The Name Game Part I: Blog Name Change

So....I changed the name of the blog. It took FOREVER to do. Honestly, I was thinking about changing the name of my blog last summer. I LOVED my old blog name (Imperfectly Thinking Outloud),but it just didn't feel right. It was unique, and was special to me  as my wedding song was "Thinking Outloud" by Ed Sheeran. We chose the song before it became SUPER popular mind you haha. But....the variation of the song title just didn't seem like the right name for my blog.

So, last summer (when I was pregnant with our second child) I started thinking of new names for the blog. I just needed a change. I was thinking of something with some form of the following words: honest, simple, true, or free. I really wanted the name to reflect who I was/am in the truest sense. But-- unfortunately, I was pretty sick the first trimester of my second pregnancy, and had absolutely no energy to do anything but take care of myself and Addison, so renaming and reworking the blog was put on hold. Heck-- even writing was put on hold. I didn't intend to put off writing this long, but such is life haha. My priorities were definitely limited last Summer, Fall and Winter, but for a good reason :)

Well, fast forward to a few weeks ago, and I decided that I wanted to get back into writing blog posts again. I had missed it, and was ready to set aside some time. I love writing about my life, and what I missed even more than writing about it was reading about it. Yes-- that does seem narcissistic haha. But, I missed reading what I was up. I missed how I would chronicle Addison's accomplishments and the daily events of my life. I didn't want to miss that opportunity with Eilis, so I decided to get back to it.

Before I wrote any new posts, however, I wanted to make a few changes. Obviously I wanted to rename the blog, but I also wanted to change the format/design. Changing the format/design was easy. I went to Etsy (where I purchased my template the last time), and chose a style that I liked. It was SUPER easy to change my old template out, and then I was almost good to go. I was tossing around a few names, and I was getting really frustrated. I was trying to be quirky, but myself, unique but not too crazy. I was seeking advice from various blogs on "How to name your blog"  and nothing was clicking. I am not a super creative person, and it was taking a toll on me.

Finally, with the help of my family and husband, I decided to keep things simple (pun intended) because that's my life. It's simple. I live in a small New England town, I am a school teacher, I have two beautiful girls, and I am married to an amazing guy who puts up with all my *$#@ AND always somehow gets me to laugh when I am mad at him. I like to decorate, but I am terrible at it. I buy lots of unnecessary things at places like Home Goods and Michaels (seriously-- Michaels has some really cute stuff now), but I don't really have the room/space to use them. I get cranky and annoyed at the littlest things. But-- my needs and wants are simple (or at least I think so haha--- if you asked my husband I'm sure he would say otherwise 😉).

Beyond just living simply, I also wanted to keep my blog simple. While I would love to be someone who could direct you to a great sale, how to create a DIY item, find the perfect wedge, or test out the best hair products, I am just not that person. I tried to do that in my earlier blogging days, and those posts are ridiculously funny. It's just not me. My wardrobe is simple, I hate shoes (yes-- I hate having to get new shoes), I have no creativity and I almost always find out about a sale AFTER I have purchased something at that store (except this week when I scored BIG time at Carters.com haha but that was pure chance). Therefore, "simple" is a perfect way to describe my life.

Finally, I wanted to personalize the blog and  honor my daughters, so their names (nicknames) were added to the title as well. And thus became "The Simple Life with Addie and Ellie."

I am really excited for this new/old journey to begin, and I want to thank you so much for reading!

~K

{Update on Life: New Blog Name, New Baby, Same Old Me}

Hello again! It's been too long-- eight months to be exact ha. A LOT has changed since my last post. Addison learned how to crawl, she turned one, she learned how to walk, started to really show her personality, and can talk your ear off. But the biggest news of all, she became a big sister! That's right-- Jim and I welcomed our second daughter, Eilis Kate, on February 22, 2017. Eilis Kate was 7 lbs 9 oz and 20.5 inches, and has been such an amazing addition to our family. 

       

I wish I had taken more pictures to document my pregnancy, but I only took a few this time around! Things were DEFINITELY different than when I was pregnant with Addison-- chasing around a toddler while nine months pregnant is no joke! 

The only pregnancy pictures from this time around! 

