Showing posts with label Harper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harper. Show all posts

Thursday, April 20, 2017

our table || toddler meal ideas || re-play giveaway

first, I gotta say so far i've been pretty lucky with good eating children.
I know it's not that way for all you mamas. keep trying with those picky eaters and don't give up!
 boy can harper eat! and thankfully it hasn't ever been a real struggle to get her to do so. so far, (and I know this can change-though I don't foresee it happening!) tanner has been a pretty good eater too. I'm already seeing a glimpse into our future of feeding a growing boy and it sounds expensive!
both kids pretty much accept what we give them to eat at meal times. and quite honestly, if they don't like what they're given... well, I'm not one to run and fix something else :) 
ya kinda get what mom makes in this house.
tanner eats some of what we eat and then some simple, whole foods too. like fruit, bread, yogurt, ect. paired with what might be suitable from what the rest of us are eating.
harper 100% eats what brandon and I eat. it's busy enough making meals 3+ times a day, that I'm not about to fix her something separate. that's how it's always been, and that's what has worked for us :)

breakfast and dinner are pretty simple. but lunch can be one meal that I can run short on ideas. it's the meal of the day where we generally aren't all eating together and the only meal I'm making at the moment is for harper. (I've developed a bad habit for myself of just snacking though lunch. with the busyness of the kids and the day, I find it challenging to stop and get myself to stop and eat an actual meal. working on it!!)

***dietitian tip: in general (for all meals), I try to include fruit/veggie, protein, whole grains***

---breakfast items: eggs (scrambled, fried, boiled), whole wheat toast, fruit, oatmeal, yogurt, nut butter toast with strawberries
---dinner: too much variety to list here, but whatever is for dinner, that's what harper has.

so here are some toddler lunch ideas (that you could also carry into some breakfasts and dinners too) that I commonly feed harper!

--and how about these re-play plates! I loooveee them!--
1 //  grilled turkey + cheese sandwich made on whole wheat bread + watermelon

2 //  hard boiled egg + whole wheat crackers + strawberry & banana slices

3 //  ham + cheese sandwich made on whole wheat bread with lettuce, tomato, and mayo + apple slices

4 //  pb+j made with natural peanut butter on whole wheat bread with apple slices

5 //  veggie bites (I buy these at costco and harper loves them!! as does tanner) :) with whole wheat crackers + cucumber slices

chicken nuggets (made with breast meat) and annie's mac+cheese also make their way into the rotation :)

curious on any other things we might eat/feed our children-- just as me! I am more than willing to share!


I've been so happy with these re-play products! great quality, the dishes are deep enough to keep food on the plate rather than sliding over the edge ;), and there are so many fun colors!
Re-Play is graciously giving away a feeding set in any color to one lucky winner! just head over to my instagram (@brittneyhjelseth) to enter! giveaway runs thrusday, april 20th through thursday, april 27th. the winner will be announced by the following friday morning!

and BONUS in the meantime for all my readers/followers, use code: JustUsHjelseth2017 for 15% off of $20!!
www.re-play.com
I will most certainly be using my own coupon code for myself! :)
code expires 4.27.17
Xoxo
-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

bedtime routine

first off. WHY in heavens names do children get alll their highest energy right before bed!??

brandon and I tackle all this together (he's the BEST). an awesome hubby and daddy who's so hands on.
with harper and tanner being in different stages, there are some parts of our bedtime routine where they're separated and some parts that overlap together.

times are 'ish' of course because babies and toddlers certainly don't follow the time on the clock ;)
we do baths every other night. so if it's bath night we try to get that tackled and done right after cleaning up from dinner. (we shoot for dinner around 5:30). depending on what our day is like we sometimes will try to swing putting harper in the shower with one of us, or I will try doing baths during the 'after nap-before dinner' time. just to get them out of the way!

it all begins to go down at... 
6:45pm -- wind down time. chocolate milk (carnation instant breakfast) + a show
*tanner plays/hangs out/reads with brandon or I during this
7:15pm -- upstairs for books. we let harper choose three books and as long as tanner is tolerating it, we try to do this all together (sometimes he's over it and we just need to continue on with getting him ready for bed and put down earlier)
then we go our separate ways. one of us takes harper and the other takes tanner.
7:30/7:45pm -- tanner: lavender essential oil in the diffuser. chamomile foot massage. zipadee zip. lullaby music on. nurse. paci. down to bed. 
7:30/7:45pm -- harper. potty. wash hands + face. brush teeth. then all the attempts to procrastinate with being hungry, thirsty, blah blah blah ;). as we get through that it's lullaby music on (both kiddos have monitors in their rooms that play music and we've been using it since harper was about 8 months old. she still likes it and asks for it, so we still use it). sing songs, hug + kiss goodnight, and we're out the door.  some nights it's as simple as that & then some nights she'll put up more resistance. want us to stay in longer, or gets out of bed a handful of times once we've left, or just try any procrastination she thinks might help her from having to go to bed ;) we try our best to be consistent and keep our "no" meaning "no".

