Inside Our Dress Up Box Lately

H is on a BIG dress up kick these days, and is usually in a costume… 90% of the day. They go inside, they go outside, and back in again… and if you know me at all you know they get thrown in the wash on the regular.

I thought I’d share some of our favorites, some leftover from Halloween over the past years, and others he's gotten for Christmas/birthday presents, which I have washed and re-washed and are still kicking.

These are also great gift options for the 2-5 year olds in your life who don’t necessarily need anymore toys.

While Margot is just getting in to dressing up, what’s Harrisons is hers, and while we add to it via Halloween and special occasions, I also included some items I plan on getting her over the next couple years.

1. Firefighter - I ordered this for H’s 3rd Halloween (First: hedgehog, second: where the wild things are, third: firefighter, fourth - dinosaur) and it is one of my personal favorites. I love the customization of the name/city on the back, and it washes SO well. It’s a splurge, but I would say has a great ROI as is worn usually 1-2 week for the past.. 2 years…

2. Harry Potter - H obviously is not fully aware of HP, but this little costume along with the illustarted first book was an adorable present for his 4th birthday this year from family. He LOVES all the pieces, and being a “Harry Potter the wizard”, which is about as far as we’ve gotten.

3. Astronaut - Such a favorite, we have two different versions! + For added fun, add a pop up spaceship and helmet

4. Fighter Pilot

5. T-Rex - Our absolute FAVORITE t-rex costume is back in stock! - but this cape version is a close second

6. Race Car Driver - On our list for the next occasion, inspired by H’s enthusiasm watching yesterday’s F1 race…

7. Bomber Jacket

8. Chef Hat & Apron

9. Tutu

10. Quilted Wings

11. Royal Princess Cape

12. Opening Night Play Shoes

13. Jewelry Set

14. Super Duper Cape, Mask & Wand

15. Wand

16. Princess Hat

This post contains some affiliate links. I make a small commission from purchases via these links, but these products are being shared on my own accord. These are not sponsored products. I only share what I love!

Starting Solids + First Feeding Essentials

With both babies, we did a combination of purees + baby led weaning starting at around 5 months. I make food when I can, but otherwise have a delivery of Yumi that we’re loving. I (unfortunately) definitely had more time to make Harry’s food versus Margot, so I really love the options Yumi has for purees, as well as baby led options — and it doesn’t hurt that it’s an auto-renew and delivery, so I don’t even have to think about it!

But regardless of the food, mealtime is always messy, especially for younger babies which I’ve learned to just embrace, with the help of a few very key essentials. I wanted to share since I know that this is a baby product that can be tricky, since the “main stream” items aren’t necessarily the most effective, or highest quality, or best looking. We’ve tried so. many. different. options. when it comes to mealtime accessories — and these are my most highly rated items! I know this area can be a bit overwhelming since there are so many options for everything so thought I’d share what has worked best for us for the past 3 years!

1. Coucou Training Cup — Absolutely love from babies to toddlers!

2. Cam Cam Sleeved Bib — For first time eaters, I love and need a full coverage bib. The food goes absolutely everywhere, and a full bib with sleeves protects clothes much better than a smaller simpler bib. I love these Cam Cam options because I can put right in the sink and rinse/scrub and hang dry and they’re ready for the next meal. Once they’re a little bit older (12-18 months, I swear by Gathre bibs — our absolute favorites!)

3. EZ PZ Tiny Bowl — Won’t get flipped off the table, enough said.

4. Gathre Micro Mat & Gathre Mini Mat — Micro as placemat to save your table from endless scrubbing, and a Mini to have under the high chair as a catch all for food, and to save your rug.

5. Mushie Silicone Suction Bowl

6. Mushie Silicone Feeding Spoons

7. Little Chew Folding Snack Cup

8. Konges Silicone Mat — Great for baby led weaning, stays in place while your baby grasps at the food. We have the Tripp Trapp chair for Margot (found on Marketplace and refinished!), without the tray, and it’s been working fine to just pull her up to the table and have a mat down! We love how this really includes her at the table from so early on. With Harry, he was in the Inglesina fast table seat which I also love as another option!

9. EZ PZ Tiny Cup — Another amazing option for learning how to use a cup on their own from an early age!

10. Cam Cam Sleeved Bib

11. EZ PZ Tiny Spoons — Great for feeding babies when they’re young, and also super easy for them to learn how to use as they get a bit older!

12. Silicone Cloud Mat

This post contains some affiliate links. I make a small commission from purchases via these links, but these products are being shared on my own accord. These are not sponsored products. I only share what I love!

Our Daily Schedule -- Two Under Three

It has taken me just about six months to write this blog post, and that’s because it has taken this long for us to finally get into a routine I’m comfortable sharing, and that doesn’t make me feel like a chicken running around with my head cut off.

Before kids, I was a big routine and schedule person. It keeps me calm and controlled, and overall happier. This has not changed much with kids — a routine keeps us all happier, especially with a toddler! Toddlers LOVE routine and schedule, and knowing what to expect.

As with any newborn phase, the first three months with Margot were just straight survival mode. We co-slept at night, and would bring Harry into bed in the morning around 7am when he woke up — and would watch some tv in bed before getting us all up, dressed, and ready for the day. Even during those early days, we never came downstairs unless we were all dressed and all beds made. It was my one sort of stable sanity during this fourth trimester phase. This meant that most mornings we weren’t downstairs before 8:30/9AM. This made the morning go by super quick, and was tough to navigate. Luckily, we’re in the middle of a global pandemic, so not like we had anywhere to go..! These first three months Margot ate mostly on demand, so any sort of schedule for her was non-existent — but Harry’s always stayed the same! Awake at 7, lunch at 11, nap 12-2, dinner at 5:30, bed at 7.

Around four months, we started to implement more of a schedule with Margot, since she was forming her own little daily routine by that time anyways. And now, at six months I think we’re finally in the swing of things (for the time being at least! If you have kids, you know just as you get comfortable in one stage, another one hits…!) that I feel comfortable sharing for those of you looking for a resource! Each day changes slightly, but I try to keep it consistent with timing to keep us all sane. This schedule would be what it is with or without the pandemic — but instead of indoor/outdoor play we would be at the library/playground/class/museum. Wow, I miss all of those things so much.

5:30AM I wake up*, get myself dressed, ready and organized for the day. Make my coffee and do some blog/IG planning.

*I literally started doing this today haha but I feel like a different person so definitely going to keep it up. Before this, I would wake up at the same time as the kids, make the beds, get us all dressed and ready at the same time and it always felt so late and chaotic and also so hard to keep eyes on both while getting myself together.

6:30/7AM Harry and Margot wake up, get them both dressed, we make Harry’s bed and my bed since Nick is in the shower by this point and about to head into the office or his home office.

7:30AM Downstairs — Breakfast/Margot’s 1st bottle followed by play

9AM Margot’s first nap — most usually outside in her basinette stroller while Harry and I play outside

11AM Lunchtime/Margot’s 2nd bottle

12PM Naptime for Harry and Margot — I clean up from the morning for my own sanity. Put all toys away, wash and put away dishes, do a load or two of laundry — and usually vacuum. This is also when I try to get in a daily yoga or movement — I’m obsessed with Melissa Wood — even if it’s just 10-20 minutes (usually all I have time for..) I feel drastically better.

2PM-ish Both kids wake up, Margot takes her 3rd bottle, Harry has a snack and we usually head outside again.

