belly laughs.

I will do anything to get this sweet child to laugh. It's the most beautiful sound I've ever heard, and if you listen closely you can hear my heart melting right out of my chest...

xo

23 weeks & then some.

So I'd made a really good attempt at trying to get a 23 week photo set done, but Hux wasn't having it.

With his new skill of sitting up things are progressing quite rapidly here & we have to keep an even closer eye on our adventurous one.

Instead, I thought I'd post some of my favorite shots from his 23rd week here on this planet. What changes! What fun! We've really been having a ball.

Oh, & today we made a quick trip to Ikea.
[I know, that's impossible right? Wrong, we really had one goal: get highchair.
& get highchair we did!]

xo

the ever moving Hux.

Our little guy just does not stop moving.
Seriously.

We have to strong-arm him to get a diaper on...it's kind of ridiculous & even worse after a bath when we oil him up with Weleda Calendula Oil.
[best stuff ever, by the way.]

He is always looking at stuff. Taking it in. Adding it to his memory bank & moving on to the next fascinating new sight. It's adorable, really.

But! When you're trying to get a spoonful of pureed goodness into a moving target and add to that an awkward Bumbo Seat used as a highchair...things tend to get a bit messy.

Like so,

xo

ps: any suggestions on a better/affordable/practical & cute highchair, MUCH welcomed! It's on our wishlist.

Handcrafted Garland Giveaway

***GIVEAWAY CLOSED***
Are you decorating a nursery or does your little ones current nook need some color & fun?

Handmade in Glasgow, Scotland by a Mama of two these handmade garlands add the perfect finishing touch. Their whimsical design and patterns make the possibilities endless...you can hang them, drape them, I feel like you could even turn them into a mobile if you got crafty enough!

The lovely Fiona was kind enough to gift one to Huxley (he chose the Aqua, Lime & Orange Felt Garland) & another for one of you lucky readers!


To Enter (Mandatory):
1. Follow life with the Hux. on Google Friends Connect by clicking the icon at the top of my sidebar.

2. Follow life with the Hux. on Twitter

3. Stop by Jellybean Studio & leave a comment letting me know which garland you would like to win!

Extra Entries!
-Vote for life with the Hux. (one vote & entry daily)

- Tweet about the giveaway adding the link to the giveaway, and @lifewiththehux

-Grab our Button & post it on your blog (leave the URL in your comment to confirm)

-Blog about the Giveaway (leave the URL in your comment to confirm)

*The winner will be chosen via random.org & announced on July 14th!*

Good luck!

xo

this child loves the water.

there is definitely some lake michigan in his blood...

22 weeks & growing.

This little boy is growing & growing fast.

Huxley has begun to pull himself up into sitting position and hold himself there for awhile. If this accomplishment wasn't enough he is also making attempts at pulling himself up to stand.

[I really need to put those rocks in his diapers.]

Teething is in full force this week. He is gnawing feverishly at anything he can get into his mouth & is constantly worn out from it. It's made his sleep schedule wacky, but he is sleeping like a champ (in his big boy crib, too boot!).

He has a new favorite toy---a little bumblebee piano that lights up and either plays notes or music when tapped....I think we may have a little prodigy on our hands!

We've begun cloth diapering (almost) full-time. I'll post more on this topic later, but Hux is napping & I must get some chores done before he stirs.

Until then, keep those votes coming in, just two clicks a day from you helps us climb Top Baby Blogs!

xo

thrifty book worm.

We love reading here at our hutch.

Our first purchase for Hux was a book--Richard Scary's Cars, Trucks & Things that Go. It wasn't until after Huxley was born that we realized just how perfect of a selection that was for our little boy!
[we waited 'til he was born to find out.]

When we were pregnant with Huxley I'd spend my downtime sifting through thrift stores to find books that once were on my childhood shelves. It was therapeutic for me. It was calming and somehow helped make they pregnancy more palpable..more real.
[it was hard for me to really wrap my head around bringing a little person into this world.]

Every night, Matt would tuck me in, spray lavender essential oils throughout our bedroom, and read one of the books I'd rediscovered to my ever growing belly.
[it helped make the pregnancy more real to him as well.]

It's kind of become a hobby. Finding the perfect books for Hux to grow up with. I'm constantly looking for a few of my childhood favorites that have sadly disappeared after years of garage sales. With each hunt I hope to stumble upon them, and often find a few really cool vintage books. After bringing them home I lovingly clean them and make them look brand new before adding them to the collection.

I've only purchased barely a handful of books at full price and have saved hundred of dollars, & best of all--
look at Huxley's growing library!

[some finds from the other day book hunting with Hux.]

xo

Vegan Treats

Attention to all of you dairy-free/vegan/gluten free Mama's & Papa's & everyone inbetween!
Let your sweet tooth rejoice, because thanks to Liz Lovely we no longer have to settle for cardboard-tasting cookies & other sub-par treats.

Based out of the Green Mountains of Vermont this tasty little bakery is full of awesome folks whipping up handcrafted organic cookies which are made with only the best stuff out there. Your conscience can feel as good as your taste buds while enjoying these cookies as all ingredients are completely vegan & fair trade.

They have so many creative & delicious cookies to choose from it's kind of ridiculous! My favorite were the Cowboy Cookies (which our local Whole Foods carries) until I got my mits on their Gluten Free Chocolate Fudge cookies.

There are OH MY!


Stop by there online store and order a few, scratch that, a BOX to try & maybe even share, today!

[& yes, they look as good as they taste,]

xo

happy daddy's day!

Fathers are truly remarkable men.
There is just something about them that sets them apart from the rest.
They have the toughest role in my opinion---with the weight of their child's & partner's world & well-being on their shoulders.

