Art/Mo Project

I don't normally have Leah do studio photo sessions, but when I heard about the Art/Mo Project collaboration with photographer Jennifer Young and Geronimo Balloons, I thought it would be a super fun thing for her to do. She got to play with frill, giant balloons, and confetti, and best of all her bestie was there too! I love how happy she looks {of course we had a few not so happy moments as well}. And boy is my belly getting big now! 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Leah's day care had a little Valentine's Day party this morning. They got to exchange goodies and make that cute hat and card she's carrying. So fun!

Whether you celebrate Valentine's Day or not, I hope everyone has a wonderful day!!

Toddler Valentine Ideas!

Heart Crayons // Apple Sauce Valentine

Valentine Bunny // Let's Stick Together

Leah's day care is exchanging Valentines on Friday, and I've been researching cute ideas to give her classmates that did not involve a lot of sugar! Here are a few adorable and simple ones I found on the web. I personally am going to do the Valentine Bunny and attach a small tube of bubbles! 

Please share ideas you have for kids Valentines!

First Ballet Class!

I've been eagerly waiting for Leah to turn 2 so that I could put her in a ballet class. Lately, she's been all about dancing and being a princess, and I've been teaching her a few ballet steps. I wasn't sure how she'd do though since she's on the shy side, and this wasn't a mommy and me class. Thankfully, she ended up loving it! She refused to change out of her ballet clothes after the class, and when we walked passed the dance studio yesterday she wanted to go back inside! I hope she continues to love dance as much as I do!

Pregnancy...Round 2

I'm 30 weeks pregnant now, and it still hasn't really hit me that Baby Kelly will be here in a couple months. I'm still not prepared mentally, but physically, I've been starting to feel the aches, pains, and big kicks of pregnancy. We've also been preparing Leah for the arrival of her baby sister. She seems to understand, and so far has been so sweet to my growing belly. We also bought the books I'm a Big Sister and You Were the First to help her understand her new role, as well as remind her of how special she is. Here's a little video of her showing some love. I apologize for the poor video quality!

For those with multiple kids, how did you prepare your oldest for the arrival of a sibling?

Mini-me?

No more like mini-daddy.

While I would love to say Leah is a mini-me, she definitely has more of her daddy's character and interests. They enjoy doing so many activities together, and one of them is playing outside with her golf clubs! Matt can't wait for the day when they can actually play a round together {and honestly, I can't wait either! umm... 4+ hours to myself. Yes, please! :)} It has definitely been fun to see what aspects of Matt and I make up who Leah is. We're looking forward to seeing what baby #2 will be like!

Mini-Babymoon

CHEERS!

With Leah, we had the opportunity to go on two babymoons - London and Hawaii. With #2, we knew we wanted to go on a little getaway, but neither one of us wanted to leave Leah for too long. I was researching possible places that weren't too far like Palm Springs or Santa Barbara, and then I stumbled upon Rancho Valencia in Rancho Santa Fe. This resort is a little gem! It's beautiful, quiet, and the quality of service provided is exceptional. We were often greeted with a "Hi Mr. and Mrs. Kelly!" whenever we walked around the grounds. 

Fresh squeezed orange juice delivered at my door step every morning!

Amazing coffee (including frother!), drinks, and snacks provided at no extra charge!

Matt bringing me my morning coffee in bed

We stayed in their standard room which was still 900 square feet with one of the most spacious bathrooms I've ever seen in a resort, and we were also impressed with the amenities provided in the room. We spent a lot of time just lounging around the fireplace, watching movies, snacking, and soaking up the sun from our private outdoor garden. 

As part of the resort's partnership with Porsche, you can take out for a spin the Porsche Cayenne, Panamera, or 911. We took the Cayenne for a drive to Encinitas for lunch, and Matt also took the Panamera out to golf. Definitely a nice little perk for car enthusiasts! 

The only picture we took of the two of us!

We had a delicious dinner at Veladora, and it was quite amazing to be able to sit down to a 4 course dinner without having to rush! 

Before kids, Matt and I went to the gym together, but now we have to exercise on our own time separately. We took advantage of the state-of-the-art fitness center while on our babymoon, and it was pretty fun to be able to work out together again. Next time, I definitely want to check out the yoga and Pilates classes. Of course, I also got a prenatal massage which was so relaxing and much needed. 60 minutes always goes by too fast! 

Even though we had a very restful few days, we missed Leah like crazy, and FaceTimed with her every night. She pretty much had her own babymoon with grandma and grandpa though! They took her to Disneyland, parks, and malls, and sent us frequent photos. When we arrived to pick her up, she was especially excited to see Daddy, and clung to him like glue. It was the cutest thing ever. 

I highly recommend taking a babymoon for all those expecting to rest and recharge before the craziness of having a newborn comes. If you get the chance check out Rancho Valencia! I was so pleased with my stay here and hope to come back to visit again!