Happy Holidays!

Chances are things will be sparse around here the next week or so while we celebrate the holidays.  We are so excited to watch our babies play together!

Love,
Amanda & Aurora, Jayme & Lyla

Lyla Georgette is ONE.

Lyla turned ONE on Monday!  It has been a wonderful, crazy, stressful but amazing past year and like all moms say--it has flown by!!  Her birthday being so close to Christmas already has caused me enough stress to last a lifetime.  To have a party after Christmas when more family would be town?  Celebrate on her actual birthday?  Have two celebrations?  We went with the small, on-her-actual-birthday celebration.  Small and simple.  Lyla had a blast!  

I had a clothesline hanging with our Christmas cards, which I switched out for the day with photos of the birthday girl from each month.  I made her cakes (one for the guests and one for Lyla to have to herself) from a box.  And I made her a paper and markers birthday sign (something I'm sort of known for in my family--I would make birthday signs for my mom, dad and sister's birthdays each year and I try to make one for Andrew when I remember!).  

Oh, I also made a little party hat from scrapbook paper.  Lyla wasn't a huge fan so she didn't really wear it for the party.  Oh well! 

So, as in the first photo you may have noticed, when asked "How old are you?", Lyla puts up her little finger!  Little smarty.  See also below (top right corner photo), Lyla has taken to making the most awful/hilarious face when getting her picture taken!  Seems like all babies go through that phase.  It's like a scrunched up, wrinkled nose face.  Aurora was doing it at around 10 months.  Does anyone else have a baby who did this?

Oh the presents.  This baby has so many toys...and I can't even imagine what our living room will look like after Christmas.  We gave Lyla a little stuffed Elmo (she says "Melmo?!" when we watch clips from Sesame Street) and sure enough she recognized the little guy when she peeled open the wrapping paper to reveal "Melmo".  She has been carrying him around the house ever since.  

The token baby-eating-cake-on-her-first-birthday photos:

Happy first birthday to my little angel!    You are everything I could have ever hoped for and more!

xo

Jayme

What Lyla's Been Up To...

Lyla looked extra spiffy yesterday in her little outfit and I grabbed my camera, as usual, and began snapping an abundance of photos.  Looking through these pictures, versus the last batch I took (a week ago maybe?) I realized she is changing and learning at warp speed these days!  Here's what little Lyla has been up to lately:  (a couple things:  1. yep, my house is a mess.  there's no point in putting the toys away because they literally come right back out as soon as I clean them up.  2.  I realize some of these photos are out of focus..this girl is hard to capture because she is on the move so much now!)

Happy Friday!

xo

Jayme (& Lyla)

On Nursing...

As I write this it is close to 1 am, and I am awake, nursing my grumpy teething baby. Moments like this make me so thankful that I have this cure-all to offer my otherwise inconsolable baby. I love being her comfort. I love that she needs me. But I must admit, as we close in on her first year (eek!) I am hoping to see an end to breastfeeding in sight....and it is seemingly nowhere on the horizon. 

Lyla (and mama and dada) had a rough first few months. We battled colic and while I did also have a rocky start to nursing (low supply, scabbed nipples, plugged ducts...eesh.) I don't know how I would’ve survived her colic without having my breast to offer. We spent many a morning/afternoon/evening/night sitting on the couch just nursing. Because while the pain of her constant attachment to my breasts was excruciating, the relief it gave to Lyla was enough to stop her constant crying...and ultimately was the only thing that kept me sane during those first months.

Back to the present. My teething girl is now asleep, still half nursing.  This isn't unusual. Lyla still wakes a few times each night and mostly refuses to go back to sleep without the comfort of my milk. At almost a year, she still nurses every 2-4 hours. No matter how much solid food we give her, she still is insistent on nursing at the same rate she was months ago.  So obviously it is more for comfort than for nourishment (honestly, my breast is the equivalent to a pacifier for other children).

So much time is spent on that couch!  Lyla mostly nurses herself to sleep for naps....
and then I sit and hold her till she wakes up.  Wow.  Is that crazy?  I am taking attachment parenting to a new level.  

