Our Baby Boy Is 10 Months Old

Our Baby Boy Is 10 Months Old

Our baby boy is 10 Months Old! Double digits!! Goodness thats hard to say. It's so bittersweet watching him grow. Every stage has become my new favorite, 10 months old has been so much fun, he's a little giggle box, he grabs my face and opens his mouth to give me a kiss, he stands holding on with one hand and has started letting go, he pulls up on everything, can scoot across furniture standing up, still crawling everywhere, exploring and venturing out, mama is his favorite and hes still dealing with some separation anxiety where he only wants me (the majority of the time), he loves his daddy & is constantly laughing when they play together, he takes 2 naps a day usually an hour and a half each or longer, sleeps 12 hours at night, eats 3 meals of solid food a day plus nursing every 3 hours and small snacks here and there, loves making fun noises with toys his mouth or banging things together, his current favorite noise is inhailing air while laughing (it's seriously hilarious, we call it the froggie noise), he loves feeding himself, he's our little water baby and we couldn't be more obsessed with him. We are approaching the time when he'll need his first hair cut and I'm pretty sad about it and trying to hold out until after his first birthday, well see how that goes. He has 8 teeth, got another new one last week so he has four on top and four on the bottom. Happy double digits little 10 month old peanut. Thank God u are a peanut, I couldn't handle u being any bigger!!!!

My husband got me a Canan Rebel camera for Mother's day so i've been playing around with it a ton this past week. I cant wait to show you all! But for now here are some pictures from this past month of him turning 10 months old (from my iphone camera roll)! 

^^^Visiting the horsies in my old childhood neighborhood. Found a horsie with the same hair as Cash! Lol^^^

^^^he crawls under the bike to get to me..sneaky little guy. This is why i can barely work out these days. I guess ill have to start succumbing to bringing him with me to the gym^^^

^^^One of my favorite pictures of this guy.^^^

^^^My best friends baby gender reveal party. Its a girl!!!! I couldn't be happier for her! ^^^

^^^he is so fascinated with the ocean^^^

^^^and the sand^^^

^^^Lying in the grass feild watching the leaves on the trees move above us. He is just so precious, i never knew i could love a human the way i love him. Its a different kind of love than i love my husband with, or my parents with, its inexplainable & so beautiful.^^^

^^^this is his favorite spot. I feed him breakfast standing up right here, hes so ready to walk (mentally) he just doesnt have his balance down quite yet".^^^

^^^Mornings at the harbor with just my guy and i, sipping coffee, watching the people walk by and looking at the boats.^^^

^^^these two... ^^^

^^^we love the outdoors and sunshine..hiking in the hills behind our home^^^

^^^We squish his face daily with kisses...all. day. long.^^^

^^^I love those after nap eyes. Sleepy babe. He has been getting these weird red bumps that stay there a day or two and then they're gone. We think hes having an allergy to something but we've tried changing his detergent and now are doing the process of elimination with foods". It seems to come after being in the grass or the sun. We're not sure though, any of you mamas have something similar happen to your babes?^^^

^^^he loves mamas blueberry applesauce pancakes^^^

^^^my boyfriend^^^

^^^heres one picture from Hawaii, a little teaser.. i just want to remember that we went right before he turned 10 months old (thats the best part about having a blog! Its a great online memory book!)"

^^^my boys surprised me with flowers, starbucks and my favorite bagels in bed on mamas day. My husband always lets our son pick out the flowers and that just kills me!!! I could get flowers from these boys daily and melt every single time. Oh and in that pink bag is my new camera... the best gift that i have been longing for, for over a year!^^^

^^^Crawling toes^^^

^^^A party in our bed! Every single morning! Cannot wait to add 3 more little people to this fun!^^^

^^^Why not eat waffles on the floor nude? We love breakfast together. & i especially love a baby in a  diaper^^^

