Riverbanks Zoo

This week was EB's First Trip to the Zoo!

We had a fun time seeing lots of new animals with our friends.

First thing to note is that the zoo charges full admission for anyone 2 and older...we might have rounded down the girls' ages in order to avoid this fee, and I might recommend anyone with a very young toddler to do the same.  I haven't been to the zoo in years, and was pleasantly surprised by how well kept and clean everything was.  I'm not a huge fan of seeing animals cooped up, but I thought most of the sanctuaries seemed very spacious and comfortable.  The grizzly bear area was a little depressing, but overall I thought that it was nice.  It wasn't very crowded either (on a Wednesday around 11) which was awesome.  The food was nothing to write home about, but the prices weren't terrible either.  I had a cheeseburger combo for under $10 which, for a tourist destination, was pretty good!  Overall it was a fun day trip from Charleston and we couldn't have asked for better weather. Here are a few snaps.

First up were the Sea Lions:

Gorilla:

Giraffes: I suddenly have more sympathy for the mom whose toddler jumped into the gorilla sanctuary a few years ago. 

Flamingos: 

 We finished up with the farm animals:

Our girl squad:

Which is your favorite zoo?  We tried to do Greenville a while back but got rained out...

Have a great weekend!

xLaura

Spring Sweetness

There is nothing cuter than a little girl in a sailor dress, if you ask me.

Hope y'all are having a great Spring Break!

 Lest you think she is pure sugar, she is actually trying to turn on the water spigot in these pics:

xLaura

Friday Highfive

Helloooooo, Friday!!!

Here is a highfive for making it through the week!

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{1}

Bottoms up!  I had my glucose test on Tuesday and I'm happy to have passed!  It was a relief as I feel like I have been indulging in more sweet treats this go around. 

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{2}

We got EB this " My New Baby" book a couple of weeks ago.  I think it is good for her age and she is very curious about what is happening in all of the pictures.  We have been having some positive momentum with our potty training the past few days so fingers crossed we're on our way to having only ONE in diapers!

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{3}

I ordered this cute little beach poncho for EB's Easter Basket.  The quality is excellent for the price!

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{4}

Spring Cleaning!  I washed our slipcovers this week and each time I do this I love the clean look of a white couch.  Once the kids are older I think it would look great in our den. 

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{5}

And speaking of Spring, today kicks off EB's Spring Break!!

We hit the aquarium this morning and paused for a pic at the green screen, because hey, it's vacation!

But, seriously, this will be the closest I'll get to crystal clear water anytime soon.

Have a great weekend!

xLaura

St. Patrick's Day 2019

St. Patrick's Day has always been one of my favorite holidays, but it's become even more so since having EB.  This year was another fun parade and lunch out on the town. 

It's amazing to see how much she's grown over the years (2017//2018)

And for fun, here are my grandparent's riding in the parade years ago.  

Lucky, indeed!

Have a great week,

xLaura

Friday Highfive

Happy Friday...

Here's a highfive for making it through the week!

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{1}

Toddler Bubble Hack:

EB gets frustrated with bubble wands because she spills the liquid and doesn't really realize she's doing it, so anyway...I attached her bubble wand to the arm of a chair on our patio and it's a great solution.  At first I taped it, but then she wanted to mess with the tape so we switched to zip ties.

{2}

Daylight Savings Sunday

Sunday was such a beautiful day.  We had lunch at the Crab House and we had the entire deck to ourselves, which made it one of the most relaxing family lunches out we've had...I can't really rave too much about the Crab House because it's a total tourist trap...but one of my favorite dishes ever can be found on their appetizer menu: Barbecue Shrimp and Grits!  I also think, when in doubt, go with a burger.

In other news, EB totally rocked Daylight Savings Time and we've managed to keep the same schedule and routine!  She wakes up around 8:00 am and goes to bed at 7:30 pm.  

{3}

Wills' Pawty!

