Peyton - 37 Weeks

Noah 38 Weeks
I know I keep saying this but Peyton is just the happiest kid ever.  He smiles and laughs so much and it's just so cute.  I want to snuggle him up all day except he wont let me because all he ever wants to do is chase after Noah or play with his toys.  Second child, right?  Noah is definitely his favorite person right now and really just wants to be on him, or with him, or chasing after him non-stop. He's growing up so quickly and I can't believe he's going to be one this summer. I've really got to start thinking about his birthday plans...

• How old is Peyton?: 37 Weeks - 9 Months
  
• Peyton is how big?:  21 lbs | Size 3-4 diapers | 9mo clothes
• Sleep: We're still going strong on sleep and he does a great job of sleeping through the night all 12 hrs. Thank goodness for babywise.  It's seemed to work with both of our kids and I'm so grateful for it. Still on the same schedule for now.  His awake time is about 1.5hrs and could go longer at times so we're starting to stretch things out. 

Up for the day around 7:30-8a - 16T solids and 4-6oz
Nap1.25-1.5 hrs later
Nap 1: 1.5-2 hrs
Up for 1.5 ish hours 11:30a ish - 16T solids and 4ish oz
Nap 2: 1.5-2 hrs
Up for 1.5 ish hours 3:15p ish - 9oz bottle
Nap 3: 1-1.25 hrs
(sometimes a catnap 20-30mins)
Up for the rest of the day
Dinner around 6p 16T solids and finger foods
Bath time and night time stuff starts at 7
Down for the night with a bottle around 7:30p - 5-7oz

• Milestones:We have a third tooth that finally popped out.  The top ones are nowhere to be seen.  Mostly though, the kid loves to stand.  He's moving around objects while standing.  His cruising is slowly getting much better. A little longer and I have a feeling we're gonna have a walker!
• What I’m excited about/looking forward to: Guys, three weeks 'till an adults only trip to Mexico.  Enough said.  We need a break. Otherwise, the weather is getting great here. We're taking lots of walks outside, riding bikes, doing chalk and playing in the grass.  Not a long time left until we get the beach fun going!

Our Easter Weekend

Much like everyone else, we spent lots of time with our family.  Talking, playing, opening up Easter baskets and eating lots of good food.  Holidays are so funny with kids.  I think it's going to be so relaxing and great to just sit around playing and then it's over and it hits me so hard.  I'm exhausted.  Work is almost a break today.  I get to sit here in peace and quiet.  It's kind of crazy.  And yet, I had a great time.  Noah was super excited the whole weekend.  Skipped all his naps which was even more exhausting.  He's so not ready to do that yet.  And Peyton was just happy to be around people, getting snuggled and loved on.  He's so on the move and just wants to move all the time.  He likes being busy so people being around was a great opportunity for him to do that.

We spent time with both sides of the family.  On Saturday, Jeffs.  Mine on Sunday.  We hosted Easter dinner and I made an effort to make it as fancy as possible.  All the nice places and linens out and it turned out just as I imagined.  I was so proud I made it work and everything turned out so yummy. After all the festivities were done Jeff took Noah to Lowes to run some errands and Peyton slept his last nap while I cleaned the house down.  Boy was it nice to lay in bed last night. Didn't take long to pass out and that was the end of Easter weekend.

Pinterest Recipes I've Tried And Loved - Part 2

It's been a while since I've posted the original post and I love trying new Pinterest recipes every chance I get.  Problem is, sometimes they just don't turn out quite right.  Have you seen those posts for Pinterest Fails?  So funny.  So here is the second part of Pinterest Recipes I've Tried And Loved that taste amazing and I promise, will turn out great.

1. Creamy Chicken Quinoa and Broccoli Casserole -
This recipe is a go-to for us at dinner time.  Everyone loves it.  You just put everything together in an oven and let it cook.  You can prep it ahead of time so it's a easy weeknight meal.

2. The Best Focaccia Bread -
Again, I'm all about ease here.  It is slightly time consuming waiting for things to rise but otherwise it's an easy recipe with items you already have in your pantry and it always turns out perfect.  You just can't mess this up.

3. Better Chocolate Babka -
Probably one of my favorite desserts ever made. It's hard & time consuming.  In the end though, you'll be glad you made it.  If you love chocolate, this one's for you!

4. Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cake -
Ok, if you don't want to work quite so hard for dessert, I've got another option.  This one is easy.  You're kids can help you mix the ingredients and put the strawberries on top.  It looks so pretty when it comes out of the over and it also tastes great. 

5. Hawaiian Slow Cooker Chicken -
If you can plan ahead of time a little and put the chicken in the crock pot, this is a great meal for a busy evening.  It's a slightly different take on chicken and even better; healthy.

6. The Easiest Ice Cream Shakes -
I'm a little biased because this is my own recipe, but for real guys, this is calling my name.  Especially with home made ice cream.  So easy and quick and perfect for a special treat sitting on the deck.

7. Oil Free Chocolate Coconut Granola -
I'm obsessed with this!  I make a quadruple batch about once a week. I eat it most mornings for breakfast and I add ground flax-seed to it to make it even more healthy. I also snack on it and I just can't get enough.   Add a couple of chocolate chips and this is dessert as well.  Go make it now.

8. Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Motzz and Spinach -
This is my most recent recipe I've tried.  It turned out so good.  I did make my own filling though with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, cooked onions and spinach. You really could add anything that you like.  It was an easy dinner and  served with a little brown rice on the side a perfect meal.

9. Cheesy Enchilada Rice Skillet -
Another go to weeknight meal.  One pan dishes are so great and so easy.

10. Cheesy Cauliflower Bake -
For me this is more of a side dish than a meal, although with the bacon on top... who knows.  Either way, it's healthy and a good substitute to cheesy potatoes. 

You Win Some, You Lose Some

I'm starting to get really excited for the warm weather coming up.  We had such a nice mild weekend and we were able to go outside and kick the ball and catch some pretend bears with our blanket traps.  Peyton walked around the driveway in the walker while he watched Jeff and Noah run around.  Jeff also worked this weekend so we had to fill up some time with some fun activities.  Some worked, some did not.  We attempted to go on a walk on a new trail.  Peyton lost it and screamed the whole way, Noah decided he had enough after about 20 minutes and begged to go back to the car.  On the way back he fell of his bike and refused to get back on which means I pushed the stroller while I carried the bike back a quarter mile.  Needless to say, that part did not work out.  Peyton went down for a nap and Noah and I made dinner and we were back to normal.   On Sunday, we did get to make a special dessert during one of Peyton's naps.   Easter chocolate and cheesecake cupcakes topped with Easter sprinkles.  Noah is always such a good helper in the kitchen.  He loves to help me crack the eggs and use the hand mixer to mix everything up.  Of course he never passes up a chance to taste all the things.

With an empty weekend coming up and more nice weather ahead, maybe we can re-try our walk since Daddy will be home.  I'm ready to get the patio furniture out and start having dinners outside.  Not only is the sunset the best out on the lake, but there's so much less clean-up and that makes a happy Mom.