let it go, let it go

don't worry, this post isn't going to be about the movie frozen. 
but now you have the song stuck in your head like I do, don't cha?

[image source]

I'll be the first to admit that I have a really hard time with this one. I'm not the type of person that can easily move on. I tend to take things personally and need my 'grieving period', I guess you could call it. I need time to get over things before I can really move on. Letting go doesn't come easily for me. 

Vince, on the other hand, is great at not letting things get to him. He can get into a disagreement or fight with someone and then easily switch to casual, cheerful conversation. This always amazes me and is something I truly admire about him. I'm honestly not blessed with this attribute. 

There have been a couple of situations recently in which I wish I could just move on from it and let it go. But I feel like I have been pretty hurt by these things and the thought of just sweeping it under the rug is really hard for me to wrap my head around. 

At the end of the day I know that there are certain things that aren't terribly important and family should come first. But what really bothers me is when I try so hard to make a situation better and the other person does nothing to reciprocate. Instead, I feel like matters only get worse and feelings get hurt. It's times like this that I have a hard time letting go and moving on. 

I realize I am being terribly vague here. And as of right now none of our family is even remotely aware of this blog. But I would hate for them to find it one day and read about something so petty and little. And usually the majority of these disagreements that I am referring to, are just that. Petty and little. Yet for one reason or another I have a hard time recognizing that in the moment. 

I know this is something I need to work harder at. Because I know that when I do move on I end up much happier. 

Last year I read a book by Gabrielle Bernstein called Spirit Junkie and it was such an eye opener. The book is all about self love and letting go of fear (in any sense of the term). I think a lot of the reason I have such a hard time letting go of situations is because I focus too much on receiving love from others and when we get in disagreements I worry about the damage it causes in our relationship. No matter how big or how small. But really, what will fill me up much fuller is self love. What I have learned is that once you love yourself, you are able to accept and receive love from others. This doesn't have to apply to just significant others but also to family, friends, peers... Anyone and everyone!

I know I have a lot of work to do. And learning to let go is a challenge for me. But I know that by letting go, accepting love, and by loving myself, I will be able to enjoy and relish in the relationships that I have and worry less about every little detail.

Do you have self love? Are you able to let go or are you good at moving on? 

Linking up with Annie & Natalie this week during Thoughts for Thursday. 

overthinker

I have about eight drafted posts right now just waiting to be finished and published. 

I seem to have a really hard time making a commitment to that darn 'publish' button. It taunts me, it really does. 

I have a problem with overthinking things. I over analyze whether or not my posts sound the way I really intend. If people are understanding my voice and the way I write. If anyone even cares about what it is I am saying. 

Truth is, I need to stop overthinking. 

I started this blog for me. And at times I think I get lost in the glamour of getting followers. I don't want to be one of those bloggers that only writes stuff to get readers. Or to make some extra cash.  Sure, it's great to have people read my stuff and I love interacting with fellow bloggers. But at the end of the day, the sole purpose of this blog to begin with was for me to document memories, relish in the good and the bad, and have an outlet for the craziness in my head. 

So, I realize this is a random post. But I guess it's just a moment for me to remind myself what this is all about. And to chill out on being the overthinker that I am. 

Why do you blog? Do you ever forget the reason you started?

high five for friday

Five randoms for you all today.

1 - We [finally] started cloth diapering Truett this past week and I am hoping to get a post up about it soon. It has surprisingly been a fairly easy transition and I am glad we decided to make the change. After reading a number of articles about how disposables take approximately 200+ years to decompose (eek!), I was officially convinced.

2 - Vince and I had our first official date night this week and it felt really nice to get out and spend some adult time together. We had gone out once before for a boat ride while at the lake but we were with other people so this was our first solo night out. My mom came over to babysit True and we snuck out right after I put him down to bed. We tried out a new restaurant and it was delicious. I hope we get to go again sometime!

3 - The weather has been pretty gloomy here this week but I have been kind of loving it. Living in the Pacific Northwest, houses out here don't typically have A/C because we only get like one solid week of sweet summertime. But this summer we have had a ton of hot days which results in a hot house. Definitely not easy to keep a baby happy when everywhere is hot. So it's been nice to have some cooler weather and not have to worry constantly if Truett is sweating as badly as I am.

4 - We went house hunting this week a little further North. We have been debating for the last few months on whether or not we should sell our house so that we can have more room for our expanding family. It has been fun to look but the stress of it all can be a little overwhelming. We are still trying to figure it all out but for now there is no pressure on us either way, which is nice.