we shoot for bed by 8pm. tanner is generally down by then no problem. but two and half year old harper... ;) sometimes we hit that. sometimes we don't get there until 9pm. big, deep breaths on those nights. and sometimes we're in between there ;)


Xoxo
-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

Thursday, April 6, 2017

harper's first trip to the dentist

Harper had her first trip to the dentist this morning and like anything with a two and a half year old, ya never know just how it'll go. the day before her appointment we really talked it up to her and got her all excited to go to the dentist. and I'm so thankful there's a bubble guppies episode on this!! when we walked in the office in the morning she was holding her hands together underneath her chin, with a huge smile, saying in the sweetest voice "I'm so excited". how cute it was!
it was such a big thing being in a whole new unfamiliar environment, with new people, and what could be intimidating equipment.
the office staff and dr. petrie were amazing!
brandon had his cleaning appointment before harper's so we brought her in a little early to see dad in the chair and she loved this. I was so happy that none of this scared her! like so so so happy! cause it all could've gone real bad and we could've walked out of the office before we got anywhere near this step.
once it was harper's turn she wanted me to get my teeth checked first (which I didn't have an appointment) :) so she sat on my lap in the chair. a bit of shyness and uncertainty was coming out. but with taking it slow and keeping it fun, the hygienist and dr. petrie were able to do a basic look, check, brush, and fluoride.
wish I had a picture of this, but brandon was full hands containing tanner at the same time :)
despite her little bits of hesitation (which I kinda expected), it was a great experience for us all.
on our drive home she kept saying how "the dentist was so fun!".
that's exactly what we were hoping to accomplish during the visit and I'm so proud of my baby girl!!

Xoxo
-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

our table || feeding baby + toddler || nuby giveaway

meal times are quite busy now with having two kids to feed. with toddler snacks in between there, it's like I'm feeding kids allll.day.longgg. which quite literally, I kinda am. cause when you also add in nursing the baby...
BUT hello, I love food too, so I get it ;) and being a dietitian, I try so hard to be giving my kiddos wholesome, healthy food that is nutrient dense.
tanner is now eating three meals a day so when it's time to eat for harper, it's also now time to eat for tanner. so that makes for me spending A LOT of my day in the kitchen. I honestly don't mind much, cause again, I'm a dietitian (I've actually still got that active license even as a stay at home mama now) ;) so food is where it's at for me!

feeding two babes who are at two different stages can seem tough. like there is so much food to prep. I try my best to keep it simple. 
here are a few things that we do & a few food ideas that we've found to work well.
(keep a lookout- I'm planning to do a post on 'meal' ideas for each age here in the near future) :)

---------------------------------------------------

Tanner: (age 8 months):
for my ease, tanner eats when the rest of us eat. I also believe it's important to include everyone at meal time (even the baby). so much can be taught just through them watching us and I try my hardest for all meals to be eaten at the table with the tv turned off.
this guy likes to be able to chew (gum) ;) his food so purees are out. giving him small, bitesized pieces is what he's been liking best.
each time tanner eats I try to have it include either a fruit or veggie paired with either some dairy or a whole grain.
simple foods that have been working well as of late: avocado, raspberries, banana, kiwi, whole wheat bread, whole grain cheerios, string cheese, plain whole milk greek yogurt.
how cute is this 'bear plate'!! nuby is one of my favorite baby brands. I've mentioned their sippy cups before (in our 7+8 month favorites) and how they just DON'T leak!! they have so many other great products too, like this sure grip miracle mat. the fun colors, and the bear shape of the plate will bring more fun for tanner as he gets older too. and I just know the suction holding down the plate will become so wonderful as tanner enters the 'throwing everything on the floor stage' ;)
(we'll likely have to get ourselves another shape of the plate being that the ears of the bear make it a little big to suction tightly to our particular highchair tray). it still does the job for what we need now!
and I can't get over the cuteness of the bear face :) harper loves it too!

