36 WEEK BUMPDATE

36 WEEK BUMPDATE


Almost 10 weeks since my last update, it is true what they say about the second child lol sometimes they really go unnoticed. I hate saying this sometimes because when I say it I have a bunch of people who come for me and make me feel guilty but: I am over being pregnant. I want this baby out lol.

I'm going to use this first part of the update to do a little complaining (again, please don't come for me). I am huge, I don't think my belly can stretch anymore. Also, I have like one shirt and one pair of pants left that fit me so getting dressed is extra fun. Getting out of bed in the middle of the night is also extra fun, especially when you're getting up every hour to two hours to pee. I am literally a turtle on it's back constantly. I can't stand for longer than 15 minutes without wanting to cry because the pressure is on another level, and walking around to do something as simple as grocery shop is almost out of the question. The last legs of pregnancy are the worst for me, and I am getting more and more eager to welcome him into the world. 

There really isn't any other changes other than the daily struggle that I mentioned above. Christmas eve I started having some intense contractions and thought it was go time. The look on Kyle's face was everything lol. But they stopped after about 6 or 7 and even though I have been having cramping on and off I haven't felt any more intense pain like that. My doctor said he is potentially going to be away the week I am due, so my last visit he told me he would "have me swept and delivered by the time he leaves." I am really hanging onto that promise lol. 

I feel like my belly has definitely dropped, and I should be getting my first sweep soon to see if I have started dilating. Fun fact: when I went in with Everly to do my first sweep I had not been experiencing any pain, and when he checked me I was 7 cm dilated. Please pray I have a similar outcome this time lol. I am hoping he does it at my appointment January 7th, but he may wait until the following week because I won't quite be 37 weeks (I am writing this update a little earlier than usual). 

Other than that, I think that is pretty much it! I have lost a lot of my "plug" (I hate the full word lol it sounds so gross). So I think my body is definitely prepping and getting ready. I have a feeling he may come middle of January? But I also don't want to be cocky and assume because then I feel like he will be late lol. 

How far along? 36 weeks

Total weight gain? I am at about 30lbs. 

Maternity clothes? BARELY lol. Nothing fits anymore.

Stretch marks? Yeah, but mostly left over from my pregnancy with Everly.

Sleep? Back to being non existent. 

Best moment this week? Hearing my doctor promise he would have me swept and delivered before he leaves on his conference. 

Miss anything? Sleeping, walking, basic living. 

Movement? Still moving, but I have noticed he is starting to slow down. His busy time is still between 7 and 8pm. 

Food cravings? Nothing really.

Anything making you feel sick or queasy? Nothing anymore so far!

Showing? Oh yes, I am a human billboard. 

Gender? It's a BOY!

Labor signs? Things are starting to get ready I think! 

Symptoms? Still feel a lot of pressure because he likes being low and cramping. 

Belly button in or out? It's an outtie now.

Happy or moody most of the time? A little bit of both I think!

Looking forward to: Delivering. 

YEAR IN REVIEW : 2018

YEAR IN REVIEW : 2018


It is crazy to think that this is my 5th time sitting here and writing some type of review or reflection of the year previous. When I started this, I didn't know what it would be or if I would even keep up with it. Some years it has been neglected a bit more than others, but for the most part I have been able to keep some type of record of my life since I married Kyle in 2014. 

In so many ways 2018 was one of the challenging years, but in others it was filled with so much happiness and joy. I am finding it hard to write about the year in general because there are so many mixed emotions attached to it. Am I where I thought I would be this time last year? No. Is it more than I expected? So much more. I never have an outline or plan for these posts, I just sit down and write out what comes to mind about the year passed, so here it goes!

