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Monday, November 30, 2015

Lucy 7 months

Our sweet Lucy Joy turned 7 months old last Friday. As we went around the table at Thanksgiving and shared what we were thankful for, I couldn't help but to think about the last 7 months and what a sweet transition it has been to a family of 4. Lucy was squawking away in her highchair (but not eating food of course) and my heart was just so happy that God gifted us another beautiful and happy baby. She is such a joy and brings smiles to everyone she meets! Pictures will only get more and more difficult with our moving gal but she was all smiles!










  • 16lbs 12oz, taken this morning at the doctor office when we had her flu booster shot. This is exactly the 50th %. Lucy made a funny face and kind of squealed when she got the shot but never cried, sweet girl. 
  • Peanut lady, peanuts, lady lady, Chiquita, boo boo lady, pretty much anything with "lady" at the end of it
  • Bedtime around 7pm, wakes between 6-630am (today was 715a woot woot) and sometimes goes back down for another 1-2 hours and sometimes is up for the day. She has pretty much dropped her 3rd nap for the most part, napping 2 hours in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. She is a great sleeper and goes down without a fight. I love that we really never had to do CIO with her, my easy girl.
  • Cloth diapered during the day and size 3 disposable diapers at night
  • 6 month PJs, 6-9 month tops and outfits, 9 month leggings. I will probably move her to 9 month jammies soon because I have fleece and it's getting chilly. Her feet are still ridiculously small and she wears 2 pair of newborn shoes.
  • Lucy has had a runny nose/cold for a few weeks that gets better and worse by the day. Tis the season right? She is still so happy and sleeping great so I am not worried. We are giving her Hyland's Baby Cold Meds and Baby Vicks and that seems to be helping.
  • Lucy nurses every 3-4 hours during the day and takes 1 formula bottle in the late afternoon/evening. Last week she took an 8oz bottle at night! Little chunk.
  • Lucy hates food... and that's not an understatement. We tried food a month ago and is still gagging when we force it. She likes to eat puffs but probably gets 1-2 in her belly for every 15 we give her. She likes gnawing on peppers and celery and gumming on fruit in the mesh feeder but we have kind of taken a break on food. It's crazy how different each child can be because by 6 months Ford was eating 3 meals a day and by 7 months was off of purees and fully on table food. Lucy is obviously growing and gaining weight so we aren't worried!
  • She loves her sippy cup, it can keep her entertained for a good 45 minutes while I prep dinner. She gets a little bit of water but mostly chews on it. 
  • No teeth for Lucy girl but she puts everything in her mouth and gnaws on toys, fingers, and anything she can get her hands on.
  • Favorite toys are Sophie, Zoli, baby mirror, play mat, exersaucer, her dolly, board books. It is so much fun to watch her play and actually enjoy her toys!
  • She is having so much fun watching Ford play lately. She gets really excited watching him run around and they have a lot of fun under the playmat. She is smitten with him!
  • She is a solid sitter, yay! What a game changer. She can sit and play with her activity table or books and doesn't fall. 
  • I think we are about a month out for crawling. She gets on her hands and knees and rocks. She moves all over the room somehow... arching her back and moving her feet and also scooching backward. 
  • She also thinks shes pretty cool when she stands up at her activity table or on the back of the couch. 
  • Lucy is a daddy's girl! She said her first word this month "DA DA" and smiles and says it when he comes into the room. It is too sweet. 
  • She loves her baths with Ford and now sits in a bath ring and sucks on washcloths. I think we'll sit her in the bath on her own this month.
  • Lucy was dedicated at our church two weeks ago, what a special day for our sweet girl!
  • Lucy met her aunt Tomi this month and stole her heart! 
  • Lucy is great about going to different people... family, friends, babysitters, new people.
  • Very ticklish and smiley... I think that is evident from all of her pictures. She'll be nursing (even at 6am) and then look at me and just smile and giggle. She loves catching people's attention and is quite the little flirt and entertainer. 




