Motherhood Archives - Page 9 of 14 - Thrifty Wife Happy Life

My baby is 2!!

February 12, 2018 by Katie Haller

Our first time meeting.

Our first night home from the hospital. I could not stop staring at him.

It’s hard to believe that my little guy is already 2. It seems like just yesterday we were all anxiously awaiting his arrival. My pregnancy with Jack was very healthy and pretty easy for the most part. After I got past the never-ending morning sickness in the first trimester, I felt pretty good. Jack was an extremely active baby though. There was never a time that I couldn’t feel his little feet kicking into my sides. He was always on the go, even before he was out of the whom.

He surprised us all by arriving 10 days early. I had no problem with that because I wanted him out by that time. I remember going to the doctor’s on a Monday and he talked to me about inducing on my due date. I came home that day and discussed it with Kevin and we decided that it would be best to try to get him out by his due date. I had planned to talk to my doctor the following Monday at my next appointment. Little did I know, Jack had different plans. By Wednesday night, my water broke. We headed to the hospital early in the morning on Thursday and by late afternoon on Thursday, February 11th, we had our little boy in our arms. My delivery didn’t go as expected for me. Jack would not come out, so after 3 hours of pushing we decided it was safest for a C-section. At the time I was so upset over this, but now looking back I completely understand why Jack was born cesarean. He probably didn’t think that coming out the natural way was efficient enough, so he was too stubborn and made the doctors come and get him.

Fast forward 2 years later, I have a healthy, active, smart, funny and loving little boy. I’ve said it before, but I’m amazed at how smart my little guy is. He soaks in everything. Right now he is completely obsessed with letters. He has a letter puzzle that my mom bought him when she visited and he plays with it non-stop. He sings the alphabet song all the time and the best part is when he sings “Now I know my ABC’s, Next time won’t you sing with me.” It sounds more like “Now I ABC, Next time won’t you me!” He also knows his numbers 1-10 and loves to count, especially when he jumps off of furniture.

At school, Jack is officially in the toddler classroom. He was such a big boy in the baby room, so it’s fun to see him with the older kids. I can already tell that he is learning a lot from the other children. I’m happy to report that I no longer have to worry about packing a lunch for Jack to bring to school now that he eats with the big kids. This saves me a lot of time and dishes to wash every night. I actually only have to run the dishwasher every other night now!!

Jack has already been showing a lot of the terrible 2’s signs. Tantrums are daily. Some days are worst than others, but I’m hopeful that the more he learns more words he will have less tantrums. Speaking of words, he’s been talking a lot more lately. His vocabulary is growing all the time, now he just needs to put them into sentences so I don’t have to play the guessing game.

Jack is a total mommy’s boy. He always wants me over daddy, unless it’s bath time or time to get his shoes on for school, then he runs to daddy and hides from me. (it’s their new game that I don’t really enjoy, but they are pretty cute when they play it.) Sometimes his mommy obsession can get a little much, especially while I’m trying to get ready for work or make dinner, but to be honest, I don’t mind it at all. I love how he takes my hand and drags me around the house. It’s precious and I know that this stage won’t last forever, so I just enjoy our time together.

It’s so hard to get a picture with this little guy. That’s why our balloon is backwards.

I remember holding Jack in my arms as a newborn and wondering what he would be like when he got older. I wondered what kind of personality he would have and what his voice would sound like. It’s just so fun getting to know your child as they grow. I love learning about Jack each day. I love watching him grow. It’s such a blessing to be his mom.

Gift’s for Second Time Around Mom

January 20, 2018 by Katie Haller

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Gifts for a Second Time Mom

I feel like there are so many baby’s due in 2018. It just another year of babies. Everyone that I know who is having a baby in 2018 is having their second, third or even fourth or fifth baby. Expecting baby number one is so exciting. Making your registry can be such fun. Usually, you want to stock up on all the basics that you will need for your first baby. But what do you buy for an experienced mom?

Personally, as someone shopping for others, I think baby number 2 is a little more fun to shop for. You don’t have to worry about the basics as much and you can get creative with your gifts. It’s the perfect opportunity to look into some fun baby/mommy gifts that your second-time mom may not already have.

I’ve put together a list of great baby products that I think would be appropriate for most second-time moms.

*This post contains affiliate links, which means that by clicking and/or making a purchase through a link will result in a small commission for this blog. I am being compensated for this post. As always my opinions are 100% my own.