I have mixed feelings on how to go about weaning her. I don't want to upset her and I gotta admit, I am just too exhausted to fight her on it. ‘Oh you actually want to sit with mama and be still for a bit?  I can relax and simply watch TV?  FINE.'  Seriously, it’s the only real break I get.  But I’m not sure that without some real boundaries that Lyla will gradually wean…ever.  And what’s funny is that I always said I didn’t want to be that mom with kid who was walking and talking and asking for “milk” but as we stand now, it seems inevitable (because she IS walking and talking and asking for milk…).  Needless to say, I am exhausted.  I feel like our sleep situation won't change as long as Lyla is still reliant on breastfeeding and I won't be able to leave her for more than a few hours at a time (did I mention, she REFUSES my breastmilk from a bottle or sippy cup).

THAT FACE slays me.  Makes me want to nurse her forever...just to see that sweet, content face.

Moms, is there a sudden change that happens, where your nursing baby loses interest in nursing?  Does weaning happen gradually (within reason…like in a few months, not a few years) or should I be taking more initiative to turn her away sometimes when she wants to nurse?  I’m afraid if I keep just following her lead that I will be breastfeeding a teenager.  Help!

xo

Jayme

Shop Preview: Holidays and Beyond

We've had many a gray day here in Virginia, so while I've been doing a lot of shopping (thrifting and otherwise), I haven't gotten to photograph items for the shop. As usual, there's a pile developing in the studio. So, finally, on a sunny Sunday, I got some shots--these items, in the shop this week (as soon as I measure them!):

Smocked Polly Flinders Holiday Dress (Size 5), vintage Lord & Taylor Argyle Vest

Puffy Coat with Faux Fur/Hood, Belted Corduroy Shirt w/ Artwork Print

And in case you're already dreaming of spring: Neon Poodle One Piece, Buster Brown Polka Dot Dress (it has a sweet back keyhole!)

See something you like?  Let us know, and we can get your measurements/dibs! 

**Sidenote: a month or so ago, we featured some shoes on the blog. Unfortunately, my computer died and the photos died with it, so they need to be re-shot before I can post them.  If you want/need them (someone had wanted the mustard flats!), please convo us!!! **

Festive

In hopes of getting a little more into the holiday spirit, we went to our local "Festival of Trees" this past Thursday.  The event consists of local businesses and organizations decorating their own tree and then you "vote" by donating money towards the organization who's tree you like best.
Lyla has been loving all the Christmas lights this season (she points and smiles) so I knew she would enjoy it.  There was even a Santa there so we did a little impromptu photo shoot (I hadn't planned on taking her for Santa pics this year because I didn't think she would appreciate it too much...and judging by her reaction I think my assumption was correct).

Some of my favorite trees/ideas:

Our low-rate Santa photos (seriously?  He could have at least sat in front of the trees for a nicer backdrop...):

And just some extra snaps of the pretty trees, Lyla with her new top front teeth (!), and the necessary family shot [and on a side note--notice we're carrying around a blanket here.  Is that what other parents do in the winter?  I mean, you can't have their winter coat on in the carseat and it is SUCH a pain to get it on and off.  So we have just been wrapping Lyla in her blanket (that we cover her with in the car) when we're going in and out.  We really only use her coat if we're going to be outside for an extended period.  Are we lazy?] :

Andrew has been off work for the past 5 days and it has been GLORIOUS.  So I will be sad for tomorrow.  Back to our regular schedule.  It has been a while since I've had the Sunday blues this bad.  Christmas, please come quick!

xo
Jayme

It's the Holiday Season...

Hello there!  We're busy bees over at our house, between working and playing and decorating I haven't had time to blog anywhere.  This is Aurora's first Christmas where she knows something special is going on, and so far, it's really been a blast, from our daily Advent calendar/activity to trimming the tree.  I thought I'd share a few pictures of our cozy space!

The first night of advent with our Santa calendar.  He also gives out Hershey's Kisses, so Aurora LOVES him!

