A Little Life Update

Thank you Pink Blush for sponsoring this post

Hi friends!

It's been a hot minute since I've sat down and typed out some sort of update.

Life has been exceptionally busy lately!

Even though I like when I'm busy, it can also be overwhelming and the first thing that gets pushed to the back burner is blogging... sad!

However, I've had quite a few of you message me asking what's happening in our life currently so I figured I'd at least pop in here for a second and give a little update!

Hunter:

Hunter was working for Marriott right when we moved here.

He was trying his best to enjoy it, but just knew it wasn't the right path.

He ended up applying for another company here in San Diego and got the job!

It's called General Atomics and they build unmanned aircraft for the military.

To be honest, we had no idea what to expect with him applying.

We knew he could totally do it, but they've never hired anyone right out of college for this position.

We were so happy that he got it and we have been loving the schedule!

The hotel business has awful hours and is pretty taxing on a family.

This has been a million times better for us.

Hunter is still learning the ropes but likes this job way better!

Aleigh:

Moving was a complete whirlwind and I still feel like I'm trying to get my feet on the ground here.

It has been tons of fun living near so much family and means I'm constantly busy.

I haven't had much time to sit around here which is good!

I've been planning multiple parties since I've been here and it has been really fun!

I'm missing my friends and the life we built in Utah, but I'm remembering why I love it here too.

I have days where I ache to go back, but other days are really great here.

The girls also keep me very busy and are still causing a lack of sleep and an abundance of grey hairs but what's new? Ha!

I'm also really loving shopping at Pink Blush! They have tons of cute maternity clothes and stylish women's clothes. I love wearing this baseball tee out and about because it is so comfy and cute! I was having a hard time finding this exact top online, but there are plenty of trendy maternity clothes options on their site! I'm not currently pregnant, but I am able to find something for every season of life!

Oaklyn:

My Oaks is three! She is the most stubborn child but also the cutest.

She just gets prettier by the day. Sassier too ;)

We keep talking about her "happy birthday" and she can hardly wait!

I love when she gets so excited about things.

She has been loving being surrounded by so much family.

I honestly think she has forgotten about Utah completely because of how much fun she has with family here.

She always has someone to play with and is in heaven having grandparents within 5 minutes of each other.

She seems so much older to me now and is SO smart!

Her vocabulary is incredible and she is always trying to use big words in sentences. 

I'm always impressed with her memory, ability to pick up new things, and eagerness to learn

Cambria:

Oh my sweet baby Cam!

I'm still as obsessed with her as ever!

I literally cannot get enough of this baby.

She's so squishy and perfect!

She is the most angelic child you will ever meet.

She get's a solid D+ for nighttime sleeping but it doesn't even bother me because I'm so obsessed with her and how adorable and sweet she is!

She takes great naps, but is still waking up quite a bit at night.

She is sitting completely by herself for long periods of time.

She rolls alllll over the place.

She's eating solid foods and figuring out how to eat on her own.

Everything about this child is adorable!

That about sums up what each of us are up to now!

I'll try harder to update more in the future!

Mostly, life just keeps passing by and we can't believe how quickly things are going.

We have a three year old and a 6 month old and it happened in a blink!

It seems like just yesterday I was Shopping at Pink Blush for their Pregnancy Clothes  and now here I am looking at their women's line!

Time is a crazy thing.

I hope all of you are well and I'm excited to share Oaklyn's party with you!!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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Life With Two... So far.

This post is somewhat of an update on life and somewhat of a follow up post to this one.

I also haven't blogged like... at all... since Cambria was born so I figured I'd do that ha.

The day Cambria was born I was instantly in love with her. Like smitten, maybe even obsessed? Hunter said recently that Cambria "walks on water" in my eyes because literally everything she does is adorable to me. I was so happy that this time around, the bond was instant. If you've been a reader for a while you know I had pretty severe PPD with Oaklyn and I think that really hindered the bond I had hoped for with her. Luckily it came later and we pretty much became best friends. However, it was so nice to feel the instant connection I had seen so many other moms experience this time around. The hospital was such a dream. She slept in my arms or on my chest the entire time, nursing was fairly easy, I felt mostly calm and relaxed... I couldn't believe how different this experience was. When we got home my mom was there to make dinners, take care of Oaklyn, let me recover, hold the baby while I showered and then my mother in law came the week after to do exactly the same thing. It was wonderful and I even thought to myself, "maybe two kids isn't so hard after all!" 

