pier francis turns two!

Last weekend we celebrated our Pier Francis turning TWO.  Wasn't it just yesterday we were celebrating his first? And bringing him home from the hospital? I can hardly believe it.

We did birthday presents and cake a day early because Brad had to work on Pier's actual birthday, but it ended up being the most perfect, simple day.  For the past month I had been teaching Pier how old he is and how on his birthday he will eat cake and open gifts.  He's been SO excited for birthday cake and to blow out his candles.  It's those little things that make my heart melt as a mama.  

I tried my best to make his cake special (because, guys, just look at the excitement on his face!), but being so pregnant mistakes were bound to happen right ;)...I forgot to add sugar to cake number 1 and cake attempt number two resulted in an under baked creation.  At least I tried to make it pretty with mint and flowers from our garden?  Pier helped me decorate! Then we had a laid back pizza dinner with our dear friends the Archuals and their three kids.  We roasted s'mores in our backyard and played with Pier's new birthday toys and simply enjoyed watching our kids be kids.  My kind of birthday party!

Happy birthday, my Pier Francis.  You are so full of life and love and joy.  You are smart and curious and cautious.  You love trucks and building big towers more and more everyday.  You give the wettest kisses and the sweetest shy smiles.  My favorite word you say is "crocodile" and my favorite things to do together is dancing, cooking, and watering the garden.  Watching you discover the world is one of my greatest joys as your mother.  Just one look in those big blue eyes and I'm a goner.  I'm thankful for all that you've taught me these past two years.  I hope I can be the mama you deserve because I love you more than I knew was possible.  

hospital bag packing list

There's only two (ish) more weeks until I hit my due date, which means it's about time for a hospital bag blog post to head your way. I'm getting antsy for my little getaway (otherwise known as the hospital).  Is it just me or do parents with kids look forward to the hospital stay more than anything?!  Normally I'm not the biggest fan of places with florescent lights and needles, but the more I think about it, the more I'm looking forward to my hospital stay this time around....Like it's an oasis with food delivery, bed rest, SILENCE, and cable...basically a vacation right?!

I think keeping a bag packed beforehand adds to the excitement and anticipation that is the final weeks of pregnancy.  I'm also a big time planner (and childbirth is one of those things that never goes as planned), so having a hospital bag "just in case" keeps me sane.  Is there anything you bring that's a must have in your postpartum hospital bag?  Here's what I came up with for baby #2: 

| for mama |

  • rosewater | If you know me you know I'm addicted to this stuff. I put it in a spray bottle and spritz it here and there and everywhere.  It makes me feel refreshed and feminine...even if it's just for a few seconds of my day ;).
  • dry shampoo (I don't have a favorite...I actually think I'm going to make my own, recipe found here)
  • comfy and cute (that's important) robe
  • dwell + slumber gown | I bought one of these for early on in my pregnancy and I'm in loveeee...Will most likely be living in this the entire time.
  • pajama set
  • dr. bronner's lotion
  • EO linen spray | I make my own using water, witch hazel, and a few drops of lavender oil.  You can use one of these bottles to store it in.  I like to spray it on my pillow before I go to sleep and I've found it's a simple way to calm my mind before bed. 
  • chapstick
  • blanket + pillow | you're going to want your own bedding...hospitals aren't hotels, ha!
  • nursing friendly going home outfit | Something you feel yourself in.  My pick is this beauty.
  • shoes | a pair of flip flops for the shower and a pair of shoes for going home in are all I plan on bringing 

| for recovery |

Mainly this is a nursing related list...those first few weeks of breastfeeding were brutal for me whenever I had Pier, so I'm going to be more prepared this time around!  

  • soothing gel pads
  • snacks | a few gotos: freeze dried fruit, granola, sea-salt chocolates (duhhh), mixed nuts, and lactation bars.  I'm crossing my fingers we get the suite with a fridge so I can have some fresh fruit on hand. 
  • diffuser + lavender essential oils 
  • nursing pads
  • nursing salve | this is a new one on my list...I wasn't crazy about the lanolin cream they gave me in the hospital, so I'm excited to try this out!
  • postnatal vitamins | these are the ones I like
  • water bottle | the hospital provides you with one already, but I'm terribly high maintenance when it comes to drinking water. I have an emotional attachment to insulated water bottles because it keeps my cold drinks cold and my hot drinks hot.
  • bottom spray | ahhh...for the more glamorous side of childbirth ;)

| for baby | 

The hospital provides everything you could possibly need for your baby.  They don't need much! 

