SAWYER | FIVE MONTHS

Tuesday, March 31, 2015
i think i can speak for both kaye and me when i say we're not only shocked at the size of sawyer's cheeks and thighs...but simply the fact that she's already four months is mind boggling. she's just getting so old...and cute. did i mention she's super cute?

i forgot how quickly things change from month to month. at four months sawyer was still working on her rolling and this month she'll be working on sitting up unassisted. she may also cut her first tooth. 

that's right...our muffin has yet to sprout any teeth. when kaye was sawyer's age she had four. maybe our sawyer-muffin will grow hair faster? maybe. not likely.
so, we're still toothless. we have yet to try any solid food. we roll in both directions. and we talk and yell most of the day...unless being carried. so i guess she's a lot like a 110 year old woman. a 110 year old woman that is just so darn darling.

to celebrate sawyer's five months i packed the gals and me a little picnic to enjoy on a beautiful sunny day. 

quite literally as we stepped out of the house the wind began to blow. of course. but i was determined. our picnic was already packed...blanket and all. plus i really wanted to snap some pictures of the girls together. i've only been able to capture them together in a few iPhone pictures...and today was the day.

but first, we crashed our farmer's business time. 
i think kaye is the only one who can properly distract him from his work.

okay okay...back to sawyer and all her five month glory.
S A W Y E R  |  5  M O N T H S

nicknames | muffin, bitty, sawyer-muff, sister

height + weight |
our gal...wow. she has rolls upon rolls upon rolls. her thighs are practically edible. her cheeks are so chubby they actually make her face a little droopy...in the most adorable way possible.

according to our wall measurement, our gal has hit a little growth spurt. she's grown nearly an inch this month and continues to pack on the l-b's. that's my gal.
sleep | our sweet bear is still a super good sleeper. she takes three naps a day very consistently. the hardest part is keeping kaye somewhat quiet so sawyer can catch her z's.

our night time schedule still consists of her hitting the hay between 6:30 and 7 pm. she'll sleep until 10-ish and want to be fed again. then she'll wake up one more time around 4 am to eat...and then sleep in until 7:30 ish.

i'd love for her to start skipping that 10 pm nursing session. i think she wakes up for it now out of habit.
eats | girlfriend seems to be perfectly chubby sticking with just nursing. however, in the past few weeks i've been watching you watch me eat. the intensity in your eyes as i take each bite is indicative of your future zest for real food. i just know you're going to be a great, little eater.

i think we're going to try some veggie purees here in the next few weeks. get excited. broccoli. mmmm.
loves | your mom. sweet girl, you love your mom! but you also adore you farmer and you're obsessed with your sister. you can't take your eyes off of her and you find her incredibly amusing. this is adorable because she finds you particularly entertaining as well.

in fact, in the past few days i've noticed kaye playing with you more and more - showing you different toys and their functions. i so so so hope this is just the very start of a deep sisterly bond.

also worth a mention - you love your carseat. you really really do. oh! and your little bouncer toy. you'll sit in it for good chunks of time. thank you sweet girl for making this infant phase pretty easy.

dislikes | loud noises, too many people, strangers, being laid down (you prefer sitting up)...and that's pretty much it. i repeat...you're basically the easiest going baby in all the land of babies.
sweet sweet sawyer - you're beyond perfection. you're beyond adorable. and you've almost tricked your farmer and i into thinking we might want to have one more. almost. 
not going to happen.

baby easter sheep + a farm outing

Monday, March 30, 2015
the weekend is over. whomp whomp.

nobody ever said, oh hey, monday!...even though it still rhymes.

i'm particularly sad because our farmer logged some serious family time with us...and we love that. you see...he's been working like a...farmer. but like a really busy farmer. like a farmer who's also the accountant, secretary, mechanic, and part-time babysitter.

but seriously, i threw a pretty big fit on saturday about how much we missed him (even though we see him a lot throughout the day)...and that fit paid off because later that day we took an outing with amy and her boys to go see the baby easter sheep at a neighboring farm.

throwing fits works.

so as i was saying...we went to see the baby easter sheep, but the better story was all about kaye and brody. i'm afraid i have a little boy crazy gal on my hands. kaye loves brody. so much in fact, she was faking injuries so he would come tend to her and pay her some attention. i can't say i've ever pulled that move before...but what a forward-thinking strategy.

see what i mean?

girlfriend has found herself a farm boy.

but her main man is still our farmer...for now.
the sweet farm we visited was enviable. sheep, cows, and a greenhouse that made my farmer's eyes say ooh la la. he said he's going to build me one, now, even though we don't even have a garden. we'll see.

kaye was all about the sheep, but particularly the lambs. not timid at all. she was desperately trying to catch one, but when she would get close she would squeal and run away...so maybe she was a little afraid.

whats even better, the weather was lovely. slightly windy...but the sun was warm and it felt so good to be outside. 

the kids loved exploring the property, and as you can see, kaye explored in her easter boots. i couldn't help but give her the hunters just a little early. 

here's to another week of lovely weather, farm exploring, and more fit throwing so we can see what else my fits can get us.

oh hey, friday! | our week according to iPhone...again

Friday, March 27, 2015
it's a lot to keep up on...this blogging thing. i can't be the only one who feels this way.

sometimes i feel like taking a two week vacation from it...but then i don't. my boss would surely fire me.

but then who would i tell what i packed in easter baskets this year or that we caught another mouse this morning. that makes four for the week, people. four.

farm living?

what i'm saying is...i need the blog to brag about all my mouse-pets. (said no one ever.)

anyway...