When both grandmas left, I pretty much became a one man show. Hunter has two jobs and goes to school full time so to be honest, he's not home much... I was tired and some nights were rougher than others, but overall I was shocked at how much smoother the transition from one to two was. Oaklyn was the type of baby that I literally could not put down. So far, Cambria has been a much more mellow baby and that has been a huge blessing. Oaklyn has also gotten a little more used to being home more often. Before Cambria was born, we were only really home to sleep during the night and nap time. Other than that, we were out playing! She loves being active and exploring so I just always had activities planned constantly. With a nursing baby, that became pretty complex. So we're still kind of adjusting to a slower lifestyle. 

As far as sharing the love goes, that has actually been pretty hard for me. I'll be honest in saying I'm not much of a baby person. Generally when babies cry it's a guessing game for me and makes me anxious and nervous. They're sweet and adorable but I'd much rather babysit a 4 year old than a 2 month old. That being said, I can't get enough of Cambria! She gets the hiccups and it's cute, she cries and it's cute, she smiles and my heart could literally burst. It definitely helps that she's such a sweet baby. Unfortunately, Oaklyn is going through a tough age right now and throws tantrum after tantrum all day long. When she's sweet, she's the sweetest. When she's not, well... it drives me nuts. I feel like everything with her is a fight right now and it stretches my patience pretty thin. I feel bad because I have to tend to Oaklyn's constant meltdowns and messes so I feel like I hardly get to hold Cambria. But then I also feel bad because when I am holding Cambria I'm talking to her sweetly and tending to her every need whereas with Oaklyn I expect more of her and get upset when she purposefully acts out. It's a balancing act for sure and while I love them both to pieces, this is just a hard phase. Babies need a lot of constant attention and care, and toddlers need constant stimulation and well, are just a lot for a mom haha. I know that this time is short and they honestly won't even remember it, but I'm always worried they can't feel how much I truly love them both. 

I feel like I get asked quite a bit how the two kid thing is going... and I generally answer with, it's going! I feel like my life is kind of a circus right now and most of that is just where we are in life. Hunter is SO close to graduating and I can't tell you how excited we are for him to be done. No more homework, no more classes, no more group projects... we can't wait! His two jobs also take up a good chunk of time and energy and I'm left feeling exhausted because I'm at home with the kids by myself most days. 

So, if you're nervous to make the transition from one to two kids... In my experience it hasn't been nearly as hard as I thought it would be. It's challenging but motherhood is in general. Getting sleep is hard, doing your hair is hard, and finding time to yourself is hard... but that's just the newborn phase in general. I'll report back when Cambria is sleeping through the night and taking two solid naps a day ;) I'm honestly just trying to figure it all out and hoping I don't totally screw my kids up along the way, ha!

It's still so weird to me to say "my kids" like... I'm a mom. But not just a mom to a kid, but kidS!

Where has the time gone?

Anyways, there's a jumbled post on my thoughts on two, 8 weeks in ha.

I have some other posts that I'm really going to try to work on in the next few weeks that are a little more thought out. 

So please forgive me for my absence in this crazy time of life!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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Shopping With Two Littles

Friends! I'm here to tell you about a baby MUST HAVE today.

This product is useful no matter how many kids you have, but it has been a lifesaver so far with my two little kiddos!

So, let me paint a scenario in your head for a second...

You have this cute new little baby who fell asleep in her carseat. 

You also have a little two year old who would be a complete nightmare if you let her "walk" alongside you at any store. 

You also only have one cart and somehow have to fit all of your groceries inside that one cart with the carseat and that two year old sitting in the seat of the cart. 

Sounds difficult right? RIGHT!

I was totally the mom who stacked Triscut boxes on top of Oaklyn's car seat when she was tiny haha!

I mean where else would you put them with that huge car seat taking up all the space?

Despite the fact that shopping with kiddos is already less than ideal, it's also challenging trying to figure out where to ya know... put everything!

Insert the Binxy Baby Shopping Cart Hammock!

You guys, I'm not kidding when I say this thing is a MUST for any momma.

It is amazing and a total lifesaver when you are doing your grocery shopping. 

So what exactly is it??

