Category Archives: leo

Urban Family Photo Shoot

November 2, 2016

I LOVE taking photos! My husband, on the other hand, hates them! Probably like most men, but I always veto him and we take family photos! We try to do professional ones once a year, right around fall, just in time for Christmas cards, which I am OBSESSED with. Huge stationery fan right here! This year, I had basically been stalking Emily Mitton Photography since I saw a wedding photo of hers of a bride and groom under this huge gorgeous willow tree in the Dainty Obsessions magazine a few months back, and when she posted she was doing fall mini sessions, I knew I had to go with her! I was really excited to work with a new photographer with fresh new ideas! And she DELIVERED! So easy to work with and FABULOUS photos!

I really wanted to do something different this year. Each year we do the outdoors look in the sunset in a lovely field, and I LOVE those photos, but we’ve done that and I wanted something different. I decided on a more urban photo shoot and lurked through the hashtag #dtsf to find some cool walls around our downtown. I had two in mind and they were even more perfect in person! Love how these turned out! Thank you Emily! For capturing our family PERFECTLY! Ivy’s crazy girl personality and Leo giggling and being silly! Love them so much.

Emily Mitton Photography - Apple of My Ivy blog - Urban Family Photo ShootEmily Mitton Photography - Apple of My Ivy blog - Urban Family Photo ShootEmily Mitton Photography - Apple of My Ivy blog - Urban Family Photo ShootEmily Mitton Photography - Apple of My Ivy blog - Urban Family Photo ShootEmily Mitton Photography - Apple of My Ivy blog - Urban Family Photo ShootEmily Mitton Photography - Apple of My Ivy blog - Urban Family Photo ShootEmily Mitton Photography - Apple of My Ivy blog - Urban Family Photo ShootEmily Mitton Photography - Apple of My Ivy blog - Urban Family Photo Shoot Emily Mitton Photography - Apple of My Ivy blog - Urban Family Photo ShootEmily Mitton Photography - Apple of My Ivy blog - Urban Family Photo Shoot Emily Mitton Photography - Apple of My Ivy blog - Urban Family Photo ShootEmily Mitton Photography - Apple of My Ivy blog - Urban Family Photo Shoot Emily Mitton Photography - Apple of My Ivy blog - Urban Family Photo ShootEmily Mitton Photography - Apple of My Ivy blog - Urban Family Photo Shoot
kaylee | shirt | pants | shoes
ivy | shirtleggings | hair bow
leo | shirt | jeans | shoes


So many good ones! HOW am I going to choose one for a Christmas card! Already browsing Minted, which is who I use every year because of their FREE RECIPIENT ADDRESSING (timesaver!!!) and I am LOVING these: 1, 2, 3, 4 – usually always go with a more simple look, and these will really pop with the white wall photos I think I am going to use.

Love Christmas card shopping!

Again, thanks to Emily Mitton Photography for killin’ it!! So happy with all of our photos, you worked so well with our family! Thank you thank you thank you!


 

Sibling Snapshot

October 17, 2016

These kids are growing up so much!! And so fast! I really can’t believe Ivy is THREE and Leo is now 16 months! They’ve changed so much the past couple months, there’s some things I want to remember from this age and I’m a total stat person, so I love to know their height/weight percentages. Ivy’s grown up from her terrible twos and Leo’s learning a new word each week it seems like! So much fun at these young ages.

Emily Mitton Photography Emily Mitton Photography

My shirt // my pants // Ivy’s dress // Leo’s shirt // Leo’s jeans

Photos by Emily Mitton Photography


Ivy || 3 years

Whew, the week Ivy turned three she was a FULL ON THREENAGER. I was like WHAT HAPPENED. After a few days of seriously pulling my hair out and wanting my two year old back, she’s now developed into her sweet spunky self again. What I love most about Ivy, is how she really tries to understand and learn. She talks and talks and talks. She’s not one to throw tantrums too often, but if she does, all we have to do is explain to her why she doesn’t get that, or what is happening. She’s so good at understanding and communicating. So thankfully, we haven’t had too many meltdowns… yet.

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Ivy started preschool this year and she is LOVING it. Every day she comes home singing a new riddle or song. I love that she is interacting with other kids and adults, learning responsibility and independence, and learning how to behave in different settings. I’m a total school nerd (ex teacher here), so I love that she is involved in education at a young age. She’s also in gymnastics and is suuuuuper flexible and LOVES to bound all over the place! She is quite coordinated, yay!

