We only live about 1.5 hours from Austin so when the Mister had a weekend off we took advantage of it. (I also need an IKEA fix but that's a post for another day!) Austin, TX is amazing, and if you ever have the chance to explore the city you are bound to have an adventure.  Seeing as how we have a rambunctious two year old we had to take a more kid-friendly approach.

First things first, be prepared.  You are going to do A LOT of walking.  So be smart, wear decent shoes.  Also, bring water.  You can usually find a water fountain or a place to buy some, but who really wants to do that? And if you are venturing out during the melting months of June-September bring EXTRA water and sunscreen.  Seriously, just do it.  We also brought our stroller since little man gets tired in the heat.

Our first stop was the Thinkery. It's the children's museum located in North Austin.  This place is legit! There is so much to do for kids of all ages.  Not to mention it was FREE for my family since little man is only 2.  We went on a Saturday, and it was packed.  Luckily, Texas is home to some of the friendliest people around so the crowds were completely manageable.

Little man is currently obsessed with airplanes so we spent a fair amount of time shooting them off of the air cannons.  There is also an amazing color/light room.  It was like walking into a massive LiteBrite. (If you don't know what that is I am sorry that you missed out as a child.)

There is also an outside area with a water feature and amazing playscape for active climbers.  Since my child definitely fits that description he was in heaven.  Thankfully Dad was there to make sure he could reach the top!

On our way out we happened across the Self-Driving Google Car.  I was less impressed than the boys were, but then again, I don't know much about cars.

Next stop, lunch.  Practically everyone we talked to told us to find the food trucks.  Since Parker isn't the best at sitting nicely for meals we decided against eating where he could make a dash for oncoming traffic.  Instead, we made our way to a fabulous little burger joint called Hat Creek Burger Company.

The food was amazing, and they had a great outdoor eating area.  It was shaded, with fans, and provided the perfect view to the kids play place.  If you look closely you can see little man waiting to use the slide.

I knew I was going to love this place when I walked in and saw this!The Utah girl in me swooned.  Fry Sauce!  If you haven't tried it you are missing out.  Needless to say, I enjoyed my food so much that I didn't get a decent picture of it before it was gone. #preggoproblems

After lunch we attempted to hit up Zilker Park.  We didn't actually make it since it was boiling outside and mama couldn't handle it. Zilker will be the 1st place we stop on our next drive up.  If you love being outdoors then this park is for you.  They have so many things to do you would be entertained for hours.  We were all a little bummed out but made up for it with a trip to... Gourdough's Donuts.

We didn't hit up the food trucks for lunch but made a special exception for these guys.  And OMG it was worth it!

Featured on the left is mister's Miss Shortcake and on the right my Son of a Peach.  Never have I ever had a donut as delicious.  It was worth the almost $10 we spent.

If you choose to hit up Gourdough's I recommend you go after the lunch rush.  The parking lot is small, but if you don't mind walking you can find some street parking a little ways off.  We pulled out little man's stroller for this leg of the journey.  Not only did it keep him safely out of the parking lot and road, but it also worked nicely as a highchair.

By this time of the day little man had pretty much met his match.  On our way home we made a special stop at Bucky's truck stop.  It is the first time we have been, and I was impressed.  As far as truck stops go it is definitely top notch.  Little man, of course, loved the Bucky statue. There are so many more awesome things to do up in Austin.  I can't wait to go back.  On our next trip we want to spend more time at Zilker, check out the Dinosaur Park, and military museum.  And come Christmas time we will be taking a ride on the Polar Express!  I'll keep you posted on everything we find!

Have you been to Austin? I'd love to hear what you like to do! Sound of below!

I love this time of year.  Everything seems cozy.  It was 48 degrees today. As I walked from my car into the grocery store, slightly shivering from the wind chill, I thought this is cozy.  Then I laughed at myself. The wind picked up a little more, and I started running to get inside.  But it's true isn't it? Christmas time is cozy. There are crackling fires, big fluffy scarves, wool mittens, boots with tall socks, flannel everything, and cinnamon scented pinecones.  

Cozy.

Then there is the twinkling  lights, hot chocolate with little marshmallows, gingersnap cookies, and nights spent wrapped in quilts.

Cozy.  I could go on but you get the idea.

At the top of my list of "cozy-making" items is the lovely Christmas tree.  I swear as soon as it goes up the whole house transforms.  It's magical.

Usually our tree is up Thanksgiving evening.  After all the festivities are over.  This year we were just a little late.  But still, its up in November.