I started 2018 confident. Confident in my abilities as a parent, partner, and coworker. As the year went on I felt some aspects of that slowly start to fade. I felt myself wanting more from my job, I loved it so much, but I wanted to expand and learn more. I applied for a new position within the company, and the interview experience in itself was rewarding. It solidified that I am knowledgable about what I do, and I am confident in my abilities as an IT. When it didn't pan out I felt lost for a bit, but still happy because I still got to work with a great team. It was at that point that the conversation to expand our family became more and more talked about. Kyle had wanted to grow our family for months, and I kept putting it off because I felt like I wasn't ready. 

April I decided it was a good time to start. Knowing the struggles we had with Everly I assumed it would probably take at least a year, maybe more. So I had called our OB who helps us with fertility and made an appointment. 4 weeks later I got a positive pregnancy test and that was when the year really jumped into high gear. My pregnancy with Everly was perfect, if it wasn't for my bump I wouldn't have even know I was expecting. This one not so much.. to be honest they did not think this baby would have survived. I was getting ready to go through what I had already gone through 3 times before. I had a bleed where the placenta was supposed to attach, and if the bleed did not rectify itself before the placenta went to attach, I would have miscarried. I had never experienced anything like that before, and when I started bleeding I thought it was all over. My doctor said that given my job description it would be best to be taken off work, and this was probably one of the harder pills to swallow this year. In some ways I felt a bit neglected by the people I worked with, because I never heard from any of them really once I left. What I was going through emotionally was really hard, but resting truly was the best thing I could have done. The bleed resolved itself and Jackson was growing perfectly. 

The summer was when we decided to pull Everly from daycare and have her home with me. Financially we just could not have her there full time with only one income. This was such an amazing time, to get to be home with her and raise her the way I wanted. It meant so much knowing we had the summer together to grow and learn. She has changed so much in the last few months, and I feel like our relationship has strengthened immensely because I was able to spend so much time with her. 

I realized more of more this year how important it is to invest in the people who invest in you. Lately I have been really lacking in that area. Life gets so busy sometimes, and I try to carve out time where I do not have my phone and can focus on my family. Sometimes that means texts and calls go unanswered, and I have to work on getting better at getting back to the people I love in my life (sorry Eva lol, I feel like you got the brunt of it). My marriage has been stronger than it has in a long time, we are learning every year a little bit more on how to deal with one another, and work better as a team. It has been so nice to have him here through all of this, I don't know how well I would have done without him. My relationship with my sister grew a lot more too as she welcomed her son into the world this fall. He is perfection, and being so far away from him hurts my heart some days. But seeing her as a mom has made me so proud, and it is something we can both relate with, and she understands a little bit more why I am the way I am when it comes to parenting. 

2018 saw a lot of happy moments and memories. I am happy to be wrapping up the year, because 2019 we start with welcoming our son into the world. I can't wait to meet him and see Everly as a big sister. She has been waiting so patiently for him to arrive, and I am so glad that he hung on because he is such a special part of our family already. 

My only resolution or goal of 2019 is to be the best version of myself I can be. To let go of the negativity that gets in the way sometimes, and just enjoy my family and the life we have. It's a pretty generic resolution lol, but I feel like too often I let negativity get the best of me, and I focus too much on the bad and forget about all the good. I also want to strive to be a healthier version of myself once the baby comes. Pregnancy is so amazing but dang does it do a number on your body. 

I hope you all had an amazing year, and continue to love and grow as we enter the new year!

DAY IN THE LIFE : VERY PREGNANT TODDLER MAMA

DAY IN THE LIFE : VERY PREGNANT TODDLER MAMA


Every time I visit my OB he tells me I need to take it easy, and every time I just look at him confused as to what that even means ha. This pregnancy has come with a lot of complications, and I am so grateful that Jackson is still cooking away in my tummy despite all of these challenges. She keeps me on my toes and I know once I have two here it'll be even crazier, I'm so used to it now that I never know what to do with the silence. Here is a typical day spent at home: 

5:30am-7:00am: I wake up and teach, I normally teach all the way through, but the odd time I will have a time slot that didn't book so I may have a 20 min break in between this.

