Show and Tell Tuesday- My Boys' Names

I have never done one of these, but my good friend, Lisa, introduced me to a new blog, Momfessionals, and I am excited to link up!

Today I am sharing where I got my kids' names from. Woody and Gaines aren't exactly names your randomly pull out of a baby book, so people often ask me why I named them that. I love family names since (I feel) they never go out of style. Picking names is hard! So we just went with names that were special to us.

Woodfin James

Woodfin in my grandmother's maiden name. She has always been very special to me, and I thought Finn would be a cute nickname. However, my husband had other plans and insisted he be called Woody. I can't imagine calling him anything but Woody now! James is my father-in-law's name. Brooks and his dad have always been very close. I hope that my boys are as close to Brooks as he is with his dad.

Gaines Alton

Gaines was my husband's late grandfather's and uncle's name. Alton was my grandfather's name, as well is my brother's middle name. You can read more about these wonderful men here!

 With my grandmother, Helen Ann Woodfin Hollon, on her 80th birthday

 My softball days with MawMaw and PawPaw (Alton Hollon)

Woody with his Papa, James Harvard

Gaines with my brother, William Alton

Easter Part II

A big THANK YOU to Sister for being the responsible one and remembering her camera AND sim card. All of the pictures from Saturday are from her blog. You can see the rest here.

We drove down to Prattville on Friday afternoon. Woody had been having a rough go with his allergies and the Alabama pollen really set him off. So he looks like he has pink eye in all the pictures, but after confirming with his doctor, it was just his allergies. I gave him some Benadryl, so he looks a little out of it in all the pictures.

 With his cousins, Jake and Marrell. They were so sweet to him and kept checking to make sure he was okay.

 Next year, this guy will be running (hopefully) around with the rest of his cousins!

 Hollon and Gaines

There is only five months between these two. I can't wait to see what mischief they will get into! Also, look at that outfit! Ahhhhh, dying!!

My happy children

Such a great babysitter! Maddox is way more responsible than I am was at ten.

Woody was napping inside during the Easter Egg. Gaines and my cousin's son, Deacon, enjoyed some guy time.

My sister's MIL made the JonJon Gaines wore. Woody wore it last year, and Jake wore it in 2010.

When Woody woke up, his eye was swollen shut, so we headed home. Some Claritin helped tremendously and we were ready for church on Sunday to celebrate our risen Savior! I wanted to get some pictures of the boys in their Easter outfits. Ugh, why won't a 1 and 2 year old sit and pose!?

 I am so disappointed we didn't get a family picture. Oh well! I also find it comical that both of my children wore size 24 month outfits. 

Framers. I hate this picture of me, but I adore Gaines's face!

Buying for Baby- Where to Splurge/Save

Having two babies in less than two years gave me a big insight to how much money you can spend on baby products. Brooks and I were so blessed that we had friends and family purchase so many things for us. Seriously, we were completely spoiled. However, most people still need to make some big purchases on their own. So in my humble opinion, these are the items you should splurge or save on. Let me emphasize, this is just my opinion. Probably 90% of moms would disagree with me! Every mom is different. Every baby is different!

SPURGE

Stroller- My key advice is pick a stroller to pick your lifestyle. Will you use it mostly indoors or outside? Will it live in your trunk, garage, or home? Can it grow with the baby, or is it just for infants? 

When I was pregnant with Gaines, I figured that I could just get away with our indoor double stroller (that my parents kindly bought us.) However, I quickly found out that my boys were happy during their witching hour when we were outside, and the indoor stroller was getting too much wear and tear. My kind in-laws got us the BOB double stroller. It is perfect going to the park. As much as I know that I could probably get away with one or the other, I like both! I use both! The Joovy (which is a very affordable option for a double stroller BTW) is perfect for walking around the mall and getting in and out tight doors. I also adore the massive basket and sunshade. It reclines almost completely, which is nice with little babies. The BOB is wonderful for our long walks, especially when we venture into the woods. Also, I own both of these strollers in their single versions, so you know I really like these companies.

