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Wednesday, June 26, 2019

What's Up Wednesday [6.26.19]

I am SO excited to be back with a post y'all!
I have been so wrapped up with trying to balance a super mobile baby, keeping our house somewhat clean, feeding said baby (& a hungry husband!), making our lab feel loved, and also somewhat keeping up with our business & farm stuff-needless to say, blogging has sort of fallen to the wayside, but I want to make sure to give this area of my life some love too.
This isn't a regular posting day for me, but I've been wanting to participate in this link-up for a while and I actually remembered it ahead of time this time so life is good!
So let's just jump right in with what's up, this Wednesday.
1. What We're Eating This Week. . .
This week is a busy week, but I've got a few things on mind.
Monday I had a late appointment, so Chris ended up eating some BBQ with his family & I grabbed some Taco Bell on my way home. It's a guilty pleasure that I don't have very often-but there's just something about having a crunch wrap supreme every now and then that is just so good.
Tuesday, I pulled out half of a Pioneer Woman lasagna that I made a few months back & we ate that...it's a great meal to make & freeze half for busy nights.
Today, Charlie had his nine-month checkup & I did grocery pickup on my way home from there so we ended up doing something easy, but new, again tonight; Big Mac Sloppy Joes!
Thursday & Friday are still up in the air, but I'm craving something spicy so I may do Buffalo Meatloaf and there may potentially be a roast in the crockpot on the menu one night as well.
2. What I'm Reminiscing About. . .
Charlie being little!
He has grown up so fast in the past month; it seems like he just started crawling & now he's pulling up and seems like he's going to try walking any minute, he's eating us out of house & home, and he's starting to talk more and more.
He's just not a baby anymore & it's SO happy and so sad at the same time.

3.What I'm Loving. . .
These are a few of my favorite things lately-
I picked this up on a whim on a recent Ulta run & it's so, so good.
It's rose-scented but it's not overwhelming. It goes on pretty thick but it's so moisturizing. I'm excited to keep using this!
During the Summer, I live in Nike shorts.
These black on black ones are a necessity as a mom & for life on the farm because they're basically stain resistant. They're so comfortable and cool as well.
My sister, Trystan, loaned me the My Favorite Murder co-hosts book & I love it so much.
I've waited forever for this to come out and to get my hands on it and now that I'm about 3/4 of the way through it I can say that if you love MFM then you should definitely read it.
It's real and raw and open, everything that we love about Karen & Georgia in book form. I even felt like I was reading their parts in their voice.
I had 25% off at Kirkland's for my birthday & ended up grabbing this welcome mat (which is already very affordable anyway!) We needed something new right at our front door and I love the classic look of this one!
4. What We've Been Up To. . .
It has been so busy lately around the Upchurch house.
Monday I had an eye appointment (with a doctor who is only at the office I use from 5:30-7:30 PM, who does hours like that?!), Tuesday was relatively normal-we did spend some time on the farm with Chris which was so nice & so needed, Wednesday was Charlie's 9-Month appointment & grocery pick-up, Thursday and Friday should both be pretty laid back as well and I'm hoping I get the chance to spend some more time with Chris on the farm & also getting some of the bigger chores done around the house!
5. What I'm Dreading. . .
The heat!
I know that makes me sound like a wimp, but y'all it's already so hot outside and we've got a lot of Summer left around these parts.
It's so hard to get outside myself & with Charlie it's extra hard to enjoy being outside.
6. What I'm Working On. . .
I've got a super-fun collaboration coming up in July & I have to say, after getting my product samples in the mail I'm converted to this business for sure.
I can't wait to share it with y'all!
7. What I'm Excited About. . .
I'm excited about the Fourth of July!
We're still trying to work out logistics for Charlie, but I'm hoping we'll still be able to go to the lake for fireworks for his first Fourth.
I'm also really excited for the Alabama Farmer's Federation Commodity Conference in August because we're going to Chattanooga & we're going to do our best to squeeze in a few hours for the aquarium which I think Charlie
will really love!
8. What I'm Watching/Reading. . .
Well, I already sharing this, but Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered is on my night stand as my current reading.
I've been binging Bones on Hulu for a while now & I'm currently on Season 10. I'll be so sad when it ends because it's got everything I love in a tv show!
I need to start this current season of The Handmaid's Tale but I just can't bring myself to be tortured yet.