^^^Daddys with their babies....So adorable^^^

XO

What We Wear: Hippy Vibes & Lace

What We Wear: Hippy Vibes & Lace

 I love the bohemian look if you havent been able to tell from most of my posts. Dont get me wrong, i enjoy frilly dresses and also dressing up a like a rocker babe or super casual and comfty, but the boho relaxed vibe with a good hat is probably my favorite trend.  I'll pretty much try anything though.  I have loved this Mad Glam lace top since the moment I laid eyes on it. I styled it with a pair of bell bottoms (to give a more hippy boho style), a wide brim hat, a long feather necklace and my turquoise Bohemian Fringe necklace (in which i previously posted on here). Of course I had to pair this look with a classic nude wedge. I was feeling pretty free and fun in this get up.

*Photos by Kelsey Steindler Photography

Get the look:

Lace Bell Sleeve Top c/o Mad Glam

Turquoise Pendant Necklace c/o Bohemian Fringe

Wide Leg jeans Buffalo (see below)

Nude Wedges (similar below)

Feather Necklace H&M

Wide Brim Hat (old, similar below)

XO

Coming Home From Vacation

Hi all, we just got back from Hawaii this week so I've been trying to get back into the swing of things. Its so rough coming back from a week of complete bliss, it was paradise really, with no where to be, no distractions, just pure fun and making memories with the family.  I'm studying for my licensing exam which is in less days than i can count on both hands, so for the next few days i'll be post a little less frequently than usual. I thank you in advance for your support ladies, I'm really trying to make sure I have enough time to study in between being a wifey, a mama, and working. I have a couple posts ill be doing in the next week or so like Cash's 10 month old update, some fashion posts, and our Hawaii vacation post, so be sure to check back for those!

I hope you are having a wonderful week! I just thought i'd touch base with you all. And prayers are always welcome for passing my exam and for the focus and determination I need to study these last few days!

Be sure to swoop by Stela 9 and check out their bags! I lived in this weekender bag that I did a previous post on here. 

XO

Cash's Baby Gap Picks

Cash's Baby Gap Picks

Hey all, we're in Hawaii so sorry for the lack of posts this week. Heres a quick one i put together for ya before we left.  I know a have a ton of you following our Baby Boy Style board on Pinterest (Click here to follow) as well as I get asked often on instagram (@tessaarmstrong8) where we get some of his clothes. Recently we just got some things online for our Hawaii trip and for summer and I wanted to share them with you before they're gone! I love shopping for him, probably more than I love shopping for myself. Its so fun dressing little itty bitty people.

Gap Boys' Clothing · Gap Boys' Polos · Gap Boys' Shirts

You'll be seeing Cash in those adorable camera board shorts and rash guard to match in Hawaii as well as many pool days ahead. We love striped jammies, anything blue or teal looks amazing on this kid with his blue eyes, love the striped pants, cute jean shorts, a terry cloth hat to cover their face from the sun (they can wear it in the pool too), my nephew has those gray shoes and loves them for the beach/pool, bright T's and striped pullovers and hoodies of course!

Enjoy!

XO

What We Wear: Ryder Smith Jewelry

 What We Wear: Ryder Smith jewelry

I am so smitten with this beautiful rose gold nameplate necklace that Ryder Smith jewelry made me! I honestly want to wear it everyday and thats just the thing, I CAN! You can layer this necklace with just about anything, mix matched golds, add in silvers and white golds for fun as well.  I like layering it with my David Yurman personalized pendant in particular because they're both so special to me.  I adore that its rose gold, that happens to be my favorite, and i LOVE LOVE that its personalized with my sons name. Anything personalized is so special to me. I could have this little guys name, birthdate, initials, dimensions on everything because every time I look at it, it reminds me of the greatest gift God has ever given my husband and I. I love that I get to walk around with a little something that symbolizes how much i adore and cherish our son, no matter where i am. 

