{Baby Holt #2} 7 Months.

How Far Along: 28 weeks. Hello third trimester! 
Weight Gain: As of my appointment yesterday, I've gained right at 20 pounds. Looks like the holidays are catching up with me (; 
Cravings/ Aversions: I am obsessed with McDonald's pancakes. I could seriously eat them every.single.morning which is totally weird because I am by no means a pancake eater nor do I care for sweets. But hey, what the baby wants the baby gets! As for aversions, I still haven't touched a steak. The thought makes me nauseous. 
Exercise: Just chasing after a toddler and trucking laundry up flights of stairs on a daily basis. 
Stretch Marks:None so far. I still haven't applied the cocoa butter yet but thanks to this weight gain, it's probably about time. 
Maternity Clothes: I'm still in regular clothes. I had plans to purchase maternity clothes during Black Friday but didn't get around to it. Most of my sweaters are tunic style tops so they're working great right now. However, my jeans and pants are getting a little tighter in the belly which means a trip to Motherhood may be in order pretty soon. 
Wedding Rings On/Off: On
Sleep: This month the insomnia hit. Come 4pm each day I am exhausted but by the end of the night when I get Harper laid down and fast asleep, I can't seem to wind down. By the time I finally fall asleep its nearing midnight or later. I'd like to say I could sleep in but by 5am, I'm usually bright eyed and bushy tailed. 
Movement: Our little guy is finally making his self known in there. He wiggles and squirms more throughout the day than he did initially which makes this mama happy as I know he's doing okay in there. 
Gender: Boy!
Symptoms: My acid reflux is back with a vengeance. I pop Tums like they're candy and Zantac 150 is never far from me. But if this reflux is any indication, our little guy should come out with a head of hair like his sister. 
Best Moment This Month: Passing my glucose test and ordering Boston's bedding from Restoration Hardware. Thank you Jesus for holiday sales!
Looking Forward To: Getting Boston's nursery in order and planning our baby shower that will take place in January!

{Five on Friday} Special Thanks + A Party in a Box

1} A Big Thank You Let me preface this post by saying thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your kind words, encouragement, and support yesterday for this new endeavor that Stacey and I are embarking on. If you aren't sure what I'm talking about, you can read all about our new business, Cupcakes & Confetti, here. 

2} North Pole Breakfast Party in a Box Speaking of our new business, I mentioned yesterday that you mamas wouldn't want to miss out on one of our products that would be offered for a limited time. With Christmas right around the corner, all of those elves are going to be making an appearance in our homes to keep an eye on our babies to see if they've been naughty or nice. With that said, what better way to welcome them into your home than by hosting a mini breakfast party to introduce your kiddos to their new house guest. Our "North Pole Breakfast" party in a box kits are priced at $20 each (+$6 shipping if you aren't local). Boxes are planned for families of 4 (additional settings can be added) and include plates, cups, napkins, paper straws, a tablecloth, fun letters to Santa cards, and fun FREE pre-prepped party printables to get your kiddos excited! If you're interested in purchasing one of these boxes, shoot me an email at cupcakesandconfettinc@gmail.com or leave me a comment below and I'll get back with you!

3} Ask and He Answers Y'all, I'm ashamed to admit it but sometimes in my day-to-day life, I forget that God is always there. But on Wednesday night, He gave me the most perfect reminder. Wednesday I was off work and spent the better part of the day tackling a long list of to-do's. I cleaned floors, cleaned out closets, finished decorating Harper's big girl room, and switched over her things into her new room. However, by the end of the day, I realized very quickly I had overdone myself. I started having pretty intense contractions. They finally subsided and I thought all was okay when I realized, I hadn't felt Boston move all day. Usually he keeps his movements until late in the evening so as I laid in bed I waited, and waiting, and waited. By 10 o'clock I was starting to worry so I began to pray. I prayed that God would allow me to just feel one little flutter. Just one little reminder that our little guy was okay in there. And you know what? No sooner had I said "Amen" and our little guy started squirming. That my friend is proof that our God listens and He answers. 
4} Making the Switch As I said, on Wednesday, I finished up Harper's big girl room. My goal is to try to get her to sleep in there this weekend. I don't have high hopes even though I've been telling her for weeks now that that is her "new room". She'll occasionally point out that Rimy, our dog, is sleeping on her "new bed". But whenever I try to get her to come play in her new room or lay in her new bed, she promptly runs to her nursery. So prayers for the weekend would be appreciated! I suspect this could be a long one haha
5} Pictures from the Week 24 weeks. 

