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Monday, December 16, 2013

And Suddenly... We're Expecting, Again!

We've been keeping a teeny, tiny secret around here... Well if you follow me on Facebook or Instagram then of course you already know that Baby Snowden #2 is on the way!

While we were planning this pregnancy, we weren't exactly planning on our babies having birthdays within days of each other! Baby Snowden #2 is due on May 10, 2014 - two days before Parker's second birthday on May 12th! We don't seem to have the baby-planning thing figured out yet...

Even though we were planning this pregnancy, it was still a bit of a surprise because it happened so fast! It seemed like we discussed it and - boom - I was pregnant. I was still nursing Baby Parker so the usual "I'm late" wasn't going to happen around here.

Instead... It was Wednesday, Aug 28th. Parker and I had just returned home from physical therapy. Wednesday's are busy because Honey has class for his master's degree on Wednesday evenings. We usually see him for a quick dinner between classes. I had been so unbelievably tired the last day or so and suspected that it might be because I was growing a tiny human... So when Parker and I got home, I took a test and there it was. A little blue plus sign...

I was so excited and ran to tell Cash and Parker!! They were both so excited but of course I could have also said "I just drank a glass of water!" and they would be equally excited. I knew we had to tell Honey as soon as he got home but I wanted Parker to tell him. Since the pregnancy happened so quickly, I didn't have any really fun, pint rest-y ways to tell him cooked up.

So, I made a card for Parker to give him and when Honey got home, Parker handed it to him! He thought Parker was giving him something he got at physical therapy that day. The front said:

Guess What...

And the inside said:
I'm going to be a BIG Brother!!

Honey was so excited! We were both so excited! The dream of growing our family was coming true!!

Even though he had to rush off to class shortly after hearing the news, we texted the rest of the night about our excitement and growing family and just let the news sink in.

It felt somewhat similar to the last time I told him he was going to be a daddy. Except the last time he had to rush off across the world for a 5-week deployment! And during those five weeks I had to face both of our families, refuse all wine at meals, and act like everything was normal all by myself!

Even though it has been over 3 months since we found out about Baby Snowden #2 just writing about it reminds me of the overwhelming sense of excitement that we had. And still have for this baby! 

I can't wait to meet Baby Snowden #2 and I really can't wait for Parker Bear to become a big brother!!

PS - Don't forget about the fabulous coupon code offered by Peek-a-Whoo for all Suddenly Snowden readers! The code is good through this Wednesday! Click here for details!

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Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Peek-a-whoo Coupon Code

Is there anything sweeter than precious, soft, monogramed toys, clothes, or blankets for babies? Cute little things for babies get me every.single.time.

One of my favorite places to shop for such adorableness? Well that would be the fabulous baby boutique, Peek-a-whoo, of course.

Have you heard of them? They have the most darling baby items and the possibility to monogram and personalize nearly everything you can imagine. From towels, to Adan and Anais blankets, to bibs, bloomers, and loveys, they have it all.
One of our most favorites from Peek-a-whoo of course would be the stuffed animals. Just like his mama when she was a little girl, Parker Bear absolutely loves stuffed animals. And since dogs are such a big hit around here, we of course have the adorable red corduroy puppy. So cute! And with the brown stitching spelling out my baby's name on the ear I could just melt!

As soon as he opened the package, Parker smiled his biggest smile and grabbed his new puppy to hug him tight. This puppy is so soft and cuddly! Clearly Parker has a new favorite.
And the color? Well we simply adore it! I think calling it red is unfair. It's more of a crimson with some raspberry mixed in and then finished with a splash of watermelon. The perfect color really! And at 15" tall this sweet puppy is the perfect size for Parker to hug and kiss and hug some more. With those big, soft, corduroy rolls, our puppy is up for the challenge of some good ol' fashioned baby lovin'!
I wouldn't limit this as a baby gift. Children of all ages would love these personalized Jellycat puppies and bunnies. In fact even a tween or far-off college student would happily perch this sweet face on their bed. Spoken from someone who took their beloved stuffed animal to college and lived to tell about it, ahem.

Oh and yes, the moment we come to a decision on the name for Baby Snowden #2, we will be getting a monogrammed puppy dog to wait happily in the nursery until May...
And because now you are thinking of everyone on your Christmas list who needs one, Peek-a-Whoo is generously offering a 10% discount on their monogrammed Jellycat puppy dogs and bunny rabbits with the code JELLYCAT for all Suddenly Snowden readers. But hurry, this fabulous offer is only good for a week! Perfect timing to finish off your holiday shopping!
The wonderful folks at Peek-a-whoo will gladly help ensure you get the perfect gift this holiday season!

Happy Shopping!