1 | grab this here snazzy valentine button and link back to september farm.
2 | link up your post at the bottom of this post.
3 | tell all your friends + have a fantastic friday.

M Y  F I V E  |  O U R  W E E K (according to my iphone - round 2)

1 | crappy weather
i swear she had a great time.
the weather was suuuuuper crap-tastic on tuesday and i knew we had to get out of the house. so my best gals and i packed up and headed to boise so kaye could work out some energy at a play gym while sawyer and i...sat there and watched.

one of the many things i absolutely adore about kaye is her independence. she's not afraid to talk to the other kids or say, "come on, let's play!" 

even though i wouldn't mind climbing around the gym with her for a few minutes, i don't have to be that parent. it sure makes for a nice outing.

after working up an appetite we headed to one of our favorite spots for lunch...and gelato. if you're ever in the boise area, head to boise fry company for lunch. it never disappoints.

2 | when you grow up on a farm...

when you grow up on a farm sometimes this puts quite a distance between you and normal childhood activities...like going to the park, for example. so we improvise by letting her play on heavy machinery. she'll probably start taking tractor-driving lessons next year.

3 | princess farmer
i'm not sure if you saw this picture on instagram...but it's worth another mention. the caption was...

because i wouldn't let her wear heels in the alfalfa field. #assholeparent #princessproblems

4 | more gorgeous weather...so we walk

living where we live we have a bit of a wind problem. it can be so obnoxious. but on days that it's sunny and NOT windy...we go outside. all...day...long. this has also been our new strategy now that kaye is done-zo napping. she's been dragging hard around 2:30 pm each day, but if i can keep her busy and moving outside she gets a second wind and can make it until bedtime at 7 pm.
5 | sawyer bear

my gal...my sawyer. she is five months old as of tuesday. i'll be writing a little monthly update post next week, but i can't help but give her a little mention. she's been holding herself so well this week that i know in maybe a week or two she'll be sitting up on her own. she can do it now, but her balance isn't super great. i never thought i'd be someone who said this, but i wish i could keep her a baby. she's just so damn sweet.


okay...linky-link time!
          THE GOOD LIFE BLOG

easter basket goodies + ideas ideas ideas!

Thursday, March 26, 2015
so...last year i bombed easter. i totally spaced the holiday when i booked my ticket to california to see my sister. 

luckily kelli picked up my slack and had a basket all ready and beautiful for kaye upon our arrival. 

this year...i'm not bombing easter. i'm bringing the heat...and as one would assume, buying for two little gals is WAY more fun.

a few weeks ago i ordered matching baskets for the girls from pottery barn kids with their names monogrammed on the front. 
then amazon and zappos happened...well...things got crazy. i started thinking of all these goodies i could pack into their baskets!

sawyer needs her own little towel for boating this summer. 

if she's like kaye, she'll also be walking this summer...so a pair of crocs are in order. 

sawyer will also be starting real food next month, so she's going to need her own little water bottle. 

see...all needs, not wants. right?

for kaye...well, let's say my farmer was less than pleased when he saw her pink hunters arrive. he thinks i'm ridiculous. i tried to explain to him that we get to divide the cost in half because two girls will be wearing them...so really they weren't that expensive. totally logical. he didn't agree. regardless, i'm super excited to see kaye in them. i know she's going to LOVE them. 
here are a few of the goodies i've packed into the gals' baskets this year...plus a few more ideas!
monogrammed beach towel | sawyer crocs | kaye crocs
hunter rain boots | easter basket | water bottle
M O R E  E A S T E R  G O O D I E S

please give me all the power to not purchase any more goodies for their baskets.

also, please give me the power to win the lottery. amen.

princess work + $170 PayPal giveaway

Tuesday, March 24, 2015
we've been working pretty hard out here on the farm. so hard, in fact, we just haven't had time to change out of our princess attire...ever. 

it's hard work being a princess. what with all the concrete pouring...and other princess things. you probably wouldn't understand. 

but we haven't been too busy to put together the march group giveaway...and it's a hefty one!

hefty to the tune of $170 in PayPal cash. you bet. 

oh! and i bet you couldn't help but notice all the snazzy ladies who brought you the giveaway.

pretty enough to be princesses...that's all i'm saying.

do your thing. check the gal-faces out. find a new blog or seven. get entered. good luck!
caley | chelsea | amy | nina
sophi | karli | hannah | kati rose
paige | mary | hayley | libby


is a group giveaway your thing? please feel free to get yourself in on that action...let september farm be your vehicle! check out my ad spaces!

happy tuesday!

farm food | baked mini-donuts

Monday, March 23, 2015
monday! yay! yay.

we have a few exciting things going on on the farm.

