Harper's First Halloween

Happy Halloween everyone!  I hope all of you are having fun getting dressed up (or dressing up your babies---or both!)

I did dress up today (well, I wore some mouse ears and painted whiskers on my face) because each year departments throughout the children's hospital where I work volunteer to host a table for a Halloween party for all of our patients (the party is organized by our awesome language services department). It is SO fun!  A lot of our patients are too sick to eat candy or go trick-or-treating, so we set up fun little games and activities inside of the hospital in a common area and they all get non-candy prizes at each table.  There's also a DJ that plays music during the event and we all just dance and cheer for the kiddos and sing. I love that I get to do things like this apart from my normal job duties. It's truly a blessing.

It was so fun getting Harper into her costume after daycare today...I took so many photos---here are my favorites!

Be safe and have fun this Halloween night!

Oh and before I go here are some photos from the Halloween party at the hospital (we can't take pictures of patients obviously because of HIPPA but the kiddos were all dressed so cute!)

Our game was "toss the ring on the witch's hat!"

The Night Before Halloween...

My mother-in-law got this pumpkin tutu costume for Harper and I couldn't resist snapping a few photos this evening...

Cheers!

Fall Beauty Picks from H-E-B

Every time I grocery shop with my husband, towards the end of the shopping trip I will sneak away to cruise the beauty aisles. I don't always have a purchase in mind, I just like to check out what's new and what looks exciting.  I've found some pretty great makeup, hair and skincare products "at random," but it can definitely be a hit or miss. Unlike designer and department store makeup though, it's a little less of a gamble to test out new products that you can buy at the grocery store as the price points are more affordable (and you can buy all your food for the week at the same time- win!)

Here are some of the beauty products from H-E-B I've tested out lately:

| Essie's "after school boy blazer" nail polish | 

I couldn't ask for a more perfect fall nail polish! It's a gorgeous deep navy blue (my obsession!) and all you need is two coats for full and beautiful coverage. Essie polishes are my absolute favorite because the color variety is so incredible throughout their entire collection. My other tried-and-true Essie fall/winter polish is "wicked." You must add that one to your collection if you don't have it already...and while you're at it, pick up "after school boy blazer" too. You won't regret it!

| L'Oreal Voluminous Original Mascara |

(I prefer the waterproof version, as with all mascaras)- when I first started my blog, L'Oreal Voluminous was one of my absolute favorite mascaras. It was definitely in my top five mascaras ever and it remains on the top five list all these years later. It gives great volume and thickness to your lashes which I prefer over super-lengthening formulas. I always curl my lashes first and then apply 2 coats.  Your lashes will look lush and be totally clump-free. 

| Physicians Formula Multi-Color Blush |

I've always been curious about the Physician's Formula brand so I tested out their multi-color blush. It blends several different shades of pink to form a rose color when swished together. It kind of gives you that look on your cheeks that you get on a cold winter day or from being flushed from a workout. It's a good choice if you like a really natural flush as opposed to more of a bright/lilac toned pink. The packaging describes you'll get a "rosy glow" and I would say it delivers on that promise.

| H-E-B eye shadow brush |

Over the years I've become obsessed with makeup brushes. I'm a true believer that they make a huge difference in the way your makeup looks. I was surprised to see that H-E-B had their own makeup brush line. I don't wear eyeshadow (except for evenings) but I always use brushes intended for eyeshadow to blend out my under-eye brightener or to conceal larger areas like the corners of my mouth and around my nose. I know it sounds weird to use an eye shadow brush to do this, but it blends it all so perfectly and lets you cover a little bit of a larger area than a typical concealer brush. Give it a try if you haven't already. You would be surprised how many of your brushes can multitask.

| Cover Girl LipPerfection Jumbo Gloss Balm | 

I'll admit it. This lip color freaked me out when I first saw it. I never thought I could wear a deep plum color. But apperances can be quite deceiving...and CoverGirls' new jumbo gloss balm is more light a light stain with a balmy finish. The color does not go on dark AT ALL (but it's buildable if you do want a more intense look).  In the picture on the top right you can see what a light application looks like and also how it builds. I actually really loved this balm. I don't love sticking my finger into a lip balm container so the pencil packaging appealed to me.

| NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil |

If you follow any beauty blogs or YouTube beauty channels, you know about NYX's Jumbo Eye Pencil.I had never tried out the cult favorite. I don't know why because as expected, it's pretty great- and really versatile too. Super creamy and pigmented, it can create a nice opaque line, or it can be blended out like in the second photo for a smudged-out look.  I also like to use a slanted eyeliner brush to apply it to my bottom lash line. I dab the liner brush on the sides of the pencil and apply on my lower lash line. Then I smudge it out a bit using the same brush. It's a super simple way to create subtle and soft definition. 

| L'Oreal Eye Shadow Palette |

I always use eye shadow in unconventional ways since I don't use it on my lids. I use a grayish brown eyeshadow to line my lower lash line most days---but one of my favorite beauty tricks is using a shimmering pink or champagne shadow just in the inner corners of my eyes. It makes you look awake and really makes your eyes pop. I always tend to go for a more pink-toned highlighter because I think it's a little softer than white or champagne and it has a beautiful warmth to it. Plus, just like my under-eye brightening product which is also pink-toned, I think pink helps counteract a lot of blue and purple tones in the skin which brightens dark areas and makes them look illuminated from within. The one gripe I have with this particular eyeshadow set is that the packaging is a little flimsy, which surprises me because L'Oreal tends to make some of the highest quality beauty products.

What beauty products have you tried out recently? Do you sneak away at the grocery store to hit the beauty aisles like I do?  Share in the comments below!

Products were provided by HEB for consideration. All opinions are my own.

Harper Reese- Five Months Old!

Month four was a whirlwind of changes for our little Harper. The biggest change is that she now sleeps in her nursery.  I had intended to have her co-sleep in our bedroom for the AAP recommended six months, but I realized that keeping her there was more for my benefit than for hers. She would go to sleep so early and then we would have to shower and get ready for bed while she slept in her pack n' play and she was waking up multiple times a night. When I saw how much better she slept in her own room, I knew we had made the right decision.

We made the transition to her crib during the dreaded four month sleep regression (which for us, actually started right at 3.5 months and is still somewhat present though to a lesser extent). We just figured it was a good time because it may be more difficult to make the transition once she is older and more aware of things.  We wanted her to sleep comfortably and securely in her crib, in her own room.

So one night we just decided to go for it and remove her bumpers and the decorative bunting I had placed on the crib and see if she would sleep there. We gave her a bath and I rocked her in her glider as I fed her her last bottle and when she was still drowsy I placed her in her crib. That night, I think she woke up once at maybe 11 p.m. and then she slept through until about 6:30 a.m.  The next night, she slept through the night until 7:30 a.m., which was a total fluke since it hasn't happened since.

Harper sleeps on her stomach now and we find she sleeps more soundly that way. Initially I was really worried but she can roll both ways and has very good head control and a strong neck and she sleeps with her head to one side or another.  We used a Snuza Hero breathing monitor for awhile to have some peace of mind. We had a few false alarms because it's not as effective for stomach sleepers, but overall it helped me sleep a little better knowing she was wearing it. Now, we just use our Summer Infant Color Touch 2 video monitor but occasionally will also use the Snuza.

Anyway, for the past couple of weeks we are back to a few wake-ups during the night. She will wake up and let out a few cries, and sometimes all it takes is going into her room giving her her paci (it usually falls out when she sleeps) and we rub her back a little and she goes right back to sleep. Other times, she won't stop crying and wants to be held for a bit.  And rarely, she is actually hungry so we feed her if that's the case.  Most days she sleeps from about 7:30-5:00 a.m. 6 if we are lucky. But that includes a few wake-ups and us going into her room.  Some people have told us to let her "cry it out" but I feel that if we can just go in there, give her a paci, and she goes right back to sleep it's not worth it to let her get so upset that she's screaming and then we have to start all over again.  She is able to self-soothe because I put her in her crib drowsy and she does wake up and put her own paci back in or simply changes positions a bit and goes back to sleep so I'm not really sure if I'm messing things up or not but this is what's working right now. And bless my husband, he's getting up a lot to attend to her throughout the night because he knows I need to get sleep to maintain my milk supply (though honestly, I wake up every time she cries and each time he gets up anyway so we are both sleep deprived). The other night I actually did let her cry for about 7 minutes and she went back to sleep on her own. She was not crying very loudly or intensely so I decided to feel it out and see if she would settle on her own. It's a hit or miss.