3:30/4PM Margot’s 3rd nap either in her crib or her basinette stroller if we’re outside

5:30/6PM Dinner/Margot 4th bottle

6:30PM Bathtime

7PM Bed

On days Nick’s working from home we all eat together, otherwise Nick and I eat once both kids are asleep for the night. Also, we’re still trying to get Margot to gain a bit more weight, so when she wakes up during the night (usually once) I’ll give her a bottle and she goes right back down.

I know navigating the household with two kids can be challenging, especially the first couple months. While I know it’s so hard, and filled with unknowns, whether you’re a first time mom or mom of 3, just know this phase is so short. It’s a blip of time that passes before you even realize it. So soak in the newborn-ness, your routine and schedule will be there when you’re ready.

Margot's Newborn Essentials

As Margot turns three months on Wednesday (!) I wanted to share some of our favorite things and items we honestly would not have survived the fourth trimester without. A lot of these things were different from my essentials with Harry — since over the past 2.5 years, I have discovered new brands, small shops, and am just overall deeper into the mom world. Also, each baby is so different and Margot is a huge snuggle bug, so I have bought a few different things with her that Harry never cared for/about.

Sharing in the event you are pregnant, and/or close to the arrival of meeting your little one, I always found it helpful to know what other moms couldn’t live without those first few months:

Willaby Baby Blanket, Solly Baby Sleeper, Snuggle Me Organic Lounger

Willaby Baby Blanket

This was the first thing to touch Margot’s skin in the hospital, after me and Nick ;) It is the most soft, most snuggly and also beautiful blanket. I wash it about once a week, and it washes beautifully. It’s also my go-to baby gift!

Charlie Crane Rocker

During the day, when we’re home, Margot takes the majority of her naps in this chair. I know it is not considered “safe sleep”, so she is never in it for long naps, or unattended. She also loves to lounge in it while I’m making dinner or we’re eating. I found it to be really comfortable for newborns, as opposed to some of the other chairs Harry had I didn’t feel comfortable putting him in until he really had better neck control.

Lovevery Playmat

For Harry we had borrowed a few different mats because I could never bring myself to buy them because they burned my eyeballs. I found out about Lovevery after Harry was about six months, and didn’t think it was worth it at that age and SO regret that decision. It is a game changer, and Margot is obsessed with it. I feel like she’s really engaged with the black and white cards so far, and loves the mirror for tummy time — I can’t wait for her to discover more of it as she grows.

Little Ellie Co Lovey

As I said, Margot is a complete snuggle obsessed little bug. She is currently asleep in her chair, with her Willaby blanket cozied up on one side of her face, and this Little Ellie Co lovey on the other (don’t worry I’m watching her every breath and of course never leave her unattended). I ordered her pattern custom through Sally back in late August, and this little rabbit was so worth the wait. It already goes everywhere with us.

Solly Baby Sleepers

Most days, you can find Margot in one of these — and it’s what she came home from the hospital in! So soft, so adorable and easy — while still looking like a cute little outfit.

Briar Baby Bonnets

Fun fact, this was the first thing I bought in the hospital after having Margot. We didn’t find out the sex, so it was veryyyy fun to start buying all the girl things — and I knew she was going to be a bonnet girl. These were also a savior when she started losing her hair around the one month mark…

Green Sprouts Burp Cloths

A godsend for Harry AND Margot. Our favorite burp cloths ever.

Loui Pacifiers

I was sent these to try out by the cutest team at Loui, and Margot was smitten at first suck. Pacifiers are tricky with babies of course, but this one she literally fell asleep with within minutes of first trying it. They’re made with non-toxic medical grade silicone, and my favorite part is they’re one solid piece, so there’s no place for gross things to get stuck or grow.

Willaby Wraps

The best swaddle, the best light blanket, the best cuddle — a million uses and beautiful!

Snuggle Me Organic Lounger

Our favorite sleep time lounger.

Again, this is not safe sleep certified so please ask your pediatrician, and never leave baby unattended while sleeping in loungers or chairs.

Puj Bath

We have a very small bathroom, which means a small sink — and the Puj is perfect! I love how secure a newborn feels in it — since baths can feel a bit uncertain…

Tubby Todd Shampoo & Moisturizer

I tried all the usual suspects with Harry and never really settled on one I loved. I tried Tubby Todd for Margot and so far we’re in love. Smells divine and leaves her clean and soft.

Coterie Diapers

Super absorbant, soft, easy text re-ordering! I will never use any other diapers.

Bloom Baby Wipes

I think I’ve had these on monthly order since Harry was born? I don’t ever plan to cancel. The. Best.

Gathre Padded Mini Mat

We use this alone, or under her Lovevery mat. Super soft surface for babies, but Harry also uses daily to play on! You all know how I feel about Gathre products — I am their biggest fan and think every single thing they make is just perfect.

Gathre Padded Micro+

Oh hey another Gathre product! I ordered the padded micro+ mat for our first floor changing station, mainly to use when I was recovering from my c-section and Nick had gone back to work. I use for both kids, and it’s a lifesaver. Comfy for them, and wipes down perfectly clean. It has so so many uses, so I'll probably use in the bathroom by the tub to save our knees when I don’t need downstairs anymore!

Comotomo Baby Bottles

Margot is (as of now) 99.9% breastfed, but the few times we have given her a bottle, she took these perfectly! We love ‘em.

Happy Baby Carrier - Original

My go-to with Harry, and Margot is another #1 fan. On Harry’s first flight to England, he slept in this the ENTIRE time. I am the biggest believer of the Happy Baby, so was so happy when Margot agreed. Whenever we’re out and about (the playground, farm, etc), she is in this carrier, and most likely sleeping. It’s must easier for me to wear her than have her in a stroller — keeps me free and mobile to chase/play with Harry! And now especially with COVID — I feel safest with her so close to me and protected.

I think that’s it! I hope you found this helpful!

This post contains affiliate links, and I make a small percentage of commission through some sales — this allows me to buy some special things for my babies, and I really appreciate your support in doing so!

Hospital Bag Essentials

I’m here to add yet another “hospital bag essentials” blog post to the internet. When I was pregnant with Harry, I think I read every single one, compiling lists and basically completely overpacked. It was overwhelming to have so much STUFF with us in the room, especially when you’re with a newborn for the first time.

I went through my list right after, and parred down what we barely used/didn’t need/never took out of our multiple bags. I swore to myself if we were lucky enough to have more babies, I was never bringing that much to the hospital again. So now here we are, less than two weeks til delivery day with our second baby and our bags are packed!

It’s important to know that the hospital literally has everything you will absolutely NEED for you and the baby. Everything you’re bringing is to simply make your time more comfortable and personal.

So, here’s this parred down list. I hope you expectant friends find it helpful as you start to plan for the first few days of your little one’s arrival!

For Mom

• Wallet with ID and don’t forget your insurance card — You’ll need to register as soon as you get to the hospital and want to make sure you have all the right identification needed

• Extension cord/extra long phone charger — Most of the time there are minimal outlets in the labor and postpartum rooms, and they can be far away from your bed. An extension cord makes life so much easier to ensure your phone/tablet is charged and easily accesible.

