Currently...

As you can tell, my blogging is very sporadic. To be honest, I feel like I don't have much to talk about other than my baby. We have no house projects going on, I'm not cooking anything exciting, my exercise routine is still the same, I haven't been shopping due to trying to get G on a napping schedule, I hardly ever dress up because it is a thousand degrees here and I have no place to go...you get the point. So what does one do when they have nothing to blog about? They blog...about nothing.

Because I need a prompt, I'm going with "Currently..."

Here we go:

- Currently: In shock that tomorrow I have a THREE month old. Where has time gone? Those pictures above are from when he was three days old. (Crying emoji here!)

- Currently eating: I've been trying to shape up my post-baby-bod, so I've been trying to stick to sweets only on the weekends. But, I bought that new Halo Top ice cream and it isn't that bad! Now, it isn't my beloved Braum's or Blue Bell, but I only have a couple bites and then I put it away. It satisfies my cravings and is apparently not too bad for you. This guy ate it for 10 days straight and the results are pretty crazy.

- Currently wearing: THESE SHORTS (only $8-11!)!! Literally I wear one of my three pairs every. single. day. The drawstring and linen material is super light and comfy for summer. And, hello, elastic waist.

- Currently dreaming: About Napa! Chris and I went two years ago and it was so dreamy and I am so excited to be going and actually staying in Napa instead of San Francisco.

- Currently listening to: HOLY by Florida Georgia Line. Literally I cry every time I hear it. #hormones

- Currently watching: All things reality: Famously Single, The Bachelorette, RHOC, Kardashians, Botched...you name it, I'm watching it. I've been recording any and every show I think I might be interested in because I spend an absurd amount of time on the couch nursing G and it is always nice to have something to watch.

- Currently wanting: A black one piece. There are so many cute options!

My Thoughts On Being A Mom

You could say I was one of those girls who dreamed about her wedding day and what her family would look like. I didn't ever have a set time on when I wanted to be married, have kids, etc., and, honestly, it happened way sooner than I ever would have thought (married at a fresh 22 years old!). Here I am now at 26 with four years of marriage under my belt and an adorable 12 weeks old baby boy and I have so many emotions about everything.

I thought about this post yesterday as I was driving to one of my best friend's baby shower. As I was blaring my music and singing super loudly I thought, "I haven't done this since before Graham was born..." and, to be honest, I instantly felt this sense of joy rush across me. I felt like I had my old self back.

You see, I've always wanted to be a mom, but until you are one, you can't explain to someone all the feelings that come along with it.

Here are five of my thoughts on being a mom:

1. Will I ever sleep again? - My parents were in town for the last few days and my mom would take G in the mornings so I could sleep a little longer, but I kept catching myself waking up thinking that I heard him crying on the monitor. Ugh! Then one night I got very little sleep because I just couldn't sleep and so my mom told me to go nap. Well, I'd already had too much coffee and couldn't even nap! Being a mom is the most tired I've ever felt, but the moment Graham gets up and smiles at me, all those thoughts of sleepiness go away. Just kidding! I'm still very tired, but his cute face does ease the pain of running on fumes :)

2. When will I know that I feel like myself again? - As I mentioned above, it wasn't until I was driving down the road, blaring music, that I finally realized I feel like myself again. I'm able to wear most of my pre-pregnancy clothes, I'm able to shower without being rushed, G is sleeping longer stretches, and I'm confident about going out and about. Graham is such a happy baby and literally never cries (prayers for the personality of our second child can start now, hah!), so I love taking him out and showing him off. I'm also going to Napa at the end of July and, although I'm already feeling anxious about it, I'm really excited to get a few days with my girls!

3. Mama anxiety is so real...and there is nothing you can do about it. - Naturally, I'm a control freak. I want things done my way and most of the time would rather just do things myself so I know they're done how I want them. So, you can only imagine my micromanaging when it comes to things pertaining to Graham. Yikes. But, I've really done great with letting go of things and not trying to control everyone and everything that goes on with G. Even Chris has complimented me on how I've been great at just sitting back and not being a hoover mom, hahha! Now, are we ready for him to stay away from us for a night? Nope. Neither Chris or I feel comfortable with that and it makes me anxious thinking about it. The only reason I have some relief about going to Napa is that that Chris will be here with G. I can't imagine him not having Chris or I for four days. I know, I could be a little nuts, but the more people pressure me to "let him stay the night with us!" or "let us take him for the day!" it makes me want to hold onto him longer and not let that happen. I know my anxiety will ease as times goes on, but I've learned I can't force it because then I just become more anxious!

