Sunday Funday

 

The weather was absolutely terrible, but we made the most of the day regardless. Brunch with friends, dessert for lunch, and a trip to Ikea rounded out our day together. I'm trying to get our house organized, and for Mother's Day I was given a lovely storage unit from Ikea. After today's trip I picked up some baskets and organizers, determined to de-clutter our house and bring about a sense of order. I've also been pining away on Pinterest and getting lots of ideas for some new bedrooms in our near future. I love organizing and home decor, so I've been having lots of fun pouring through wallpaper samples, catalogues, and paint colours.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow's holiday - in Canada it's Victoria Day - and enjoying another day with my two favourite guys. More home projects are on the go including hanging new curtains, planting in the garden, and further de-cluttering. (Is it just me or is de-cluttering a never ending battle? I feel like I give away bags of stuff every month, and surely I don't accumulate that many new things?!) It sure feels good to drop that bag of old clothes in the giveaway bin, or add more old boxes to the recycling bin. I could never be a hoarder...

Daddy's helper

We went for a little (long) walk tonight - just the Littlest and I. We headed to a playground where we played on the slides, the swings, and stopped to watch the 'big kids' play soccer. While he had a lot of fun, he was even more excited when we came home to discover Tyler out in the yard gardening! Whatever daddy did, Soren copied.

Now that the weather is finally nice we have been enjoying so many more things outside. From dining al fresco, to walks, to simply reading outdoors. Our house seems so much larger and the evenings seem to go on forever. We had one of the longest winters I can ever remember, and there is no way I am taking any of this outdoor time for granted. So don't let me complain when I'm whining about no air conditioning in the heat of August! Bring on the sun!

Why hello there baby! I think this angle may exaggerate the bump ever so slightly, but it is definitely growing. I've been feeling some flutters for the last week or so, and last night Tyler was able to feel them too! It's a long weekend for us, and I am every so excited to have Monday off. Happy weekend:)

Maternity Style - Mothers Day Tea

On Mother's Day I was excited to wear my new ASOS maternity dress. I ordered a dress from Asos during my first pregnancy and loved it, so I knew I would be ordering a few more this time around. At 17 weeks pregnant I am finding it challenging to feel good in my clothes, as I'm stuck in that awkward phase where some days I just feel fat. There's lots of belly room in the dress, and I know that soon I'll be filling it right up!

hat - Target

dress - asos.com

shoes - Franco Sarto 

Linking up with Shanna and The Pleated Poppy. 

Mothers Day and a special surprise

Happy Mothers Day! To celebrate our mothers, and grand-mother, we hosted a Mother's Day Brunch. I was busy all day yesterday preparing, but the great thing about brunches is a lot of the prep can be done ahead of time. On the menu today we had:

spinach and gruyere egg strata

black bean and corn salad

blueberry scones / apricot-orange scones

egg salad

crispy bacon

brownies

lemon loaf (thanks Aunt Helga!)

lemon cookies

fresh fruit

meringues (thank you Mom!)

and... a surprise cake!

The cake had a special surprise in the middle in the form of pink icing. On Friday we were ecstatic to find out that we are having a GIRL in October! Since we were already planning the brunch, I thought today would be the perfect time to share the news with my family. Were they surprised? I think so. My mother-in-law had to have five boys before finally getting her girl (also her last baby). We knew we would not be trying for that long... 

After brunch was over we lazed in the backyard sun, drank sun iced tea, and listened to music. It was relaxing - a perfect balance to our busy morning. When the littlest awoke from his nap we headed to the park. I'm looking forward to going to bed tonight - tired, full, and happy.

 

19/52

19/52 - A portrait of my child, once a week, every week in 2013

One little monkey jumping on the bed! We had a very busy day at the Linden household, preparing for a Mother's Day Tea we are hosting tomorrow. As Tyler was working, I had my little sidekick with me all day long. My arms and back are sore from lugging him around more than usual - I think he's nearing 30 lbs!

After his nap (which was unfortunately shorter than normal), I was in the middle of baking a million things so I turned on good old Sesame Street. He didn't last long. By the time my husband got home at 6:30, I'd strategically built a fort in the kitchen and he was watching the Chipmunks. Normally I'm the last person to suggest tv to a toddler, but some days it's hard to get things done. Today he also started to call out to me 'Mommy Look' - about every 10 seconds, and would repeat it until I took careful note of whatever it was that caught his attention.

We found time to jump on the bed together, and read a few books, and build some blocks. Soren is also my best laundry partner, saying 'thank you mommy' for every single item that he puts in the washer or drier. I love having this little guy around, and on Mother's Day tomorrow I will be thinking about all the wonderful things we've experienced together over the past 23 months.