Shop Peek-a-whoo here: www.peekawhoo.com
10% Discount good through Wednesday, December 18th with code: JELLYCAT

You can keep up with new products, specials and all the fabulous products from Peek-a-whoo by following them on:
*Instagram
*Twitter
*Pintrest
*Facebook


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I'm Baaaack

Oh I've missed blogging so much! I've written so many posts and had so many blog ideas but unfortunately they are all locked away in my head... written while I change a diaper, cook up dinner, drive to the store... it seems that actually sitting down and staying awake long enough to get thoughts out onto the blog is becoming increasingly harder these days.

That's probably because, well, I'm pregnant! If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram then of course you already know that! More to come very soon on how I found out and how Parker shared the exciting news with Honey first and then with our families!

Another reason for my inability to sit and write is that I have a crawler on my hands now! Yes, in other exciting news Parker has learned and become quite efficient at crawling all over the place. It has made our days so much more fun! More to come on this wonderful development in our sweet boy's life.

In the meantime I have give-aways to share, and coupon codes to give out, and of course the usual what-we've-been-up-to as well. Between seven house guests over the course of three visits, a couple of quick family get-aways, parties, snow, and holidays, it's been a busy past few months...

So grab a cup of coffee, tea, wine, and stay tuned for more Suddenly Snowden because suddenly I'm back!

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Tuesday, October 1, 2013

The Day I Understood My Own Mother

Yesterday while I was out with Parker, returning to the car to head home I reached down into my purse to the ring where I always clip my car keys only to have my heart sink into my stomach. My keys weren't there. They were not clipped to the ring where I always, always, always clip them so that they are not lost when I need them.

I took a deep breath and began to retrace my steps from when I was last standing next to my car, loading Parker into his stroller a couple of hours ago. I was juggling a red toy truck, a sippy cup, an overflowing diaper bag, and a little boy who was excitedly calling out to the trucks that were driving down the road next to the parking lot.

I checked everywhere. The depths of my purse. The diaper bag which is seriously in need of a reorganization and purge. Then my purse again. Where were my keys? I was already planning to whip out my phone to interrupt my husband, who was in class, and ask that he come to our rescue.

I lifted Parker from his stroller. There they were. My keys! They must have fallen from my grasp as I placed my baby boy into the stroller.

And in that moment, I stepped one step closer to understanding my own mother.

The times she couldn't find something she had just a minute ago. The times we had to go back to the house because she forgot to grab something. The times she didn't remember something.

With each time I am scrambling to get out the door, each time I am forgetting something we may or may not need, each time I wonder where I misplaced that thing I needed... It is with each of these moments I understand my own mother a little bit better.

Like me, I'm willing to bet she wasn't always that way. I bet there was a time, long before I rolled around, when she knew where everything was at any given moment. She probably also had a special place for her car keys so that they would not get misplaced.

But also like me, one day she became a mommy. To me. And suddenly there was a shift. A shift in priorities.

Had I not been so concerned about remembering to grab Parker's little red truck, not concerned with remembering to grab his sippy cup from the back seat, and not looking with absolute joy at a little boy excitedly waving to the trucks on the street, I probably would have remembered to clip my keys to the key ring.

But I'm a mommy. To that sweet little boy. And for all the times I will misplace the car keys, I will make an exchange for a moment of joy with my baby boy.

And just like me, someday he won't remember that I forgot. That I misplaced.

No, just like me, he will remember that we laughed. That we loved. That we shared.

Those will be his memories. Just like they are mine.


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Sunday, September 22, 2013

Silent Sunday Picture Dump

We are just settling back into our normal, well normal-for-us, routine following my parents visit and gearing up for Honey's parents to visit very soon. {{Yeah for grandparents visiting!}} I'll be posting soon about all our adventures while Twinkle and Bing were here but for now I'm sharing a few snapshots of life recently in this "Silent Sunday" post. I hope you're having a great Sunday!

The beautiful National Cemetery located on Fort Leavenworth. So peaceful.
Parker Bear and I with Bing! We had such a great time exploring while they were here!
 I love this church! It's like a gingerbread house, er, church!

 How cute are Twinkle and Bing with Parker??
 Oh you know, just standing around!
 Having so much fun picking up the rings at swim class!
 They loved joining us on our nightly wagon ride. Parker so enjoyed having them!
 Every morning Honey gets Parker Bear up before he leaves for school. I come in a few minutes later to nurse him and get him ready for the day. I love that these two get this special time every morning!