6:30am: Everly has woken up by this point, and Kyle is looking after her while I finish up my classes. He will change her diaper and get her some breakfast and some milk. Her favourite breakfast is usually oatmeal with berries and a banana. 

7:00am: Kyle leaves for work and I'm officially on my own. This is the time where I make my coffee and get set up for the day. I will take a look at the calendar in my agenda and see if there are any appointments or places we need to be so I can plan the day accordingly. 

7:30-8:30am: This in between time I usually put on a movie or some type of video Everly likes watching and I will use this time to eat breakfast for myself, drink coffee, and just take 5 after teaching. 

9:00am-11am: This time in the morning is usually "free play" for her. She likes to play with some of her toys like her train set, kitchen, dolls, and books. We also do our morning basket (an upcoming blog post) and we will go on a walk if the weather isn't bad. We live right outside of a huge trail so it's been nice to get out and explore nature a bit in the morning. While she is playing and occupied, I am cleaning the kitchen, getting dinner prepped and ready, switching over laundry, and tidying up the bedrooms. 

11:30am-12:00pm: At around 11:30 I start prepping her lunch, she usually eats fairly light for lunch since she has more than likely snacked a bit while she was playing. She has been loving tuna sandwiches and I will usually give her a clementine on the side or a yogurt depending on what she chooses. Other lunch options for her is mac n cheese, cheese and crackers with yogurt and some type of fruit, or a deli sandwich with some fruit. 

12:00pm-2:00pm: She very rarely makes it to 2pm for nap, on average she will start waking up around 1:30. But this time period is her nap, and lately she has been laying in our bed for naps because they just end up being better sleeps for her. So I will sit beside her while she naps and I will usually work on some type of project like cross stitch, and watch some videos for background noise. Sometimes if it was a really early morning I will nap with her since it's the only "down" time I have during the day really.

2:00pm-5:00pm: After nap time is the gap I find hardest to fill, so we usually go out and do something. Not every day, but I try most days to get her out of the house. Our favourite places are usually the park (weather permitting), Treetops indoor playground, the library, or just a visit at someone's house. I like to have her burn as much energy off as I can so bedtime isn't too much of a struggle.

5:00pm-5:30pm: Kyle is usually home by now and he usually goes and spends time with her. They usually play with her toys or read books and I get dinner prepped and ready for them while this is happening. 

6:00pm-7:00pm: We have dinner, give Everly a bath, brush her teeth, get her into her pj's, and have some "wind down time." 

7:30pm: Kyle will take Everly and put her down for bed. He stays in there with her until she falls asleep and then he will come out. I can be found tidying up from dinner and just making sure all toys and such are put away from the day.

8:00pm-8:30: I am prepping for my classes that I teach the next day. I sit down and write out the props I need, the lesson I'm teaching so I have an idea of how timing will go, and just making sure everything is good to go first thing. 

9:00pm-10:00pm: Every other night I will hop in the shower, and then hop into bed and put on some type of show or YouTube video and eventually go to bed, preparing to do it all over again!

It may not seem like a lot, but we are pretty much go go go from when we wake up. I enjoy staying busy during the day I always have, it makes me feel so much more productive. On Friday nights I will usually teach all night, and sometimes I will even open up some slots on Saturday nights. So there always seems like something is going on, but I like it that way! I know leaving the house will be even harder once I have two, so I am really enjoying being able to take Everly places and do different things with her while I still can. I may be slow moving lol but we do get where we are going eventually! 

27 WEEK BUMPDATE

27 WEEK BUMPDATE


I am one week away from the third and final trimester! WOW! At first this pregnancy felt like it wasn't progressing at all and that time was just standing still. But now I feel like I blinked and all of a sudden have 12 weeks left. 

I have an update on my short cervix that I wrote about last time, I had gone in during Thanksgiving weekend because I was having bad cramps and tightening. They ended up doing an emergency ultra sound and saw that my cervix is actually right where it should be! An internal ultra sound is much more accurate than the stomach one they initially did, so I felt really relieved because having a short cervix could have caused some major problems. 