9. What I'm Listening To. . .
I'm always listening to My Favorite Murder if I'm listening to a podcast, in my work truck I've been playing The Brother's Osbourne cd on repeat (yes, I still listen to cds in my work truck 😂), and other than that I've been really enjoying Riley Green's music-but mostly the older stuff!
10. What I'm Wearing. . .
Y'all-those shorts I mentioned above have been in constant rotation with oversized Comfort Color tank tops. It's easy and comfortable for everyday wear taking care of Charlie.
I did wear this maxi (mine is in a print, this is the current version-a solid navy that I also love!) for my birthday date with Christopher. It was so comfortable but also beautiful & I loved it!
Also, this is worth noting-these are my favorite socks that I wear around the house & with my tennis shoes daily. They're comfortable, cute, and don't fall down in your shoe!
11. What I'm Doing This Weekend. . .
We don't have any firm plans for this weekend & I'm really excited about it because our last few weekends have been booked with activities.
Maybe I can convince my husband to throw something on the Big Green Egg and we can spend some time hanging out on the patio.
I'm also hoping we can get my new hoses installed on the deck so I can finally make watering my plants just a little bit easier.
Oh the things that excite us when we get old 😂
12. What Else Is New. . .
I think that covers everything!
Although I do want to ask; I'll be picking out new glasses really soon and I'm trying to find the best deal for some really cute glasses.
I don't wear mine every day, just in the morning & at night before and after I put in/take out my contacts but I would like to have a pair that look good in case I do need to wear them out and about.
So leave your suggestions in the comments below, please!

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Charlie: Nine Months

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Weight: 18 lbs 9 oz
Height: 28 1/2 inches long
He gained four pounds and grew two inches in three months!
I was so, so excited about his growth spurt.
Clothes:
Charlie is still in some 6 month clothes, but is finally starting to really be able to wear all of his 9 month clothes as well. I'm so thankful he's right on track with his clothing sizes because that means I've been spot-on with all of the sizes I've purchased ahead for him!
Sleep:
Something flipped a switch inside of our little man after he turned eight months old & he started sleeping through the night very consistently!
He still has two naps each day; 9 AM and 1 PM and then goes to bed at 7 PM.
His sleeping is just wonderful and has really helped his Mama out a lot!
Just hanging out & cuddling with his big brother, Forrest
Schedule:
Charlie is a schedule guy!
He thrives off of his Mom's on Call schedule & it has made the biggest difference in his sleeping.
He's still got two naps a day, nurses several times during the day, has three meals of solids, and is sleeping through the night.
Our bathtime & bedtime routines are two of the most important parts of his day.
 My parent's got me this sweet tricycle plant-stand for my porch...but Charlie seems to think it's another toy for him to ride on!
Charlie loves to go to the farm to hang out with his Daddy!
Health:
Charlie is still so healthy & we are so thankful.
 We just weaned our group of calves & in the days before we did that, Charlie had to go help Daddy call up & feed the cows and calves to check them all out.
He's going to be a farm-kid for sure!
On one of our trips to the pasture, Mama (me-haha) drove her truck right into a hole & pulled part of the fender off of the front.
Charlie's PawPaw had to come over & they worked on it together and got it all fixed up.
Crying:
Bless Charlie's heart, he has been a little more fussy this month with his teething but he really is a mostly happy baby.
Other than when his teething is hurting him, he's a cheerful guy. And he can usually be distracted by a trip outside, so it's not too bad.
Charlie loves Target!
Charlie had to help his Daddy drive the hay truck when we did our second round of hay this season...we're starting him young!
Likes:
Eating! Charlie loves to eat & we have recently started him on utensils. He loves to practice with his fork or spoon. His favorite foods right now are pancakes, strawberries, blueberries, peanut butter toast, eggs, watermelon, and bananas.
Swimming-he had his first trip to the swimming pool at my parents and has gone many times since.
Riding and/or driving-if there is a steering wheel or handlebars then Charlie wants to be there. He loves to drive his toys all over the house & sit in the front seat of the truck when we're driving through the pasture or down the driveway.
 Charlie's a big helper when it comes to riding fence-lines!
 He gives driving the tractor a BIG thumbs up!
Just chilling out on a tailgate while Daddy loads up equipment
Dislikes:
Being held by people he's not super familiar with
The hot weather (just like his Mama!)
 Charlie's first time riding a boat!
 Here's a link to Charlie's life vest 
This is the infant version & it goes up to thirty pounds.
These are harder to find than I anticipated, we found this one at Target but they're currently sold out, but Amazon still has them stocked.
They are a little pricey for how long he'll wear it, but he's gotta have it so!