We use an artificial tree (gasp!) and I am all for it.  Say what you will, but I love my fake tree.  Especially since it is pre-lit.   No stringing lights for this lady.  No thank you.  Also, no needles. #nuffsaid

Last year I had to ditch all my ornaments in favor of less breakable ones.  Those even proved no match for my rambunctious then-1 year old.  After losing almost half of them before the middle of December I opted for these homemade felt beauties.  

Today I was brave enough to bring out all my ornaments.  No felt tree this year! And I am super happy about it.  I have had these ornaments since the first year of our marriage.  I love them and all their woodland goodness.  

Parker watched every step of putting the tree together.  I made a big deal about which ornaments were "mommy ornaments" and "Parker ornaments".  I thought it would be more of a battle, but he picked it up really quickly.  Whenever I'd go to pick up some more ornaments I would return to a newly felt decorated section of the tree.  I was fully prepared to leave them up, but he thought they would be more comfortable with his toys for the night. I am sure they will make a reappearance soon.

Parker loved pointing out all the birds and growling when ever he saw the moose and bears.  We are still working on the animal sounds. Our biggest accomplishment tonight was not breaking anything! Go us! 

Now I get to cozy up on the couch with my favorite quilt and cup of Mexican Hot Chocolate. Yum! What do you do to get in the cozy Christmas spirit?

Before we lived in Texas we were in Wisconsin while the mister did medical school.  The winters were harsh.  My first year there I experienced an actual snow day where the entire city shut down.  We had 4+ feet of snow piled up against our door when we opened it that morning.  The spring and summer were nice, but the humidity could sometimes kill an otherwise lovely day.  The fall was absolutely breath taking.  Wisconsin has one of the most beautiful fall seasons. 

 Because its gets so humid during the summer everything grows really well.  Then, when fall arrives, all the leaves change into brilliant colors and turn the rolling green hills into a kaleidoscope of fiery reds, oranges, and yellows.  If I could live in a perpetual Wisconsin fall I would do it in a heartbeat.  

The only thing better than the autumn season were the friends we made while we were there.  Never have I had such an effortlessly close-knit group of friends.  We did so much together.  Girl's nights were regular, haunted corn mazes in October, Summerfest in the summer, watching Vampire Diaries (a total guilty pleasure) every Thursday, spontaneous photo shoots, waiting in line for opening night of the final Harry Potter movie, fireworks on the lake, walking Mayfair mall, day trips to Chicago, and that time we all called in sick to work so we could spend the day getting ready for the Katy Perry concert.  Just to name a few.  My heart still hurts from missing them all so much. Luckily for me, 2 of my lovelies moved with me to Texas!

It has been such a blessing to have Kayla and Jenna here with me.  I think the transition would have been much harder without them, and for that, I am so grateful.

This past weekend we all got together to celebrate Jenna! She is one of the most selfless people I know.  I don't think I have ever met someone as genuinely sweet and caring as her.  She has waited patiently to start her family and now she is welcoming some sure-to-be handsome twin boys into the world! I almost cried when she told me.  I was that happy.  Kayla and I put on her shower last Saturday and the only way it could have been better would have been to have the rest of the Wisco clan there too. Well, that, and the weather.  It was a down pour all day! Luckily everyone made it without any issues.

I am so thankful for great friends.  They are the family you have when yours live so far away.  We have cried together, laughed together, and done so many pinterest craft fails together we could write a book.  I call them when I need help or advice.  Sometimes I call just because it is nice to hear their voices.  I can't imagine what life would be like without the love and support from my girls.  No matter where we all end up they will forever mean the world to me.

Share with me some of your fond friend memories (friemories?) I'd love to hear them!

About two months ago I was at an event with a few of my friends.  I was in the middle of a conversation when another woman joined us.  We continued chatting and eventually the woman asked when I was going to have my baby.

SPOILER ALER: I didn't know.  But I told her my due date and how I hoped he would come before then.  Without a moments hesitation she started telling me horror stories about how hard it was for her with her second baby.  She wasn't talking about the pregnancy or the labor.  She was talking about life in general.  The rant went on for a good 5 minutes while I sat there dumbfounded.

While she was talking I realized that she didn't really care about my pregnancy at all. She came over for the sole purpose of unloading all of her hardship stories on me. At first I was angry that she was telling me all of this.  Here I was, excited to welcome my son into the world, and all she wanted to do was paint this horrific picture about sleepless nights, sibling rivalry, and personal dissatisfaction.

