My post of the week

I am barely averaging one blog post a week... fail. Much like my blog posts dwindled in number when I was pregnant with each of my babies, it kind of feels the same way as we wait for our adoption. We have a lot going on right now in the Hart family and as much as I love sharing my life with you guys, at the end of the day I just forget or don't have the desire to write it all down. I am not sure the future of this blog but I know I will continue to use it to write about our adoption, updates on our kiddos, recap fun events or trips we go on, and highlight products I love and want to share with y'all. Bear with me as I figure out this space! I do however, update my Instagram almost daily so if you aren't following me there, do it. When I do post these random updates, they'll probably be long and.... random.

So if you do the math and have following me for a while, you'd know that Lucy Joy turns one next Wednesday. WOW! We are having her birthday party this Saturday... which speaking of... I need to get off the couch and get stuff done but it is cold and rainy and Ford is at school and Lucy is asleep so I feel obligated to the couch. I can't believe almost a year has passed since our girly was born, I am getting really excited to celebrate her! And I am sure I will have a couple posts up next week about Lucy girl. In big Lucy news, we are 48 hours into being fully weaned and it is going well. I was only feeding her in the morning for 3-5 minutes tops and cut that on Wednesday. She was fussy yesterday but we survived. I feel great about it and 0% emotional. I think that it is that way because we are on the brink of an adoption where I won't be breastfeeding and I know for a fact I won't have trouble bonding with my 3rd baby. Nursing was good bonding at the beginning but the last 6 months are hard with a squirmy, busy baby. I am really looking forward to the next chapter of Lucy's little life! Stay tuned for a birthday party post, our kiddos bluebonnet/birthday pictures, and more.

Adoption update.... we really don't have one. We did present to our first birth mother a few weeks ago and were not matched. The decision took 13 days and it was harder waiting for the decision than hearing a no. It was really good for us to present for the first time and get our nerves out of the way. We have actually been presented with quite a few cases but chose not to present because of timing/family trips but we know we haven't missed our baby. I will say that now that we've presented and been through that, I am getting very anxious to meet our baby, or just be matched. I was pregnant with Lucy when Ford turned 1 so I can already sense that same longing in my heart starting to flare up. Adoption is hard y'all but I am doing so much growing as we wait. I have zero control over the situation and I have found so much freedom in throwing my hands up in the air and saying "OK God I trust you!!!!!!". One of the hardest parts of it is not knowing if our baby is 8 months cooked, 8 weeks in the womb, or won't be conceived for 8 more months. God has given us a wonderful life with two absolute gifts of children but our hearts do long for our baby. We know He is sovereign over this adoption and pray that He continues to cover us with peace. If you could pray along side of us, we'd love that. Can you pray for our birth mama, knowing the hard and brave decision she will have to/already has made? Our hope is that we get matched while she still has a few months to go so we can love on her, walk with her, etc. Hopefully more news to come.

Jon and I are going on a weekend getaway next week... sans kiddos. I cannot wait! We went to NYC right after Ford turned 1 and it was so so good for us. A celebration of getting through a year of parenting and the chance to focus on each other.

Now what is a post without pictures? Here are some snaps from the last week...

Recent Faves

I feel like I am constantly thinking of things I want to share on my blog but not worthy of an entire blog post so today I am going to share recent favorites of a bunch of random things!

Shows
If you follow my story on Snapchat (ruthiehart1...not sure how to link), you'd know that Jon and I watch Impractical Jokers almost every night. We are addicted. Jon knows how much I love prank shows and found it the week I came home from the hospital with Lucy. It was so painful to watch post C section but we are obsessed. We were so bummed we couldn't go on the Impractical Jokers cruise earlier this year haha. We have gotten my sister and papa hooked too. It is on True TV and we like a few of the other shows on there... The Carbonaro Effect and Adam Ruins Everything. We also LOVE food shows and our favorites are Unique Sweets, Food Factory, and Food Porn.

