Thrifty Wife Happy Life

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Confessions of a First Time Mom- Boy Mom

by Katie Haller

I always imagined my first baby to be a girl.  At the beginning of my pregnancy, all my friends and family were convinced that I was having a girl.  People thought that I was just too girly and could only picture me with a girl.  Well, that was not what God had in store for me.  

When I found out that I was having a boy, I was completely thrilled.  I love little boy babies!  They’re so cute and always love their mommy’s.  I wanted to have a mini version of my husband, and that’s just what I got.  I know that my husband kept his parents extremely busy, and that’s what Jack is doing for us.  He has been giving me a run for my money since day one.  I knew when I was pregnant, that he was going to be an active little guy.  He never stopped moving.  Sometimes he moved so much that I would worry he was trying to kick his way out.  After he was born, Jack was always moving around and kicking his little feet.  He started rolling around the house at 4 months, so we had to baby proof the living room quickly.  At six months, he was army crawling and by seven months he was full out crawling, standing and running on all fours.  On his 10 month birthday, he took his first steps.  By 12 months I had a full-on toddler, which makes for a very long toddler stage.

I have nothing to compare Jack to since he’s my first, but I will say that having a little boy has already saved me money when it comes to shopping.  Boys don’t need very much.  Whenever I go shopping for Jack, I always get distracted by all the cute little girl clothes.  There are so many cute dresses, bows, shoes… I’d have a hard time controlling my spending if I had a little girl.  For boys, their clothes are simple…pants, shirts, shorts.  The downfall of shopping in the boy’s department is the selection.  I can never find the cute things I want in Jack’s size, especially when shopping in the clearance section.  Even when buying sippy cups or pacifiers, they never have enough of the boy colors.  I guess the stores think that boys don’t need as much as little girls.
 

Overall, I’m having a lot of fun being a boy mom.  Jack has been a really good baby.  He’s smart, cute, loving, funny.  He’s also extremely curious, stubborn and wants to be independent.  He’s so busy, it’s hard to get a cuddle in these days.  I recently had someone tell me that “the days are long, but the years are short, so enjoy it while it last”.  I find this to be so true, so I take in every little snuggle I can get from this little boy.
If your a mom of both a girl and boy, is there a big difference?

Confessions of a First Time Mom

by Katie Haller

 I have to admit that I am a total first-time mom.  As a first time mom, I am learning every day how to figure out this whole parenting thing.  I never thought it would be easy to be a mom, but I honestly never knew it would be as hard as it is.  I learn a little every day on how to be a better mom.   Many of my friends from high school and college are at the same place in life as me, with little kids at home, but we are all scattered across the country.  We don’t get to talk every day or see each other all the time.  I don’t have any other mom friends that live near me to talk with about babies.  That’s why I thought it would be fun to create a series of posts called “confessions of a first time mom”.  I thought it would be a nice way to share my experiences and thoughts on my journey through motherhood with all of you!

As a first time mom, I am constantly concerned about doing things “the right way”.  I’m always questioning myself about the way I do things.  What I’m finding out is that there is no right way to raise a child.  You kind of have to find out how to do it on your own.  You can read every book and blog out there on parenting and it still won’t have the answers, because every child is different.

I will stress out over the silliest things sometimes.  Recently, I was overly concerned about how to wean Jack off his bottle.  He was really starting to love his bottles, especially his evening one.  I was so concerned that he was going to have a fit and cry and make giving up bottles so hard.  But then one day he went to bed without a bottle.  Then the next night he went down without a bottle.  Now I have him completely weaned off the bottle and he’s sleeping through the night now!! (at least most nights.)  I can’t remember why I was so stressed out.

My baby loves to read.

We love to read together before bed.

I’m learning that parenting is not as hard as we make it out to be.  It’s a live and learn kind of thing, full of trial and error.  You make mistakes, then you learn and move on.  I hope that I will learn from all my parenting fails with Jack and not make them with the next baby, but somehow I know that I will still be learning even as a second time around mom.  That’s just how life goes. 

I hope to share more of my motherhood thoughts soon! Thanks for reading! 

A Day in the Life

by Katie Haller

I thought that it would be fun to do “a day in the life” post and share what a normal weekday is like for me as a working mom with a one-year-old.  I don’t think my life is that exciting, but maybe some of you can relate to me. 
Lately, it’s been hard for me, because Kevin has been working more, so I don’t have the extra help that I normally do during the week.  On this particular Monday that I chose to document my day, things did not go as planned at all, but that’s why it was the perfect day.  Life doesn’t always go as planned.

Here is my day…

5:00am Wake up
The alarm goes off.  I know it’s early, but I have to set it that early to give myself the time I need in the morning to get ready for the day.  On this particular morning, I got lucky, because Jack slept in a little and gave me enough time to shower.  I like to get up before him, especially on the days that Kevin works early because it’s getting harder to get ready with him up and wanting to be entertained. 
5:30am Breakfast
Time to start getting coffee and breakfast ready.  I try to eat breakfast every morning because it really helps give me the boost I need for the day.  Currently, my daily breakfast has been Grape Nuts with lots of fruit over it with almond milk and of course my morning cup of coffee. 