----------------------------------

Harper (age 2.5):
harper is a good eater and always has been. I am ever so thankful for that!
there have certainly been exceptions, but she eats all meals at the kitchen table and when it's meal time, that's what we're there to do. we try to limit the playing and distraction around her. of course we still try to make meal time fun and enjoyable, but also keeping it focused. harper eats whatever brandon and I eat. I don't make special food for her.
common foods:
--breakfast items: eggs, toast, fruit, oatmeal, peanut butter toast, greek yogurt
--lunch items: sandwiches (pb&j, turkey&cheese), meat + cheese + whole grain crackers, cucumber + carrots, apples, breast meat chicken nuggets
--dinner: whatever I've made for dinner that night. that's what we all have :) too much variety and things to mention here!

snacking:
harper generally has a snack between breakfast and lunch and then sometimes after nap, before dinner. depending on what time she wakes and when we're eating. I try to limit any snacks after 4:30pm.
--common snacks: string cheese, granola bar, whole grain goldfish, popcorn, cut fruit, carrots or pretzels + hummus, apple sauce pouch (from costco with no added ingredients), 'milk pouches' (from target), chocolate milk (made with carnation instant breakfast)

this nuby snack n' sip cup is fun for harper. she loves her 'owl cup' so much. and it makes it fun for her to drink (even just plain old water) ;) out of it. and to make it extra fun for her, I can fill the top of her cup with her snack. her favorite to fill it with is goldfish :) but it's also just as easy to add in some cut fruit, whole grain cereal, or dried fruit. it's fun for her too, so it makes eating a healthy snack that much easier. and the best win for mama- it does not leak!

I've teamed up with Nuby to give away one of their cute bear character sure grip miracle mats! head over to my instagram (@brittneyhjelseth) to enter! giveaway runs tuesday, march 28th through friday, march 31st. the winner will be announced by monday morning!
open to US residents only.
**I received these items for a review, but all opinions are my own :)

xoxo
-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

new blog name! {for the love of july}

it's about time.
it's actually past time!
like seven months past time!!

our family hasn't truly been "TWO Bows and ONE Beau" for over half a year now.
since mid July when our sweet baby tanner joined our family.
...well sweet baby tanner has made life busier than ever and here we are :) just now updating the blog name when before we know it we'll have to be changing it again due to another baby!
(certainly no pregnancy announcement here!) ;)

so here we have it... we are now...

for the love of july
the blog URL is still (and always will be)...  justushjelseths.blogspot.com
that won't change (ever!)
but when our family + life grows and changes, it calls for a new chapter.

---to quickly + simply say where this new blog name comes from---
     July 23, 2011  ---  our wedding anniversary
July 13, 2014  ---   harper girl's birthday
July 13, 2016  ---   tanner boy's birthday

*side little fun fact: tanner and harper's times of birth were also only 30 minutes apart!
harper: 2:49pm
tanner: 3:19pm

so no question, right!? there's a whole lotta love for us in the month of july. especially on july 13th, because YES our two sweet babes share a birthday making it double the sweet on july 13!!
it's a sweet, meaningful name for us and I hope you enjoy too!

xoxo
-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

BIG Girl Bed

harper has been in what we've called her 'big girl bed' being her crib converted into the toddler bed.
well with a child in the 97th percentile... and the stuffed animals.... and her baby doll... and bunny... and blanket... who all sleep with her. it's time for the real big girl bed.
her crib also converts to a full sized bed so we're starting to look at mattresses and bedding! oh the bedding. there is such cute, cute little girl bedding out there!
ruffles. bows. swiss dot.
love it all!!
just so many options. pottery barn has been my go to when it comes to bedding and they aren't disappointing for big girl beds either.
it makes me want to do a whole re-do of her room.
which... brandon's biggest question with all this is... "am I gonna have to repaint her room?" ;)
maybe. just maybe :)

here's what I'm loving as I browse :) ahhh!!
blush quilt // ruffled sham // grey duvet cover // light grey duvet cover // bow pillow //
washed dot sheets // swiss dot sheets // swiss dot sham // heart sheets

Harper really loves PINK these days so I want to make sure to do what she likes, while also keeping a bit neutral so we can change it up and reuse for years to come.