5 - Both of my sister-in-law's are having their baby showers over the next couple Saturdays, which will be fun and exciting. They are both having little boys and due August & September. It will be so fun to have little playmates for Truett. I am looking forward to spending some time with them and can't wait for their new arrivals!

And finally, just a little cuteness for ya..

That's it for my week so far! How has your week been?

Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for High Five for Friday and Karli & Amy for Oh, Hey Friday!

dream feeder

The other night, or rather morning, while nursing True, I was surfing the world wide web and came across the term "dream feeding." Being the Curious Callie that I am, I decided to do a little research and figure out what all the buz was about.

Apparently, dream feeding is when you feed your baby while they are still asleep. By doing so, you fill your baby back up so they sleep a little longer and don't wake as hungry. Hey, more sleep? Sign me up!

So last night I attempted this whole dream feed thing and to my surprise it worked! 

Truett has a pretty consistent wake and sleep routine right now. Vince leaves for work at 7pm and we head upstairs to get ready for bed. He is usually asleep by 8:30 and will sleep for a nice 4 hour block at this time. Which is heaven compared to his previous 1.5-2hr blocks when fresh out the womb. 

Last night after putting him to bed at 8:30, I headed to bed around 11 and snuck in his room for a quick dream feed. I was surprised to see how hungry he was, despite being in a deep slumber. I laid him back down and he didn't make a peep. He slept all the way until 3am! And let me just tell you, actually getting to sleep for 4 hours was glorious. I felt like I was skipping through a meadow of flowers, dancing and singing like Julie Andrews. 

I was mighty skeptical at first, as skeptic is my middle name. But I am happy to say this new mama is all aboard the dream feed train and happy to share this newfound knowledge. Enjoy some extra sleep, mamas!

Linking up with Annie & Natalie this week during Thoughts for Thursday. 

happy hump day

It's a rainy hump day here in the PNW. While I have been really loving the sunshine, it's so nice to have a little rain and cooler weather to cuddle up on the couch and sip a cup of jo.

Speaking of jo... yestermorning was a pretty rough one for me at the House. I spilled an entire cup of coffee all over my carpet after having very little sleep the night before. I was so desperate for that caffeine that I had Vince run out and grab me a new one once he got up. I finally felt human again after having just a sip.

I guess the upside is that it gave me a reason to have to clean the carpets. But I'm afraid that coffee stench is just too hard to scrub out.

Aside from my need of serious caffeine this week, it has been a pretty exciting week for the Hupfs. On Monday we picked up a huge lot of cloth diapers for Truett and I made some Amazon Prime purchases for a toilet sprayer, hamper, and other cloth diapering necessities. I know, I know. Big things at the Hupf House!

Have I mentioned how much I love my Amazon Prime subscription? Love, love! I am obsessed. It's pretty much the bee's knees and saves my sanity at 2am when I am up nursing every night.

Little man is going through a leap right now, according to the Wonder Weeks (if you don't have this app, I highly recommend it!), which means he has been pretty cranky and needy the last few days. It breaks my heart to see him so upset because he is usually a really happy little guy. But this world is so big and new to him still so it must take a whole lot of getting used to.

Looks like our hump day will consist of a whole lot of comfort nursing and snuggles.

bubbles & rolls

My little monkey attempted his first roll last night!

He was on his tummy for some tummy time and rolled onto his side, hung out there for a little bit and then completed the roll onto his back. It was pretty excited for Vince and I to both witness together. Truett didn't quite seem to understand why he was suddenly on his back but it was pretty darn cute to see.

He has been really into his hands lately, sucking on his entire fist... kid still can't seem to find that darn thumb! He also enjoys sucking on the side of my finger/knuckle area. I feel like at 11 weeks it's too early for teething but he has been super drooly lately and wanting everything in his mouth, so who knows. We introduced him to his Sophie giraffe and even though he can't quite figure out how to keep it in his hands or his mouth just yet, he sure seemed to like it!

While we were on vacation last week my mom was showing him some funny faces and noises she can make. One of them is hard to describe but I guess is kind of like a horse making a noise with their lips/mouth. She's going to love that I just compared her to a horse.. Anyway, he has been trying to copy her and since he can't make those noises yet he has been blowing some serious spit bubbles. I mean, he is like a spit bubble blowing champion!

We moved him into his room & crib a few days ago and so far so good. I think the transition has been harder on me than it is on him. He's still waking the same amount but doesn't seem to mind the change up. I thought it would be best to try it out now because I felt like we kept waking each other up. So we will see if it helps slash if it changes his sleep pattern. I can't believe what a big boy he is! So many things this week. 

