Bits of Life No. 3

Oh, life. Life is grand, and summer is just around the corner. I'm still working on getting myself into a bit of a blogging rhythm (yep, still need to write Nancy's birth story and 1 month update!), but I think that is about to happen now that my mornings will be more routine...because I love a good routine. It's the kindergarten teacher in me. Now that I got the all clear to work out again (WAHOO!), getting my booty to class at 8:15 every morning will surely jumpstart my days and my energy. So pumped (in more than one way...ha!). Anyway, here is an informal, photo-filled peek into what's been going on the past week and a half...

Still on my green juice kick while visiting a lovely new spot. ;)

My girl and I filled one day with shopping and errands. I sipped champagne while helping my sis make outfit decisions with a her birthday gift certificate. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it. ;) CLT girls: have y'all been to Traveling Chic Boutique yet?! It's new on Selwyn. Love it. There are a lot of Free People-ish looking items there that make my heart go pitter patter. Nancy and I also (obviously) took a quick to the grocery store. We walked from my mama's since we only needed a few items.

Cheeky chats with Tina

And midday walks around Freedom Park with Harper and Mama Mal.

Yes, I take obnoxious amounts of pictures of my daughter and think every one is cute.

Cheering Nancy, Little Marky Nancy, and Yawning Nancy. You're welcome. (At least I'm owning it. ;))

Who knew Amelia would be the best big sister on Earth!? (I didn't.) Tina loves the baby!

My mommy wore the baby for the first time...and loved it. We love baby wearing.

My honey's 29th birthday! Ohhh how blessed am I to do life with beside this hunk?!

Birthday bros. Playing chess and Football Manager. Simultaneously. 

In our family, you get to pick your birthday dinner. Typically us Davis kids request take out since we're all notorious homebodies. Mark's request? Diva Mama's Chicken Pie (made by our dear family friend, Mama Len! And quite obviously Mark's most favorite meal by a mile. Or ten.) and lemon meringue pie. He's just going with the stereotype that English people love pies. (Yep.)

We celebrated Marky's birthday again the next night when our English family came into town! Marks mum and dad made the trek across the pond as well as Mark's favorite cousin, Heather, and her husband, James. The night consisted of lots of yummy food, drinks, catching up...and passing around the baby.

This view. These two. I love my new normal.

Nancy loves her Nana!

Documenting Nancy's first trip to Mimi and Papaw's farm 

(She was in my tummy around here just weeks beforehand for our maternity pics!)

Grandmimi, Chief, and the littlest lady who made them great-grandparents

(But seriously, HOW CUTE ARE MY GRANDPARENTS?!?!)

Twins? Mark left, Nancy right

Owning it (again and always): while waiting on my doctor to come in for my postpartum checkup, I entertained myself by pointing my phone's camera at my child and taking pics of the cute faces. 1) Woke up from a scary dream like that. BLESS that cute crying face! 2) Raise the roof, little Nancy!

All smiles because we both had checkups that day and got clean bills of health. Hooray!

My in-laws ended their CLT stay at our favorite spot: Dressler's. Home of our rehearsal dinner, our last date night before baby, and the best hospitality around--hands down!


Just for fun:Bits of Life  (I just had fun looking through this myself and saw a little wish that came true...! ;))Bits of Life | No. 2

My 28th Birthday

This year. My first birthday as a mama. Something I thought a lot about for the first time was the different between a birthday--as I've always thought of it--and a birth [space] day. I found myself thinking a lot about Nancy's birth day, which led me to thinking about my parents on my actual birth day in the hospital. I concluded that birthdays are especially sentimental for mamas and daddies too. On any given child's birth day, however many years ago, parents end nine months of anticipation and welcome the newest love of their lives into the world. And you know what? That's pretty darn special. I think I'll never look at birthdays the same again. Now that I know that love between a mama and a her baby, I'll have my mommy to thank for every birthday I celebrate from here on out. Just for loving me the way she does. (Thanks, Mommy. I love you!)

