Raphael - 9 Months

Happy Tuesday! It's been a while since I posted an update about Raphael. I meant to post this a couple of weeks ago, but better late than never.

I can't believe that he's already 9 months old (he'll be 10 months soon)! In just a few months he will be a year old!

Size: I can't believe how much my baby has grown. Raphael is still continuing to gain weight. At his last appointment, he weighed a little over 17 pounds. His length/height is 26 inches. He's wearing 6-9 and 9 month sized clothing and is in size 3 diapers!

Sleep: Raphael still wakes up at least once during the night to feed. However, for the past few days he's woken up at least twice during the night. I think he might have a cold and I think it's been making him a bit fussy.

Loves: He loves playing with his brothers. It's so cute how much they love spending time with one another. Michael and Gabriel just adore their little brother so much. Raphael also loves to eat! Everyone is amazed when they see how much he's grown and how much he loves to eat. He loves to meet new people, but is hesitant when someone new wants to hold him. He also loves bath time. I think it's one of his favorite parts of the day.

Dislikes: He hates waiting for his food. He can be very impatient. I wonder where he got that from? He hates being strapped into anything. If he's in his high chair, he'll get excited when he sees his food. He gets upset when he's in his stroller, but once it gets moving...he gets so excited. I think he just loves being in motion.

Things I Want To Remember:

• His babbling and how he tries to "talk" to us.

• His laughter and squeals.

• How his eyes light up when he sees his brothers. It melts my heart seeing all three of them together. Cuteness overload!

• Our little adventures at Target and the grocery store.

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Target Finds - January

Happy Monday! I have been going to Target...a lot. I'm almost embarrassed to say how many times I go during the week. The month is almost over so I thought now would be a good time to show you all some of my favorite finds at Target.

1. Market Pantry Milk Chocolate Covered Peanuts

These were so good. I randomly found these while looking for a quick snack/treat. I don't think I've ever tried Market Pantry brand food items so this was my first time trying something from that brand. I definitely plan on buying a few more things from this brand because I was impressed with how good the milk chocolate covered peanuts were. There were a few other Market Pantry brand items that I saw that looked very good. Have you purchased anything from the Market Pantry brand? Do you have a favorite Market Pantry item?

2. Kind Minis Variety Pack (Salted Caramel & Dark Chocolate Nut and Dark Chocolate Almond & Coconut)

Oh my goodness! This is my current obsession. I have been trying to find things like snacks to take with me while I'm on the go. I decided to try some Kind Mini bars since they had a variety pack and they were on sale. These bars are so good! I love that they are healthy. These bars have low sodium, 100 calories, and are low on sugar. I've been putting a couple in my diaper bag and it's been helping me avoid buying unhealthy snacks while I'm on the go.

I've been wanting to find things that would be great for when I go walking and jogging on the trail. If you have any recommendations on things to take for long walks or hikes please feel free to let me know.

3. So Lovable Sleep 'N Play

This is such a cute sleep 'n play. I have been buying most of Raphael's holiday themed sleep 'n plays from Target. They are very affordable, so cute, and fit perfectly.

4. HappyBaby Organic Teethers

I have been wanting to get Raphael some baby teethers snacks, but wasn't sure which brand to get. I couldn't remember which ones I used to buy for my older sons so I was lost on which brands to get. It still amazes me how many new baby brands there are.

I ended up purchasing HappyBaby Organic Teethers because they are organic and I knew that he would probably love the flavor. Raphael loves banana and will usually eat anything that has banana in it. These little teething wafers dissolve easily and contains no artificial flavors.


What are your favorite Target finds?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Friday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly grateful and happy list link up.

1. Fluffernutter Sandwich

2. Finally getting our car back from the shop

3. Barnes and Noble

4. Coffee

5. Baby clothes

6. Mini Kind Bars

7. Warm blankets

8. Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Bars

9. Hilarious memes

10. Catching up with a friend

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Big Announcement!!!

Happy Wednesday! If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed the announcement that I made yesterday about being selected to be a contributor writer for the Atlanta Area Moms Blog!

I've been a fan of the Atlanta Area Moms blog for a while and absolutely love that there is such a diverse group of women and motherhood perspectives. My fellow team members and I will be sharing stories and topics related to motherhood. I am so excited to share my voice and stories on such a wonderful blog.

I'll mention when I have a post up on the Atlanta Area Moms blog here as well as on my social media pages. Please feel free to check out the Atlanta Area Moms blog here or keep in touch via Instagram.

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Friday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly grateful and happy list link up.

1. Our car is finally being repaired

2. Having a second car

3. Well wishes from friends and family

4. My boys and John

5. Hot chocolate

6. Receiving good news

7. Finally getting a copy of Becoming by Michelle Obama

8. Naps

9. Ice Cream

10. Self care

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Christmas Layouts

Happy Wednesday! I'm so close to finishing all of my Christmas projects. Today I'm sharing two Christmas layouts that I recently made.

I used some older Christmas scrapbook and craft supplies that I had. I tried very hard not to purchase new Christmas supplies. One of my goals is to use a lot of supplies from my stash in my projects instead of purchasing new supplies. 