4. The fine line... - Being a mom is all consuming. Especially when your babies are this young and they literally need you to survive. But, there is a fine line between loving on your new baby and paying attention to the person who helped you make this baby. Chris has truly been amazing and watching him be a dad is just the. absolute. best. But, there's always a but, I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a few days/weeks when I felt like all we were doing was picking at each other. I was hormonal and he felt like he was the third wheel and all the emotions were stirring and some days it was rough. They warn you this will happen, then it does and it sucks, then everything falls back into place, and you go on dates and things get back to normal. There is just such a fine line between needing that person there to help and them driving you absolutely bonkers all at the same time!

5. There is no greater joy! - Literally, just staring at him and his features and his hands and his toes and the dimples in his elbows...everything makes my heart burst!! Chris always asks me how much I love him and I can't even put it into words. It is a love I've never known before and it is the best feeling.

What were your thoughts on being a mom? I'd love to hear!!

Graham || 2 Months

In true Mom fashion, I am really late on posting these. And, if I'm being honest, I really, really wanted to do something different than the kid in the chair each month, but my creative juices are gone because there is only so much you can come up with on such little sleep.

Graham was born on April 1st, so this two month post is 23 days late, but I'd rather document it than not.

Nicknames: G, G-unit, G-baby, G-man, Buddy boy, buddy, bub, bubba, bubs, Spam, Spammer, Grammarrrr

Weight: At his two month checkup he was 14lbs 7oz which landed him in the 93 percentile. 

Clothes Size: 3-6 months

Diaper Size: 2

Likes: He finally likes baths! He also loves getting lotion put on after his baths. He now is a fan of his play mat and he still enjoys tummy time. He loves when I get him up from a nap, change his diaper, and he is so happy in the mornings. He is still a fan of his car seat and car rides. He loves his swing and when his daddy gets home from work.

Dislikes: He is not a fan of being held in the traditional baby hold. He wants to be up and seeing what the world has to offer. He also doesn't like waiting for his food (always my fault, ha!). He doesn't like being left alone in a room and he always lets out a scream when he is about to do his business.

New stuff: He laughed for the first time!! It happened on our anniversary and Chris and I both looked at each other like, "did that just happen?!" He also throws a fit randomly now. He loves getting his diaper changed, but twice now, he has started crying sooooo hard...to where I'm panicking thinking he is hurt somewhere, and right when I pick him up he stops. Already manipulating me! He is all about his hands and is constantly sucking on them or looking at them. He is a drooling machine and constantly has spit bubbles. 

Schedule: Finally, he has been sleeping about 6-8 hours a night. We put him down around 9:30pm and he usually sleeps until 4-5am. It is glorious, but I was reminded of those late night feeds as he decided to wake up at 2am just the other night. Boo! But, for the most part, he is sleeping much longer at night.

On the flip side, his daytime naps only last 30 MINUTES ON THE DOT. Someone please tell me this is just a phase. Literally it is crazy how I'll look at the monitor at 28 or so minutes and he is sound asleep and then 30 minutes hits and he is UP. I've tried rocking him back to sleep, shushing him, letting him whine for 5 minutes, feeding him then laying him back down, and NOTHING has worked. Luckily, when I get him up (because he refuses to go back to sleep) he is really, really happy! We are doing the eat, play, sleep routine, but the sleep is lacking :)

Milestones: He now 100% recognizes his mama and LET ME TELL YOU...there is NOTHING better! He smiles at me all day long and I've got the biggest googly eyes for him. He is such a happy boy and definitely becoming a mama's boy! He recognizes daddy, too! Daddy just loves to give him tons of sugars all over his face and G isn't too sure about his beard.

Other milestones: Lots of talking a cooing. He will push up while we hold his hands. His head control is really good and he whips that head back and forth like he is watching a basketball game! You can see his laughing here. He definitely knows who Chris and I are and is such a smiley and happy boy!

Looking forward to: Just continuing to watch him grow! He has new hair growth and each day his coos are louder and more frequent. I'm looking forward to longer sleep stretches (before the 4 month regression...) and just watching our boy grow!