Monday, November 23, 2015

From our family to yours

After using Tiny Prints for our Christmas cards last year, there wasn't even a question that I would use them again this year. Last year I remember signing our card with Jon, Ruthie, Ford, and Baby Sister April 2015... now our baby girl is almost 7 months old and we can't imagine life without her! Now that we have two babes, it is almost impossible to get a picture of our whole family with everyone smiling (let alone even looking at the camera) so I knew before we even took our pictures that  I would do a multi picture card. A sweet friend in my moms group did our photos (Marissa JB) and I had our cards ordered the first week of November. If you know my personality then you know this isn't crazy, just typical Ruthie! Y'all. I love our card so much, I can't stop looking at it. The card we chose coordinated perfectly with our Christmas pictures and I wanted to squeeze as many photos of my sweet littles as possible. So now I'm going to tell you why you need to order from Tiny Prints. 

So Many Options. Yes this can be a downfall to indecisive people like me but more is better right? I loved how I was able to filter by how many photos I wanted, landscape vs. portrait, what kind of card (Christmas, Holiday, New Year, Religious), and each card has multiple color options! I narrowed down my favorites then had Jon help me choose. Last year we did a gold foil card and this year Tiny Prints offers glitter cards. Glitter! So fun and festive!

Customization. Once I chose my card I was able to make it "me". One of my favorite things about ordering from Tiny Prints is choose the trim style of the cards (call me lame but it does get my excited!). Last year we did scallops and I thought it couldn't get cuter until I got our cards this year with the ticket trim. I spent way too long testing out different fonts for our names and even added my favorite Christmas bible verse (Isaiah 9:6) on the back for free. 

Address Personalization. This may be the biggest win in my book. This year I made it easy on myself and had our return address AND our friends and family's addresses preprinted on the envelopes. We have a cute return address stamp but at this point in my life when the only free time I have is the afternoon nap when both babes are sleeping, I was up for anything to save me time. I uploaded addresses right into my Tiny Prints order and all I had to do was stuff them, stick a stamp on, and pop them in the mail. This is huge for any busy mama! Tiny Prints also has the option to stamp and mail your cards for you which I would have done but I love adding personal touches to my cards like hand written notes and decorative washi tape.

Customer Service. The customer service is top notch at Tiny Prints. They are quick to respond and designers will review your card for free before you print. The turnaround is also incredibly quick. My cards were in my hands a week after I ordered them. 

Quality. I wish y'all could feel these cards through the screen. They are made with sturdy and thick cardstock and the color is so vibrant. The envelopes are also nice and thick... the things that make me happy these days make me laugh. I am truly an adult.

Enough talk about why I love Tiny Prints... here are our 2015 Christmas Cards.








Scotch holiday washi tape from Target and adorable Peanuts holiday stamps make a boring white envelope stick out!




I am more than satisfied with our Christmas card this year, I can't recommend them enough. Quality, options, ease of ordering... there is nothing that could make me love working with Tiny Prints more. Before you order, be sure to checkout the current Tiny Prints promotions (today is 40% off storewide!) so you can save some cash this holiday season!

Find Tiny Prints


Thursday, November 19, 2015

Pajama Party (GIVEAWAY)

Yesterday Ford and I had so much fun hosting a midweek pajama party at Hat Creek Burger Company. Austinites have you heard of Hat Creek? It is the jam! We invited friends from our mama's group and showed up in pajamas, ate a delicious breakfast, and enjoyed this beautiful fall weather (what a tease Austin!). Hat Creek so graciously opened their doors to 30 toddlers and mamas and served us the breakfast of our choice. Ford was very excited about his pancakes and mama gobbled it up too. It couldn't have been a more perfect morning. The work rush had passed and we basically had the place to ourselves. The owner himself greeted us and turned on cartoons for the kiddos, had heaters on the patio, and the staff waited on us hand and foot (I left Lucy at home with daddy so it really did feel like a mini getaway!).  You'd never think that a burger place would be able to master breakfast but Hat Creek is on point. They use local produce and ingredients from right here in Austin and makes their sauces, shakes, breads, and many other menu items in house. Not that I need an incentive to come back but the manager gave each mama a couple coupons for free food. Free food, playground, adult beverages, what more could parents ask for?! I should add that their menu is incredibly affordable so it makes a family dinner or lunch with a mama friend and kiddos do-able knowing you aren't breaking the bank yet feeding your family wholesome and delicious food.