Making both of these layouts was very simple. I used some papers from a Christmas themed paper pad for the first layout. Then I used some embellishments from a previous Freckled Fawn December/Christmas themed embellishment kit. I also added some enamel dots and stickers. I loved using a black and white photo of my husband and sons. I think the scrapbook items makes the photo "pop".

Below is a close up of the layout.

Those puffy alpha stickers and layered stickers are so cute. I also love the chipboard stickers. I was surprised that I was able to get a photo of the boys looking at the camera. Sometimes it's a bit hard to get them to all look at the camera at the same time.

I took a photo of my mami's Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. The boys and I love how she decorates her tree. The boys were so excited to find candy canes on the tree.

This second layout was also very simple to make. I added my journaling onto a jumbo tag and then decorated the layout with some cardstock embellishments and some enamel dots.

Below is a close up of the layout.

Overall, I really like how these layouts turned out. The past few weeks have been busy so I knew that I would have to make my layouts and projects very simple. I actually kind of prefer making simple layouts because it's not time consuming. 

How did you document your December? Are you almost done with your December projects?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Autumn Stories Travelers Notebook

Happy Tuesday! Autumn is over and Winter is here, but I finally finished working in my Autumn Stories travelers notebook.

Spring used to be my favorite season when I was younger, but Autumn is now my favorite. Everything about Autumn is just amazing. I love the cooler weather, the seasonal drinks and treats, and all of the events that takes place during this season. This autumn was very special and memorable because it was Raphael's first autumn. We were all excited to make new memories with him and celebrate the season.

I had so much fun working in this travelers notebook and documenting the season. I really love how it turned out.

Please note that this is a very photo heavy post.

The lighting was not so great in some of photos so I apologize for that. The weather has been a bit gloomy and we are just now starting to have some sunny, but cool weather after days of rain. The majority of the items that I used came from Freckled Fawn. The rest of the supplies came from my scrapbooking stash.

How did you document your Autumn?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

If You and I Had Coffee

Happy Monday! Today I'm joining Lecy from A Simpler Grace for a little virtual coffee chat.

If you and I had coffee...

We would probably meet at my place or somewhere very close by. I'd tell you that I'm still feeling a bit of pain from the car accident, but that I'm starting to recover. I'd tell you that I've been having to endure the pain because the medicines that were prescribed are too strong and I'm still breastfeeding. John still has some pain in his back and neck, but luckily Raphael is ok and does not have any injuries.

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that I have not been making art everyday. I have missed a few days from an art challenge that I signed up for, but I don't really feel disappointed. I knew that I would probably miss a few days, but that's not going to stop me from making art.

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you how excited I am that I got a free premium membership to Skillshare for a year! Skillshare is a website that offers thousands of classes on various subjects like art, photography, web design, and so much more. I'm so excited to take some classes especially Mari Andrew's class. There are some free classes available, but if you sign up for a premium membership then you get access to some really amazing classes. You can select a 3, 6, or 12 month subscription if you decide that you want to get access to premium classes. You can get a two month free trial by signing up here.

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that I'm so ready for warmer weather! We've had cold and rainy weather for a while now and I'm so over it. I'm ready for spring, sunshine, and flowers.

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that I still haven't decided what my word for the year is. I think I may end up having two words this year. I'm also thinking about making goals for the entire year in addition to making goals every month. Do you set monthly and yearly goals?

If you and I had coffee...

I'd ask you if you are currently participating in any reading challenges? I'm going to try and read 12 books this year, but I also want to participate in the Pop Sugar Reading Challenge. I saw a couple of other smaller reading challenges that look like fun so I may try to add a few of those to my reading challenge as well.

What would you tell me?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Friday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly grateful and happy list link up.

I almost didn't post my list today because I am still hurt after being in a car accident. However, I had to post this because it really made think about being grateful. My youngest son was in the car with my husband and I. We are so grateful that Raphael is safe and sound and did not have any injuries. John and I have some injuries, but will recover.

1. Target

2. Zaxbys

3. Quiet mornings

4. Warm weather

5. That we are all safe and sound after being in a car accident.

6. The priest who helped us after witnessing the car accident.

7. My mami

8. Doctors and nurses

9. My family

10. Waking up to see another day

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

January Goals

Happy Wednesday! I'm a little late with sharing my goals, but I decided to take the first week of the month off so I could enjoy the holidays and my birthday. I still can't believe that we are in 2019! December went by so fast. I'm so excited for 2019 and for this month.

It's a new month and it's time to share my new goals for January. Before we get to the new goals, let's recap on December.

Recap of December Goals

• Read 1 book: Unfortunately, I didn't finish reading my book. December was such a busy month. I had a feeling that I probably wouldn't finish reading my book, but I did continue to read throughout the month. 

• Clean out the trunk of my car: I'm actually a bit upset with myself because I didn't clean out the trunk of my car. It was one of my goals that I really wanted to get done especially before the end of the year.

• Continue to work in my journal: I worked in my journal throughout the month. Sometimes I only had five minutes to work in my journal and sometimes it was close to an hour. There were some days that I didn't work in my journal, but it's definitely an improvement from previous months. I'm hoping to eventually work in my journal everyday. 