He is still moving like crazy. I find his movements feel more like a dragging motion, where as when Everly moved it was more prominent kicks. He still sits really low which sucks for my bladder and also when it comes to walking around. I noticed he prefers the right side of my belly just like Everly did. My sister just recently had her baby boy and seeing him made me so much more excited to see Jackson! 

I should be getting my glucose test done in a few weeks, I really like the drink last time haha, lets hope I still enjoy it! I feel like the results really could go either way, I don't feel like I could have gestational diabetes but I know my eating has not been the best with this little guy. I went through a phase where all I wanted was apple crisp ...

Other than that there really isn't much else to update! We are finally starting to get the room figured out now and really going at it and fixing it all up. I have been selling some items that don't fit the space much anymore since it will be a shared room between him and Everly. We have also started putting together the bassinet and the pack n play. Everly has been enjoying using the pack n play as a crib for her dolls which I don't mind. We also got the car seat in the mail as well and I am so glad I went with a lighter car seat! 

How far along? 27 weeks

Total weight gain? So far I have gained 24lbs. 

Maternity clothes? Yep!

Stretch marks? Yeah, but mostly left over from my pregnancy with Everly.

Sleep? Getting much better! I usually wake up around 2am and toss around for a bit but it hasn't made me feel exhausted in the morning. I have found it hard to sleep on my back now so majority of the night I am on my side. 

Best moment this week? It happened a few weeks ago but my sister having her baby is still the highlight! 

Miss anything? Lately I have been wanting more than one cup of coffee haha.

Movement? Lots! He is most active first thing in the morning and around 8pm at night. 

Food cravings? I have been really enjoying apple crisp, which seems super random but it has been a major craving.

Anything making you feel sick or queasy? Nothing anymore so far!

Showing? Oh yes.

Gender? It's a BOY!

Labor signs? None. I thought maybe Thanksgiving weekend something was happening but everything ended up being fine!

Symptoms? Still feel a lot of pressure because he likes being low. Also I have noticed that my tinnitus (which I got shortly after I found out I was pregnant due to the extra blood flow) has slowed down a bit, I don't notice it nearly as much which is awesome.  

Belly button in or out? It's pretty much on the verge of being an outtie. 

Happy or moody most of the time? A little bit of both I think!

Looking forward to: Getting things started for the holidays!

POSTPARTUM CARE KIT

POSTPARTUM CARE KIT


When I was pregnant with Everly I was so focused on the giving birth and taking care of her part, that I completely overlooked postpartum care. When I came home with her, she had everything she need (and then some) and I had absolutely nothing. Thank goodness for my mom, she was staying with us at the time to help with the transition, and once she found out I didn't have what I needed she ran out to the store to get me everything. If you haven't had a baby, I can't tell you how much the things she got helped me, if you have had a baby then you totally get it. 

I had a vaginal birth with Everly so my postpartum care kit was and is tailored to that experience. With her I also had an episiotomy, and healing was a journey. I was stitched from end to end pretty much and everything I did was so painful. This time around I am making sure I have a list of everything I need and it is going to be home when I am. 

My mom has been asking me what I would like for Christmas and there isn't really anything I need or want. HOWEVER, I had the brilliant idea of getting her to make me a "postpartum stocking" type thing. Is that not the most adulting gift you have ever heard haha. So I have made my Amazon list and here are all the things I'm including (besides the obvious like stool softner and tylenol):

1) Sitz Bath
I used this thing to DEATH when I had Everly. I think having an episiotomy was one of the reasons why it was so valuable in the healing process to me. I used it when I needed some relief and I also used it in between baths and to also clean, because you can't wipe or anything when you have that many stitches. 

2) Witch Hazel Cleansing Pads
There are a few organic brands that carry these cleansing pads, but TUCKS also makes them and I prefer their brand. These are great at giving you that cooling effect "down there" when you need it, especially if you have stitches and they start to heal and get itchy. I found that's when I needed them to most. 