| extras |

  • brad's stuff | don't forget about dad!  Extra bag of clothes, blanket and pillow, and toiletries for him
  • technology stuff | camera, phones, computer and chargers.  I was so enamored by new motherhood that I kind of forgot to take nice photos of Pier in the hospital.  We have a few, but not many...they're only that tiny once!  I'm going to try to make more of an effort this time around. 
  • prayer stuff | I'll leave my Bible and prayer books at home.  Hospitals aren't really conducive for leisurely reading.  I'm most likely just going to bring my rosary and use a few prayer apps on my phone. 
  • weekender bag | to pack it all in!

third trimester update

Hi friends! I just wanted to take a quick moment to give you a (very scatterbrained) third trimester update from me and little girl.  We're at 35 weeks this week...meaning I have only five-ish weeks left before life gets a whole lot crazier! 

The texts and messages I've been getting to ask how I've been doing have been such a bright spot in my days.  Y'all are seriously the sweetest.  Honestly, the third trimester has been a bit more difficult than I remember it being with Pier.  The main problem this time is lack of sleep -- the insomnia is not messing around this pregnancy!  I probably get 3 hours of sleep a night.  Somehow I'm still able to function and keep up with a certain rambunctious toddler so I'm grateful I haven't been a walking zombie.  But still! Sleep is the greatest thing in life and I hope I can take advantage of getting a full night in every now and then before we enter newborn land.

Crazy heartburn, braxton hicks, and pregnancy mask are also typical for me 3rd trimester symptoms.  This go round I've had not one but two UTI's which is about as fun as it sounds.  If you've never had one before, it's basically when your bladder feels like the pits of Mordor.  So yes, cranberry juice has been my drink of choice as of late. 

(Ok, after reading all of that over I'm realizing that pregnancy updates sound more like complaining updates so how about the good stuff!)

The baby kicks are so strong and getting stronger every day (or in her case, night, because she regularly wakes me up at 2 a.m. with her ballerina moves).  She's a dancing queen I tell you what!  Pier has also been so sweet and constantly asks to "see baby".  And when he wants to see baby he wants to see baby now....which is only difficult when I'm out in public and he tries to lift my dress and then I tell him that's not appropriate and he has a tantrum screaming "SEE BABBBYYYY" and everyone either sympathizes or gives me nasty looks.  Ah, the joys of teaching toddlers social etiquette. I've also crossed the "you have your hands full milestone" of parenthood, meaning that strangers like to tell me daily that I have my hands full with said toddler and gigantic baby bump.  I didn't think I would get comments like that this early on in the parenting game.  Like, what are they going to say when I have my very own Sound of Music dream team of seven?!  

Isn't that photo bomber the cutest!

Ok, I read all the good stuff over again and even the good stuff sounds like complaints. Which is making me laugh because my 3rd trimester has not been that bad, I promise.  I'm actually going to miss being pregnant.  My favorite part is eating all the tacos I want and not worry about having a food baby afterward because there's a real baby to hide it.  I also love having my very own bowl shelf when I eat my ice cream.  It's very convenient. 

I'm trying to think what else would interest you....oh cravings!  Well you may or may not be interested in pregnancy cravings but I'll tell you mine anyway.  Ice cream is forever number 1.  Watermelon and cantaloupe are tied for number 2.  I think I've eaten an entire watermelon in one sitting multiple times this pregnancy.  And my third biggest craving is ice.  Yep.  Maybe it's something about having summer babies (bless you pregnant mamas with June/July/August due dates) but ice is my favorite thing lately.  It's cold and refreshing and the perfect snack (also my doctor husband thinks I'm anemic, but I assure him that this is a very common pregnancy 3rd trimester thing). 

That's all I got.  I apologize for the complete lack of coherency but that's just how my life is looking these days, guys.  Please keep me and baby girl in your prayers!  Sending y'all so much love. 

 

 

 

life lately

OUR MAY IN PHOTOS

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May has been the sweetest (and fastest!) month.  I don't know if you heard but we went on a little vacation last week ^.  It was glorious and much needed.  Pier is currently sick with some virus and I am feeling very much 34 weeks pregnant, so we're still in post-vacation recovery mode over here.  In the meantime I'll just be daydreaming of the blue Michigan water and fudge shops aplenty to keep me going.