Wednesday evening Harper went to Chucke Cheese with her Daddy and grandparents and from the looks of things, she made herself comfortable there haha 

{A Big Announcement} Cupcakes & Confetti

So I've been keeping a little secret from you ladies...
Let me begin by saying that no, I am not having twins. For real, a friend of mine asked! 
The big news is that....  I'm opening a business!
Or should I say, we are opening a business; as in me and my friend Stacey.  Stacey and I are both third grade teachers, mamas to some precious kiddos, and bargain shoppers! Over the last few years we have toyed with the idea of opening a business in an effort to make a little extra money for our families; as well as to do something else we enjoy. However, up until three weeks ago, it was always just talk and tossing around ideas. But when Stacey messaged me at 6 o'clock one morning several weeks back with the most ingenious idea ever, there was no looking back. So let me introduce you to our new baby....

Cupcakes & Confetti combines Stacey's love of baking with my love of decorating to provide you with a variety of services ranging from your very own do-it-yourself cupcake bar, to parties in a box, and even full scale party planning. 
When we mentioned our little business venture to our friends and family they had lots of questions so let me explain about the services we offer...
What is a do-it-yourself cupcake bar? Our do-it-yourself cupcake bar is a fun way to bring something sweet to your home, office, or party! All we need you to provide is a small space for us to set up and some people that love cupcakes as much as we do and we'll take care of the rest! 
Our cupcake bars will come complete with multiple cupcake flavor options, different icing choices, and of course a variety of toppings. All of which your party guests can choose from to create their own unique cupcake to their own liking. And speaking of unique, we'll customize your cupcake bar to match the color and theme of your party so there's no need for you to worry about the decorations. 
What is a party in a box? Ever wanted to throw an amazing party but just didn't have the time and effort to go out and shop for supplies or put together those awesome party printables you see all over Pinterest? No worries! As working mamas, we've been there. Let us take the prep work out of the party for you. We'll be happy to put together a party in a box containing all the necessary party printables and paper goods that you'll need to throw the best birthday party, baby shower, wedding shower, engagement party, holiday party, or cookout ever! 
What full party planning services do we offer? Currently we are offering two full-service party planning options: Cupcake Decorating Parties and an add-on package for Hosting Your Party!
Our Cupcake Decorating Party is ideal for kids ages 4 and up. Not only will we bring this party to you, we'll host the entire thing in just a few hours! We'll assist each party guest in decorating his/her own apron and cupcake; read a sweet story; play a game; then take care of all of the clean up before we go so that you don't have to! 
As for our Hosting Your Party, when purchasing one of our parties in a box, you can purchase an add-on service in which we'll host your entire party for you! We'll be happy to come in and decorate one hour before your event, stay for the duration of the party assisting where needed, and then we'll take care of the clean up. Our hope is that by offering this service you can relax and enjoy the party yourself. As both Stacey and I know what it's like to throw a party only to realize you didn't have the opportunity to relax and enjoy your friends and family's company when it was all said and done due to dealing with all the ins and out of party hosting. 
Follow Us Though we're just getting started on this little venture, we would love it if you would follow along! You can find us on facebook here; as well as on instagram here. Be sure to like both of our pages to keep up with what's happening. And be on the look out tomorrow for a fun, new party in a box that we will be offering for just a limited time. You mamas won't want to miss it!
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Stacey and I would like to thank the amazing and talented Maghon Walker of All She Wrote Notes for designing a logo that was everything we could have dreamed of and more! Be sure to visit her site for some of the cutest personalized note cards and prints you've ever seen! 

Something Exciting is Coming!

I've mentioned a time or two over the last few weeks that my blogging absence has been due to something I've been working on. As promised, I mentioned I'd share all the details as they came together and tomorrow is the BIG Day! Be sure to pop over here tomorrow around 8am and find out what's been keeping me busy. I promise it's pretty exciting!!!!

