Hanging The Tree Swing

Yesterday afternoon the wind calmed down just enough to spend some time on the patio. Kennedy and I hung out on a blanket while Greg hung the baby swing from the big tree in our backyard. This was quite a project since the lowest branch is quite high. I don't know exactly how high, but maybe 3 Greg's tall. We're gearing up to spend a lot of time on the patio this spring and summer.

We are very excited about having a swing in the backyard.

Kennedy giving Daddy a little direction on where to put the swing.

New Friend

Meet Bunnz.

Kennedy is quite taken with this little guy. He rattles when she shakes him, which makes her squeal in delight. His ears are perfect for chewing on and he is soft and cuddly.

Bunnz's ears are delicious.

In The Bag

My handbags have always been on the heavy side. In NY I had the 'no car' excuse, so I had no choice but to carry all the Daily Essentials with me: MacBook, flats/heels, snacks, Twilight, the kitchen sink, etc. In Dallas I don't really have that excuse, so I've gotta blame it on the Baby. Sometimes I pick up my bag and I wonder if Greg somehow snuck a few gold bars in there (I wish).

I decided to empty the contents of my bag and see exactly what is weighing me down:

1. The bag, Kate Spade. Loooove.
2. Cosmetics clutch, Tory Burch. Looove.
3. Kennedy's bottle
4. Wipes case (baggie of gift cards and coupons hiding behind the wipes case)
5. Bunnz
6. Dayplanner
7. Mommy's bottle
8. Wallet
9. Diapers
10. Burp cloth
11. Chew toy
12. Emergency snack for Kennedy
13. Emergency snack for me
14. Toy assortment
15. Bib
16. Back up hair bow (see: this post for reasoning)
17. iPhone
18. Teething biscuits
19. Pacifier wipes
20. Boogie wipes (y'all, if you aren't using these, you need to start. Now.)
21. Antibacterial wipes

That's a pretty full bag considering the changing pad and blankets aren't even pictured (they usually end up in the bottom basket of the stroller). This is what it takes to leave the house these days.

TGIF, y'all

Its a stay-in-your-jammies kind of a day around here. We're just lounging around and playing. Hope everyone has a great weekend.

We're sitting in a room full of baby toys and the most exciting thing in the room is Mommy's polka dot foot.

The Curtains Are Not A Toy

The curtains in the hallway are going to be a problem. They are shiny. They make noise when you touch them. They come all the way to the floor. Thus making them an attractive form of entertainment for a now (somewhat) baby on-the-go to tug on, rub all over her face and eventually, chew on. Kennedy hasn't mastered the art of Forward Motion, but she can get wherever she needs by pushing herself backwards. The curtains in other rooms of the house remain undiscovered, but once she can successfully crawl from A to B, we are going to have to do something about these shimmery temptations.

I will get you, My Pretty.

Peek-a-Boo has never been this much fun.

Curtain Love.

Bon Anniversaire

We just got back from the Four Seasons in Las Colinas where Greg and I celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary. Big Poppa and Grammyflash came in from Midland to take care of Kennedy for our first night away. It felt a little odd to leave her, but she was laughing and having so much fun when we left, so I didn't feel too bad about it.

As a general rule of thumb, you should always let the concierge know when there is cause for celebration, a birthday, anniversary, etc. We were upgraded to an awesome cabana room on the golf course and found a lovely tray of truffles and cookies waiting for us upon our return from the spa.

Speaking of the spa, we had a wonderful and relaxing couples massage. I was in need of a massage after a tough class at Pure Barre on Saturday morning. At one point my masseuse asked me, "did you just do a lot of upper body work outs?" I let her know my daily upper body work out is toting around my 7 month old.

The weather here right now is perfection. Last night at 9:30 we were drinking a little champagne on the balcony and it was 71 degrees.

We decided last year that if we were going to exchange anniversary gifts we would stick to the traditional route. The traditional 2nd anniversary gift is made of cotton. However, it's not hard rule that cotton = preppy, despite what you will see in the photos below.