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This girl has SO MUCH ENERGY. She could do 10 million different things in a day and still be all over the place. Although, she does love to relax and watch a show, that doesn’t last long then she’s on to the next thing! She’s so spunky and hilarious and totally psycho sometimes! Haha :) She is still into anything Frozen, she wants to be Anna and Elsa for Halloween and requested Leo be Olaf, so that’s cute :) She’s totally girl still and always wanting to wear a dress!

Ivy is getting to be much more independent, which is sooo nice, and she absolutely LOVES Leo. Always looking after him and helping him. She’s his voice and it’s super cute.

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With Doctor Shannon Ashbaugh! Ivy loves to play Doctor, minus the real shots! ;)

Stats

height | 3ft 2 in (38 inches) – 80 %

weight | 31 lb 11.2 oz – 61%


Leo || 16 months

My sweet Leeeeeeeoooo. Love this boy so much. He’s so sensitive and sweet and cuddly, but can also be outright feisty at times. He literally throws himself on the ground and puts his head on his hands if he’s upset with something. It’s so cute and funny at the same time! Although he’s trying to send a message/throwing a tantrum, I can’t help but pick him up and squeeze him when he does it. It’s too adorable! Leo is still sucking his two fingers, like, pretty sure that’s never going to stop. Teeth are moving and all that, so that’s awesome. I’ll stop that habit someday, but he’s just a sweet little baaaaaby still so you go ahead and use that as comfort Leo!

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He is really trying to be a big kid! He wants to be doing whatever Ivy is doing and is so good at playing independently. He can just play and play by himself, so nice. Leo is in to anything that makes noise and moves. He especially loves when airplanes fly overhead when we’re outside, he always points up to the sky. Loves his cars and things that go!

carLeo is such an easy going kid. He just lays down on your shoulder, cuddles, never obnoxious or naughty. Just a plain ole good sweet kid. He’s learning quickly lately, has a new word almost every week – mama, dada, dog, nigh nigh, baby, mooo, are some of his favorites. Love this kid. He’s really too good to be true.

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Poor lil guy here. He had his well check but also wasn’t feeling good. So sad for this lil fella! Oh and he not only LOVES his two fingers, but he’s got this new thing going on where he puts his hands down his pants! Sometimes pulls his diaper down so far to reach his you know what that then he pees outside of his diaper! UGH! Oh and he also loves putting his hand down shirts to reach nipples, and I mean anyones. Mine, John’s, anybody who is holding him. Super weird and uncomfortable! Such a guy!!!! :) Haha

Stats

height | 2ft 8 in (32 inches) – 81 %

weight | 24 lb 0.1 oz – 63 %

head| 78%
He used to be 98%! So he’s finally growing into his head. Yay!


Endings and Beginnings

July 25, 2016

Momma and Leo

This past week, it’s really hit me that I hardly don’t have a baby anymore. As I’m approaching my final week of breastfeeding Leo and how he’s days away from walking, I have all sorts of mixed emotions. In fact, I’ll prooooobably tear up more than once writing this post as we approach some recent somber endings but exciting new beginnings.

I’ve luckily had a great journey with nursing both of our children. With Ivy, I ended when she was about 13 months, which was plenty for me, my goal has always been a year. I was pregnant with Leo already so my supply took a drastic turn and while being at work, it was pretty easy to give it up, plus I also did baby-led weaning with her, and she was fully feeding herself. I don’t remember feeling too sad to be done. Although, it was a little sad because you realize that your baby doesn’t NEED  you in that way anymore, but I was definitely ready to have my boobs back! I breastfeed, but I’m not too passionate or attached to it. I just do it, because… well, I just do it I guess. Nutritional, free, and easy for me, thankfully.

With Leo, it’s been a little harder to give up and completely stop, mostly because I’m around him all of the time now instead of at work. I have only been nursing two times a day the past month, just morning and night, as Leo is  superman at baby-led weaning! He’s fully feeding himself and drinking milk on his own now. So I definitely don’t need to be nursing him anymore, but it’s been a little more sad this time as I am weaning him completely. Especially as John and I are having the discussion about two or three children, if he’s our last child, it’s been pretty difficult to swallow that I could be completely done nursing. So begins the complete weaning process anyways. Leo is 13 months, just like Ivy was when I stopped, so I’m feeling better about being done and matching how long I did it with Ivy. And also when your husband keeps asking you when you’re done breastfeeding, I guess it’s time ;)

Last week, I stopped the night feeding so I was just down to once in the morning. And the first night I stopped, I let John put him to bed, which is something he really hasn’t done at all since I’ve been nursing and I don’t exactly do bottles since I stay-at-home (#lazy #hatetopump). When I handed him off to John, he started screaming and crying and looked at me like he knew what was happening and how he wasn’t going to be comforted to sleep by me anymore. GAH. It was heartbreaking. I teared up as I watched him walk away with John and cry as he reached his little arms out to me. But, it was a step that we needed to take, and nice that John is able to get in some snuggles at bedtime now too. It’s just hard to release that attachment from each other as your baby is growing up too fast. And I actually love those snuggles together before bedtime. So sweet.