Movies
Ever since award season started, I've kept a list in my phone of movies that I wanted to see because let's face it, being a mom of 2 young kids, I don't see movies (or ever see previews). Some of our recent faves have been Straight Outta Compton, Room, and The Intern. We watched The Big Short last weekend and it was good, very informative. Up next we want to see Burnt, Spotlight, The Danish Girl and a few others. Leave any recommendations you have!

Music
I am absolutely loving everything by Lauren Daigle lately. I have her Pandora station as one of my favorites and they play her a lot on K Love. Girlfriend has a powerful voice.

Jon listens to NGen radio all day and it is starting to catch my attention. It is a mixture of artists who aren't necessarily singing about Jesus but ARE Christians. We love LeCrea (Christian rap is cool y'all) and we have found some other awesome artists (love David Dunn It Is Well).

Food
Cheeseburger pot pie
Salted toffee chocolate pretzel bark
Mexican meatloaf
Crockpot cashew chicken

Clothing
I just ordered this flowy cami on Amazon of all places and love it! Summer temps are on their way down here and I am loving that this top can be worn with jeans and heels for a fancier look or shorts and flip flops during the day. I am kind of obsessed with anything mint colored and at $10.99, I should have bought it in all colors. This will be the first summer in 4 years that I am not pregnant or nursing so bring on all the cute summery tops!

You can buy it here. 

If you haven't been following Whoa Wait Wal Mart on Instagram, you are missing out. I've bought numerous pieces of clothing, a swimsuit, rug, kids clothes, and so many cute things for cheap. I went last week to look for a pair of flats they posted but instead came home with a black and white pair of these Dr. Scholl's flats. They couldn't be comfier and so cute!

I bravely bought a two piece swim suit for this summer. I am pretty sure I am not going to have anymore biological babies meaning hopefully my body won't randomly stretch and gain 30lbs in a short period of time. I am excited to be working out again and getting my pre baby body "back-ish". I bought this swim suit in bright pink/orange and wore it to the pool last weekend. It made me feel super tan since it was so neon (and I am paste-y white y'all).

Games
We play games almost every night when the babes go to bed and have added some new ones to our rotation. Ford played Battleship at my bible study with some of the older boys a few weeks ago and now Jon and I are playing multiple times a day. Ford loves it too! Finally Yahtzee came out with a legit app for the iPad (before it was Yahtzy...ghetto) and we love that too. We do puzzles on the ipad and also the matching game...not just for kids! Our favorite multi-player games lately are 5 second rule, Smart Ass, and Telestrations.

Random
Jamie Ivey is a pastor's wife at our church (The Austin Stone) and I am obsessed with her podcast, The Happy Hour. I know of so many of the women through blogging and it is so fun to hear their stories. They are all free, I promise you will love it!

Shutterfly is awesome y'all. We've teamed up with them the past two Christmases for our adorable Christmas cards (Tiny Prints/Shutterfly are sister companies) and now we are teaming up with them for our adoption. I plan on showing y'all our entire family profile book but just a little info....a birth mother is presented with 3-5 family profile books when choosing a forever family for her child. These are basically like scrapbooks telling about your family... how you met, children, your home, travel, extended family, etc. We needed to order 20 books and it was the biggest blessing to receive them for free from Shutterfly. Adoption is (very) expensive so every dollar saved is incredible. I love following Shutterfly on Instagram because they'll occasionally post freebies like a free mug or deck of cards.

Lucy got her first tooth last week (and her second!) and Ford is now sleeping in a big boy bed. Crazy week huh? The kids and I also got stranded in Waco after a double blow out going 75mph on I 35 on our way home from Dallas. To be honest it was one of the crappiest/scariest things that has ever happened but God sent so many angels to watch over us. This mama does not want to drive anywhere for a while. We are getting our media room finished right now and that has been cool to watch it come along. We ordered new sofa sectionals for the media room and gameroom and the kiddos had an absolute blast spending 2 hours at Rooms 2 Go. It has been gorgeous weather, some teasers of summer, so we've spent a lot of time outside. I hope to write an adoption update later this week but we have lots of Easter things coming up this week! Oh and Lucy will be 11 months on Easter, someone hold me! Sorry for the random post, thanks for reading!