It is so cool to watch him grow and change. It's happening right before my eyes! I seriously can't blink in fear of missing something. 

[Trying to snap some selfies]

dot com

Short & sweet post for y'all this morning.

We are officially a dot com! [happy dance]

Our new page is: www.houseofhupfs.com. Please make sure you follow us there and I think you  may have to edit your bloglovin following.. so:Follow the House of Hupfs with Bloglovin here.

I will still be using Blogger, so it should still show up if you only check here. :)

Have a great Thursday!

never say never

Before getting pregnant and birthing a 9 pound baby I had quite a long list of things "I would never do" as a pregnant lady and new mommy. That list has since turned into an even longer list of things I said "I would never do but am already doing/did."

Some of those things I said but have done anyway:

1. I will not gain too much weight during pregnancy and become a hippo
2. I will never sit around in pajamas all day watching The Kardashians and eating my weight in chocolate
3. I will not obsess about my weight while pregnant 
4. I will never be a frumpy pregnant lady and go out in public in yoga pants and an oversized tshirt and call it "getting dressed"
5. I will never be that mom that goes out in public in yoga pants and a milk stained tshirt and call that "getting dressed"
6. I will never go against what "they" say is best for my baby & will abide by all the "rules"
7. I won't attempt to use a pacifier to shush the babe
8. I will never skip a shower -- especially when covered in spit up/baby poop
9. I will never have a messy house

10. And I will not be that lady with her boobs flopping all over the place because a bra is just too much work 

& For the record - I gained an obscene amount of weight during my pregnancy with Truett while sitting in my pajamas watching Kardashians all day. I obsessed about my weight and stepped on the scale daily which may be why I turned into frumpzilla and never strayed from my uniform of yoga pants and a tee. And now that the babe is here I can typically be found in yoga pants and a milk stained shirt, covered in some sort of bodily fluid and ignoring the mess that is my house. 

Such is life!

Never say never my friends. You'll be surprised by how much can change. On the upside, I have a healthy happy little boy & hey, that's all that matters to this mama. 

a couple of firsts

we went on a mini vacay to the lake this week and had some fun in the sun. It was our first big trip with the babe so it was definitely a balancing act. We managed to even get in some solo time for mom & dad while baby napped with grandma juju. It was our first time away from the babe together and I was a bit anxious about it but True did great! Jess, not so much.

We had a fun time boating around with my brother & his girlfriend. I only lasted about an hour and a half before my mommy guilt overtook me. I still enjoyed myself though! Or I tried at least. 

On one of our beach days we walked True down to the water to dip his toes in. It was his first time feeling the sand and the cool water. He wasn't so sure at first but then seemed to enjoy it a bit. He sure looked cute in his little crab outfit! 

& a little crab booty action for ya

reflecting on loving my postbaby bod

I'm two months postpartum and about twenty pounds from my prepregnancy weight. But ya know what, I'm okay with it. And the reason being, is that my sons needs are far more important than my own vanity right now.

A couple weeks ago I tried to cut back on my calories and start working out. The result: my milk supply tanked. Fortunately I caught it fast enough to realize what I was doing and stop before it affected me too heavily. I have since scaled down the work outs and maintained a healthier calorie amount. (Or rather just not counting calories anymore. I think numbers stress me out too much!)

This whole mommy thing is new to me. And it's hard sometimes to realize my body is nothing like it used to be. But even so, this body made a baby. This body grew a baby. And this body gave birth to a baby. My baby.  My beautiful son who I love with every ounce of my being. And I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that even though my new body may look different from my "old body" it is still amazing. Maybe a different kind of amazing. But none the less, amazing. 

What matters most now is my son and his health and well being. Whether or not I can fit into my old jeans or wear a swimsuit in public this summer is no longer important. My little boy will only be this little for so long. And before I know it he'll be off to kindergarten, then high school, then college, and married with kids of his own. I'm scared to blink! So taking this time to enjoy my son and not worry about my body is important. I can worry about my weight and stretch marks later. But for now (and really, for always) I need to focus on my son. 

I feel so fortunate to have such a healthy and happy child and I want to be the best mom I can possibly be. As moms we make a ton of sacrifices, and one of them being our bodies. But today I am happy to say, that I am proud of my stretch marks and my slightly rounder belly. Because every one of those stretch marks I earned. And even when they start to fade, I will always remember that once, not too long ago, that belly was home to my son. 

two months old [truett]

I don't know how I spaced on hitting the "publish" button but this post should have happened last week. Big mommy whoops on my part! So let's pretend it is July 2nd mkay? Thanks. 

