Weekend Recap

This week has started with full force and I barely have time to sit at my computer with the amount of paperwork being thrown my way and the meetings that are taking up my weekly calendar. With that said, I'm already counting down the days until the weekend! I vote that businesses should change things and we do the weekends for five days and we only work for two... whose game?

Friday
Friday I was determined to pick up my daughter at a reasonable hour as last week the poor child was the first to be dropped off each day and the last to be picked up. It broke this poor mama's heart. By the time I'd pick her up and get home, it would be time for a bath, a bottle, and then bed. I barely spent anytime with my precious little baby. So Friday I made up for that. When the clock struck 3:30, I was out the door.

I picked up Harper doodle right at 4pm and we went home and chilled out on the floor. Not only did Harper and I play, we had some unexpected visitors who came and spent time with our little munchkin as well. Harper's grandparents came to play as well as my sister and one of my best friends.

Most everyone left by 6 but Olivia stuck around and came to eat Chinese with the family that night.

Saturday
Saturday nearly killed me. From the moment my feet hit the floor, it was go, go, go. Harper had me up at 6am and by the time she fell back asleep, it was closer to 8am. So I went on and got up and started cleaning and straightening up the house.

At 11, my sister and I headed off to a Silpada party where we shopped and stuffed ourselves on homemade cookies. At 12, my sister, my friend Emily, and I headed to a local church for their annual Fall Market. There were so many cute fall items but I withheld from purchasing anything as I know our city is having their annual fall festival in just a few short weeks. I figured I'd have a bigger selection of things to choose from there... plus many of the vendors at the Fall Market will also have booths at the Fall Festival.

By the time we left the sale, I was starving so we all hit up Mayberry's, a local sandwich and ice cream shop. By the time we left, it was nearing 2 o'clock. When we got back to my house, my sister left and my friend Emily sat and chatted for a while.

At 4, my best friend Alyson and her mom came and picked me up and we headed off to Greensboro for Alyson's bridal portraits. Alyson is getting married on June 21st of this coming year and I'm so excited for her. On top of that she'll be marrying my cousin so we can now officially say we're related!

Alyson's pictures were shot from 5-7 so by the time they were done, we were ready for dinner. Alyson's mom treated us to a meal at Mimi's Cafe. I stuffed myself silly. Too bad because after our meal, they made a Starbucks run and I couldn't even begin to think of ordering a Pumpkin Spice Latte. One swallow and everything would have came up!

Sunday
Thankfully Sunday was a bit more low key. I got up early and got Harper  ready for church. It was Homecoming Sunday so we had to be there thirty minutes early. Let me just say, considering we're usually thirty minutes late for the 11 o'clock service, I was pretty proud that we only arrived five minutes late for the 10:30 starting time this week! After church, we did our usual lunch at my parent's house. Mom fixed baked ham, corn, green beans, potatoes, and corn bread and biscuits. And yes, it was as delicious as you can imagine.

When lunch was over, I headed to Greensboro with my friend Brittni to purchase a comforter for our guest room. Last weekend when Kevin and I went I found a quilt I liked but it was gray and tan and I was really looking for something with more color. But over the weekend I was thinking of how great it would look in the guest room for the fall so I decided to go back and get it. I was so excited! But wouldn't you know when I went back to get it, they didn't have all of the pieces and they can no longer be ordered. Isn't that just my luck :(  I finally decide on something and it's no longer available! Ughhh!

So I went home in disappointment. But then my spirits were lifted because I realized Harper's new clothes that I ordered from Carter's last weekend had arrived in the mail the day before (yes, we're bad about checking our mail box). They were having a huge friends and family event sale last weekend and I may or may not have purchased her ten new outfits! :P haha But in my defense, most of them were between 60-75% off! I scored all those outfits and a pair of shoes for $80. That's a steal little mamas & you know it!