Overall though I do feel like we are making progress in the sleep department. I think every baby is so different so what works for one family may not work for another and I don't really have strong opinions on what the right way to "sleep train" is. I've just been following her cues.

Here are Harper's five month updates and photos:

Weight: The last time she was weighed was a month ago and she weighed 15 pounds. I would venture to guess she's gained a pound since then.

Health: We are still using the Nose Freida on a daily basis to manage her congestion but other than that she has been healthy. I am so grateful that she did not catch my stomach virus or sinus infection. I even called the milk bank at my work and spoke with one of the lactation consultants because I wasn't sure if it was still okay to give her my breastmilk when I was so ill. They told me that it was actually the best thing because your breastmilk forms antibodies to protect your baby when you are sick. 

Sleep:  I think I pretty much covered this in the opening paragraphs. 

Social: I recently started an email chain with all of the moms from our daycare class so we can arrange playdates. We also take Harper everywhere with us and she just loves to look around at what's happening around her. She even smiles at strangers when they smile at her and talk to her. Not in that "stranger danger" phase yet.

Diet: Harper continues to be exclusively fed expressed breast milk (read more about my pumping story here). Boy oh boy some days I love pumping and some days I really have to force myself to do it (especially that last pump before bed and the 5:30 a.m. pump). I think over time the novelty and excitement about it has worn off a bit and I have my days where I dread it...but overall I'm still happy to be doing it and thankful for my supply. The worst was pumping when I was sick. I felt so awful, exhausted and drained and the thought of pumping made me want to cry...but I knew I had to do it because getting mastitis would be 100 times worse than pumping while ill.  I've almost reached my first goal of 6 months and I know I'll make that one and my hope is that I will have the strength to continue for a full year.

Clothes: Harper is wearing 6, 6-12 and 9 month clothing. Baby clothes are so inconsistently sized depending on the brand. How did she get so big?!

Baby Gear Love: I am so behind on these posts...will try to get them up soon!

Crying: When she's hungry and lately when she's over-tired. Sometimes she cries randomly and will have a day where she's just really fussy, no rhyme or reason. But generally she doesn't cry a lot. See below.

Likes: Sleeping on her stomach, Lulu (she is obsessed with him and laughs and smiles at him and watches him everywhere he does...she actually squeals with delight sometimes at him and it's adorable), her bottles (she freaks when she sees it!), books (she gets so excited when we read books that she kicks her legs when you're reading, her exersaucer (we have this Baby Einstein one), sitting up (she can tripod with her hands!), music (we have dance parties) and anything she can put in her mouth (so, basically ALL OF THE THINGS!) I recently started to make up songs with her name in them and she loves it when I sing her those songs. I am the worst singer ever but she digs it.

Postpartum: I'm coming to the conclusion that I may not work out in 2013...or much of 2014. I can't find the energy or time. I know a lot of moms are able to somehow do it and I applaud them (seriously!) but I just don't have it in me. I feel that pumping takes so much out of me (it can feel very draining, no pun intended) not to mention it's time consuming so I've pretty much just come to terms with the fact that I'm not going to tone up anytime soon. But that's okay. I am still burning lots of calories everyday by pumping and that's how I justify to myself that I don't work out. Lol. 

The one thing we do need to focus on is eating less sweets. My husband and I have been indulging a little too much (Oreos are our mutual weakness) and we need to get back on track and practice a little more moderation than we have been. I blame sleep deprivation!

Now that it's cooling down a bit in Houston, we may start taking long walks every morning on the weekends. I think that would be a good start in addition to eating less sweets (confession: I did consume some sour patch kids while writing this post).

As far as life in general, I feel pretty good about our routine. Some days I'm so busy that my days zoom by and other days I miss Harper so much that I just want to leave work super early to squeeze in a couple more hours with her.   

Milestones: Harper can sit up now using her hands as a little tripod support! It's so cute!  She is babbling a lot, smiling a lot and we've gotten a few belly laughs out of her too.  She can really hold and grab things well and she tries to scoot a little during tummy time (which she gets plenty of since she's a tummy sleeper). She can turn pages of books on her own and overall she's just much more interested in things and wants to put absolutely everything in her mouth.  We love her so much.

Thanks for reading and I hope you all have a happy Sunday!

Harper is wearing...
Glitter skirt- Target
Onesie- H&M
Pink hair bow- Pretty Little Elm
Polka dot mint hair bow- CharlieCocos