 Some vintage touches around the house...and our new indoor fireplace! It's the BEST.

Trimming the tree with our girls. Aurora put on the middle ornament by gently setting it on the branches. It was the cutest.

The finished tree and a little craft I saw on Pinterest (the owl--formerly a toilet paper roll!).

So that's what we've been up to.  Hope that you and your loved ones have been enjoying this wonderful season as well!

xo,
Amanda & Aurora

Holiday Dress Up--for your little guy

I am so stoked to dress up Lyla for  Christmas.  Red velvet dress, white tights, black patent mary janes and some kind of ridiculous hair accessory, I'm sure.  I love having a little girl!  But I can't help but think of how fun it would be to dress up a little boy for the holidays-- in head to toe vintage, of course!  We have some super cute options in the shop:  a traditional red velvet romper, a green corduroy suit, a super-70s turtleneck and a blazer and oxfords, if you want your guy to look like daddy's mini-me!

Shop these pieces:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

How's everyone's holiday prep going?  I am waaaay behind!  Gotta get shopping....

xo
Jayme

Tis the Season (for dessert)

Thanks to Duncan Hines for sponsoring my writing. There's no limit to the baking possibilities, so grab your favorite Duncan Hines mix and Comstock or Wilderness fruit fillings and Bake On! www.duncanhines.com.


I keep reminiscing in my mind about this time last year—the anticipation of a baby on the way mixed with the upcoming holidays was just SO exciting… and overwhelming.  I ended up doing, well, absolutely NOTHING to prepare for Christmas—I didn’t send out cards, I did very minimal Christmas decorating and certainly did not partake in ANY sort of holiday baking.  This year I am hoping to be a little more celebratory, not just for me but for Lyla.  I want her first Christmas to be special (well, she was 6 days old last Christmas, so it’s technically her second--but  this is her first Christmas pre-season!).  Decorating will still be minimal (because babies and Christmas baubles just. don’t. mix.), but I do have this lovely scene in my head:  baking in the kitchen, yummy smells in the air, the heat of the oven warming our home, Christmas carols blasting, and of course, Lyla crawling around at my feet.

I am not usually the entertaining-type, but I love the idea of a [very small] get together with friends, to share my delicious holiday treats.  In fact, for Lyla’s first birthday party I may do just that.  Save making a huge meal, and simply have desserts (along with the classic birthday cake—which I can’t WAIT to watch Lyla smoosh into her face!).  A table full of pretty desserts sounds like the perfect party food to me!  So now I suppose some planning is in order.  This will include collecting some pretty vintage trays to display all the desserts, coming up with recipes (including both gluten free and vegan ones, so there’s something for everyone), and creating invitations.   An evening of indulging in sweets, our [small, tabletop] Christmas tree glowing in the background, and celebrating the holidays with our happy baby girl and good friends and family is my equation for holiday perfection. 

xo

Jayme

Remember to check out Duncan Hines' website www.duncanhines.com to find some great recipes for your holiday get-together! I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective.


Up Up Up

Since teaching Lyla to say "up" (when she wants picked up), she constantly follows us around saying "up pup pup".  We were so diligent at picking her up as soon as she said anything that sounded remotely like "up" (not only to teach her that cue, but also because when she says it, it is so darn cute you just wanna give her a bear hug) that now she feels like "Wow, I've got the magic word!"  So pretty much any time I'm not looking her way, Lyla crawls after me, wanting to be "up".  This week has been especially trying, as I think she is on the verge of MORE TEETH, so I have hardly been able to put her down.  She even follows me into the bathroom when I'm blow drying my hair (which isn't actually that regular of an occurrence, because I usually feel lucky if I simply get a shower).  She thinks the wind from the hairdryer is quite hilarious... Andrew snapped some pics...