• Toiletry Bag — Dry shampoo, wipes, nipple cream, makeup, toothbrush/toothpaste

• Robe / Nightgown — While sad, it makes life a little bit easier that no visitors are allowed with the pandemic going on, so you don’t have to worry about having anything too elaborate to wear when visitors come. Since I’m having a c-section, I searched high and low for a comfortable, yet pretty lightweight nightgown. I ended up going with this cotton nightgown with buttons for easy breastfeeding/skin-to-skin and this Monica & Andy robe

• Nursing Bras — My go-to with Harry was the Bravado ‘Ballet Nursing Bra’, which I plan on using again this time around, SO incredibly comfortable, which is very important when you’ll be wearing these bras 24/7. I also got the Lively ‘Mesh Trim’ bralette because I did want something with a little more support when out and about. No need to worry about bringing underwear — they got that covered for you ;)

• Socks — Love Bodily’s ‘Cozy Socks’

• Pump — The hospital will also provide one, but I think it’s best to bring your own so you can get used to using it plus ask alllllll the questions for best practices for your specific model from the nurses and lactation specialists who will visit you in postpartum care.

• Boppy Pillow — Makes early days of nursing easier, especially for recovering c-section moms

• Going Home Clothes — I don’t even remember what I wore leaving the hospital with Harry, but it was definitely not what I packed, all such a haze. This time I’m planning on a light-weight, loose fitting dress to make things easy and also make myself feel good. Most likely this MDS Stripes dress or my Hatch go-to

For Baby

• Baby Blanket — Very important for alllll the newborn cuddles, and cozying up for skin-to-skin. So madly in love with our Willaby ‘Lace Baby Blanket’ in Moon

• Swaddle — They will provide the classic blue/pink hospital blankets (which I actually love and are the BEST for swaddling), but it’s always nice to have one or two of your own as well. We love Solly Baby, Pehr, and Quincy Mae

• Hat(/Bonnet(s) — Again, they will provide, but since we’re not finding out the gender until delivery, I like to have a girly/boyish option for hats to make things a little more special. Our favorites: Briar Baby, Quincy Mae, and Organic Zoo

• Going Home Outfit — Something cute & comfy — Fin & Vince, Solly Baby, Quincy Mae, Summer & Storm, and Go Gently Nation are some of our favorites.

• Pacifiers — Again, they will give you! We didn’t bring any last time and it was fine and he ended up using those same kind until he quit them. This time we’re going with the Mushie ‘Bibs Pacifier”

• Bibs — Harry was a drooler/professional spit up-er since the moment he was born, and bibs saved (and continue to save…) so many clothes. I swear by Charley Charles bibs, and are going to try out her smaller ones for the newborn this time around!

For Dad

• Toiletry Bag

• Change of Clothes - button down for easy skin-to-skin and comfy clothes

Preparing For Baby When You Don't Know the Sex

I know we’re part of the small percentage that didn’t find out the sex of not only our first, but now our second either! I’m very superstitious (read: nervous) about knowing too much, or jinxing anything and plus the element of surprise is nice, right? Right?

Anyways, if you’re like us (read: crazy), and also are waiting for the delivery room to find out the sex of your newest arrival, preparing can be tough. On top of getting everything else, clothing can be hard to navigate, especially if you want some fun pieces and not just grey.

With Harry, a LOT was grey during his newborn days, and over the years I have found some wonderful small brands and companies that offer better solutions, whether your little one ends up being a girl or boy. I’m keeping this simple with the absolute necessities (onesies, bibs, hats) because personally that’s all Harry was in for the first 3-4 months. But, I have a weird thing about babies being in “real clothes” — might just be me… definitely just me…

Anyways here you go! Most of these are spring/summer focused, but the brands of course offer other options seasonally. Hope this helps all you soon to be moms/dads out there.

Onesies - Playsuits - Rompers

1. Quincy Mae - Pointelle Kimono Onesie

2. Oeuf - Pocket Romper

3. Quincy Mae - Ribbed Longsleeve Onesie

4. Misha & Puff - Plum Island Playsuit

5. Go Gently - Woven Tank Jersey Onesie

6. Les Gamins - Bloomer Overalls

7. Quincy Mae - Kimono Onesie

8. Quincy Mae - Retro Romper

Bibs

Never met a blog post I didn’t like where I didn’t have to mention my favorite bib of all time and the only bibs Harry wears. Wish I knew about these amazing bibs when Harry was born, we didn’t discover until around his first birthday! Definitely a must have, and come in amazing (gender neutral!) colors.

Hats

1. Quincy Mae - Pixie Bonnet

2. Oeuf - Honeycomb Hat

3. Quincy Mae - Knotted Hat

4. The Blueberry Hill - Honeycomb Bonnet

5. Pehr - Knot Hat

6. Quincy Mae - Pixie Bonnet

Favorite Baby Shower Gifts (That You Won’t Find On The Registry)

These days, with the current quarantine, many baby showers have unfortunately been cancelled or moved to a digital space. Luckily, almost everything is available on line, and thankfully most small shops have been able to stay open - even if that means just virtually.

While the registry is always the safest and easiest place to start shopping for new parents, if you’re like me you might want to get the expecting mom something fun, or a little surprise.

I’ve rounded up some of my favorite pieces, some I received during the early days with Harry, others I have acquired over the past couple years and I now hold them near and dear, and a few I am hoping to add to our collection for the new baby!

Thought I’d share in case anyone else wants to go off-registry for something special..!

Image via Willaby

Willaby Lace Baby Blanket Set

Solly Baby Sleeper

Pehr Pom Pom Storage Bundle

Ollie World Swaddle

Senger Goose

Gathre Mini Mat

Dove & Dovelet Pacifier Clips

Artifact Uprising - The Story of You Baby Book

Organic Zoo Wrapover Bodysuits

Baby Mori Starter Set

The Birth Poster Gift Card

Olli Ella Baby Rattle

Wooden Push Wagon

Grimms Clutching Beads Toy

Hazel Village Doll or Animal

Oeuf Rabbit Sweater

Uncle Goose ABC Blocks

The Non-Crafter's Craft Box

I have never been a crafter, so naturally seeing everyone get to work on organized, themed crafts these past couple weeks with their kids while they’re home, has gotten me a little bit stressed. I thought our days (for the most part) would be pretty routine, and not much would change — since Harry and I spend a lot of time at home anyways. Well, it turns out we do a lot more outside the home than I realized, so I ended up putting in a pretty large art supply order last week that will hopefully last us the rest of this quarantine.

I tried to pick things that could be used for many different projects, and skill building where we can. I’m not huge on structured lessons since Harry is so young still, and all his learning is through playing. We first used the box yesterday afternoon, and it was a full hour of uninterrupted play. Harry LOVED it. We built stick men, then glued them down to paper, then drew things around them, then got out ALL the supplies, and started making color piles. I think the options are unlimited, and now I’m really so happy I decided to add this to our daily routine.

While not everything has yet arrived, here are all the items I stocked up on, and the organizer bin (obviously to keep everything in order, and my sanity..):

Supply Box

Finger Paint Paper Pad

Construction Paper

Jumbo Crayons

Glue Sticks

Paper Bag Puppet Kit

Washable Dot Markers

Sticker Sets

Assorted Paint Brushes

Washable Markers

Misc. Craft Supply Pack - Includes popsicle sticks, feathers, googly eyes, pom poms, craft buttons, pipe cleaners

Toddler Scissors

Washable Paint

Starting Our Family's Advent Calendar Tradition

I have been making a list of new traditions to start for my family since before we had a family… it was always something that made me so excited to be a mom — to bring traditions old and new into our home. We started some last holiday season (like having full blown family christmas weekend starting the day after Thanksgiving, and absolutely no Christmas before then..) but Harry will be 21 months (WHAT HOW WHEN) this Christmas season, and it’s starting to become really fun to explain to him all the magic that is this time of year.