So last night after Harper went to bed, I worked on clearing out her newborn and three months outfits and replacing her closet with new six month and nine months outfits. It was bittersweet! I'm so excited that she'll be getting to dress up in some adorable outfits soon but it was so sad to fold up her tiny little outfits that she wore at the beginning of her life. Oh well, here's to hoping it won't be too much longer before another little Holt can wear them :P

Happy Monday ladies!

Weekend Recap

Oh what a busy weekend!!!

This weekend was by far one of the busiest weekends we've had in a long time. There was no sitting around and relaxing for the Holt's this weekend! But despite our busyness, we had a fantastic weekend!

Friday
When I left work on Friday, I decided to head straight to the grocery store. I usually grocery shop on Sundays after lunch but Friday I was just wanting to get it out of the way. Plus, it's much easier to grocery shop without a baby in tow! You moms know what I'm talking about :P

After picking up a few items that we were in desperate need of, I headed off to Harper's daycare to pick up our baby girl. She was in such a great mood as always. Since Kevin was working and wasn't going to be home until after 6, I decided to head over to my parents house for the afternoon. Mom and I watched a few episodes of Castle as Dad spoiled Harper rotten.

By the time we'd finished up watching tv, Kevin and my friend Brittni had arrived at Mom and Dad's and we all headed out to Ruby Tuesday for dinner. I had a coupon for a free burger with the purchase of an entree so we ate there for practically nothing. Score! (FYI- If you haven't already, sign up for Ruby Tuesday's emails... they're constantly sending coupons for free meals!).

Saturday
Saturday morning arrived early as Harper decided to wake up at 6am. Funny how I have to wake her up during the week but on the weekend, she's up on her own! Crazy kid! Since we were up at the crack of dawn, we decided to head out and grab some breakfast at Sanitary Cafe... a local restaurant that mimics the menu and decor of Cracker Barrel. I was craving some pancakes, eggs, and bacon and the dish they served up did not disappoint my taste buds.

After breakfast, I left the hubs and Harper doodle to head off and treat myself to a manicure and a little waxing. I was in dire need of both! Since my salon appointment ended earlier than expected, I decided to make a quick trip to our local Belk. Thank goodness I did! I racked up on some adorable Carter's outfits for Harper for nearly nothing. I'm talking 4 outfits for right around $20! Heck yes for a bargain!

By the time I got home, it was shortly after noon and I had to get ready for a baby shower. My childhood babysitter is having her first child. It was so strange being at her baby shower with my own child. Funny how fast times change.

After the shower, Harper and I headed back to the house to pick up Kevin and then head to Burlington. Kevin's great aunt turned 80 and her family threw her a giant reception. There were so many people there and it was a bit overwhelming not knowing half of those people. As I was introduced to person after person, I kept thinking this is what it feels like when you're first dating and meeting all the family. Whew! Glad I'm not in that scene anymore! haha But all in all, it was so nice to meet some of Kevin's extended family that I'd never met before and the food they served was delicious.

When the reception ended, Kevin's mom and dad offered to take Harper home so Kevin and I could go see a movie. Something we hadn't done together since our anniversary back in May. We were so thankful for the gesture and sent Harper on the way to Grandma & Grandpa's. While Harper was spoiled rotten there, we headed off to Alamance Crossing to see Prisoners. Overall, it was a great movie but I was a bit disappointed about the ending.

Sunday
Sunday morning was rough. Harper has fell victim to the four month sleep regression and at 4am, she was up and bright eyed and bushy-tailed. Sadly, her parents were not. From 4-7am, Harper babbled and talked up a storm. Finally around 7am, she fell asleep and Kevin and I finally caught up on our zzzz's. Unfortunately, we didn't wake up until after 10 which didn't allow us enough time to get ready for church. So we spent the rest of the morning laying around in bed with our little family of four (Rimy was of course included!).

As is our usual Sunday tradition, we headed to Mom and Dad's for Sunday lunch. Mom made homemade vegetable soup and homemade potato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches. It was just the perfect meal for the dreary day.

