The Moores in Real Life: A diaper explosion

Thursday, October 29, 2015


I saw a quote somewhere the other day about social media and how it can really make others feel down on themselves. 
It is so true that you only really see the good parts in everyone's day on social media.
It's the worst when your day isn't exactly going as planned and then you see your favorite stars or even friends with the best pictures having the most fun.
But what we missed was what led up to that picture.
They could've had to fight their kids to even take the picture, they may have gotten to church 20 minutes late because who knows what happened, the kitchen could be a complete mess but all you see is the corner of clean house in the picture, etc...
I'm guilty of this.
Very guilty actually.
Sometimes I'll post a picture and laugh to myself like "oh if only everyone knew that Oaklyn would not stop screaming right before this was taken." But my caption says something along the lines of "beautiful day with my darling baby!" and no one will ever know...

So, I decided to start a new series on this blog. 
It may not occur every week and it might be on different days, but I will be sharing the "real" of our lives amidst the fashion posts, reviews, recipes, and other posts that were pretty darn staged ;)

My first "real life" post is going to be on our Tuesday night this week. 
Ha, I'm already laughing to myself just thinking back to it.

Hunter had an intramural basketball game that Oaklyn and I went to go watch.
We were late, like really late, because Oaklyn was refusing a nap that I thought she really needed to take.
I finally gave up and left only to make it for like 10 minutes of Hunter playing.
Oh well, at least I got out of the house.
Since I knew I would be going later than Hunter, we took two separate cars. 
Hunter put Oaklyn in her car seat. She was already crying.
He said goodbye to us and we were on our way.
Now Oaklyn is screaming.
We get home and I stick Oaks in her bumbo to give her some dinner while also making cookies and cleaning up from our dinner.
She seemed happy as could be and I was able to get everything done I needed to. 
All of a sudden Hunter looks at me, "EW! did you toot? It stinks!"
I let him know I didn't ha and said "maybe it was Oaklyn."
Oaklyn is currently on day 11 of explosive diarrhea.
Talk about gross. I think you can see where this story is going...
The smell left for the most part and we continued on.
Oaklyn started to get fussy and was trying to get out of the bumbo.
"Hold on baby, I'm almost done with the dishes."
I was thinking she was just really tired because she didn't take an afternoon nap.
I finished the dishes and picked Oaks up. It took me two seconds to see that she was in fact the reason there was a terrible smell.
She pooped.
Like, all over.
It was up her back, down her legs, up her stomach, and pouring out of every inch of the diaper.
She was wearing SUCH a cute outfit and being the mom that I am my first thought may or may not have been "great another ruined outfit."
We've gone through several this week...
No wonder she was trying to get out of the bumbo...
I took her pants off and suddenly felt dizzy.
"Hunter, you need to take her, I think I'm going to throw up."
It really was that bad.
He grabbed her and started making gagging noises when he saw her diaper and everything leaking out of it.
We made a plan.
We would take off the diaper, put it in a plastic bag, and quickly transfer her to the running water in the kitchen sink so that the water could clean her for us.
Hunter took her shirt off and was holding her under her arms as she stood on the counter.
I undid the diaper straps and the diaper dropped in the grocery bag.
I really almost threw up at this point.
It was SO bad!
So, picture Hunter and I making gagging noises looking at each other with terrified faces all while Oaklyn just stands there on the counter like "What guys? You do it too..."
Hunter immediately put her in the running water in the sink and turned his head so he couldn't see the poop going down the drain.
Sick.
He looked back at her and noticed some of it wasn't coming off.
He was still holding Oaklyn under her arms and she was still just staring at us so confused.
I took the sprayer and sprayed the rest off all while making gagging noises still because EW this was a BAD diaper!
Oaklyn started giggling at the feeling of the sprayed water on her naked skin and it definitely lightened the mood.
Hunter and I looked at each other and laughed a little amidst the chaos of a veryy poopy baby.
Once it all appeared to be off her skin we plugged the drain and let her splash around in the sink happy as a clam.
I took the diaper outside to get rid of it forever, pinching my nose so I wouldn't smell the terrible stench.
After it was all said and done, Hunter and I just looked at each other laughing and said "oh the joys of parenthood."
We then gave each other a high five because it may have taken two of us to get her all clean but we got it done and didn't get any on us ha!
Our little baby was just splashing away in the sink and we stood there in the kitchen laughing and playing with her.
I couldn't help but think to myself, "This. This is my real life. And, it is so hilariously, imperfectly perfect."

