Fletcher's First Valentine's Day

Yesterday was Fletcher’s first Valentine’s Day and his very first holiday celebration!

We usually go out to dinner each Valentine’s Day evening, but since we had an appointment that night, we decided to have an at-home celebration with the three of us.

Our first stop was a trip to the dentist yesterday morning and then we swung by Starbucks so I could grab a latte before heading home. I added a pump of cherry and a pump of vanilla syrup to my latte for a little something different and it was so delicious!

Once we got home, I fed Fletcher and he ended up spitting up all over his new Valentine’s Day outfit but I was so proud of him for keeping it clean while we were out and about! I tossed it in the laundry so that it would be clean when we headed out later that afternoon and then we spent the rest of the morning playing and reading books before he took a nap.

He’s been super alert lately and has started to follow objects and people with his eyes, which has been so fun to experience!

After more feeds, naps, and diaper changes, we snapped a few pics and then headed out the door to meet Andy at Fletcher’s pediatrician’s office for his one month well visit.

He’s definitely not a fan of getting into his car seat, but once the car starts moving, he’s happy as a clam and then usually falls asleep within minutes.

We were happy to hear that Fletcher went from 6lb 2oz at his last appointment to 7lb 13oz! Way to go, buddy! :)

After his appointment, we all headed home where we ate dinner and then opened cards and gifts from each other.

Andy and I also split this little dessert and it was the perfect ending to our Valentine’s Day!

Do you have any Valentine’s Day traditions?
Favorite dessert?

A Snowy Day at Home (Day in the Life)

Last week, we had a few more days of crazy weather except this time instead of negative temps, we were hit with tons of snow! We stayed cozied up inside since it was coming down so hard! I recapped our day at home together to share in this post — I’m planning to do more of these now that Fletcher is here since posts like these are so fun to look back on and see what our life was like during a particular season.

So, our day really began at 3:15am when we woke Fletcher up for a feeding, but since everyone was looking a little rough during those wee hours of the night, we’ll skip that part and start with when we woke up at 6:30am instead! Fletcher ate again, Andy left for work, and then we headed downstairs so I could make breakfast before going back upstairs to pump for a bit.

Fletcher hung out on his blanket while I made breakfast, which was my usual shake since that’s the easiest way to eat something while pumping and occupying a baby. However, I did just get this little gem and it has made my life a MILLION times easier since now I can work on my laptop, read, or eat while pumping.

My mornings always seem to fly by between feeding him, pumping, tidying up, showering, etc. and so I usually make my shakes pretty filling since it’s usually not until 1 or 2pm that I have time to make a lunch for myself.

Once we get back upstairs, Fletcher fusses for a bit at first, so I play this track from my Calm app and it almost always helps him fall asleep. Once he is asleep, I read and sip my coffee while pumping.

Afterwards, I head downstairs and throw a load of laundry in. My sister and her little family visited the other day and brought him these adorable pants so I wanted to wash them so we could add them to his outfit rotation! Also, how cute are those whale washcloths that she gave us, too?!

After awhile, Fletcher wakes up and I feed, burp, and change him — he absolutely hates getting his diaper changed so theres usually a lot of protesting involved but he is calm as soon as we are done! It’s so funny because as soon as I lay him on the changing mat, he immediately starts fussing because he knows what is coming next!

His new crib mattress arrived the day before, so I put his sheet on it and then we tested it out. This outfit lasted all of 7 minutes before his diaper leaked through and it was time for a wardrobe change.

A fresh diaper and outfit feels so good!

We hang out and play upstairs for awhile — he’s been really alert and interested in looking at his toys lately and it’s been so fun to see this side of him come to life! The first two weeks, he really just slept and ate so it’s been fun to see more of his personality come out as he gets a little bigger each week.

He ends up taking a little cat nap so I use this time to unload the dishwasher and clean up the kitchen a bit.