xoxo
-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

Monday, January 30, 2017

Harper Monaé || two and a half

it has been so darn long since I've done any sort of update on Harper. and I've been wanting to for so, so long! like even way before Tanner was born.
when I went and looked back, it's actually been a year! the last time I did one of these for her, she was just 18 months old (HERE). man has SOOO much changed since then! no way I can encompass it all and explain our harper girl's last year of life. but a snapshot of where she's at now will certainly do! these littles grow and change so stinking fast!
time, you're such a thief. but also so amazing, because I just love how our bond has grown over these past two and a half years.
my littlest BFF. and I pray she always will be.
I have a section in my notes in my phone, and when I think about it, I jot down some of the hilarious things this crazy girls says/does.
it's the closest I can get to bottling up her cute little self.
--- as we're about to walk out of the house to go to the store.. (most likely target) ....  Harper: "I have lots of monies, do you?"
--- referring to hiccups as "pick ups"
--- when saying "cake pops" it comes out as "cake ..." well, replace those "p's" in pop with "c's" ;) trying so hard to fix this mixup!!
--- tanner was newborn and had a clogged tear duct. he'd have dry little crusties on his eye and harper says.. "crumb in eye!"
--- driving through construction.. "ooo big mess. gotta clean it up!" ... yes harper.. we alll would agree with you on that one.
--- music comes out "mugis" ... kinda gross cause all I can think of is mucus. but whateve.
--- at dinner one night... Me: "honey please don't touch my food" ... Harper: "I'm sorry sweetie". ok if you're gonna respond like that- touch my food all you want. heart melting.
--- Me: "should we turn the fire place on?" ... Harper: "ooo! that'd be snuggy and warm!"
--- anything that is mini/baby size/or just baby related... "aww so cuuuttee!" ... while holding it up close to your cheek. again. heart meltinggg.

Harper Monaé  --  my favorite things about you:
--- the conversations we have while you sit on the potty. so stinking talkative. just chatting my ear off. about anything and everything. so so cute! I've taken a number of videos of this :)
--- how you are in this stage of loving to help mom with everything. especially cooking.
--- oh how you love to "cheers" everything. if anything matches or is the same, we cheers. cups. shoes. lipgloss. toys. straws. nail polish. tv remote/toy remote.
--- your vocabulary is unreal. for quite some time it has just been exploding with each and every week! I love the conversations we get to have now :)
--- your love for kindermusik. one of the best decisions we made was enrolling you in this class. my mama heart bursts seeing you excel and love every minute of it.
--- you sing all the live long day! allll day long. it is literally music to my ears hearing your sweet little voice fill our house.
--- if it were up to you. your outfit choice would be a princess dress. every.day. I know I'm gonna miss the day you grow out of this!
this girl. she has more sass than I can sometimes handle. she's most certainly a two year old. her sweet heart and spirit melt me all at the same time. she has such a giving heart and is always caring about others. smart as a whip. it blows my mind all that she knows and watching her learn is something that will never get old. a personality that far exceeds anything I ever could've imagined. 
this girl is growing and changing as the weeks fly by. every day she is learning something new while also teaching me all along the way. 
precious girl, you are so near and dear to me. to think we've had you for two and a half years and all the joy that has come with it. I could just burst thinking about all the lessons and memories we'll have in the many years ahead of us.

Xoxo
-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

Monday, December 12, 2016

Christmas 2016 Pictures

since having babies, taking family pictures means so much to me. and they become even more meaningful when I look back after time has passed. to capture and freeze these moments is everything as these babies are growing and changing ever so quickly and not going to be slowing down anytime soon!

it can feel a bit chaotic at times but that's also just real life ;) kristal always amazes me at the moments she captures for us.
original plan was to be at a local tree farm, but living in WA the rain isn't always in our favor. being in this old studio downtown was just as great and no way having two kiddos out in the rain and mud would've gone well!

last year's pictures HERE. I am amazed at how much harper has changed over this last year.

it was hard to choose which to share, so here's a majority of them :)

this first one is my absolute fave.

 ...and the best for last ;) can't wait to show them both this one in a few years.

 we're heading to Suncadia for a few days this next week and we are all so ready for it. we did this last year too, and will likely be making it an annual thing for us before the holiday. there's so much busy-ness and hussle during december. we found it so nice to escape for a couple of days and just enjoy our family without the to-do lists.


Xoxo
-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

Monday, December 5, 2016

sleep. sleep. SLEEP.