A lot of mamas told me that this birthday would be my best yet...because baby snuggles. And being a mama. My dream come true, you know? Well, they were right. Best yet. It was simple in style but grand in my heart. 

 Exactly what I wanted for my birthday--a love note. :)

 Free birthday Starbucks + Bachelorette + baby snuggles = afternoon perfection

I mean...these little moments are everything to my heart! Her favorite place to be. The sweetest part of my day.

Nancy wore an old outfit of mine. Straight up 1987. I love it! Also: see that #judgybaby on the left? Always judgin'.

And--just for fun--yours truly in that same outfit almost 28 years ago. :)

We had a pre-dinner beer or two on the porch.

And lots of baby snuggles. | Harper and Hope (and Tina!), Mal and Nancy

 My dinner request? Mellow Mushroom. And my hubby got out the selfie stick for the first time since Nancy's birth day. (And next up...my sista will take it with her to Antigua!...this weekend!)

Ben & Jerry's ice cream cake perfection -- cookies & cream and carmel blondie inside. YES.

 My little family. The reason why this bday was the best yet. 

 ...And because of her too. My mama. Who I adore and appreciate in so many new ways now that I'm one too. 

 Any cake called "Sprinkle Explosion" is a friend of mine!

Cheers to 28, to pizza and ice cream cake, and the simple joy of being with family. I look forward to whatever God has in store for me this year!!

P.S. Don't forget to enter the Simply Made with Love giveaway for a $25 shop credit!

Simply Made With Love + Giveaway

It's common knowledge that every Southern girl loves a good monogram. Amen? When sweet Leah, owner of Simply Made with Love, emailed me about sending Nancy a little something, I admit...I didn't foresee the monogram being THIS DANG CUTE. Honestly, I thought she would send me something simpler or more basic -- perhaps a white onesie with the everyday pink script monogram. Super cute and classic and oh so lovely. But this! Pink! Turquoise!!! And this precious and unique style monogram?! It's better than what I would've picked out for myself. Perfection.

More great news: Simply Made with Love is more than just cute onesies and embroidered clothes for kiddos. You can get beach buckets, drinkware, vinyl decals, kiddo clothes...anything for your fabulous monogramming needs. :)
So if you have a baby girl and want to be twinsies with Nancy, go for it. :) But otherwise...there is still something for you and/or yours. Leah has graciously offered Cheers Y'all readers to enter in a giveaway for a $25 shop credit. Enter away, lovelies! Cheers to Simply Made with Love!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Full Disclosure: Per my sponsorship policy, I was given one item to review and one to give away; however, all opinions are strictly my own.

Twenty-Eight

Via

I love this week. Birthday week is fun because I share it with my husband. I catch up to him for 4 whole days, and then he's a year older than me again. :)
This year I told Marky not to get me anything again. Remember? We commonly skip the gifts when it comes to each other. He already got me a rockin' push present a short bit ago, and we have some fun adventures on the horizon. Instead I asked for a love note (No, really. I did. Maybe my #1 love language is touch, but #2 is words of affirmation)...and for him to try to put his clothes in the hamper this week or hang them back up if they're not dirty. It's the little things, right? :)
Today I plan to relish in countless minutes of baby snuggles, watch the Bachelorette, and I look forward to breaking my cookie cake streak (3 cookie cakes in the past month calls for a change, maybe? They're so good but I've definitely eaten proooobbbaly over one cake to myself sooo...). My request? An edible arrangement of fruit!!!! Kidding. I love me some fruit. For real. But pssshhh not for a birthday. I went for the real deal (duh): Ben & Jerry's ice cream cake. Okay, okay...I specifically requested one in the shape of a heart called "sprinkle explosion." CANNOT. WAIT. FOR. THAT. RAINBOW. SPRINKLE. GOODNESS. 