Anyways, one of the traditions I really wanted to amp up was our advent calendar. Growing up, I remember always getting a chocolate one with my dad from our local grocer, I think the girl scouts actually sold them there, but either way, it was something I always looked forward to, and would rush home from school, or sneak for breakfast, that small piece of chocolate.

I wanted our family advent calendar to be something we bring out for years and years, that will be forever a large part of our family’s Christmas memories, and maybe even something our grandchildren can take part in, if we’re so lucky.

I finally came upon the perfect one, from Fabelab — their Christmas House Wall Calendar, which seems to now be sold out.. GAH But Scandiborn still has some amazing other options here, and one of my favorite brands Gathre is restocking their beautiful version.

[UPDATE — Went down a deep rabbit hole and found the Fabelab calendar on Minifli and Bobby Rabbit]

Here’s a peak of our advent calendar so far.. as you can see it still is waiting on a few little goodies, and I need to wrap a few items!

As for what we’re putting in it.. this is the fun part! I think each year it will be different of course as Harry’s interests change, and of course god willing there will be another baby (or more..) joining us in the future but for THIS year, we’re going to do a combination of small things — some things new, some things found in my parents attic from my childhood, and a few things I’ve bought over the months and have been waiting to give to him. Harry is only going to get one gift, so his calendar is going to be a little bit more exciting than it probably will be in future years. ..

• Small wooden animals/trees that complement his gift from Santa — a wooden toy tree fort for all his little animal friends to live in

• Colorful, holiday tape

• Wooden cars — I found in the clearance section at Michael’s — they’re meant to be painted as a craft but they’re super adorable just left plain wood

• Magnifying glass

• One of my dad’s old woodworking aprons — Harry is obsessed with toolbelts and I think it’d be really nice to have one of my dads!

• ‘Canyon’ Gathre mat for his cars & trucks — make sure to take advantage of their Black Friday sale while it’s on!

• Yearly Christmas ornament — each year will reflect a huge interest or event, Harry’s this year is a dump truck, obviously.

• Mini brush

• Christmas stickers

• Tool set (each tool in a different pocket)

• Chunky crayons

I plan on wrapping a few things so they’re fun to open, and leave others in the pockets!

Are you doing an Advent calendar this year? If so, what are you putting in yours?

Harry's Summer Essentials (12-18 Months)

I feel like just over 1 year in, and I’m finally getting into the groove of what we need vs what we want, and what we think we need vs what we actually need. Raising a little human is hard, exhausting, so wonderful and the weirdest love I’ve ever known, and of course we want our children to have the best things. But, I’ve really started to pare back as Harry is growing out of being a baby baby (when? how?). As we’re gearing up for summer in New England (it’s currently raining.. again..) I’ve put together some of Harry’s favorite essentials for the season. I’ve included toys, clothes, activities, everything really that his little 15 month old self seems to be loving these warmer days.

As a family, we have taken a slow approach to summer. Planning lots of days home, playing on our new deck & soaking up every single crooked tooth smile and laugh as Harry enjoys this time.

Swimsuits + rash guards + reusable swim diapers

Before having a little boy, I was under the strict impression that only little girls clothes were completely adorable, but now I have spent many months digging deeper and among other adorable finds I have found SWIM BRIEFS and my world is not okay. I love Harry’s Minnow Hazelnut Stripe Brief with the Seafoam rashguard — and we’re also big fans of the Ollie & Squish Navy Bird set. While I LOVE these pieces, they are pricier, so I keep for my parents salt water pool, fresh water, and deck time. For Harry’s swim lessons (aka chlorine central), I love his seersucker swim trunks from Target and Hanna Andersson’s rash guard suit. We’re also the newest proponent of the reusable swim diaper. So much easier, and more comfortable for the babies.

Water table

We went with this Fisher Price water table, and it’s safe to say Harry absolutely loves it. It seems to have everything they want/need, and isn’t a complete eye sore which I appreciate. We actually take this (and all his toys + bin) in every night to keep them from getting gross, but also because I think it looks messy and it’s a pet peeve of mine, which leads me to…

Outdoor toy bin - bubbles, plastic boats, plastic cleaning kit

I picked up a metal basket at Target, and it keeps all his outdoor toys confined. Plus, part of the fun is taking everything out and putting them back in.. In his bin for the summer is a huge bouncey ball, plastic dump truck, boat and water plane, cleaning set, and bubbles (of course..!) I wanted to make sure everything outside can get wet without any damage, and can also be easily wiped down. So far they have created hourssss of entertainment.

Overalls

Overalls are a god send in the summer - super easy, can handle a ton of wear and tear during play time whether it’s been out on the deck or at the playground - and also they’re literally just the absolute cutest. I love Osh Kosh B’Gosh’s vintage overalls, the quality is much better than the ones out now, and plus it’s more sustainable. I have found some great pieces on Etsy, Ebay and my new favorite store Storied Goods

Pool

While we’re still waiting on our faucet to be relocated to the deck, our beautiful Mylle pool is blown up and ready to go. It’s beyond perfect.

Gathre mat + bibs

I swear by Gathre and everything they make. I am sure to always have a bib and mat in Harry’s diaper bag for impromptu meals on the go. They make messes easy to clean, and are also such beautiful products - so really a win win! I put the mats down also on the deck as home base for Harry and also plan to use them eac week for our town’s concerts in the park.

Crocs & Natives

A guess a theme of summer is everything needs to be wipeable…? This is why I love Crocs and Natives for summer. They 1. can be washed right in the sink and look brand new 2. are cool so harry’s feet don’t get hot 3. slip right on and off but somehow don’t fall off. Done and done.

Sippy cups

My good friend, and even better mom, Jess - suggested these Re-Play sippy cups when harry switched from bottles to sippy and they are beyond perfect. They don’t leak, are easy to wash, easy for them to hold, and use apparently because Harry SUCKS down his milk and water. Also, they come in cute colors.

PlanetBox lunchbox

This Shuttle lunchbox has been used and abused for lunches on the go at childrens museums, parks and playgrounds. Much easier than picking something up while we’re out and about - and has the option for the lunch box and ice pack which is definitely ideal.

Summer pajamas

The softest, and nice and cool for summer nights - Harry now has these Vaenait baby pajamas in 3 different colors.

Tee shirts

Soft, cute, simple tee shirts are apparently hard to find. We love Fin & Vince’s vintage tee, and have also have great luck with Zara Join Life collection and H&M Conscious for simple tees.

Snack tray

A must have for summers on the go — a snack tray for your stroller.

Activity tote

I’ve started using an old LL Bean tote as our summer activity tote, since I noticed our diaper bag was getting overwhelmed.. In the activity tote I keep the extra pair of clothing, sunscreen, snacks, bathing suit/diaper, towel, and extra pouch of diapers/wipes etc. Whatever we need for that days activity. That way, the diaper bag is separate and if we need to run in somewhere I’m not also lugging around all those things, yet I can also just go to his swim class, or playground, or whatever need be with just the activity tote. It’s a work in progress, but we’re a few weeks in and so far so good!

Anything I’m missing? What are your must have items on your list for the summer months?

10 Must Have Items for Baby's First Winter

Winter has finally hit us hard here in New England, so I thought now is as best time as any to share some winter products that we couldn’t live without when the temps are hitting arctic levels..

