Ariana’s birth story | part 4

Feeling lost?  Catch up on what you’ve missed: Ariana’s birth story | part 1 Ariana’s birth story | part 2 Ariana’s birth story | part 3 5:00pm Shuffling my feet down the hallway, Andre’s in the kitchen.  “How ya doing, Clairey?” “Terrible.” Poor guy has a look on his face like oh, I was just trying to be nice. “Here, put pressure on her lower back,” Kaitlyn tells him.  He applies pressure. “Well, don’t knock me over!  Geez!”  I snapped at him.  Yikes, this woman is mean. I know that’s what he was thinking.  And I was mean.  Mean, and in… Read More

By Claire | Filed under Ariana, Baby

Letters to Ariana | 4 months

March 15, 2016 Hey Ari Girl, 4 months?  How did we get here?  I can’t seem to wrap my mind around the fact that in two months we’ll start feeding you real food.  In 8 months we’ll be celebrating your first year with us.  Time seriously flies. I can’t believe how much you’re doing now.  You love to kick your feet when you’re laying on your back.  You love to “fly” with your Daddy.  It really makes you laugh when he sings “I Believe I Can Fly” while parading you through the air.  You give me some of the sweetest expressions… Read More

By Claire | Filed under Ariana, Baby

Ariana’s birth story | part 3

Feeling lost?  Catch up here: Ariana’s birth story | part 1 Ariana’s birth story | part 2 3:00pm My sisters and Andre made the two hour trek from Greenville, SC even though I told them that I would call if/when we went to the hospital.  At the nurse’s suggestion, I had taken a warm bath and it had really relieved the pressure in my back. But in my mind, that wasn’t a good thing because I needed that pain in order to meet the newly-named Ariana.  I had spent the morning on the living room couch.  When I got out… Read More

By Claire | Filed under Ariana, Baby

March Madness | A giveaway + what to wear

David and I take March Madness pretty seriously around here.  We met at a basketball game, our first date was attending a Carolina game.  Since December 2008, we’ve been to approximately 17,421 games together and we’ve even coached together for two years. THE GIVEAWAY When Britt invited me to be a part of this one, I couldn’t pass it up.  {Make sure you check her and all the other fabulous bloggers out!}  You can click the link below for a chance to win $25 to Buffalo Wild Wings and $25 to Fanatics.  Boom! My Little Sunshines | Messes To Memories The Kelly… Read More

By Claire | Filed under fashion

Energy bites recipe

I’ve seen this recipe floating around Pinterest for a while now and I’m kicking myself for not making it sooner!  The truth is that this recipe calls for a lot of things that I don’t have hanging out in my cabinet on a regular basis so I was skeptical of purchasing all these ingredients and then not liking how they tasted.  When Kaitlyn came to town last weekend and had some of the energy bites with her, it was the perfect chance to try them without buying everything first.  And I’m here to tell you that they’re delicious, healthy and… Read More

By Claire | Filed under recipe

Ariana’s birth story | part 2

Feeling lost?  Catch up here: Ariana’s birth story | part 1 Sunday, November 15 (7 days from the due date) at 4:30am Here I am, laying in bed with a dull back ache.  At 39 weeks pregnant, I was no stranger to those annoying aches and pains in the last 6 weeks.  I asked David if he thought this was it.  Because we had no way of knowing, we went on with our day as usual. Most weekends, David makes muffins and brings me breakfast in bed.  After eating them, we decided that if this was the real thing, we… Read More

By Claire | Filed under Ariana, Baby, maternity

What’s Up Wednesday | February

What we’re eating | This winter, we’ve had three soups on rotation: chili, taco soup and white chicken chili.  Over the weekend we had tons of family in town and I borrowed crock pots from friends, made all three of these soups because there isn’t an easier (or more delicious!) way to feed a crowd. What I’m reminiscing | I’ve had several people comment on Ari’s cheeks recently and how full her face is.  My first thought was, But her face has always been fluffy.  So I pulled up a few pictures of when she was a day or two old!… Read More

By Claire | Filed under family life, What's up Wednesday?

Letters to Ariana | 3 months

February 15, 2016 Ariana, Hello, my Little Love.  You’re learning and changing so much every day!  Those little smiles are so routine now and we even get a laugh here and there.  You like to “talk” and we love hearing what you have to say.  My favorite is when you get this high-pitched squeal.  With all this interaction, we’re constantly coming up with crazy things just to get a smile or laugh.  Your little legs just never stop kicking. Early on, we were amazed at your ability to sleep through numerous basketball games but now you’re alert through many of them.… Read More

By Claire | Filed under Ariana, Baby

Ariana’s birth story

This should have been written 2.5 months ago. But it wasn’t.  So… no time like the present. Sometime in early May {second OB appointment} Doctor: Do you have a retroverted uterus? Me, confused:  I have no idea.  What does that mean? Doctor: Most women have a uterus that is slightly tilted forward.  If your’s is retroverted, it’s slightly tilted backwards.  It won’t affect your pregnancy or ability to deliver but you might have back pain earlier than most women.  Is this your first baby? He then came back later in the appointment to confirm that yes, I did have a… Read More

By Claire | Filed under Ariana, maternity

How to style a cozy sweater

When I came across this sweater from the Pumps & Pushups Boutique, I knew it had to make its way into my closet!  I’m a huge fan of neutrals but I also love how it has specks of color woven in and it’s even more gorgeous in person.  Oversize sweaters are so cozy and pair perfectly with skinny pants and boots.  Unfortunately, the winter in North Carolina has been so mild until a few weeks ago that I’m just now getting to wear it.  Because I had to wait a couple of months, I now sport it every chance I get.  It’s… Read More

By Claire | Filed under fashion