It's hard to believe our nephew turned ONE this past weekend.  We had such a fun "pawty" celebrating him:

We loaned out our jump castle for the occasion and EB had so much fun with it!  It has been wet and rainy here for several months, I don't think she has played in it since her 2nd Birthday.  

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{4}

A couple school lunches I thought to photograph:

Turkey and cheese roll-up with diced pears, raisins, and goldfish.

 Beef hotdog with applesauce pouch, blueberries, and a graham cracker:

More lunch ideas shared here.

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{5}

Spring is (almost) here!

Our azaleas are blooming and we are ready for warm weather to stick around.

Have a great weekend!

xLaura

Pregnancy Journal: 24 Weeks and Counting

Happy Tuesday!  I'm popping in to share a pregnancy update at 24 weeks! My due date was adjusted from 7/3 to 6/29 at a recent appointment due to some new measurements.  I anticipate she'll be born some time in that last week of June. 

Symptoms:

Nausea

  For the most part, the nausea has passed but, I'll be honest, there are some days when I still just feel...sick. 

Sleep 

 It's hard to get comfortable.  I'm up to pee several times a night.  And my brain has a hard time turning off.  Otherwise, it's great!  ;)  EB has also been waking up around 10ish this past couple of weeks. She settles quickly after a little comforting but still...  I think she may be cutting her molars because she has been unusually irritable as well.  Who knows!? But overall sleep is not going great in the Nielson House.  Better get used to it, right!?

Exhaustion  

See above.  But also YES, pregnancy with a toddler is exhausting.  I fight napping while EB is down because it puts me in a funk for the remainder of the afternoon but it's hard.  I've been laying on the couch listening to podcasts instead.  

Food Aversions  

Not terrible, but my natural gusto for food is gone.  This is just the way my body handles pregnancy and I know the passion will return once she's born.  

Weight Gain  

I'm going to go with somewhere around 12 lbs.  It's probably less but I know I was heavier to start with this go around.  I'm still trying to keep the "end weight" around the same so I'm keeping things in check.  I have to say that I've had a strong sweet tooth this pregnancy and I have been reeeeally giving into it.  We'll see how my glucose test goes next week...

Hair Growth

I have to mention that this pregnancy my hair seems to be growing at a normal pace!  You may recall that with EB my hair was at a stand still...

Movement  

Lots of kicks, getting stronger every day.   This is my favorite part of pregnancy!

Nursery: 

We are keeping the nursery where it is.  It shares a wall with our bedroom which is convenient for night time feedings.  EB will move down the hall to the guest room.  She is still currently happy in her crib SO we will be borrowing my parents' crib for her new room.  There's no sense in buying one for such a short period of time.  I also do not want to try and push a "big girl bed" if she's content in a crib.  There is enough change a comin'.  Once she does make the switch we will put two twin beds in her room. 

I will keep the same furniture in the current nursery, but switch out the rug and artwork to give the new baby some special attention.  That's the plan!  I think we will get to work on it in April.

Anticipation:

I've got a sprinkle coming up early April...which will be fun!  I've got a short list of home projects (separate from the nursery) that I'd like to get started with soon.  Otherwise just savoring our time as a family of three. <3

Other:

I don't know if this is new or not (new to me at any rate) but H&M has an in-store Maternity section.  Other than Target, Charleston is totally deprived of Maternity clothes so I thought this was worth sharing.

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Have a great week!

xLaura

P.S. EB's 25 Week Update Here.

Friday Highfive: Family Photos

A couple of weeks ago we had a micro mini family photo session...

 It cost us next to nothing and lasted 15 minutes, so my expectations were pretty low, but I think the photos turned out nicely.  So for today's Friday Highfive, I thought I'd share 5 favorites:

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This was our first family photoshoot since EB's newborn photos in the hospital.  I had a portrait taken of her around her First Birthday, which I'll do with the new baby as well.  I'm glad we captured our family at this special growing stage.  

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I enjoyed the session with Harley Manney and I would recommend her!

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Have a great weekend!