{Baby Holt #2} 6 Months

How Far Along: 24 weeks.
Weight Gain: As of my last doctor's appointment which took place last week, I had gained a total of ten pounds. I nearly had a heart attack when I found out I had gained five pounds in just one month. But in looking back at my pregnancy with Harper, I guess I should be relieved it wasn't more! haha 
Cravings/ Aversions: I'm still loving pizza and sweet tea. New this month was chicken nachos from a local Mexican place. It appears that Boston is going to be like his big sister and prefer salty things over sweet. As for the aversions, I still have no desire to eat steak. The thought of it makes me want to gag. 
Exercise: Just continuing to chase my rambunctious toddler around. That seems to be all the exercise I need and have time for these days... unless you count carrying loads and loads of laundry up and down the stairs as weight training?
Stretch Marks: So far so good on that front but I'd definitely say it's time to start applying the cocoa butter beginning this month. 
Maternity Clothes: I'm still in regular clothes for now. I've been living in dresses, tunics, Piko shirts, leggings, and stretchy pants. However I do have maternity pants on the top of my Black Friday shopping list. My normal pants are starting to get a little tight around the waistline and I'm not brave enough for the rubber band trick. 
Wedding Rings On/Off: On
Sleep: No changes here. I'm still sleeping like a baby. As soon as my head hits the pillow, I am out like a light.
Movement: Our little guy is finally moving around a bit more these days. He still keeps his movement to evening times. I'm guessing since I walk around all day, he's constantly being swayed to sleep. However, come 6pm-11pm, I feel him constantly. 
Gender: Boy!
Symptoms: I tend to be more tired than usual but it's hard to tell if it's from the pregnancy, chasing Harper around, or dealing with my crazy class of kiddos around the holidays. Either way, I find myself needing a nap each day shortly after noon. 
Best Moment This Month: Kevin finally got to feel our little guy move! The grin on his face made the wait worth it. Also, we started buying things for the nursery which is always one of my favorite things to do when it comes to babies!
Looking Forward To: Starting work on Boston's nursery this month. My guess is by Christmas I'll have it complete. I'm just that antsy to get started :P

{Weekend Recap} A Weekend of Nothing

Happy Monday, girlfriends! I'd love to say I have an exciting weekend recap to share with you all but sadly I don't. And quite honestly that's okay because this weekend was just what we needed. 
Friday we did the usual dinner with my parents and friend, Brittni. Saturday Harper and I spent the day at home while Kevin slept the day away after a long night at work. Sometime around 2pm, Harper finally laid down for a nap and instead of tackling the four loads of laundry that were waiting on me, I decided to lay down and take a nap myself. Best decision ever. Saturday night we finally ventured out of the house and made a quick run to Target to grab Harper this Our Generation doll. Afterwards we grabbed dinner with Brittni, returned home, and called it a night. All before 9pm. And yesterday, we spent the morning at church, followed it up with lunch at my parents, and then spent the afternoon at home snuggling in bed watching Mickey Mouse. Definitely not the most exciting weekend but a good one regardless! 

Hope your weekends were everything that you needed! 

{Five on Friday} Family Time & Target Finds

It's Friday and this girl is doing the happy dance! This week has been a good one but a weekend spent at home is always just what the good Lord ordered especially since last weekend we were go, go, go the whole entire weekend. If you missed our Halloween recap, you can check it out here. It's the only post I was able to get published this week. But don't worry, I'll be back next week with some fun and exciting announcements to fill you in on what I've been doing these last couple of weeks (; Just you wait and see!

1} Family Time

Kevin's been working pretty much non-stop here lately. On the few days he's been off, he's had prior obligations with the softball team he coaches and plays on or he's had basketball games with the guys at church which has left us with minimal family time. But yesterday we made up for that! As soon as I got home and changed clothes, we loaded up the car and headed to Celebration Station for a fun evening of games, rides, pizza bars, and fun! Harper loved every minute of it and the exuberance displayed on her face made us love it even more. 

2} Target Finds

As you all know by now, our family time is never complete without a trip to Target and yesterday, we made three. No lie. We hit up each and every Target in our area for the simple fact that I wanted to raid all of the dollar bins. I mean for real y'all. If you aren't aware, Target has re-branded their One Spot section and it is amazing. Currently it is full of Christmas decor and stocking stuffers and I may have nearly spent $100 on both...but for $1 or $3 for each item, I ended up with a buggy full of goodies! Here's a few of my fun finds!

3} Christmas! 