              

Pregnancy announcement and gender reveal :) 

Baby M2 Ultrasound Pictures 

Now, I have so many posts that I want to do ----explanation of the new blog name, pregnancy overview, Addison update, Eilis' birth story, meaning behind Eilis' name, and so much more. This blog means so much to me, and I can't wait to document everything about my little family. I have already enjoyed going back and reading what Addison was doing this time last year. I can't wait to write stories about Eilis now too!

I have so many motherhood stories to share/vent about, and even though I know that I am not JUST a mother, it is what defines my life right now. I want to provide the best snapshot of my life as I can. The days are going by quickly and anyone who knows me knows that it is difficult for me to stop and enjoy the daily moments. I wish I could, I really do, but it's not in my nature haha. So--- if I can keep up with the blog, I can go back and relish in the small moments of my life. 

Anyways--a little one needs a bath, I need to shower, and my eldest will need to be picked up from daycare soon so I have to get going :). Real life coming atcha haha. I will try to update on a consistent basis, and it will primarily entail my ramblings of daily life. Get ready for it ;) haha.  

Thanks for stopping by! 

{Addison Lynne: 7 & 8 Month Update}

So somehow I thought that because I was home this summer, I would have a lot of time to blog and actually keep up with it. Truth is, I did have a lot of time to blog. Another truth, I was horrible at managing my time this summer haha. What did I choose to do? Sleep in, relax, enjoy time with Addison, spend time at my grandparent's pool, and obsessively clean my house. Also, if I didn't already know that I thrive on a schedule, I would have definitely figured that out this summer. I felt like a slacker so much one week that I actually used my school planner and made a plan for myself that week (i.e. what I was supposed to do each day!) It actually helped me so much and I felt very accomplished. Of course that may be because I was able to cross items off once I finished them haha. 

Anyway, this summer has been particularly special for me because of the time I have been able to spend with Addison. I am truly lucky that I was home with her to experience all of the changes she has made over the last two months. While she is almost 9 months at this point (I WILL get better about this haha! I also need to start working on her baby book-- I probably should get that done before she is a year old huh?), here are some highlights from month 7 and 8!

Likes/Loves: 

She still loves her jumper and all of the toys on it-- she is starting to turn around on her own and it is so cute to see her reaction when she has discovered a "new" toy haha. Since I have been home, she has also LOVED to sleep on me for her naps. And, I know I need to break her from it before I go back to school, but I mean it is probably one of my favorite things! 

Little miss has also found her flexibility-- honestly, I think she will either be a gymnast or as my dad says (or prays) a hockey goalie ;)

She has been doing SO WELL with eating the pureed food, and we have even started to give her little puffs, bread (when we are at restaurants haha), and other soft items. She is still not sure about picking up the food and putting it in her mouth, but we are working on it! 

She is still happy whenever there is music playing, and her favorite radio station is still Disney Children's Radio on Pandora. Honestly, as soon as she is fussy, we just put that music on and she is a happy camper! 

She has found a love for her swing again-- particularly when she needs to fall asleep. It's great to be able to get some work done while she is taking her naps :) And it doesn't hurt that she is so freaking cute in it while she sleeps! 

She LOVES to give kisses and hugs, and thankfully still loves to cuddle. She has also started to notice things like earrings and jewelry or anything shiny-- we have to be careful haha! 

Addison still loves her bath time-- she still splashes a ton and just has so much fun in the water. She has also loved swimming in my grandparent's pool this summer-- and I have had so much fun watching her. Her kicks are pretty strong, and I wouldn't be surprised if next year she just starts to take off! We have had to be extra careful with her contact, so she has been wearing these super cute goggles (well they look more like sunglasses). 

She has also begun to notice the other babies in my family-- my cousin's son Noah and my sister's son Connor. She has this really curious look on her face when she looks at either of them and it is so cute! 

She still loves car rides, or I assume she loves the car ride haha. She still falls asleep as soon as the car gets going. As soon as the car stops though, you can bet her little eyes pop right open. 

Dislikes: 

Ugh-- THE PATCH!! The patch has become her nemesis. She even figured out how to take it off this month.....oy.... When the doctor told us she would be used to the patch and be less likely to try to take it off because she has had it on since she was a baby I didn't believe her. And I still don't haha. Addison is one smart cookie and I knew she would figure it out haha. 