Now excuse me while I go figure out why Oaklyn is yet again fighting a nap...

All my love,
Aleigh Joy



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Oaklyn's Picks! Ages 3-6 months

Wednesday, October 28, 2015


Now that my little Oaks is 8 months... I figured I should probably do this post that I have been meaning to do!
Every single baby is different, so is every mama. So, each list will be very different as far as "must haves."
Some babies like to be swaddled 'til they're like 8 months.
Others hate it from the start.
You just never really know until the baby is here.
So, my advice to all you expectant mothers would be to not buy everything you "think" you need right away because it could end up being a total waste of money.
There are definitely some essentials you should have like ya know: diapers, wipes, clothes, a place to sleep, food... that sort of thing. But, the little things can wait if money is tight.
I had a list of like 100 things I made when I first found out I was pregnant.
I told Hunter we absolutely needed all of them.
HA!
Good thing you only do the "first time mom" thing once because we'll sure be saving some money next time around on all the pointless purchases I've made this time.
There are a few repeats in this post from my "surviving a newborn" post because some of these things are just key in our every day lives.
If you're seeing something repeated, it means it's totally a must ;)
Here we go!

1) Desatin Diaper Rash Cream. I think I've tried all the creams out there. The only close second would be Tubby Todd's all over cream. But, Desatin still takes the cake. Oaklyn got a crazy bad case of thrush around 5 months. It lasted about a month and a half and gave her such a bad rash. We had no idea she had thrush and got so mad when she was waking up a million times at night. Turns out the poor thing was just in tons of pain. Because her rash came from thrush it was a yeast rash and had to be treated with a prescribed cream but in the meantime, this rash cream saved us. It gave her comfort and soothed her pain for long enough that we could all catch some zzz's. 

2) Bumbo Seat. The Bumbo is the greatest invention ever. When your baby isn't quite ready to sit up on their own but really loves being in that position, this seriously comes in handy. You can also buy the multi seat or the attachable tray and it doubles as baby's first high chair. In fact, we still haven't bought a high chair because the bumbo is working just perfect for us. It can be taken with you wherever you go because it is so lightweight and hardly takes up any room. I usually stick it on the counter in front of me as I'm cooking, eating breakfast, doing dishes, etc... Oaklyn loves that she's right there with me and gets to watch all the action comfortably. 

3) Mam Pacifiers. First repeat! I just really like these pacifiers. I love that they are orthodontic approved, that the surrounding mouth piece is big enough to keep it in her mouth but small enough that it doesn't take over her face, and that they are easy for her to grab and stick in her own mouth, It's safe to say I don't leave the house without like 3 in my diaper bag because Oaks is such a paci girl. I also stick like 50 in her bed at night so there's always one close by.

4) Solly Baby Wrap. Another repeat! I LOVE wrapping my little girl! You can read more about the benefits of baby wearing on this post, but I chose a wrap over a carrier because it just looked so much more snuggle and comfortable for both of us. We have an infantino as well and it does the trick but she has never fallen asleep in it. Oaklyn has fallen asleep in this wrap more times than I can count and it has saved our lives time and time again. I'm sure every wrap is just fine but the material of this one is the greatest. Just the right amount of give without too much stretch. It's also super lightweight and folds so nicely.

5) Baby Trend Snap N Go. I get it, it's not the most attractive stroller. Your city select is definitely more appealing. BUT! This thing is hands down THE BEST stroller to have while your little one is still in their infant seat. So I guess your baby has to like the car seat to like this stroller... Oaklyn does and as long as she has her pacifiers and loads of toys for entertainment, she hangs out during every errand I have to run. It probably weighs like 5 pounds and hardly takes any space. It unfolds SO easy and works with every brand of car seat. It is small enough to fit through tiny aisles but has a big enough basket for groceries. I bring this thing EVERYWHERE! It really does not leave our trunk. It makes me wish Oaks could stay in her infant seat forever ;)

6) Munchkin Mesh Feeder. These things are SO fun! Messy but definitely fun. Sometimes Oaklyn doesn't really want to eat anything but she wants to snack, play around, and taste new things. I love sticking mushy foods in here and letting her test them out with this feeder. She loves sucking on it and swinging it around. I also love putting ice cubes or frozen breast milk in it when I can tell her teeth are bothering her. It helps with the pain and provides entertainment. 

