Back to School with Walmart

Hi friends! I can not believe I'm writing a 'Back to School' post featuring my fist baby Camden! I feel like he was just a little infant swaddled up in my arms yesterday (he turns 5 in November). Camden is starting his first year of Pre-K this year at a new school and we are so excited to meet his new teacher and friends. Although, it will be a little bit of a transition for everyone, I know he will have a great time and will learn so much.

One way to get him excited for this new school year is to get him some new clothes, shoes and supplies that I know he will love for school! Today I've partnered with Walmart to bring you some of Camden's favorite picks for back to school clothes, backpacks and supplies.

Walmart is the perfect one stop shop for all our Back to School needs. From clothes to shoes to backpacks and supplies. It was so easy to order everything online too! You can choose to order online and pick up in store OR they now offer 2 day free shipping on orders over $35!!

Shop our favorites for back to school clothes, shoes, backpacks and supplies for little boys from Walmart!

Shop Little Boys' Clothes and Shoes:

Shop Kids' Backpacks:

Shop School Supplies:

*Thank you Walmart for sponsoring today's post! As always, all views and opinions are my own (and Camden's)!

Motherhood Lately + The Perfect Fall Shirtdress

shirtdress (comes in 2 other solid colors. Plaid options here) | riding boots | necklace

Motherhood lately has been so fun! Exhausting...but, fun. I love that the boys are just starting to be at the age where they are starting to play with each other and like the same things. There's still a bit of a communication gap and of course I'm constantly playing referee with the toy tug-o-war. BUT, it is fun to see them laugh and play together. 

Camden is now almost 3 (he will be 3 on November 20th!) and Bennett will be 16 months on the 28th. I am so excited for the upcoming holiday season with these two. Having a one year old and a 3 year old at Christmas time will be so magical! I feel like this will be the first year Camden will actually 'get' the concept of Santa and Christmas morning. I can't wait to see their faces light up that day!!

Of course, it's not all rainbows and butterflies all the time. These ages... they are TOUGH! Bennett is just starting to show his toddler personality. Testing his limits, trying to get into everything he shouldn't, throwing his sippy cup and food on the floor... How quickly we forget about this stage! He is also SO stubborn (which I know he get from his father!). He wants to walk everywhere and goes straight towards the street when we are outside. When I try to hold his hand, he slaps my hand away as if to say 'I don't need your help!' He wants to do everything on his own! 

He's also starting to reach for all the door handles in the house which Camden just recently figured out so it's funny that Bennett is already doing this! Bennett has also cut a total of 6 teeth in the past few months and is currently working on his k9 teeth (the sharp ones on top). The drool has been non-stop! 

However, with those challenging times comes one of my favorite stages! Bennett loves to dance and whenever there is music playing he starts shaking his little hips back and forth! It's probably my favorite thing to watch! He also is so funny and loves to giggle! He is just starting to instigate wrestling with his brother which is so cute! They just roll around on each other and laugh!

He is also much more cuddly at this age than I remember Camden being. Especially right before bedtime and after naps, he just melts in my arms and I soak up every ounce of it! He also loves to blow kisses and says 'muaw!' when we say give me a kiss! It's the best! He is also up to saying over a dozen words! His little voice is so cute and I love that he wants to communicate with us!

Camden is also starting to creep slowly to that 'three-nager' phase I've been hearing about. He is constantly asking questions and wants to know about everything! He also still thinks all the toys in the house are his and Bennett is just borrowing them 😂

We are about 50/50 with the potty training situation, but he does really well at 'school' so I know he's ready. I think it's time for potty training boot camp one these next few weekends since we don't have too many plans. I was hoping to get him trained by the time he turns 3, so we've got a month!

Along with his 'three-nager' attitude, he also says some of the sweetest things! He will randomly look up at me and say 'you look pretty mommy!' 😊  I don't know who taught him how to say that, but I'll take it! And sometimes after I pick him up from school he will say, 'I missed you mommy!' which just melts my heart into a puddle everytime!