She is starting to like going in the pack-in-play to play with her toys. It took her a while to figure out what to do in there, but I think she is getting the hang of it. The first few times we put her down in there she started to cry immediately-- I felt so bad! But after a few reassuring words, she started to grab the toys. 

Sometimes she wakes up from her nap a little rough, and honestly I think it's because she has a hard time adjusting her eye (she usually has a patch on). She can really only see within arms reach with her contact, and I know sometimes it can be difficult for her to focus. Her doctor told us that she might be getting glasses sooner rather than later, and while part of me is sad about that, part of me is excited for her. With the glasses, Addison will be able to see items further away. 

Sleeping

Addison has been a sleeping champ (I probably just jinxed it haha). We still put her to bed around 8:30 and Jim wakes her up around 6:30. We both will have a rude awakening in two weeks when our early schedule starts again. I have to leave my house around 6:20-- so ya that should be fun! 

Addison has been using the hospital provided pacifiers--Soothies-- but a few weeks ago we decided to try to transition her to the MAM pacifiers. The Soothies can be dangerous for babies once they can move the pacifier around/ flip it around, so we opted to switch. Well, little miss did not like the MAM pacifiers AT ALL!! So, we decided to get rid of the pacifiers. Thankfully, Addison only really took the pacifier when she needed to nap or sleep, so the transition wasn't terrible, but it wasn't easy either. I found it challenging the first few nights when we put her to bed because we had to figure out other ways to comfort her without the pacifier. Now, she does really well without it and I am actually glad we were able to remove that so quickly. 

Eating

Addison is a pretty good eater, when she wants to eat haha. She definitely knows when she is hungry and has done really well with solid food so far. One thing that has been tough is that after I feed her solid foods, she usually only drinks about 1 oz of formula and I usually have to feed her the rest of it about 30 minutes later. I hope this isn't an issue when I go back to work-- I don't want the sitter, my mom, and my grandmother to be busy feeding her all day. It reminds me of when she was a newborn and would cluster feed! 

Sometimes I wonder if I am doing it all wrong. I know quite a few people that have done/ are doing baby-led weaning and I don't know what is better. I know that for convenience purposes, I have found that pureed food has been easier for me to pack and bring on the go. But then I also feed bad that I am doing things that are "easier" for me, but may not be the best option for Addison. Man, it is hard. 

Playing

Addison has been doing so well playing with her toys and is so curious with anything that makes a noise, plays music, or lights up. She still loves her jumper, and as I mentioned above, has started to play in her pack-in-play. I do think I need to get her a few more sophisticated toys from home-- my grandparents have some of the cutest little things that are a little more advanced than the toys I have at home haha. 

I would say, though, that her favorite times are when we play with her. This little one loves interacting with us and knowing that we are right there with her :) 

Firsts/Major Changes: 

• Transitioning from sitting up to laying down
• Standing with support 
• Sits on her own for a long period of time! 
• Grabs hair, earrings, jewelry
• Clapping hooray 
• Says mama, dada, bubba, and I swear more haha 
• Has started to reach for me to pick her up (love this) 
• Is starting to notice temperature, especially cold items 
• LOVES popsicles (don't worry-- we suck out all of the juice and only the ice part is left) 
• Starting to grunt when she is cranky. I'm not sure what I prefer at this point: crying or grunting haha
• Making silly faces when we make silly faces at her

The past few months have also been crazy busy with my sister-in-law having a baby in July and my own sister having her baby a week after my sister-in-law. Baby fever is in full force!!

I honestly wouldn't trade this summer for anything. It was definitely different staying home and not working, but it has been the very best. I have had such an amazing summer with her and I just want to remember each and every moment! There are only two weeks left, and I am already sad about it :( But--- little miss just woke up-- so that's all for now! I will be back soon to update you on her 9 month progress, and to share some exciting news!! 

{Addison Lynne: 6 Months!}

And just like that, my baby girl is 6 months old.  Well, technically she turned 6 months old a few weeks ago, but this is honestly the first chance I have had to sit down to type this post! I am officially on summer vacation-- and I am so excited.  I have named this the "Summer of Addie and Mommy."  I am not quite sure what we are going to do (probably a lot of relaxing and swimming)-- but I plan on making a list of fun activities to try out with her. All that I know is that I am going to enjoy the next ten weeks with this little one:

And now..onto 6 month happenings! 