7) The Sharper Image Sound Machine. It doesn't have to be this exact brand, this just happens to be the one we have. I love that this one has several different noises. We just use the white noise setting and it has worked great for us. It blocks out all the noises that would definitely otherwise wake her up. We use it for every single nap and bed time. Instantly when I turn it on she starts rubbing her eyes. She knows that that noise means it is time to sleep, Talk about sleep training ha. Since we live in a condo there are SO many noises that will wake her up. Lawn mowers, motorcycles, trash man, the lady upstairs, me accidentally dropping things ha, etc... This way she will most likely get a good nap in. 

8) Bright Starts Links. If you're only gonna get one toy, make it be these. They are easy for baby to pick up, hold on to, and chew on. They are small enough that they can fit in their mouth to chew on, but also big enough that they can't swallow them. Other toys hook on to them very easily so you won't have a toy go flying. I always have them linked on to her car seat to provide her some entertainment. They also come in fun bright colors which babies totally love. 

9. Play Mat. I think ours is bright starts but it's already in storage and I don't wanna walk out there and check. This thing was such a lifesaver during this time in Oaklyn's life! It made it possible for me to pump without her screaming the whole time. It was so fun for her to look at the hanging things and grab them. It helped her develop a few motor skills and taught her how to play on her own. These can be pretty pricey but I got mine at Burlington again for like half the price and it was great!

So, those were our picks from this age! And I already need to do the next post next month! 
I can't believe how much has already changed since this phase, it really does go fast!
Babies learn and grow so quickly.

What are your favorites during this age?

All my love,
Aleigh Joy

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Tasty Tuesday: Best Pumpkin Cookies

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Guys!
These cookies!
I love pumpkin anything but, these cookies were the besttttt.
Pumpkin cookies are great but I kinda hate that they are more of a cake consistency than a cookie consistency. 
I got to thinking as to why that is and decided the egg probably contributed a lot to that texture.
So, I decided to just take out the egg completely!
I altered my fav chocolate chip cookie recipes and added some pumpkin puree and ta-da! Amazingness happened. 
If you like pumpkin, and chocolate, and butterscotch, and a really really moist cookie with a decadent glaze... this is so your kinda cookie!
I guess if you're not that into pumpkin you're not all that excited right now... but just try it! 
These are a fall-ish chocolate chip cookie and they just made our family home evening so warm and cozy.
Oh, and an added bonus... you can eat the dough plain if you want! Cause, no eggs! (I mean wait, I don't do that) 
Yep, these are good. SO good


Ingredients:
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin purée
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup butterscotch chips

glaze:
1/2 stick butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
5 tbsp. pumpkin puree
1 tsp. salt


Directions:
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl and mix well with mixer
  3. Add the vanilla and the pumpkin puree and mix until it is smooth
  4. Slowly add in the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices, mix until combined
  5. Add butterscotch & chocolate chips to the dough and mix until folded in.
  6. Drop round balls on your prepared cookie sheet. I used a cookie scoop.
  7. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. I did mine for exactly 10 minutes and they were just a little under done, but that's how I like them
  8. Once done cool slightly then move to a cooling rack.
  9. While they are baking prepare glaze
  10. In a medium pot melt butter over medium high heat
  11. Once it's completely melted add in brown sugar
  12. Let the butter and brown sugar come to a boil stirring continuously
  13. Add in pumpkin puree, milk, salt, and cinnamon.
  14. Let simmer for 2 minutes stirring continuously
  15. Add in powdered sugar (add in more or less depending on if you want it to be more of a glaze or frosting.)
  16. Pour a spoonful of glaze over the cookies and let cool
  17. ENJOY!

All my love,
Aleigh Joy






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Freshly Picked Moccasins + GIVEAWAY!

Monday, October 26, 2015


It's no secret that one of the biggest crazes in baby fashion is Freshly Picked Moccasins. 
I see them everywhere I go!
I had to find out for myself what all the hype was about so, Oaklyn got her first pair of teeny tiny Freshly Picked Moccasins!



