Halloween: Traditions

As a child, well all the way up until High School my mom would dress all 5 of us kids up and we would go over to my cousins to trick-or-treat. (Yes, I was that "kid" who still went out on Halloween night as a High Schooler) Their neighborhood was the perfect place to go door-to-door since the houses were so close together, so getting a TON of candy was pretty easy and we were always so stoked to dump our bags out on the floor and trade for our favorite candies. Our aunt would make beef stew and when we were too cold to keep going we'd come have a warm bowl of soup and help pass out candy. Although not a major deal, it was something that I looked forward to every Halloween.

Traditions are something that I love carrying on in our family. Those memories you create, those special occasions that you look forward to year after year. Those people in your life you get to see and enjoy time with.  Now, as an adult with two small children I can't wait to pass on our family traditions and also create some new ones. I'm always looking for that special "thing" to do that our kids might grow up thinking that was the coolest and want to pass that tradition on to their family. I'll share a few of our favorite Halloween Traditions with you and I'd love to hear some new ones if you comment below!

1. Pumpkin Patch- I know its the most basic tradition around and actually this year we didn't even go lol instead we went to the Twin Cities Corn maze which had pumpkins at it but we didn't buy any because my parents got us 3 gigantic ones from Alexandria. So although we didn't quite make it this year, it has been something we've done in the past and we love it. 
2. Carving pumpkins- I'll be honest with you. I hate carving pumpkins and luckily our kids are young enough where they don't want to either lol Oliver thinks the guts are gross and cold and I just think its too much work. I mean, you spend all this time finding a design, tracing the design on the pumpkin, then white knuckle cutting out your design with that Sh*tty little carving knife they give you.. and for what? For it to rot after a week of sitting on your front porch just so you can pick the soggy thing up and throw it in the trash.....ooooo fun. This year Oliver poked his fingers in one of the rotting un-carved pumpkins which led to the dogs eating the top half off, so that pretty much counts as carving one because it looked like the "headless pumpkin" for a few days until Loui finished her off lol (okay, I sound like a debby downer but maybe when the kids get older and actually want to carve their own pumpkin we'll get into to.. cuz you do it for the kids, right!) 
3. Pictures- Each year my mom would take us to Portraits of the Heart off 7th in Andover to get our Halloween pictures taken, and you all know I'm crazy about pictures so I of course had to carry out this tradition! Oliver's first year at Gay's he was a lion (we dressed up as the Wizard of Oz), his second year he was the old man from the movie UP, and this year I dressed both boys up as dinosaurs, they were adorable!
4. TRICK-OR-TREAT- Yes, Oliver went out last year to like two houses and since it's already snowed this year he'll probably only make it to two again! 
5. Goodie Baskets- So if you watched my snapchat you probably saw Oliver searching for his Halloween basket and some of you are probably thinking I'm crazy and he's spoiled but the way I see it as I was gonna buy him that stuff anyways so why not make it into a fun little tradition that he hopefully looks forward to each year. The whole idea came from my mom who would always have stuff out for us the morning of each little holiday and it was seriously the best. Even it was nothing major, knowing that I would wake up to something on that special day was so exciting. This year I got the boys two little halloween baskets from HomeGoods which I can reuse each year. In Oliver's I put a book, new undies, some festive candy, cheap little wooden cars, halloween bandaids, and some dollar section crafts and silly toys. You guys, it doesn't have to be much or cost much! Just the look on their face and the excitement they get is pure joy. He loved it! He painted both his little crafts, ate some of his candy and played with his new cars. As for Attikus, since he's only 4 months old I got him some socks, sleep sacks, and long sleeved onsies which are all things he needed anyways so it worked out perfect! 
6. Hallows Eve- It wouldn't be Halloween without making beef stew and passing out candy so that's what we're planning on doing. Hopefully Hocus Pocus will be on, we'll have some friends over, jay can take oliver to a couple houses and we'll see some trick or treaters! 
7. Party- I should also mention that jay LOVES dressing up, so any Halloween party he hears of he'll jump on the chance to go! 

Traditions are my favorite so if you've got some you'd like to share, I'd love to hear! Happy Halloween!

