Fashion Friday

This weeks Fashion Friday model is a beautiful babe named Madeleine Lyric.  Her sweet Mama, Jocelyn has a fanstastic blog of her own where she talks about life raising Maddie.  You should totally head on over there, and show her some love.  Also, if you instagram, her IG name is paperscissorsrockme.  Get on it!

A few questions for the Mama:

If you could describe Madeleine's style in one word, what would it be?   
Madeleine's style is spunky. She likes to be cute & comfortable at the same time.


Where is your favorite place to shop for Madeleine's clothes?
My favorite place to buy Maddie's clothes would be Target or BabyGap. We buy most of her accessories from Etsy.


What is your favorite piece of clothing from her wardrobe?
My favorite piece from Madeleine's wardrobe is a vintage teal and white lace party dress that I ordered from a shop on Etsy. She will be debuting it in her six month photos.

Monday

Denim romper: Koala Babies- Babies R Us

Sandals: Koala Babies- BRU

Headband: Gorgeous and Company on Etsy

Tuesday

Dress & pants: Genuine Baby from OshKosh- Target

Headband: Winterscarlett bows on Etsy

Socks: Babies R Us

Wednesday

Pink print dress: Appaman for Target- Target

Pants: Okie Dokie- gifted

Headband: Little Diva Boutique on Etsy

Thursday

Onsie: Knotty Baby Wear on Etsy

Legwarmers: Knotty Baby Wear

Headband: The Fairy Factory Shop on Etsy

Friday

Dress: Baby Gap

Boots: Old Navy

Headband: The Fairy Factory Shop

I'm in lerve!!

Have a great weekend!!!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
1 whole large peeled tomato, mashed
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 jalepeno chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth or (4 cups of water and 4 chicken boullion cubes)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 hand full chopped cilantro
tortilla chips or tostadas

Directions

Place uncooked chicken, uncooked whole unpeeled, unmashed tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, jalapenos, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and or chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.

After it has cooked take the chicken and tomato. Shred the chicken. Peel and mash the tomato. Put them back in the crock pot and cook remainder of time.

You can crumble the chips up and put them in the soup. I also put sour cream, cheddar cheese, and sliced avacodo in mine. It’s also recommended with a slice of lime.

It is delicious. I modified a recipe that used a lot of can goods. We like to eat fresh produce and aren’t big on canned stuff for the most part. You can use a can of mashed tomatoes. You can also use a can of green chilis instead of the jalapeno. Don’t be scared of the jalapeno though. It adds just the right amount of spice and we even leave the seeds in!!! Yummy yummy. It’s a good recipe to make earlier in the day if your not going to have time to make dinner at night.  It will make you want to lick the bowl.

I blinked and then...

 My infant turned into a toddler.  She is saying new words almost daily.  The list of words that she can say has nearly tripled in the last month.  And this sleep training thing gets better every night.  I'm hesitating to say we are done... (but it feels like we are there!!!)  She has slept throughout the night for the past 3 nights in a row.  For the past three mornings, I have woken up and I can't believe we have all slept straight through.  It's like a dream.
Also, Winnie used her potty tonight for the first time.  Jake and I clapped and praised her.  She got the greatest smile across her sweet little baby face.
The milestones that she has been crossing are wonderful ones.  Speaking makes everything easier because she can relay to me what she needs or wants, even with a single word.  Sleeping through the night is like an old friend that I have been reunited with (and it feels so good.)  And who misses diapers??

I still can't help but feel a sting in the back of my throat when I imagine not being able to hold her in my arms and breathe in her scent.  When she won't look at me like I am her whole world, because I won't be anymore.  It's heartbreaking.  Yet, all I want is for my daughter to thrive and grow.  I rejoice in her milestones and they burn.

I know I keep bringing it up.  I can't stop thinking about these bittersweet days.  I'm trying to enjoy every. single. moment.