Both boys are on the same schedule now, only taking one nap in the middle of the day. It makes things SOOO much easier especially with planning out our day. We typically always go on an outing in the mornings when we are home. Even if it's just getting them outside to get some exercise. I love that we live across the street from a playground! That is definitely one of the main reasons we purchased our home. 

As cliché as the saying is, it is so true...

Yes, the days are looooong, but the years are SHORT! 

Shop the post:

Our 4th of July Weekend

Our holiday weekend in a nutshell: splash pad fun, over eating, ice cream, pizza, grilling out, the boys' first parade experience, candy, long naps and (thankfully) sleeping through fireworks... Yes, this 4th of July weekend was definitely one for the memory books! 

Sunday afternoon (post naps) we loaded up the car with the boys in their swim suits and headed for the Powell Splash Pad. It was a popular spot because it was really hot and sunny that day, but it wasn't too over crowded to have some fun. I tried to explain to Camden what a splash pad was on our way there (since he'd never been!) and told him it was kind of like a playground with sprinklers. He just looked at me with a deer in headlights, "what?" look. Until we arrived! He was so excited when he saw all the water works and sprinklers all over this fun play area! He took off running as soon as we got there!

Bennett also enjoyed the little sprinklers too! Although his facial expressions may not seem that way 😂 

(Bennett's swim suit linked here - on sale! And his hat is here) 

 (Camden's rash guard is Old Navy | swim trunks are H&M last year - he finally fits into them!)

Camden was having so much fun that we had to bribe him with ice cream on the way home to get him to leave!

On the 4th we took the boys to the Hilliard Independence Day Parade and met up with Bill's brother and sister-in-law and their 6 month old baby (the boys' cousin). This was the boys' first parade experience and Camden was in heaven! Music, trucks, cars, police cars, tractors, candy... All his favorites! Bennett also loved the music and enjoyed watching the vehicles from his stroller. There was a float with bubbles that he really loved and I swear I heard him say 'bubble!' and pointed to the bubbles! 

(boys' tee shirts | Camden's shorts | boys' sandals)

Camden loved seeing all the big trucks and this big tractor!

He went home with allll the parade swag! Lollipops, tootsie rools, sunglasses and a flag that he carried around for the rest of the day! I'd say his first parade experience was a success!

We ended the holiday with a grocery shopping trip and grilling out for the evening. Then, after the boys went to sleep, Bill and I listened to the fireworks while catching up on some House of Cards on Netflix. That's patriotic, right?!

How was your holiday weekend?

Advice for 2nd Time Moms

The title of this post may make it seem like I am an expert in the subject of being a second time mom. The truth is, I'm still learning! However, I've got just about a year of being a second time mom under my belt and I feel as though I have learned a lot. 

I have 3 friends that are about to have their 2nd babies and one that is about to have her 3rd! It just seems to be that phase of life we are all in right now. While at a play date with one of said friends recently, she looked up at me and asked 'do you have any advice for this second time mom?'

The question kind of stumped me. To be honest, it's not like giving advice to a first time mom where you want to unload allll the gory details of your first experience of having a baby and what it was like that first year. They get it. They've been there. And the fact that they came back for more means they have the confidence in themselves that they can do it again.

The truth is, there is no good advice because everyones' experience is different. It may depend on the first child's age, where you live and the climate, if you have help readily available, how much time you have off of work, how you heal from the labor and birth... the list goes on. But, there are a few things you can do to help prepare your first born and yourself before baby #2 arrives.

To help prepare older sibling:

#1. Tell your first child that they are going to have a baby sister/brother.  They are smarter than we give them credit. Camden was 19 months when Bennett was born which means his age range when I was pregnant was 10 months - 19 months. This was a tough age to communicate what was going on. I would let him touch my belly and tell him that his baby brother was in there and that he would meet him soon. Every now and then Camden would point to my belly and say 'baby' which was adorable. Of course, I may never know if he actually got the concept, but repetition and reassurance helped him understand why mommy's belly was growing!

