Our friend Ben arrived Friday morning and on Friday evening, my second cousin, Jennie, and her husband stopped by our house to meet Chase for the first time. The last time I saw Jennie was at my grandmother’s funeral so it was nice to catch up with her under joyful circumstances and also talk a bit about missing my grandma and her great aunt. Wishing Mimi could have met Chase is something I think about often and I just know she would absolutely adore her great grandson.
It was great to spend a few hours with Jennie and Bob before they had to get back on the road!
Saturday
You guys something BIG happened this weekend. Well, I’m sure a lot of you out there won’t think it’s a big deal at all, but for this mama, it was HUGE. We officially transitioned Chase out of his bassinet by the side of our bed and into the crib in his nursery.
And I cried.
I was so emotional about the move, mainly because I knew once we got him to sleep soundly in his crib, it was a permanent change that, once again, demonstrates how fast my little boy is growing up. I swear he’ll be off to college tomorrow at this rate.
The transition went really well… for Chase. He slept straight through until he needed to eat at 3 a.m. and while this would normally mean I slept well, I’m pretty sure I spent 99 percent of my night wide awake, watching him sleep on the monitor beside our bed.
Our little bear didn’t get the memo that he was supposed to sleep in, however, and we were up for the day at 5:45 a.m., big gummy baby smiles and all.
Since we were up early, I had plenty of time to sip on a cup of coffee and make a frittata for breakfast while Ryan watched Chase before I left for Burn Boot Camp. The workout was a total body circuit and I left high on endorphins. Woop!
Once I made it back home, I took some time to stretch out my hamstrings and hips on the floor which Sadie took to mean I was in the market for a dog in my lap.
(My capris are from the November Fabletics collection and I LOVE them!)
I then took over baby duty while Ryan and Ben went to the gym. Ben is an awesome personal trainer, so Ryan always gets excited to work out with him whenever he comes into town. While the boys headed out, Chase helped me with some major tidying.
Taking a cue from The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, I pulled all of my long-sleeve tops, sweaters and sweatshirts out and put them on the floor to sort through and found it SO much easier to get rid of clothes after taking the tips I read in this book into consideration. (I think this book deserves a totally separate blog post because it is AWESOME and makes me want to clean ALL THE THINGS. Stay tuned.)
Chase eventually had enough of watching me sort clothes (c’mon kid, how is that not incredibly entertaining!?) and headed down for a nap (IN HIS CRIB!) while I scrambled to wrap up some more clothes sorting as he slept and we waited for the guys to return home.
After lunch at the house, our little gang was itching to get outside, so we drove up to Lake Norman State Park to hike a three-mile loop along the lake. The weather was perfect – chilly enough to keep you cool but warm enough so you were never too cold – and we were done in about an hour.
By the time we made it home, we were all hungry again and decided an early dinner sounded perfect. We drove into Davidson for a delicious meal at Kindred.
Gosh, I love that restaurant (and their incredible milk bread!) so much.
Sunday
Our Sunday began on the best note because Chase had an amazing night’s sleep! We were only up once in the night around 3:45 a.m. for a feeding and that was after he had been asleep for seven hours. His longest stretch yet!! I gave him about a million baby high fives at 6:30 a.m. when we were up for the day and am crossing my fingers for more nights like that one in our future.
Ryan and Ben began the day by heading off to the gym to workout while I continued on with my quest to clean out my closet and dressers like a crazy lady. Apparently I was in the cleaning zone this weekend! I spent the rest of the day meal planning, grocery shopping and hanging around the house with Chase and the guys. We ended up ordering Thai takeout for dinner before it was time for our ice cream party!
During Ben’s visit last year, we went a little crazy and each picked out a different half gallon of ice cream and various toppings and went to town. Ryan, Ben and I all share an intense love for ice cream so we recreated last year’s ice ice cream party and concluded our weekend fun on a sweet note. Wouldn’t it be lovely if every Sunday night involved copious amounts of ice cream!?
I hope you guys all had a lovely weekend and are enjoying your Monday so far!
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I’m not sure if there’s anything better in the world than ice-cream parties. They’re just the center of happiness!
Since Ryan is such a gym-pro, what about a blog post about what HE does in the gym? 😀 An average weekly work-out plan? I’m sure your male readers would be stoked and your female readers could get some inspiration as well (or throw it towards their guys? 😉 ) I got the idea since my boyfriend and his workout buddy recently hit a wall. I get immensely inspired daily by the blogs I read, and poor guys, where do they go for inspiration? 😀
I usually never comment but brownie moose tracks is THE best ice cream ever ? As I sit here 40w1d preggo ?
SO GOOD. And congratulations to you!!!! You’re SO close!! <3
Crib transitioning is a huge deal and it was successful! I’m pretty sure it took at least a solid three nights of trying with each of my kids before they slept in the crib overnight.