Since he is still sleeping once I get back upstairs, I take advantage of this time to pack up my maternity clothes along with a few other things from our master closet to take down to the basement.

He wakes up shortly after and we look outside at the snow coming down — he got a little startled by how bright it was out there!

After another feeding, we head downstairs and Fletcher hangs out in his swing while I make myself some lunch. I gave him a little mohawk to see what it would look like — it usually doesn’t last long since I don’t use gel or anything yet but I think it’s cute!

Snacky plates are my go-to these days since they’re easy to eat here and there while taking care of him. It’s usually just a mish mash of whatever we have in the fridge on that particular day but I always try to prioritize a variety of food groups so that my nutrition is balanced.

I got to sit down and eat this lunch in one sitting on this day since he was super content in his swing — I read for a bit while eating and then brought him upstairs to change his diaper after grabbing two of these energy bites from the fridge.

Fletcher almost always takes a long afternoon nap, which is so nice since it gives me a chance to work out and get a few things done! I swaddle him and decide to have him sleep in his crib to see how he does in there (he usually sleeps in a bassinet in our bedroom).

Before placing him in his crib, I walk around upstairs and bounce him a little to help him fall asleep. It’s always a delicate balance of knowing when they’re asleep enough to be transferred to a new location — one minute too early and he wakes up!

He did so well in there! I rigged up the baby monitor so that I could keep an eye on him while working out and it was so slick to be able to watch him while going for a run. This was my first day back to running (at 3 weeks postpartum), so I took it slow to start but was surprised at how good I felt and how easily running came back to me! I think not having a pregnant belly just made it SO much easier to run again.

He was still sleeping when I finished, so I grabbed a quick snack and then hopped in the shower and to get ready for the day.

This is hit or miss most days — sometimes I can shower and do my hair / makeup before he wakes up from a nap while other days getting ready is done in 15 minute increments throughout the day due to feeding, napping, changing, etc. Normally I like to shower in the mornings before he wakes up, but I knew I’d be working out during the afternoon so I decided to wait. Eventually I’ll switch my workouts to the mornings but we’re not there yet due to being up in the night with feedings.

Shortly after I finish getting ready, I hear him start to make little noises from his room so I take him out of his crib, feed him, and then change his diaper. Then we rock in his recliner and read books until Andy gets home — he doesn’t understand the concept of books yet but I think he likes having us read to him because he gets to listen to our familiar voices. :)

Once Andy arrives home, he usually spends time with Fletcher while I prep some dinner for us and then we eat while Fletcher takes another nap. Andy and I usually watch a show or hang out while he is sleeping and then Fletcher eats again and we start his bedtime routine before calling it a night! Sometimes Andy and I will take a nap in the evening before bed just because those middle of the night wake up calls come around so quickly!

Have you had a lot of snow days this season?
What time do you usually wake up each day?

Refreshed

On Saturday morning, I drove down the street to pick up my sister so that we could head to the local library book sale together.

We both ended up finding a ton of books and walked out with a huge stack to add our our home libraries. The last time we attended this sale was in July and I didn’t know if our baby was a boy or girl yet, so it was definitely a lot more fun this time around since I could grab a bunch of little boy books to add to his shelf. I also found two cute little Easter books that I plan to put in his Easter basket this year!

After the sale, we ran to Target to do a few returns and shop around for a bit. My sister wanted to look at the nail polish on our way out and I came across this pretty color and loved the name of it, which was “birthday girl”! I’m definitely adding this one to my wishlist!

Then we went out for frozen yogurt as a little treat! This little cup of deliciousness hit the spot even though it was freezing outside! Now that I think about it, my sister and I went out for froyo last year when it was freezing out as well — winter weather doesn’t keep us away! :)

We sat at the yogurt shop and chatted for quite a while and it was SO nice to be out of the house and catching up with my sister! I think I’ve been experiencing a little bit of cabin fever with these cold weather and snowy days that we’ve been having.