Driving the boat with Uncle Brett for the first time!
Milestones:
-Trying watermelon for the first time & loving it
-Consistently sleeping through the night
-Army crawling everywhere
-His crib finally got lowered to the middle level after he sat up one night
-Learning to use a fork, he can take a loaded fork & eat off of it!
-First trip to the lake & first boat ride
-First swimming pool experience (& many more have followed)
-First "dental checkup" (he went with me to the dentist and my sweet hygienist took a look at his new teethies!)
Getting a "check-up" at the dentist!
Baling hay with Daddy!
 Working on a tractor is hard work-sometimes you just have to lay down to do it!
One of Charlie's new favorite foods is watermelon...the more juicy, the better!
Places You've Gone:
To Emiliano & Neyeli's first communion
To Aylen's baptism
To the lake & on a boat ride with Uncle Brett for the first time
On many walks with your buddies Cooper & Daniel (& their sweet mommies!)
 He loved riding Manuel's horse!
Another food favorite? Blueberries! The squishier, the better!
Mama & Charlie's Favorites:
We've had a set of roll up silicone bibs, but with him eating three meals a day I don't always have time to wash the same two bibs over & over, plus we keep one in the diaper bag for while we're out & about. These are super lightweight & comfortable on his neck. We love the little scoop in the front to catch anything that doesn't go in his mouth.
These are a great on-the-go snack for Charlie & loves them. They dissolve easily so he's less likely to choke, which I appreciate!
Another great on-the-go snack, these are great for keeping him occupied while we wait on our food to arrive at restaurants. They dissolve really easily too, but are large enough for him to get a good hold on.
This is one of my all-time favorite books for little ones, I loved this book before we even had Charlie & it's a staple for me to gift at baby showers because it's just so sweet.
When I read it to Charlie I always replace the girl words with boy words, since he's a boy and the little bear in the story is a girl & it makes it even more special-just like it's between he & his Mama.
Charlie just grew into these this past month & y'all-I am NOT ready for him to look as grow up as he does in these jammies!
He looks like such a big boy and it makes me equal parts thrilled and sad.
I also just love that these zip, with a squirmy as he is right now doing up a million buttons is hard work!
We were given some Aveeno products as a shower gift & I was so thankful to have them after Charlie was born because some parts of his skin can be really sensitive to scented things.
This lotion is awesome, it sinks into his skin quickly so it doesn't make him slippery or greasy and it soothes his skin well.
Another awesome Aveeno product that we were gifted that we have since repurchased.
This body wash is so soothing to Charlie's skin, especially if it's gotten irritated from playing in the grass or being out in the sun for too long.
I mentioned a silicone placemat last month & we have used the heck out of that one-so much in fact that I realized I needed to pick up a second one.
This will come in handy because when I pull the first one out of the diaper bag to wash it after use, I can just replace it with a clean one and rotate them.
They're so nice for taking out with you to restaurants because you place them directly on the table & your baby can eat of them. That way they aren't eating off a potentially dirty table & they aren't slinging a plate around. It also helps keep your table a little neater which I bet the waitresses appreciate!
This isn't really a product as much as it's two ladies who run a company & social media accounts.
I have to confess, I haven't purchased any of their online classes but I have just learned SO much from following their Instagram accounts.
They are professionals, so I trust their opinions and they have really opened doors for me with baby-led-weaning. Charlie is so much happier with food being offered to him this way instead of purees because he's so independent. He's really surprised everyone around him with what he can eat with no teeth! I owe a lot of our success to Feeding Littles!
We actually bought these second hand from a friend, but these have slowly become Charlie's most-worn shoes (when he wears shoes at all!)
They stay on better than sandals and they are a little dressy, so they're perfect for church.
We love them with all of his little bubbles & short-alls.
This is another second-hand toy, but Charlie actually has two of these big tractors and he loves them!
I'm sure they're for older children, but he only plays with them supervised and he loves to mash the buttons that make sounds on the top & open the hood.
He even "works" on them just like he sees his Daddy, Paw-Paw, and Papa do!

Until next time. . .
xoxo, 
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