Happily Ever Mock

Baby Must Haves 0-6 months

**This post contains affiliate links and was in part sponsored by Hello Bello

6 months have somehow passed since Elise was born. I am not sure how time can fly so quickly, but alas I have a 6 month old.  In the past 6 months one thing I have noticed is that baby stuff has just gotten better and more convenient in the short 5 years since having Hallie.  Today I am sharing our must have products that have been the most helpful these passed 6 months.

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10

Feeding

The Dr Browns Pitcher and Sterilizer both saved so much time for us! If you have been following you know that I exclusively pumped and bottle fed both of my girls.  You also know our journey of getting more calories for Elise, and how I had to fortify my breast milk with formula.  The pitcher was great for mixing the breast milk and the formula each day and just pouring each feeding into bottles.  We are still using it now that we have switched to formula.

The Sterilizer was such a God send! With all the bottle and pump pieces it was used daily to keep everything clean and sanitary.  Once everything came out of the sterilizer I let everything dry out on the Boon Lawn.  We also cleaned everything with the Dapple Soap before putting it in and it made such a difference keeping the bottles looking like new!  My sweet Sister In Law told me about it, and I am so thankful! As far as Breast Storage Bags go.  These have been the best I have found.  They are thick, cheap and I didn’t lose 1 to spilled milk in the 6 months I pumped.  They have a hole for hanging but I used them to slip my finger through when filling them and it made it so easy!

Sleeping

We still love this Pack N Play.  It has been perfect for each stage with a bassinet and diaper changing insert and a higher sleep setting for those earlier days.   Speaking of sleep. These sleepers are awesome! They zip from the bottom so late night diaper changes are so much easier!

Play and Diapering

I can’t stand normal bath toys and how quickly they mold! These Clean Squeeze toys totally rock! They open in the middle so you can dry them completely and they stay mold free!

If you are an avid reader you know my obsession with Freshly Picked! Their Diaper Bag is AMAZING! It has so many pockets including in insulated one which I use to keep bottles cold! I also love that I can carry it as a backpack leaving my hands free for everything else us Mom’s have to lug around!

Lastly but most importantly, Hello Bello you guys! Literally EVERYTHING from Hello Bello.  The price for the diapers has been unbeatable yet the quality doesn’t lack. They are softer from every other diaper we have tried but hold up well, even over night!  We do the bundle and get 7 packs of diapers and 4 packs of wipes every month! I love that they come right to our door! Recently we were gifted a few of their bath products and they smell so good and are made of quality ingredients leaving our girl so fresh! Check them out y’all! You’ll be glad you did!

Elise Claire- 6 Months

Elise Claire, how the heck are you 1/2 a year old? It has been the quickest 6 months I have ever experienced!

We had a little half birthday celebration for her with confetti and party blowers and she was so happy! She is the most smiley happy baby ever! I just couldn’t love her more! Here is all about our sweet girl.

  • Age- 6 months
  • Weight- 11lb 2.5 oz. She is smaller than Hallie at the same age.  For a comparison at 6 months Hallie was 11 lb 13 oz. The doctor really wants us to push more calories on her.
  • Length- 24 3/4 in long.  Just our little string bean!
  • Size- She is mostly in 3 month clothes with a few 6 month items mixed in.  Though we do wear 6 month pajamas for length.  She is wearing size 1 diapers.  We started using Hello Bello diapers, wipes and bath products and we are in LOVE! They fit great and are so soft!
  • Eyes- The jury is still out! They appear a gray blue, though I am not holding my breath for a blue eyed girl. Hallie’s stayed blue for so long and they eventually turned dark. Though her Memi thinks they might be green, which I would love!
  • Hair- Light brown, and getting lighter.  Especially her eyebrows.  Much lighter than sisters at this age.  It’s actually almost becoming strawberry blonde maybe?  She also has much less of it than Hallie.  Her bald spot is starting to fill in!
  • Sleeping- She is still sleeping great this month. Usually 8:30- 6:15 when I wake the kids to get Hallie ready for school.  She would sleep later if she could of course and takes at least 2 long naps a day.
  • Eating- We are still fortifying my breast milk with formula to get her some more calories each feeding and it’s working!  She usually takes about 4-5 oz every 3 hours. I use the Dr Brown’s pitcher to mix breast milk and formula in each morning and it works great! I just started weaning so pretty soon she will be on strictly formula which hopefully will help her pack on the pounds! She has tried several foods and loved everything she has tried! She is such an eater and could care less about milk!
  • Milestones- Eating a ton of foods.  Sitting up by herself.  Pretty close to crawling.  She does a downward dog motion and falls forward.  She also rocks back and forth on all 4s.  Also she has a few words down: Mama, Dada, Baba. She calls Hallie Haha! Which is precious!
  • Memorable outings- Taking sister to Kindergarten.
  • Looking Forward to- Honestly I wish time would just stand still! She is so much fun! Of course looking forward to Each and every day!
  • Favorites- Girlfriend loves toys! Has a favorite dolly and blanket.  We recently gave her a pop up toy which she enjoys.  She puts everything in her mouth and loves food! Loves danccing with Mommy, laughing at Hallie, and signing with Daddy. We also play a game called “Rolly Polly” which makes her burst out in giggles.  She is just a little dolly.  