YAYYYY for the crib transition! Youre gonna kill me, but as I am just barely three weeks behind you with my baby and we’ve been wanting to transition her to her crib too but i just get so emotional to even think of it. did you do anything to prepare? Like made him nap there? Read a book? Blog? Anything you can send my way!
Im glad Chase slept good saturday night, hopefully he will sleep like that all week!
I am right beside you on the de-clutter/clean phase. We have been having AMAZING weather in west Michigan and rumor has it our denial of winter is coming towards the end of the week….SNOW Flurries are forecasted in the ten day. BUT today will be a glorious (& rare) 60 degree day with sunny skies, and yard work (and hikes) are on the agenda. A week ago today, I was unexpectedly laid off from work, and while I’m struggling with the reality that I have nowhere to go and nothing to do on a Monday morning I am optimistic that if I can’t find a new job in marketing/social media in my area I will fall into place with something new and exciting. Until then, it’s about time to organize, de-clutter and rid my home of unused “stuff” that’s just taking up space and collecting dust. I have a pile started for ebay and will be looking into your thread up site you talk about from time to time. So while you’re springing into action while Chase is asleep, I too am a busy bee while my baby (an overly hyper 1.5 year old pup) is snoring on my pillow! heehee
Sorry to hear you were laid off – here’s to hoping you find something even better suited for you very soon. The best would be an offer that comes quickly, but with a start date of January . So you can relax in December while still feeling secure that you have a job in hand. Blessings!
Chase looks no worse for the wear. My husband and I made the HUGE mistake of waiting until our daughter was five months old to transition her. It was NOT easy. So many tears shed on both sides. She eventually got the hang of it and is a great sleeper now. You and Ryan were smart to transition earlier. Have a great week.
I SO need to clean out my closet. I’ve been talking about it for a week or so now, I need to get to it! I haven’t read that book yet, perhaps I should for some motivation!
It’s great!! The main question it encourages you to ask yourself is whether or not an item “sparks joy” which sounds simple but REALLY helped me get rid of some things I’ve been holding onto for ages.
Oh man, the crib transition is super emotional! I think we waiting until around 3 months, which I’m not sure if it was a bad idea or not because he’s always been a poopy sleeper regardless hahha I LOVE the idea of your ice cream party! So fun
Sadie is so cute, my dog Buddy does the exact same thing when I try to stretch!
Congrats on the crib transition – any change is a big deal with kiddos 🙂
Not a word about what happen friday? I understand that life goes on, but… you know, just a word. My weekend wasn’t “as usual” because of this tragic event that will have consequences in the future for us and our children.
the crib transition was definitely a tough one…. william is 19 months and still prefers me to be in the room when he’s sleeping lol but hey, i know it won’t last forever!
Ah so cute to catch up on your blog 🙂 It always makes me smile 🙂 xo C
What a great weekend!! I’m glad Chase transitioned well for you… it is kind of sad though 🙁
You guys should try the Publix White Christmas ice cream based off the Barnies White Christmas coffee. We just got it in Asheville and I’m obsessed. The coffee was my Mom’s favorite.
My dog does the same exact thing..she could not be interested in me at all, then the minute that I sit on the floor to stretch or foam roll she is ALL OVER ME. It’s so cute though! Love your leggings, and congratulations on taking the next step for Chase! He seriously is growing up so quickly but he’s still a little cutie!
aw! congrats on the crib transition! that must be so tough. I know i would be weeping and awake all night too! Ice cream party sounds amazing…i think i will take that idea next time i have some friends over!
Any night that involves ice creams is WONDERFUL! Glad you all had a wonderful weekend!
Omg this sounds like me!! We moved our son to his crib about a month ago and I cried all night long while staring at the monitor. Very traumatic
Congrats on a smooth transition to the crib! We had to put our daughter in the pack n play in her room first because it was smaller and more cozy for her and then transition to the crib. It’s a weird mix of emotional because they are growing up to happy that momma can sleep better without all the baby noises. I’m still so paranoid though – I have a video monitor and a separate Angle Care monitor that alarms if she stops breathing. At least it helps me sleep better at night! My daughter also woke very early until we moved her bedtime back. Now she goes down between 745 and 815 and she sleeps later in the morning, I think because she isn’t overtired. Maybe that would help for Chase?
Wow – sounds like a great weekend! I want to check out that book! Excited to see your thoughts on it 🙂
There is likely nothing better in the world to wake up to than those baby fist pumps. Adorable! And in my secret goal to become a professional organizer, Marie’s book is on deck. I’ve been reading her tips for years (and she’s coming out with an app!), but it’s now time to conquer the book.
Excited to hear how your transitions work out. 🙂
Looks like it was a fun weekend! That milk bread sounds and looks interesting! I’ve never heard of it before, but I’ve had a cheese bread before that looks similar, so I’m sure the milk bread is probably just as great!