Dear Graham,

This last month with you has been so fun! You are such a smiley baby and content 95% of the time. When you smile at your Dad and I, we melt!! Your talking and coos are the cutest and you're obsessed with the sign we hung right by your changing table. You've started noticing Wrigley and Bailey and I'm sure y'all will become the best of friends. I would love it if you napped longer than 30 minutes, but I secretly love when you're awake. This time with you being so small is flying by and I miss you when you sleep!!

Know that I love you more than I can ever explain!!

Love,
Mom

WIWW: Favorite Dress + Link Up

purse here

This is the dress I wore the last weekend before G was born. I didn't fit in anything anymore, but I didn't want to buy more maternity clothes, so I found this dress at Target and made it work. It has now transitioned into one of my favorite dresses to just throw on. 

I wore this last week to dinner with Chris for our four year anniversary. I love it because it is loose fitting which meant I could stuff my face (which I did!) and not have to feel uncomfortable in my clothes. 

Now for the link up!

- All I ask is you link back to my blog and link to a specific post.

- Write about something fashion related!

- Instagram @SarahTuckerUp for more outfits and randoms!

Thanks for linking up and to see other WIWW posts, click here. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Friday Photo Dump

Life is so, so good right now. Yes, most days I'm a walking zombie, but it is so true that one crack of your baby's smile and all is right in the world. 

Yesterday, Chris and I celebrated FOUR years of marriage. It seriously seems like yesterday that we were getting married and then jetting off to Kauai for our honeymoon. I can't believe how fast time flies.

We went to dinner last night to celebrate and, for the first time G was born, our conversation actually didn't revolve around him. We started our conversation off with, "What has been our favorite vacation so far?" and that topic just kept flowing into other fun topics throughout the night.

In four years we have bought a house, sold a house, bought a house, I got a master's degree, changed careers, bought Chris a truck, took numerous vacations, done home renovations, and now, our proudest accomplishment, baby Graham! And I love having this blog as a virtual scrap book!

You can see our wedding pictures here, here, and here, our wedding video here, and our honeymoon pictures: day 1, day 2, day 3, day 4, day 5. 

In other news, G gave me a nice anniversary gift by pooping all over me yesterday morning. This doesn't even show the whole explosion.

Ironically on our anniversary, my wedding rings still were not fitting, but yesterday was the first day I could force them on since I was like 34 weeks pregnant. I still am not wearing them because they are still really tight, but this is much improvement from barley being able to get them over my first knuckle!

Someone loves tummy time!! He loves being on his belly and is perfectly happy just making googly eyes at me while he is down there! I'm pretty smitten. 

And, to commemorate his 11 week old birthday and our anniversary, I am proud to say (and probably jinx it for tonight!) that Graham Tucker slept from 9pm to 5am last night!! I kept waking up thinking that any minute he would wake up, but when he did and I looked at the clock, I could have cried I was so happy! Now, baby G, if you could just keep it up, I'd reallyyyyy appreciate it! This is his 'well rested' face :)

Happy Friday!

WIWW: Current Obsessions + Link Up

As you can tell, balancing blogging and a baby is tough. If I was willing to sacrifice sleep or time with my husband, I could blog more, but I'm not willing to get less shut eye or not spend quality time with my baby daddy!

But, alas, our little buddy boy is napping in his swing, so I'm taking advantage of this time to get a post up. I've already put my contacts in and ate breakfast, so I call that a win for today.

It has been raining like crazy here in Texas, so the opportunity to get some outfit shots has been few and far between. Plus, the opportunity to dress up has been few and far between as well :)

For today, I have some things that I'm currently obsessed with!

- Of course I have to start with my baby. Chris has what I call a "winky" eye. When he smiles really big his left eye gets really squinty. I always told him that I want at least one of our kids to have a "winky" eye because I think it is the cutest thing ever. Well, it looks like Graham is continuing to make all my dreams come true because, y'all, look at the right eye. Is that not the cutest "winky" you've ever seen?!

- This nail polish. Obviously there is little time for me to go get my nails done like before I had G, but this nail polish is proving to replace my need for a mani. Granted, I walked around for a week with only one hand painted because I couldn't find time to paint the other hand, but, hey, it got done, and I love it! I do still find time to get get a pedicure because having people massage my feet is something I will always find time for.

- All these dresses are up to 50% off!

- My favorite author has a new book out and I can't wait to get it!! I've read every single one of her books and I can't get enough. So, so good! And all her booksare perfect for a summer beach read.

- Baby boy one-pieces...I can't get enough! Especially when they are on sale!