Back to School Style

Someone please tell me how my child is about to start Kindergarten!? Summer is almost over and Hallie is pumped to go to school. She even made a little paper chain and pulls off one each night exclaiming how many days until school starts!

I am a little more reluctant to send her off into the big world all by herself. But alas here we are in the last days of summer. So now it’s time to buy school supplies and new shoes and clothes.  Honestly that was my favorite part of going to school! Hallie and I looked at a lot of dresses and backpacks and here are some of our Back to School Favorites.

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8

Hallie really loves animals, and I can definitely see where her inspiration for back to school shopping came from! She also loves anything rainbow or unicorn, and picked out that sweet rainbow dress.  She isn’t really big on wearing shorts or T-shirts, but on karate days I try to convince her to wear them.  I love these Old Navy shorts, because they are elastic waist. The Navy striped skirt has a matching baby one so sister can match!

 

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9

Hallie insisted on this exact backpack and lunchbox as a birthday present from her grandparents.  I tried suggesting unicorns, hearts and mermaids, but she declared them “too babyish”. My baby is really growing up. Good news though, they are both on sale! The ice packs are Cat and Jack.  They are sold out online but our local store still had plenty! I just picked up 2 more. We got a Bentgo box to try out this year and so far I love it! I have been making Hallie school lunches to try out over the last couple weeks to see what she will eat. I’ve found if I make the meal fun she’ll pretty much eat anything.  Be sure to keep an eye out for my lunchbox post for Dallas Moms soon!

We have 2 very favorite brands for hair clips and bows! Ashlilium and Modern Piggy.  If you purchase from Modern Piggy, be sure to use the code HAPPILYEVERMOCK for 10% off your order. As far as shoes go, I feel like Keds hold up the best! Also playground shorts are a must for a girl who doesn’t stop moving and pretty much only wears dresses!

What’s on your Back to School shopping list?

Elise Claire- 5 months

Sweet Elise Claire! You are 5 months old today and I literally can’t believe how fast time has flown! You are the sweetest babe! Always trying to keep up with sister and always up for a cuddle or kiss!

  • Age- 5 months
  • Weight- 10 lb 9 oz, Almost a whole pound in a month and we are so proud! She still isn’t on the official weight curve, but she is back on her own which is great news. For a comparison at 5 months Hallie was 11 lb 2 oz.
  • Length- 23 1/2 in long.  Same as sister at this age
  • Size- We are doing a mix of newborns and 3 mo clothes still. Most 3 month are still big other than pajamas. Basically anything 3 month with a waistband is huge! She is wearing size 1 diapers and we are currently using up all the ones we got from showers so that we can try Hello Bello very soon.
  • Eyes- The jury is still out! They appear a gray blue, though I am not holding my breath for a blue eyed girl. Hallie’s stayed blue for so long and they eventually turned dark. Though her Memi thinks they might be green, which I would love!
  • Hair- Light brown, and getting lighter.  Especially her eyebrows.  Much lighter than sisters at this age.  It’s actually almost becoming strawberry blonde maybe?  She also has much less of it than Hallie.  She still has a huge bald spot though! Thank goodness for bows!
  • Sleeping- She is still sleeping great this month. Usually 9pm-7:30-8 am. She isn’t much of a napper though. I think it’s early FOMO.  She always wants to watch sister. She usually takes a lot of little cat naps throughout the day.
  • Eating- We started fortifying my breast milk with formula to get her some more calories each feeding and it’s working!  She usually takes about 4-5 oz every 3 hours. I use the Dr Brown’s pitcher to mix breast milk and formula in each morning and it works great! She also started eating oatmeal and she LOVES it! The first day she was pretty unsure, but by the 2nd day I couldn’t shovel it in fast enough.  She grabs my hand and shoves the spoon in her mouth! I joke that she is just waiting to gain all of her weight in Mexican food because she loves to try and eat our food and tacos seem to intrigue her the most!
  • Milestones- She loves sitting in the bumbo chair and puts EVERYTHING in her mouth! She also wore shoes for the first time this month.
  • Memorable outings- Celebrated her first 4th of July and went to her first wedding.
  • Looking Forward to-  Getting to spend some one-on-one time with her as Hallie starts Kindergarten!