FOUR: Month old Attikus

My sweet boy is FOUR months old already. It really is true what they say.. "The days are long but the weeks, months, and years fly by"! UGHHH, but seriously I say this all the time He is the best baby, a dream and he has made our lives filled with so much more love and happiness. I don't think he gets enough kisses throughout the day (wink wink) and enough squeezes lol if you've seen him in person thats all you want to do because he's just so dang squishy. 

At four months he's basically sleeping through the night, by that I mean he wakes up once between 3-5am which makes this momma feel like a million bucks in the morning. We transitioned him to his crib a couple weeks ago and he sleeps in his DockAtot that's in it. We stopped swaddling him with a blanket and just use the velcro swaddles to wrap around his chest since he sleeps with his arms above his head.. and then scratches his face during the night. I cut his nails all the time but they grow like weeds. 

He's not a fussy baby. He pretty much just goes with the flow and will chill or do whatever you want him to. If he does get cranky its because he needs a pants change, he wants his alone time, or he wants the boob lol We started putting him in his exersaucer this month and mamas&papas chair to sit in while mom cooks or works in the kitchen. I also noticed that he's started to reach for toys or show interest in holding on to them. 

He's been drooling like crazy for about a month now. His pediatrician thought at his 2mo visit he was beginning to teeth, so I'm curious when those first ones will pop through. He finds comfort in sucking on his pointer finger, but really just loves to gnaw on his entire hand. He loves to nurse but on his time and he's getting to that stage where he's starting to fidget or get distracted. Yay.. I think we'll start to introduce solid food at 6months. We started with Oliver at 4 and he's the worst eater so I'm just trying something new this time around. 

He's just about into size 4 diapers and wears mostly 6 month clothing but 6-9mo or 6-12mo fits as well. His blow outs are still gigantic and every time he farts we take cover! haha no joke. The tub is relaxing for him and I love washing all those adorable rolls. Have you seen his BUTT, its legit and I've got all the heart eyes for it. Also.. his fuzzy hair. 

We go on walks together. Sometimes in the carrier and sometimes in the stroller. He loves his swing, takes naps in his crib most days. Big brother has taken more interest in him and calls him his baby or "broder Attitus" and if he's crying he likes to tell him "ssssssss" to be quiet lol 

Mommy goes back to work this month, straight nights so Daddy's on his own! I think it will be good for us, although I'm a little nervous/sad it's only part time. I can do it! Lastly, he weighs about 18 pounds and I think he's growing taller but we'll see at his 4mo well child coming up! 

MAZE: Twin Cities Harvest Festival

So I mentioned in my post a few days ago that we usually do the Apple orchard and pumpkin patch in the same day but with TWO kiddos we decided against it this year. Last Saturday we ventured to the Twin Cities Harvest Festival off HW 169. We've never been so it was our first time. It's open September 23-October 29 ONLY on saturdays and sundays... lol we made the mistake of going on a Friday night and pulled in the parking lot to notice we were the only ones there! It was a good laugh. 

It's 10$ per person, kids under 36" or under are free. Yippee! With that you get to walk through a corn maze, play in the corn pit, straw bale maze for the little ones, pet some animals, and go on a hayride! Of course there are HUGE blow up bouncy houses, food trucks, pony rides, and other things for a price but overall its a fun time for only ten bucks. Pumpkins are only 3 for $12 too so thats nice and they're huge!

Oliver instantly HAD to go on the bounce houses so the ticket stand we went. He was of course too small or too scared to do them by himself so Jay had to go up with him! We headed to the corn pit and played in there for a while. Oliver played on the little tractors, we went and pet some animals and before we could hop on the hayride it started to rain. By this time Oliver was bawling that we couldn't go on the hayride and we never quiet made it through the maze #lifewithkids but we had a good time and would most likely go back next year, hopefully on a sunnier day! 

Attikus: Bonnet (similar Here) l Sleeper

Oliver: Shoes l Sweater l Pants

BODY: After Baby

Ok so I'm terrible with self image. Before I got pregnant with Oliver I would consider myself to be in my best shape yet, and yea.. I worked out twice a day, drank meal replacement shakes twice a day and had all the time in the world to focus on working out. Now after two children, lets get real.. I'm lucky if I can get one half hour workout in before both boys wake up and Oliver is screaming for toast and Attikus wants the boob. 

