Mom Realizations

If you're new in this neighborhood, I have been absent for a little while recently. One can never be fully prepared for how time consuming it will be to take care of a baby. Wow. Motherhood has been pretty amazing and exhausting all at the same time. No complaints here though. I love my husband and our boy more than I ever thought possible!

our good friend Raychel Armstrong took this picture

if you're looking for a photographer in Central Florida... she's your gal

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Becoming a mom makes certain things, like poop and puke, a part of daily life. I never thought some things, like car seat safety and pediatrician choices, would matter so much. I'm also surprised by how many things have fallen off of the radar for me too. I now understand how you can set food in a clothing store and only want to buy things for someone else. (Never thought that one would happen). I also now understand the importance of where we live, because education opportunities and cultural experiences will stem from that.

You can read all of the books out there, but none will ever prepare you for real life with a baby. It's sort of like college to the workforce. No amount of homework or reading will ever prepare you for a real life situation that calls for an executive decision with a baby in mind. At any given moment, all you can do is your best.

The most expensive and luxurious baby gear won't make you a better parent. It will just make your bank account smaller. As much as I want to give our baby the best, I also realize that he doesn't know the difference between brands. Choose your battles wisely. Splurge where it's necessary, and save where it's not. There are so many choices out there, and you don't need (even though you will want them) all of the baby things.

Mom instinct is a real thing. Growing up I was never much of a babysitter, and I'm an only child. Babies have always been such a foreign concept for me. I never much, if any, time taking care of a little one. However, when you have your own, you just know what to do. I'm amazed by this quite often. All I want to do is love on our baby, and I'm shocked at how quickly you're able to learn how to diaper and bathe a little person. You can't really mess it up too badly.

Speaking of messing things up, you'll learn to forgive yourself more easily. There just isn't enough hours in the day to do it all. Don't stress out over it, because you're doing one of the most important jobs. If I tried doing everything the way I did pre-baby, I'd be headed straight down the highway to nervous breakdown city! Prioritizing is your new hobby. Again, choose your battles wisely. Holding the baby wins out over straightening up the kitchen.

You'll never feel more grateful towards your own parents. This parenting thing can be tough, and from the sounds of it little worries turn into bigger ones over the years. No wonder my parents have gray hairs, ha! Seriously though, when I feel like crying over the thought of something bad happening to our baby, I realize the love that my parents have for me. I have a whole new appreciation for the roller coaster of emotions that parents are capable of experiencing. Whew!

I wouldn't change any of this for the world.

My husband and I are in it for the long haul now. :-)

5 Month Catch Up

Our little one is already 5 months old. How on earth did that happen?! It seems like he just grew up overnight. Let me tell you, we've learned a lot in 5 months. He's teaching us new things each and every day. Mostly we've learned about how much love we have for this tiny human being.

2 months -----> 5 months

just like that

Last time I posted, our little one was just 3 months old. I shared some of our favorite must have baby gear items. Some of those opinions have changed a bit over the past couple of months. We still like both carriers but use the Ergo carrier more than the K'tan. The co-sleeper bassinet was also outgrown more quickly than we would have liked. We ended up moving him to his crib around 3 months, because we felt he needed the extra room. You live and you learn.

3 Months

+ first time rolling from back to tummy (see picture above)

+ you started sleeping in your own crib & on your tummy... talk about parental anxiety!

+ laughing and smiling are a couple of your favorite things

+ you roll onto your tummy but get "stuck" there since you don't roll the other way yet

4 Months

+ you have discovered your feet... they're fun to grab onto

+ peekaboo is one of the funnest games ever

+ blowing raspberries is a new discovery

+ you love anything with buttons, and you love to push those buttons

+ light up toys are a favorite as well

5 Months

+ you touch, grab, and feel everything

+ when we call your name, you definitely know we're talking to you

+ you are drawn to the littlest of details... like zippers on bags, buttons, and tags on items

+ we swear you're getting teeth... you are a drool monster and chew on everything!

+ you are starting to get your knees under you, and we think you will crawl in no time

+ eskimo kisses are fun... and mom is taking advantage of your love for those for now

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We can't believe how time has flown!

Speaking of flying, you have already taken two trips on an airplane.

That's a post for another time though.

I can't believe how much more fulfilled our lives have been these past 5 months.

Every day is a new adventure.

We love you, Chase!

Must Have Baby Gear

So our little guy is already 3 months old. Where did the time go?! During the past 3 months we've learned a few things when it comes to baby gear. We could have saved some cash if only we knew before what we know now. Some things have ended up much more useful than others. These are some of my favorite and/or most used baby items.

ErgoBaby carrier -- We used our ergo during a trip to Michigan when Chase was about 7 weeks old. It was great for using in the airport. Not to mention it can grow with your baby. You have the ability to wear baby on your front and back once they're able to sit upright later. Right now this bad boy (or girl) is on sale thanks to Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale. You can get this Starburst ErgoBaby carrier for only $79.90 marked down from the standard $120. If we didn't already have one I would scoop this up now!