Cheers to year 28...and to the fact that each year as Elise Houston gets better and better. I love being married, I love my growing little family, and goodness gracious how I love this life! Thank you, Lord, from whom all blessings flow!!!! 
And--just for fun--last year's posts:Twenty-SevenBirthday Reflections [She Designed a Life She Loved]Birthday Paddleboarding 
P.S. You know what else is fun about birthdays? Giveaways. So check back tomorrow for a little birthday giveaway fun...and perhaps the cutest blonde baby model you've ever seen...

Family Staycation

Staycation. I couldn't say that our little fam had ever been on one of those until now! We spent the weekend about 5 miles down the road at my grandparents' home. Why? A little Wells Fargo Championship golf fun and relaxation weekend. It was such a fun change of scenery and pace. And, I have to admit, I appreciated packing for a newborn for the first time with the safety net of knowing we could go back and get something if we needed it. For the record, we didn't go back and get anything! ...Well, I did forget to pack dresses for Nancy and had my mom bring a few of those. ;)
FRIDAY

 With my sista and my baby. :) Y'all. Wearing a baby is like walking a puppy. Everyone looks at you and goes, "Awwww! Look!" It's extremely entertaining. Fun fact: the men are more into (or less subtle about?) the reactions of "Look! Baby!" than the women. 

 My Mimi was in Spain for my cousin's graduation, so sweet Papaw was our host for the weekend. He gets lonely without Mimi around, so we were honored to keep him company all weekend. Bless this man! I love him so much. He is the sweetest...and it was pretty special for him to get some extra Nancy time to himself. :) -- We began and ended each day on the porch: coffee in the morning and cocktails at night. The best.

SATURDAY

...Okay maybe we missed one morning on the porch because we slept in WAY late on Saturday. Of course I was up at points of the night feeding Nancy, but us four Houstons (Amelia included, duh) didn't rise from our bedroom till 11:30AM. Say WHAT!? I know. Staycation victory right there. Next we got ourselves ready for the day and headed to lunch at Cowfish with my Dad and his girlfriend. Everyone loved passing the baby around the table, and we even celebrated my birthday a few days early with cookie cake.

 Nancy and her Abuelo -- SUCH a chill baby. Look at her! Bless.

Lunch: a Moscow mule,  make your own sushi (what I always go for at Cowfish!), and cucumber salad

 Cookie cake. I love cookie cake SO DANG MUCH. I cut the cake and gave myself the piece with the most icing. :)

 Our little family on the 18th. I love my people so darn much.

 Pimms on the porch

 Into the night with Nancy...and Baron, my grandparents' doberman and the dopiest, sweetest, clunkhead of a dog you've ever met. We are obsessed with him and convinced that our next dog (someday far away!) will be a doberman.

SUNDAY

 We only slept in till 9:45 (HA! So staycay spoiled!) today, so coffee on the porch still happened.

 Yes...the cool breeze called for extended morning porch time. Multiple cups of coffee, family snuggles, and--of course--soccer.

 The highlight of my day. Love her snuggles. I wonder if her #1 love language will be touch like her mommy and daddy. I wouldn't be surprised -- she loves to be close to us. (And I eat. it. up.)

 Amelia's heavenly view

Since I wore the baby around the golf tournament on Friday and Saturday, Mark had the honor on Sunday. He [obviously] rocked it.
Yes, indeed. That was our first staycation in a nutshell. I think it shall be the first of hopefully many future stay-cays to come. Tell me: have y'all ever taken a "staycation?" Fill me in on the deets! I want to store up some ideas. :) 
Cheers to a wonderful, wonderful weekend! 
Sources: Friday Dress (SOLD OUT) but similar here & here | Saturday dress (super old) - similar dress; romper | Made in America with British Parts onesie, Heart Leggings (40% off!) | Sunglasses are knockoffs of these...but mine are from Old Navy! | Baby Wrap | Baby Carrier