#2. Expose your first born to babies and how they act. This was one thing I didn't really do enough with Camden. By the time we moved to Illinois, about 6 months before Bennett was born, Camden was in daycare 3-4 days a week. So, he had plenty of exposure to other children his age, but minimal contact with babies younger than him. I didn't have any close friends at the time with babies and the family that would visit us had older cousins. I definitely wish I would have brought him around babies to experience how they cry, breastfeed/eat, sleep a lot, etc. He was expecting for Bennett to get up and play with him from the womb! 

#3. Read Big Brother/Big Sister books. Camden actually loves this Big Brother book (Big Sister version here) and it's so cute to see him say 'that's me! And that's Bennett!" when we read it together. 

#4. Get a baby doll and teach them how to help. This was one I wish I would have done with Camden. He just never seemed interested in baby dolls, so I never got one or pretended like any of his animals were babies. Just the simple act of showing them how to hold a baby or be gentle, feed, diaper, etc. Then, when baby #2 does arrive, they have their own baby to take care of and keep them busy. 

#5. Make sure other people in your family are able to do bedtime/nap routines and are aware of their daily schedules. This is obvious because you will be busy with baby #2 for a while and will need help with #1 during the day and at night. 

#6. Make sure to set aside one on one time with 1st born before and after baby #2 is born. I made sure to have a lot of mommy/Camden days before Bennett arrived. It was tough to get one on one time shortly after Bennett was born, but even just playing while the baby is napping helps. 

#7. Prepare some 'quiet' or 'busy' boxes or have new toys on hand to keep them busy while you are feeding. There are some great ideas for these on Pinterest! This was something I wish I would have done before Bennett arrived. 

#8. Get them a special shirt to wear to the hospital and maybe a gift from the baby. This will just make the older sibling feel more special when baby #2 arrives. 

How to prepare yourself:

To be completely honest, the hardest part for you will be the emotional roller coaster. Yes, you will be healing and physically exhausted from labor and delivery. Yes, you will have a newborn keeping you up all night. You will be exhausted. BUT, the worst part for me was the heartbreak of not being able to be there for my first born as much after the baby was born. There were times when I was breastfeeding or just resting and recovering and Camden would call out for me. It literally broke my heart that I was not able to go to him and comfort him right away. Luckily, we had a lot of great help with first few weeks, so I know he was spoiled with love from his dad and grandparents. However, the mom guilt hurt my heart everyday for a while. 

Just know that this is a phase and a transition for everyone in the family. There will be jealousy from your first born. Depending on the age, they may communicate/show it differently. But, this behavior is actually normal. It took a while for Camden to realize that Bennett was here to stay! 

(taken the week after Bennett was born)

Lastly, give yourself some grace. Take a deep breath and let it go (Daniel Tiger anyone?). You will get through this. And in the end, you will have given your first born the greatest gift... a sibling and a life long friend! The struggle is always worth it in the end!

Also... don't blink because in a minute they will go from this...

To this... 

Seriously, I feel like I just blinked and they grew! 

I'm so excited to see how their little friendship evolves over the next year!

A Typical 'Day In The Life' With 2 Under 3

If you're anything like me, you love these day in the life posts. I get it. I'm nosey. But, I also like to see how other mothers, in particular, spend their days with their kids. How they actually attempt to accomplish anything outside of taking care of them (house chores? what are those?). I can't believe it's been over a year since I published this 'day in the life' post! Oh, those were the days with just one little guy to worry about! I will say that our days run a lot smoother now than they did about 6 months ago. Having a newborn and a very active toddler at the same time is no joke! But, as with everything in life, it was just a phase and now I find myself with an almost mobile baby and a very active toddler... I can only imagine how hectic these days will be when I have 2 toddlers!