3) Spray Bottle
The hospital usually gives you one of these to go home with, but Frida Baby also makes one called the Mom Washer. This is good because again, you can't wipe really with fresh stitches so they give you this to clean instead. It is an actual lifesaver.

4) Depends Overnight Underwear
This is a new one on the list. I have been watching a bunch of YouTube videos and tons of people recommend using Depends for right after you give birth. I have never thought to use them and it actually sounds like a genius idea. I am not a fan of the mesh type under wear they give you at the hospital so this sounds like a great alternative!

5) Always Overnight Pads
I used these last time with Everly and I actually prefer the Wal Mart brand of overnight pads because they aren't nearly as thick and bulky. I switch between pad sizes once the bleeding has started to subside. 

6) Earth Mama Bottom Spray
I used this last time and really enjoyed it! It's pretty much a TUCKS pad but in liquid form. 

7) Padcicyles 
My friend made me a bunch for after I gave birth and they were AMAZING! So I am totally planning on making some this time around. It's basically a giant ice pack for down there haha, and it is heaven when you need it the most. 

I think for now that is pretty much it! Doesn't child birth sound like so much fun?! The recovery depending on how your labour goes can be quick or it can be long and difficult. I felt like I would never be the same again, but day by day you get a little bit better and stronger and you do heal and become human again. I definitely recommend stocking up on some of these items if you are expecting, and if you have a friend who is due around Christmas or just after like I am, a great gift idea would be a postpartum stocking haha. 

Is there anything I missed or something you couldn't live without?! Let me know! Those who have had C-Sections, is there a must have on your list? 

23 WEEK BUMPDATE

23 WEEK BUMPDATE


I didn't realize it's been 3 weeks since my last update! Time is starting to fly! I had my monthly doctors appointment on Tuesday and my doctor went over my genetic ultra sound results with me. Jackson is doing great, he's growing perfectly and there were no abnormalities found! I however seem to be having a difficult cervix. It is shorter than he would like it to be at this point in pregnancy, so I have an ultra sound scheduled for next week to see if it has gotten shorter. If it has he said he would put me on progesterone to hopefully help. Worst case scenario they would have to stitch up my cervix :/ Really hoping it doesn't get that far but I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to keep Jackson in there as long as possible! 

He has also started moving a TON since my last update. It started a few days after my update and I have been loving feeling him move around more and seeing it on the outside! It has been really fun, this is always my favourite part of pregnancy. The nesting and purging continues, I have lots of stuff we are getting rid of and it feels so good! This weekend when we have time we will be getting the shared room ready a bit more, hanging stuff, hopefully setting up the crib and getting it out of storage before the snow comes, and getting things out of the way. It will feel so good when it is all set up because with my cervix being short I just realized we have literally done nothing for this poor child and we have nothing for him #SecondChildProblems. 

Last weekend was my sister's baby shower and it was really cool to see her experience a baby shower, she is due this month and could really go any day now! We made sure to snap a photo of both of us pregnant because it probably won't happen again haha. 

How far along? 23 weeks

Total weight gain? I'm up almost 20lbs :/ Gotta slow it down.

Maternity clothes? Yep!

Stretch marks? Yeah, but mostly left over from my pregnancy with Everly.

Sleep? Still broken up most nights but this sleep regression with Everly is preparing me to be up all night with a newborn!

Best moment this week? We brought Everly to our doctor's appointment and she got to hear her brother it was really nice. 

Miss anything? Sleep still

Movement? Lots! He is most active first thing in the morning and around 8pm at night. 

Food cravings? Maltesers which is so random (and unhealthy lol)

Anything making you feel sick or queasy? Nothing anymore so far!

Showing? Oh yes.

Gender? It's a BOY!

Labor signs? None.

Symptoms? He is still low so I feel pressure sometimes, especially the days where I'm on my feet a lot. 