Binxy Baby is a shopping cart hammock for your little one to lounge in while you fill up your grocery cart. 

It has clips that hook onto the rails of the cart which can hold up to 50 pounds!

It has a infant carseat safety strap to keep the carseat secure, or a secure seat harness to keep your little one lounging comfortably and safe. 

It also has 2 layers of fabric to hold in your little one.

I just keep it rolled up in the back seat of my car so I always have it ready when I need it. 

If Cambria is asleep, I just put the entire car seat in the hammock.

If she is awake, I just put her in the hammock and let her look around.

Either way is so simple to use and makes SO much space for groceries in the cart!

Literally everywhere I go, I get stopped by numerous people asking what it is and where they can get one.

It's just THAT much of a necessity!

I highly recommend this product and I know it can change your grocery shopping experience as a mom. 

Check out the Binxy Baby website to find the design that you like best!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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She's A GIRL!

I already posted my announcement photo on social media, but figured I'd also write a little something about adding another little lady to our family!

First off, I cannot begin to explain how relieved I am!

As all expecting parents, we were really just hoping for a healthy baby and a healthy pregnancy.

We would obviously have been happy with either a boy or a girl, but of course were kind of "hoping" for one or the other.

From the moment I saw that very clear positive, I was hoping it would be a girl.

First off, a girl just felt right to me.

I have a two year old girl already, a whole lot of little girl clothes, have changed hundreds of little girl diapers, felt totally comfortable with raising a girl, and just loved the idea of reusing basically everything we already have.

I purposefully got all of our baby gear the first time around to be gender neutral so we wouldn't have to worry about that in the future, but when it came to wardrobe... there was nothing "neutral" in her closet ha.

Since Hunter is still in school, it just felt so much more comfortable to have a little girl.

Not only that, but I have been obsessed with our girl name since I was 18 and was just dying to use it.

So, at 12 weeks we had an ultrasound and the tech says "are you guys going to find out what you are having this time around?"

I responded, "yes, but probably not until 20 weeks because we don't want to pay at 16 weeks this time..."

He then looks at me and says "well I know what you're having already, do you want to know?"

I looked at Hunter and said "Do we? Do we want to know right now?"

I was worried I wouldn't know how to feel about what he was going to say because I wasn't prepared to know that early but blurted out a big 'ol yes!

He then says "okay, I'm 90% sure you're having a girl!"

I immediately felt relief and was so happy we wouldn't have to worry about buying much of well... anything!

He of course then says " I'm not usually wrong, but this is a very early guess so we'll make sure to check again at 20 weeks."

Because it was so early we only told close friends and family but if I'm being honest... I really didn't want to tell anyone haha.

I felt like it would be "less exciting" news to have another girl even though for me, it was exactly the news I was hoping for.

So, we just continued to pray for our "baby" and knew there was still a possibility of hearing something different at 20 weeks.

Fast forward 8 weeks and we're at the 20 week ultrasound.

The tech is going through all the anatomy and then says, "So what did I tell you you're having at 12 weeks?"

After telling him a girl he says, "Okay! Let's find out if I was right!"

Suddenly I panicked and thought "wait... what do you mean 'if'... What if it is a boy? I'm not prepared for a boy!"

Next thing I knew I was staring at the screen where he typed out that we were in fact having a girl!

I let out the biggest sigh of relief and whispered "oh thank goodness."

Like I said earlier, we absolutely would love to have a little boy... but at this particular time I am SO grateful this little one is a girl!

I am already dreaming up matching dresses on holidays and watching them play dolls together!

Hopefully they get along haha.

At some point, I absolutely want a boy... and Hunter of course does too!

We are definitely not stopping at two kids.

However, right now, I know the Lord was very mindful of us and placed this baby girl into our family at the perfect time.

Oaklyn gets a little friend, I get to be at ease while Hunter finishes school, and ya know... I get to use my name ;)

So anyways, we just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to all of you for the congratulations and well wishes!

We are thrilled to welcome another baby girl into our family and can't wait to share her name!

For now, we will be calling her baby C :)

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

I just had to include this picture because Oaklyn's face is the best haha! And no... Hunter didn't buy pink Nikes for this picture haha. He already had them from Breast Cancer awareness month (BYU makes sure to support!)

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Moore Party of FOUR!