Ryder Smith Jewelry is owned by the sweetest lady named Jennifer. She is such an angel to work with and helped me custom design this just the way I wanted it with length, material, font etc.  You guys really need to check out her online shop and see what else she has to offer, she doesn't disappoint.  

Im pretty excited to share this with you because now I can wear it all of the time! You'll be seeing this on me A TON!

On the website this specific necklace is called "Rose'"

It says "Cash", my sweet first borns name.

*Photos by: Kelsey Steindler Photography

I even wore it on Easter because i love it soooo.

Shop Ryder Smith Website

Shop Ryder Smith Etsy Shop

XO

What We Wear: Crochet Fringe Cardigan For Some Spring Style

What We Wear: Crochet Fringe Cardigan For Some Spring Style

Hi ladies, I have been doing a little less posting this past week because my computer charger (yes, my NEW one, is broken.. thats what i get for purchasing one off ebay). I received this adorable crochet fridge cardigan from Ryan + Reese a couple weeks ago.  This is one of my favorite pieces right now. I am all over this cardi!  Every time I have worn it people have asked me where I purchased it. I am happy to share with you all that Ryan + Reese is the go to shop and they have plenty of crochet fringe options including shorts and tanks.  I pretty much am in love with anything crochet and fringe so this duo is perfect and will most certainly be making a continuous appearance in my wardrobe. Its so easy to throw on on top of anything & you instantly feel like you "tried" even if your just in leggings and a plain v neck.  Im definitely throwing this into my bag for Hawaii next week! 

*All Photos by: Kelsey Steindler Photography

Shop Ryan + Reese Here

Get The Look:

Crochet Cardigan c/o Ryan + Reese

Levis High Waisted Skinnies (below)

Floral body Suit H&M (old, similar below)

Wide Brim Fedora (similar below)

Gold chunky Pendant Neclace H&M (similar below)

Nude Leather Pump Michael(Similar below)

Levi's Teen Girls' Denim · Forever 21 Tanks · Jimmy Choo Platforms

XO

Our Daily Routine: For 9 Month Old

Our Daily Routine: For 9 Month Old

Some of you ladies have asked me about our daily routine so I've put together what our days look like for the most part, I work two days a week so those days look a little different.

Heres what a normal weekday looks like:

Cash usually wakes up around 7/7:30am. I bring him into our room to nurse and to cuddle of course! After a long nights sleep (12-13 hours) we've missed him dearly. Daddy usually leaves around 7:30am for work so we hang with him in bed, enjoying cashs mornings smiles and giggles. After daddy leaves we go out to to the family room to play with some toys. Our morning times usually consists of practicing crawling and standing along with Cash putting a million little goodies into his mouth and chatting me up with some adorable baby babble. I feed him Some solids around 8/8:30, an hour after he last nursed. We usually do some fruit or gluten free or multigrain waffles for breakfast. We'll stroll around outside for 45 mins or so until his first nap. I try to stay close to home before his first nap because sometimes he's tired sooner so we don't usually plan outings until he wakes up from nap #1.  Lately we've been playing with plants and learning to name things like "leaf", "flower", "tree", "truck", and "grass".  He loves to go around feeling everything with his fingers. We head back home for his nap which is usually 2 hours after he woke up, so 9/9:30am. I nurse him if he seems hungry (so he sleeps longer & doesn't wake up hungry) or I'll just sit with him in his room to get ready for nap time. We draw the curtains shut and turn on his sound machine so he knows it's nap time. I then lay him down awake and for morning naps he's asleep in seconds.