Chocolate yummies.

Perfect patio for wine and presents.

Cotton gifts: photo canvas and seersucker Sperrys for me. A pearl snap shirt and monogrammed pocket square for Greg.

Psst. Over Here.

Kennedy was on the floor in her room talking to me while I was putting away her laundry. I stepped out to put another load in the washer and got to peek in and secretly watch her play with a soft book and her jammies (anything is a toy at this point). She didn't know I was watching (and videoing) until I said her name.

2 Babies + 1 Swing

We made our way to the park today to celebrate Alex's 1st birthday. We all met at Ashley and Alex's house and strolled over together. Is strolled the right word? Maybe paraded is more like it. 8 mommies, 8 babies, 8 strollers loaded down with blankets, diaper bags, cameras and toys.

We noshed on goodies Ashley prepared and fed the babies their lunches. Kennedy got her first taste of a blueberry muffin (loved it) and got to play in the swings (super loved it). That brings me to The Best Part Of The Day. Caroline and I both love Georgie Girl, and though she is a complete stranger, we talk about her like we've known her for years. In the fall she had a post with her daughter and another baby sitting back to back in a park swing. We have pretty much have been waiting to put our girls in the same fashion since we read that post. Well today was the day, and in Caroline's words, "it was everything I had hoped it would be."

One of every stroller sold at Giggle. Just about.

Can't escape the Mamarazzi

Nom Nom Nom

Kennedy really mimics everything we do these days. She started 'chewing' her food this week, which is hilarious because she has no teeth. Please pardon the Real Housewives of New Jersey playing in the background.

O'Baby

I know we just finished Valentine's Day, but the next holiday on the calendar is St. Patrick's Day. Since it is just a month away, that gives me plenty of time to start thinking about Kennedy's themed attire. This year my little leprechaun will be wearing one of these:

Greg and his friend Justin came up with the Irishish t-shirt so you can proudly display your little bit o'heritage on St. Paddy's Day. Perfect for lads, lasses and wee ones. And if you have a little irish loaf in the oven, don't fret, there is a maternity tee available as well.

Ready for some more Irishish fun? Then how about a giveaway. One lucky reader will win their choice of a t-shirt (mens, womens, toddler or onesie). I will choose a winner at random on 2/23. Here's how to enter: Like Irishish on facebook and leave a blog comment under this post letting me know you did so. You can also leave a blog comment telling me which "ish" you would want to see next. Each comment on this post is worth one entry.

Valentine's Day

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day yesterday. I had a great day! Greg gave me a hilarious giant, music playing card that looks like an Ugly Doll. We usually skip gifts for V-Day because our wedding anniversary is next weekend. Anyway, I got Kennedy dressed in her ruffle bum outfit from one of my favorite Etsy sellers but only got a couple of iPhone pics before we left to meet Greg for lunch. I planned to take some cute pics when we got home, but those plans were foiled when Kennedy gagged on a piece of cereal and lost her lunch all over her V-day set. Boo.

Luckily I had an extra outfit in the bag and took her to the bathroom to get cleaned up. We ran some errands and came home so she could nap and I could put together the dessert I had planned to make for V-Day dinner at the Pfeiffer's.

Yummy Valentine's dessert

Queen of Hearts

Rufflebum

Kennedy on the bongos

The babies on Valentine's Day

Twinkies

Happy Valentine's Day

A Visit from Gramms

My mom came in town for a visit and we had a great time hitting up all my favorite lunch spots and shops in Dallas. The weather cooperated for her visit so we didn't have to get too bundled to leave the house. Her visits always seem to go by too fast, but we did have a lot of fun.

Kennedy was quite the showgirl while we were shopping on Friday. She was talking and laughing every time someone new looked her way. As soon as she got a reaction from them, she really kicked it up a notch with more laughing, waving and kicking.

