Well with Summer over, I am finally giving you the scoop on the rest of the activities the girls and I completed from their Summer bucket list! Unfortunately We weren’t able to complete all of the activities due to their many trips and busy schedules, but we did come close! Sadie also decided to change up a couple of things last minute! i.e: We went ice skating instead of bowling and she was definitely too old to play with American Girls! Ha! Kids! But here is what we did do:

Our buddy Brayden joined!

We even made sure Hallie got a snowball thrown at her…from indoors of course!

Dirt and Worms
A classic yummy fave!

Cooking Lesson:
I taught Cleo how to make Manicotti! It turned out delicious!

Hallie is a bit Pasta obsessed! She was pointing at it saying “That, That!” Until we finally fixed her a plate!

Koolaid Dough
Sadie chose to do this one with a friend.  We made it a few summers ago and she LOVED it! Here’s the recipe!

Cupcakes
We chose to do these on the last day of Summer, so of course they HAD to be back to school themed! We used strawberry cake mix, white frosting, tootsie rolls, and red sprinkles to create little apples!

We can’t wait to see what next Summer has in store for us! Stay Tuned!
<3 Kelly

Neon Striped Dress- Gymboree

When we got into town, after dropping our things off at our sweet friend’s house (the Donahoe’s were so sweet to let us stay with them) we celebrated Nana’s birthday with dinner and cupcakes!

 The next day we spent plenty of beach time!

Hallie and Nana

Cousin Matt had fun boogie boarding!

Shoveling sand was her favorite thing ever!

Searching for Seashells

Original Hofmann clan

LOVE this! It’s SO me and the little sis! We went to Mario’s for an Italian dinner and the lovely Donahoe Family joined!

They give the kids dough to play with…once Hallie figured out it wasn’t to eat, she had fun!

Aiden and Easton After dinner, Matthew and Hallie had a little “Photoshoot” on the beach as a gift for Nana

Dress- Gigglemoon

 After pictures we hopped onto the Ferry to look for dolphins!

Easton

 See the dolphin?

Hallie, Aiden and Easton

 The next day we went back to the beach:

of course there was more digging

 Swim suit- Target (ON CLEARANCE!) 

After the beach we went to lunch…someone was really tired:

Then we did a little shopping and had some ice cream on the strand:

Hallie also got to meet the star of the book Naughty Nana:

 Pineapple Dress

At the beginning of our Vacation, we took Hallie to Houston on our way out to the beach to see Christopher’s grandparents.  They are just the sweetest and love all of their grandchildren and great grandchildren to bits! Hallie was no exception, and Grandma wasted no time pulling out toys for Hallie to play with!

Seahorse Tunic- Mudpie  Hallie had fun running around with Grandpa’s walking stick too! Sharing Puppy with Grandma  “Can you pass me the Funnies”  Hallie climbed RIGHT into Grandpa’s lap which if you knew her, doesn’t happen with just anyone! We were so blown away and Happy! We had such a great visit, and can’t wait to do it again soon!  <3 Kelly

Hello all! We are home from the beach safe and sound! We had a wonderful time celebrating my Mom’s birthday with the family!

I promise more pictures and more updates to come, but this week is a bit crazy! The house is still in shambles as we do laundry and try to unpack. And I will be spending most of my awake hours at work this week trying to give my girls a great last week of summer vacation as they return to school next week!

To catch small updates, make sure you are following us on Facebook!
<3 Kelly

Hallie is very talkative these days! I never want to forget all of the cute exclamations and phrases she says, so I thought there was no better place to document them there right here on the blog!

Names Hallie Can say:

• Momma
• Dada
• Stella
• Nana
• Bapa
• Pop
• Matt
• Anna
• Brayden
• Cleo
• Sadie 

• Puppy
• Up
• Hi
• Hey
• Bye
• Duck
• Quack
• Cup
• No
• Baby
• Done
• Again
• Ball
• See
• Pretty
• Hot
• Yum

I can’t believe how vocal she is! If you were counting that’s about 35 words and phrases! It baffles me how quickly she is learning and how she repeats everything we say! Each day is a new adventure with my sweet girl, and I can’t wait to see what she says next!
We are also wishing Hallie’s Nana a very Happy Birthday today!
If you want to see more photos of Hallie, make sure you are following us on Facebook!

Her bookshelf in her room (we actually need another one!)

We also keep books in her play area so that she can read throughout the day!