I wanted to document this time in my life at home with the boys for me to look back on. I find myself scrolling back in my blog to find the posts about the early days with Camden and I know I will love to come back and read these types of posts when the boys are older as well. And for those of you with 2 little ones yourself (or if you're thinking about having your second) this is for you as well!

I pride myself at getting both boys on a fairly good schedule by the age of 6 months. I'm all about regulating when they sleep and eat because it helps me map out and plan our days together as well. And I think it helps both boys know what to expect in our days which can lead to less meltdowns (perhaps).

Instead of picking a specific day, I'm going to give you a general run down on our schedule when I'm at home with the boys. There are somethings that change day to day like, when Bennett will take his first nap (because that sets off our schedule for the rest of the day) or what the weather is like for the day (will we be playing inside or outside). But, for the most part, this is our typical day....

May 2017
Bennett - 10 months
Camden - 2.5 years
Me - part time work from home (online marketing), part time SAHM
Bill - Medical Sales Rep (travels part time)

5:30 am - my alarm on my phone goes off. I've been trying my best to set my alarm and get up before the boys wake up so I can have some time to get ready (aka throw on some make up, brush my hair and put normal clothes on). Maybe even take my first few sips of coffee before the hectic morning starts. I've been about 50/50 with actually getting out of bed when the alarm goes off. I'm hoping to be 100% in the near future!

5:45 am - I drag myself out of bed with the only motivation being that first sip of warm coffee (with lots of creamer...mmm). I brew our coffee for the day (we like to make an old school pot of coffee every morning). I start to put on my make up and brush my hair. I most likely throw on these shorts and one of these tee shirts (which are currently 3 for $20!).

6/6:15 am - This is about when I start to hear Bennett stir and talk in his crib. The little booger has only slept past 6:30 a handful of times in his life. But, I like that he gets us up and out of bed for the day! I get him up, change his diaper and we head downstairs for his first bottle of the day. He usually finishes this one pretty quick. Then it's play time on the floor. He is a loud baby and usually wakes up his brother and Dada with his squeals.

6:30/7 am - Camden will typically sleep until about 7 if his brother doesn't wake him up. If Bill is home, he will usually get Camden up and dressed for the day. Bill brings him downstairs and I give him a hug and kiss 'good morning'. I sit him up on his booster seat and give him the ipad to watch a few videos while I prepare the boys' breakfast. Cheerios and fruit for Bennett (sometimes a pouch if he seems hungry). Yogurt, cheerios, maybe some fruit and milk for Camden. We are like clockwork with our morning routine, so Camden has gotten pretty used to eating the same thing every morning. On the weekends I might make something more exciting like pancakes or waffles. Bennett's pretty good at eating his finger foods so, I take this opportunity while they are eating to empty the dishwasher.

(the best silicone bibs)

7:30/8 am - Bennett starts to get restless in his highchair, so I put him in his little car walker (similar here) and he walks around the first floor going from out front foyer, to the kitchen, to the living room. He's gotten pretty good at maneuvering in that thing!

8 am - We finish up breakfast and head upstairs to the playroom while Bill starts work for the day. I put Bennett down for his morning nap between 8 - 8:30 (usually about 2 hours after he wakes up).

8:30 - 9:30 am - Camden and I play in the playroom while Bennett naps. I like to try to incorporate some quiet activities like play-doh, coloring, etc. I may turn on an episode of Daniel Tiger or Sesame Street if we are having a lazy morning.

9:30 - 10 am - Bennett usually wakes around this time and I feed him his second bottle of the day. I'll get the boys dressed for if I haven't yet. Camden will get a snack and some milk while I'm feeding Bennett.

10 am - 12 pm - This is when we will go on an outing for the day. Depending on the weather we will go to the park, zoo, or another outdoor place if it's nice out. If it's a rainy or cold day we may go to an indoor play cafe (like this one) or I'll take them on a grocery/Target run (which is starting to get tricky). I'd like to try out a few local libraries for story time too in the near future.