Obsessed with those leggings… and I agree… every Sunday should end with a Sundae 🙂
Every Sunday should involve ice cream! I actually haven’t had any ice cream in months and now I’m craving it 🙂
Aw, I remember when my little guy transitioned to the crib. I was actually super happy about it because I didn’t have to tip toe around our bedroom at night! But I was constantly checking the monitor and trying to hear him breath! He just turned 1 November 5th and I was wondering the other day if I’ll ever give up the baby monitor! Probably not for a few years
Ok, who picked the boring VANILLA ice cream? LOL
Ha ha I was going to ask the same thing! 😉
I was a total mess when we transitioned my son to his crib, but that’s when he started sleeping through the night! It’s hard watching them get more independent, but the longer night’s sleep really softens the blow. 😉
The frittata looks delicious!
Isn’t it amazing how easy it is to hoard clothing? I usually go through my closet and drawers once a year to keep things in check.
I think Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory said it best: 50% of marriages end in divorce, but 100% of make-your-own-sundae bars end in happiness.
Where did you get Chase’s adorable outfit?
Carter’s!
I had a hard time with the crib transition as well and I stared at the monitor for hours-until I got the snuza. Have you heard of these? Little monitors you attach to the babe’s diapers and it detects breathing. It eased a lot of my post-birth craziness.
I had the hardest time transitioning my little one. For a few weeks after I woul dask my husband, can he come back in for just one night? It gets easier but I am totally with you on the emotional roller coaster and staying up watching the monitor! Good job momma!
Chase is too adorable. And I love those leggings!
Those tights are awesome!
5:45am is a normal wakeup time for us even with my guy at 1.5 years old – I’d say you are pretty lucky! Congrats on having your bedroom back!
Sounds like you had a good weekend! I went home for a wedding and had a blast! I’m pretty sure we laughed the entire time!
The first year is full of so so many transitions, it’s so overwhelming sometimes but it’ll feel normal before too long! I keep thinking about when my girls spend the night at someone else’s house – ahh, I won’t be able to watch them on the monitors!!! Craziness!
So glad you guys are using the Ergo with Chase now for hikes! It’s the BEST – my almost three year old STILL hangs out in ours when she’s wanting to be held but she’s too heavy to hold for too long!
I need to get back to make a frittata on the weekends, so good!
Okay I’m excited to read your post on Tidy’ing up. I need to clean and re-organize my closet and my daughter’s closet!!
Love Chase’s outfit 🙂 too cute! Tidying Up, is AMAAZING! So glad you liked it!
I was just wondering which Ergobaby carrier you have and what you think of it. We’re thinking of getting the 360 carrier, but wondering if it’s worth the price increase from the original.
The crib transition is so tough but it is also SWEET FREEDOM! We transitioned my daughter at 10 weeks and my husband and I had a dance party in our room because we were so happy not to have to tiptoe around trying to get ready for bed anymore! But I definitely stalked the monitor like a crazy person for a few nights! Sounds like Chase was a champ!!
Eek. That is such a big deal! I remember being glued to the monitor. Now I am for a new reason, my 2 year old has decided she can climb OUT of her crib. Game on!
Ice cream parties are the greatest parties! And the crib transition is such an individual thing. My good friend has a one-month-old and he has spent two nights this week in the crib (granted, the other “room” in their apartment is four feet away and there is no door in the open doorway) but keeps coming back to the bed with Mama and Daddy!
What an exciting first transition for Chase and for you! You are one sweet momma, Julie. I love how compassionate you are for your cute boy.
Your Sunday sounds like so much fun! I am a huge fan of all things ice cream, so your party is right up my alley.
Happy Monday, Julie! 🙂
Congrats on the crib transition!
Looks like you had an amazing weekend. I cannot wait to hear about this cleaning book – I think I am going to need to read it and then work on my house. It is a disaster. I say all this time “okay this weekend I am going to do x,y,z” and it never happens!
Oh I hear you about the crib transition, our little guy (now 4 months..whaaat) was so noisy I was barely sleeping so we moved him to his own room around 4 weeks and I STILL wake up paranoid he’s not breathing..but at least I get a more solid sleep and so does he! As soon as we moved him, he slept so much better being able to move around more freely, but it’s soo tough….
What a great looking weekend and an ice cream party..HECK yes!
Our boys are about 3 weeks apart in age (Chase is older) and I love following your blog because I can SO relate. I was wondering if you’re still using the infant insert on the Ergo with Chase? I think maybe Archer would be more comfortable with the insert. He’s somewhere in the 13 lb. range, but long and lean.
Congratulations on Chase’s transition to the crib! That’s huge! Any tips? Could you do a post on how you did it or recommend any books or websites? My 3 month old cries when we try to put her down drowsy but awake. Sounds like you’ve got a good thing going!
I love those leggings!