5:45am Jack is up
Once Jack is up he normally eats breakfast right away.  He usually eats fruit and either a waffle or cereal.  Luckily, I packed his food for school the night before.  I try my best to have his lunches prepped for the week on Sunday night, so I don’t have to worry about it during the week, on this morning I only managed to have one day packed.

6:10am Start getting myself ready
On this particular morning, Kevin had left the house before 6, so I was on my own with Jack, so I let him play in the bathroom while I did my make up.  That was a big mistake because he ended up breaking one of my bronzers all over the floor.  That cut into my morning time because I had to clean up the mess.  I try and make my morning make up routine quick and easy.  I use the same makeup every day and wear it the same.  For my hair, I quickly blow dry it.  I’ve been guilty of wearing my hair in a ponytail more than I like to, but with Jack being so busy lately, I just live with it. 

6:45am Get Jack ready
Getting my squirmy one year old ready in the morning is a challenge.  He cries, runs away from me, then I finally wrestle him down and get an outfit on him.  I try to have an idea of what he’s wearing the night before, the same way I do for myself.  Once he’s ready it’s time to finish up a few last-minute things around the house.  On this day, my dishwasher was broken, so I did a few dishes before we left.
We matched in our stripes for the day.

7:15am Take Jack to School
I take Jack to school in most mornings unless Kevin’s around to help.  He loves his school and friends, but for whatever reason, on this morning he had a case of the Mondays and was being extra clingy.  I was late for work, but I hated leaving him when he was so sad.  It was the first day he ever cried like that and he’s been going to his daycare since he was 8 weeks old.

7:30am Starbucks stop
I don’t always stop at Starbucks on my way to work.  I try to bring a cup of coffee from home, but this was a rough morning.  Plus, I got over $75 in Starbucks gift cards for Christmas, so I needed an extra cup on my way to work. My usual drink is a tall blond roast.  I like to make my gift cards last as long as they can.

7:45am Get to work 
Mondays are always busy mornings at work for me.  Lots to do in a short amount of time before the kids arrive at 8.  My preschool class keeps me super busy.  By 2:00 they leave and I get my planning time.  I like to stay in my classroom listening to calming music as I do my work in the dark.  It’s a relaxing way to end my workday. 

3:40pm Leave work
On a normal day, I try to head out of work before 3:30, but today I was running a little behind since I got there late. My drive to pick up Jack is usually filled with thoughts in my head of my day.  It’s my time to unwind and think, but oftentimes I’m anxious on my ride home because I’m excited to see Jack. 

My car is taken over by baby even when he’s not with me.
4:00pm  Home
After I pick up Jack at school we come home.  Most days I like to either take him for a walk to the park or play with his ball at home.  On this evening he wasn’t having it.  He was a little on the cranky side because his teeth were bothering him, so we settled for his favorite Youtube channel, Little Baby Bum.

4:45pm Dinner for Jack
Most day’s Jack is starving when he comes home from school.  I try to hold him off until 5, but on this day I couldn’t do it.  It’s getting harder to figure out what to feed him.  On this night he had pita and hummus, mixed veggies, peaches, cheese and chicken.  While Jack ate and I waited for Kevin to get home, I prepared his lunches for the rest of the week.  Monday is my leftover night, since I usually make dinner on Sunday.  The night before was the Superbowl so I kind of had a random mix of leftovers, so Kevin and I ate chicken, rice and veggies on a tortilla.  It was a quick and easy meal.

6:00 pm Bath time
After dinner is cleaned up, it’s time for Jack’s bath.  He loves his bath time and it usually gives me a little down time, because he’s entertained in the water.  On this particular evening, he was not himself and bath time was kind of quiet, but he was still content for me, until I wipe his face, which I save for last.

7:00 pm Jack’s bedtime
After Jack’s bath, I lotion him and get his jammies on, which he hates.  Then we play in his room for a bit and read books together.  He is finally showing interest in books and will sit through a few of his favorite stories.  I love our time together before bed.  He gets a bottle, we snuggle then he goes to sleep.  I rock him and cuddle him more than I should according to all the parenting books on getting your child to sleep through the night, but I don’t care, because sometimes after a long day apart you just need those extra snuggles. 

7:15 pm Me time

Once Jack is asleep, I finally have the time to do what I want, unfortunately, there are usually chores that need to be done and I’m so tired I just get right to bed.  If time, Kevin and I might watch some Netflix or I try to find some time to blog, but we are usually too tired.  Usually I’m asleep between 8 and 9. 
That was my day last week.  Like I said, it’s not exciting at all, but it’s my life and I don’t think I’m ever bored.  It’s not perfect, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.  I know one day I will look back on this day and miss it.  That always happens for me. 

