Hazel Jillian Rufer

On December 24th in the morning, Hazel Jillian Rufer was born.  We waited a few days to see her because I was battling a cold (for a MONTH!!??!) and was hoping I could hold her. 

Sadly, I couldn't hold her but the kids were so excited to hold their new baby cousin.  Clearly, Todd and Lizzy make a pretty cute kid! She's perfect.

new addition to the backyard

our new house is nice enough, but the backyard was a little lacking.  sure there was grass and plenty of room to play, but there was no panache.  well we solved that this weekend.  behold - olive (and eventually buster's) new playset -

mamas graciously offered to fund this little bit of home improvement - big shoutout to her.  we were quoted an outrageous amount for a brand new model, so leave it to kim to find one on craigslist for 1/3rd the price.  of course i suspect she's gonna use the savings and buy a new pair of shoes - but it's the thought that counts.

Buster's Baby Shower

Even though it isn't customary to have a second baby shower - I had one for Buster this weekend at the new house.  It was not only a way for me to celebrate with friends but also a chance to show them all our new digs!

Of course my mom and Carolyn helped make the day extra special.  I'm not sure I could have done it without them! The food was delicious and it was so great to see all my friends.

Even though I hoped no one would bring gifts - I was showered with them! There were so many adorable things including sleepers,onesies, a diaper cake, shoes, preppy outfits, rain boots from Hawaii, a double stroller, and a home-made Buster hat - just to name a few. I scored - big time!

Shawn even made this Buster cake from scratch! Isn't it adorable? It was just as delicious too.

I think it was Olive's favorite thing - she couldn't stop eating the sprinkled candies on it.

I love my family. It's hard to believe there is going to be an addition to our little unit soon! All in all, it was a great day spent with loved ones. Thank you to everyone who came and made it so special!

* And a special thanks to my sweet hubby for taking 5 kids bowling so we all could have some fun!

Mood Board - Buster

With only 3 months to go - things are starting to get real! We are going to have a baby boy in the house soon. My biggest questions at the moment are: Do we really need a double stroller? Where is Olive's Sophia the Giraffe (she had TWO!!!)? And will my belly button pop out this time around?

Shop these items:  1. Bugaboo Donkey  stroller  2. Zoo Shape Sorter  3. Sophie the Giraffe teether 4. Petite Collage baby book  4. Rocket Blocks  5. Jonathan Adler night light

A Few More Things for Buster

I love doing these boards so much that it might become a weekly feature on the blog. Considering I have a looooong list of things that I'm always pining for - I think it will be easy!

Shop these items:  1. Mod Mom Noah Owl Toy box  2. Cardboard Safari Astro Rocket  3. 3 Sprouts Walrus Towel  4. Pottery Barn Kids Brooks Crib bedding  5. Sperry Top-Siders  6. Baby Walker

A Few Things for Olive

I did a little board for Buster and couldn't resist doing one for Olive too. Especially because I'm excited to redo her room! Grandma Cahn already got her the toddler bed for Christmas and Grandma Rufer got her the bookshelf. My plan is to get her the fish tank as a present from the baby once he arrives. I'm crossing my fingers that will make her like him just a little bit more.

Shop these items: 1.Oeuf Mini Library  2. 3 Sprouts Hippo Towel  3. Kidkraft Toddler Bed  4. Gap Heart one piece  5. Umbra FishHotel  6. Purple Hunter Boots

A Few Things for Buster

I've been thinking about our newest addition a lot lately. Maybe because I'm getting closer to my due date - or maybe because I'm just excited to buy our little guy a few things! Here are someitems that I'm dying over.

Shop these items: 1. BabyGap one-piece 2. Hand-knit stuffed animals from Branch 3. Eco-Baby Dots Blanket 4. Ninna Nanna Bassinet 5. Star Egg Nightlight 6. Petit Collage My World Map 7. BabyGap red jumper, cardigan, and shoes.

First Baby Purchase

I couldn't resist these amazing Nike's for our little guy.