• Try 1 new recipe: This was a fail. I keep having a hard time picking which recipe I want to try. I have such a huge list which makes it so hard to choose a recipe. What are some of your go to recipes?

January Goals

• Read 1 book

• Clean out the trunk of my car

• Try 1 new recipe

• Start a new workout routine

• Make art every day

What are your goals for January?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Plush Design Studio on Unsplash

TBB Asks: Entertained Edition

Happy Tuesday! Today I'm linking up with The Blended Blog for TBB Asks. TBB Asks is a monthly questionnaire link up series.

1. Book(s) you have read multiple times

I've read so many books multiple times. Some of the books that I've read multiple times are The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Abarat series by Clive Barker, and anything by Dr. Seuss.

2. Favorite book/author of all time

This is a hard one. I'm currently loving Neil Gaiman. His new book, Art Matters, is amazing!

3. Favorite TV show to binge

I'm sure you all know that I am going to say Law & Order: SVU. I prefer the older seasons when Stabler was still around, but the newer seasons are good too. And you know I can't forget to mention Grey's Anatomy. 

4. Favorite new-ish TV show

I haven't been watching any new TV shows. Most of the shows that I watch are not considered new (i.e. Grey's Anatomy and Supernatural). If you know of any new shows, please let me know.

5. Favorite movie of all time

Saving Private Ryan. This was the first movie to make me cry. 

6. Movie you are looking forward to watching

There are a lot of films that I am looking forward to watching. I can't wait to watch Glass and Us. I'm also looking forward to watching Avengers: Endgame and Star Wars: Episode IX. 

7. First concert you attended

I was about 14 or 15 years old. I went with my older sister and a couple of her friends. It was a latino festival/concert and was so much fun.

8. Ultimate concert (even if it can't happen!)

My ultimate concert would have music from all over the world. It would have a little bit of Merengue, Bachata, Salsa, Rap, Hip Hop, Pop, Alternative, etc.  It would be amazing to go to a concert (or a festival) that had different genres of music. It would be fun to see new collaborations between artists at a concert as well.

9. Favorite music artist/band

Honestly, I don't really have a favorite artist or band. There's just too many to choose. I love Foster the People, Bastille, Lana Del Rey, Coldplay, Juan Luis Guerra, and Danay Suárez.

10. How do you listen? (streaming? CDs? Vinyl?)

I listen to music and podcasts on my iPod Touch. I also listen to music on the radio when I'm driving. 

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Weekend Recap - Birthday Edition

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I don't normally write a recap of my weekend, but this past weekend was special because it was my birthday on Saturday. I say this every year, but I can't believe that I'm another year older. It seriously blows my mind that I'm 28 years old. I was having mixed feelings about turning 28, but I'm so grateful that I'm even able to celebrate another year. I'm celebrating my birthday all month long and I actually started celebrating my birthday on Thursday.

Thursday

On Thursday, I went to the hair salon and got my hair done. I saw that the weather would be terrible on Friday, so I thought it would be best to just get my hair styled a day earlier. I was actually a bit nervous to go my stylist. My hair stylist recently lost her son and just came back to work so I was unsure what to even say to her. How do you tell someone that lost their child that you are sorry for their loss? I bought her a card, gave my condolences, and a hug. It still doesn't feel like enough.

Friday

On Friday, I went to Krispy Kreme and Cinnabon to get some free coffee and donuts. I love that I can get birthday rewards from some of my favorite places. If you have any favorite spots that you frequent then you should sign up for their reward lists. There are tons of stores that give birthday rewards like Starbucks and Chick-fil-A.

John, the boys, and I went to the mall so that I could get some new shoes. John knew that I wanted to get some sneakers so I was excited to pick out my gift. I decided to get some Chuck Taylor All Star High-Top Sneaker and I absolutely love them.

Saturday

Saturday was my actual birthday and I got to have some me time for a couple of hours. I went to a few different shops during the day. When I came home, we spent time relaxing and watching TV.

In the evening, we went to Mami's house for dinner. The dinner was actually a surprise birthday party! I almost cried when I walked into her house. John was in on the surprise as well and I can't believe that he was able to keep it a secret. The greatest gift that I received was having my sisters, brother, and cousin all together. We haven't seen each other in such a long time and it's been years since we were all together. My heart felt so full with joy and love. I am so grateful to my family for pulling off this surprise. Having everyone together was just what I needed and wanted. This was definitely one of the best birthdays I have ever had.

Sunday

It was a quiet, but productive day. I spent the day doing laundry, tidying up, and preparing for the upcoming week. I finally started working in my planner and also got a few blog posts ready for the next couple of weeks.

How was your weekend?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Friday! It's the first Happy List of the month. Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly happy and grateful list link up.

1. It's 2019...a new year!

2. Pre-birthday celebrations (my birthday is tomorrow!)

3. Lots of birthday rewards

4. Standing up for myself before the new year began

5. Long conversation with my little sister

6. Hugs and cuddles from boys

7. Jumbo chocolate chip muffins

8. Pink lemonade

9. Relaxing

10. Getting stuff done early

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...