Phayre // 11 Month Update

Well folks, it's one month until one!  Our sweet Phayre Golda is eleven months old (well she was on June 30th).  I'll be honest, I'm a total wreck over my baby turning one.  I feel like I was pregnant two weeks ago and I should have a tiny baby asleep in my arms right now.  Time is an ass hole a jerk and just keeps ticking away too quickly.  I've always wished that I could be that mom that loves each new phase and gets excited about it.  I'm just not that mom and I'm positive I'll never be that mom.  I LOVE the baby phase and want my babies to stay tiny forever.  I cry with every milestone and dread all of the changes.  I feel jealous every time I walk passed a pregnant woman or a new mother with her newborn... isn't that weird?  It is weird and I can't believe I feel that way, but I  just do.  I have major baby fever, but not because I want another baby.  I just want to do this entire year over with Phayre.  She is truly the sweetest baby, so easy going and happy.  I wish I could hang on to her babiness forever and ever.  And ever and ever and everrrrrr.

Alright alright, enough whining!  Like I said, our little Phayre Bear is quite possibly the sweetest and easiest baby of all time.  If I were promised more Phayre babies, I would probably have ten more.  I'm pretty sure I said that last month, but I said I would have five more.  Well, I'm so obsessed with her I upped it to ten ;).  She is always happy and smiling and is very much a people person.  She is just getting over a double ear infection and we are so so happy to have our happy girl back.  She is becoming SUCH a mama's girl.  She prefers me over anyone and I secretly love it.  Ok maybe not so secretly love it :).  She says mama, dada, and baba.  Oh and she loves to scream and screech... like all the time.  But she's so excited and cute when she does it, nobody minds.  She is crawling very quickly, pulling herself up, getting into everything, and has stood on her own a few times!  She's become very opinionated with food, which isn't my most favorite thing about her ;).   She takes two good naps a day and usually sleeps from 8pm to 7:30-8am (her sleeping through the night is something I do love about her).

Phayre loves to clap her hands and pat her mouth when she's yelling.  She gives huge open mouthed kisses and if I could find a way to bottle them up I would.  Last month she cut four teeth in a week and hardly fussed!  She has four teeth on the top and two on the bottom, the ones on the top haven't come down all the way so they look like little hippo teeth (I love them!!).  She weighs twenty pounds and I have some nicely toned arms to show for it.

We just love our sweet girl so much.  She's quickly turning into a toddler and shedding her babiness, but we are just so so happy we get to go along for the ride.  Phayre is like this bright light, always smiling and engaging with others.  So, happy eleven months little Phayre Golda!  The countdown to your first birthday is on and we are going to celebrate the shit out of you!

Fourth of July Fun!

Holidays just keep getting better and better as the girls get older.  We had an incredible, family filled Fourth of July weekend and I'm totally sad it's already over.  I am so so thankful for all of the memories we made though!  Aren't holidays with kids just so much better?  I love seeing Sloan's excitement and making memories with my babes.

Phayre's  romper and  bonnet.

We started our weekend off by boating and I'm positive we brought half of the sand from the beach home with us (most of which ended up in Phayre's diaper).  Sloan dug in the sand while Phayre splashed on the shore.  And of course we floated on Mr. Swan!  At the end of the day, we raced home and dropped the boat off so that we could go celebrate a friends birthday.  It was a full and perfect day.

Girl's bows by  Zozu Baby.

On Fourth of July we went to our local city park for a festival and parade.  Sloan caught candy and waved at everyone in the parade while Eric and I ate our weight in fried food (and beer :)).  The girls ran and crawled around a field and we saw so many friends.  It was an absolute blast!  We ended the day with a few fireworks and another barbecue.  It was so full and so fun and took an entire day to recover from.

And let's be honest, Fourth of July outfits are sooooo good.   I love me some red, white, and blue.  So, the girls wore no less than five Fourth of July outfits :).

Gingham Bow by Emmy's Pretties.  Dress by Cute Heads.

While I usually drag my feet when it comes to time and the girls getting older, I do get excited thinking about next year when both of my girls will be running together!  So thankful for family days and good memories!

Xo

Marisa

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Summer adventures

We have been hit hard lately with summer sicknesses.  First a virus and now Phayre is getting over a double ear infection.  We are all finally on the mend and I have never been more crazy with the hand sanitizer.  Hoping we can have a fun and healthy summer from here on out.  Taking care of sick kiddos is exhausting and I feel like we've had a pretty bad case of cabin fever these past few weeks.  Now that both girls are feeling better, we've been out and about and checking items off of our summer bucket list!

One of the things I wanted to do this summer was visit new parks and splash pads in and around Portland.  Sloan is a total playground junkie, girlfriend could spend all day climbing and swinging.  I packed the girls up this week and headed to a new park and it was just what the doctor ordered!  The girls sat and played together and then we enjoyed a picnic lunch.  The girls were all over each other, a total love fest... I wondered if I was there just to haul all the stuff around ;).  Sloan ran around the playground and then I pushed the girls on the swings until we were thirty minutes past nap time.  It was so fun!