Our next stop was the mall so I could make a return at Nordstrom (I swear, I never used to have a lot of returns / exchanges until I had a baby) and purchase some new eyeliner since mine is almost all out. I tried out a new one since my old favorite was discontinued and after trying it yesterday afternoon, I really liked it!

While at the mall, we also swung by a few other stores so I could pick up a few Valentine gifts for Andy and then we were on our way! Also, did you know that if you spend $10 at Godiva, you are then able to choose one free truffle per month? I do this almost every year and it’s always a fun little treat to pop in for a chocolate whenever I’m at the mall.

We swung by Chick-Fil-A on the way home because I had a CFA reward for a free salad so I wanted to cash that in and also pick up a sandwich meal for Andy since he was at home with Fletcher. I went with their southwest salad paired with a chili lime dressing and it was SO good! I’ll definitely be ordering this again soon!

Upon arriving home, I was more than ready to snuggle my little baby since I had been gone for awhile! I fed Fletcher while watching New Amsterdam, which is my newest show to binge-watch! I wasn’t sure if I would like it or not, but I’m four episodes in and loving it so much!

While I was chatting with Andy later that evening, I was telling him that my day of random errands and froyo with Andrea left me feeling SO refreshed! It wasn’t really anything out of the ordinary since it involved a lot of returns and random shopping, but it was just what my spirit needed!

P.S. I’m linking up with Biana and Lindsay today!

What makes you feel refreshed?
Favorite eyeliner?

A Day in The Life (Last One Before Becoming a Mom)

Today I’m capturing a day in the life and it will be my last one before becoming a mom since my due date is this upcoming Wednesday! This is by far my most-requested type of blog post so I’m hoping to start doing these more regularly — maybe every other month or so especially since my life is going to be so different in these next few months as we bring home baby and then when I go back to work later in the spring.

Below is a play-by-play of my day yesterday — I’ve been enjoying a little down time, baby prep, and running some last minute errands until our little guy arrives. It wasn’t the most exciting of days, but I felt like I accomplished a lot so that’s a success in my book.

The last time I did one of these posts was last fall — click here to check it out!

Wake Up
I’ve been sleeping a little better lately mainly due to sleeping at an incline. Around 37 weeks, I started having trouble breathing whenever I laid down — my doctor said it’s most likely because baby is getting bigger and squishing my diaphragm / lungs. Ever since sleeping with a few pillows propped up behind me, I’ve been snoozing through my usual 2:30am middle of the night insomnia + snack time which has been SO nice! I’m still waking up a lot earlier than I’d like (4:30am), but it’s nice to at least not be WIDE AWAKE for a span of 2-3 hours each night.

Breakfast
I always wake up starving, so I usually make breakfast before taking a shower. I’ve been really into green smoothies lately and this one is on heavy rotation over here. In the blender I add organic unsweetened vanilla almond milk, organic spinach, organic dates (they’re supposed to help with labor so I’ve been popping three per day), peanut butter, half of a frozen banana, plain 2% Greek yogurt, and some ice.

I always pair my smoothie with a hot cup of coffee with this creamer since the frozen drink makes me so cold! I sipped both of these while reading my new devotional and then hopped in the shower.

Shower + Get Ready
My outfit choices these days are a little limited due to this full-term baby bump, so it’s pretty easy to choose an outfit when you literally have three options that still feel comfortable. Thank goodness for these comfy tees and my favorite maternity jeans! That being said, I’m really looking forward to shopping my closet again in the next few months. I snapped this pic in the “kid bathroom” upstairs and every time I go in there, it makes me so happy to see his little hooded bath towels hanging on the towel rack behind me! My sister gave us those and an adorable little bathrobe as part of his Christmas gift and I’m so excited to use them — babies after bath time is the absolute best!

Lately I feel like it takes me FOREVER to get ready and I’m not sure if it’s pregnancy-related or if I’m just dinking around too much but either way, it always feels like a major accomplishment once I leave the bathroom and head downstairs. Speaking of stairs, I’ve reached the point where I can only put my socks and shoes on if I’m sitting on our staircase — it feels so strange to have reached this point because I feel like up until 37 weeks, I didn’t really feel like I had many limitations and then they all came at once!

