The Girl With The Smile

 (Necklace: Instagram Shop  Dress: Plato’s Closet  Shirt: Thrifted (Target)  Boots: JustFab)

I have lived in the same town my whole life (in fact, my parents still live in the same house I grew up in). I moved away for a brief period to go to college and travel the world some, but in the back of my mind, I always knew I would move back here, raise a family and grow old in this city. It’s a relatively small town and everywhere I go, I run into someone I know. And I love it.

But this town is rapidly growing and my heart dies a little every time a stop light goes in because that is just a visual confirmation that we aren’t as small as we used to be and that makes me so sad. Why do things have to change?!

 (Dress: ???  Necklace: Instagram Shop  Shoes: JustFab.com)

Very few things bother me, but something that’s been irking me lately is when people comment that Owen is my “third kid”. You know, like when you set the kid down on the ground and people say “third kid” like you would NEVER do that with the first kid. But the thing is I was exactly the same with my first, second and third. The only thing I would say that has been different is that first month figuring out sleeping/breastfeeding/etc. Being a new parent and dealing with that level of exhaustion/confusion for the first time was horrible. Otherwise, I’ve never been a germaphobe and am okay with my kids eating a little dirt (sometimes literally). I’ve also been the same level of relaxed with my oldest as I have been with my youngest, although the baby does have more people to hold him now and has incredibly attentive older brothers, so I actually try to put him down more so that he doesn’t grow up thinking the world revolves around him.