My crazy driving lady a the Perot Museum in Dallas, a must visit!

Backyard water shenanigans, they both had so much fun!

Twas the week before Christmas...

....and it's 75 degrees in Texas! I feel silly always talking about the weather but it doesn't feel like Christmas is in 9 days because I am wearing shorts, playing outside, and turning our AC on. Nuts. We've been walking around our neighborhood after dinner to look at Christmas lights (the perfect bribe to get Ford to eat his dinner.... he ate tons of broccoli last night after I told him we could go look at lights) and it's been such a calm and enjoyable season thus far. Last night I said to Jon that I am sad Christmas is next week because it's truly been magical this year with Ford. And you just notice a difference in people... they are kinder, more generous, less crazy. Next week will be full of family, lots of fun outings, and even hotter temps. We haven't told Ford much about it but we go to Disney World right after Christmas so that will definitely help with the post Christmas sadness. I.CAN'T.WAIT. Ford played in fake snow yesterday, we are going to a petting zoo today, and I have a cookie swap Friday. Yesterday Ford had his preschool Christmas program and it was adorable. It's been a fun season and below is a picture dump to commemorate.

Such a big girl these days! Lucy is a solid sitter (game changer) and her hair is getting so long, she's growing too fast. And to answer the question in your head, yes she is always smiling.

My mom watched little sis one day and Ford and I went to Catch Air play land. It was awesome and so fun to spend time with my big boy.

The first weekend in December me and my girlfriends hosted the 4th annual Christmas Crafting for a Cause. We raised over $1,000 for Baptist Global Response for the Syrian Crisis, It was such a lovely (kid free) morning, my favorite every year!

Every gal needs leopard skinny jeans for church

We add a little something to our outdoor Christmas display every year and this year is a beautiful nativity set. We bought this one from Amazon and Jon added lights with a staple gun, it is gorgeous.

70s in December mean we can eat on the patio! This gorgeous view is from P Terry's Burger Bar in Lakeway.

I am basically an old lady who hates crowds and lines (yet we are going to Disney at the busiest time of year!) so we skipped the Zilker Trail of Lights and went to the Lakeway Lights On display... perfect for our little family and so close to our house. If you live in Austin, take your littles here.

She is all smiles in a swing... and always.

My 2 favorite boys... comeovers, plaid, and hands in pockets.

She is literally a DOLL baby

Headband is Thread Enthusiast, baby is adorable.

Ford looking like a stud at his Christmas Program at school!

Oh and last but not least.... last night we found a snake in our master bathroom. A SNAKE y'all. Luckily it was just a garter snake but that doesn't make it any easier to swallow. Ernie was barking in our bathroom and I figured his ball was stuck (he does this 100 times a day and it's so annoying) so I went in there and he was barking at a little snake. Jon was home but on an important presentation in his office so I was frantically texting him while sitting on my bed crying and watching the corner. Jon got it with a box and released it outside and today we have a snake and wildlife expert coming to check things out. He said it was a rare occurrence and will most likely never happen again. Talk about FREAKY.

This and That

I am getting good at the once a week picture dump and random blog post. If you didn't catch yesterday's post, we added a new little bean to our family last week. My nephew Todd Lucas! It was a slow start to our week with me battling a sinus infection but we are back in the swing of things. This week is full of delivering baby meals to new families, afternoons at the park, and decorating our house for Halloween! Ford is so funny, we got down our Halloween and Fall decorations and he is obsessed but a few of the things scare him. Jon is pretty into Halloween so we have lots of big ghost/skeleton/witch things that he hangs in the windows with lights and Ford hated them, "Mama they so scary!". I got rid of a lot of the "gross" decorations we had and we are going to stick to cutesy Halloween decor this year. He has been carrying around a little plastic Jack-O-Lantern the past few days and saying, "It's Halloween Day!". Last year I thought the holidays were really fun with him but this year is going to be even better! Next week is already October... what?! Thank Goodness I've had the babies' Halloween costumes for almost a month haha.