One || BirdRock Baby Moccasins
I always think that baby’s look so adorable in little leather moccasins. At only $25 a pair, BirdRock Baby Moccasins are the perfect mix of quality and price for leather moccasins. They also have cute cozy fleece booties that are perfect for keeping your little one’s tootsies nice and warm in the winter. If you know someone expecting a little girl, they also have the cutest selection of leather hair bows.

Two|| DockATot
I think that DockATot is a great gift for a second-time mom. It’s perfect if you plan to co-sleep with your baby. It’s also a great safe place to put your baby down to lounge around the house away from the big kids.

Three || Newlie Tote Diaper Bag
Who wouldn’t want a new diaper bag? I know that I stuck with a more traditional diaper bag with Jack. To be honest, I rarely used it. I think that a second-time mom would definitely appreciate a new stylish diaper bag. Something nice and big, because you will need the room once you have 2 or more little ones to pack for. I love the diaper bags at Newlie co. They are so stylish and perfect for a second time mom.

Four || CoCo + Kiwi Clutch + Changing Kit

I think any mom would appreciate a cute changing kit clutch like this one from CoCo + Kiwi (HERE). I like how convenient it is to just throw a little changing kit in my purse or diaper bag.

Five || Cardimom from Multiwear
I’ve heard that nursing the second time around is not as easy as you would think it would be as an experienced mom. The Cardimom can help make nursing a little easier on you. You can wear it as part of your outfit and when it’s time to feed your baby you just use it as your cover-up. It’s perfect for nursing in public or if you don’t want to expose yourself to all your family members.

Six || Clothes
Yes, who doesn’t love to pick out cute baby clothes? It’s so fun shopping for babies. Clothes are always a good gift for any new parents. My advice if you’re baby clothes shopping for someone else is to keep in mind the seasons and climate of where they live. I had a lot of winter clothes for Jack in newborn and 3-month size, but he never got to wear some of them, because it was 80 degrees when he came home from the hospital. Also, buy clothes in all sizes. It’s always nice to have a variety of clothes because you will need them.

Seven || Honest Company – Baby Arrival Gift Set
If all else fails, you can always help the second time mom restock on all the baby essentials. My friend sent me a care package from the Honest Company right after Jack was born and it was so nice to have. The baby arrival gift set is perfect, because it comes with diapers, wipes, diaper creams and other useful baby products. Without a shower, a second time mom might be lacking in some of the basics, so this is a great gift!

Hopefully this is helpful guide for everyone needing to buy for a second time mom. And if your expecting this year, congratulation!

Starting a Fresh New Year

January 3, 2018 by Katie Haller

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Starting a fresh year with PinkBlush

*This post is part of a collaboration with PinkBlush. All opinions are 100% my own.
I love starting a new year. It’s so fun to make new goals and have a fresh slate. I feel motivated and excited about all the possibilities for the year ahead.

This Christmas break was just what I needed. A long break off from work at home. Ever since I moved to Las Vegas, I have spent almost every one of my long breaks off work traveling to see family. This year we decided that we didn’t want to deal with the stress of traveling. I’m so glad that we stayed home because it was the perfect way to refuel myself.

To be honest, by the end of the break, I was ready to head back to work. I’m often overwhelmed and stressed by all my responsibilities, but to be honest, I like it. I like staying busy and always having some kind of project to work on. I’m very comforted by my daily routine. By staying home, it made me appreciate my job and my weekly routine.

I also realized that it’s not that easy staying home with a toddler all day. It always makes me sad that I didn’t get to be home with Jack those first 12 months because I feel like things would have been different. But now that he’s older, it takes a lot to keep him entertained. He definitely keeps me on my toes. And don’t even get me started on trying to get him down for a nap. I had to put him in the car every day and drive him around the block. It makes me happy to know that when I’m not with him during the week, he’s socializing and learning while he’s at school. That is his weekly routine and it’s comforting for him. With Jack being our first, it really is important to me that he has that time around other children. He’s so attached to me, so it makes me happy to know that he loves seeing all his teachers at his school too.

I’m not going to lie, I did enjoy lounging around the house in my pajamas all morning. I wore these PinkBlush pajamas (here) at every chance I had. Nothing against your traditional Christmas pajamas, but these pajama pants are perfect to wear year-round. I love having something to get ready for every morning, but sometimes it’s just nice to stay in my cozy jammies, drink an extra cup of coffee and watch some morning TV.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- PinkBlush pajama pants

Now that I’m nice and refreshed, I’m hoping to start off my year on a clean slate. I went back to work this week, but luckily we don’t have kids until next week. I’m going to take this time to clean my classroom and prepare it for the rest of the school year. I have high hopes for 2018!