Enjoying every minute of sweet Elise Claire

Life Lately- July

I have so many posts I need to write.  Mainly a little catch up on Hallie’s 5th- yes 5th birthday! She had a Christmas party and it was adorable.  Girl after my own heart for sure.  But that’s for another day.

Life has been busy lately.  We’re preparing for Kindergarten, Elise is bigger and busier.  Christopher has been keeping very busy at the store.  Not to mention that he just built and launched a crowdfunding for a Medical App…more on that later.

This Summer is just flying by, but I feel like that is life as an adult.  Time goes by so quickly and you are left in awe of what just happened? Hallie is 5 and Elise is almost 5 months yet somehow I feel like I just brought them both home from the hospital.  So more posts to come about Hallie’s birthday, a Kindergarten update including our picks for back-to-school.  But for now here’s a small update on life.

What we’re reading:

As if I have time to pick up a book for myself! Hallie got this National Geographic from her Grandpa for her birthday and we are loving it! She just loves to learn, especially about Nature and animals.  She is going to thrive in Kindergarten!  Speaking of Hallie’s interests I just wrote an article for Dallas Moms all about Hallie’s interests and how I parent a child so different from myself.  You can read that here.

What we’re eating:

I am loving this BBQ chicken casserole right now! Actually the whole family is addicted.  We have even used cauliflower tots for a lower carb option and it is so good! I just cook the cauliflower tots to a crisp and then add the chicken and BBQ sauce and top with cheese and green onion.

Hallie’s summer activities:

Hallie has been rocking it at Karate.  She is officially a green belt in her black belt training program and got a weapons badge in weapons training as well. I also signed her up for a Summer ballet workshop which she loves!

She also went to visit my mother-in-law and she took her to the beach.  She told me she built a habitat for a hermit crab. I know she had a blast.  It happened to be right after her birthday which worked out great! I was able to do a toy purge and reorganization while she was gone without her stopping me from throwing away old chick-fil-a toys.

Another fun thing we’ve done is take Hallie to visit A&M school of Veterinary Medicine. She has said since about 18 months that she wants to be a vet. She has recently been really interested in large animals studies so this was a total treat for her!

What I’m working on:

As I stated before Christopher just launched a Medical App which is really exciting! We are in the crowdfunding stage right now so I have been helping him spread the word on that! You can watch our video which explains the app in full here.  Basically it connects patients with the lowest cost options for healthcare in their area.  Often using your insurance is more expensive than paying out of pocket, and Me 1st Medical will help you book medical services while being completely transparent with how much you will pay for them in advance.  Please consider sharing the campaign! It could really revolutionize healthcare in our country.

Looking Forward to:

Besides sharing updates with you on the App, here’s what else you can expect on the blog soon:

  • 5th birthday update (Hallie)
  • 5 month update (Elise)
  • Back-To-School buys
  • Kindergarten Update
  • Newborn-4 month favorites
  • My Magic Stain Removal Solution

What else do you want to hear about?

Loving for Mommy:

You guys, invisibobbles are amazing! They don’t give me a headache and they come out easy without leaving a crease! #obsessed

Loving for Hallie:

This little Pretzel dress is absolutely precious! The fit is great and you can’t beat the price! My MIL gave it to Hallie for her birthday and it will for sure be in our School Clothes rotation!

