Annabelle’s 7 Month Update

Posted on March 27, 2018March 26, 2018 by SimplyStyledEmily

AB hit the 7 month mark on March 21st! How has it already been 7 months with this little cutie?!

I know I say it every month, but this last month has been the best! She is really starting to get her own little personality and you can see her understanding things and taking in the world around her. She is rolling all around and is a full blown wiggle worm. She may not be a crawler yet but she definitely knows how to get to where she wants to be!!

She is now very aware of the dog, loves to pet him and squeals with excitement when he sniffs her! (possibly the cutest thing in the world)

Purred foods are part of her night time routine and she is a big fan of carrots and rice but could do without the peas! This subject is one I have googled more than a few times making sure we are doing this whole ‘feeding’ thing right! Ha Thankfully she takes it all like a champ.

Her first Easter is this month and we are always excited for a good excuse to celebrate with our baby girl! Happy 7 months little miss Annabelle!!

Annabelle 7 Months_ — How most of these photo shoots are going now… haha

In my Hospital Bag

Posted on March 22, 2018March 20, 2018 by SimplyStyledEmily

I am a bit of a planner so a big item on my to-do list before baby was to pack my hospital bag. I asked around to friends and scoured pinterest for lists what I would need (and want on hand). I thought I would share some of my “glad I packed” items to help anyone currently nesting and putting their bags together. Now of course, you’ll want to pack your regular go to items that are in your over night bag when you are away as well. But here are a few items I was happy made my list:

Maternity Pajama Dress: While deciding what to pack in my bag, a friend mentioned that the nurses came in to check on her lady area after delivery and wearing pajama pants was a hassle. I found this sleep dress and packed it in my bag, and it definitely came in handy. With my unplanned c-section, I had a catheter, having the sleep dress gave me the option to change out of the hospital gown and into something a little more comfortable without interfering with the oh so lovely catheter. It was also a perfect piece while figuring out breastfeeding and for skin-to-skin. I could easily pull the top down to nurse and I could slip the baby in the shirt and pull it up over her to cover us so we weren’t exposed when people walked in.
Chapstick & Lotion: Everyone is right, the hospital has the driest air. These were so nice to have on hand in my hospital bag.
Extension Cord: This was a suggestion from a friend’s husband. He commented that you never know where the outlet will be and he was definitely right. We packed an extension cord and I also ordered an extra long phone charger cable. The outlet by the bed in our hospital room was a bit hard to reach behind the bed so the long cable allowed me to have the phone plugged in and easy for me to reach from bed. The extension cord came in handy for my husband who had his phone plugged in across the room but wanted it reachable from his recliner beside my bed. Between calling and texting friends and family and taking a billion pictures of your new baby, a charged phone is crucial!
Slippers: The hospital I delivered in would not allow patients out of bed without either shoes/slippers or the hospital issued grippy socks on. I didn’t like the idea of walking around the maternity ward and in and out of the bathroom in grippy socks then climbing into the bed with them full of hospital germs so I was sure to have slippers on hand. While I almost bought a pair of new slippers to pack in my hospital bag, I figured I probably wouldn’t want to keep the shoes that were all over the hospital floor so I brought my old pair to the hospital and treated myself to a new pair to have when I was home with the baby.
“Panties” …adult diapers. Don’t let the lady in the commercial fool you, these “panties” won’t make you feel sexy but it will make you feel a little more… put together! During most of my stay at the hospital I wore the mesh underwear and oversized pads (oh the whole situation is something they don’t warn you about) but switched in to the adult diapers “panties” at the end and then wore them at home for the first few days. I felt more confident and it was so much more comfortable to wear out of the house than the oversized pad would be (especially for the babies first pediatrician appointment the first day we were home).

What are some items you were glad to have in your hospital bag or what do you plan to pack?

Baby’s First Easter Basket

Posted on March 20, 2018March 19, 2018 by SimplyStyledEmily

It’s an early Easter this year, so fingers crossed we have some resemblance of spring weather and our Easter outfits aren’t hidden under thick coats! While I am still trying to decide on AB’s outfit, I did start putting together some ideas for our baby’s first Easter basket!

Her main basket that I plan to use each year for “what the bunny brings her” will be a basket my grandmother had made (since we named AB after her, it already says Annabelle on the bottom… so perfect, right?!). But when I was in Target and saw the adorable little bags in the dollar spot section I couldn’t help but snag one, and of course put her name on it! I mean how cute will this be for when she goes to her cousin’s Easter egg hunt themed birthday party!

Since the sweetest treat AB has had has been prunes, candy isn’t quite an option for her Easter basket this year so I got a little creative with some fillers and wanted to share a few ideas.