My body after baby is something I've really struggled with. With each pregnancy I tell myself I'm gonna eat healthy, work out, and not over indulge so that after this baby comes its easier to get back in shape. HA yea right... do you even know me?! I have the biggest sweet tooth of all time and pregnancy only makes it worse. Or is it just an excuse I use to eat all the desserts all the time! Either way, I always get down on myself as soon as I deliver because that pouch just doesn't go away. If you've had a child you can relate, you look six months pregnant AFTER you deliver. I remember being mortified after having Oliver to show Jay what my body looked like. I never wanted to be intimate, and I always covered up. Believe me, I loved being pregnant, I love childbirth even more, and love both of my boys.. but body after baby is just something you have to get use to. 

I think the hardest part for me was feeling like a slob, yet having no energy to work out or even any time. Oliver was constantly wanting me to hold him, I couldn't set him down which made it impossible for me to work out. I know some of you are thinking, "well just put him down and let him cry, its only 30 minutes, blu ble bla". BUT for me I would just get frustrated and then give up and basically say F*CK it, I'll just be fat. lol 

After having Attikus I really took a step back and learned to embrace my body. I've grown and birthed two incredibly amazing little boys. My body did that. I freaking rock. Yea I don't have abs, I've got cellulite, and saggy ass tits but who cares. My husband loves me for who I am and I need to just be okay with all of that. Obviously I'm not going to fit into my "skinny" jeans the second I pop out that child. Yes, I'm gonna live in my robe and oversized shirts/jays boxers for like a month, but I know that with time and hard work I will and can get to a place that I love my body again. 

I started working out after Attikus at 7 weeks. What works for me are Jillian Michaels home workout videos. You can purchase HERE and she't got a lot of different videos to choose from! They are full body, high intensity, low to no weights and typically 30 minutes. I get a good sweat in which is the kind of work out I need to feel like I did something. I try to get it done in the morning either before the boys wake up, if I'm not feeling like a zombie myself or after they wake up and I've got Oliver breakfast to munch on and Attikus goes down for his morning nap. 

I'm now almost four months postpartum and I feel good about my body. I can tell the difference already in not just how I look but how I feel in my clothes and how I feel energy-wise. I don't stress about getting my workout in, instead I improvise. I'll go for a walk with the boys, or substitute cleaning my house while the boys are napping. I try to look at it as a want, not a need. That way when I don't get to it I don't get upset and I just strive to do it later on in the day or make up for it in another way. 

My note to all you mommas out there.. 

• ENJOY those early days. Soak up all the tiny newborn snuggles and try not to worry about what your body looks like. You are Beautiful. 
• WAIT until your OB clears you. Your body needs to heal and you've got years to get back in shape, a couple weeks longer won't hurt to wait to get back into the swing of things. 
• KEEP it light and carefree. If you need to work out with your babe, then do the freaking work out with your babe on your hip. Yes, I've worn Oliver before lol 
• FIND a workout or activity that works for you. If you prefer to go to the gym and drop your little one off, do that. If you'd rather go for walks with your babe, do that. Do whatever works for you. 
• DRINK lots of water. Something I'm terrible at but try to stay hydrated throughout the day not only to keep my supply up but it keeps me more full so I'm not snacking all day long.. another thing I'm terrible at. 
• SET an example for your babes that working out and staying active is a priority in your life. Happy mommy= Happy baby for the most part! 
• KNOW that you are amazing. You're doing the best you can and you're rocking that mom bod like a boss! You'll get there, you will. It just takes time. 

BOOKS: Baby Books that Is

Okay, so I've had a few people ask where I got my baby books for my boys and the truth is my mom got them for me. I actually dread writing in them. I don't know what it is but I get so overwhelmed, frazzled, and anxious about writing the "perfect" stuff that I just don't want to do it. I also can't decide which photos to put in them and lord knows I have about a bajillion and five to choose from so it shouldn't really be that hard but it is. I mean, I do want it to be perfect for them but really I should just be making it for myself because I'll be the one to cherish these memories the most when I'm grey and old and can smile and look back at old memories like it was yesterday. 

Recently I just jumped right in and actually got all caught up on Attikus and about half way through Oliver's. I felt like REALLY good about myself after that day.. like I was so productive. (lol) So I just wanted to share a few tips with you about how to get started, what brand of book I have and share some ideas of things to write. I'm no expert, but I hope this helps you get the motivation to sit down and get er done because I know you'll love looking back some day, it's just a sappy mom thing. 