(taken at the Tree of Life Play + Cafe in Hilliard on a cold/rainy Tuesday!)

12 pm - 12:30 pm - We are home and I fix the boys lunch. Camden's appetite varies, but Bennett is usually hungry at this time and will eat anything I put on his tray! I'll give him a handful of cheerios to keep him busy while I make the boys' lunches. I try my best to make sure Camden gets some sort of protein and fruit/veggie. The veggies are tough and most of the time I have to resort to giving him one of these so I feel better. Bennett gets some sort of fruit and/or veggie as well and maybe a little bit of whatever Camden is eating. I might give Bennett a sippy cup with a little bit of water so he gets used to using the sippy.

12:30 - 1 pm - We all head upstairs to start the nap time process. I put Bennett down for his nap first. He will typically roll around a bit and talk to himself before falling asleep. I'll bring Camden to his room, change his diaper and read him a story or 2 before coaxing him to go in his crib.

1 - 2:30 pm - On a good day (and this is happening more often recently), the boys will nap simultaneously at this time! During nap time I'll work on the blog, answer emails, read blogs do house chores or prep for dinner. Or sometimes I just sit and catch up some TV shows if I'm lazy! I also usually eat my lunch at this time since I am never really able to when the boys eat!

2:30 - 3 pm - Bennett wakes up from his nap around this time and I feed him a bottle. Then, we get some one on one play time together in the playroom before Camden wakes up. I love this time because I can just focus all my attention on him!

3 - 3:30 pm - Camden will wake up from his nap around this time. He's been so grumpy after nap time recently! It will take him a good half an hour to feel better. I usually get him a snack and some milk and we may watch an episode of Daniel Tiger or something to get him out of his funk.

(or sometimes he refuses to put pants on... Oh, to be a toddler!)

3:30 - 5 pm - At this time I try to get the boys out of the house again. We may go across the street to the park (yes, there is a park right across the street from our house which is so convenient!) or just hang out in our backyard with some toys if it's nice out. If it's a crummy day, I may just take them with me on an errand or I'll try to get creative with a craft for Camden, more play-doh, build a fort, etc.

5 pm - Bennett starts to get a little whiny around this time and I know it's because he's ready for dinner! So, I'll bring the boys in the kitchen to start dinner for us. I'll put Bennett in his high chair with some finger foods to keep him happy. Recently, I've been giving him peas, carrots, corn, raspberries (these are so easy to just pull apart in pieces), bananas, etc. I'll start making dinner and try to keep Camden occupied by either having me help with dinner or giving him some type of craft to do at the table or he'll play an app on the ipad.

5:30 - 6 pm - I'll serve dinner to Camden and give Bennett little pieces of whatever we are eating. If Bill is home we may all eat at this time. I've been loving one pan/sheet pan recipes lately! Makes clean up so much easier!

6 pm - 6:45 - This is when the boys get a little crazy and I'm so glad when Bill is home to help during this time of night! We will either play downstairs or head up to the play room. Bill may watch the boys at this time while I clean up from dinner. A few nights a week, I'll try to go for a run outside at this time.

6:45 pm - I'll feed Bennett his 'bedtime' bottle and get him ready for bed. I change him into pjs and an overnight diaper, turn on his sound machine, close the curtains and I usually sing him a lullaby before putting him in his crib. I've been putting him in lighter, short sleeve pjs for summer, but I still love using the sleep sack so he feels comfy.

7 pm - Bennett is usually sleeping by this time and Bill will hang out with Camden while I jump in the shower.

7:30 / 7:45 pm - We start the bedtime process for Camden which includes changing into PJs, brushing his teeth, bath if needed, stories, etc. He is really starting to try to avoid the bedtime process! He's always asking for one more story or to go back in the playroom. We try to make sure he's at least in his crib by 8pm.