First off, the shipping was incredibly fast and the customer service was amazing.
These are two HUGE things that make or break a company for me, so I was very happy with such a pleasant experience!
I have tons and tons of baby shoes for Oaklyn that I thought would fit her by now because the tag says 6-12 months.
Well, Freshly Picked knew better than to just generalize every baby's foot so they have an awesome and very easy to follow sizing chart on their website.
It really made ordering Oaklyn's moccasins a breeze and I wasn't worried at all that they wouldn't fit.


There was a HUGE selection of colors to choose from!
I had such a hard time picking one pair because they were all so darling!
I went back and forth between a few but settled on these perfect ones because what's better than gold polka dots?
When they came I was swooning over how adorable they were.
I took them out of the bag and exclaimed "I want these in my size!"
The gold is stunning and the cream fits so perfect with it.


I was actually slightly nervous that I wasn't going to love them as much on than I did just holding them for one reason alone: Oaklyn NEVER keeps shoes on. Ever.
Even little ugg boots I have for her. How in the world did she get ugg boots off?
When I started putting the moccasins on her I noticed a stretchy elastic around the top.
What a great idea! 
It was tight enough to keep them on, but loose enough to keep them comfortable on her feet.
Needless to say, she kept them on ALL day long and right then I understood what all the "hype" was about!


At first Oaklyn started to rub her feet together trying to get them off. 
She does that with every pair of shoes she owns.
Once she noticed they wouldn't come off she started grabbing at them.
Still didn't come off.
She eventually forgot they were even there and smiled during the whole photoshoot!
Usually if I put shoes on she's incredibly distracted and pulls at them the whole time during a shoot.
Not this time friends ;)
When I took them off her feet she was so fascinated by them and wanted them back.
I guess she's a fan!


Another great thing about these moccasins is that they are totally gender neutral!
They have boy and girl colors and styles with seasonal styles as well!
Not only that, but they just recently came out with a line of hard sole shoes for the older ones!
So once your little one grows out of the soft soled moccs, Freshly Picked has you covered for your next purchase :)


Overall, I'm very pleased with these moccasins!
They're a bit pricey... but well worth it for the quality you are getting.


Because Oaklyn and I love her new moccasins and are so pleased with Freshly Picked, we decided our readers need to know what all they hype is about as well!
Sooo we're giving away one pair of freshly picked moccasins on my personal Instagram account!!
Yay!
Just head on over and follow all instructions and you're entered!
Happy entering friends!!
May the odds be ever in your favor ;)

All my love,
 Aleigh Joy







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Fall in the Mountains ft. Shrieking Violet Attire

Saturday, October 24, 2015

I was literally laying awake the other night stressing about all the "fall fun" we hadn't done yet.
Ha, yes I'm that person.
Halloween is next weekend and I still haven't gotten our costumes completely put together, we haven't gone to a pumpkin patch, watched a single Halloween movie, carved pumpkins, or even made pumpkin bread!
So, I gathered my little family together after Oaklyn's nap the other day and we headed up the canyon to Sundance to look at some pretty fall colors and spend time outside.
Oaklyn LOVED it and Hunter and I both agreed on the way home that it will be a memory we will cherish for a while because hearing Oaklyn's laugh and seeing her big smile on daddy's shoulders was quite possibly the cutest thing I've ever seen.

I'm so so glad I decided to wear my new Shrieking Viloet attire shirt! I LOVE this shirt! Anything with lace catches my eye, always, and it is definitely the comfiest and softest shirt I own. I can already tell it is going to be a staple in my wardrobe.I love how simple it is and how easily it can be dressed up. I also love the simplicity of it because you can add tons of cute accessories for any time of year! Since the mountains are a bit more chilly, I paired it with some fall booties, a chunky knit scarf, and of course a plaid headband! I am loving all of the cute items over at shrieking violet attire  right now. Especially this amazing dress! I have so many favorites picked out on their site right now and I want them all! I just may have to get a few favorites because I teamed up with them to give all my readers and followers a promo code for 15% off your purchase! Use code ALEIGH15 at checkout and load up on some seriously cute new clothes. Your closet will thank you later ;) Also, don't forget to follow them on instagram for fun updates and be first to hear about sales and promo codes!
Thanks again Shrieking Violet attire for my new favorite shirt! :)