Olive's New Bike

A few weeks ago a package arrived from Grandma Rufer for Olive. Inside was a shiny, new trike. As you can see - she LOVES it!

Happy Easter

How cute is this bunny that Grandma Carolyn made Olive for Easter?

Old Brown Shoe

I found these shoes at Zara awhile ago and fell in love with them - especially because they were on sale. What I didn't know was that Olive would love them too! Every morning she goes to her closet and takes them out and begs to have them put on her feet. Who knew she would take after mommy in the shoe fetish department??

I + LOVE = OLIVE

When I was a little girl I would always check to see if there were keychains, license plates or anything with my name on it. I could never find kimberlie (I blame my mom for the unusual spelling), but I could usually find Kim. I find myself looking to see if there are any customized Olive items when we are out and about. Unfortunately I haven't found any, but thankfully we have family that is very creative. Great Aunt Joan got Olive these adorable handmade magnets for Christmas. One thing is for sure - I LOVE them! 

Olive's Pillow

For Olive's first birthday I bought her a pillow. One side is a super soft pink material and the other side is a white silky material. I know it seems like a strange thing to get a 1 year old but as you can see from the above picture - she loves it!

Lunch Box Time

For the last couple of weeks I've been looking for a cute insulated lunch box.  Unfortunately, I haven't had much luck.  Most of the ones I have found are either boring or too small.  I've been trying to get Olive to drink milk on a regular basis, so I need something to put it in when we go out for the day.  On Monday after the Mommy & Me movie (FOOTLOOSE) - I found this adorable one at Nordstrom.

Early Birthday Present

As most of you know, Olive's birthday is quickly approaching.  It's hard to believe our little baby is almost a year old!  A few weeks ago my mom bought her the most beautiful wood toy box as an early present.  We picked it up on Saturday afternoon and it is absolutely gorgeous.

As you can see - Olive loves it just as much as mommy.  Maybe even more since all her favorite toys are inside!  Thanks grandma!!

Olive's New Toy

Grandma and Grandpa Cahn stopped by on Saturday afternoon bearing gifts.  Carolyn made this adorable little giraffe for Olive.

Unfortunately she hasn't quite fallen in love with stuffed animals yet.  I tried to get a picture of her holding it but she tends to go for the toys that make noise or light up.  I'm sure in a few months it will be the one thing she will take everywhere with her.  If it were mine - I would!

Olive's New Stroller

In this day and age they have everything you could possibly imagine for babies.  Yesterday we got this cute little baby stroller in the mail from Grandma Melodie and Cathy Goodman.  Apparently it helps babies practice balancing and walking.  Olive knew immediately what to do as you can tell from the pictures.  Unfortunately in her eagerness to walk as fast as she could - she had a little accident.  Daddy is going to post the video soon.

Thanks mom and Cathy for the stroller!  Hopefully it will help Olive take her first steps soon.

Olive's New Blanket

For Olive's 40 week party she received some pretty cool gifts.  One of the coolest was a homemade blanket from Grandma Carolyn.

As you can see - it's pretty fabulous.  I think she outdid herself this time!

Bows, Bows, and more Bows

At my Sacramento baby shower my niece Ali gave me this adorable bow/barrette holder.  I never thought Olive would have enough hair to fill it with bows.  Boy was I wrong - she has a pretty impressive collection!!

Fan Mail

The sweetest thing happened twice last week!  Olive received 2 presents in the mail from fans of the blog!  The first being the cutest little seersucker jumper from Great Aunt Joan's friend, Lynda.  Although we haven't had the pleasure of meeting her, she thinks Olive is adorable and couldn't resist buying her a little something.  We can't wait to put it on for the cute outfit of the week!!  I'm sure it won't be long before she moves up a size.

The second present was from Auntie Ida and it was the same seersucker material but the dress!!  You can't tell from the picture but she accidentally ordered a size 12 instead of 12 months.  Ooops.  Thankfully I found the right size at one of the stores in LA.  I can't wait to put Olive in both of these adorable outfits!  Janie and Jack is her absolute favorite.  Thank you both so much.