It's almost impossible to get a picture of both kiddos smiling at the same time so I have a ton of the same shot on my phone. These managed to come out cute!

Peanut Lady found her feet and it is the cutest thing ever. She is so vocal and full of personality, Jon told me the other day that he thought she was going to explode because she was so happy and smiling so big when he got her up from her nap. I just couldn't love her any more!

And a video of the sheer cuteness 

We live on the main road of our subdivision and the drivers are crazy. I've been wanting to get some of those neon little guys with flags to stick in the street but when my sister got one of these, I knew I had to have one. I've had so many neighbors stop me and tell me they love my sign and want to order one. I'm sure I'll be getting a letter from the HOA soon but I will fight til death to keep it up. Precious cargo people, slow down! You can order yourself a sign here. 

I know I am not the only girl mom who likes to play dress up with their little lady. We got this adorable hooded scarf hat for Lucy girl and I am craving the cold weather so I can put her in it! I think we may have to go back to the mountains this winter just so she can wear it. You can order one here (they have lots of colors!). 

Lots of family time lately and I love it. I don't think a day goes by that Jon and I don't say, "Wow our kids are freaking cute." Ford and Lucy, you are a fun little duo and we love you to pieces... until 7pm... then we need our adult time :). 

Lucy and Annabel, destined to be BFFs. Their brothers are 8 days apart and we dressed them alike 2 years ago! 

Major catch up

Warning. This post will be a whole lot of random for ya. I haven't written for over a week so I feel the need to dump my thoughts and pictures into one big post. We now have a two year old in our house in every sense of the number...it's been sweet, fun, and emotionally tiring. I love that our big Ford is independent and out spoken but man he has been giving us a run for our money with his stubborn little attitude. I feel like God gave us Lucy at the perfect time. She is seriously the happiest and sweetest little thing and when Ford has me wanting to rip my hair out, I can look at her and get a big ole smile and remind myself that Ford was just the same (and that Lucy will drive me nuts one day as well haha). I think the Lord so perfectly plans out the dynamics of your family, the ages of your children, their personalities, etc. all to compliment (and bless) each other. What's crazy is that Ford has shown us major attitude but is SO affectionate lately. Even my mom commented on it. He wants to cuddle all the time and kiss you on the mouth and hold your hands. Gosh he's cute. Speaking of cute, my dear husband let me sleep in until 9 yesterday morning (that's what having a daytime cocktail during a date will do to me) and snapped this picture of our babes relaxing. It is nearly impossible to look at Lucy and give her any sort of attention and her NOT to smile. Ford was probably locked in on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

So what has our house hold been up to lately? Well I actually left the babies overnight for the first time last week and it was wonderful. I didn't leave Ford overnight until he was 13 months old (darn you bottle strike) but again, my sweet Lucy girl will take a bottle from anyone and allowed me 24 hours away with the women I trudge alongside of in motherhood with. I want to share more about this another time but back when Ford was 3 months old I started meeting with about 5 or so women from church regularly to talk about the woes of motherhood. Well fast forward almost 2 years and we've now created a mom's group of almost 2,500 women in Austin to provide support, advice, community, fellowship, and encouragement for. God is crazy and good! Being away from my children is such a sweet rest for my mind (and my hands!). They both slept through the night, seriously Lucy is a rockstar, and Jon kept the house in tact. I love a hands on husband who didn't even bat an eye when I asked him if I could have a weekend away.

In not so new news, Lucy is always happy. How cute is this Texas onesie from Fayebeline baby? You can find them (and other states, even though Texas is the best) on Amazon!