8 / 8:30 pm - Camden is finally asleep and Bill and I relax for a bit. Maybe watch a TV show, eat our dinner if we haven't yet! I'll try to clean up the kitchen as much as possible before we go to bed. I hate waking up to a messy kitchen.

9 - 9:30 pm - I may work on a blog post or just catch up on a TV show.

9:30 - 10 pm - I'll brush my teeth, wash my face and set out clothes for the next day. I've been so tired at night that I'm typically in bed by this time! I make sure my alarm is set for 5:30 am.

And that is my day as a SAHM in a nutshell! Props to you if you've read this entire post, ha! Seems like such a long day all written out. But, they definitely fly by because we are so busy!

Settling In + Embracing the Mess

Here we are in this new house with stuff everywhere and boxes that need unpacked. I spent my first day at home with the boys on Tuesday (I now have Tuesdays and Fridays off) and we spent the majority of our day in the new playroom since it was snowing and bitterly cold outside (you may have seen a few snaps on snap chat username: Lindsay Rumple, or instastories @lindsaykr11). Seriously, where are you spring?!

As I looked around the playroom at the boxes of toys that needed to be unpacked and organized I started to feel a slight panic attack. You see, like most right brained people, I like things to have order and make sense. On the other hand, I do appreciate design and aesthetics (like most bloggers) and a lot of what I do and enjoy would put me in the category of a 'creative'. So, being in an environment that is messy, unorganized and just overall not aesthetically pleasing gives me the heebie jeebies.  

(We have some serious bedhead in these photos! This was post nap time. Please note Mickey sitting in the chair. He is Camden's new bestie and goes everywhere with him!)

As I looked around the room Tuesday morning, I decided to try to put the toys away in their place from the bins and boxes. I put all the toys in categories and separated them by color, size, shape, etc. Only to have my toddler come a long and dump all my organized bins on the floor. I felt my blood pressure rise. Then I stopped myself....

What is my priority? What is the rush to get things put together? For myself? Was I being selfish? Camden was having a great time rediscovering toys he hadn't seen in ages! 

So, I decided to slow down. Enjoy the mess. I knew then as I looked at my toddler who all of a sudden looked like a little boy and not a baby anymore, that he is growing so quickly. I focused my attention on him and we had such a fun day! 

Cars, Blocks, Balls, Play-Doh, Books, Singing, Dancing... 

It was so fun to just be in the moment with him. 

Even though we live in this world of Pinterest, Blogs, Instagram that showcase nearly perfect homes, bodies, outfits, and moms that seem to have it all together... Just know that the world is NOT that perfect. And that's OK! It's so much more fun being messy! 😀

Shop the post and some items in our playroom:

Family Strolls

One thing I've missed over the past few bitterly cold months is our family walks around the neighborhood in the evenings. After Bennett was born in late June, we started taking family walks together pretty much every evening after dinner and before the bedtime routine started. It was the perfect time of night right before sunset and right around the 'witching hour' for Bennett. Our little walks around the block would instantly calm him down during his fussy newborn phase (you would seriously never know he was ever a fussy baby now!).

We would load up the stroller, get our dog Charlie on a leash and head out. Well, fast forward about 6 months and now Camden is at the age where he will only sit still in a stroller for a short time. He wants to get out and walk with us like a big boy! Enter the Evenflo Sibby travel system...

When Evenflo contacted me for this sponsorship, I was excited because I have always loved their products and was familiar with the brand. I was even more excited when they told me they would like me to try out their Sibby stroller travel system!

This travel system is perfect for the ages of our boys (Camden 2,  Bennett 7 months). The stroller comes with a removable board on the back so Camden can stand and hold on while I push the stroller.  So, if he gets tired of walking he can just glide along with us!