What color is her hair??  Seriously, it looks red, blonde and brown, depending on the light.
There are worse things in the world than being chased by the cutest baby ever, I suppose. ; )

xo
Jayme

Give Thanks

We have a lot going on at my house...lots of stress and stupid grown-up woes.  But we also have a LOT to be thankful for (the number one obviously being miss Lyla).  I want to remember that even when Thanksgiving has come and gone.
Last year for Thanksgiving Lyla was still in my belly, but this year she got to experience Turkey Day firsthand.  Aurora was there too (oh, and Amanda and Quentin...but to Lyla, "Ah-wah-wah" is most important).  The girls visited great grandparents, met cousins for the first time, ate lots of mashed potatoes, and had a blast!

I pretty much died when I saw Aurora in her first pigtails! (ok...so more like, I almost CRIED because she looks so grown up!)

Best friends.

Finally some photo evidence of Lyla standing on her own!  She also took some steps this past week (*tear).

Our family.

Amanda, Aurora and Quentin

This group of cuties are ALL of the great grand children on my mom's side (I still can't believe we got 5 children to sit still all at once for a photo)!

We spent Friday with Andrew's family for our second Thanksgiving.  Lyla got an early birthday/Christmas gift from her Aunt Jen--a rocking horse.  She is in LOVE!  I can't hardly stand the cute....

Oh, and to add to the photo-overload, Lyla and Aurora had matching horsey outfits (Amanda thrifted them, both originally from Gymboree)!  

Lots to be thankful for these days.

xo

Jayme

Sponsored Post: How to Save a Memory

Since the advent of the digital photo, I have been overwhelmed by all of the photos I have saved onto my computer and the fact that I rarely share them, other than the occasional blog or Facebook upload. I love taking photos, and I love the immediacy of digital (as well as the possibility of editing before sharing!), but I also find photo upload sites to be impersonal and just another place to store and "forget" my photos.

Thanksgiving 2011: Aurora's first pigtails, and the first time all of my grandparents' 5 great-grandchildren were all together in one place. It was definitely a holiday to remember!

That's why I was really excited to learn about LiveOn, a website meant to preserve memories and share them only with people you want to share them with (aka your tribe).

What I loved about the site is that it isn't about just storing photos, but about organizing your memories: important moments in time, milestones, events, etc. It's perfect for me because it allows me not only to collect photos, but to write/journal a little about events as well. There are some additional really neat features, including, my personal favorite, "Life Questions," where you respond to a variety of questions, like: "What is the most meaningful gift you ever received?" or "As a kid, what was your favorite grade/year and why?" The site will store these memories and musings even after you're gone. They keep everything in an online storage vault, which can be accessed even after you pass away--while that's hard to imagine for me, as someone just about to turn 30, it's also a pretty unique quality of the site. I always worry about my computer dying and losing all my photos or writings, but with LiveOn, you are guaranteed that your memories are safe!

As a child, Jayme and I would love sorting through old pictures and scraps from our grandmothers.  In today's digital age, it's way less likely our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be doing that--but LiveOn is like an online shoebox where you can store those precious things to share with your loved ones. 




Thank you again to LiveOn for sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about sharing and preserving your most important memories. I was selected for this sponsorship by Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Just to say thanks...

Close Shave

Hello, it's Amanda (and Aurora!). It's been a while since we posted. We (well...me) have been shopping for and stocking the vintage shops and blogging occasionally on our other blog, but not doing a lot of talking here.

The truth is that Aurora is just a big bundle of movement and almost every picture I get of her is blurry! Fortunately, I was able to capture this scene one quiet, sweet morning last week:

On Monday and Wednesday mornings, Quentin goes into work later. Sweet husband that he is, he lets me sleep in on those days and has morning time with Aurora. They eat breakfast and play together and then come and wake me up. "Coffee, mama?"  Those are some of my favorite words...Aurora is a morning person, just like daddy, while I am a night owl.

Aurora is starting to mimic a lot of actions and words (oh, goodness, I need to be more careful with my language). She's such a little smarty-pants! The other day I said, "Hi, babe!" and gave her a kiss, and she said, "Hi, babe!" back.  It's absolutely adorable. She is so much fun these days.

And here she is, already shaving. Sigh. They grow up so fast... ;)

We're about to embark on our Thanksgiving travels...wish us luck! So excited to see Jayme, Lyla and family!  We have MUCH to be thankful for.