She can also be carried on my hip nowadays and it is a life changer! I don't want to wish time away but gosh I can't wait until she can sit up in the shopping cart... that will make my grocery trips 10000 times easier. 

Ford is still obsessed with his sunglasses and a friend told me that blue eyes need extra protection from the sun so I happily oblige when he wants to wear them 24/7. I have to keep an extra pair with us all the time just in case. 

I had my annual with my OBGYN last week and although I am very happy I am not pregnant, I am sad that I won't see her for another year (I do NOT plan on getting pregnant within a year, God willing!). She is the bomb.com, I wish I could hang out with her everyday. If you are in Austin, it is Dr. Diana Wang at Austin Area OBGYN. She is so talented, you should see how small my incision is compared to how big my kids were. 

A church near our house has the most incredible indoor playground that is open to the public and we go at least once a week. Ford tends to get overwhelmed when there are a ton of kids in one area so Friday was particularly busy and he spent an hour running races with his little girlfriends. It was pretty much the cutest thing ever. 

I've been trying to get Ford more involved with me in the kitchen lately because he loves to help. He helps me unload the dishwasher and this weekend we made cookies and I let my hair down  a little and allowed him to pour almost everything in. My kitchen was a disaster but we had so much fun and he was all about licking the spoon. When he realized he was dirty he was totally over it and didn't even want a cookie because he was "too messy mama. I need to wash my hands". He is so funny. 

We dropped off the kiddos at my parents house this weekend for a couple of hours and Lucy got some cuddles with her Uncle James. He will start his junior year of HS tomorrow, what?! Ford was all about James' lacrosse stick, we may have a future lax man on our hands. 

Day dates are my favorite for a few reasons. #1 I get a break from the day to day with 2 small children and can really enjoy myself. The kids go to bed so early that I kind of don't like going out at night because that's when I already get my break! And day dates allow us to be active and be in the sun and we can continue our date into the night when the babes go down. We are trying to be intentional about doing a date every other weekend and this weekend we went to Shake Shack for lunch, hit up Peter Pan Mini golf where it is BYOB and so fun (drinking John Daly's out of a Bubba Keg!), grabbed a brownie topped donut at Gordough's, then did a few shopping errands. Whether it's 6 hours or 60 minutes, being out with my husband is medicine that my body needs. It's little things like holding hands that you don't get to do when you are carrying a diaper bag, sippy cups, and two babies. 

I don't like cats. There I said it, don't hate me. I just really don't care for them. I feel like they are always plotting a way to attack me. My mom has a cat named KD (after Kevin Durant, but the cat is a girl) and she isn't nice yet is obsessed with my mom and brother, they are always trying to talk her up. I had to get my mom these pjs when I saw them at Forever 21... hilarious!

Ford has meet the teacher this week for his pre school that starts the following week so I am getting everything ready to go! Y'all know I love to #monogramallthings so I found someone in my neighborhood to make vinyl decals for his YumBox lunchbox. And because Lucy will start food soon, I bought her one too. How cute are they? Also, I think I need a Silhouette Cameo now. Does anyone have one? Recommendations?

This Texas shirt is hands down the most comfortable and softest t shirt I own (not a joke). It is made by Utopia Graphics, a screen printing and embroidery company out of Fort Worth, TX and $8 of the $22 shirt goes to the Make A Wish Foundation of North Texas. Get one NOW!

For my fellow monogrammed obsessed friends, I am hosting a giveaway from Charlotte's Threads and you can find more info here. 

This post is getting way too long and no one has probably hung on long enough to read down here but last week I braved I35 by myself and drove to Dallas with both kiddos to spend some time with my sister before her baby boy is born in 3 weeks from Friday! I am going to dedicate a whole post to that later this week because there were some super cute pictures and videos. I promise not to be so radio silent around here. Well, I can't promise that because it seems like someone needs me at every moment of every day but hey, life is good!