When lunch was over, we headed to my brother's house. He officially moved in on Friday. I felt sorry for my mom as her last child left the nest. Though, she appears to be doing fine. Then again, my brother lived on his own for four years as he went to NC State so I guess she was used to not having him home.

Sunday afternoon, Kevin and I headed off to Greensboro to hunt again for a comforter for our guest bedroom. Yet again, we walked away empty handed. I'm fixing to throw in the towel on this one! I've searched high and low and can't find what I'm looking for. But I know as soon as I settle for something, I'll see what I'm looking for the next time I'm out at home decor stores.

Following our shopping adventures, we headed to get dinner at Outback. It was Harper's first time there and she loved it. I think the lights and noises fascinated her! For most of the meal, she hung out in her seat on the table just staring at the light above our table. Towards the end she started getting fussy so I took her out and laid her on the booth seat. As we ate our dinner, she worked on eating her toes. It was the cutest thing!

After dinner, we hit up a few car lots and Kevin looked at a few 4Runners. We've been debating for a while now whether to sell Kevin's mustang and my old SUV. With the low interest rate the credit union is offering, we've been leaning towards purchasing a more dependable vehicle for Kevin. If we trade in our two vehicles, it would be a pretty good down payment and we wouldn't have to borrow a ton of money from the bank. So who knows, the Holt's may own a new ride soon. We'll see how it pans out...

In the meantime, you ladies have a happy Monday!

Friday Confessions

I'm linking up with Leslie over at A Blonde Ambition this afternoon. I've been seeing Jessica over at The Newly link up with her for quite a while and today I decided I'd join in on the fun! So let's get the confessions rollin' shall we...

1. I confess that I've been such a poor blogger lately! By lately, I mean since Harper was born! Lately just sounds so much better than months so we're going with that. Every week I have a list of blog posts I intend to write. Yet somehow life's been getting in the way. I guess sometimes you just have to live life instead of trying to waste it by writing it all down. But I do promise to get better starting with this upcoming week! 

2. I confess that I seriously think my daughter is the cutest thing in the world. I mean, I know all mothers say that because they're kind of obligated to, but I really mean it. Harper is absolutely precious from the top of her head to the tip of her itty bitty toes! Don't you agree?! After all, who can say no to this precious face?!

3.  I confess that I'm going nuts over trying to find new bedding for our guest bedroom. For a year now, I've been on the look out for a comforter set to go in our guest room and at this point, I'm sick of looking. Our guest room was just sort of thrown together three years ago when we first moved into our house. It's plain, has no color, and is lacking lots of decor. Everyday that I walk by it, I just want to shut the door at it's lack of life. I want to find something that's warm and inviting and just says "home" to our out of town guests. I've only found a couple of collections I like and of course, they're all outrageously priced. Though at this point, I'm seriously considering dropping hundreds of dollars on something I like because I'm probably spending that on time and gas at this point as I'm going all over creation every weekend hunting for something that'll do! 

4. I confess that I've been buying Harper's Christmas presents since July. But in all honesty, I saved lots of money by doing so. I've been hitting up consignment sales and purchasing some toys for her. A little clorox and lysol can go a long way! Just sayin...

5. I confess that I turn simple projects into huge tasks. By that I mean back in July we decided to pull down our wallpaper in our kitchen and paint it. That led to us having under-cabinet lighting and crown molding installed in our kitchen. Which then led to shadow boxes being put up in our dining room since the carpenter was already there. Since the painter had to paint the bottom of the dining room and the whole kitchen, we decided he might as well repaint our pantry as well. And since the bottom half of the dining room got a makeover, we decided the whole room ought to as well. So we bought new dining room furniture and had the light fixture replaced. What should have been a simple weekend project has turned into projects that are taking a few months to complete. 

6. I confess that the thought of pumpkins, leaves, and all things fall just about made me sick just two weeks ago. I feel like all of us in NC got jipped this summer as it rained 75% of the time and really never got that hot . Yet now that I'm seeing all of the cute fall things flooding instagram and pinterest, I can't wait to make a trip to Hobby Lobby and get the crafts and decorations flowing throughout my house! 