I hope all of you can start off your 2018 feeling refreshed and ready to tackle all your goals for the new year!

2017 New Year Review- Plus Goals for 2018!

December 31, 2017 by Katie Haller

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- NYE outfit inspiration with metallic skirt

Happy New Year everyone! Every year I like to reflect on the prior year and make goals for the new year ahead. I often like to share them on my blog, because it’s always a good reminder for me to look back on. I like to make goals, not resolutions because I feel like resolutions just get broken. I like to set goals for myself and evaluate what things I still need to work on and accomplish in the new year. I don’t want to make any major changes, I just want to make improvements.

Let’s start off with a reflection on 2017. Last January, my goals were to improve my blog. I wanted to make a few changes to take my blog from just being a personal journal, to make it feel a little more professional. Early in the year, I changed my template, bought a domain name, joined social media groups and started to socialize with other bloggers. I’ve had a lot of fun and met some really great people. I’ve even had the opportunity to collaborate with some amazing brands this year, which was something I never even thought of back when I started writing this blog.

Here is a look at some of my favorite outfits that I posted from 2017.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life 2017 outfit review

In my personal life, I have kept very busy with work and my family this year. In January we moved into our first house together. Jack turned one in February and it’s been so fun watching him grow this year. We did a little traveling to visit our families in Michigan, Colorado, and California this year. The end of the year has been consumed with family visits and getting my husband through his training for work. He recently switched the type of airplane he flies, which if you know any pilots, you know that it’s not a simple process to change airplanes. This last week has been really nice because I’ve done nothing but relax. We tried to have a stress free Christmas break without traveling or visitors. It’s been quiet, but it’s been nice at the same time.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- 2017 New Year Review

Here are my goals for 2018!

1.) Get off my phone- I am going to confess that I think I spent the majority of 2017 on my phone. I’m on social media, taking pictures or editing pictures all the time. My husband has been giving me a hard time about it lately and he’s right. I need to sit down and be with my family, not on my phone constantly. For 2018 I plan on limiting my time with my phone. I think it’s a healthy goal to have for the new year.

2.) Organize my time- I love blogging, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that blogging stresses me out sometimes. I feel a constant need to keep up with everyone else on social media because I’m afraid if I don’t I will lose my followers. I sometimes feel like I’m stressed over it all because I’m not sure how to manage my time between my job, blog, and family. I need to find a way to use my time more efficiently. There is a lot to keep up within the grown-up world and I just need to find a way to organize it all a little better for 2018.

3.) Continue to grow and better my blog- I have thought long and hard about blogging the past few weeks. I’ve debated if I want to take a little break, and my answer is no. I love blogging! I feel like I’d feel like something was missing if I didn’t have my blog. That’s why I’m going to keep it up. I did a lot of growing with it this past year, so my goal for 2018 is just to keep it coming.

4.) Save money on grocery shopping- I pretty much have my clothes budget under control, but in the past 2 years, my grocery budget has gotten out of control. I feel like I spend so much at the store, then I throw away so much food at the end of the week. It’s time to get back to the way I did things when my husband and I had a $400/month grocery budget. I was so good about not overspending. I want to be resourceful when it comes to food and mindful when I shop.

5.) Be a better person- This is my goal every year. I always want to improve on my all around self. I want to be a better mom, wife, teacher, daughter and so on. I just want to look back on 2018 and feel proud of my accomplishments and the person that I am. I think that’s a goal that we should all have for the new year. Don’t change yourself, better yourself.

That’s it for me, what are some of your 2018 New Year Goals?

Confessions of a First Time Mom- Appreciating the Moment

November 6, 2017 by Katie Haller

Sometimes I feel like it’s hard to appreciate the present. I’m always thinking and planning for the future or reminiscing on the past. Sometimes I forget to take in the moments and appreciate where I currently am in life. I often look back on certain times in my life and wonder why I didn’t just appreciate that time. Time goes by so fast, especially when you have little ones. I feel like I had a newborn just yesterday.