I love that it comes with an infant carrier (and base!) that clicks into the stroller so we can use it now while Bennett is still too small for the main stroller seat. I also love that it has a canopy on the car seat and on the stroller, so when Bennett is riding in it I can completely shade him from the sun. 

The color is just the perfect shade of grey (mine is Mineral Grey, but it comes in 3 other colors) and I love that there is enough storage space underneath to store the diaper bag, blankets, or anything else I want to take with us. The stroller also folds flat which makes it easy to put in the trunk to take with us on trips, to the mall, etc.

I'm looking forward to using our Sibby stroller and continuing our tradition of family walks this spring and summer! 

Thank you to Evenflo for kindly sponsoring this post. All opinions are 100% honest & completely my own.

True #MomLife Confessions...

(mug | nail color | sweater)

These are my true #momlife confessions at the moment...

1. I haven't been snap chatting or insta story-ing (that's a phrase, right?) as much recently because my boys are typically in PJs mostly when they are home (Ok, and so am I)... And they might even wear the same PJs 2 days in a row if we don't get them dirty because winter...

2. To avoid toddler melt downs, I've been bribing Cam with play-doh (although he's starting to get bored with it already!), youtube videos, stickers (we love these), fruit pouches, veggie straws (he's obsessed with the zesty ranch ones!) and really anything that works... because we all have cabin fever at this point!

3. I've been extremely lazy about showering since it's so dry out and I'm almost out of this dry shampoo... I need a recommendation for a cheaper one! What dry shampoo do you love?

4. Since I've weened from breastfeeding, I've been binging on caffeine... Like a few cups of coffee in the morning, diet cokes (plural) in the afternoon... it's such a bad habit! I don't know how to kick it!

5. Speaking of which, I've been so bad with my diet recently... This time of winter is always the worst! Give me alllll the comfort food! I need motivation to work out!

6. Bill and I don't have any plans for Valentine's Day and we probably won't be exchanging gifts. It's just never been a big holiday for us. I'd rather save our money and stay at home! Is that sad?

7. This isn't really #momlife related, but I feel like I'm the only girl in the world not watching this season of the Bachelor. I just am not a big fan of Nick and don't miss it one bit! Still working my way through This Is Us though and loving it!

Ok, that's all I got for now...

What are your confessions?

A Magical Christmas...

Magical is the word I've chosen to describe this year's Christmas. It just felt like I was reliving my childhood Christmases all over again. For one, we spent this Christmas at my parents' house in Columbus so it did actually feel like I was a kid again. But, also because this was the first Christmas that Camden seemed to really 'get it'. This was actually his 3rd Christmas, but his first he was barely a month old and last year, just over one. Now, at 2 years old he knows who Santa is and his reindeer. He LOVES Christmas trees and lights! And most importantly... he knows how to open presents! It was so fun shopping for him this year! We didn't go over board because we didn't want to have to bring huge gifts home with us in the van and because we knew his grandparents would spoil him too. But, he was the star of the show Christmas morning and even helped hand out the gifts under the tree!

This Christmas was also 'magical' because it was the boys first Christmas together... One of many to come! I saw a glimpse into my future with 2 boys opening gifts of footballs, legos, transformers, nerf guns, cars, trains, trucks, etc. As much as I would love to buy all the pink froo froo toys for a little girl, I'm actually looking forward to a time when my 2 boys will play together with their toys. Granted, I know I'm in for it next year when I'm sure the word 'MINE' will be shouted every time one of them opens a gift and I will most likely be playing referee more so than Santa... But, it will still be fun to see them light up Christmas morning when they see what Santa has brought them.

Their little brotherhood is blossoming and it is so fun to watch! Bennett is really starting to find his older brother very entertaining and Camden loves to make him smile! 

We have just been relaxing and enjoying this time we have off with our families in Ohio. I've taken just a little bit of a break with the social media and blogging just to make sure I am truly soaking up this quality time with them. I will be back in action in 2017 which is next week!! Can you believe it??!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday break!