I know my readers are primarily made up of mamas (and my husband, hi Jon), and I can't tell you how enough how enjoyable this was for the kids and moms. There are 4 Hat Creek locations all over Austin and it is the perfect place for a play date, birthday party (we went to one here last week!), family date night, post church meal, or just a place to go after nap to let your kiddo run out their evening energy! Be sure to scroll down to find out how you can win a FREE pajama party at Hat Creek!















Not only is the food top notch at Hat Creek (the fact that we also went on Sunday for dinner should tell you something!), the company is a big heart for mission, service, and fun. The owner is a native Austinite and Longhorn (the Aggie in my wants to hiss) and started Hat Creek as a way to make and serve wholesome, local, and yummy food for his family. The owner is a Christ follower who has made loving and serving others central to his business. Every single day Hat Creek makes 100 fresh cheeseburgers for Mobile Loaves and Fishes to deliver to the homeless community around Austin. Hat Creek gives back to the community through Spirit Nights and employs adults with intellectual challenges to empower them to use their talents. After learning so much about the roots of this wonderful company I feel like I could be a sales woman for their mission! Good food, good people, good times. What more do you need. 

Visit Hat Creek

Giveaway CLOSED
One lucky reader will win their very own pajama party! The winner will choose a weekday morning to invite 30 friends ($300 value) for breakfast, cartoons, and fun at the Hat Creek Burger Company location of their choice. 

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Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Midweek Randoms

Well I am writing this post while lounging in bed because I have mastitis, yuck. I'm shocked because Lucy and I are on such a good nursing schedule and haven't had any issues the past 7 months. I knew it was happening because I had it when Ford was 5 weeks old so I called my doctor ASAP and got on antibiotics immediately. I feel good after a good night's sleep and man those meds work fast. Just another day in the life! Despite mastitis, nothing can get in the way of me being incredibly excited that my little sister comes home TODAY! If you've followed my blog for a while you'd know that my younger sis Tomi has spent the past 10.5 months as an Au Pair in Melbourne and is currently en route back to the states. It is very surreal. Thanks to modern technology I've been able to not only talk to her daily but text her and SEE her on FaceTime. Anytime the iPad rings Ford says, "TOMI!" and I don't think he's forgotten about her one bit. Tomi hasn't met Lucy yet (I was about halfway through my pregnancy when she left) nor my nephew Toddy. I can hardly wait to see her tonight and the fact that the entire family will be together next week for Thanksgiving is the icing on the cake. I am very very thankful this season!

So what else has been going on with us? Lack of blog posts means life is just full and that's OK. Baby showers, birthday parties, holiday events, November has been so good thus far and I am giddy excited about the holidays right around the corner. Along with most other Americans, I just feel so nostalgic around Thanksgiving with the upcoming birth of our savior and a season of generosity and giving. I am really looking forward to doing Advent with Ford and teaching him about the beautiful story of Christmas. I also remember thinking last year, "Our baby girl will be sitting and eating with us at Thanksgiving!". She will for sure be sitting with us... eating... highly doubtful! Anyway, I am babbling. Here are some recent photos of life in the Hart family.

Big news, we are going to Disney World right after Christmas! Jon has a companion pass on SWA that expires 12/31 and we wanted to utilize it one more time. We looked at direct flights out of Austin and Orlando popped up. We booked a Disney Resort with points and the babies are free since they are under 3, we are so excited! It will be Jon's first time! Sure we may be crazy but YOLO.


This guy loves going to the park and swinging "SUPER HIGH!". He will get mad if I am not pushing him high enough haha. We are working on pumping on the big swings.


Peanut Lady is a total daddy's girl. She said DADA this week and won't stop saying it!


My cute monogrammed babies.


Peanut lady loves the swings too... she is such a trooper and will swing for an hour while Ford plays. She also is doing this pouty face lately and sucking on her lip, it is cute.


We went to a car show at the local high school and Ford was in heaven! Like father like son.




Jon shaved his beard into a mustache for Movember and I love it. I keep telling him he looks like an 1800s Army General or something (maybe I watch too many movies). 


Lucy's hair is growing like crazy and she can finally wear bows! And this picture pretty much sums up what she eats. Puffs. Girlfriend does not like baby food and chokes on actual food so we've taken a break and she is as happy as a clam just having mama's milk.


