according to

according to – kim

1

2

3

4

6

7

8

9

10

and just like that it’s over. yummy smelling trees litter the sidewalks and we’re already a week into january. i miss it already, cause man this holiday season was more magical than ever! for obvious reasons, and i imagine it only gets more exciting from here. we spent a decent amount of december chasing one christmas extravaganza to another, and while december was filled with record breaking tantrums, looking back i hardly feel the pain. the pain of a two week long sinus infection, now that’s another story cause it’s still lingering. although it completely ruined all plans i dreamt of making happen over our holiday break, it forced us to shut down and relax. remember that wicked path we were headed down that i previously mentioned? yeah, well looking back, i think the kid was on overdrive and craved a week of pajama wearing and toy playing within her own space. cause let me tell you, that wicked monster turned sweet as skittles. and although i wasn’t up for much, it was the perfect amount of enough for lo and i. let this be a lesson to myself that sometimes even the little people get stressed out, over worked and need a break of their own. here’s to more simple days in two thousand and fifteen. that said, the sofa beside the tree is calling my name…cause you damn well know she’s still lit and looking pretty over here!

according to – kim

Image-A

Image-B

Image-C

Image-D

Image-E

Image-F

Image-G

Image-H

Image-I

Image-J

Image-K

nothing says fall more than a romp at the old pumpkin patch! we’ve already hit two so far this season, making this family date a tradition and seeking out a different farm each year. so far, i think this was our favorite. there were countless seasonal activities spread amongst acres of corn lined fields that made us feel as though we had the place all to ourselves. i could get lost for hours with these people every weekend if i had it my way!

look at how small my baby was this time last year

according to kim

a

b

c

d

afterlight

photo (1)

photo (2)

12

we flew south last week to visit with family in florida. this was logan’s seventh + eight flights and we haven’t flown in almost a years time. while she costs a pretty penny these days and needs a ton of entertainment, flying with a toddler was cake. the season of wrangling a baby on our laps and shushing over loud cries is over. (for now at least). our days were spent in the sun by the water and our nights on the patio with bbq and cold brews. pretty perfect if you ask us. we did however make a slight detour. with a small toddler in tow and the magic kingdom a car ride away, it only seemed right to make a quick trip to the happiest place on earth. it was magical! even through the painstaking heat, vetoed stroller meltdowns and constant requests for the infamous paci. our girl rocked it as long as her little body possibly could. she met the mouse himself and was baffled that ‘big mickey don’t talk’. she gushed over merida’s gorgeous locks and asked where the ‘little teddy’s’ were. she was chosen as boo on the big screen at the monster inc laugh floor and stole the audiences hearts when she played along and followed mike’s ques. and she made all my disney dreams come true when she sat by my side in awe of all the children around the globe and left singing ‘it’s a small world’. while i had high hopes of savoring every last minute and sticking it out until the park closed, this trip proved just how magical this place is with a kid and i’m already excited to return for more. maybe mid-winter next time.

according to – kim

a

b

photo

c

23afterlight

paul + logan. breaking my heart on the daily. going into this whole parenting thing blind, i had no idea what to expect. my guy had never really been around babies and had never even held one in his arms until lo came along. it’s true what they say, it all comes naturally once they’re your own. i’ve got proof. this guy of mine has been rocking parenthood for almost two years now. i on the other hand have been surrounded by little people my whole life, and most days i think he’s got this thing down better than i do. he makes it look easy. he’s laid back, he’s patient, he’s present, he’s fun and he exudes compassion. logan’s completely smitten. initially i ruled her world and it pulled at his heart strings as he waited his turn. today i get glares of panicked insanity when he can’t put her down. honestly, i don’t think either of us would have it any other way. these two have something going on and together the three of us are making quite a nice team. settling into these roles wasn’t the easiest journey. we’ve made it out alive and i’m pretty proud of where we’re at. we’re content and in love and i think it’s safe to say this little girl has maxed out our hearts and changed us forever.

according to – kim

kim

it’s been some time since i’ve covered my girl’s essentials. fortunately these days, things are pretty simple and straight forward…she eats, sleeps and plays hard every minute in between. here’s what keeps us all sane.

eat: we originally used an overpriced schmancy highchair, that was actually super convenient as a sleeping pod in the kitchen/dining area during those first few sleepy months, but ended up turning logan into a spastic monster over time. quickly, every meal we tried to eat together turned painfully torturesome. we spent months agonizing over dinnertime and finally bit the bullet and bought something different, the stokke tripp trapp, which i can’t say enough good things about. no more flailing legs and sobbing shrills, as logan loves to pull right up to the table along side us. now choosing to eat vegetables over cake, that’s another battle for a different day.

sleep: we have a bedtime routine that includes a few key players. three to be exact. some i’m ok with and some that unfortunately need to hit the road in the not too distant future. it all starts with an aden + anais sleeping bag that keeps my wiggle monster warm and confined. then in comes the stuffies. you never know how many and who exactly will be included, but there’s never a question that this jellycat ‘rabbit’ isn’t lo’s arms. and lastly, we’ve got paci problems. one mam in her mouth, one mam clenched in her hand, and few thrown about the crib for good measure. none of us are looking forward to kicking this habbit, as we’ve all been sleeping beautifully for the past nineteen months.