7. I confess I've become addicted to daily deals sights. Every morning, I wake up and check veryjane, groopdealz, sassysales, and fingersnappin before I ever get out of bed. It's like Christmas every morning! Check them out, it's seriously addicting! But they're great for finding cute litte gifts and decor to put away for Christmas! 

Well these are my current confessions... 

Happy Friday!

{Monthly Recap}: Four Months

Weight
You seem to have gotten longer this month but you don't seem as though you weigh much more so I'm guessing that you're somewhere around fifteen or sixteen pounds. You have a doctor's appointment on the 16th so we'll see what you're up to then!

Health
From the looks of you, everyone can tell you're a pretty healthy kiddo. Sorry baby but you have lots of cute and adorable little rolls! I love to see you wearing just a diaper. Your Santa Claus baby belly is just too cute for words.

Sleep
You love to sleep! This month you started to put your own self to bed. Mommy and Daddy would lay you on your play mat after bath time and you'd be playing up a storm. The next thing we'd know when we looked over, you'd be sound asleep with those hands above your head and your little frog legs sticking out. That's your sure tell sign that you're out for the count! And now that you go to daycare, apparently you wear yourself out because you usually hit the sack around 7 or 8 unlike the 9pm and 10pm that we used to see!

Routine
To be honest, I'm not really sure what your routine is like these days now that you're at daycare. I do know that I pick you up each day around 4pm and you've usually just ate. Once we get home, we play until about 6 and then you get a bath and a bottle a short time after. Usually by 7 you're starting to get sleepy and by 7:30, you're out like a light. Occasionally you'll wake up again around 10 but most nights you sleep straight through until Mommy gets you up around 6am for a bottle and some fresh clothes.

Clothes
Over the last few weeks I've been trying to transition you into larger clothes. You can still wear three months clothes but where you've gotten longer, they are harder to snap at the bottom. So for the most part you're in three to six months or six months outfits. Though if you're wearing shorts, I have to put three months on you because you have the tiniest little bum and anything bigger just falls right off!

Diapers
We're still in size ones. They fit you just perfectly so I'm guessing by the time you hit five months, we'll be moving you up! Though if not, that's ok with me. I'd like to keep you as tiny as possible! The fact that you're a third of the way through your first year of life is already tough enough to swallow. So if you'll stay smaller longer, that'll be great for this mommy!

Diet
You're still eating formula on a regular basis. Though this month 4 ounce bottles just weren't cutting it. We started giving you six ounces and it really cut back on your fussiness and how often you ate. You'll go about four hours without eating now as opposed to the two and a half when you were on smaller amounts.

Crying
This month you became a bit fussier. I blame it on two things... teething and being hungry. As I said, apparently we weren't feeding you enough. Once we figured that out you stopped alot of your whining. However, every now and then you'll break out screaming and we can't figure out what's wrong. However, we've noticed you drooling more often and chewing on anything you can get your mouth on so we're thinking maybe you're teething. Nana seems to think that's what might be causing you to get upset randomly over nothing. But even so, for the majority of the day, you're still that amazing little happy girl that everyone comments about.

Milestones
- You started day care this month. Mommy thought it was going to be hard to leave you but since you were going to the church daycare, it actually was quite easy. However, Daddy had a tough time.  Your first week you went for a half day on Wednesday and Thursday and a full day on Friday. Your daddy came with us the first day and he couldn't leave you. When we got in the car, he commented about how hard it was. The funny thing is, he leaves you everyday to go to work and I'm with you all the time. I think it's because I know you're in such good hands. Your daddy says it was hard on him because he doesn't know those ladies like I do and with Mommy, he knows you're well taken care of! But regardless, we all survived and you're loving it!
- You tried ice cream for the first time this month. I know, I know, it was a bit too early but you kept looking at it so Mommy and Daddy decided to give you a taste. You weren't a fan of the Rocky Road. But I gave you some homemade peach and you smacked your lips for more!
- You also wore shoes for the first time this month! The first time you wore them you weren't quite sure what the deal was with the thing between your toes. By the next day, you had pretty much gotten use to it though after a few hours, you were ready for them to go!