Likes/ Loves
This month, she was finally big enough to really enjoy her jumper :) She loves to look at all of the items on the edge, and she is so cute when she focuses on one specific toy.

Yes--- we had to put a box under feet for a LONG TIME until she was tall enough to reach the floor haha. 

She has also started to eat solid foods! We have tried oatmeal cereal, sweet potatoes, pears, peaches, prunes, squash and applesauce. It is so fun to see her trying these new foods and seeing her cute little face scrunch up.   Her favorite solid foods so far include: pears, squash, and sweet potatoes. She wasn't a huge fan of the peaches (they were really sour haha) or prunes (who is?!). She was neutral on the cereal and applesauce- which actually surprised me. She is really progressing in terms of eating. She will open her mouth in anticipation now, and her little legs start to kick in the high chair once she knows food is coming haha.

She LOVES sitting in her high chair-- especially when Disney Children's Radio on Pandora is playing. Addison also loves being sung to-- she giggles and smiles when you sing certain songs. One of her absolute favorite songs is from "Tangled." Whenever she hears that song she will stop whatever she is doing and just smile. It is probably the most precious thing I have ever seen. 

Addison loves to be read to-- it is honestly becoming one of her favorite things. She will hold onto the pages and giggle while I read to her. The nerd in me is so proud :)

She still loves to snuggle and her favorite sleeping position is cuddled on someone. I know this phase is short-lived, so I am definitely taking the opportunity to enjoy those moments. 

One of her other favorite positions is being on daddy. She ADORES Jim and they are so cute together. 

She has also started to make some unique faces....I will let the following pictures speak for themselves....

Dislikes
She is really starting to despise her patches. Because she had cataract surgery at 2 months and then just recently had to have surgery again because the cataract started to grow again (another story, for another time :/). 

She is also starting to be weary of getting her diaper changed since that's the position we put her in to receive her post-surgery drops. I am so sad about this too because she used to LOVE getting her diaper changed. Now she associates it with getting eye drops. Poor baby girl. 

She is enjoying rolling over onto her belly- getting back over-- not so much. When she realizes the only way to get onto her back is to roll over again, she is not a happy camper. She will usually just put her head down and grunt in frustration until one of us helps her to roll over haha. The funny part is that she actually prefers sleeping on her stomach now. The downside? The past few nights she has been soaking through her pajamas, through the sheet, and the mattress pad. We might just have to invest in some nighttime-specific diapers. 

Honestly, as I was typing this section, I had a really hard time thinking of anything else that she dislikes. She is such an easy-going baby and we are truly so thankful to be this lucky! She certainly has her moments, but there isn't much that a good mommy or daddy cuddle can't fix. And personally, I would like to keep it that way! 

Sleeping
Addison sleeps really well through the night. We usually put her to bed around 8, and she honestly doesn't stir until about 5:30/6. When I was teaching, I had to wake her up at the time to get her ready. Then, she would usually sleep on the car ride to the babysitters until about 10. She usually has a few naps during the day, and I can definitely tell when she hasn't slept well during the day. On those days, it can be particularly hard getting her to bed. Since I will be home this summer, I have to get into a better routine with her in terms of naps. I feel like since she is home with me, she wants to stay awake more, and while I absolutely love the quality time we are getting, I know that she needs to nap. I just have to figure out a schedule and plan it a little better. 

Eating

As I mentioned above, we have started feeding her solid foods. We are now up to three times a day, and she is getting better each time. She has her favorites, but I am determined to keep trying each food multiple times. She takes a bottle/ feeds from me a good portion of the time, but I am starting the process of weaning. It is bittersweet-- and I know that I am way more upset/affected by it than she is. And for that, I am actually glad. We started giving her a bottle at 4 weeks old in preparation for when I returned to work. Thus, she is used to the bottle and honestly really likes the bottle. It does make this process a little easier for me, but it is still challenging some days physically and emotionally. I know that in a few months most of her nutrition will be from food anyway, so keeping that perspective has also helped me. 

