The First 3 Months with Baby
Wow, newborn life is a whirlwind. It feels like it will last forever, but time is also moving a warp speed. Sleepless nights, the best snuggles, weird grunts, explosive diapers, and the sweetest baby. I was going to call this our newborn survival guide, but let's be honest, I'm no expert, and I only have one baby. So everything that I'm about to talk about is just our experience over the last 3 months. I'm going to start with "The Hospital" Things I did right - having Devin. Things I did wrong - packing. Guys, I packed makeup for the hospital stay! Oh man, what a sweet naive, childless woman I was. Things I wished I would have packed: my breastfeeding pillow, our own swaddle (one with velcro), my pillow from home, and my nipple cream. I really wanted to breastfeed, and it's such a tough start. Having my boppie pillow and my own nipple cream would have helped so much. I really disliked the lanolin based cream they give you in the hospital. It stinks and is … Read More
Maddie’s Birth Story
I cannot believe it’s been over 3 months since our little Maddie joined the world. It feels like both yesterday and forever since I’ve grown so accustomed to her being in our lives. Pretty much since we brought her home from the hospital I’ve thought to myself “I should really write down her birth story”, but life with a newborn is exhausting, all consuming, and also amazing. Better late than never, right? Let's jump in! Around the 32 week mark, I had my regular midwife appointment and it was the first time they were able to feel for baby’s positioning. My midwife told me she suspected baby may be breech, but there was still time for her to turn head down. I wasn’t extremely worried at that point because I was seeing a chiropractor who specialized in the webster technique and I was familiar with Spinning Babies. At my 34 week appointment, they did feel she was still breech and decided to order an ultrasound to confirm. From there, I went to the chiropractor more … Read More
My First Trimester
Hi! I know it's been a while since I took the time to put together a blog post. I've been using Instagram a lot more to chronicle the daily happenings. However, I still love to write and you just can't get the same satisfaction of doing that on your phone in an app. Since the last time I posted, Devin and I moved to Pittsburgh! We've been here for a year now and are so happy with this change. We loved living in the DC area; it brought us together along with providing quite a bit of career opportunities. But this felt like the right next step for our life. And now it couldn't be more true! We're expecting our first baby in March of next year. Being closer to family, having a home with a yard, and being more removed from the rush that the DC area brought is perfect! We knew we were ready (or as ready as you can be) to start our family. Over the 4th of July weekend this summer, we went up to our family ski condo to just relax. If you want some peace and quiet, a ski … Read More
August Goals
I love a good fresh start. New Years, new months…. and I think that is why I love mornings so much. My Commit30 planner enables me to make the most of a new month throughout the whole year. I’ve made August my month of “grounding”. I usually try to find one word that fits the goals I’m trying to attain. One month my word was “consistency”, another month it was “simplicity”. By attaching a word to the action goals I’ve set, it’s easy to remind myself of them on a moments notice. Whether it’s when I’m contemplating sleeping in rather than getting up to go to the gym, even though I know I still had enough sleep, I can remind myself, even in the morning fog, of that one word. I’ve been reading (well listening to on Audible) Rachel Hollis’ “Girl, Wash Your Face”. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend getting the book right this minute. The girl speaks TRUTH. I was watching her insta-stories the other day and she was drinking her smoothie and she said “I don’t want a … Read More
2018 Book Update
Summer just seems like the time of year to discuss what to read. Hopefully you’re enjoying lazy afternoons by the pool or on the porch. Maybe you’re taking a trip and need some entertainment in the car or on the plane. Oh, and then there’s beach reading! The past few years, I have set a New Year’s resolution to read 12 books (1 book per month). I haven’t hit the full 12 yet, but I’ve been in the range of 7 to 8, which I feel like is still a pretty good amount. But, this is my year. I can feel it! I’m already at 9 books and just about to finish 2 audiobooks (I think it should count….right?). These are also books I definitely recommend. But some stole my heart. If I’m not into a book by 50 – 75 pages, it’s gone. I’m not in school anymore, so reading is for pleasure only – if I don’t like, I’m finding something else. That’s also another reason I love my Kindle. I can download a sample and decide if … Read More