Baby Update- 9 Months!

by Katie Haller

In my belly for 38 weeks, now in my arms for 38 weeks.  He is just as active on the outside as he was on the inside
It’s hard to believe that I already have a 9-month-old.  For the longest time, I was just thinking about him turning 6 months and how big of a milestone that would be, and now he’s already 9 months. 12 months is right around the corner.  Where did the time go?

The words to describe Jack these days are cute, loving, smart, crazy, busy, funny, cuddly, exhausting, wild, playful, determined…. those are just to name a few.  At about 6 months Jack started crawling, 7 months he started to pull himself up and by 8 months he was everywhere.  Our house is a complete mess on most days.  I find baby toys everywhere, but I love it.  We have baby proofed the living room as best we can, yet he still finds ways to get into the places he shouldn’t. 
I just recently started feeding Jack finger food and he seems to do really well with it.  Since he’s still so young, I still feed him his baby food, but I give him bits and pieces of our dinner.  He just got his first tooth the week of Halloween and a week later he had another one pop through.  I feel like he’s been teething forever, so it’s exciting to see his little teeth finally coming through.
Some of the cutest things about this age are how playful Jack is these days.  He loves it when we chase him.  He says “Uh Oh” now and “dadada”.  He also likes to wave and shake his head.  I’m trying to work on some sign language with him, but I think that will come with time.  His favorite song is the opening song to the show Dexter.  It’s funny because Kevin and I have been watching the show on Netflix now for a few months and every time we start a new episode, Jack hears the song and starts dancing and laughing.  It’s too cute, I just hope he doesn’t realize what the show is all about.
I’m still struggling to get him to sleep through the night.  That has been the most exhausting part of parenting for me.  I really don’t know what to do at this point.  I just hope and pray that one day he will stay asleep every night and I will finally get some sleep.

With each month it brings new joys and new challenges, but one thing is for sure, this little guy is very loved!  

Family Weekend Trip to LA

by Katie Haller

Last weekend we went on a weekend trip to California to visit family.  It was Jack’s first road trip and he did great!  I always feel a little overwhelmed traveling with a baby, but I think I’m slowly getting used to it.  You can’t let having children stop you from doing all the fun things that you would like to do. 
 On Friday morning we left our house extra early because we wanted to make a quick stop at Seven Magic Mountains.  It’s a piece of artwork that is in the middle of the desert.  It’s defiantly a great photo stop if you’re ever in Las Vegas.  We got there right after sunrise so the sun was hitting the colorful rocks perfectly, making for some awesome pictures.  On Saturday we spent the morning at the beach in Santa Monica.  I love the ocean and I was so excited to take Jack to the beach for the first time.  He loved watching and listening to the waves, but he didn’t love getting his feet wet.  Here are just a few pictures from our trip.

I just love those tall skinny palm trees.

Family picture at the beach.

Sleeping on the drive home.
I look forward to many more family trips like this.

Bloggers Brunch at Neiman Marcus

by Katie Haller

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to attend a bloggers brunch hosted by Christie Moeller at Neiman Marcus here in Las Vegas.  It was such a treat for me to attend an event surrounded by so many talented and creative women.  I have to say that one of the major high lights for me was sampling some of the latest beauty launches for fall at Neiman Marcus.  We sampled luxury brands such as Jo Malone, Clive Christian, Fresh, Tom Ford, and Kevyn Aucoin.  I may be the Thrifty Wife, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t have a soft spot for the finer things.  I even won a $100 gift card to Neiman Marcus!!

Here are just a couple pictures that I took from the morning.

These are just a few of the fabulous table displays.
Me and my friend and co-worker, Lori. Her Instagram page @stylewithlori is a great place to find great style inspiration.
The goodie bag I came home with.  I can’t wait to try out all my new samples!

For me, one of the best parts of the brunch was having the opportunity to mingle with the other bloggers from Las Vegas.  It was such a privilege for me to meet so many other talented bloggers.  One thing that I love about blogging is that there is this awesome blogging community that is out there.  It was nice to have an event where the small community of bloggers who exist here in Las Vegas can meet and support each other.

I started this little blog over 3 years ago and I’ve never thought of it as more than just a hobby.  It’s just a place for me to share my interests and passions with others.  As you get older in life, your friendships change.  With careers, husbands, and babies it gets harder to keep in touch with the people you have the most in common with.  I love that I have this space to communicate with my friends and family.  Even more, it’s exciting that I get to share my interests and ideas with new readers who come across my blog.  I just love having this creative outlet to share with all of you.

  Honestly, I’m honored that anyone actually reads my blog.  Every time I get a repin on Pinterest or a new follower on Instagram or a like on Facebook, I’m so flattered.  I learn a little more about blogging each day.  Even though life gets busy with work and my family, I know that I always have my blog to turn to as my own space.  Thank you to everyone who has supported me and read my posts over the years.  I love hearing from you and I’m so grateful for everything!  I hope that you continue to stay with me and keep following me to find out what I’m up to next.

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