What I own-

Joovy X2

(indoor stroller)

BOB Duallie

(outdoor stroller)

SAVE

Furniture- By save, I mean don't feel that you have to go to a big box baby store and buy and expensive set. All of the nurseries I love on Pinterest had an eclectic feel to them. We already had some antique furniture that had been passed down to us, and I wanted to incorporate it into both nurseries. Our in-laws purchased this crib for us when we were pregnant with Woody. It was a great crib that Woody used until Gaines came along. Now he happily resides in it. I think it is beautiful and was pretty affordable. Wal-Mart and Ikea also have really great prices on cribs that look way more expensive than they are. Even if that is a little steep, Craigslist is full of cribs for sale. 

I know a lot of people buy those covertable cribs that turn into toddler beds and double beds. This seems like a great option, but my sister let me know that after you buy the expensive crib, the converter "set" is extra $$$. And I am difficult and wanted a twin bed for Woody after he outgrew the crib.

As for the rest of the furniture, think about pieces to reuse from your own home. Dressers make great changing tables. We used a pie safe for a bookcase/storage. And check out flea markets. That is where I bought the ugly, red dresser for cheap cheap. Like less that $100 cheap/ It was a solid, sturdy piece of furniture though. I cannot imagine what I would have spent at an actual baby store. 

Here are some examples of my nurseries, as well as my sister's, where we have an eclectic mix of furniture.

See More of Woody's Nursery Here

See More of Gaines's Nursery Here

See More of Hollon's Nursery Here

SPLURGE

Glider- Ok, so this is the one piece of nursery furniture I would spend a little more on. Thankfully, once again, our parents gifted us with these purchases when Woody was born. I wanted a glider for his nursery that looked like a chair so that I could use it in other rooms once he outgrew it. I tried to pick out a fabric that wasn't too babyish. 

When Woody was about eight weeks old, my in-laws were keeping Woody and purchased a super comfortable rocker/recliner for the family room, which was nice since we had an upstairs and downstairs. However, that can be a really big expense, so try to imagine where you will spend the most time with your baby if you can just choose one. 

SAVE

Bedding- The side of me that loves interiors cringes to write this. However, if money is tight, you can really save here. Guess what your baby needs in his crib? A mattress protector and a sheet. Oh, and those are pretty affordable, so buy several. Now, I love a crib skirt, so you can read here about mine. I spent $100 on my bumper pad and took it out as soon as I thought Woody might roll over (I am super paranoid.) $100 is a lot of money for something that was for pictures basically. 

Again, be weary of sets. They often come with things you won't ever use, like pillows and quilts, but pay $$$ for.

SPLURGE

Diaper Bag- Yes, it is true. However, it doesn't have to be a legit diaper bag or a "designer" bag, but you will want a good quality Mom Tote. I have wasted lot of money on buying cheap bags that fell apart. I never used an official diaper bag, but my favorite tote is this one.

They make an insert I believe if you are organized and like your stuff separated. I am just a toss in the big tote kind of girl.

SAVE...THEN SPLURGE

Swings, Bouncy Seats, Rockers, Etc...- These type things add up quick. Honestly, I think ever baby is different in what they prefer. I had a bouncy seat with Woody that he used occasionally, but Gaines adored it. My advice is to ask friends and family to let you borrow whatever they have until the baby comes. Then test drive the options out. Then you can spend on one that your baby really likes (or keep the one loaned to you and act like you don't know what happened to it!)

Overall, I just think it is wise to stop and think about baby purchases. You can feel like you HAVE to buy everything, when in reality, you're baby just needs love, food, diapers, and sleep (buy whatever is necessary to make that baby sleep.) It is easy to get caught up in cute clothes and the latest gadgets (guilty), but try to invest in the things you can use for many years. I am always interested in what other moms think. What would you add to the list? What would you take off?

Happenings Around Here

Sorry, I don't have Easter Part II pictures. Why? You might ask. I forgot my SIM card in my computer and Sister hasn't posted any (slacker.)