I saw this adorable Church Rattle Book on another blogger’s Instagram stories from her little ones Baptism and thought it was too cute to pass up. AB can take this little rattle book with her to church on Sunday’s!
As AB tries new foods, thought this Silicone Nibbler would be perfect for her to enjoy some fresh fruit and veggies.
A new little spring outfit covered in bunnies?! Little girl’s clothes are so adorable!
I have never met a baby who doesn’t love their Sophie doll! This is a baby essential! And if your little one already has a Sophie, check out the super cute toys that the Sophie La Girafe brand has (This Sophie bath toy and this Sophie Teether Ring are going on Annabelle’s wish list!)
Can’t go wrong with a colorful board book
The Jellycat brand of animal books are the cutest and have the softest little animal tails!

What are you putting in your little one’s Easter baskets this year?

Monthly Pictures with Annabelle

Posted on February 22, 2018 by SimplyStyledEmily

Taking Annabelle’s monthly updates has been so fun! I snagged the perfect month milestone blanket from Amazon and got it in just in time for her 1st month pictures! I am sure it will be a bit of a circus trying to wrangle a squirmy crawler for pictures as she gets a bit older, but so far she has been pretty cooperative!

Hunter who has been Annabelle’s shadow since we brought her home, insists on being in her photos as well. His paws are in almost every photo and in month 5 he decided he is not just a paw model and has made a cameo or two!

She just hit SIX MONTHS (which is so crazy), so I figured a quick photo dump would be the best way to save these memories! I feel like a cliche, but every month just keeps getting better with our little AB!

And yes, she is finally taller than her little Suzette doll! haha

Introducing our littlest addition!

Posted on August 31, 2017August 31, 2017 by SimplyStyledEmily

Our Baby Girl is here!! Annabelle Elizabeth was born on Monday, August 21st at 2:19 pm (during the solar eclipse). She was born by cesarean section and weighed 6 lbs 5 ozs and was 19.5 inches long! She is a happy healthy little girl and we are over the moon excited she is here!

Annabelle Elizabeth birth photo — Annabelle Elizabeth’s first photo

She will definitely be a daddy's girl... — She will definitely be a daddy’s girl…

Annabelle's first car ride — Annabelle’s first car ride

The first couple days home were tiring as we all got adjusted as a family of three! But we are all now settling in nicely and loving this time with our little girl.

I can’t wait to share as we navigate this new adventure in life!

…and can we talk about how much I can’t wait to dress her in all the bows and tutus!!

find these bows here: Grey* | Grey Striped | Pink & White

*thank you to babiesrhere.com for this adorable bow – check out their super soft bows here {https://babiesrhere.com/products/new-girls-kids-baby-big-bow-hairband-good-quality-headband-stretch-turban-knot-head-wrap-hats-caps}

Baby Girl’s Nursery Design

Posted on June 1, 2017May 31, 2017 by SimplyStyledEmily

We have reached the third trimester! I can’t believe how close we are to bringing our little one home (and then again, it feels so far away!). As our due date looms near we figured it was time to start on baby girl’s room.

I scoured pinterest for a little inspiration and then began the online shopping spree. I put together the big pieces we picked to show the design we are going with. There are many more little pieces to come, but I love how far we have come.

Rug: I knew we wanted to stick with a neutral scheme for the wall and furniture so we can change things around as we want, so I thought a rug may be a great piece to add a pop of color to the room. The bedroom is already carpeted, so the thin 6′ x 4′ rug was just enough! I stumbled upon Society 6 and loved how you can search an idea, like floral watercolors, and search endless designs by various artists.

Crib: I had another crib in mind that was white with natural wood colored legs, but after talking with my sister and measuring out what the actual dimensions were (a crucial thing to do when online shopping) Brandon and I decided the crib would sit very low to the ground. So I went back on the hunt and hit pottery barn during a great sale!

Rocker: Now this was one of the harder pieces to decide on. In my mind I was dead set on a rocker but after searching (and searching… and searching) we came back to this glider Brandon and I had sat in at Babies r’ Us. It was just so comfortable and I love the chairs with the high back.

Ottoman: A storage ottoman will fit perfectly in front of the glider. Knowing I wouldn’t be able to match the linen color, I went with this great gray color.

Dresser: I have been in love with this Ikea dresser for awhile now and am hoping that Brandon will agree we need one of these for our room once he sees how great it is :).

Paint Color: The hardest decision! There are so many “gray” options and knowing just how the shade will look in our house is near impossible. I wanted to stick with a gray hue that leaned more blue than beige and now that the walls are painted, and we can see it in person, it is exactly what I was going for!!

Now the walls are painted and it’s time to start building the furniture! And on to the search for curtains, shelves and some simple wall pieces begins!!

Spring Whites

Posted on May 18, 2017 by SimplyStyledEmily

I have been on the hunt for some new pieces this Spring to add to my closet that would not only be perfect for dressing the bump this summer, but that could also be worn again next year. I hit up the sale Old Navy and stocked up. One piece I couldn’t wait to wear was this beautiful eyelet dress!