play: it doesn’t take much to keep lo occupied during the day. i’m told she got it from me. the girl can read a l l d a y l o n g! for this reason we keep our shelves well stocked and recently added to our collection. however there’s a favorite handful that are in constant rotation. if she’s not reading, she’s usually coloring and these playon crayons are a must have favorite as they double as stacking toys. these ikea stacking rings are hands down the best six dollars spent on a toy. hours have been spent sorting and rearranging these colored blocks and the best part, the stick is rubber so you never have to worry about your mini taking an out eye. while lo could care less about what i dress her in, she sure has an opinion as to what goes on her feet. she’ll choose her hunter wellies rain or shine and when she’s not on the go they occupy her in the house: on, off, repeat. and last but not least, logan still loves her babies and insists on keeping them undressed, so these sonny angle babies are the perfect size to throw in my purse and take on the go.

according to – kim

G

A

C

D

E

F

H

I

J

L

^ a few favorites from our holiday ^

it’s a new year, which typically brings on a tap of the ‘restart’ button and fresh thoughts. set resolutions have never been my style. i’m more of the state-the-obvious, consciously work at it and eventually forget-all-about-it kind of girl. come september i’m often questioned (by my other half) ‘what was that resolution again’? but this year feels different. and i honestly owe it to those two final weeks of complete shut down. as always, life got pretty chaotic that last quarter and my level of anxiety became paralyzing. turns out, intentionally shutting off and essentially recharging is just what my sole craved. so no resolutions for 2014, rather a word to live by, day in and day out.
SIMPLIFY and let go. completely across the board. i need to say no more often than not. i need to surrender control and accept help from others. i need to pass tasks off to the professionals. i need to purge the unnecessary and live by quality over quantity. i need to disconnect regularly. i need to appreciate the mundane. and most importantly i need to breath, relax, play hard, get dirty and laugh lots! in other words, become completely self absorbed and do what feels right for me; rather us. it sounds selfish, but i gotta do what i gotta do. i feel good. i’m making 2014 count. let’s do this! (paulie, hold me to it).

according to – kim

3b1

we bundled up and left the house sunday morning with two objectives: find a christmas tree and attempt to shoot our little elf for our holiday card. we accomplished both, although it wasn’t easy (wink). this babe is none stop and asking her to sit still is nearly impossible. regardless, we had a wonderful wintery adventure amongst a sea of trees. i’ve said it once and i’ll say it again, this really is the most wonderful time of year and logan adds a whole new level of magic to our days.

a

^ if only our ceilings were that much taller ^

b

^ enamored by the concept of the snow-globe ^

c

^ my north pole ^

d

^ we played tug-of-war and had a meltdown over putting this broom back in the general store. grandmom to the rescue. ^

e

^ wreaths for days ^

f

^ documenting this wild child has become a blur ^

g

^ if i had the room i would have taken them all home ^

h

^ we sealed our date with a cider doughnut of course ^

according to – kim

a

b

photo(10)

photo 1

c

d2

e

f

our halloween was catastic! we had the genius idea of prepping lo plenty in advance by casually laying the furry suite around the house and playing with it all october long. needless to say, us big kids ended up with that hood on our heads more than the kid herself. the same shenanigans began halloween night and I figured we’d chalk this year up as a lost cause. that was until a spooky cloak clad neighbor stopped lo dead in her tracks, long enough to swipe her kitty hood on and snap a few pics. scared shitless, i took advantage of what I could get and we moved on with our night uninterrupted.

thank you scary boy for saving this cats halloween!

according to – kim

IMG_0780

IMG_0783

IMG_0784

IMG_0782

IMG_0785

IMG_0781

52 project – a portrait of logan, once a week, every week, in 2013

52 project – a portrait of logan, once a week, every week, in 2013 – See more at: http://berlsandco.com/category/52-project#sthash.M1GskyW3.dpuf

as i previously mentioned, without a doubt, i can count on two hands the number of times my guy and i have ventured out completely alone since baby. who is really now a toddler. sad i know. i blame it on several things. first, there’s the guilt associated with leaving logan behind after a week already spent away at work. second, is our own insecurities about hiring an actual babysitter because we often feel like deadbeat parents constantly asking grandparents for help, despite their persistence that they enjoy every chance they get and wouldn’t mind if we packed up and skipped town (for like ever). and i especially cringe when calling my mom, as she’s already spent the majority of her week caring for lo daily during our nine to five. lastly, when the opportunity does arise, it’s super hard to pass on catching up with friends and/or tackling some project that’s way easier to accomplish on our own. and then there’s always the dream of spending what time you’ve got, completely alone and quiet. man, this parenting act requires a lot of juggling!

recently we’ve been running on auto pilot. completely focused on making our threesome flow and completely neglecting our party of two. not good. before things got away from us, we enlisted said grandparents and mandated a formal date, alone. and let me tell you, it was exactly what the doctor ordered! while the undivided attention made us miss our endless days together filled with adult conversation and little to no responsibility, it made us realize just how important it is that we play for the same team and stay connected. and we’ve had a ton of fun. after all, he is my best guy, the ying to my yang. so here’s to setting the best example for logan, ensuring that she views us not only as parents but as one another’s best friend.

as silly as it sounds, we’re committed to this dating game, bi-weekly. and with two already under our belt, i’ve already realized just how much i’ve missed my guy and how a simple night out brings back yet another long lost element of our previous life. at this rate there’s hope that this new version of myself will someday resemble the girl i once knew!

disclaimer: obviously these pictures have nothing to do with the content of this post, as there is no photographic evidence of said date(s). let’s be realistic, that’d be way out of character.