All my love,
Aleigh Joy




















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Pumpkin Parade 2015

Friday, October 23, 2015
I seriously love the Shops at Riverwoods!
They're always hosting such fun events for families of all ages.
I had this event marked for weeks on the calendar... on the wrong day!
Oaks was taking a late nap and I was looking at instagram and saw a picture posted at the pumpkin parade!
I was so sad because I totally thought we missed it, but Oaklyn woke up just in time for us to go for a little bit :)
She LOVED all the lights just like mama.
There were some super cute pumpkin displays with different themes and lots of activities.
I can't wait to go next year when Oaks can participate in all of them!
Provo is definitely no San Diego... but it sure is a fun family-friendly place and is really starting to grow on me.
We ended the night playing a football arcade game that Hunter totally killed me in...
But, I got some smarties out of it ;)

All my love,
Aleigh Joy








ha! BYU vs Utah Pumpkins


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The Eighth Month

Thursday, October 22, 2015


I know I say it every month but I just can't believe that another month has passed! 
Oaklyn's first year is going by so quickly.
 Eight months just sounds so old to me!
 Before we know it we're going to have a one-year-old. 
Oaklyn is so much fun to have around, we really couldn't imagine our lives without her. 
I can't believe how much she's learning so quickly! I feel like she does something new every single day.
 Sometimes when I feed her right before she goes down for a nap or bedtime I start getting weepy because she looks even a little bigger than the last time I held her and I wish I could just slow down time.

Oaks seems to be getting into everything these days and it can be hard to keep up sometimes. 
I can only imagine what it'll be like when she starts walking.
Here's what our baby girl has been up to the past few weeks.

She rolls all over the place and especially likes to roll places she shouldn't... such as off the bed. I swear she think she's invincible.
She started crawling at church one day when she saw another baby with a toy that she wanted really bad I guess. She has yet to crawl that fast and that good since. I guess me holding out a toy isn't as fascinating. 
She babbles all day long and is definitely closest to saying dada.
She tries to sing along when I'm singing... as of right now she sounds like she may be tone deaf like grandpa Greg ;)
She loves music and starts to dance and clap every time I turn it on. It is seriously the cutest ever.
Speaking of clapping she's learning how to clap and wave and it's the funniest thing ever. She waves with her three last fingers and clapping could some work. Ha!
She sits up so well now!  We occasionally still have a fall here and there but she's learned to get up into the sitting position on her own from her belly. One day after her nap I walked into her room to find her sitting in the corner in her crib. I was in shock!
She plays very aggressively with her toys and gets mad and if they don't do what she wants to do.
She thinks it's hilarious when you hit your head on something then look at her. She cracks up every time.
Her little laugh is the cutest thing we have ever heard! I love when she belly laughs!
She prefers solids over her bottle any day and could live off puffs and teething crackers.
She has turned into quite the mama's girl and clings to me whenever she sees someone she doesn't know. But, she also loosens up pretty quick.
She takes two naps a day but sometimes decides she only needs one... those days are tough.
She's sleeping better at night. Not great, but definitely better.
She finally has one tooth on the bottom after thinking she's been teething since she was like two months old.
She can now sit in the highchair at restaurants in the cart at the store. Such a big girl!
She is in size 3 diapers and is all over the place with her clothing size. It really just depends on the brand. I feel like I'm always boxing up the clothes that don't fit her anymore and it kills me inside every time.
She really loves her pacifier and needs it within reach at all times. I seriously put like 10 pacifiers in her crib so she can always find one.
She's getting very used to our little routine every day and I love that she knows what comes next. 
After she eats her oatmeal in the morning she puts her hands on her tray and looks up at me waiting for me to dump puffs on it. 
After I feed her a bottle before bed I stick her in her crib and she always grabs a pacifier, sticks it in, and rolls over. Ha! I love it. 
She usually wakes up really happy and just plays in her crib til I hear a little squeak letting me know she's awake. There have been plenty of times I had no idea she was even awake until i go in there to make sure she's still breathing and she's just laying there awake playing with her pacifiers ha.
Other than that... her hair just keeps getting longer and I swear she gets cuter by the day.
We sure love our little girl.

As for me, I'm doing well!
Being a mama just gets better as I learn more about her and she learns more about me.
Every day seems to throw a new challenge our way but we've learned to just go with it and make the most of each day. 
I'm still pumping, and still shocked that I've kept with it this long.
Unfortunately my supply is definitely decreasing so I'm not sure how much longer I have, but that's also a pretty big relief. 
I love my little girl so much it actually does hurt sometimes.
Life is good, and motherhood is definitely worth it :)

All my love,
Aleigh Joy






















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