As I have shared before, most of Harry and my days follow the same routine. This winter season, we are enrolled in classes twice a week, in the mid-morning (post morning nap, pre afternoon nap), and the days we don’t go to class we try to get to our local library for storytime, or are off running errands — either way we try to get out of the house during that morning wake time, between 10:30am-12:30pm. If not, we usually take a walk between the afternoon nap and dinner time. This calls for the right gear to make sure we minimize colds (inevitable..) and keep everyone warm.

1. Carhartt Bubba Hat

   As a warmer option to their beanie, I love the style, but also how warm & cozy it keeps Harrison’s little ears and little neck/chin during these frigid days.

2. Snowsuit/Bunting

   Harrison’s everyday winter suit is from the Swedish brand, Lindex, which I am unable to find online. For colder weather/snow days/freezing rain days, we love his Columbia bunting which has feet and hand coverings which is KEY because mittens are a joke, and have now tried 3 different kinds and NONE stay on his crazy little hands.

3. Zutano Booties

   We have now had these since birth, and just keep ordering and sizing up. They’re an absolute godsend, and work great as boots in the colder weather (for non-walkers) with warm socks underneath. They also make with grips on bottom for those learning to crawl/walk! Basically they’re just the best and I will cry when Harry can no longer fit into them..

4. JJ Cole Stroller Bunting + Swedish Sheepskin

   Lots of options for stroller buntings, but they are completely necessary and keep them so nice and warm. We love ours by JJ Cole and also add a grey sheepskin that my mom picked up on her last trip to Sweden when she was visting my brother and sister-in-law and their two kids. It’s very common for babies and kids in Sweden to have these sheepskins in their strollers because when you think about it, we always pile on top of the babies in their strollers, but the wind and cold is coming straight on their back, so this extra layer makes it so cozy. I also love the sheepskin on it’s own on less freezing days (fall and spring) when you need warmth.

5. 7AM Enfant Warmmuffs

   For mom/dad, to keep hands warm and easily accessible to pick up anything and everything thrown out of the carriage without dropping your own mittens in the process. We got in the new waxed cotton, and I love how they look with our Uppababy Vista with the leather detailing.

6. Tunnel

   For days that it’s too cold to even venture outside (aka yesterday when the high was 2 degrees..) Harry’s tunnel is a source of unlimited entertainment. He first met his beloved tunnel during one of our weekly classes, and he was obsessed so we added it to his Christmas list and my dear aunt gifted it to him. It folds up easily, SO small for storage and out of sight in a flash ;)

7. Sled

   I knew I wanted Harrison to have the same classic sled that me and my brothers grew up with, so we went with the LL Bean Kids Sled with Cushion Seat in Large, so that he can use for multiple winters. I left to order too late, and it arrived the day after our first snowstorm.. anyways it will be ready to go for the next one! Can’t wait to pull him around the neighborhood — our streets are so quiet and quaint on snow days, and it’s the perfect place to pull him along. Harry absolutely LOVES the snow (well, atleast watching from our bay windows so far..) so I can’t wait to see him out in it during the next snow fall.

8. Humidifier

   I know this is a must have on every baby list, but we really didn’t use much until the cold winter months, when we have the heat blasting. We love this one, because it has multiple humidity settings, a nightlight (which we don’t use.. sleep trained without), and has a high capacity. When Harry got bronchiolitis a couple weeks ago, we had this running on high and it cleared it out within a few days.

9. FridaBaby Nosefrida

   Pre-motherhood, this thing totally grossed me out, now it’s a godsend. It keeps their upper lip from getting chapped from wiping and if I make a little game out of it, Harry kind of enjoys it?

10. Long Sleeve Onesies + Pajamas

    If you’re new here, you will soon find out that Harry lives in onesies and lounge pants, it’s just his vibe.. he’s a causal guy. With the cold winter months, we layer up on long sleeve onesies, and cozy pajamas. We love Gap basics, and Hanna Andersson with the matching thick socks.

Our Montessori Based Home

With the upcoming holidays, I thought it’d be the perfect time to share our approach to toys and playful learning for Harrison.

We knew that we did not want Harrison (and his future brothers and sisters hopefully…) to grow up with a ton of toys and “things” — not only does it create unwanted clutter, but we believe it also stunts their creativity and creates certain expectations we don’t want them growing up with.

In the past couple months, we have slowly started to introduce a Montessori based learning approach for Harry. “Montessori is a method of education that is based on self-directed activity, hands-on learning and collaborative play. In Montessori classrooms children make creative choices in their learning, while the classroom and the teacher offer age-appropriate activities to guide the process. It gives great structure to our days, and really focuses his attention on specific skills and toys. “

To organize his learning and playroom space, off our living room, I put together two low wooden bookshelves, where Harrison can easily grab the toys and books himself — everything is safe and at his eye height and each skillset toy gets it’s own place. The plan is, once he outgrows/masters each toy and kill, I will replace with a new, age appropriate toy, and put the older toy in storage or donate. I want to ensure his play area does not become overrun with toys and “things”.

For Christmas, we have already decided on a few special gifts we are giving Harry for his first Christmas, and are urging family and friends who have asked what to get him to respectively stay away from toys, unless they are classic, learning toys (no lights/sounds) and instead purchase him thoughtful keepsakes and books. Our hope is that as the holidays go on, he will continue to get a small number of very special gifts from family and Santa, and will not grow up expecting piles and piles of gifts that are unnecessary. We want to have family-based holiday traditions, and enjoy the holidays with eachother, instead of stressing about the growing pile of outrageous toys under the tree. Of course, we want Harry to have a nice and magical Christmas, but we don’t believe he needs endless gifts to do so.

Here are some of Harrison’s favorite toys (for 7-9 month age range) and items on his wishlist from Santa…!

Xylophone

Or other simple musical instruments

Soft & Textured Balls in a Basket

Corn Flakes or Miscellaneous Kitchen Items in a Safe Ziploc Bag

To explore new feelings and sounds

Stacking with Color & Shapes

While the wooden geometric stacker is a little bit old for Harrison now, we love that this will grow with his learning over the next couple years to build his cognitive skills.

Wooden Egg with Cup

Rainbow Stacker

Wooden Blocks

For those interested in Montessori based learning, I really enjoy these resources:

https://www.montessorinature.com/

https://amshq.org/Montessori-Education/Introduction-to-Montessori

A 2018 Housewife

I know that it boggles a lot of people’s minds how I live my day to day.

I used to compare it to that of a 1950’s housewife, and would say it almost shamelessly. We’ve come SO far as women in today’s society, it was hard for me to admit I LOVE this time in my life, being a housewife and stay at home mom, and that loving it so much somehow made me less of a progressive women in today’s world.

I love making our house a home, raising Harrison, doing laundry, organizing, and having a quiet home-cooked meal on the table every night.

I love our simple days of afternoon walks, and Harrison watching me cook dinner.

I love our slow mornings in bed, with books and toys and watching him grow right before my eyes.

I love our trips to the grocery store on Monday mornings, and trekking to the local farm and pumpkin patch on a Wednesday afternoon between naptimes.

I can’t wait til he is old enough to go to the playground.

I love my little projects during his naptimes, that Nick notices as soon as he comes home and thanks me for time and time again.

I love decorating our house for our first holiday season, and starting weird decorating traditions.

Does this make me less of a modern feminist woman? You may think so, but I do not. I know I am doing the job I was meant to do, for my son, and for our family. A job that I have truly dreamed to do for so long. I don’t think I’m letting any feminist down by doing so, but I can’t help but wonder (how Carrie Bradshaw of me…) if I am. Do young career driven women think my degrees, countless internships, years of tireless, endless New York City turned Boston working was a waste? Do family friends and acquaintances mutter under their breath about what I’ve “given up”? Probably. Definitely, actually.