1. For starters, If you dread doing it start by getting a book thats short and sweet, simple and doesn't require you to write a lot if you don't want to. Lucy Darling has really cute and fairly inexpensive options and you can get them off amazon HERE
   •  Plus it qualifies for PRIME for all my amazon obsessors
2.  Write stuff down as it happens. I know this sounds daunting and you always think to yourself "Oh, Ill for sure remember this" but you DON'T! My mom always said this to me and I believe it 100%. What I did with Oliver was type up stuff in my notes app on my phone which made it super easy to look back and fill in his book. 
3. Takes notes monthly. Most books go by months for the first year and then taper off to years, so literally write down everything and anything you can think of at that time. For instance, I always wrote down the size diapers Oliver was in and what size clothes he wore at what age. When I was working on their books the other day I read Oliver was in size 3 diapers until he was 15 months and Attikus is literally about to outgrow them at 3 months! I would have never remembered that and its just fun to look back and see silly things I wrote down. 
4. If you like keepsakes, keep their hospital bands, footprints, hats or anything else to tape into their book. I kept Oliver's first haircut and taped it in their and will probably keep his first tooth (I know, I'm weird) But things like this make the book special and create character. 
5. Some months I had more written down than other months but there wasn't enough room on the page to write it all so what I did was cut a notecard in half and write on that and slipped it in that page. Since Oliver started talking I like to write down some "funny" things that he says or does and its seriously the best to look back and laugh with family about the goofy things he's said to people. 
6. Lastly, just have fun with it. These are your memories, not anyone else's so it doesn't matter how you write it out. You're the one who's going to remember it anyways! So don't worry about what your writing looks like, or how you worded a memory. Just fill it in and feel good about it. I know when I'm done I'll be happy with what I wrote and excited to share those memories with my boys. 

As you can see Attikus was really digging this little photo sesh

BEST: Baby Items

I've put together a few items that I love to have with a newborn. Note, not everything works for every baby but these are just a few that I love! Click on the picture below and the link will bring you to the site you can purchase it at!

1. Nose Sucker- I'm not kidding, no nose fridda or nose sucker works better than the one that they send home with you from the hospital! Something about its suction just gets the toughest boogers out, I swear!
2. DockAtot- I love this item because you can take it anywhere, set it anywhere and basically place your baby in it anywhere. The padded cushions alongside the entire outside is ideal in making your baby feel secure and comfortable. It creates "boundaries" for them, something I learned working in the NICU. Giving babies boundaries gives them the feeling of the being in the womb, something they can press against with their tiny feet/arms and feel secure. So this item is perfect in doing that and you don't have to use rolled up blankets!
3. The Ergo 360- You can also purchase the infant insert which is amazing at keeping those itty bitty babes all curled up on your chest. This carrier is amazing in providing back support so its perfect for those long walks. I also love that you can continue to use this item for basically years.. I can still put Oliver in it on my back like I'm giving him a piggy back ride, except for handsfree! 
4. Kickee Pants Swaddle Blanket- This blanket is the softest blanket I've ever felt and its perfect for swaddling those tiny babes up like a burrito. You can get them swaddled extra tight, which is exactly how my boys liked it. 
5. Carters Gowns- You guys, I love baby gowns. They are so easy for those first few weeks when you're at home and not venturing out. You just slip the gown up to change their diaper and slip it back down, no buttons, zippers or fuss. Quick and easy and one of my all time favs. Believe me, you want fast and easy because they go through dirty diapers like its their day job!
6. Velcro Swaddle Sack- These are perfect for at night. I love that they have velcro on them so they stay secure when they wiggle at night, unlike a swaddle blanket they can just maneuver out of. Neither of my boys liked their arms swaddled, so I just velcro'd it across their chest and it helped keep them from waking themselves up from kicking their feet and startling themselves. 
7. Gerber white onsies- You can never have enough of these basic white onsies. I prefer the gerber brand because they are light weight and perfect for layering underneath sleepers or pants. 
8. Kickee Pants Sleeper- Again, this brand is so dang soft. I love these sleepers on my kids because they fit so snug to their skin and are light weight and soft. They come in lots of different styles and patterns but run a little on the spendy-er side. If you're looking to splurge, go for these!
9. Briar Bonnet- With winter around the corner I posted this bonnet because I love bonnets on babies. I've got about 4 for Attikus right now and I love them 1. because they are cute, 2. because they stay on their heads perfectly and don't slip down over their eyes like hats do and 3. because they also come in fleece lined which is perfect for this cold weather. 
10. Butt Paste- Look no further, this stuff works the best! It literally cures any type of sore butt in hours. I don't buy any other type of butt paste. 
11. UPPA baby- Okay, this stroller is expensive but sooo worth it. It literally glides like a cadillac. It's so easy to push, creates no extra work, and you'll love it once you try it out. Some things I like about it is that it comes with a bassinet, toddler seat and the stroller frame. I use the bassinet for Attikus to sleep in right next to my bed for the first few months (you can buy the hamper base that the bassinet can attach to so that its lifted off the floor). I also love it because the mesa carseat clicks right in and out of the stroller with the touch of one hand. Its so easy and convenient, you can't go wrong with this stroller combo. 
12. Graco Swing- So I do have a mamaroo, but neither of my kids liked it. They loved the swing and this is a similar one to the one I currently use. I don't know what it is about it, but they instantly fall asleep once in. Dream purchase. 