1 | i made mini donuts this weekend.
2 | we have a princess playdate with our favorite, claire, today.
3 | amy had the best idea to have an idaho blogger luncheon get-together!
4 | we've taken away kaye's daily nap. yikes.

more on the nap front -

kaye has been having the most difficult time falling asleep at night...especially with the time change. we were starting the calm-down process at 7:30 pm. then we would head to bed at 8 pm. then either farmer or i wouldn't be able to leave her room until close to 9 pm. kaye just wanted to yap and hug and play and read. as much as i love doing that...i love doing it a lot more during the day. not during my precious night time / kid-free hours. so...after we leave her room at 9 pm she proceeds to lay there, adjust her pillows, and hug her blankie for another hour! that's crazy. i'm not all about watching my sweet turtle lay in bed alone for an hour. poor gal.

so that nap has been taken away. as much as i love that three hour nap-block from 1 - 4 pm...it's going to be so much better for kaye to have some seriously restful hours at night.

so for the past two nights turtle has been in bed before 7:30 pm and has slept in until nearly 8 am. (and so has sawyer!) that means for two nights we've had both girls on the same sleeping schedule and if it continues...i do believe we'll enjoy our new arrangement.

next up...
Y A Y ! amy had the very best idea. an idaho blogger get together!

so, should you be interested, just shoot me an e-mail and we'll get you on the list! once we have the details put together we'll be in touch with all the info!

lastly...and probably most importantly...kaye and i made these mini donuts this weekend. as much as i wish they were fried, these are baked. lame. but they get the job done. plus they are cute. plus they are dipped in butter. so...no complaints.

you can find the recipe here. it's suuuuper easy and fast. also...i use this silicone baking pan. don't forget to spray it with non-stick or you're in for a world of hurt.
source

oh hey, friday! | according to iPhone

Friday, March 20, 2015
here's how this is about to go down.

we're going to make this oh hey, friday quick and dirty because i'm real real sleepy. i've been staying up far past my bedtime to listen the the podcast, serial. i'll be listening to the final episode this evening while i snack on chocolate chips and life cereal. it's good. so good.

if you missed the memo on this bandwagon i recommend doing a quick google search - serial podcast

do it.

but before you do that...

1 | grab this here snazzy valentine button and link back to September F A R M.
2 | link up your post at the bottom of this post.
3 | have a fantastic friday.
M Y  F I V E  |  O U R  W E E K (according to my iphone)

1 | farm season started about a month early.
my farmer has been working his tail off this week...and i can say i really wasn't ready for farming to start this early. guh. and i'm not even doing the work. regardless...this makes for a sleepy farmer. one of the days my farmer had literally been gone from sun up. he came home for dinner...and then this happened. of course he woke up about thirty minutes later and had to head back out for more farming...but sawyer will take those farmer cuddles whenever she can get them.

2 | i'm not ready for two princesses. 
i'm definitely not ready for two princesses in the house...but kaye is. kaye absolutely insisted that bitty wear a princess crown. when it comes to her sister, kaye does such a good job sharing and making sure she's happy. it warms my cold, dark heart.

3 | st. patrick's day
sure i'm irish. seriously...i am. my grandma would certainly cringe if she found out i didn't at least wear a pin that said, kiss me, i'm irish. but i didn't. the most irish thing i did was wear green yoga pants and drink one of these. there's always next year...

4 | gorgeous weather
thursday was perfection on the weather front. sunshine like crazy and absolutely no wind. i wanted to go for a run so very very badly and flip off my treadmill in the process...

i settled for chasing kaye around while kaye chased chickens. kaye is fast, but luckily the chickens are faster. plus kaye was in her princess shoes and those slowed her substantially.

but one day...she's going to catch a chicken. neither of them are going to know what to do with themselves when that happens. i just hope i'm not there to witness it.

5 | speaking of gorgeous weather...
did i mention thursday was stunning? we were literally able to spend all day outside and that was glorious.

we even had some of kaye's friends over...and i talked them into a picture...and i trusted kaye to hold sawyer. something about that warm weather just says - throw caution to the wind! ie. trust a two year old with your four month old. sure.

in other news...i washed every single window on our house. it took F O R E V E R...but it was so needed. no seriously...we have a million windows, and most of them are tremendous. 19...after a quick count we have 19 windows and most of them are 5 feet by 6 feet. it was a big job.

okay...linky-link time!
          THE GOOD LIFE BLOG

@karlibellmeier