon enough and I can quit my hypochondriac worrying. 


Onto the details from today...


How far along? 36 weeks, 2 days
Total weight gain/loss: 15lbs, 1 pound gained from last appointment.
Fundal Height: he didn't give me an exact number but was happy with current growth
Sleep:  falling asleep is now a challenge and trying to stay asleep past 3am is an uphill battle
Best moment this week: getting together with friends to celebrate Jeanine's birthday & finally finishing the baby's nursery
Worst moment this week: Reagan's bedtime after quittingthe bottle cold turkey
Movement: after an extremely quiet Wednesday last week where he had me pretty worried, he's back to normal.  His stretches completely protrude out of my skin and I'm able to decipher where an elbow is
Food cravings: ice chips (can't get enough of them)
Labor Signs: uterine & back contractions
Weekly Wisdom: just trying to make it through the day
Looking forward to next week: touring the maternity ward of the new Virtua Voorhees hospital (nothing like waiting until the last minute)

Because I've been having more frequent contractions the Dr decided to do an exam and said that everything is "progressing" for the good so thankfully these contractions are starting to do their business!  We also got have a quick sneak peak at the little baby boy because I asked the doctor to check my fluid levels since this is about the time with Reagan that they started to get low... thankfully all was good there too.  He also made note that the largest pockets of fluid are down by the baby's head and said that if my water breaks on its own (which it didn't with Reagan), there's "going to be a big gush"... great... good luck cleaning that up, Ryan.  

Until next week..

15 Months Already??

Erase that evidence... a lady never tells her weight!

Well, if we're being technical, Reagan was 15 months back on February 8th but due to scheduling we just had our 15 month checkup at the pediatrician today.  Besides the fact Reagan's now old enough to throw a fit or know when something's coming that she won't like, it was a great appointment!  It took a little squirming and screaming but her height came out to be OFF THE CHARTS and her weight was right on track with the curve she started when she was born.

Length at 15 Months: 34.5 inches (literally off the chart)
Weight at 15 Months: 25 pounds, 8 ounces (approximately 80th percentile)

Reagan started talking the doctors ear off as soon as she entered the room, which prompted the doctor to say "obviously she's pretty chatty"... um, I think that's an understatement, the doctor should be happy that she didn't receive the hand talking that usually accompanies Reagan's talking points.  After we discussed her development and abilities at this age, the doctor was impressed and said she's doing everything she should be and then some!!!!  Score ;)

Downside to this appointment?!?!

The "Quit the Bottle" discussion and 2 shots that "are going to sting her unfortunately" according to the nurse.  As if being 9 months pregnant taking care of an extremely active toddler isn't enough, now I need to rock the boat and cut the bottle at bedtime cold turkey.  Warm milk in a bottle is the only way this child drinks milk and going to bed with a bottle is just as comfortable to her as her beloved giraffe.  Now before you judge me for letting her go to bed with a bottle at this age and bottle rot and all... let me tell you that we are diligent with brushing Reagan's teeth and she herself will walk around brushing her teeth because she thinks it's fun.

Back to cutting the bottle cold turkey... naptime was pretty easy without a bottle but bedtime was a whole different story.  We did our night time routine as usual, except cut out the bottle, and after 2 hours of screaming, crying, and me going in to rock her, I finally gave in and let her lay in my bed until Ryan was due home a few minutes later.  Part of me thinks she was just trying to wait for him to get home because after a few minutes of snuggle time with her Daddy, Reagan went down without a bottle and finally WENT TO SLEEP... granted it was close to 10pm, but I'll take the win that she fell asleep without a bottle.

Next checkup 3 months, although obviously they'll be seeing us before that since we have to take Baby Boy in within a week of his birth.

On a side note, we stopped by the Malvern School today to collect Reagan's belongings she had there and to say goodbye to her teachers and friends.  At first I felt bad that we took her out because she enjoyed playing with all the toys and get ups they had out for the kids... but as soon as we went into her  former classroom to get her stuff, the meltdown started and she made sure to be attached to me.  She was doing everything in her power to make sure I was not leaving her there.  And with that, my conscience was assured that bringing her home was a great decision!