HOME: Bringing Attikus home

The day we brought Attikus home I was so dang emotional. With the measles outbreak going on, Oliver wasn't able to come visit him in the hospital which made me very sad and then bringing this new baby into our home and them meeting for the first time I was so worried that Oliver would be sad...ugh it must be a mom thing! Well, Oliver was fine. Actually, he didn't even really care or mind. I think because we had so many visitors and company all the time that he kept busy and his life didn't really change, he still got a lot of attention! It took him about 2 months to actually hold attikus, he wanted nothing to do with him unless we forced attikus in his arms lol 

When I was pregnant with I prepared myself for the worst in terms of having a crabby baby. I say this because Oliver was the most cranky newborn. He cried all the time, wouldn't let you set him down, only slept for 1 hour increments, and only liked to be held facing outwards! So when I say I prepared for the worst..I prepared for another child just like him! Thankfully I hit the baby jackpot with Attikus. He's a dream and sweetest thing. He hardly cries, loves to be talked to, is sooo expressive with his eyes, and is the best snuggle bunny. My mom calls him a sack of potatoes because he totally is just limp and squishy and chunky and just curls his little legs and feet right up to his chest and snuggles right into you. Literally melts into your arms and its the most precious thing. 

A lot of my pics (other than my crappy iphone pics) are from my amazing mother or my friend Sam. Both of them take amazing photos and I love their work. I don't know what it is about having professional family photos for like every season, but I have to get them done and if I don't I get anxiety. It's probably my photographer mother who instilled into me that I need LOTS of family photos so LOTS of family photos we take... Although my husband doesn't feel the same way! You can check out their work here. Enjoy!

Melanie Johnson

 Samantha Cater 

BIRTH STORY: Attikus Hawkins

The day prior to going into labor Jay and I were working on the house, like every day since we bought the thing back in April. I remember sealing our master bedroom tile outside on our 3-season porch. I was doing a lot of up and down and remember feeling pretty uncomfortable, but at the time was just thinking "duh, I'm 9 months pregnant wearing a gas mask rolling sealer onto our heavy ass shower tile" so I didn't really think anything of it. After a long day of work we headed to our blaine home to put Oliver down for bed and go to bed ourselves. 

My sister Zoey was staying with us and we were laying in our bed and I said to her "I can't believe at this time (38.5wks gestation) I went into labor with Oliver.. I don't think this baby is coming out for a while!" Well we went to bed and about 2 hours later at midnight, I wake up to that same hot, wet, feel like you peed the bed feeling with mild cramping and thought to myself "Oh shit, this is really happening!" I ran to the bathroom where more of my water broke in the toilet and yelled out to jay "It's Time!" 

The immediate Oh shit, this is happening feeling is such an adrenaline rush. It's the most intense feeling of happiness, excitement, overwhelming joy mixed with anxiety, nervousness, and feeling like you are scared out of your mind at how this is gonna go. It's a feeling almost as good as pushing that child out!