He usually sleeps for anywhere between 1-2 hours, lately it's been 1.5 hours. So this is my time to get ready for the day, clean, or like I'm doing right now, STUDY for my licensing exam. When Cash is up I nurse him and then we get out of the house. We never stay home after his first nap because we are usually home all morning and later on before bedtime and my personal view is that kids should be outside in sunshine and exploring and venturing out to see what God has created for them in nature. So we make plans with my sisters and his cousins, or friends of mine that have kids he can play with, we'll go to our pool and go swimming, the ocean to watch the waves and play in the sand, or head to the park to crawl in the grass, play on the swings and slides and meet other neighborhood kiddos. Cash loves watching the bigger kids so it's a ton of fun going to public places where he can people watch. We also go to his grandmas "nanas" house to work out a couple times a week. Over there Cash can play with her little doggies and crawl on the floor and play with new toys as well as hang with his grandparents. He loves it and it's nice for mama to get a quick workout in. I don't take him to our gym daycare because my dr says kids pick up so many illnesses from day cares so it's just not worth the risk with him being an infant still.

Once it's been 2 hours of wake time we head towards home. He usually naps again after 2 and half hours of wake time. That's when he shows sleep ques like rubbing his eyes and ears and gets fussy. So I do the same routine mentioned above, make sure to have fed him some solids or snacks when out and about and then put him down. He doesn't fall asleep as quickly for the second nap so it can take him 5-20 minutes since he's learned how to stand and sit up in his crib. So he plays in there and then finally settles himself and lays down to nap. He sleeps anywhere from 1-2 hours. So during that time I get everything done that needs to be done. I'll shower if I need to after the pool or a work out etc and each lunch, pay bills, do some prep work for work, blog, answer emails, study more, try to clean up a bit and by that time he's usually up again. After he wakes up it's usually late to mid afternoon so we will head outside again and go for a walk with Cash in his stroller or run some errands. Daddy gets home around 4:45/5ish so we usually go home by then to hang with him. Sometimes we'll all jump in the spa and play at the pool since it's been so hot and "water" is Cashs favorite thing in the world. Well head home to feed (solids) him dinner at 545/6ish and then give him a bath if he needs one around 6:30ish. After the bath we do bed time routine, put lotion on him, sing, put on a diaper, and Jammie's and then cuddle and play with him. We make sure to give him wAter since he tends to not want a ton of fluids during the day. And then daddy says goodnight and I close the drapes and turn on his sound machine and nurse him. He's in bed by 7 and asleep usually when I lay him down or within 10 minutes after.

Weekends we are out having fun and finding new adventures to try out. We are looking to buy a safe infant bike seat so we can take him on bike rides sometime soon!

He's a ton of fun and we can't wait to give him siblings to play with. For now I love hanging with my little guy and days when I have to leave him are tough, especially since he's going throughh some separation anxiety with me right now. But we make sure to get plenty of one on one time before I leave and on days when I get to be with him all day. It's such a blessing to get to teach him and be an example to him. I love that my husband and I are leaving such a big imprint on his life, being aware of that helps us make good healthy choices as parents in how we act around our son, what we speak into him, and what we decide to do with our day. It's not always easy being Home to nap him but that's where he gets the best rest and as much sleep during a nap that his mind and body call for. We certainly nap him on the go when we need to but we try to be home so he can get adequate rest for a baby his age. Same with bed time. His well being is in our hands and I remember that daily when we make the decision to be selfless and go do something we know he will enjoy and learn from. That can't possibly be an everyday all day thing and I've learned that these last 9 months of being a parent. Sometimes mom needs to clean and we have to stay inside, or sometimes he's gotta come along on errands that take up most of our day, but when we can, which is a good healthy portion of the time, we do what is best for Cash and get outside, take every opportunity to cuddle and teach and grow him. We soak up the moments we have together because we know they will go by all too quickly! Being a parent is so much about being selfless and at the same time giving yourself grace. Grace to not be perfect, grace to mess up and grace in the years ahead as we struggle to be the parent that that individual child needs.

With that said, this is 'our' world, I'm sure yours looks similar in some ways and much different in others. That's why motherhood is so special, you get to choose what life looks like with your littles with our choices in how we raise them and what we decide to do each day .. It certainly does impact them and leave a mark. Thank God for his help and for grace.