We are finishing up Spring Break...It is Woody's second Spring Break because his preschool takes off a week when the private schools and public school do. And mostly because toddlers need two trips to PCB to get some airbrushed shirts. (Apologies if that is your thing. At one time, that was totally my thing.)

Our friends, Burke and Hylan, sent Gaines a Bubble Hurricane for his birthday. It has been a huge hit if you are looking for a gift for the toddler crowd.

Isn't he sweet? Guess what he can do?

• Bite you
• Climb out of his crib

Guess what he can't do?

• Sleep through the night
• Walk

There goes my parenting book deal.

In addition to bubble and biting, we have enjoyed before the pollen hit and destroyed our lives the park and going on walks.

That's all I got, folks.

 Download the Bitmoji App. It will change your life.

Easter 2015 Part 1

We kicked off the fun with Easter Bunny pictures last Friday. Don't these boys look excited?!

We waited to go at night so that Brooks could go with us. I was pleased with the result.

On Saturday, we drove up to Stone Mountain. We enjoyed the day so much, but I forgot my camera. Brooks decided to buy the cheesy staged train picture. I kinda, really love it.

Yesterday, we met up with my friend, Alli, and her two kids, Jackson and Blakely for an Easter egg hunt at her church. She lives in Roswell so the boys were thrilled to sit in rush hour traffic (yes, rush hour starts between 3:30-4:00pm here.) Woody fell asleep in the car, so I had to wake him up when we got there. Let's just say he wasn't in the best of moods.

Poor Blakely was trying to be a supportive girlfriend during her man's hard time. Her face reads, "This is going to be a long marriage, Momma's Boy." If you look closely in the picture, you can see little Peepers hand reaching into the back of my stroller for some chicken nuggets. (Side story: Woody crammed three of them in his mouth to keep Gaines from eating them, chocked, and threw them up in front of the petting zoo. You're welcome.)

This was one of the five seconds we spent on the world's smallest jump jump. After waiting in line (with a baby who wanted to crawl away and a toddler who thinks he is Prince Joffrey and is above waiting his turn), Woody took two jumps and got out. Then wanted to get back in. Sorry kid, not how this works. Cheeks was less than pleased.

This, combined with the fact the he didn't get any eggs during the hunt, had him pretty sad, and I really did feel bad for him. The church had stuffed the eggs with candy or stickers and wanted you to take the prizes and return the eggs. I did what any good, Christian mother would do and grabbed out five eggs from the return bin and put them into my child's basket. Yep, I stole from church. Can I justify it with that I am Presbyterian and this was a Methodist church? (I actually feel really guilty about this. I guess that is why I am confessing it to you. And I am going to mail the church a $5.00 check to make-up for stealing during Holy Week.)

I don't know why I didn't take any pictures of Gaines here. Probably because I didn't commit petty theft for him. Geez, I really feel bad about this now.

Today, Woody had his Easter party at school. 

Look at those "carrots" stuffed with (organic) chedder bunnies! And those precious (organic) juice boxes that look like bunnies! Someone must have a good momma who totally didn't cry when one child ripped the bunny off his juice box.

Note to future mothers- If it ain't organic and Pinterest-worthy, you are obviously an unfit mother. (Joke! You should see the garbage I feed my kids when we are at home.)

Woody chatting with another one of his favorite ladies. He obviously has a thing for girls who wear smocked bunnies. His momma is so proud.

And he (and by "he" I mean his teacher) made an Easter egg maraca! He totally took it apart in the car, and he will be sitting on popcorn kernels for the next six weeks.

In all seriousness, I pray for you to have a wonderful Easter. This is the most important holiday to Christians. Remembering, that Jesus took on all of our wickedness and sins. He was crucified on the cross, even though He was blameless. But it didn't end there. He rose from the grave, overcoming death! He did this for you. He did this for me. So that we may live eternally. 

Isn't this incredible? Happy Maundy Thursday.