Belly button in or out? In.

Happy or moody most of the time? A little bit of both I think!

Looking forward to: My ultra sound next week, I always love seeing him!

NO CARVE PUMPKIN IDEAS

NO CARVE PUMPKIN IDEAS


Happy October 1st everyone!

One of my favourite things to do is go around and see all the creative ways people carve their pumpkins. It is so neat to see what people come up with and they look so amazing at night! Midland has this amazing festival called Pumpkinferno and they do such amazing and creative things with pumpkins, if you are ever looking for something to do I would definitely check that out!

As much as I love looking at the carved pumpkins, sometimes I could do without the process of actually carving them. Everly also is not a fan of the gross insides so carving with her right now is not an option.

I wanted to find a way to still use the pumpkins we get from the pumpkin patch, so I found a few ways to say goodbye to carving and get a little creative!

1.     Pumpkin Hammering
This one may need some adult supervision and may be a bit more ideal for older kids or toddlers. But it is super fun and it keeps them pretty entertained! All we did was go to the dollar store and pick up golf tees; we came home and let Everly hammer them into the pumpkin.

I am a sucker for anything motor related, and this really helps shape up their fine motor skills! Something extra you could include with this activity is to also buy some elastics and get your child to stick elastics on the golf tees to make shapes!

2.     Growing a Pumpkin in a Pumpkin
For this activity you just need an empty pumpkin and you fill it with dirt. Once it is filled just plant some pumpkin seeds and give it lots and lots of water and in a few days you will have pumpkin sprouts in your pumpkin!

3.     Paint Away!
This one is pretty self explanatory! Give your kid some paint and let them go to town! We had a variety of sponges, brushes, paints, and stencils (I have a lot of DIY supplies ha) and that made for different textures and effects. Everly really loved experimenting with the different supplies and the sponge was definitely a favourite!

4.     Chalkboard Pumpkins
       This one is another self explanatory activity but I think it is such a cute take on no carve pumpkins! I painted a pumpkin (you could spray paint it also probably to save time) with chalkboard paint and left it over night to dry. The next morning I just gave Everly some chalk and let her go to town! It was fun to see her chalk art, and with a damp cloth you can just wipe it down and once it dries you can let them do it again! 

Fall is my favourite season, we live at the pumpkin patch and it's nice to switch it up sometimes instead of always bringing back pumpkins to carve. Hopefully you try one of these ideas out! Let me know how it goes if you do! :)

TWO YEARS WITH EVERLY

TWO YEARS WITH EVERLY


I'm not even sure I want to be typing this out haha, I cannot wrap my brain around the fact that Everly is now two years old. She is fiercely independent and currently waiting to become a big sister. I was looking at some of her updates I wrote when she was 12 months and under and oh my heart! What a little ham she was, now she is her own person with her own schedule! We have come so far together and every day we learn something new about one another, here is a little update on Miss Everly:

Currently I think she is going through a developmental leap because a week before she turned two things went crazy real quick. All of a sudden she HATED the car, she would cry and it looked like she was scared to be in her car seat. After a lot of drives (my gas tank loved me that week..) and a few bribes we are back to a place where she can sit in her car seat and be happy again. That week was really hard because it felt like I would be stranded at home because it almost wasn't worth the effort to take her anywhere. I had never seen her act that way, and certainly not in the car. But I am glad she seems to be doing much better and she doesn't cry or squirm anymore. 