We'll say hi again soon! Happy Thanksgiving!

xo,
Amanda and Aurora

Xmas Prep

Last year I did pretty much nothing to prep for Christmas.  My due date was December 28 so I was very pregnant and sort of used that as an excuse to barely decorate, not send out cards, etc.  This year I have a feeling things will be the same if not worse-- a tree is out of the question with this very curious almost-one year old crawling around.  But I did decide to do an easy Christmas card.  Yesterday I took some photos of Lyla in her festive Christmas outfit and simply ordered a collage/card on Shutterfly.  Just wanted to share one photo for now--this one shows her little bottom tooth that's popped through!  Looks like the top front ones are close on their way too....

(A little over exposed/washed out...I haven't got my camera settings figured out.  But the expression is priceless!)

xo
Jayme

Lyla Georgette {11 months}

Love a little just-up-from-her-nap, rosy-cheeked baby!  

Today Lyla is 11 months old.  This past month her biggest milestones include (all of which I have no photo evidence, so I'm filling in with some random favorites from the past month):

1.  Getting her first tooth.  This involved lots of crying, crazy fever (which resulted in a terrifying little fever seizure followed by a trip to the doctor, followed by a diagnosis of a urinary tract infection... sheesh),  and refusal to eat (but trust me, she nursed enough to make for the lack of regular food).  All I can say is--holy crap...we still have a whole mouthful to go?!

This poor gal's poor gums--they are SO bumpy and crazy looking!  I think more teeth are definitely on their way.  Oh...and in case you were like "oh wow!  She's in her pj's in her crib!"--it is certainly not because she slept there.  It is full of toys and she plays there if I need to go put in a load of laundry!

2.  Standing on her own.  So funny how babies just decide one day to let go and stand hands-free.  She didn't even think twice--she just let go and stood there like it was nothing.  Lyla is one confident baby--once she's standing, she excitedly bounces and claps. We're trying to coax her to take a step, but so far no luck (Is that a bad idea?  Is a walking baby ten times harder to chase than a crawling one?).

I think I have a million photos of her standing at the front door like this.  And also--I photograph her in pj's a lot!  Trust me, we get dressed everyday...but something about babies in pajamas that makes me want to grab the camera.

3.  Adding to her vocabulary.  New words include:  "up" (so now she follows me around the house saying "pupp up up pup") and "nana" (banana).   If I'm in the kitchen, making my morning coffee, she crawls up to me and does her sign for 'eat' and says "nana?  nana?" Cutest ever!!

Oh those bangs...always in her eyes!  

I am just ever so slightly starting to think about a 1st birthday celebration.  Part of me is feeling super emotional and sad about it but the other day, as Lyla napped in my arms, I looked down at her and thought "she is still SUCH a tiny little peanut"....and not just in size--I really still feel like she is such a baby.  She needs me so much and I love that.  Being an attachment parent (having her sleep in our bed, nursing her on demand, carrying her everywhere) is trying at times but I think that the connection we have is so much stronger because of it.  And I think it will stay that way no matter how old Lyla is.

xo
Jayme

Shop Preview: Holly Jolly Holiday

It's almost Thanksgiving...which, in our crazy-busy lives, basically means it's almost Christmas.  I spent some time tonight scouting some vintage holiday dresses for Aurora on Etsy, and no doubt, some of you are looking for the perfect outfit for Christmas photos or holiday events.  We've added some beauties to the shop, and there are more to come...

See something you like?  Well, then....................... SHOP!

Holiday Bow Dress, Size 9 months, $14

1960s Plaid Jumper Dress, Size 4T, $13

Holly Cardigan, Size 18 months...coming soon!

Little Lady Plaid Cardigan, Size 2-3T...coming soon!

Christmas Print Dress, Size 4T, $12

Ski Lodge Sweater Outfit, Size 2-3T, $18

Red Velvet Shorts Suit, Size 9 months, $12

Plaid Shorts Suit with Vest, Size 6 to 9 months, $13