Our little man is 2 months old today! I can't believe how much he has changed in the past two months. I never believed people before when they said "time flies" but it is so true. So true. 

As of a week ago at his two month check up he weighed in at 13lb 5oz and 24" tall. He has been wearing 6mo clothes for the last two weeks and is in size 2 diapers as well. It's crazy how fast he is growing! When I bought most of his clothes I tried to plan it out by the seasons and how old he would be during each one. Looks like I'm going to have to buy bigger fall/winter clothes now. 

He also had he first set of shots last week, as we are following Dr. Sears Alternate Vaccine Schedule. He was quite the trooper! I nursed him while he received his shot and he did such a good job. He pulled away briefly to let out a quick cry but then latched right back on to continue his favorite thing: eating. I was so proud of him. And myself! I thought I would be a total mess but because he wasn't too phased by it I did much better than I had expected. Overall it went well and I'm glad he wasn't too upset by it all. Helps our ND is awesome!

We are starting to get more of a routine down at night. He usually goes to bed between 8-9pm and will sleep for a 4 hour stretch. As of now that's his longest stretch of sleep. I know I should probably be going to bed at the same time to take advantage of it but I seem to wine down around 10-10:30. After his 4hr stretch he eats and falls back asleep for another 2hrs, wakes to get changed and fed again and then gives me another 2hrs, feeds and then another 2hrs. There might be another feed somewhere in there but basically he's usually up for the day around 9am. He stays in his bassinet until about 4am usually and then he seems to sleep better in our bed after that. 

Still working out the kinks but I'm happy to be getting sleep. He's great about falling right back to sleep after eating so he at least knows it's not play time. I'm just hoping he starts to give me longer stretches soon. I've heard it has to do with their weight but he's a pretty good sized boy, I think he just enjoys boob time. 

He's still not loving the car. But he might be getting a little better. Maybe just a little. It's the only time he cries. Hard. And it breaks my heart when there's not much I can do. I think right now he just prefers to be held and would rather not be strapped down. He does a lot better when either Vince or I sit in the back with him. 

I had my first "time away" last week. We went to the mall and I went and tanned for 15 minutes while the boys ran an errand. Sure, it wasn't a super long "mommy time" but hey it was a start! I hadn't tanned in over a year and it was nice to just relax for a little bit. Tomorrow I have a pedicure date with my mom so that will be the true test. Hopefully I pass and don't have a mini panic attack! I hate leaving this sweet little man. 

And just to prove his is starting to like his car seat more...

Progress is progress, my friends! 

Oh and don't worry car seat police, the seat belt was tighter before this picture was taken. I was just starting to loosen it to take him out when I realized I should snag a photo.

my pregnancy must-haves list

While I am clearly not a pregnancy expert here, I've gathered a little list of some of my favorite products and items while pregnant. Just for your enjoyment!

I started this list whilst baby was still baking so if some of my verbiage is wild please blame prego brain.

1.  Room Essentials Body Pillow // I have always had this on our bed so it wasn't necessarily a 'pregnancy' buy, per say, but it helped with my sleeping comfort immensely! It was so nice to be able to wrap my legs and arms around the pillow to help with balance. I actually also sleep with a second smaller pillow behind my back to prevent myself from rolling onto my backside. I am such a back sleeper so it has been a huge challenge for me to learn to sleep on my side. However, with this full body pillow I am way more comfortable. I thought about trying out an actual pregnancy wrap around pillow but it just seemed way too bulky for me. This does the trick!

2.  Solutions That Stick Bra Extender // Oh my lanta, have my boobs/ribs grown! Now that belly has gotten bigger and my rib cage has expanded, these bra extenders have definitely come in handy. I went up 1 cup size (so far) while pregnant (from a 32DDD to a 34G, holy crap right?!) but even with the bigger size it's been nice to have a little more flexibility in my rib cage. Before getting the bra extender I would find that my ribs would kill by the end of the day which is just no fun at all! Even post baby I am loving this.

3. Aveda Tourmaline Charged Facial Cleanser // Okay this one isn't really pregnancy related but I have found my skin is a little more sensitive now and this cleanser is just amazing. I like a gentle scrub but like to feel like I am actually cleaning my face. This cleanser has really gentle exfoliating beads but not the kind that scrape the ba-geezus outta your skin!

4. Big Sexy Hair Volumizing Dry Shampoo // Let's be real, there's plenty of days where ya just don't want to wash your tresses, so this product is a must! Must must. Perfect and light weight with a nice scent.