It was hard for me to get here, so I don’t expect others to understand. To understand I could never be ashamed to be “just” a stay at home mom who loves and cherishes this new role more than any one she’s ever had before.

Images by Anne Lee Photography | May 2018

10 Baby Items We Can't Live Without The First 6 Months

Your baby registry is one of the hardest parts of pregnancy. Where do you even begin? Nick and I made the decision to not find out the sex of the baby, which many people thought was nuts because ‘how could we buy anything’ but it’s not like we were going to buy only pink or blue anyways so it was actually pretty simple. Turns out getting all first baby (we want 4 because we’re crazy people) gender neutral items really maximizes usage!

I asked a lot of recommendations from other new young moms on what they couldn’t live without for the first 6 months when I was putting together my registry, and lots we have used and LOTS we haven’t — so here is our list of 10 items we would absolutely go insane without for Harry’s first 6 months in this world.

Happy Baby Carrier

My absolute favorite carrier by far. So easy to use and put baby in, especially when home/out & about alone. Harrison takes full on hour+ naps in it and also loves to just hang out in it and watch everything. They’re made from an amazing light weight linen, made in the USA and come in such beautiful colors. I couldn’t recommend more!

Baby Bjorn Bouncer Bliss

We started putting Harrison in this around 4 weeks and he still loves to sit in it 6 months later. He now bounces like a crazy person the entire time but regardless.. it’s a great option for when you need to use two free hands/eat!

Bumbo Floor Seat

Another go-to option for playtime! Also super portable, easy to clean (no brainer) and has a great tray option which makes for an easy eating spot for weekends away. We love to put Harrison in his on the table while we eat (Is this allowed? Probably not..) or on the floor with his toys (scattered) around him.

Bibs

We go through approximately 5 bibs a day now that Harry is teething/cutting teeth — but even before that it was an easy way to get more than 1 hour out of onesies!

Onesies

Speaking of onesies. Buy them all. Do not waste money on more than a few “fancy” ones, since day in and day out you will change them multiple times out of multiple onesies. For everyday, I love Carters and have reordered so much I have lost count. For actual outfit options, I love Gap and Loved Baby.

Booties

As you can probably tell, I have a thing about dressing babies like babies and not like adults for atleast the first year. The only shoe/sock that I have found to LOVE and does not ever fall off (basically all that matters) is the Zutano bootie. Again, I have re-ordered too many times…

WubbaNub Pacifiers

God. Sends. They keep pacifiers from falling out, and as Harry has gotten older he strokes it to fall asleep. My heart.

Ollie Swaddle

A baby straight jacket that is SO easy to use. We never got the hang of learning how to swaddle (oops) and this saved the day and Harry loved being so secure. He broke out of this finally around 4 months when he started rolling over front/back and back/front!

Lamaze Toys

I truly tried to keep color out (bad mom…), but my mom bought Harrison the Lamaze peacock and moose a few weeks after birth and he was transfixed. We now have practically every item they make..

Greensprout Muslin Burp Cloths

So good, they made it into two blog posts!

Moving Harry Into His Own Room + Sleep Training

Our sleep training story started off like so many other new parents. We were SO tired. It came out of nowhere. Harry was the best sleeper for his first 3.5 months of life, even starting to sleep through the night around 6 weeks. At 3.5 months he simply stopped. He was putting up fights against naps, bedtime, and started waking every 1-2 hours throughout the night and was almost impossible to get back to sleep. It was really rough. He started rolling over during this time, and didn't want to stay asleep on his back, but would also roll onto his stomach to sleep and then wouldn't want to be there. 

Last week we made the decision to call in some reinforcements. We started working with Arielle Driscoll from Expect To Sleep Again, who worked with us to on a sleep training method, as well as re-working Harrison's schedule, and understand what was going array and how to fix it ASAP....!

These are the key areas that have gotten Harrison sleeping through the night in under a week.

1. We moved him into his own room

One of the main issues Arielle pointed out was that Harrison was still sleeping in our room. He was originally in a basinette next to our bed, and once he grew out of that we actually moved his crib into our room. Yet, lately we noticed that every night as we came upstairs to get ready for bed, even if Harry had been sleeping soundly for hours, he would wake up like "so glad you guys are here, let's play!".

As most new moms know, the American Pediatric Association recommends your baby sleeps in the same room as you the first 6 months, and ideally first year. They say this could potentially reduce the risk of SIDS, so naturally no one is going to take that chance. While this is the statistic, there are also many studies that say after 4 months it is perfectly safe for a baby to sleep in their own (safe sleep) environment. 

I personally think it's a family decision. Many co-sleep for the first year, and it works perfectly fine, others for the first 3 weeks. We decided to test the waters, and spent a few nights in our guest room, while Harry took our master suite (must be nice). He slept so much more soundly, so that weekend we made the decision to move him into his own room.

2. We adjusted his schedule

One thing Arielle noticed right away was Harry's wake/sleep schedule was off, and he was taking his naps way too early in the day, which created too long of a wake time right before bed, making him overtired and therefore too restless to go to bed when he needed to. Harry now has 3 naps, the first around 8:30/9AM, the second around 12:30/1PM, and then his third catnap around 3:30/4PM. If this gets skipped, bedtime is pushed up to 5PM, otherwise bedtime is 6PM!

3. We created a bedtime routine

1. Bath

2. Pajamas

3. Milk

4. Read a book + sing a lullabye

5. Down in crib

4. We followed the Ferber sleep training method

This seemed to be the sleep training method that would work best for Harrison and us. Basically, you wait in intervals to go back into the room to soothe (not pick up, not talk to, just soothe by rubbing his back or head), and the intervals get longer each night. Harrison has responded well to this method and happy rested baby means happy rested parents.

Harrison's Birth Story

Editor's Note: If you are at all scared of childbirth, or are currently pregnant or plan to be pregnant soon, you might want to skip this one. My experience was rare and I know when you're pregnant you're so heightened to reading these sorts of things. Also, with everything that happened I don't have the best memory of the details of this 36 hour period. So bare with me.

Our story began on Wednesday, March 14th. As expected, I had gone past my due date (March 12th), but the morning of March 14th I knew the labor was starting. I had finished work the Friday before so was home, and immediately called Nick.. We called my doctor and he wanted us to head into the hospital to check things out. When I got there I was having contractions, but mild and everything else looked great so they sent me home to ride it out. It could be days before labor truly kicked in. Fast forward to 11pm that night. My contractions were about 5 minutes apart consistently so we grabbed our hospital bag(s) and made our way to the hospital where they confirmed I was in labor and admitted me.

We slept through the night ok, besides them coming to check my vitals (what felt like) every 2 seconds. I would marry any labor/delivery nurse because they are all angels but I just wanted some sleep. In the morning things started to ramp up. My birth plan was pretty simple -- do whatever you need to do to keep the baby and me healthy. I managed the pain for the first 10 hours of labor with walks and the dumb bouncing ball but finally asked for an epidural around 2pm. Wow, life changing you guys. But, this is where things started to go array. The tube for the epidural was faulty, so about an hour in, my contractions (and intense pain) came back in all their glory, and I started freaking out because you don't mess around with needles in your spine and what the hell was going on. The anesthesiologist was so calm, like this happens everyday which did not make me feel better. But they fixed it, and ramped up the dosage which I appreciated then but would not in a few hours. 

At around 4pm on Thursday, we went into full blown "active" labor. I laughed when they said this because I had been in crazy contraction pain land since the morning. One thing no one tells you is that your doctor, or whatever doctor is on call, will not be there the whole time. They pop their head in every hour or so to make sure everything is going ok which I was not into. Anyways, we're in active labor now and they want me to start pushing. The difficult thing is that with the epidural I can't feel the contractions all that well so I just listen when the sweet nurse Marianne says "Ok this is a contraction PUSH" and I sort of push but I feel like I'm just pushing in my brain and my head is going to explode. It's the weirdest feeling. This goes on for hours. There is no development. Finally around 10pm the resident or whoever she was says she can see the head! Nick and I are like "Wait, what?!" Because strangely that moment is when it all gets real. The doctor comes in to look and doesn't seem really thrilled which I was surprised by. All she said was she wanted to turn down my epidural so I can push stronger against the contractions. The anesthesiologist comes back in, and gives me the whole schpeel about once its turned down it can't be turned back up. I was like I guess that's fine? The doctor wants it down and I'm going to go with whatever she says. So he turns it down and I can feel the contractions intensify but the weird thing is when you push against them it relieves them so it's kinda nice? So we keep on doing this for another 2 hours, and there is still no progression. The doctor seems a bit concerned now and more people are coming into the room and checking things when all the sudden everything shifts. The feeling in the room totally changes and I know something is wrong. I hear them saying how it wasn't the head we saw but apparently the top part of something or other before the head comes and there has been no progression for a lot longer than they thought and the baby was stuck.

I look at Nick and start freaking out and crying hysterically. He calms me down and says they know what they're doing we're going to be fine it happens all the time. Angel nurse Marianne is also whispering sweet nothings in my ear but I am sobbing. Around this time all the details get very fuzzy so bear with me. All the sudden there is beeping. A lot of beeping and alarms and everything else and the baby's heart rate has dropped drastically. They give me the option of an emergency c-section or to vacuum the baby out, but the doctor recommends the section because she doesn't think time is on our side at this point. There is paperwork to sign (WHY DO THEY NOT DO THIS BEFORE HAND IN THE CASE THAT IT MIGHT HAPPEN?!) I am trembling and crying. There are 1000 people in our room and everyone is moving so fast I can barely see straight. I feel like I'm breaking Nick's fingers I'm holding them so tight. They prep me and the OR all so fast and I'm all hooked up but now they can't get me numb enough because of the issues earlier that day with my epidural.. For what feels like hours we play the game of "Can you feel this? How about this?" Surprise! I can feel all of it. At this point the doctor and head of the anesthesiology dept are almost fighting about what to do. The anesthesiologist says we need to wait, the doctor says "we cannot wait" -- all super comforting when you're strapped to a table about to have major surgery, shivering to your core (so. cold.) and have no idea what is about to happen. 

They finally get me numb (enough -- I could feel tinges every now and then in addition to the overall terrible and uncomfortable pressure) and begin work. This is all a blur again because I'm on a lottttt of drugs at this point, barely hanging on to keep my eyes open but once they started cutting they realized Harrison was more stuck than they had originally thought, so they had to cut my uterus both ways, and then suction him out by his little butt.

At birth, he was unresponsive. I looked at Nick and I honestly have never felt the pain and heartache of that moment. I saw them put him on the table to work on him and his leg just flopped down. I will never forget that moment as long as I live. Even writing this now I am crying because it was just the absolute worst moment of our entire life. A swarm of NICU doctors were there in the waiting and began working on him and finally got him to take his first breath and we heard him scream out and cry and Nick and I were both so, I don't even know the word for it -- relieved I guess but to such a degree I can't explain. It is now 1:09AM on Friday. At this point they up my dosage drastically and apparently we name our sweet boy Harrison and Nick was able to hold him and show him to me before they rushed Harrison to the NICU. They then try to rush Nick out and something again is off. We do not know it at this time but my section was really bad. I am convinced I am going to die, and every single episode of Greys Anatomy flashes before my eyes. I beg them to let Nick stay but they won't allow it. Nick assures me he will be right outside for when they finish and I will be fine. I thank god for Nick. For the next 3 1/2 hours* they work on sewing me up. *For reference, a normal, average c-section takes a TOTAL of 1 - 2 hours. I am in the weirdest daze of being in the inbetween of awake and asleep and everything is kaleidoscopes and all I can remember is coming to every now and then and crying and asking how much longer it's going to be. They kept saying "About an hour". It was years. Finally I'm all sewn up, it's now 4am. As they move me from the OR table to the bed, I look (dumb move, Mae) and I have never seen that much blood even in a war movie. It was EVERYWHERE. Like, on the ceilings. Everywhere. I was like "What the HELL happened in here..."

They roll me back to the laboring room where Nick has been waiting, with no updates, no wife, and no baby for the past HOURS. We hug and kiss and cry and are both so drained we don't even know where to begin, but we want to see our baby for starters. They say he is stable and we can go see him on our way to the room. They take us up to the NICU and I am able to do some skin on skin in the quietness and peacefulness of the NICU and somehow everything is ok. He is beyond perfect. He is ours. He is ok. I am ok. We made it through.

On Friday, when I wake up after the birth I feel like I got hit by a truck. Like, I felt REALLY bad. I thought it was normal and just kept doing the best I could but i couldn't help but notice the other new moms, many of which had c-sections were up and about, I mean slowly about but still -- and I could barely lift my head off my pillow. One of the doctors from L&D comes down to check in on me and after checking my counts mentions a blood transfusion might be something we need to think about. I'm like woah woah let's not get crazy here. I'm fine. I just had a c-section it happens all the time. A blood transfusion seems a bit much. So we decide to wait a bit and see how my vitals trend. I am tasked with getting up out of bed for the first time to go to the bathroom, and I can't make it. I get wheeled in, and pass out on the floor of the bathroom. When I come to, there are about 10 nurses and 1 scared Nick, who had just returned from visiting Harry in the NICU upstairs. The next day, the doctors don't take no for an answer, and I am given a double blood transfusion because I lost so much blood during the surgery. A NICU nurse later tells me in passing "So happy to see you're doing well, I was in your delivery. and I've seen a LOT of sections, but yours.. wow.. it was one of the roughest ones I've seen.." Thank you? What do you say to that? Maybe keep your thoughts to yourself next time on that one.

That day and the following 2 days, Nick and I are in the NICU almost constantly -- I try not to miss any breastfeeding time, besides his first couple since I was in the OR still, or during my transfusion. It is exhausting, but something that was so important to me. Our calm time together during an insane delivery and postpartum experience.

Harrison is finally released from the NICU on Sunday afternoon. Our little family reunites and I have never felt more at peace. My two boys. Our little family. While it was a journey, and I would prefer to not have that experience again, it was Harrison's story and has made us all so grateful for what we have and that we were strong enough to overcome it. 

Pregnancy

Fair warning, this pregnancy post is going to get real. It was definitely not all feeling amazing and that beautiful glow for me and after talking to so many other moms -- that seems to be way more the norm than anyone talks about, so let's discuss...

August 2017 | 11 Weeks Pregnant -- Napa Valley, California

First Trimester

Cravings: Fresh, cold fruit. Salad bars. Non-fancy everything. I made Nick drive an hour to a dive steakhouse that I knew (from my childhood..) had an amazing salad bar, complete with crisp iceberg lettuce (only the best over here, people!) Side note -- why do restaurants not have salad bars anymore?