Loving for Elise:

We just started fortifying my breast milk with formula (More On that in her 5 month update) and this Dr. Browns Pitcher has been a life savor! Thanks to my amazing friend Sindi for telling us about it!

So there you have it folks! A little update on life at the Mock house!

Elise Claire- 4 Months

Elise, either I am getting better at this Mom of 2 thing or it’s just a fluke, but I am officially less than a week late on your 4 month update, so I am calling that a win!

  • Age- 4 months
  • Weight- 9 lb 13.5 oz, still itty bitty and pretty, but you fell off the weight curve. Hal was 10lb 2 oz.
  • Length- 23 in long.  Same as sister at this age
  • Size- We are doing a mix of newborns and 3 mo clothes. Most 3 month is still big other than pajamas.  We are moving to size 1 diapers out of convenience because we had some from the baby shower, though you still fit well in the Newborn diapers.  Our plan is to start diaper delivery once we run out of the ones we have.  Anyone try Hello Bello diapers? That’s what our plan is.
  • Eyes- The jury is still out! They appear a gray blue, though I am not holding my breath for a blue eyed girl. Hallie’s stayed blue for so long and they eventually turned dark. Though her Memi thinks they might be green, which I would love!
  • Hair- Light brown, and getting lighter.  Especially her eyebrows.  Much lighter than sisters at this age.  She also has much less of it.  She still has a huge bald spot. Enter bows!
  • Sleeping- She is still sleeping great this month. Usually 9pm-7-7:30 am.
  • Eating- We started supplementing with formula this week per the doctors request.  We are hoping to bulk her up some.  She usually takes about 4-5 oz every 3 hours.
  • Milestones- Rolls both directions this month and is a supported sitter.  She loves playing with and chewing on toys.
  • Memorable outings- Sister’s 5th birthday celebrations! Karley’s engagement party.  Father’s day.
  • Favorite toys/activities- She enjoys tummy time, ceiling fans, mirrors, playing with sister, her turtle toy and pulling hair, people’s clothes and mommy’s necklace. She is also going to be a blankie kid.  She loves snuggling her blankets.  I have to be so careful to remove them when she falls asleep! She also loves being snuggled, hugged and kissed! She loves reading and when anyone sings to her too!

Elise you are so cuddly and sweet! Your love for your family and close friends makes your momma swoon! You have the best giggles and give the best snuggles.  We are so thankful for you!

Hallie’s Birthday Wish List

I can’t believe we are a week away from our first baby turning the big 5! Hallie is so excited to celebrate her birthday! I thought it would be fun to share our big 5 year old girl’s wish list.

The big thing she asked for was a backpack and lunchbox for kindergarten, which I know her grandparents already snagged! Here’s the one she had her eye on.  Of course, purple! Its on a super sale right now, so definitely worth a looksy!

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9

It’s funny to me that Hallie asks for clothes! She is a total girl! She especially loves clothes that she can match Elise in! The sweet PJs and ice cream dress for instance!

Hallie also loves building, dressing up and creating art! She is at such a fun age!  Her biggest interest by far however is animals! Her amazing Godfather snagged her this Wild Kratts game and she is going to go BANANAS!  Because as she says, “I am into Zoology!”

The rest of her wish list is on Amazon. Check it out here! 

 

Add-A-Pearl

This post is sponsored by: Add-A-Pearl.  We were given a free product in exchange for an honest review.  All Thoughts are our own.

Hallie’s birthday is approaching FAST! My sweet girl was born almost 5 years ago, and this Momma is dumbfounded with how quickly time has passed! Being a June birthday, Hallie’s birthstone is a pearl.  We were so thrilled when Add-A-Pearl sent us a little early birthday present for Hallie.

Add-A-Pearl is a company that offers a tradition in the making.  To start the process, you can choose either a 14K yellow Gold, 14K White Gold or Sterling Silver Chain, and choose the number of pearls you wish to begin with. 

I love how customizable these products are. You can personalize them by adding a name or special date on a charm, which is a perfect option for engraving wedding dates or baby names. Another option for creating an elegant look is to add a fancy clasp. There are some really beautiful options that will enhance the look of your pearls. Your necklace can be sent back at any time to add more pearls or any of these improvements, just by following these easy steps.