 So today I thought I would share some of our favorite books-

Mommy’s Favorites:
For me, I tend to enjoy reading Hallie either ones that were my favorites as a kid or ones with a really cute story (ie. Alice the Fairy and Fancy Nancy)

Madeline- 
I think I had EVERY Madeline book as a kid, and I memorized the words to each one of them before I knew how to read! Reading Madeline to Hallie now is so fun! it’s like sharing a bit of my childhood with her!
Giraffes Can’t Dance-
This was one of my favorites to read to the kids at story time when I worked at Barnes and Noble.  I just love the lesson that it teaches about individuality.
Alice the Fairy-
This one is just darn hilarious! A little girl pretending to be a fairy and do “magic” like turning her Dad into a “horse”. Too cute in my opinion! You can’t go wrong with this one!
Fancy Nancy-
Who doesn’t love Fancy Nancy.  Just a cute story about a cute little girl!
Lift the Flap Bible-
This one is a win win in my book.  Hallie loves opening all the flaps, and I love that I am planting little seeds about our Faith early.
Jillian Jiggs-
This was my absolute FAVORITE book growing up. It’s about a little girl with a huge imagination that has trouble cleaning her room! My sweet Mom found me a treasury for me of all of her books the Christmas before Hallie was born! It was such a special gift!
The Napping House- 
This one is an adorable story with super sweet illustrations!

 Daddy’s Favorites:


Hop on Pop-
Daddy just bought this book for Hallie on their latest Daddy Daughter Date.  He loved it because of the title and she loves it because of the rhymes!
Pete the Cat-
This really is a sweet book, and Daddy loves it because of how positive Pete the Cat is! He lets everything roll off his back!
Texas Alphabet-
Of course this is one of his faves…it’s about Texas…need I say more?
If you Give a Mouse a Cookie-
Christopher says he likes this one because “it teaches valuable life lessons”…whatever that means!

Hallie’s Favorites:


Dear Zoo- 
Hands down this is Hallie’s favorite book! She loves lifting the flaps, and ALWAYS has to kiss the puppy in the end!


Baby Giggles-
Hallie loves looking at all of the sweet baby photos in this book! Especially the baby in the bath!
Baby Animals– 
Again with the animals! She can’t get enough of them! Plus this one is a touch and feel book!
Yummy Yucky– 
We quote this one almost daily! Every morning when Hallie tires to touch my coffee I have to say “Mommy’s coffee is yucky!” bleh!
Where is Baby’s Belly Button-
Another lift the flap book! She loves pointing out the baby’s belly button, eyes and etc.
Polar Bear, Polar Bear-
We were given the copy of this book with the sound buttons! Hallie laughs when we push the buttons! It’s too cute!

Hopefully we introduced you to some new books for you and your little ones to enjoy!
What are some of your favorite books?
<3Kelly

I still have a hard time believing that Hallie is a year old! It’s not fair how long 9 months of waiting to see those tiny fingers and toes seems, but how fast it all goes once you finally have that sweet beautiful babe in your arms.  Reminiscing about my pregnancy is a little bittersweet to be honest.  It wasn’t that the pregnancy itself was that hard.  In terms of morning sickness and other common pregnancy symptoms, I pretty much lucked out.  However, I did have a Subchronic Hematoma on the larger side of average that caused a lot of worries and concerns during my 9 (Hallie was pulled 3 weeks early due to continued concerns) 8 months. This left me uneasy and unable to enjoy the whole stretch of my pregnancy.  There were things I wish people had told me and things I wish I had done.  So today I am sharing my 9 tips for 9 months:

1.) Definitely wait the 12 weeks to share the news with too many people: Pregnancy can be scary and there is so much to worry about.  I think it is smart to wait at least the full 12 weeks before making too big of an announcement.  In our situation I worried every day that I would never get to meet our baby especially during those times when the hematoma was bigger than her.

2.) Don’t Google strange symptoms: If you have a symptom that you think is odd, don’t Google.  If you do this you will ALWAYS come across the worst case scenario that will terrify you and make you beyond paranoid.  Just call the nurse at your OBGYN’s office.  That’s one of the many reasons that they are there.  Don’t worry about being “that lady”.  You know the one I am talking about.  The one that calls for every little thing.  Just do it.  You will be glad you put your mind at ease.

3.) Every Pregnancy is different: Just because your sister, your mom, or your best friend had specific pregnancy symptoms or craved pickles and chocolate ice cream, doesn’t mean you will. Having to have a C-section isn’t always genetic.  Just focus on what is right for you and your babe and….