This week will be my last week as we are leaving our kids at home this weekend for a wedding. Friday morning will be tough as it all comes to an end before we hit the road, but I’m watching Leo grow up into such a toddler right before me and ending nursing concludes the cuddly, sweet, needing Mommy stage, also known as – the baby stage. I’m ready though, as much as I’m sad. But as Leo is taking 3-5 steps in a row lately, I can tell he’s about to leave his own baby stage behind also. He will be fully walking any day now and as I end nursing sessions, we are entering new beginnings together. And that’s attachment enough for me… together.

Photo Jul 25, 1 59 27 PM

Leo’s Wild One!

June 12, 2016

Happy WILD ONE Leo!!! You’re a big ONE year old now! Getting so big so quickly. I wish I could just hit pause for a couple days so my baby stays a baby!

We celebrated his birthday (oh yeah, AND MINE!) with a Where the Wild Things Are themed party (see the inspiration board here). I loved this invitation suite and everything black and white with pops of gold and woods for the party. I had plenty of wood serveware and for entertaining and even reused a wood slab from our wedding that worked perfectly!

To make the party really Wild, of course Leo had to have a gold crown like Max in the book! The leather crown was so adorable and he actually kept it on his head the entire party! He was KING LEO for the day and we all celebrated with a Happy Wild One party!

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Yup! Foot in the cake! Dominated that thing! Leo's Wild One Party // Apple of My Ivy blogLeo's Wild One Party // Apple of My Ivy blog Leo's Wild One Party // Apple of My Ivy blog

Leo, our little man. Happy one year to you Leo! This year flew by so fast! You have brought our family so much happiness and love, I can hardly envision life with you baby. Your sweet snuggles melt my heart and soothe my soul. You are so easy going and truly a mama’s boy who just loves to be held. Which I am completely enjoying because Ivy was never a snuggler! You have such a calm demeanor but are quick to smile when someone you like is around or Ivy being funny to make you laugh. I love how you race to Daddy as soon as you see him and are so curious about what he’s doing all the time. Leo, you are sweeter than I could ever imagine a boy to be and I am so thankful for you each day as you nuzzle up on me and suck those two wittle fingers, like all is calm in Leo’s world. It’s the sweetest and we love you so much!

Happy 1st Birthday Leo!


Wild One invitation suite // gold leather crown // gold crown // black and white stripe crown //  mini black and white party crowns // party hats // black tie party balloons // tassel balloons // gold 1 balloon // paper plates // cups // birch paper straws // happy birthday banner // leo’s tank romper // ivy’s dress // my dress (use code – PROMOKAYLEE for 25% off your entire purchase) // teepee // blanket //

A big thank you to Queen City Balloons for supplying the balloons for the party! They were perfect and so much fun! Great to work with you!

Vanilla buttercream birthday cake by Sugar’s Baked Goods and Sweet Treats. The best!


Leo // 12 Months

June 9, 2016

My baby is ONE!!!!!!! This month really flew by! We had so much fun with his wild one party. Perfect weather to celebrate our birthdays. I can’t wait to share photos! I’ll get to that later. But first, Leo’s 12 month update.

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This month he popped two of his molars so now he has 10 teeth! Whew! Fit to eat just about everything. He loves avocado, macaroni and cheese, grapes, and cheese sticks.

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Leo is LOVING the swing! He really enjoys being outside and also love to eat popsicles with his sister. He is cruising all over and really loves to push his walker everywhere. He’s not even close to walking! He isn’t even standing on his own yet… sooo, we have a while. Which I’m ok with!

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He’s still so cuddly and sweet! He absolutely LOVES his Daddy! Every time John walks in Leo crawls as fast as he can to him saying “Da da da da da,” it’s so adorable!

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 Monthly stickers // Crib Sheet fabric then custom made by Iviebaby // Jellycat Bashful Calf // black and white crown // t-shirt

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Leo in Months – 1 month // 2 months // 3 months // 4 months // 5 months // 6 months // 7 months//8 months // 9 months // 10 months // 11 months

Here are some of my favorite photos of Leo from the month. He’s so darn cute!

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Love his sister Ivy! It’s funny now because he’s fighting her back. He can hold his own ground with her trying to take toys from him. He holds on tight and screams! It’s HILARIOUS! Go Leo! Fend Ivy off! ;)

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Happy Birthday Leo!!! Smooch!