Happy Valentine's Day!

We would like to wish everyone a (belated) HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!  We hope you all enjoyed your day with your Valentine and maybe spread some extra cheer to everyone else.  Below is Reagan's finger painting project turned Valentine Card, enjoy!

Our day was honestly like any other Tuesday... Ryan at work then class, while Reagan and I make ourselves busy... but it wouldn't be a holiday without something going wrong, now would it?  

I changed up Reagan's afternoon schedule to allow for a later afternoon nap so she would be up later into the evening to see Ryan when he got home (class was letting out earlier than usual for this Tuesday).  But with trying to keep up with my usual evening chores - laundry, attempting to pick up the house - and trying to keep updated with important family happenings (more to come later) I lost track of my darling dear angel.  Now, keep in mind, this type of thing doesn't usually phase me; my house is child proof and the gates were closed so I knew she wouldn't be able to go upstairs.    However, my curiosity was peaked when I heard the alarm going off... especially because I hadn't set it yet for the night.  

I ran into the playroom to find Reagan sitting on top of her table looking at me like a deer in headlights as the alarm is screaming.  I entered the code to disable the alarm and got Reagan off the table to distract her into other fun activities.  Now, I've set off the alarm by accident plenty of times and have disabled it within the given time frame before the call center is notified, so I assumed when I entered the pin that this would be the case as well.  

Ten minutes later my doorbell rings and I open the door - pantless child in hand - to find a Washington Township Police Officer asking me if there's a fire at my home.  Talk about a deer in headlights, I just looked at him while I said "no, sir" and then realized that Reagan must have hit the FIRE alarm and not the typical house alarm.  I completely understand what a waste of time and resources it was for this officer to come to my house, however, he was completely unimpressed with my 8.5 month pregnant body holding my small toddler trying to explain away how this little peanut could have possibly set off the alarm.  He let me off with a warning explaining that the next false alarm would result in a fine.  As he is telling me this, we hear the fire truck sirens coming down our street... just perfect.  He told me he would take care of explaining that there was no emergency at our house.  I politely thanked him, and went back inside completely mortified.  

Not five or ten minutes go by and there's yet another ring of the bell.  I'm still holding pantless Reagan and now trying to fend off Roxie because there's been so much activity at the door, and open the door to a fireman (firetruck outside my house) saying he understands it was a false alarm but it's protocol that he come and check with the homeowner.  After apologizing yet again for this whole misunderstanding he asks me "How exactly did she set off a fire alarm?  Do you have an alarm pull in your house?" 

I invited him to show him the panel and the table setup of how my miniature spider man climbed up... 

Besides the fact this picture is deceptive & it looks like a 5 year old couldn't reach the panel, just know that it's well within my super tall toddlers reach when standing on top of the table.  

I'm really not sure if he was more unimpressed with how I let my child climb up on a table and push the buttons or the fact that my child was pant-less and the playroom looked like a nuclear bomb went off.  Needless to say, I feel like Mother of the Year.  Also, as a disclaimer to those of you that may be judging me right now, I have since moved the table to a new location so the super toddler with spider man like qualities no longer makes false calls to emergency personnel.  

I really should have known it was going to be one of those days when I woke up Valentine's Day morning and had to run to the grocery store at 715am because I was out of milk for Reagan and myself, and an hour later when my coffee spilled all over the bed (thankfully it was Ryan's side!).  

Sprinkling a Baby Boy

I was surprised today with a SpRiNkLe for Baby Boy Peddle by my wonderful friends and family.  I was planning to go to Jeanine's under the rouse of our typical Sunday.... get the kids together, get friend time in, and have a nice homemade Italian dinner courtesy of Jeanine's homemade meatballs and gravy.  However, when we pulled onto her street and were turning into her driveway I noticed a bunch of cars I recognized (wink, wink) and was immediately flattered and in awe that everyone was here to celebrate my little man soon to arrive.  The house was decked out in very chic & classy blues and whites, and the lunch was catered by Cosi (my favorite!!!!!!).