Baby K'tan 'Breeze' carrier -- I actually wish we had purchased this carrier when Chase was smaller, because you can wear baby in so many different positions that the ErgoBaby carrier cannot do. I also like how the Breeze version of this carrier is made from cotton and mesh, because it gets very hot in Florida while wearing a baby. Oh, and you can use a Bed, Bath, & Beyond 20% off coupon to purchase this!

Bob 'Revolution SE' Jogging Stroller -- In hindsight, I would have skipped buying the travel system and gone straight for this stroller. We learned the hard way and bought it later. You can buy an adaptor that your infant carseat clicks into, so baby can still ride in this as an infant. It rides so much more smoothly than our Britax B-Agile. Like I said, in hindsight I would have skipped the travel system stroller for this jogging stroller plus an umbrella stroller (which we have yet to purchase). We got our Bob stroller for about half the regular price during a sale at Babies R Us. We used our registry rewards on top of the sale for this big ticket item.

Medela Harmony Breast Pump -- This was a last minute purchase while traveling. I unfortunately struggled with engorgement for quite a while, and I desperately needed something to help with that while we were away from home. If you're planning on traveling with baby, this thing is a lifesaver. It's really easy to use in the middle of the night as well. You can use the Medela quick clean micro steam bags to sterilize the parts while on the go. This manual pump is also much gentler on the girls than an electric pump. That being said, I am blessed to stay at home with my baby and don't have the need to pump very often. This pump gets the job done.

Infantino Activity Gym -- Our little guy loved this from day one. Okay, maybe it wasn't exactly day one, but he's loved this activity gym for quite a while already. I sometimes get a few moments to myself while he stares and swats fish for a few minutes. We use this basically every single day. The great thing is this activity gym grows with baby. You can move the overhead portion, and it turns into a ball pit for when baby is old enough to sit and play. We may regret this purchase later, but I'm sure our son will love us for having bought this.

Arm's Reach Mini Co-Sleeper -- We had purchased a different bassinet at first, and it did not work out at all. Our poor little guy overheated so badly on the cheap vinyl padding, so we returned the first bassinet and bought this co-sleeper instead. It's very airy with mesh sides. We also purchased an organic cotton sheet for it instead of a synthetic that doesn't breathe. We never attached this to our bed, but I did pull it right up to the side of the bed next to me. Our little guy was literally within arm's reach of me throughout the night. He slept in this so much better than the first bassinet we had purchased, so we all slept (for a couple hours at a time) happier.

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These have been some of my favorites so far.

Who knows, maybe I'll add some other items to my must-have list in the near future.

Choosing favorite baby gear items has been such a learning process. 

What are some of your favorite things when it comes to baby gear?

Oh Hi, I'm a Mom!

It's been over a month, and for good reason, since I last publishes a blog post. My husband have been incredibly busy enjoying our almost-1-month old. Seriously, where has the time gone? A lot has happened since my last post. I went past my due date by almost a week, my mom visited from Michigan and enjoyed becoming a first time grandma, and Chase had grandparents visit from Colorado too! Aside from giving birth and enjoying visitors, we've been adjusting having a newborn in our lives. It's not what I expected at all, but we're loving on our little boy every second that we get!

we waited patiently... sort of

I have so much to share since my last post, but I'll start with telling you that our son Chase was born at 40 weeks and 6 days. He came exactly when he was ready! I enjoyed prenatal yoga classes all the way up to my due date. My yoga instructor is also a doula, and we hired her to guide us through pregnancy and labor/delivery as well. She was amazing. I highly suggest looking into hiring a doula. (More on that later). I had a wonderful labor and delivery, thank goodness. (More on this later too). It was so incredible to become a mom, give my husband a son, and see my mother become a grandma. I get teary eyed just thinking about the day that Chase was born! I still have a hard time believing that I'm a mom. It's pretty amazing.

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Here's a little peek of the guy with his Easter basket.

Happy Easter (a little late)

I hope to share more about his birth and all sorts of other things later. Between feeding and changing diapers I never seem to have much free time. Not that I'm complaining at all. We love our little boy!

Any moms out there have advice for balancing life

and taking care of a newborn?

We're Having a Baby!

It's been a while since I've posted anything on this here blog. For any readers who don't follow me on Twitter or Instagram, I did reveal some big news that we're expecting a baby in April.

Awaiting the arrival of our little guy!

Aside from expecting a baby, we've been doing quite a bit of traveling to see family before the doctor gave me a cutoff date for no more travels. I already had two baby showers, one in Colorado, and the other in Michigan. I'm thrilled to know how many people already love and care about our little man.

We've also been getting ready for Christmas, and we're trying to get our packages delivered on time. It's looking a little bit like Christmas around here, but the weather in Florida doesn't seem to want to cooperate. I'm guessing we'll have temperatures in the 70s for Christmas. Not exactly the ideal Christmas weather for this northern Michigan girl. My husband would love a little snow too, but it's just not going to happen this year. Next year maybe we'll head somewhere cooler with the little one. Wow, we'll have a baby next Christmas! It's hard to believe.