After my anger wave subsided I felt sad for her.   I remembered the joy I had felt when I brought my first son home from the hospital.  I remembered that I too had experienced sleepless nights.  I had become overwhelmed and felt under qualified, but those moments were fleeting. Looking back on my first experience I had many more happy memories than unpleasant ones. I don't know what had happened in her life to make it the reverse, but it made me sad. It was right then that I decided I wouldn't let that happen to me.

Flash forward several weeks and here we are.  New baby and a whole new set of challenges. It's hard for me to believe that it has already been 1 month since we brought Declan home from the hospital. I sometimes think back to the comments the lady made to me.  And I can see how you could let yourself wallow in the hard times.  We have had some rough days, but we have had so many more of the good ones.

Declan loves to eat.  He is waking up 2 times each night (1:30 and 5am have become very good friends of mine). He loves spending time in his swing or in the arms of Mama and Dad.  He is a spit up master, and is not afraid to use his voice. His favorite thing is to be swaddled in anything soft.

Parker is warming up to him nicely.  It was rough the first few weeks, but now he will give him kisses on his forehead, help hold his bottle, give him his binky, and bring me all the burp cloths I could ever need. Today he asked to hold him and seemed to enjoy all 2 seconds of the experience.

 These two boys have my heart.  Through the good and bad I will love them just the same.

Like my last pregnancy, I developed gestational hypertension in my third trimester.  Simply put, I had high blood pressure.  It doesn't sound like too scary of a thing but it causes swelling, headaches, and is a precursor for preeclampsia. That last one is what really causes doctors to worry.  You don't want to mess around with preeclampsia. Some of the complications associated with preeclampsia are seizures, stroke, and heart failure among others.  Yikes!  Luckily, I have never been diagnosed with it.

At my 36 week appointment my OB was concerned with my blood pressure.  It had been hovering around the at risk mark for several weeks.  I had also started swelling substantially.  This isn't your run-of-the-mill puffy ankles.  By this point you would be lucky to tell where my ankles even were.  I looked similar to that bratty girl on Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory that gets turned into a human blueberry. Except I don't turn blue.  It's pretty uncomfortable, and by that I mean SEVERELY uncomfortable.

My OB mentioned that if my blood pressure was still high the next week we would discuss induction.  It didn't surprise me.  I was induced with my first son and had a very good experience with it.   I was more afraid of going into labor naturally because I have no idea what it feels like to do that.  My labors are extremely fast (my first clocking in at 6 hours total), and I always fear that I won't make it to the hospital in time.

The next week rolled around and my blood pressure had finally hopped over the at risk line. I assumed my induction would be scheduled for the next day but, to my surprise, my OB very casually said, "Let's have him today.  Head on over to the hospital whenever you are ready."  My face must have looked fairly amusing because he started laughing at me.  He was very casual about the whole situation.  He told me to run whatever errands I needed and then head to the hospital.  He made it sound like it was just another task to be completed.  Go to the grocery store, Check. Fold the laundry, Check. Birth a baby, Check.  I couldn't help but laugh.

The next few hours were a bit of a blur.  Two of my great friends took shifts watching my son.  Mister worked out his work schedule. I packed my hospital bag. My mom found a flight to Texas. And by early afternoon we were checking in at the hospital.

Since Mister works at the Medical Center he knew a few of the people who were working the Labor & Delivery floor.  I always thought I would hate having anyone who knew us be there, but I actually really enjoyed it.  Everything seemed much more laid back.  Lots of casual conversations and laughing. It definitely took the edge off.

I'll be honest, my labors aren't very exciting.  I don't have horror stories or long drawn out hours of intense pain.  My epidurals have always worked. The hospital staff has always been amazing.  Labor is the most enjoyable part about the entire 9 month process.

This is how it went down.

They broke my water and started the pitocin at 3pm.  I got my epidural shortly after, and by 5:30pm I was holding my baby in my arms.  My fear of having my next before I can get to the hospital is substantially higher now.

My first thought when they handed him to me was how tiny he was, and how much he looked like his older brother.  #1 is on  the left and #2 on the right. And, yes, we did recreate this picture on purpose!

We have been home now for 3 weeks.  Our entire world has been turned upside down.  We are scrambling to get our heads straight and figure out how to do this thing called life with 2 kids. But on top of all of that, we are filled with so much happiness.  Things will calm down, our routine will shift and change,  but this love is here to stay.