Speaking of Christmas decor and stocking stuffers, is it just me or are you ladies dying to bust out the Christmas decor? Because I know I am. It's all I can do to not take out our Christmas tree, stockings, twinkly lights, and plaid tableware. And don't get me started on wrapping the presents. At this point, there are only a few items remaining to be marked off my Christmas gift list. All of the presents I've purchased thus far are stacked in our guest bedroom closet and it's all I can do not to start wrapping those babies! 

4} Car Shopping

Among spending the evening at Celebration Station and hitting up three different Targets last night, we also made a drive thru run at Krispy Kreme and then found ourselves at the Toyota dealership right down the road. For the last few months, we've been looking at purchasing a new vehicle. Kevin currently drives one of two sports cars and with a second baby on the way, that's just not going to keep working out so he's been looking at trading in his Mustang in for a new Toyota 4runner. Anyone drive a 4runner? Thoughts? I've also been contemplating whether or not I need to trade in my SUV for something a little larger. Mamas of two babies... what do you drive?! Please share your knowledge! 

5} Weekly Photo Dump

The only photo I've got to share this week is this 23 week baby bump that seems to have made it's way out there this week! 

{Weekend Recap} Halloween

Y'all there are so many exciting things taking place in our household right now (more on that coming soon!) that I haven't found a moment to sit down and share about our awesome Halloween. It may be almost noon and I'm pretty sure in the blogging handbook it's probably a no-no to post so late but I just couldn't help it. I've gotta share all about our fun weekend that was full of Halloween festivities! 
Friday night, Kevin had to work and my parents had other plans so Harper and I decided to do something a little out of the ordinary for our usual Friday night plans. My mother-in-law's school was hosting their annual Fall festival so we decided to head there for the evening. For $20, we managed to enjoy a full evening of fun, festivities, and food! #Winning

Saturday morning Harper and I headed to Greensboro to do some shopping while the hubby slept. Our first stop was to Hobby Lobby where I was searching for some Christmas decor and something to use for Kevin's Christmas present I'm working on. After having no such luck, I decided to head up the road and check out Michaels instead. Thank the Lord I did because it was like hitting the bargain mothership! They were running so many great buys and had additional coupons that could be stacked on top of already reduced merchandise that I left with a buggy overflowing of things. I even scored a ton of great things for Boston's nursery that you might have seen me share on instagram on Sunday.

After my bargain haul at Michaels, Harper and I headed to meet my friend Brittni at Chili's for some lunch. I haven't been there in at least a year and I have to say, I was rather impressed with the new menu. We left completely stuffed so we decided a little more shopping was in order so we made our way to Homegoods, Marshalls, and Target. Sadly, I didn't find as much at those three stops but I did manage to snatch up some birch wood logs I've been looking endlessly for over the last few months so I'd say it was a success regardless. 
By the time we got home, it was time to get ready for Halloween. While Kevin showered, I gave Harper a quick bath and got her dressed in her costume. Since Kevin had to work Saturday night, we decided to head out early to the park near our home and participate in the Trick or Treat in the Park event that a local church was sponsoring. It was Harper's first time really trick or treating and after stopping at the first few tables, she got the hang of it (; 

The rest of the evening was spent running from house to house showing off our little Minnie Mouse. When we left the park we followed Kevin to work so his dad could see Harper in her costume. He was tickled to death to get to see her before Nana did. There's a little competition going on there (; 

Afterwards, we headed to Kevin's grandparents house where Kevin's mom also met us. Harper ended up with all sorts of goodies, both food and toy related. #spoiled

Our last stop of the evening was my parents' house. By the time we got there, Harper was pictured out so I sadly didn't get any good ones there. But thank the good Lord, we were able to get some good food since Mom had spaghetti ready and hot and ready Krispy Kreme donuts waiting to be devoured. You didn't have to tell me twice.  

Come Sunday morning I was exhausted...extra hour of sleep or not. After a quick run to the grocery store at 8am in the rain, I decided pretty quick we'd be spending the morning at home instead of getting ready, dragging Harper out in the rain, and heading to church. Instead we spent the morning straightening up, doing laundry, and chilling on the couch watching cartoons until it was time to head to my parents' house for lunch. 

We ended our evening with a fun little post-Halloween party with a few family and friends. It started off with this little Halloween party in a box and turned into a full blown affair complete with homemade cupcakes and pizza which was the perfect little party in my book! 

Hope your weekends were filled with just as much fun!