Brandon and I have been quite blessed in the sleep department with our kiddos. 
there's always that anticipation that once you become parents you won't get ANY sleep. and though it has definitely been reduced (and there are of course always sleepless times) overall, we haven't been too sleep deprived. 
*i'm literally knocking on our wood desk right now*
and then.. harper got sick.
and then.. tanner got sick.
and then.. thanksgiving weekend rolled around.

and we are doing everything in our power to get our sleep back!

tanner has just been all thrown off. with a whole bunch of variables in the mix. bronchiolitis. moving out of the pack 'n play and into his crib in his nursery. and then of course the fact alone that he's a four month baby ;)

harper's days run so much better when we have our structure and routine. that was lost for about 3 weeks. and then comes thanksgiving weekend where she went days without a nap + bedtime was much past it's usual. 
.............

fast forwarding to now. tanner we've pretty much checked him off our list and sleep's improving for him. the toddler, miss harper, on the other hand. for about a week's time there's been nap protesting, bedtime protesting, and early morning rising. a few days of skipping nap and she was quick to realize that fun things go down while she sleeps ;) 
...but hearing that sweet little voice come into our bedroom at 5:30am really takes away its sweetness.

the last few days the 2-3 hour naps are making their way back (hallelujah!!!!), bedtime hasn't been quite as much struggle, and we're on night three of using the ok to wake clock. so far that brilliant thing is slowly helping the bags under our eyes.

so a post about sleep... but it's always a hot topic...
and I'll forever remind myself and say, "it's just a phase" :)

Xoxo
-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

potty training | what worked for us

I'm no potty training expert, but can only share what has worked for us :)
and that doesn't mean we are in the clear with absolutely zero accidents. I haven't read all the various 'methods' for potty training that are out there (because honestly it seems like too much conflicting info!) but I'm pretty sure occasional accidents are still quite normal. 
...way back when Harper was just 18 months old I thought "she's totally ready to start potty training and can do this". so I bought the potty seat that goes on the real toilet, was no way going to do a candy reward, and we began. well we got nowhere! who are these mothers who talk about potty training their kids so young!? I don't like it. it puts too much pressure on the rest of us.

we tried again a few months later and I had a bought Harper her own 'little' potty. no such luck. she just did not want to go. and it was too much of a fight to be worth it.

so with all that over the past months she's seen her "potty" in the bathrooms and become quite familiar with what it was and what it was for. she would at times pretend to "go" and sit down on her little potty (clothes + diaper all on). THEN she got to the point of taking her diaper off during the day and while in her crib. (she had been telling me about going pee pee or poo poo for quite some time). but looking back I don't think that really is the one true sign that "they are ready".

so with the diapers coming off, I decided we were gonna give it another shot and I was going to be strong this time. no more diapers and we were going to push through! (but in the back of my mind I didn't really know if this would be it). 

that weekend we went to target (of course!) ;) I let her pick out two packages of panties (again. we had done this months ago as well), a candy (yeah- I said I would never do this), and some stickers. I explained that she was going to get all of these when she started going in the potty.
.
.
.
--from the morning of day one (which I dreaded getting her out of bed that first morning because then it meant it was go time!) it was straight to panties and I told her the diapers were simply all gone. 
--I forced fluids by giving her diluted juice. 
--asked her every so often if she needed to go, but also reminded her to tell me when she needed to. 
--I really tried to keep the entire experience positive. no shaming her. 
--a candy and a sticker if she went. the reward and me cheering her on after was so motivating to her and she quickly caught on! that made her 'want' to go.

of course there were accidents (mainly the first half of the first day), but also lots of success with all the practice she was getting in from all the fluid running through her!

sleeping time we've been putting pull-ups on (I'm not that brave yet!) and I tell her they're nap time/bedtime panties. we don't use the word 'diaper' anymore!
.
.
.
I've hesitated to write this because I don't know if we've reallyyyy nailed it quite yet.
accidents occasionally happen, naps are hit or miss, and night time is another story.
 BUT yesterday we had zero accidents, she was dry after nap (which I gave her a 'special treat for that!), and hardly wet at all this morning!
it's where we are and I'm so proud of the progress! 
.
.
.
being older, and being truly ready makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE! it came so much easier for her and made it easier on us as well! she took to it so quickly that it almost seemed natural. I absolutely believe that the timing is everything. she was ready. and I only knew that by her willingness.

we're going to palm desert today which means flights and traveling through the airport (with a potty not always just 10 steps away!). praying all will go well with all the time we are going to be AWAY from home this next week and that the accidents will be minimal! :) you can do this Harper!!
so proud of her and how well she's done.