- Flatform sandals. They aren't as high as a wedge, but they give you height, which, as a shorty, is what I like. Plus I feel more stable when walking around with baby G in my arms.

Now for the link up!

- All I ask is you link back to my blog and link to a specific post.

- Write about something fashion related!

- Instagram @SarahTuckerUp for more outfits and randoms!

Thanks for linking up and to see other WIWW posts, click here. 

An InLinkz Link-up

A Solo Road Trip With a 2 Month Old

I'm back after unintentionally taking the week off from blogging. My free time is limited these days and during the little free time I have, I have to decide if I want to shower, brush my teeth, get dressed, eat, do laundry, blog, etc. As you can imagine, personal hygiene sometimes take priority :)

Anyways, last week Chris had to go to Connecticut for a conference. The conference was at a really nice casino just outside Hartford. He invited Graham and I to go, but we agreed that travelling with a two month old to a casino wasn't how I'd prefer to spend my time. Instead, I decided to head to the Hill Country to introduce Graham to a bunch of people he hadn't met yet!

Tuesday morning we set off for an approximate 4.5 hour drive to my parents. I knew G wouldn't be able to make it the whole way, so my goal was to get to Austin and stop at my aunt's house so she could meet him. 

75 miles in we had to make our first stop. Graham was livid and so I pulled into a Taco Bell and fed him. We were stopped for about 30 minutes and then hit the road again. I was able to make it 3 miles away from my aunt's house before he started losing it again. Thank God!

We visited with her for a little over an hour and then it was another hour to my parent's. G was a little fussy, but thankfully we made it without any lip quivering crying. (Isn't the lip quiver the worst?! Ugh! It rips my heart out every time!)

All week we had people I wanted G to meet. From his great-grandma to some of my former teachers, G met lots of new people! It was also so nice to spend time with my family and have the extra help.

Friday morning we loaded back up, said a prayer for a smooth trip, and headed back to Dallas. Once again, about an hour in G lost it. I knew he wasn't hungry, but I pulled over and fed him just a little. He spit it all back up, all over me and the car, so I knew he was just crying because he was tired. I rocked him a little and then put him back in his car seat and set out again. About five more minutes in he lost it, but I was in the middle of Austin and was not stopping, so I pushed on. Thankfully he settled in and slept just about THE WHOLE WAY! 

I was praying the whole time for him to let me get to the north side of Dallas so we wouldn't get caught in Friday rush hour traffic and he ended up only fussing a couple times. God definitely answered my prayers! 

All in all, traveling alone with a baby and two dogs wasn't terrible at all! There is definitely some anxiety because you don't have that other person there to get in the back seat to help calm the baby, but we made it! 

Here are some pictures from our week!

PSA: My Favorite Shorts Are $9!!!

This momma gig has me all tied up, but I wanted to drop in and let y'all know that my favorite shorts are on sale for $9! I posted about them here and they come in so many wonderful colors!!

Happy Monday!

Adorable & Affordable Favorites

Top left, clockwise: crab // scarves // stars // main squeeze // sandals // anchor // clouds // espadrilles

I mean, c'mon! How adorable are all these baby boy items?! The cute options that are out there for boys is unreal, and I'm addicted. My favorite stores to shop for Graham are H&M, Baby Gap, and Old Navy! Affordable prices and precious stuff!

Where are your favorite places to get baby boy clothes?

WIWW: Romper + Link Up!

I finally did it. I bought a jumpsuit/romper...whatever you want to call it. We went to a wedding last weekend and, because certain areas of my upper body are now larger than before I had Graham, a lot of my dresses don't fit properly. Plus, my legs haven't seen enough sun yet, so I didn't want to blind the fellow wedding goers.

Now, I'm short. At barley 5'3", this romper goes down to my ankles. I'm thinking about getting the pants hemmed a bit shorter, but I don't mind the length. I actually preferred the look with some different (higher) wedges, but I wasn't comfortable wearing them and carrying around Graham. The last thing I need to do is be a klutz and trip while holding my pride and joy! Old Navy has a different romper that I actually wanted, but they were sold out.

Since I've finally dipped my toe in the romper pond, I think I'm ready for more. Please comment with your suggestions of mom-friendly rompers!

Now for the link up!

- All I ask is you link back to my blog and link to a specific post.

- Write about something fashion related!

- Instagram @SarahTuckerUp for more outfits and randoms!

Thanks for linking up and to see other WIWW posts, click here. 

An InLinkz Link-up