The secret is FINALLY out!

And by finally I mean I'm 16 weeks sooo... yeah I've been keeping this a secret for kind of a while now haha.

We found out the first week of December. 

DECEMBER PEOPLE!

We told family and close friends as we saw them, but I really didn't want to announce until after the first trimester.

Once I hit that mark life got even more crazy (as if that's possible, ha!) and we couldn't find a time that we were all together when it wasn't dark outside or sleeping. 

Since we hadn't announced all this time, this pregnancy hasn't exactly felt real.

It's been hard hiding such a big secret... especially since I've been way more sick this time around.

Hunter was gone all day Friday then came home Saturday at 3:30ish. 

I looked at him and said, "Should we just take the picture now? I mean I'm 16 weeks already..."

So on a whim, we just went for it.

I hadn't even brushed my hair, Oaklyn had been throwing fits all day, and Hunter was sick and exhausted, but it feels mighty good to finally be telling the world about our best kept secret ;)

So now on to a bit about this pregnancy...

We're (mostly me) equally as excited as we are terrified to add another little person to our family.

Most of the time, I'm excited and feeling encouraged that I can do this.

Then other times I'm actually having a meltdown because I'm so terrified to have two kids haha.

I know I can do this and I know The Lord has blessed us with this baby and we are thankful beyond words, but I've also got a whole lot of figuring out to do!

This little one is coming before we were planning on moving out, before Hunter graduates, right in the middle of some big projects, right before football season (Hunt's busiest time), and of course I can't stop worrying about PPD that I had pretty severely with Oaklyn.

However, this little peanut has already stolen my heart and I am beyond excited to snuggle him/her!

I always envisioned us having several kids. There isn't really a definition for several, just whatever feels right. 

I've always hoped I'd have a full house, lots of birthdays to celebrate, and plenty of mouths to feed.

It's just thinking about being pregnant several times that's killin me ha.

As I was saying earlier, this time around has been quite a bit different than with Oaks.

I was definitely more sick in the first trimester, but less tired. 

I've had heartburn like nobody's business since I found out whereas it didn't really start til around this time with Oaklyn.

I'm still having food aversions but a whole lot more things sound good to me than they did with Oaklyn, and sometimes I even crave meat... what?!

Not to mention, my body is definitely changing faster this time around.

I wouldn't say I'm showing yet but I definitely feel "more pregnant" than I did with Oaks at this point. 

All around it's just been pretty different!

As far as gender goes, we're planning on finding out at 20 weeks during the anatomy scan. 

I have sooo much more willpower this time around, ha!

We will be perfectly happy with either gender but if I could plan it out, I would definitely want another girl. 

It would make it SO much easier being that we already have everything for a little girl, and duh... matching dresses haha.

I also happen to like our girl name a whole lot but that's also a secret ;)

Anyways, I'm due in August. August 12th to be exact, my sister's birthday!

I'm not exactly excited to be largely pregnant during the summer months but I'm very much excited to have a baby during a month I can go outside!

Gosh I can't believe I'm having another baby haha.

I think that covers the gist of things, but you'll be hearing quite a bit more about this peanut now that I can actually talk about him/her!

Okay lastly, I've gotten the same question asked quite a bit lately.

I've been asked why I've kind of stopped blogging.

People said they were worried and hoped all was well.

Last time I took a bunch of time off from blogging was when Hunt's dad passed away.

Nothing severe has happened like that, but there are several contributing factors I'll be talking about more soon.

I would say though, the biggest factor would be THIS PREGNANCY!

Gosh it has taken a lot out of me including inspiration and motivation.

Plus, how am I supposed to blog when I'm keeping the biggest secret like ever from you guys??

So, thank you so much for the concern and support.

Seriously, it felt good to know someone actually cared haha!

But I'm feeling quite a bit better and with each new sunny day I'm feeling a little more inspired to work on some big projects I have planned!

Alright friends, that is all for now.

I just figured I should pop in and explain life's current happenings haha.

Now hold me to being better about blogging ;)

All my love,

Aleigh Joy (and the tiny peanut in my belly)

My outfit is old but here's a similar skirt | Lipsense is redwood and you can join my group to see other colors here | Oaks outfit also old but Gap still has peter pan collared onesies! | Balloon from North Star Balloons | Similar shirt to Hunter's  

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