Naturally we got ready, packed our bags and called our parents to let them know they're gonna be grandparents again soon! I swear both times I've hesitated/doubted myself that I was in labor because the contractions were so subtle and I wasn't in any pain, yet BOTH times my water clearly broke and I was most definitely in labor. So with our hearts pounding with excitement to meet this sweet baby boy of ours we headed off to the hospital.

Once we got to the hospital, around 2am, I was placed in triage where they checked my fluid to make sure I was actually in labor and sure enough I was. We then walked to the labor room where contractions were still pretty low in intensity and frequency. They started me on pitocin to get things rolling at about 5am and eventually breathing through those insanely intense contractions just wasn't cutting it for me and I got my epidural.. in my opinion the best thing a woman could get during child birth!

I was only dilated to a 4 so we were hoping that with the relaxation of the epidural I would dilate more which is exactly what happened. At about 9am the epidural was in but only half my body was numb so some maneuvering had to be done to get my whole bottom half numb. After that was done, around 930am I felt complete calmness, relaxation and was ready to push. The overwhelming sensation of having to push was there and at 1020am our sweet baby Attikus was born. I can't explain that immediate euphoria you experience during birth. It's the most amazing feeling and I would do it over and over again just to experience that again.

Childbirth is such an incredible blessing. It's beautiful. Raw, and the most amazing feeling in the world to experience. 

Attikus Hawkins Wagamon weighed 8 pounds 3.6 ounces and was 21 inches long. He was so chunky, had almost no hair and the most beautiful squishy face. He has brought so much joy and happiness to our lives and we are so blessed to have welcomed this sweet boy into our lives and making our family complete!

Photos by: Samantha Cater Photography 

ATTIKUS: New Born

Attikus Hawkins, now a whopping 18 pounds at 3.5 months is the happiest baby I've ever met. Literally just a dream and the sweetest thing. When he was born he preferred to sleep in my arms at night.. melt my heart and nurse anywhere between 3-5 times. He had the most explosive poops and would blow out of his clothes daily, probably even hourly lol He never cried just whimpered if he needed his pants changed or was hungry or wanted attention. Like I said and continue to say he is the sweetest little human and brings so much joy to our lives, we wouldn't want it any other way. 

Funny story. When he was 2 weeks old we got him circumcised by his Pediatrician outpatient (they didn't offer it in the hospital) and at that appointment I was undressing him down to his diaper to then bring him to the scale but noticed it was pretty full so I decided to change it before we made our way out to get him weighed. I wiped his butt and bam...poop literally flew across the exam table onto the wall and was dripping yellow mustard seedy breast milk poop down the brown colored paint. Disgusting I know. To top it off I forgot his size diapers so I improvised and put him in his big brothers size 5 diaper to bring him to the scale. It covered half his body and came up to his nipples. Pretty sure the nurse thought I was crazy and a complete hot mess.. which I was. I mean he just $!*t everywhere! I was sweating and so frazzled. All the while Oliver is yelling at me "MOM, MOMMY, MUM, MOM..I WANT NACKS" because he wanted me to open fruit snacks for him and get my phone working so he could watch something! Luckily my mom was on her way down from Alexandria to help save the day and together we laughed and sweat it off! UGH... all I can say is good times, good times.  

Photos taken by: Samantha Cater Photography

THE ORCHARD: Aamodts

I've been going to the apple orchard since I was a child. It was a tradition that my family always did growing up. We would go to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch all in the same day. I remember picking apples, feeding goats, riding small ponies, taking LOTS of pictures with pumpkins and other cutouts that you stick your head in and leaving with a warm heart and smile on my face. It was a tradition that I knew I would continue once I had my own children. 

Now, having two little boys I drag my husband and them both to the orchard each year sometime in September. Usually during the month of September because thats my birthday month and I can use it as a good excuse to go for my birthday (wink wink) I know Jay may not always enjoy the overpriced child train ride, apple brat, and other goodies, but its about the memories we create.. right!? This year Oliver picked his own apple off the tree and the smile on his face you guys was of pure joy. It made my heart explode with overwhelming happiness. 

Of course I have to take all the cute pictures of us at the orchard because well its fall in MN and whats more basic then an apple orchard with cute boys in fall layers, picking apples and eating yummy treats. This year we brought home a loaf of apple cinnamon bread and apple cider donuts.