While the shift dress is a flattering look normally, I decided I needed to dress the bump a little so I added a simple braided belt. I added simple flats for Mother’s Day brunch at my brother’s house at the beach this past Sunday. (First I grabbed a pair of brown wedges, which were a perfect look, but thought flats seemed more appropriate for the day)

The dress is lined so it is not as sheer as many of the other dresses out today. And with a price tag under $20 right now, you can’t go wrong!

Dress: Old Navy | Belt: similar, similar | Sandals: J Crew Factory (last season) similar, similar

Some Bunny’s excited about our news…

Posted on May 17, 2017 by SimplyStyledEmily

I was back and forth on whether I wanted to find out the gender of the baby but Brandon was positive that there was no way he could wait until August to find out! So of course, if he was going to know, I had to know too. I mean, how could someone keep that big of a secret during all the prepping and planning!

Because Brandon was going to be working over the weekend after our appointment, we choose to find out at the ultrasound. Brandon wouldn’t have time over the weekend for a gender reveal for us to find out with our families, but my brother asked if he could do a gender reveal for my family to find out when we would be together at my parent’s for my dad’s birthday. So in true pinterest fashion, Mark prepped with cans of silly string and my nephew had fun finding out they had a baby girl cousin on the way!

My sweet co-worker has been obsessed with gender reveal videos on youtube and asked if I could hold off on posting online what we were having so we could have an office gender reveal (I work with some of the sweetest people). So the office girls planned a little lunch party and we decided on a box of balloons to make the big reveal. I prepped the box and all my coworkers wore pink or blue to pick sides. It was so fun to share the news with them!

So when the secret was out we took the opportunity when we had the bunny on hand at Easter to do a quick little shoot.

We are so excited to have a little girl on the way. I know she will have Brandon wrapped around her little finger and of course she will have some of the prettiest smocked dresses from my mom. Can’t wait till she is here!

Big News about a Little Thing!

Posted on May 12, 2017May 12, 2017 by SimplyStyledEmily

We have some big things over here!!

We were so excited to announce that we are expecting this August!! I had to share the cute photos my youngest brother took to help make our announcement to our friends and family.

Brandon was excited to add the fireman theme in to the announcement so we used the trucks at Station 3 to tell our news!

Our due date is August 15 and everything so far has been amazing (*knock on wood). I can’t wait to share all about this new adventure!!

Life Lately

Posted on January 2, 2017 by SimplyStyledEmily

Oh what a whirlwind of a year! It has been a busy couple of months around here so a life lately recap is much over due.

In August, Brandon and I enjoyed another trip to the beach with friends and spent the few days soaking up the sun, trying some tasty new adult drinks and driving along the beach at Corova.

outerbanksjuly2016_house — Home Sweet Beach Home

outerbanksjuly2016_shower — Outside Showers are the very best

outerbanksjuly2016_watermelon — Delicious Watermelon Spiked Punch

We cut the trip a little shorter than planned but we were more than excited to head back to town for Brandon’s promotion ceremony at the fire department. Words can not describe how proud I am of him. He works so hard and spent most of the past year preparing to rock his promotion testing and interview (which he did!!). He looked so handsome dressed in his dress uniform and we celebrated his success with dinner, drinks and friends!

September was a busy one at the office for me, but when my day-to-day work involves event prepping, even the stressful work ends in a big fun street festival. One of my favorite new events we have added is the Drive-In movies at the park. ET was the halloween season pick and watching the loads of cars pour in to the park was the best! The busy days continued as we celebrated the holidays in town with tree lightings, parades, and Santa himself!! I definitely love the work I get to do and am so thankful for a great workplace!

grand-illumination-2016 — The best Mr and Mrs Claus in town!

This Thanksgiving I headed to Pennsylvania to visit family and every trip there is magical. The fall in the mountains is always breathtaking and time with family and friends is the best. We spent time shopping, eating and drinking, just how the holidays should be spent!

thanksgiving-outfit — Thanksgiving outfit with a fantastic bottle of Casanel Wine

victory-brewey — Victory Brewery, our favorite Black Friday hang out

Christmas this year was wonderful too. Brandon worked at the fire station Christmas Eve so I headed to mass with my parent’s and brothers and dinner at the oceanfront in Virginia Beach. Christmas day we opened presents, watched the boys play with nerf guns around the house, and ate and drank until we were stuffed!

moran-christmas-2016 — The “kids” on Christmas

My favorite present we gave this year was taking our niece and nephew (who are both 11) to the trampoline park for the day. They are at the age where we have no idea what to get them and most of their time is spent on their computers or phones so we figured getting them up and out of the house over their winter break was the best thing we could do!

And we are two years in to our new house and still loving every inch of it! Slow and steady we are adding furniture and decor pieces and figuring out our personal style has certainly been an adventure. I feel a real sign of “adulting” is gifting furniture to ourselves for our anniversary! We are creating a list of work to be done (built-ins here, new room designs there) and getting to work making the house our home.

It has been a great year for us overall and we are looking forward to all the wonderful things 2017 has in store.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful New Year!!!

Simply Styled Emily

A Life & Style Blog