Xoxo
-Brittney

Thursday, September 8, 2016

A Letter to Harper || becoming a big sister

we are EIGHT weeks in with our little love bug, Tanner!
whoa!!
as if I thought time flew when Harper was a baby, it is flying even faster with baby number two- Tanner! but it is so great, and I truly LOVE being a family of four!
I can only imagine what it will be like when we get to baby number four ;)

I was looking back and found this 'letter' (if that's what you want to call it) to/for Harper that I had written towards the end of my pregnancy with Tanner. man was I feeling emotional and mixed about bringing our new baby to the world! as I read through, I felt some of those feelings again, and yet I also realize how many of my fears/concerns weren't anything I needed to worry about. and what a peace that brings to me now!! Harper is AMAZING at her role as a BIG sister (at the little age of just two!). not once has she had resentment, jealousy, or sadness about baby Tanner coming into our lives and her no longer being my only baby.

I love both of these two with my whole heart. there isn't anything like it.

so here it is. a little bit of my heart on my sleeve.


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

she has no idea how many changes are to come in just a couple short weeks. her world is going to change. so much good, yet some hard things too. it's no longer going to be just her and I in our days. she's going to have to share me and I'm going to have to learn how to divide myself between my two babies. she's my world and fear of the unknown creeps in to think that I will no longer be able to give her all of me. she doesn't even know how her world is about to be rocked.
I think of seeing her and saying goodbye the last time as a family of three. as we leave her when we're about to welcome her new sibling into the world, I will say 'I love you and goodbye' one last time while it's still just her. the next time I see her our life won't be just her anymore.

as I sit here writing this with tears rolling down my face, emotions are flooding. emotions I haven't felt until now. at 38 weeks pregnant. maybe it's because it's becoming 'real' to me. and it's no longer just talking about what's to come, but realizing we're fully in it and it is so, so close to being our new reality.

I find myself feeling these emotions of sadness and guilt for what I'm taking away from Harper. soon she will no longer be our one and only.

I find myself feeling emotions of joy and excitement for such a great gift of a little brother that we will be giving her.

I've heard so many moms say before that they wonder if they will be able to love a second child the way they've loved their first. will they have enough love in them?
my wonder and concern falls a little different. I KNOW I will be able to love this new little love of ours just as much as I felt that instant love for Harper. but will I still be able to give Harper the love and attention that she needs while at the same time caring for our new baby boy. am I going to be taking away from her and sacrificing her needs?

I know we will get there and we will be just fine.

I know deep in my heart that there will certainly be challenges for both Brandon and I and for Harper as we adjust to our new life as four. but I also know it is going to bring us all so much joy. for her to learn what it is to have a sibling and love on him the way I know she will... that there, will be priceless.

I love you my sweet girl. you will always be the one who made me a mama. you will always be the one who got the piece of my heart first. that love will never, ever change. I am excited and nervous to watch you step into this new big role as a sister. I just wish I could explain to you what is coming our way.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


Tanner has been nothing but pure joy to our family. joy that stomps every bit of concern I felt when writing that 'letter'. the Lord's plan is ever so perfect and I feel somewhat silly for the fear and doubt I ever had. not only have Brandon and I been given the gift of a new baby, but Harper has been given the gift of a sibling. and there is absolutely nothing like witnessing sibling love!

xoxo
-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

Monday, July 11, 2016

Harper's 2nd | pink lemonade party

and she's two!! (well almost!) ;)
in leu of her little brother- who is due on the 15th, we decided to have Harper's birthday party the weekend before her actual birthday. 
this sweet, spunky, sassy, little one still has a couple more days of being one. 
come Wednesday she will officially be a two year old and my heart will be completely broken! 
ok- not true. 
she is at such a fun age right now and I just love love love, how she is growing and learning. 
though it certainly does get me all sorts of emotional (thanks a lot pregnancy hormones) ;) seeing my baby no longer have an once of baby in her. she's about to graduate to her big sis role and how perfect it is to be able to celebrate her, and only her, just before that change comes.
this was such a fun party to plan. fairly simple with a pink lemonade theme. 
pink + yellow + lots of lemons!
it was perfect for our girl, because she LOVES herself some lemons!
no joke.
she will eat a lemon wedge like it's nothing. 
so what better summer birthday party for her than one full of lemons!
T W O birthday candles in the cake this year!
and how shy she got when we all began to sing to her. she knew allll the attention was on her and wasn't sure what to do with it. 
it was the cutest thing :)
in just two short days this girl will officially be TWO!! 
we love her with all that we have and are so looking forward to celebrating her again on Wednesday.
it's birthday week for her!

Xoxo
-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth