5 Life Updates February 2022

Is this real life? Is it already February? Honestly, where did January go? I felt like that month was a blur! We are now officially into 2022 and into the first week of February so I’m here sharing my 5 Life Updates February 2022 post with y’all. I’ll be honest and say that February is never my favorite month of the year. There are some highlights in the month like Valentine’s Day (Psst, my Valentine’s Day guides for this year are here, here, and here!) but, for the most part, it always feels like a winter month I wish I could skip ahead from to spring and the longer days that Daylight Savings brings in March.

This year, February feels different and I have a completely different mindset around the month! I’m really excited for so many things to come this month including every single one of my 5 life updates February 2022 below (babymoon, maternity photos, house updates, etc!) and the arrival of my bestie’s next baby. I also definitely have a busy, frenzied, excited, go getter energy about me right now that I know is due to the upcoming arrival of our second baby. I’m into my third trimester and feel as though I have a lot I want and hope to get done before our baby joins us. February is the shortest month too so I already feel the month whizzing by! Lots to be done but it all feels very exciting to me!

We’re Going On A Babymoon

I am SO VERY EXCITED for our babymoon! I know I was very excited for our babymoon during my pregnancy with Rowan. But I think I’m excited for different reasons this go around. For starters, with both babymoons, I’m thrilled to have a few undivided days to spend with Edwin. It sounds so nice in anticipation of life getting extra crazy again once we welcome a newborn into our lives this spring. For our babymoon during Rowan’s pregnancy, we were very much still living in a Covid world so it felt freeing and fantastic to drive out of town and actually travel somewhere after months of being at home.

For our babymoon with this current pregnancy, I think the freeing part will be having a few days without the routine or the schedule of a toddler. Rowan is a busy kid with preschool 3 mornings a week, mommy and me music class, little gym class, and, as you’ll see below, swim lessons starting soon so it sounds very peaceful and indulgent to spend a few days away from running to and from those activities along with his naps, meal times, early morning wake ups etc. Rowan is an easy kiddo but little getaways from our kids are rejuvenating nonetheless!

For our babymoon, we were considering going to the Caribbean but with Omicron being so transferrable we just didn’t feel like committing to the risk of leaving the country and having to test to get back in. Once we decided to scale back from a bigger Caribbean level trip, I did a 180 and decided I wanted to do something really easy where not only was the trip relaxing but the travel was relaxing too. We went to Palmetto Bluff in the spring of 2019 with my family (here and here) and have wanted to go back ever since. It is a magical place. It felt like a really easy and natural choice for us since it is just an easy drive south. As always, we tapped my sister who is a travel advisor to book the trip for us so we get all the perks. I honestly cannot tell you how excited I am for the 3 upcoming nights! Rowan and my parents will have an absolute blast together back in Charleston too. It is a win win for everyone!

Our Stair Runner Is Being Installed

Finally! Our stair runner is being installed later this month. It feels like a big house project to be checking off the list for me. I pulled rug samples last summer and then got completely waylaid with life. This fall I picked the project back up and had our stairs measured, ordered the rug materials I selected, and got on the books for an installer. With the nature of the world, everything is taking longer so there was a long lead time for the materials to be delivered and a long lead time for the installer.

Neither Edwin or I are extremely handy people and the stairs in our home are original to the house so, in order to save us both massive headaches and to maintain the integrity of the stairs, we knew we wanted a professional installer to tackle the job. Which brings me to February 2022 and we are finally having it installed. I think it is going to be fantastic and safer for Rowan and our child on the way going up and down the stairs and for us (especially during sleepy early mornings and middle of the night wake ups with children). I can’t wait to share the runner with you when it is installed!

Rowan Starts Swim Lessons

This feels like another huge update for our little family! Rowan is starting swim lessons this month! I wanted to get him going in swim lessons before this upcoming summer and quickly realized that it would be easiest for us if we got them done before baby #2 arrives because they are a large time commitment. It has worked out perfectly that he will finish his daily 6-week-long swim lesson course at the beginning of April right before I give birth.

It feels like a big life step for my little 16-month-old so I like the idea of being able to be fully present along with him (without the distraction of a newborn) as he takes this on. Afterwards, I can’t wait for a summer of swimming with Rowan. He is so darn cute in a little swimsuit! P.S. Speaking of swimsuits, did you see the new adorable swimsuit collection I shared earlier this week that just launched? It’s perfection!

We’re Taking Maternity Photos

We are taking maternity photos with Christina of Good Grace Photos in the next week to mark this moment in time for our family. I have a few friends who have shot with Christina and they have all absolutely raved about her! Christina and I were chatting on Instagram and a shoot just fell into place. I love the maternity photos we shot with Hannah during my pregnancy with Rowan so I know these ones will hold just as special of a spot in my heart. It is wild looking back at my first pregnancy maternity photos and thinking it was Rowan growing in my belly! I’m over the moon to soon have keepsake photos of this new little boy or girl entering our family too. Get ready because I’m sure I will want to share each and every photo from the shoot!

I’m Starting Rowan’s Big Kid Room

I’m 29 weeks pregnant this week and finally starting to think about Rowan’s big kid room. Rowan’s current nursery will stay the nursery for the second baby. This was our plan all along and I’m still so happy we decided to do it this way. In all honesty, it is so much easier to have one room stay as is. Also, I love the nursery that Olivia designed for us so I’d be heartbroken to change it so soon! Enter Rowan’s big kid room. The room is currently our guest room/Edwin’s office (sorry Edwin!) but it will be transforming into Rowan’s room over the next couple of months.

I’m taking the project on myself and feeling really inspired by it. I have a definitive vision in mind so we will see what I can create and make happen within our time and budget constraints. The good news is that the room doesn’t have to be done when the new baby arrives. Rowan will stay in his nursery for the first few months while the new baby sleeps in our room with us. So, I do have a bit of wiggle room. My very first step is complete though – I made a secret Pinterest board for my inspiration for the room. Now, it is time to get down to business!

I’ve been living in this house dress from Sleeper (you can match with a little lady too!)! It is not maternity but clearly very bump-friendly so it has become my uniform. It will be amazing for post-birth and nursing too. Sleeper’s pieces make looking cute while staying extremely comfortable around the house possible. Praise be for brands like this! Below are some current favorites.