Excuse the Martha Washington hair I'm rocking in that last photo...the wind was not my friend that day.

The rest of our May has been filled with farmer's market saturdays, nature hikes, and gardening.  The gardening is a new hobby for the Fossiers.  Brad and Pier worked all day long on Mother's Day to make my gardening dreams come true!  I have the worlds brownest thumb, but so far nothing has died so I think we're doing ok.  We also read The Secret Garden as a family and it gave us the push we needed to go all in with this gardening thing.  It's already been so much fun to do together and I'm hopeful we'll get better at it year after year.

Hope your May has been lovely as well.  
And I can't believe it's almost baby month guys! 

 

mackinac island | part two

Here's part two of our Mackinac Island trip! (If you missed part one you can see it HERE).  All good things must come to an end.  Yes, even vacations. And I think I will be dreaming about this particular one for years to come.  After exploring Mackinac for the week, it's safe to say it will now hold a spot as one of my favorite family vacations ever.  It wasn't perfect weather, and I wasn't always feeling like myself thanks to third trimester symptoms, but I don't really think that's what I'll remember whenever I look back on our vacation.

I will remember the look of excitement on my sons face when he saw a boat for the first time...I'll remember holding hands with my husband on our anniversary while trying to navigate riding a bike despite a huge baby bump getting in the way...I'll remember the chocolate fudge smeared on my clothes from sticky toddler hands and the sugar rush that comes afterward.  The crystal blue water, the cotton-candy sunsets, and the breathtaking seaside architecture -- that's what I'll remember.  It was a much-needed dreamy week in paradise spent with the people I love most in the world.    

 

When Brad and I planned this trip out, our goal was to relax.  No tours, no major sight-seeing...just hanging out and spending time together.  We both needed it big time! A few highlights included walking around the famous Grand Hotel grounds, seeing Pier play in the manicured gardens, and taking in the fanciness of it all.  We lucked out with really lovely weather in the evenings (most days it rained all morning long), so we took advantage by spending our afternoons outdoors.  

Another favorite trip takeaway was our eight mile bike ride around Mackinac State Park -- a paved trail that circles you around the entire island.  It was one of my favorite memories of our time together. We went first thing in the morning, so the weather did not corporate with us (cough cough COLD and RAIN), but it didn't matter.  I quickly recognized that Mackinac had a different type of beauty to offer us in its overcast moments.  Halfway through our bike ride we picnicked right along the water and taught Pier how to skip rocks.  He was basically in toddler-heaven.

Despite the frostbite, I couldn't stop smiling the entire morning -- it was Pier's first bike ride and I was loving every second gliding along the coast with my family.  There's something relaxing about seaside towns that I just love.  I immediately daydream I'm in a Jane Austen novel and it makes me giddy.  I also learned that morning that pregnant Emily can't do all the things non-pregnant Emily can do.  By the afternoon, I got super sick from dehydration and we had to miss out on our fancy anniversary dinner! But it all turned alright in the end.  Dr. Brad took excellent care nursing his wife back to health and we had an indoor picnic of cheese, crackers, and fruit for dinner.  Making memories, guys, making memories. 

 

I have to mention one last thing about Mackinac Island weather.  Every now and then we had an opportunity to go jacket-less, but let's just say it was FREEZING most of the time.  We were absolutely not prepared for the wind, rain, and cold.  Poor little Pier has outgrown all of his winter weather clothes and only has two sweaters from the spring that still fit him.  Thankfully there are gift shops around every corner in Mackinac, so we got him a souvenir fleece-lined wind-breaker that he wore the entire trip.  These photos crack me up though because he wore the same thing basically every day...and we layered his pajamas and other clothes I brought underneath. If you look closely in our pictures you can probably see his pjs sticking out from his pants and it makes me lol.  I quickly learned that lots of wardrobe creativity had to happen for the cold-blooded Fossiers to be able to survive a week in northern Michigan. 

Hey Brad Fossier, when can we go back?! I vote tomorrow.  If Mackinac Island is on your bucket list, don't hesitate to go.  It's 100% worth it.  (And don't forget your jacket!)