Along with the car seat also came an insane sleep regression. She has been a terrific sleeper from the getgo, and I don't think I ever really appreciated that until now lol. She always went to bed when told and slept through the night. However a week before she turned two again things went into chaos. All of a sudden she was unable to go to bed by herself, she needed one of us to lay with her until she fell asleep (and if she woke up while we were sneaking out she would lose her mind). We have made slow progress I guess, because now she seems to be fine with us just sitting in a chair beside the bed, but when she wakes up between 11/12 at night she does not go back to sleep with us sitting with her. We started having to sleep with her in her bed, but now in order to save our backs and sanity we pull her into bed with us for the rest of the night. It is not a habit I enjoy, but after talking to Kyle we think it's best to just try and work through whatever she is going through with her instead of trying to fight her on it. Unlike the car situation, sleep is still ongoing :( 

Her learning is on another level, I know it's typical for every parent to say their kid is a genius lol but I really think Everly is smarter than some kids her age. Every child develops differently and at different rates, and where Everly thrives in some areas she may lack in others. Her tacting is crazy, lately I have made more of an effort to sit and really listen to the items and things she tacts and I have no idea how she knows some of these things. She can also count to 10 and I think we are pretty close to showing signs of potty training (she always tells me she went to the bathroom after she went lol but she knows the difference). Her sentence structure has also improved, she usually talks using 3-4 word sentences and phrases. She also LOVES shapes, especially hearts, and loves identifying them whenever she can. 

We are having a lot of issues with hitting which is pretty typical for her age, but what we have started doing is giving her one warning to stop and if she continues (which is 99.9% of the time) we bring her into our room and get down to her level and ask her why she thinks she is in here. We have started explaining to her that we do not treat others that way, and that hitting is not the right way to express your feelings. We then ask her to say sorry and she will usually follow it with a hug. We have to do this multiple times a day lol but afterwards I do see a difference in her attitude, even if it is short lived. 

As far as toys and interests go she likes a little bit of everything. She loves trains, painting, colouring, and her dolls. She has also recently started playing with her kitchen more and cooking for us. She enjoys watching Elmo and Masha and Bear on t.v, and she likes watching "Super Simple Songs" on YouTube. She definitely enjoys being creative and it is fun to watch her explore that, especially since Kyle and I are both creative in different ways. We also just started a "morning box" with her this week, I plan on making a blog post about it later once we have done it for a little bit but so far she really enjoys it! 

Her schedule before this sleep regression was as follows:

6:30-7:00am:
7:30: Breakfast
9:00: Snack
11:30: Lunch
12:00pm-2:30pm: Nap 
2:45: Snack
6:00: Dinner
6:30-7:00: Bath/Bedtime rountine
7:00: Bedtime

As of right now it is kind of all over the place, if she does nap it is only for about an hour if that. So this week we are going to see how she does without napping. If she seems cranky I will bring her into our room and put a movie on for some quiet time. Part of me does feel like she is slowly weaning out her naps, I have always had a baby led schedule, she always shows me what she needs and it has always worked for us. So I am going to try it out and see how it goes, if it's a terrible idea we will just go back to naps! 

Overall, Everly has grown and changed so much just in these last few weeks alone. She has such a crazy personality, it is definitely true what they say about two year olds! She is giving us a run for our money, but we have enjoyed watching her develop and turn into this little person. 

MY TOP 5 HALLOWEEN BOOKS & MOVIES

MY TOP 5 HALLOWEEN BOOKS & MOVIES


Halloween hasn’t really been a favourite of mine; however once I had Everly I swear I get excited about every single holiday. It is so fun to pair activities with books we read and movies we watch. It just allows Everly to connect the book with something tangible and it switches things up from our daily routine.

I have a list of our favourites that we bring out and enjoy every Halloween and here they are! Some of these like I mentioned can be paired with a sensory tub or craft!

Books:

1.     It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!
2.     Spooky Pookie by Sandra Boynton
3.     The Itsy Bitsy Pumpkin by Sarah Fry
4.     Peek a Boo Ghosts
5.     Five Little Pumpkins

Movies:

1.     It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!
2.     Hocus Pocus
3.     Mickey’s Treat
4.     Casper
5.     Monster’s INC (I know this isn’t technically a Halloween movie but she thinks all the monsters are dressed up in costumes so it works lol)

We love reading books so getting seasonal books and having them around is a must! I feel like it gets us into the holiday spirit that much more! What are your go to's for Halloween?!