My current life is so busy. I work full time, then when I’m home, I’m trying to catch up on all my responsibilities at home. My weekends are spent doing laundry, grocery shopping, meal prepping and cleaning. I’m really trying hard to set aside my busy life and just soak in my time with Jack. My husband has been busy this fall training on a new airplane, so I’ve had a lot of one on one time with my little guy. I’ve been trying to just enjoy my time with him as much as possible. I know that he’s only going to be little and sweet for a short time. I don’t want my busy life to take me away from those little moments. That’s why I take him to the park as often as I can. I push him on the swing and I go down the slide with him. I read him books. I tickle him and give him as many kisses as I can. At bedtime, I lay next to him until he falls asleep. I have been the only one who has put Jack to bed every night since he was born, and I’ve never spent a night away from him. That’s important to me because one day he won’t need me to put him asleep.

I’ve taken a little step back from blogging, just to get that extra time in with Jack. I love writing and working on new blog posts, but I’m not going to stress if I can’t get all my posts out that I’d like to. I usually do most of my blogging on the weekends and at night after Jack goes to bed, but lately, he’s been staying up later. I put him to sleep around 8:30 and after he falls asleep, I’m ready for bed too. If I don’t get around to working on a post, then that’s okay.

One thing I’m learning as a parent is that you just need to slow down and look at what’s in front of you. I once was told that when you have kids, the days are long, but the years are short. It’s so true. Not to mention, one day I hope to have 2 kids and that means life will get even crazier. I need to soak in this one on one time that I’m getting with my little guy while I can.

Las Vegas, My Home

October 4, 2017 by Katie Haller

It’s been almost 3 years since my husband and I found out that Las Vegas was going to be our new home. With that anniversary approaching, plus the recent tragedy that happened this week, I felt inspired to write a post dedicated to my current home, Las Vegas, NV.

When I first told people that we were moving to Las Vegas, I got some mixed reactions. Some people were excited for us, while others told me that they couldn’t see me living here. People asked me if they had neighborhoods that weren’t on the strip and they asked me if we were going to be gambling all the time. Now when I go home to visit my family, the TSA guy makes a joke about how I live in Las Vegas, but vacation in Detroit and the person sitting next to me on the plane is usually amazed that I am a teacher in Las Vegas and they actually have schools here. When I fly home, the airplane is full of passengers who are usually cheering when we land and ready to start their vacations. All I’m thinking about is how I have to go back to work the next day.

We were never planning on moving to Las Vegas. We were supposed to move to Florida, but then Kevin found out that he would be based in Las Vegas. Instead of trying to bid for Florida again, we decided that we would go with Las Vegas. Kevin kept telling me how nice the weather was and how much I would like it. I trusted him and with never vacationing in Las Vegas, I moved here with an open mind. I found a job right away, made friends and quickly became familiarized with the area. Exactly one year after moving here, I gave birth to Jack. My labor and recovery rooms both had a view overlooking the strip and we joked about how our baby had a strip view for his first days of life.

Although the summers are very hot, I’d say 9 months out of the year are pretty much perfect. I don’t even mind the cooler winter days. My child may never know what frost, dew or slush is, but we are only 40 minutes away from some pretty great sledding and skiing on Mt. Charleston. We feel like we can never run out of things to do. We are close to so many national parks and if we want to go to the ocean, we are only a 4-hour drive.

Kevin made a comment to me the other day after looking at all the “Pray for Vegas” pictures on Facebook. He said that the Las Vegas skyline describes Vegas perfectly. There is a little bit of every city in our skyline. A little of the New York skyline, a little bit of Paris, Rome, Cairo and more. Not many people are actually born and raised in Las Vegas. Most of the people living here are from all over the country and world, that’s why our skyline is so perfect for our city. Las Vegas is a little bit of everyone and so many people love this city. In the last 3 years, Las Vegas has become my home and no matter where life takes my family and me, Las Vegas will always have a special place in my heart.

Here are some pictures from just a few of our many family outing out and about in our town, Las Vegas.

Our first night out on the strip when we first moved to Vegas

I took this picture 2 weeks ago when we were walking around the strip on Sunday after getting lunch.

2 months ago we went to the top of the Effie Tower.

A favorite family spot for us is always The Linq.

Last fall at the Bellagio. This is one of my favorite spots.

Eating Graham crackers on the High Roller last spring.

My little Vegas born baby checking out the strip

Family photo.

Please pray for the victims and their families of the horrible mass shooting this week. Luckily, I did not know anyone personally who was a victim, however our neighbors, friends and co-workers know people that were effected. If you would like to help the victims of this tragedy, you can click HERE to the go fund me account to donate. Thank you for all your love and support this week!

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