^ sleepy head ^

^ these mini whole wheat choc chip muffins are my weakness ^

This week was a bit rough for Birdie and I as we seemed to have caught a nasty cold. She was congested and feverish Sunday through Tuesday and then Tuesday I woke up feeling rotten so there was a lot of eucalyptus diffusing going on and piles of tissues all around. I finally feel like I'm on the mend which thank heavens because I sure do want to enjoy this long weekend. My in-laws are due to arrive shortly which means I'm running around and tidying up the place. It's the first time they get to see it so needless to say papa bear and I are pretty excited!! Plus - free babysitting!!!! We've been day dreaming of a date night and finally, finally getting to see Boyhood all this week so... Germs be gone!!

It's sort of sad to realize that with the closing of this weekend summer will officially be over. Of course this move made it all go by much too fast but I can't say I'm terribly upset as right around the corner begins my favorite season of all time. I'm just praying for cooler weather so I can get to wear all the fun things I've been stocking up for autumn! 

Next time I post it will be September 1! It's been a decade long tradition in Russia that kids start school every year on September one and so my mind inevitably turns to the smell of freshly painted desks, squeaky clean chalkboards just waiting for that first line of white and the feeling of pride that comes from a "first day of school" outfit. My backpack was always my favorite. I remember one summer, I must have been in third or fourth grade, we had just returned from vacation in Spain where my cousins and I all purchased this darling navy blue backpack with a teddy bear print. All summer long I would take peeks at it in my wardrobe anxiously anticipating the day I could fill it with notebooks and wear it to school. Ahhh... the days of "back to school." I sure do miss them!!

Wishing you a fantastic labor day weekend!!

xo

jacket // boots // coin purse // cardigan // tights // skirt // hat // shirt

It's no secret that fall shopping is my favorite kind of shopping. Combine that with shopping for a little girl and goodness gracious have I been having fun! Of course it's nowhere near cold enough for Birdie to wear any of it yet but with baby boy coming so soon I try and stagger our purchases as I have a few last things that I need to pick up for him too (including a double stroller, oh how I hate stroller shopping...). 

I threw in the cute little coin purse as Birdie goes mad for anything with a zipper these days and I knew she would adore getting to carry something like that. 

Now I need to go and actually organize their closet...

top - old navy, pants - target (maternity), shoes - boden, bag - j.crew

This past weekend was perfectly lazy with Sunday night rolling into what is beginning to be our Monday morning routine of a little Disney in bed with mama (so that I can collect my thoughts before having to jump out of bed), breakfast, a walk with Belle and then reading time. It's so nice to have a routine again, to have some predictability and stability in our life. I told papa bear the other day that I'm looking forward to having our life be boring for a bit because it's been anything but that this year. I suppose that will be short lived too as baby boy is going to be joining us in a little less than a month! 

But for now it's just the three of us. Birdie has become more adventurous with her diet which means that we can generally feed her our meals. All weekend long we would gather around the table and share our food - tacos, past and meatballs, pancakes or just a couple slices of watermelon. There's something so heartwarming about eating together, as a family. In fact, there were moments when I would have an out-of-body feeling looking at all of us sitting there, the sound of silverware against ceramic plates and Birdie's babbling filling the room. It's something I dreamt of for so long, long before I was married and long before we had Birdie. I knew I wanted a family and I knew I wanted to be a mama before I knew much of anything else. Watching this dream unfold every day is something I never take for granted. 

I've been working on a wardrobe for baby boy since before Birdie was born. Since we didn't find out the sex during my first pregnancy I stocked up mainly on neutrals but bought a few things for a boy and a girl. Good thing I kept the boy things because well... here we are! However, now that we know when he will be joining our family I've started to slowly compile a seasonally appropriate wardrobe for him. I've been stocking up on cozy soft sweaters and tiny little hats. Of course for the first week he's going to be wearing nothing but white onsies (I learned that lesson with Birdie) but in the weeks and months after, as he starts to plump up, I've been finding cute things for him to sport (for the two minutes when he won't be swaddled or covered in spit up). 

I know I'm always looking for unique things (read - boy clothes that aren't covered in footballs, baseballs, or just a variation of blue) so I thought I would share some really adorable things I've come across. The price ranges are varied as are the stores (everything from Etsy to a British children's clothing store, which ships quite fast I might add!). 

gray hat // cloud onsie // striped hat // striped onsie // moustache booties // bear sweater // leggings // moustache pacifier

P.S. If you've come across any unique shops or Etsy sellers please do share! I'm always looking for more!