To describe in one word: sick. All the time. This did not end after the first trimester, which is what everyone will tell you. "You'll wake up at 13 weeks and you'll feel like yourself again! It's amazing!" You won't. And it will not feel amazing. So many women don't experience "morning" sickness, but I did and it was horrendous. It's also so hard the first trimester because no one knows you're actually pregnant, if you decide to keep it under wraps, so you just seem a little bit nuts. I remember planning my day around being sick, knowing I could make it from our apartment to work (a few mornings I did not, and my sincere apologies to those I almost threw up on on the streets of Boston as I pulled over to be sick). I could get to work, be sick in the bathroom before anyone else got in and then we'd go from there. It was torturous.

But besides the sickness, I was so NERVOUS. It's as if as soon as the universe knows you're pregnant you start getting served insane pregnancy articles everywhere you look. You can really drive yourself nuts. Almost everyday my husband, Nick, had to calm me down and reassure me the stories were so rare and far and few in between. But still, the whole experience was terrifying, and I was petrified to get excited about our new baby in the fear that something would go wrong.

We were now in July/August and I was also avoiding dinners and drinks like the plague. Very unlike me, and I'm sure very rude and annoying to friends and colleagues. Sorry guys!

Second Trimester

Cravings: Cold fruit. Salad bars. Non-fancy everything. Oreos & milk. Popsicles. Meatball subs.

Still sick over here. We finally announced our pregnancy at 18 weeks, and it felt so good to let everyone in on our biggest secret. With this also came a weird sense of relief and calmness. Connecting with other pregnant moms who were as nervous as I was, or as sick as I was really helped. Otherwise, I felt the same as the first trimester. I was still sick daily, and my daily routine included going to work, and racing home as soon as humanly possible to change into lounge clothes and lay on my couch and sleep.

Third Trimester

Cravings: Fresh, cold fruit, salad bars, and non-fancy everything. Oreos & milk. Popsicles. 

I felt so much better come the third trimester. Super big and super uncomfortable, yes -- but finally not sick and getting SO excited to meet whoever our little son or daughter was going to be. We traveled to England for Christmas at 29 weeks, and the flight really opened my eyes to swollen ankles... We spent the time with family, and instead of our usual pints and pubs and football games, we spent a ton of time taking nice, long hikes through the countryside and drinking a whole lot of hot chocolate.

Once we got back from England, we were in full blown 'ready' mode. Nick and I both agreed we wanted to wait until January to start setting up the nursery -- superstitious side of us both -- so we started that and it was so fun to have a little design project to work on to take my mind off the final stretch. During this time I relaxed and slept a lot. I was so so exhausted and by the time the end of my work day hit I was ready for bed. 

This trimester seemed to last years. I was so big and it was so cold out but I was so hot and nothing fit and it was a serious exercise to put my snow boots on. I felt like I was reliving the scene from 'A Christmas Story' where the mom dresses Randy in so many layers he couldn't put his arms down. We also kept getting hit with storm after storm and since I slipped on ice earlier, I was very cautious about being out and about. I lost count of how many times I vowed that our next baby would NOT be born in the winter.

But, as my doctor kept telling me -- "The baby will come. It won't stay in there forever" And boy did he. More on that in my birth story....

Harrison's Nursery

Harrison might be one of the only babies who have had 4 nurseries, in 5 months of life. 

The  1st was at my parents' house, where we all stayed following the delivery since it was too much for me to stay in our 3rd story walk up apartment I have no pictures but it was all our stuff in my childhood bedroom, so just imagine that!

The 2nd was his nursery in our South End, Boston apartment (a mere 2 weeks). This nursery was the one I worked so hard to get ready for, and was completely taken apart and moved by my parents to CT while we were all still in the hospital waiting to be discharged.

The 3rd was in our brand new home, that we moved into when Harrison was 6 weeks old.  

The 4th (and final) came after we moved him into the larger of the two spare bedrooms we have. His 3rd nursery became our guest room! The final is not completed yet -- stay tuned. 

When starting to plan out his nursery, we knew we wanted to keep the space calm, neutral and clean. We did not know whether Baby Barber would be a girl or a boy, but to be honest that didn't effect my design process at all. I wanted the same vibe whether for my son or daughter, and just planned on tweaking some things once we brought him or her home.

Harrison's 2nd Nursery | South End, Boston

Harrison's 3rd Nursery | Dedham, Mass.

Harrison's Favorite [Nursery] Things

Crib | Pottery Barn Kids 'Kendall" Crib in Simply White

Glider & Ottoman | West Elm 'Graham Glider and Ottoman' in Worn Velvet, Dark Gray

Dresser | IKEA Hemnes 8-Drawer Dresser in Dark Gray Stain

Rug | Pottery Barn Kids 'Pearl Dot Border' Rug in Light Gray

Wall Elephant | Fiona Walker England

Framed Prints | The Animal Print Shop

Moses Basket | Restoration Hardware Baby & Child 

Stuffed Animals/Blanket Baskets | Pottery Barn Kids 'Natural Sloan Cotton Rope Storage'

Under Crib Storage | Restoration Hardware Baby & Child 'Wool Felt Storage Bin' in Gray

Shelf | Hubsch 'Leather Strap Shelf'

A Day In The Life

A very common, and very annoying, question I receive a lot is -- "Aren't you bored? But what do you DO all day?" 

I have literally never been LESS bored in my entire life.

Here's a little glimpse into our everyday. We try to keep more of a routine rather than a schedule, because no two days are EVER the same and things fluctuate daily with appointments and groups, etc so we're flexible on timing but try to keep the activity routine pretty consistent!

Anytime between 6AM - 7AM Harrison will wake for the day + have his morning feed.

7:30AM - 8:30AM Awake + play time, usually starting in bed with me with books and toys and then moving downstairs (so I can make a very needed cup of coffee) and Harry can enjoy his little play area in our living room.

8:30AM - 10:30AM(ish) Morning nap -- my time to have coffee/breakfast, let Hildie outside, put laundry on, empty the dishwasher from the night before, etc.

10:30AM Harry wakes + has his mid-morning feed + first solids fruit or vegetable "meal" of the day

10:30AM - 12:30PM Awake time -- usually when we try to go grocery shopping, run errands, have a play date, attend a moms group, head to the library for storytime -- and just get out of the house for a bit!

12:30AM -2:30PM(ish) Afternoon feed + nap -- Once Harry is down, I eat lunch, clean up the house, put groceries away, pay any bills/house management tasks and start to prep dinner because the afternoons are always so busy.

2:30PM Around this time, Harry wakes + has his afternoon milk and his second solid "meal" of the day.

2:45PM - 3:30PM Free/play time. We either go for a nice long walk with Hildie, run some errands or have a play date. Harrison will take another catnap around 3/4PM -- but this one is usually always "on the go" (in his stroller, carseat, carrier, etc.) This catnap really helps to stretch out the time til his bedtime. 

4PM Late afternoon milk and his fruit/vegetable of the day followed by playtime.

5:30PM Bedtime routine begins! We do a bath everynight, but only with soap every 2-3 days so his skin doesn't get dried out. We then do his final feed of the day + storytime and put down for bed, usually by 6:30PM

Nick and I always have dinner together, alone, around 7:30PM/8PM. It's super important to us to have this time to talk about our days, Harrison, and things we have coming up. I remember in the first weeks of Harrison being with us and not really on a sleep schedule yet, aka up with us all the time -- I cried to Nick saying "WILL WE EVER EAT DINNER TOGETHER EVER AGAIN?!" We did.