Family Photo Shoot Day

One of my dear friends, Jeff and his wife Courtney stopped through on their way to visit her family.  They stayed last night and today he took some family photos of us.  It is our first family photos we have ever had taken.  I am so excited to see how they turn out!  We also had a great time just hanging out and visiting with our friends.  Jeff took some photos with his point and shoot.  Here are some of the day.

Pouty face.

Loving some pizza!!

What a great day!  I love seeing having our friends come visit.  We have had a lot of company lately and it's made my heart sing.
Also, if your reading this, let me know your out there.  I'd love to get an idea of who my readers are!  Leave a little comment and say hey.  =)

Fashion Friday

Winona does not have an endless wardrobe and so I blame that for the fact that my Fashion Fridays have been lacking or completely absent lately.  I am going to be trying something new and have a great lineup of fashionable babies for Fashion Friday.
Meet 10 month old Ruby.  This little Irish cutie knows a thing or two about fashion!!  (So does her Mama, Claire!)  I just can't get enough of her.  Seriously, have you ever seen such an adorable baby?

Monday

Top: Baby Gap

Dress: Mothercare

Leggings: Zara

Socks: Next

Amber necklace: Amber Pumpkin

Tuesday

Top: Baby Gap

Denim Romper: Zara

Babylegs

Socks: Tesco

Wednesday

Hat: Gifted

Top: Marks and Spencer

Leggings: Okaidi

Thursday

Top: Zara

Leggings: Mothercare

Socks: Trumpette

Headband: TK Maxx

Friday

Top: H&M

Dress: Next

Diaper: Tots Bots

Babylegs

Also, if you instagram, you should follow her Mama, Claire.  Her IG name is kawaiigirl79.

Sleep Training Continues

Yes. The week and a half that it was supposed to take to wean Winona from night nursing has taken us much longer. Matter of fact, it is still happening. It is this last step that we can't quite get. We are having a hard time sticking with this one.
The first step was 3 nights of giving Winona boob every time she woke up fussing but not letting her fall asleep nursing. It was hard and Jake really stepped it up and helped me out big time. It was difficult letting someone else tend to her crying in the night. However, she won't let me do anything but nurse her. We extended step one to five nights.
The next step was not nursing Winona when she woke up at all. I still nurse her to sleep initially but when she wakes up and nuzzels for my breast she doesn't get it. Jake has had to dance and bounce her back to sleep. We are really still on this step and it's been about a week. It has gotten better and she falls asleep much easier. I think she is starting to get used to the fact that she isn't getting breastfed.
So he step that we are having the hard time with... When she cries we are supposed to just let her lay there and cry. It isn't working for us. Now I'm not condemning those who choose methods of sleep training like CIO (cry it out.). Different things work for different families. That was not for us and now it is still hard to just listen to her cry and not pick her up. I know that all her needs are met and she can't possibly be frightened but I can't stand it!! We have full intentions of moving to the third and final step. We are just letting her (ourselves) adjust more to step two and ease into it. We will see now it goes. Btw, please excuse the typos as I am posting from my iPhone.

Week in IG

Richard Scarry Braaiins Yum

Grandma shoes!!! I heart. Hand holdin' I'll hide inside your shadow

Red okra Baby breakfast.  Yogurt, berries, and toast with honey. Baby enjoying breakfast.

  Strawberry and cashew butter sammich Carrying her chair around the yard Swirlie okra

 Rock n Roll Reason #35646 why I hate cleaning the bathroom.  I chipped my nail polish. Trying to unlock the child safety with a stick?

 Roller coaster riding in the backseat! Poastal pix came in today!!  Cooool!!! Hanging out with happy baby Magnolia.

Playing in the sprinkler... naked AGAIN. My beautiful teething necklace made by my friend Elizabeth. Nom nom nom.

 Over the heat.  Ready for fall. Ready for paintball wars! Relaxin'

Night time routine. Yo Gabba Gabba Catching up on some reading.