We received lots of wonderful gifts to help us prepare for the baby!  Lots of clothes (phew!  otherwise he'd have a lot of pink mixed into his wardrobe), super cute baby boy shoes (I mean seriously, could they be any cuter?), gift cards for those final purchases, bedding accessories to complete his nursery decor, and another monitor so I can big brother both of my kids!  Katelyn used her DIY craft lady skills to make a super cute diaper cake that I have on display in his room for the time being :)

I have to send a big THANK YOU to everyone for attending and for your wonderful gifts for Baby Boy Peddle.  I had such a wonderful afternoon with a very special group of women, and am so lucky to have each and every one of you in my life.  We are so blessed to have such a close group of friends and family to celebrate this special time with.

Photos from the day!

PS - I can't wait to reciprocate the love... 2012 is the YEAR OF THE BABY among our friends!

Big Girl Booster

Reagan absolutely LOVES sitting in the wooden highchairs at restaurants because she's actually seated at the table instead of a distance away, the way she is in her highchair because of the tray.  Obviously we won't need the highchair for Baby Boy Peddle for quite some time but we thought now would be a great time to get Reagan a booster seat so she can sit at the table with Mommy & Daddy when we eat.

Thursday Morning
Breakfast in the highchair!

Thursday Afternoon
Writing a list in her new booster seat at the table

Friday Morning
French toast & sausage breakfast in the new seat

After doing some research on the internet to decide if we wanted a booster seat or a restaurant-style wooden highchair, we decided to go with the Graco Blossom Booster Seat from where else but Amazon.com using our Prime membership, which gets u free 2-day shipping on most items.  One of the main reasons we went with a booster seat is that it attaches to a chair we already own and we don't have to clear out a chair from the table to fit the restaurant-style highchair.  Obviously there are plenty of "prettier" seats on the market but I actually like how neutral this is and it doesn't obnoxiously stand out.  Plus, the added bonus is that it can be used with Reagan's baby brother when it's time for him to sit at the table since it's tan and not hot pink!  I really like this particular booster seat because it has 2 security straps that go around the chair back & chair bottom to ensure no slipping when Reagan is in the chair.  It also has a 3-point safety harness to keep her seated while she's in the chair.  She's still do young that I wanted to make sure she would stay seated when in her chair.  And lastly, it's made of an easily-cleanable plastic, perfect for cleaning up those "learning to feed myself" messes Reagan makes while trying out her hand at silverware.

She loves sitting in a chair just like Mommy & Daddy, but this new milestone doesn't come without some issues to tackle.  One of those being that my dining room chairs are light-colored fabric seat backs (pictured above) & seat cushions (aka very easy to get dirty), and the next challenge being how much Reagan loves to bang things together.  Needless to say, I'll be making a purchase this weekend of a table pad to protect it from tiny diners!!!

Jelly Bean Jungle

Reagan turned 15 months today!!  I can not believe less than a year and a half ago we didn't even have this beautiful little girl in our life and now she consumes every second and I couldn't imagine a day without her.  She is the happiest and brightest baby, and we get so much enjoyment out of watching her each day learn something new and develop into an independent toddler.  

Reagan - 15 Months Old

We attended our first play date today in the new Meet-Up group I joined, Chic Moms of South Jersey.  Some of the ladies and their children met at Jelly Bean Jungle (JBJ) in Mount Laurel, and we had a blast meeting new people and playing with other kids.  JBJ is marketed for children ages 5 and under, which personally I really like because it keeps the young kids together and makes me worry less about big kids being too rough (trust me, I know kids here can still be rough but I felt it was better than 5+).

Reagan's favorite activities were of course the ball pit and the mini slide.  The big ball pit made me hold my breath a few times as some of the wild boys would jump in from the sides without regards to any other kids in the pit already.

They also had other activities like a climbing maze and a miniature carousel, but Reagan wasn't too impressed with those things yet.  I think she loved just having a huge ball pit at her disposal, and of course that there were other kids running around like maniacs :)  We're hoping to go again soon so Ryan can join in on the fun!