We received a White Gold necklace and it is stunning.  The quality is impeccable and will be the perfect necklace to collect special memories with that will last forever.  Hallie was so happy to receive such a special gift and wants to wear her necklace every day!

Add-A-Pearl is the perfect gift for so many occasions. I can just see us adding pearls to Hallie’s necklace on various special moments such as her First Communion, Graduations, Recitals, etc.  Then Hallie can wear that same sweet necklace full of memories on her Wedding Day, and even possibly pass it on to her daughter one day. (Cue the tears!)

The occasions to add pearls are endless.  It would be a sweet baby gift as well, adding pearls for each year until the child has a beautiful string of pearls.  I am looking forward to making more memories with Hallie and continuing the tradition by adding a pearl to her necklace for each one.

To learn more about Add-A-Pearl visit their website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram. 

Elise Claire- 3 Months

Elise Claire, you poor second child you. Yes it’s been about 2 weeks since you turned 3 months and I am just now writing your update. The end of preschool, beginning of Summer, etc has kept me on my toes!

For fun here’s a little comparison from 1-3 months.

And now without further ado, here’s a little about our smallest girl:

  • Age- 3 months…and then some
  • Weight- 9 lb even. She is officially tinier than big sister was!
  • Length- We didn’t check height at the last apt.
  • Size- We are still in newborn diapers and mostly newborn onesies.  Though we have graduated to 3 month pajamas and some onesies/pants though they are still a bit big we need them for length.
  • Eyes- The jury is still out! They appear a gray blue, though I am not holding my breath for a blue eyed girl. Hallie’s stayed blue for so long and they eventually turned dark.
  • Hair- Light brown.  Much lighter than sisters at this age.  She also has much less of it.  It’s even starting to rub off in the back giving her a huge bald spot. Enter bows!
  • Sleeping- This month was a nice turn in the sleep department.  I usually put her down around 9 and she will sleep until about 7! 10 hours! Wahoo!!
  • Eating- She is eating every 3 hours except in the night. I am trying to push 4 at each feeding to help her gain some weight.  I am still exclusively pumping which is a labor of love my friends!
  • Milestones- Batting at toys. Giving the sweetest giggles and smiles.   She holds her head up for a long time during tummy time and still rolling belly to back and can almost roll back to front.  Recognizes Mommy, Daddy and Sister.  Definitely has her preferences.
  • Memorable outings- No special outings this month.
  • Favorite toys/activities- She enjoys tummy time, ceiling fans, mirrors, playing with sister, her turtle toy and pulling hair, people’s clothes and mommy’s necklace. She is also going to be a blankie kid.  She loves snuggling her blankets.  I have to be so careful to remove them when she falls asleep! She also loves being snuggled, hugged and kissed!

Elise you have the sweetest demeanor! You are a happy girl who loves being cuddled and kissed! You love your family and are definitely a Mommy’s girl. We love you so and are sure enjoying watching you grow…just slow it down okay?

Favorite Toys and Games

It’s Summer time and since we have Elise we are home a lot more this year.  Today I am sharing all of the toys and games that are keeping us busy! Best yet, you can find almost all of them on Amazon Prime! Score!

Favorite Toys and Games for Kids

1/2/3/4/5/6

Hallie loves to build! The magnetic tiles are her absolute favorite, and she could play with them for hours! She easily pulls these out the most out of all her toys and enjoys constructing buildings and even barns for her horses.  We use these so often I am planning on getting her another set for her birthday.

The Pet Studio is another building favorite. It looks like this exact one is out of stock, but I linked another one from the same brand! Hallie of course loves pets so I am glad we snagged this one, but I have also seen a Fairytale set, a pirate set and a Beach house set.

The Straw connector building set looks so fun! This one I am stoked for her to get for her birthday! I love the way her little brain works when she is building.

Vocabulary, Word Recognition and Spelling are all things I want her to work on this Summer.  Zingo, Spot it and the Spelling puzzle are all great for those skills! I love the toys that promote learning!

We also play a lot of cards in the Summer, so I am linking Hallie’s card holder! The best product for little hands!

Hope you have a fun Summer playing with your little ones! What are your favorite toys for kids?