 Twinkle helping Parker dry off after swim class!
 His expressions crack me up!
 Best vantage point for sure!
 What could be better that swinging in the sun?
 Love this one that Twinkle captured. The hands! He kills me!
 Dining al fresco!
 Parker was able to read Twinkle and Bing a bedtime story. (This was taken on our overnight trip to Abilene!)
 So much fun checking out all the sights!
 When taking 16 month pictures it is important to take the time to stretch. 
 More to come on how Parker is doing in physical therapy but I had to share this picture of him with Mrs. Erin, his physical therapist! He adores her!!
That's all for this edition of Silent Sunday! I hope you have a great week!


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Friday, September 20, 2013

Parker Lately: 16 Months


At this time last year, I had been a mommy of merely four months. That was before I knew about the speed of life once you become a parent. Before I understood how time becomes more and more precious the faster and faster it speeds by.
Last year, Parker's "first-day-of-school" was so far away from me that it wasn't even a fleeting thought. 

But this year, with sixteen months of mommy-ing under my belt, sixteen months to learn that you can't blink, I saw all of those first day of school pictures again. The ones the nervous and happy mommy's post of their too-excited littles on FaceBook and Instagram.

Smiling on the front porch. Crisp, new backpack in hand. Lunch neatly packed. Shiny shoes and combed hair. 

And as I looked this year at each child one year older, and I looked at Parker, who turned 16-months on September 12th, and I realized that we are not so far off from that day. In fact if we put our little boy in 2-year-old school, that will be us at this very time next year!
While time is flying faster and faster than ever before, it is becoming more and more fun with each passing day! Parker is such an absolute delight to us and watching the world through his eyes creates more joy than I ever knew possible.
Here is a little update on Parker, lately, at 16 months old!

Parker Bear weighs 22 pounds 13 ounces and is 30 inches long. He fits into 18-month old clothes comfortably, and has since turning about 13 months. I am so thankful that the growing-every-other-month period is behind us! I love that he can wear his clothes more than one time before I have to pack them away.
Parker loves his mommy but now? Parker also loves his daddy! I know he has always loved his daddy but these days he wants to go to him and be around him more than ever before! I know it just makes Honey's heart sing when Parker reaches for him and wants his daddy to hold him!
When Honey is on his way home, he will text me and when I hear him come in the door, I'll ask Parker, "Who's here?" and Parker will turn his little head as far as he can to see the back door, looking for Honey to come in. When he sees his daddy he immediately wants to show him whatever toy or book he is playing with and wants him to come play too. 
At night time after he's all ready for bed, Parker and I always come say night night to daddy but before Parker would not want anyone to take him from me. Now, he willingly goes to daddy for a night night hug and kiss! It is so sweet! I love seeing him form a special bond with his daddy!
Parker is growing and changing and learning every day! Here are some things he is doing these days:
  • Swaying to music. Probably the *cutest* of his new tricks is his "dancing". Parker loves to sway to the music of his toys or playing form our iPad. He has a "rock band" toy and will dance to that music every.single.time. We love it!
  • Putting things in and out. Parker loves his toys that have pieces that go in and out. He loves to put the shapes in the cylinder and pull them out again, or put the music balls in the helicopter and pull them out again. He has totally gotten the hang of these types of patterns. After we show him one time, he wants to do it again and again. In fact, the other day Parker was playing next to our coffee table and there were two remotes in a cubby of the table right next to him. Parker pulled each one of the remotes out, looked at them, then put them back into the cubby - as though that in itself was a game!
  • Babbling. I never knew I would love the sweet sounds of a baby babbling so much! Parker's favorites are da-da-da-da-da, ma-ma-ma-ma-ma and ba-ba-ba-ba-ba. He also does doe-doe-doe and lots of oh-oh-oh-oh-oh's. I love getting him to "talk" to me and letting him "read" his books to me. When he needs to get our attention he yells out "ah!" to hand us something, or have us help him get something, or even if he sees something that he wants us to see too. All the talking and communicating has been such a fun development these last few months!
  • Trucks. Parker loves, loves, LOVES trucks. The bigger the better! Whenever we hear the trash man, mail man, or bus driver coming down our street, we run outside to get a better look. Usually the truck drivers are (thankfully!) happy to see Parker and slow down to wave and let him get a good look at their ride. We also stop to watch construction sites whenever possible so Parker can see the big dump trucks and bull dozers. When he sees trucks he gets so excited, calling out OH-OH-OHHHH!!! And "jumping" in our arms with his legs and arms both going so fast. It is so fun to see him get so excited!
  • Wagon Rides. In the evenings we often go on a "wagon ride" together. Parker riding in his little red wagon, Honey pulling the wagon down the walking trail, and Cash and I walking alongside them. Parker loves wagon rides! He is so cute pointing out birds, dogs, other families walking or riding bikes. We love this time together as a family!
Parker loves to laugh. It is so easy to get him to laugh! Perfect strangers can always get a smile and giggle from our happy boy. He loves to play little games with Honey and I, and just loves laughing with us. Sometimes even if Honey and I are talking and we start laughing about something, Parker will take the opportunity to join right in on the laughter even though he doesn't really know what we are laughing about!
And of course, not new, but Parker loves books. So much! He loves to be read to and he loves to read. He is such a sweet little bookworm! 
Happy 16 months sweet boy!! We love you more than we ever imagined possible!!