4.) Make decisions that are right for you and your family: Don’t let anyone pressure you into doing something that doesn’t feel right for you. For example, initially when we started noticing certain things at my 37 week appointment, my Dr, sent me upstairs to be prepped for a C-section.  I am lucky enough to have had a Dr. who took the time to ask my husband and I how we felt about having one. We concluded that if we could try having a V-birth first without having more complications that we would like to try that first.  When our birth plan went successfully my Dr. congratulated us for knowing what was right for us! (Hallie ended up being only 4 lb 15 oz. and took 3 contractions and 6 pushes to get out….can you imagine if we had had a C-section instead!)
I also had a nurse that tried to push me into latching when we had already decided that we would be an exclusive pumping family.  My Doctor had to finally ask the nurse to stop asking me to get Hallie to latch! We knew what was right for us!

5.) Pick a Dr. that makes you comfortable: If you start with one Dr. and you don’t like the way they are doing things or it just doesn’t feel like it’s a good fit…SWITCH! This is an important time and you need to feel calm and comfortable through it all! Even given our extra complications, our OBGYN was so positive, calm and helpful through it all. I could not have chosen a better doctor!

6.)  Take advice with a grain of salt: Like I have already said, you know what is best for you and no 2 pregnancies are exactly alike, so take advice with a grain of salt.  For example when people tell you to sleep now because you won’t be sleeping when the baby arrives…not always true! I had a really difficult time sleeping when I was pregnant and actually slept a lot better once we got home and settled in.  I knew that Hallie was safe and BONUS she has ALWAYS been a terrific sleeper!

7.) Pack your hospital bag early: At 6 1/2 months into my pregnancy, we were sent to labor and delivery with some irregular bleeding even after the hematoma was gone.  Thankfully I didn’t have to deliver that day, but it could have been a possibility. I remember scrambling around the house throwing stuff in a bag. Thank goodness I actually had time to really pack a bag before Hallie really made her arrival!  (Things to pack: Comfy clothes, shirts that open in front if you are planning on pumping or breastfeeding, toiletries, phone charger, camera, snacks, going home outfits for you and baby, something to help pass time, your own pillow, etc.)

8.) Know that if you share your baby names, there is a good chance someone isn’t going to like it: I made the mistake of sharing our name possibilities and ended up being completely turned off to a name we were DEAD SET on, because it hurt my feelings that people didn’t like it. Go with your gut when choosing names and don’t share them if you are sensitive like me.

9.) Do what your Dr. says: Your Dr. is the professional.  If they tell you no heavy lifting, or to stay on bed rest, listen! They really do know best and are trying to keep you and the baby safe.

I hope this is helpful to some mommies to be out there.  It will also be a good reminder for me to look back on when the day comes for baby number 2….just not yet!

<3 Kelly

Oh hey, it’s Friday! This weekend should be a pretty good one! I get to go see my sister in “Into The Woods”, so that will be a blast! I’ll also be getting ready for our family trip to Galveston for my mom’s birthday! This weekend will be a perfect time to shop too, because it is tax free weekend!

Speaking of shopping, for today’s “Oh hey, Friday” I thought I would share with you some of our recent favorite products!

1. Carter’s 2 piece PJs
 As much as it makes me sad that baby girl can now fit in PJs other than her cute footie ones, these little pants (which by the way still have to be stitched tighter to fit on my teeny babe) make morning diaper changes with my less than complacent little girl much easier! Plus these puppy ones are her new favorite and she tries kissing them while she is wearing them which is hilarious to watch! We also have the princess ones and the ballerina ones!

4. Mickey Mouse Bath Toys–
Okay we were given these cute toys as hand me downs, and Hallie has not yet put them down! She takes them EVERYWHERE just like her puppy, except these can be easily thrown in the dishwasher or scrubbed down with a disinfectant if she drops them in a restaurant! These are the perfect toy for all of your Mickey Mouse lovers!

5. Snack Catcher-
This darn contraption is amazing! Seriously, whoever came up with it is a genius and I bow to them! It is perfect for many reasons! Hallie likes to dump out bowls of everything and this bowl has a little spill proof lid with slits so Hal’s hand still fits through to grab a snack, but when dumped or shaken vigorously, the goldfish or cheerios stay intact.  Also she can only remove a few bites at a time which is great for keeping her busy at Church and keeps her from shoving in a giant handful of cheerios at once!

These are just our recent faves! What are some of your favorite products?
Happy weekend!
<3 Kelly