Likes
- Daycare: You love going to see Ms. Kim and Ms. Saprina. You've got them wrapped around your finger and you know it!
- Shopping: This month you've really learned to love to shop. Just last week we went shopping with your Auntie and you laughed the whole time. You even are learning to express your opinion. Auntie Misty would show you items and ask if you liked them. For some you'd squeal and get all excited and others, you'd just stare at! We're definitely going to have a little shopping diva on our hands!
- Standing up: You're loving being able to stand up and look around the room. It amazes me how strong your little legs are. As long as you're holding onto our fingers, you can stand for a solid two to three minutes before your little legs give way!

Dislikes
- Being Alone: This month you've become pretty spoiled. Apparently, all of the day care ladies come and hold you on their breaks. You're quite the popular little girl. So now when you're home, you hate to be left laying on the floor alone. You'll fuss and squeal until Mommy or Daddy picks you up or lay down beside you. If we're no where in sight, you're happy to let us know that you aren't game for those shenanigans!

Weekend Recap

It's been a long time since I've looked forward to a weekend as much as I did this past week. To have been a four day work week last week, it definitely didn't seem shorter. My week was filled with meetings during and after school. I typically leave around 3:30 each day but I was pushing 4:30 and 5:00 each day which left me exhausted and not able to spend as much time with Harper doodle as I'd like. 

So come Friday, I left work as soon as I could and made the thirty minute journey to Danville, VA. Kevin's cousins were coming in from Roanoke for the weekend to stay with us so I went on the hunt for new bedding for our guest room. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything I really liked. I've been searching for new bedding for the guest room for over six months so I'm not sure why I was surprised. So I ended up just purchasing some new bed pillows for them since the others were getting sort of flat.

When I got home I got ready, straightened the house up a bit, folded laundry and then we were out the door to meet Kevin's family for our usual Friday night dinner. We chose to eat at Ruby Tuesday since we haven't been there in a while. Typically I always order the same thing but as we were waiting to be seated I saw a new dish that looked delish! On a whim I decided to order it and it did not disappoint. It was called smoky mountain chicken. It's a grilled chicken breast smothered in barbecue sauce and layered with cheddar cheese and applewood bacon! Pair that with a some garlic mashed potatoes and Ruby Tuesday's bangin' salad bar and you've got a meal that's worth every single calorie. 

By the time dinner was over Dustin and Kristi had made it into town. They met us at the restaurant and we all stood in the parking lot talking. In typical Holt family fashion, the parking lot conversation lasted for an hour even though we were all leaving and heading to the same place. haha It seems to be the Holt trademark.

By the time we made it back to the house, I was pooped and so was Kristi. Of course the guys weren't so they headed off to a local sports bar while us girls headed off to bed.

On Saturday morning we slept in. Since most of us didn't wake up till closer to 10 we decided to skip breakfast and do an early lunch at Short Sugars, a local barbeque joint that's to die for! By the time we left we were all stuffed so we headed back to the house to spend the afternoon laying around in the living room catching up on each other's lives and reminiscing. 

Since we don't get to spend time with Dustin & Kristi as a family but about once a year, we decided to take full advantage of their time in Reidsville. So the whole family got together (Kev's parents, brother, and cousins) got together and we all headed to Greensboro for dinner at Kabuto Sushi & Hibatchi Restaurant. It was so much fun having all of the family together swapping stories and laughs.

When Sunday rolled around, we hated to see Dustin & Krsiti leave. But we made plans to get together in about a month for the Dixie Classic Fair and the Annual Antique Alley that comes to town. So let the countdown to the days of fun filled laughter and family time begin!

The Holt Boys (with a family friend on the end!)

Dustin & Kristi

My little family
Harper's first trip to Kabuto!