Solo parenting for a week, all the fall vibes, boil & brew fest!

Good morning, and happy Monday!

I have two recaps to catch up on. I know today is Halloween, but I’ll be sharing all the Halloween details and pumpkin patch visits in the following recap blog. If you’re following me on Instagram, you’ll see what DIY costume I made for Bugs! 😊 

I have about one hour to write this recap post before he wakes up!

A few weeks ago, Kyle left for Germany for an entire week. We woke up early that morning so we could go for a walk before he headed to the airport. I was a little nervous to solo parent for a week, but luckily my mom lives so close, so she was able to come to help me watch him when I had appointments, and it was fun staying up and binge-watching Netflix or sitting on the porch with her after Bugs was tucked into bed. 

It’s crazy how quickly the leaves changed this year, and we’ve had the prettiest fall I’ve ever seen since moving here ten years ago. I love spending time outside in the morning with the dogs, swinging Bugs, and going on long walks to soak it all in. 
 Since taking this photo a few weeks ago, everything is now vibrant yellow, red, and orange! 

In my last blog, I raved about these sugar cookies from The Fresh Cooky, but I’ve made them again a few times since! They are seriously impressive and even better than Crumbl. I made them with orange frosting and Fall sprinkles. 


I’m still going to P.T. for my knees! The best part is after the workout; I get to ice them with compression. It’s the best kind of pain. We spent much time outside with the dogs and swinging this month. October has the BEST weather in South Carolina.

A few weekends ago, I photographed a wedding. I was a little nervous because this was the first time Bugs would have to do his bedtime routine without me. Luckily, I had my mom there with him, who he adores, so I knew he’d do great. He woke up when I got home, so I took advantage of all the extra snuggles. 
 
Stir fry night! We binged The Watcher on Netflix. 

Every morning, Tux would come to the edge of the bed and start licking my face to wake me up. I know he missed Kyle (that’s his person!), so I kept him in his routine as much as possible.
My little bedtime bug.

Tux THRIVES when it’s cold outside. We had a foggy and frosty morning, and he sprinted around the backyard with Leo for over an hour. 
 
We went shopping on Friday, and I picked up some cute Christmasy things. I am so excited about Christmas this year. I didn’t decorate last year, and my parents were sick, so we didn’t even celebrate. 
 After a day of shopping, we made a delicious dinner! We had a Banza chickpea pizza with sausage, peppers, and onions. 
The salad had spring mix lettuce, red onions, mandarins, glazed walnuts, cranberries, avocadoes, croutons, cottage cheese, and honey mustard!

The oatmeal chocolate chip balls were made with oatmeal, peanut butter, honey, sea salt, almond milk, and chocolate chips. 
He was swinging before bathtime! This swing has been the best thing ever! He is so content and wants to swing all day! It’s a lifesaver during that witching hour before bathtime. 
Breakfast at First Watch!
  I’ve been hooked on this salad lately! It’s the same salad I had a few nights ago with the pizza, but I like adding crabmeat or chicken on top. 

Ilios for dinner ♥️ 

Sleep deprived 😂 The sleep regression has been FUN!

Peanut butter toast and coffee have been my go-to every morning. You can’t name a better combo! 
 I picked up a pumpkin cream cold brew on my way to pick up Kyle from the airport! They are SO GOOD! I also like the salted caramel one.  
It was so nice to have Kyle back, and I know Tux was SO HAPPY!! He started doing circles around the living room and pouncing. 

On Saturday, I made my own glazed cranberry and walnuts. They never had enough in the bag, and I kept running out of salads, so I just made my own with honey, sea salt, and cinnamon. Once they cooled down, I put them in a jar in the pantry next to the salad toppings. 
On Saturday, when Kyle returned, we headed to Boil and Brew fest with a few neighbors. 
 
Bugs was super interested in the corn on the cob! 
   We snapped some sunset photos with him before heading out early. Kyle was tired and jetlagged, so we were determined to sleep by 7 pm. 😂 
On Sunday, I picked up some cupcakes from Cupcrazed to bring to a neighbor’s get-together.  I always forget how good they are! They won the cupcake wars on Food Network. 

Bugs has been eating solid food for almost two months now. We started with oats at four months since he showed interest in food, and our pediatrician gave us the green light. I can share a blog on that journey with what I feed him and the timeline of it all if you’re interested. Right now, he loves oats with formula, mashed banana and avocado with cinnamon, and anything with apricots! Since adding more solid foods into his diet, he’s less fussy, fuller longer, and can go longer windows without needing to be fed. 
 After my doctor appointment on Monday, I picked up some sweets for a neighbor from Sunflour Baking Co. I love that place! I couldn’t eat six hours before my appointment, so I was hungry! I hadn’t eaten since 4 pm the night before. I grabbed a cappuccino and a breakfast croissant for the drive home. 

The weather was PERFECT when I got back, so we went on a four-mile walk through the neighborhood, looking at all the Halloween decorations. 

On Tuesday, Bugs started getting super congested. He was so stuffy and sounded like an old man snoring while sleeping. He was coughing and crying all night, so I just decided to wake up with him at midnight and hold him upright while he slept. I watched Bravo T.V. and had coffee to keep me awake. It’s so scary when babies get sick, especially with RSV being at a record high this year. 

During the day, aside from a stuffy nose, he was fine. He had no fever, a normal appetite, and was giggly as ever. But at night, it just got worse. I kept the cool mist going, gave him a warm bath, baby Vicks, and lots of fluids, and elevated his crib mattress. The cold lasted about four days, but he’s returning to himself now.

The afternoons are always warm and perfect for Fall walks.

Nursery views! 😮 This photo was taken last week, and it’s even prettier now!

I always treat myself to Starbucks after P.T.! I ordered the salted caramel cold cream brew!

Morning with Bugs! He loves his highchair, even when he’s not eating. I’ll usually put him in the highchair while I clean the house around him. I attach his toys with the pacifier clip to the chair so he can play with them; that way, they don’t fall on the floor constantly. He enjoys launching toys into the air right now. 

He has loved these Once Upon A Farm blends lately! I love that the ingredients are so whole and fresh! Let me know if you want me to share about his solids journey. 

Thank you for stopping by to read and check out all the photos from the past few weeks. I promise you’ll love all the fall vibes in the following recap blog. 😃 Have a great week! & Happppppy Halloween! 

Questions for you!

1. What are your Halloween night plans?
2. Did you dress up for Halloween?
3. Did you carve any pumpkins?