Five on Friday: Birthday Adventures And Crazy Nights

Happy weekend, y’all! Even though this week had a few rough nights (see below), it also had some sweet moments and lots to celebrate.  And with only two more full weeks of school left until summer break starts and hubby is home with us for 2.5 months, there’s a lot of happy dancing going on in our house! For now, enjoy some fun pictures and updates from our last two weeks!

1) Caleb’s First Wedding

Some friends of ours got married in a beautiful outdoor wedding two weekends ago and it was the first time we dressed up and packed up little man for a big outing like that! He looked oh so handsome and his dad looked pretty sharp too.  Is there anything more attractive than a well-dressed man feeding an adorable baby? I think not, people.

2) Birthday Adventures

Last weekend I turned 26! Hip hip hurray! We celebrated with some Chick Fil A on Friday night and then an actual date night on Saturday for some yummy KC barbecue (a favorite of ours).  My sweet brother and sister-in-law offered to watch Caleb and it was so nice to have a few hours just us.  We spent an hour getting appetizers and drinks at an Italian place nearby because the wait was so long at our dinner restaurant.  I had my first beer in almost a year (a delicious Guinness that reminded me of our Europe trip two summers before!) and it about put me to sleep.  But the deliciousness was worth the sleepiness! I loved getting to celebrate with my handsome hubby.  25 was a GREAT year!

3) Crazy Nights

Just when we felt like we were starting to have a routine of sorts, Caleb started to get SUPER fussy in the evenings and we had a couple nights where he was up every 1-2 hours screaming.  It was exhausting and made me realize what a good sleeper he has generally been these last two months! After seeking some advice from the mamas I know on Facebook, we’ve decided it might be time to start with an earlier bedtime to see if that will stop him from getting so overtired.  Last we put him down at 7:45 and he slept until 3:15! After eating he went back down and slept on and off until 7 (poor guy has a little cough and I think it kept waking him up).  Either way, we are calling that a major success and are going to keep trying that early bedtime these next few days! Fingers crossed it helps and stops our little man from getting crazy tired and fussy.

4) Treat Yo’ Self!

After a crazy week, this mama (with full support by her hubby) decided to celebrate Mother’s Day with a massage.  I have an appointment for tomorrow and I am SO excited! I’ve been trying to give myself tons of grace in these first months and not let myself feel guilty for watching lots of Grey’s Anatomy, getting endless Starbucks drinks when I need an outing (like the picture below I shared on Instagram…are you following me there yet?), or treating myself to a nice massage.  Keeping a tiny human loved, fed, and safe around the clock is exhausting and beautiful work and it deserves to be celebrated! If you’re a mama, I hope you’ll take some time to rest and celebrate your awesomeness this weekend!

I’m not big on selfies…but I (not so) discreetly snapped this one in Panera just now because it captures something I’ve done a lot these last two months. I’m the tiniest bit embarrassed by how much money I’ve spent on lattes and sweet treats at coffee shops since Caleb was born, but as all new moms (and experienced moms) know, sometimes you just need to get out of the house and surround yourself with normal-sized humans instead of tiny ones. So for these first few months, I am letting myself off the hook and ordering as many overpriced coffee drinks as I want. Because I’m doing something freaking amazing every day as I feed, care for, and love our son 24/7, and you know what? I deserve it. Can I get an amen, moms and other hard working ladies? ???????

A photo posted by Lauren English (@laurenenglishkc) on Apr 26, 2016 at 12:36pm PDT

5) I need your help!

In case you missed Wednesday’s post, I need your help! I am excited to jump back into the Womanly Wednesday series and I need some guest posters.  This series gives women (non-bloggers and bloggers alike) a place to share the hard parts of their stories so others would know they aren’t alone in their struggles. These vulnerable, beautiful, and heartfelt stories have covered everything from eating disorders, sexual abuse, anxiety, depression, and motherhood to travel, mental illness, and a million other topics.  Even if it’s already been written about, I would LOVE to have you share your story! Make sure to check out Wednesday’s post for details on how to submit your idea for a post!

Have a great weekend, friends!