I am blessed to have experienced a Father who worked until his hands turned to leather to provide for us all the while still making time for his family.

We would go on Daddy-Daughter dates. He'd teach me how to be a better more competitive ski racer. He pushed me to do good & be honest in all things. He supported and loved me unconditionally.

[and still does all of these things today...minus the skiing, but, we'll work on that.]

& now I get to watch as Matt takes on his new role and he has done so beautifully...I mean, it'd be really hard for him not to considering he now has a miniature version of himself who is wide-eyed in love with his Daddy.

Happy Father's Day to you remarkable men.

[we love you very much.]

xo

why I love being a Mama. (just a few of the reasons.)

there are so many little tiny moments & things that make sleep deprivation, a small bank account balance, balancing work schedules & all the hard work that comes along with parenting

worth it,
rewarding,
a blessing,
fun!
heart melting,
hilarious,
sweet,

& pretty much, no, definitely the best thing God ever gave us.

Although words could never do justice to how having a child changes your entire heart's composition I wanted to make an attempt to describe how my concept of love has deepened, grown, & reshaped by Huxley.

I love waking up to Huxley squirming around in his crib, babbling.
I love how he has endless smiles.
I love his broken-in baby smell.
I love rubbing the little bald spot on the back of his head.
I love his full-bellied laugh.
I love how he pets me.
I love the sound of him latching on to me & the way his eyes close half-way & roll back like he's drinking liquid awesome.
I love his eyes & how they're constantly looking at things with wonder.
I love his dimples.
I love his fearlessness.
I love how he holds his arms out for me to swoop him up.
I love his nuzzles.
I love watching him sleep, explore, learn, just taking it all in.
I love how he grounds me.
I love how he teaches me.
I love how there is no one who could take my place, and visa versa.

I love that I am his Mother.
I love that he is my Son.
I love him through & through, forever & ever, higher than the moon.
Amen.



xo

Hux's First Play Date!

It's true.
It was his first ever play date today with his friend Griffin. They've actually known eachother for quite some time as I went to prenatal yoga with G's Mama, but today they finally met!
It was really nice to get out of our nest & we had a lovely afternoon at the bookstore with them.
We're hoping to make it a regular thing, cause Hux thinks G is pretty cool.

[bros.]

xo

Dairy-Free Breakfast

Being Dairy-Free is not so bad...it's really pushed me to eat a lot healthier & to get back into eating more on the vegetarian/vegan side of things...

I don't like labels so I say I am a healthitarian & this is what I had for breakfast:

Fresh Pain de Campagne Bread from Whole Foods

Two Over-Hard Eggs
Caramelized Onions
Organic Arugala
Local Tomatoes
Baby Food Mayo, haha (leftover pureed avocados & peas mixed with mayo)

[drool.]

Our Five Month Old Rocker

Looking at our 5 month old we can't help but gaze with pride and excitement.

Hux is destined for greatness & VIP All Access Passes.

I mean, he's already really into the drums & has impeccable taste in music.
His top favorite artists are Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, Otis Redding, Neil Young, Louis Armstrong, & of course, the Man In Black.

x0

& zee weiner of the Boon Bath Goods Giveaway is...

Mama K!

Congratulations & enjoy these fun bath toys! I'll be getting in touch with you via email today!
Thank you everyone for participating & all of your votes--keep them coming until the next amazing giveaway!

[winner was drawn using random.org]


xo

...last minute Father's Day Idea!

We are a BBQin' kind of family.
Especially in the summertime.
& every grillin' Daddy needs a customized apron in his arsenal!

Aprons & Smocks [dot com] makes it a breeze to design your own personalized apron.
They guide you step by step allowing you to choose the style, color, embroidery & fonts.

I'd show you a photo, but ours is all wrapped up for a special certain someone!
So you'll just have to wait to see what Huxley picked out, until then
CLICK HERE! to create yours for Dad or even Grandpa.

Oh, ps...they also have super super cute kid sized aprons!

xo

when co-sleeping goes bad.

Sleep has gone out the window here at our little home--Huxley's decided it's just not his thing.

I partially blame those darn teeth that are so close to breaking through, but if that wasn't enough for us to deal with, we have also decided to make the transition from allowing him to sleep with us to sleeping in his 'big boy' crib.

We came to this decision Saturday after Matt & I awoke at 6:30am with a 'THUD' promptly followed by a wailing Hux.

Huxley rolled out of bed.

He cried for a minute or two, as I consoled him while Matt simultaneously talked me down from a huge freak-out.
(have I mentioned how amazing of a man I've got by my side?)

Remaining calm helped the situation out so much as I checked our little boy over & over for any signs of injury. He seemed unscathed but we didn't let him go back to bed immediately incase he had hit his little coconut head.

We were lucky, it could have been worse.

We had been co-sleeping since we got home from the hospital with Huxley, and it worked for us but Saturday was a hard reminder that co-sleeping isn't always the best option.

Feeling utterly defeated as a Mama after a long week with new parenting challenges I phoned a close friend of mine to confide in her about the fall. She responded quite coolly, saying how so many parents are just too ashamed or embarrassed to talk about it, but it happens all the time. Her daughter had taken a few rolls of the couch & she is absolutely perfect. She helped me regain my confidence and I now realize this is all a part of growing into the role as a Mother.

We know we have to endure a few sleepless nights to get into our new routine, but hopefully we come out of this with a child who sleeps the whole night though...
in his own bed!

Until then here are a few photos of when the Hux really loved his sleep!

xo

PS: We will be announcing the winner of the Boon Bath Goods contest tomorrow! Get your last entries in today!!!!