Don't forget to check out my post on Discovery Toys and get your Christmas shopping done!

You can read some of my thoughts on the terror in our world today and why I still think God is good in a post I wrote here


Monday, November 16, 2015

Our God is Good


Oh my heart. It has been physically hurting watching the terror of this world the past week. I am not a political person and will never talk politics on my blog (or ever really) but I do want to speak truth and life amidst deep sadness. As I read about the bloodbath in Paris on Friday and watched the body count rise, I clung to my babies and just felt numb. In the true kindness of our God and His incredible providence, our church, The Austin Stone, preached on God's plan and purposes for evil the very Sunday before the tragic events unfolded. God I know you are supposed to use evil for good but how? Why? When? I found myself whispering, "Jesus it's you, you're more, you're enough, you're better" while trying to place myself in those victims shoes. They were mothers, fathers, students, doctors, teachers... just regular old people like you and me. I just can't wrap my head around it right now but what I do know is God isn't evil and although he may allow evil to happen, He isn't the one committing it. We cannot understand God's plans if we don't understand His purposes. The greatest suffering that could ever happen, Jesus, was planned by God to save His people. He is good, He will make good of this broken, nasty world. We must hold fast to that truth and remind ourselves that this place isn't our home. When God raised Jesus from the dead he showed us that in the greatest of evils, He is accomplishing a good beyond comprehension. And just like Jesus, in the darkest moments of our lives,  the cross promises that God is good. 

If you are interested in listening to the sermon, you can find it here. I pray that you find comfort and understanding while listening. 

13 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 14 For this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself, and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. 15 For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. 16 But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. -Exodus 9:13-16


Friday, November 13, 2015

Discovery

My mom did such a great job saving special toys from my childhood that now my kids get to play with. The ticking of the wind up cuckoo clock and sound of the pull See and Say are so nostalgic! I can't wait until Lucy is old enough to get out my old Barbies and American Girl dolls. Now I am a huge proponent of modern technology and love using it to teach Ford things but one thing I love about toys from my childhood are the lack of flashing lights and annoying songs that you can't get out of your head. Parents must have been slightly more sane back in the day when they didn't have Leap Frog magnet sets randomly go off in the middle of the night and freak you out! Anyone else? One thing that Ford loves playing with at my parents house (and my aunts who have saved it too!) is a pegboard. He calls them "ice creams" and loves stacking and organizing by color...yep my little Type A. I was so thrilled when I found that Discovery Toys carried the same peg board I had growing up but better! We just got one for Ford and I can't keep him away from it. I can challenge Ford to stack tall towers, sort by color, sort by shape, and even tell Lucy about it. This toy is absolutely timeless and great for keeping your toddler busy! We got a few other fun things from Discovery Toys (see below), how did I not know about this company before now? They offer "kid powered" learning products for kids from birth through school aged (it was started by a teacher!). I love when toys can also be used in teachable moments for Ford who really thrives when he is learning. This 2 year old never ceases to amaze me with what he absorbs, learns, and picks up from everyday activities. 

I am hosting an online party where you can purchase directly from Discovery Toys. This is the perfect way to stock up on Christmas gifts that will keep your kiddos brains moving over the break and won't drive you nuts! SHOP HERE






Being the 2nd child, Lucy girl gets a lot of hand me downs, especially when it comes to toys. I got rid of a lot of baby toys and hung on to a few solid ones because I didn't want my house to be a tornado of baby stuff (eh, that didn't exactly happen). We got Lucy the Monkey See Monkey Do from Discovery Toys and girlfriend has a new BFF. She found herself in the tummy mirror yesterday and it was adorable. She's officially made this monkey her own because every square inch has been slobbered on or put in her mouth. She is very proud of her self that she can now sit up while playing!






The last thing we got from Discovery Toys is the Boomerings Activity Set. If you know anything about my husband's personality you'd know that Ford is a mini Jon, despite looking exactly about me. He wants to know how and why things work and loves to build, create, and imagine. The set is for ages 3+ so it's a little challenging for Ford but I love that! There are cards ranging in difficulty of pictures or chains he is supposed to recreate with the rings provided. I love watching him when he is super focused, he furrows his eyebrows and gets in the zone. 




Don't forget anyone on your Christmas list!


(party open until 11/20)

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