Playing:

Addison has really started to notice her toys and loves anything that crinkles. We have this butterfly (at least I think it is a butterfly) that has two mirrors, two rings, a chew item, soft body, and wings that are crinkly. Addison loves that thing. She is so fascinated by everything on that toy-- it keeps her entertained for a while. She has also started to really chew on her "Sophie" giraffe and the lamb that is the same material. I know so many kids who love those teething items (I called them chew toys for the longest time haha- isn't that what they are?!)-- but it honestly took Addison a while to start using them. She would just hold them in her hand, and be completely confused as to what she was supposed to do. Well not anymore, that girl is a pro now :) 

As I stated above, she has also really enjoyed her jumperoo activity center. There are so many sounds, buttons, colors and textures. There is one crinkly toy on that activity center and without fail, Addison grabs that item right away.  

Firsts/Major Changes 

• Sits up on her own
• Rolls to her front and her back (when she feels like it haha) 
• Started eating solid foods 
• Sleeps through the night 
• Had another cataract surgery
• Is on the chart for height and weight (thank goodness!) 
• Beginning to really giggle

And yes-- I am posting this very late-- very very late-- so late, she is almost 7 months now. But-- better than nothing, right? 

{Addison Lynne: 5 Months}

Before I start sharing about all the cute things that little miss has done this month, I probably should address why I have been so absent on here. I love blogging-- I love writing, sharing my thoughts/ideas, asking questions, reflecting-- all the things that blogging has to offer. Unfortunately, I am terrible at managing my time. I mean really bad. I thought I was good at this, until I started teaching and then I realized I start 50 things at once and get easily distracted. I have a hard time finishing something (Exhibit A: I will do laundry, but said clean laundry will stay in my laundry basket for about a week). I know that I can't "do it all" but I want to. Is that a bad thing? Well, yes. I don't like to ask for help. My sister stayed with me the week my husband was on a business trip, and I felt bad asking her to help me with chores. I feel like I should be the one doing everything-- isn't that what a "mom" is supposed to do? Am I whining and complaining? Yes- I  admit it. So why all of this talking around in a circle?  Because I feel like I need to explain myself-- I mean I guess I don't really have to explain myself. Most of you on here know what I'm talking about-- you are mothers and can understand where I am coming from. And trust me, this is all just superficial complaining, I am so thankful that I am this busy. That I have a beautiful little girl. I am so lucky to be in the place where I am in my life. And, in the next few months, I will be changing some things on here. I feel as though I have lost my focus/niche and so I am working on re-focusing the theme and message of my blog. Any suggestions/advice on this? Has anyone else tried to re-focus their blog? Make it more than what you set it out to be? 

Anyways, enough about that, onto the little one! 

Likes

She LOVES getting a bath- and has even started to strongly kick the water in the baby tub. Honestly, I think I am going to have to start putting her baby tub in the actual tub! The amount of water around the sink after her bath yesterday was crazy! She is also really starting to sit up in the tub-- her core is stronger than mine ;). 

She still loves to get her diaper changed-- she is so silly! She smiles the whole time! When she is fussy during the day, I usually try to change her diaper to see if that's what it is and usually afterwards she is her content self again! 

Her head control has gotten much better-- it still needs work-- but she is starting to enjoy tummy time now. She has rolled over twice (from her stomach to her back) and she is SO close to rolling over from her back to her front!! She is pretty proud of herself once she gets over, and so I think it's only about a matter of time before she can REALLY roll around! 

She loves sitting on people's lap and just looking out at everything. She is such an observer and honestly doesn't want to miss a thing. Sometimes it is hard for her to fall asleep/take a nap because she just wants to be a part of everything going on! I love that about her-- and I can only imagine how she will be as she gets older :)

She loves her playmate and the music in the playmat--- I have started to play her Children's Lullabies and she just listens to the songs so intently. 

She LOVES getting kisses from anyone and she LOVES giving kisses-- it truly makes her day! 

She still hasn't laughed really--- I just can't wait for it! I want her to laugh so badly-- but she isn't really ticklish like I am so it's making it hard. 

I have been putting it off-- but I really want to get her a jumper/ exersaucer. I think she would really like it and it would help her with her head control AND practicing standing. 