5. Contigo 32oz BPA-Free Water Bottle // Hydration is a necessity and this bad boy keeps me on point.

6. Vicks Cool Moisture Humidifier // I was super stuffed up the first few months and throughout pregnancy and this humidifier seemed to help a ton. May not have cured my stuffy nostrils but it certainly cleared them out a bit.

7. Ugg Australia Baily Button Triple Boot // Real shoes, adios! I lived in these til the weather warmed up and I needed some flip flops. Bending over to put shoes on is just not gonna happen, so having an easy to pull on shoe was major. May-jor!

8. Papaya Enzyme // If you suffer from heartburn and acid reflux like little old me, buy yourself some of these chewable tablets. Aids in digestion to help alleviate the burning heart.

9. Eos Lip Balm in Pomegranate Raspberry // Chapped lips? This is a necessity!

10. Basq Resilient Body Oil in Eucalyptus Spa // Smells delicious and goes on smoothly. It may not have entirely prevented my stretchmarks (I got a zillion) but it sure felt nice to slather on.

And there ya have it folks!

pacifier vs thumb sucker

Before Truett was born Vince and I had a lengthy discussion about pacifiers vs thumb suckers and which we wanted our son to be.

Honestly, I was never a huge fan of pacifiers simply out of vanity. I thought they looked pretty silly and I was really concerned about the affects it would have on his developing teeth. I was a binky user as a baby and suffered from an overbite that had to be fixed with a retainer at a young age. I didn't use the binky too far into toddlerhood - I think I gave it up when my little brother came along before I turned two. But it had enough of an effect on my baby teeth. 

I think the thing that sticks with me about pacifiers is when I see little kids trying to talk with them in their mouths. Obviously at a certain age it becomes harder to take them away because it becomes a security blanket for the child. But this was something that I wanted to avoid.

(Here he is at 3 days old sucking his thumb for the first and only time so far)

So I brought up the idea of allowing him to suck his thumb. This brought up a whole new series of concerns. You can't take away a thumb! And the teeth issue is still prevelent. You also don't see any 10 year olds still using a pacifier but you might see one sucking his or her thumb still.

I know it's important for little ones to learn how to self soothe and therefore a binky or thumb sucking is beneficial. I want my little guy to learn this but I also worry about his other developments and how a binky/thumb sucking might affect him later down the road. So basically we didn't get far with our discussion. We decided to just leave it up to him. And as it turns out, Truett is not a fan of the pacifier at all! He hasn't quite found his thumb yet but does suck on his hand. 

So I'm wondering, what is best? Pacifier or thumb? Should I keep trying to give him a binky or give in to the thumb? 

Help a newbie out, fellow mommies!

a busy weekend

We had a pretty busy weekend over here at the House. 

Saturday when Vince got home at 4am from work we got ready to head over to eastern WA for the day. Truett woke up around 4:30 for his second feed of the night so I fed him and got him in his car seat and off we went. 

True is not a fan of the car but we seemed to time it perfectly that he slept for almost the whole trip. It takes a little over 3.5 hours to get there and he slept for the first 2, then we stopped for a feed and changing and we slept for the remaining 1.5. I was so impressed! It definitely made the trip so much easier. 

We spent the day by the pool and visited Vince's aunt and uncle. Then took a nice walk along the river before dinner. It was True's first time at a restaurant and he did great! Vince had to take him outside briefly to walk him around to get him to go to sleep but other than that he was a happy camper  

We left to head home around 9 which is his usual bed time and he slept the whole way home! It was perfect. He actually didn't wake up for his next feed until an hour after getting home. 

It was nice to take a day trip and to tear out the driving situation. We are taking another trip next week and will be gone the entire week so at least now I feel a little more prepared. 

Sunday we had our Bradley class reunion. It was so fun to see everyone again and meet all the babies. We had 5 boys and 1 girl! They are all so precious. It was great to hear everyone's stories and talk about life as new mommies. 

We don't have any friends out age with babies so it was nice to talk with the ladies and get their stories. It was such a fun group to share prgnancy with and now we get to share mommy stories too! 

We had a great busy weekend and True was such a trooper. It makes me so happy to have a baby that is fairly chill and we can do things with. I think it definitely saves our sanity. 

We love family time!

cha-cha-cha-changes

new and exciting things are happening over here at the blog!

we have decided to change our name up a bit and get a new look.

the new name will be (drum roll please)...

it reflects the blog a bit more and i wasn't really feeling the whole 'honeydew' vibe. so there ya have it!

a new look will be coming soon, but for now, keep an eye out for posts from 'the house'!