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Wednesday, September 18, 2013

So What Wednesday


Life After I Dew

Today I'm linking up with Life After I Dew to say SO WHAT Wednesday!

So What... If I sliced my finger open cutting up sweet potatoes to make sweet potato baked fries? I'm already deathly afraid of our fancy knife set and this little incident was almost enough to cause a major cooking boycott in our household. It hurt!

So What... If Parker turned 16-month-old before I finally got pooped on? Seriously, like getting spit up in your hair and nursing at a rest stop, there are certain mommy-rites-of-passage that mommy's go through and I was wondering if I was just going to miss that one altogether! Nope. Diaper leaked. Poop on clothes and hands. So check that one off the list!

So What... If I was up from 11:30 p.m. (I had just gone to bed!) until 4:30 a.m. with a sick little one last week? Poor baby couldn't breathe and needed mommy snuggles, a few books, and one episode of Baby Einstein on my phone. If we're being honest, the Baby Einstein was used after I realized I had passed out three times during the fifth reading of Little Blue Truck.

So What... If honey and I went to explore a nearby town and ended up discovering the one place in America where everyone believes every mothball smelling piece of junk is something you should sell in your "shop". We got ice cream which made it all better and got outta there as quickly as we came! Vintage finds, yes. Creepy mothball junk? No.

And finally, so what... If I'm super duper excited about my parents being here to visit and don't want them to ever leave!!

Happy Wednesday!!


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Tuesday, September 17, 2013

House Tour Part II

A couple of weeks ago I posted a tour through pictures of the downstairs of our new-to-us we-will-only-live-here-one-year house on Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Today I am excited to share Part II of our tour through pictures!

Join me for the rest of the tour through our three bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom home!

Last week we left off here, at the base of the stairs...
Our stairs have a landing which created the perfect nook for our vintage trunk and pictures on the wall.

 Also along the stairs, the mossy monogram my sis-in-law made for us (a decoration at our wedding!) is displayed.
 At the top of the stairs, in our upstairs hallway, is our gallery wall!
A right turn at the top of the stairs leads to our guest bath (also Parker's bath room).
It's also the BIGGEST bathroom in the house!

I hung three pictures on the opposite wall of Parker in water scenes: in the pool, at the beach, and in the tub!
This room has not one but two linen closets! Great storage!
And a picture of our other baby, Cash Dog, at the beach:
Leaving the bathroom, back into the hallway, there are three bedroom doors and one closet door. On the right is the guest room and then Parker's room and on the left is the master bedroom and bath.
Our guest room with a vintage quilt we received as Christmas present our first married Christmas:


 I just added a new lamp and frame to the right bedside table.
And across from the guest room is our bedroom!
Because of the dimensions of the room our bed had to face this way, but I like how it turned out!




And our master bathroom, which has very little under cabinet storage but a deep linen closet:
 We had to buy a shower curtain for this house and I'm not sure if I like this one. I'm sure it will change a time or two before we leave!
The toilet is opposite of the sinks...
And perched on the windowsill is the beautiful conch shell we picked up in the Bahamas two weeks before our wedding:
The other side of the bathroom leads to the linen closet (left) and master closet (straight ahead).
 Back out in the hallway, past another linen closet (which makes 4 upstairs alone!), is my favorite room in the house, Parker's nursery! Because there are two windows in his room (and our old house had only one) I had to hang some of his decor in the hallway outside his room. I actually really like how it looks!

These canvas newborn prints hang opposite his door:
 And these two precious pieces hang just to the right of his door:
And of course his birthday wreath is on his door, replacing the "baby" one I made for his gender reveal party:
Just inside the door
His last nursery had only one window. I'm thankful I was able to purchase a second window treatment!
Parker's nursery theme is Peter Rabbit with green accents.

This little book nook is tucked in the corner by the crib:
Above his dresser we hung shelving to display all his sweet treasures!
And a basket filled with blankets sits by the door.
Exiting the nursery, brings you to the hallway heading back to the stairs. 
(Cash photo bomb!)
 And then back to the top of the landing. I love that we have a small nook here to place our quilt rack. I hope that guests will feel welcome to grab a blanket to cozy up with in their room during our cold Kansas winters!

Thank you so much for joining me on this tour of our home through pictures! Now, when are you coming to visit us? The clock is ticking, we'll only be here nine more months!


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