 Dislikes

She still doesn't like the contact insertion or removal-- she is really starting to fight it! Her legs are strong and really push up against Jim while I am putting her contact in and it is hard! I don't even want to imagine what this process is going to look like when she is a toddler-- oy! 

The patch is really starting to bother her lately-- when it gets to be about 8 pm she is DONE with it. She starts to get really fussy and whiny, but as soon as we take the patch off she is a whole new woman. I instantly think of the song "A Whole New World" haha. She is so smart though--- she knows what the patch is all about. The tough part is that she has to have the patch on for at least 6 hours total-- and even if we put the patch on at 8 AM-- we have to make sure by the end of the day that she has been awake for 6 hours with the patch on. It is so hard-- I can't wait for this part to be over!! 

We also lost our first contact this month-- right after we got a new prescription. Of course haha. Oh and because it was a new prescription-- the doctor's office didn't have the extra in yet. So we have to wait a week for the new contact. We are using the old contact and it is not as good as the new contact (stronger prescription). I am bummed that we have to wait a week, but because they are custom made--it technically could have taken up to 3 weeks to come in. So-- we really can't complain. I think what I am most nervous about is that her progress will have stopped. I know a week doesn't seem like a long time-- but it is in terms of development. 

She is starting to teeth and she is not happy about it. We are using all of the tricks, but sometimes snuggles are the best remedy :) 

 Sleeping

Little one has been sleeping fairly well-- she has only slept through the night about five times. But I honestly can't complain. I know that I will miss those 3 AM feedings and time with her. She is always so happy to see me when I go into her room. 

She is doing such a good job sleeping in her own crib-- but I miss her so much at night! Anyone else feel like this?!

I don't really track her naps right now (I feel like this is a bad thing haha)-- but what I do know is that if she doesn't get enough naps in, she sleeps horribly!! So-- even though I want to keep her up during the day (especially when I am on vacation), I know that she needs them! 

Eating

 She has been eating better lately-- she takes a bottle really well now (thankfully!). After her hunger strike, it took us a while to find a bottle she would like. We finally settled on Tommee Tippee (after trying about six different types of bottles)-- and we have never turned back. I have also started supplementing my breastmilk with formula and she doesn't really seem to mind. We have an appointment next week to check her weight (it wasn't really on the chart last month) so fingers crossed that everything goes well. She is a tiny baby-- but so was I. When I was little, doctors actually thought I had some type of condition (they even checked for cystic fibrosis) because I was so small. All major tests came back negative and the doctors  just came to the conclusion that I was going to be small. And when my younger sisters weren't on the "chart" or were smaller than they should have been-- the doctors didn't worry because of me haha. So-- I'll let you know how the appointment goes! 

Playing

Addison is such a fun and cute baby! She loves to interact with people and although she loves her playmat and her swing-- she enjoys interacting with people more haha. She is starting to grasp objects and really look at them- and it is so cute! I also love it when she finds her hands haha-- it is hysterical-- she is so mesmerized by them. 

She is also starting to hold objects, like her teething rings, and it is precious. She works so hard to hold them and bring them to her mouth. I love the focus she has already haha. 

Firsts/ Major Changes

She rolled over for the first time last weekend! We are hoping she decides to do it again haha-- she is a stubborn little one and definitely goes at her own pace haha. 

She is sitting up pretty well in the bumbo (although she does like to "fold" down when she is tired haha) and in my mom's exersaucer. 

She finally slept through the night a couple days this week (yay!!) so hopefully that becomes the norm for her haha. 

She is starting to really blow bubbles-- and although she isn't quite laughing yet-- I will take the bubbles for now. She is so cute when she does it. 

She sticks out her tongue ALL the time now haha-- there are hardly any pictures without her sticking her tongue out. She is like a little dog haha. 

She loves sleeping on her side now-- which I am actually happy about. Maybe her bald spot in the back of her head will go away soon :)

She loves to sing along to the radio-- and she definitely takes after my husband ;) her voice is pretty good. 

I think that's all for now-- currently I have a few errands to run and a lunch to head out to-- it's a girls lunch (with babies) haha can't get much better than that! 

I have missed you all. I really have. And this time, I will not make any promises for when I'll be back online. Just know that I will be back soon!