So I may have been living under a rock, but we've never owned an outdoor blanket.  We spend all summer at parks and splash pads and I have always just brought a regular blanket.  We use it, wash it, use it, wash it... Which is great because I just LOVE more laundry #not.  We just started using the JJ Cole outdoor mat and I'd like to know where it's been all my life?!  It's waterproof and really easy to wipe off.  It also folds up really small and has a handle so it's easy to transport.  Ya'll know I love to match and coordinate, so I had to have the coordinating diaper bag.  I've been using the JJ Cole Satchel bag and it's so spacious.  It has lots of pockets and I love the stroller attachments that are included.

I so encourage you to find new parks with your kiddos and get out and about, it's nice to change up your scenery.  And whatever you do, do not forget the outdoor blanket!!  That thing is a major time saver!  Summer will come and go before we know it, let's all make the most of it!

Xo

Marisa

I partnered with JJ Cole on this post, all opinions expressed are 100% my own!

Our Favorite Bow Shops

One of my most favorite things about having girls is all the bows!  I have been buying bows since Sloan was in my belly and we have acquired quite the collection.  I get asked all the time on social media which bow shops are our favorites so I thought I'd share a few today.  You really can't beat a handmade bow, the options are endless and there's a hard working mama behind the bow!  Call me a bow snob, but I so appreciate a handmade bow (and it's all I put on my girls)!

These are just a few of our favorites, but there are so many other amazing shops!  If you have a favorite, please share in the comments below.  I always love finding new shops!

A Little Lady Shop

This has been one of my most favorite bow shops since Sloan was a baby.  Shop owner Marie creates the most timeless bows and the "little lady" style is one of my most favorites ever.

A Little J and K

As a girl mom times two, Karissa caters to the girliest of girls.  She creates fun sparkly sequin bows and super dainty hand tied bows.  The dainty "Koko" bows are one of my favorites!

Beck and Belle

If sparkles are your thing, head to Beck and Belle right now!  Molly makes the cutest bows out of sparkly glitter fabric.  She is also my go to for fun holiday headbands (think reindeer antlers and bunny ears!).

Sometimes it really sucks to be the little sister ;).

Emmy's Pretties

Molly has the cutest fabrics and her "Elizabeth" style bow is one of my all time faves.  She has a lot of great fabric choices which change out each season.  And you didn't hear it from me, but she has some really killer sales!  

Fancy Free Finery

The most whimsical felt flower headbands you've EVER seen.  Katie is like a felt wizard and seriously creates the most beautiful headbands and decor items.  I am dying to own some of her new summer colors!

Gugu Baby Boutique

While Brittani may be known for her classic fabric bows, I cannot get enough of her Minnie ear bows!  They are seriously a must for every little girls next trip to Disney!

Little Kate Designs

Leather and glitter oh my!  Tonya makes some of the cutest bows around, I seriously love everything in her shop.  Sloan and I have been wearing her braided leather headbands for years and probably have one in every color!

Loved By Sophia Claire

Lexi creates little dainty bows that are a staple in our weekly bow rotation.  They come in every color imaginable and you can get matching paci clips!  Also-I always refer pregnant mamas looking for newborn bows, perfect for little noggins.

Miss Ruby Locks

Julianne is probably the biggest fabric hoarded EVER.  She offers simple cotton bows in hundreds of prints.  From solids, to florals, to holiday prints, and everything in between.  Miss Ruby Locks has you covered.

Ryan and Wren

Hands down the best snap clips (that stay in the whispiest of hairs) come from Mary of Ryan and Wren, but they have super cute headbands too!  These are some of the first clips that Sloan wore when she FINALLY starting getting hair.  I'm serious, the best for whispy baby hairs!!

The Splendid Bow

Alex of The Splendid Bow shop makes heirloom quality bows in some of the very best fabrics.  Her liberty of London collection is UHHmazing (if florals are your thing!).  Her bows are one of my biggest obsessions, I wish we owned them all!

Willow Crowns

If you're not following Megan on Instagram, you're seriously missing out.  Her feed and style are beautiful, the bows, lace crowns, and flower crowns she makes are just a major bonus!  Sloan wore one of her flower crowns on her third birthday and I cannot get over how beautiful it is!

Zozu Baby
One of my current obsessions are dalmatian spots and Sandy makes the absolute cutest dalmatian print bow in all the land!  She makes a few different styles of bows in fun fabrics and I love them all (the zoey bow style is my all time fave).  Sandy's summer fabrics have been on point and I can't get enough of her two toned bows, these have definitely been my go to bows lately!

These are shops that I've purchased from for years now, and I adore all of the hard working mama's behind these shops!  I actually started writing this post months ago and am just now coming back to it... I've recently discovered a few more shops that are definitely worth mentioning...  Elle Bowtique (lace, lace, and more beautiful lace!), Loopy Loo Bows (perfect basic bows, but some delicious florals as well), Mag and Mae Co (perfect hand-tied bows), Ellia May Designs (every print imaginable-I love the sailor style!), and The C Shoppe (super simple and sweet felt flowers, love them).

I hope this helps when you're looking for that perfect bow!  There are so many different styles, you're sure to find something perfect.  And please comment below if you have a favorite bow shop so I can check them out!

Xo

Marisa