We had a couple funny diaper situations on Friday and Saturday while we were out shopping. Kennedy has been on antibiotics and that does a number on her little tummy. Well, on two occasions the diaper did not hold in the mess. Coincidently, both times it happened in baby clothing stores. It made me laugh thinking that maybe Kennedy just wanted a new outfit. At one point in the Carter's store, I had to poke my head out of the bathroom and request my mom buy something, anything, because her clothes were ruined and I failed to pack a back up.

After we dropped my mom off at the airport we walked over to the park to enjoy the lovely weather and let Kennedy play on the swings. Incase the photos don't paint a clear enough picture, she loves to swing.

Pink and Green Palace

It has come to my attention that we never posted pictures of our finished nursery. While I was pregnant, we decided to wait to find out if the baby would be a Miss or a Mister, so we went with a gender neutral theme with the intention of adding in more personal touches. After Kennedy was born, I couldn't wait to add to her nursery and make it more special. The only request from Greg was that it not turn into a Pink Explosion.

The Before:

We chose the Sweet Lambie bedding from Pottery Barn Kids and went with black furniture, as to coordinate with furnishings throughout our house. We chose a big comfy rocking chair from PB Kids as well and decided to paint the walls a coordinating green. This was really all that was in place until July, 5.

The After:

This is such a little girl's room. We added some accessories on her dresser, a pink rug and pink black out curtains. We hung a mobile of paper butterflies over the changing table which Kennedy loves to stare at. We framed pictures from her newborn photo sesh and hung them over the crib. One of my favorite things in her room are the blocks that spell her name, these came from a shop on Etsy. Lastly, one of my craft projects has been a shadowbox with a bunch of keepsakes from the hospital and Kennedy's first few days...look at how tiny that little handprint is. We have saved a spot on the wall above the big green chair for a special print from Aunt Jill.

The next project: Kennedy's playroom. Just a sneak peek for now as we are working on some finishing touches. As you can see, the pink and green theme has spilled over. Maybe a little heavier on the pink at this point.

The Weekend

A little weekend recap: snow melted, roads are cleared, the Hunters finally left the house.

On Saturday we ran some essential errands (a family trip to Banana Republic) and went to Molly's first birthday party. Since it was a Minnie Mouse themed party we thought it appropriate that Kennedy wear her Minnie Mouse bow to the festivities.

On Sunday we went to a baby friendly Super Bowl party with Caroline and Lizzy at their parent's house. Dinner was delicious and as much as I wanted more lasagna, I had my eye on the prize, Lizzy's birthday cake. This cake probably deserves its own post, but this is a blog about Kennedy and not my obsession with sweets. But y'all, it was so good. Kellyn from k bakes baked this delicious treat and we all couldn't get enough of it.

Monday we fell back into our normal routine and had some fun playtime in the afternoon.

Ready to party.

Kennedy and Emily explaining the Big Game to Hadley.

The Birthday Cake. Need I say any more?

Kennedy's new toy obsession - anything she can see her reflection in.

What up, dog.

Well, Hello There

At 7 months old Kennedy has a lot more energy and is quite the little chatterbox. She is learning how to make new noises and sounds so right now we hear a lot of (happy) high-pitched screaming. She is eating 3 solid meals a day plus bottles in between. Her favorite foods so far include yogurt, apples and carrots and she gobbles them up with out pause.

As far as new baby tricks go, she is really, really close to becoming mobile. She can roll herself over and scoot backwards. She will side-scoot if there is something really enticing out of reach such as an iPhone or Olive. She reaches for everything and we've learned the hard way what to keep out of reach. Over the next few weeks we are going to need to start doing some baby proofing around the house.

My new favorite Kennedy Trick is when she waves. I noticed her doing it at the airport when we went to pick up Eric on Monday. People would smile and wave at her and she started waving back. So of course Greg and I wave at her every time we enter and exit a room. She is still learning to control her movements but I was able to get one on video yesterday.

She wants the camera. This is how most of my pictures are coming out these days.

Mid chatter sentence.

Hanging out with Uncle Eric.