Morning
I worked on my blog all morning and answered a few emails from work — I’m trying to pre-write a bunch of posts so that I can still have content going up even when it’s baby time. This whole “not knowing when baby is coming” is both exciting and a little unsettling because it makes it hard to plan out your week! ;) While I was working away, my OB’s nurse called to see if I could pop in later that day for a quick check-in instead of going in on Friday morning. I added it to my calendar and then wrapped up my post before making a quick lunch so that I could head out to run errands before swinging by the clinic for my appointment.

I forgot to take a picture, but I promise you didn’t miss anything special — I had an egg scrambled with egg whites and colby jack cheese with an orange on the side. Not the fanciest, but it was a good mix of protein, fat, and carbs which is how I prefer to structure my meals.

Run Errands
On this particular day I needed to swing by our local co-op to pick up a few things — I grabbed a canister of this for making lactation energy bites once baby arrives, some flax seeds, and this that I love to use on my salads and in stir fry sauces.

Afterwards, I swung by Goodwill to drop off a few items that have been sitting around the house for too many weeks — it always feels so good to drop off a box of donations! #clutterfreeisthewaytobe

I arrived at the clinic about 20 minutes early and used that time to make a quick call to our insurance to double check a few things such as hospital stay and whatnot. Normally I dread these types of tasks, but the customer service guy was super friendly and was telling me about his kids and grandkids so it was kind of entertaining. I also ate one of these before jumping out of my car and heading into my appointment.

I headed into my appointment, had vitals taken, got a quick ultrasound to check on the little dude, got my belly measured and was on my way! I only have one more OB appointment left (unless he arrives before then) and if he doesn’t arrive by my next one, we will be discussing induction options. I’m really hoping he decides to come on his own, but we’ll see what happens. :)

After the appointment, I made a quick stop at Target to see if a nursing tank I wanted to try was in stock. They didn’t have it, so I’m thinking I might just order a few from Amazon at this point because I'm not having luck finding anything that I like in stores. I picked up a few items that we needed and then headed home for the evening.

Dinner
I was starving by the time I got home, so I quickly unloaded my bags and threw together a quick salad. I also ate an apple after this because my hunger has been out of control lately. I worked on this blog post while enjoying my dinner and then changed clothes and headed downstairs for a workout.

Treadmill
I’ve been committed to keeping up with my workouts even as we get closer and closer to the due date! I feel like the time on the treadmill usually flies by really quickly because I use this time to listen to a podcast, read, or listen to music. I typically walk or run each day since I know I’ll have to take a little break once he is born so that my body can heal.

Energy Bites
After the treadmill, I made a quick batch of these little energy bites for a treat. I don’t really measure anything but these consisted of old fashioned oats, organic dark chocolate chips, honey, almond milk, ground flaxseed, and peanut butter. As I’m typing this out, I’m realizing I forgot to add unsweetened shredded coconut — oh well, I’ll add that next time! I didn’t add the brewer’s yeast to this batch and will save that until baby arrives since it’s used to increase your breastmilk supply. No need for that quite yet. ;)

Bath
Lately I’ve been taking an evening bath in our soaker tub because it feels SO good at this point in my pregnancy. I always add a few scoops of these along with some natural bubble bath that we pick up from Trader Joe’s. I also ate a grapefruit around this time because I seriously can not get enough of these ruby reds right now!

Bedtime
Before bed, I usually read for a little bit, do a session from my Calm app, and then am off to dreamland. I try to be in bed by 10pm most nights and typically fall asleep right away!

PS I’m linking up with Kristen today.

Are your days pretty routine or do they tend to look different each week?
Do you eat breakfast right away in the morning?

Reflections on 2018

2018 was a big year for us — it was filled with a lot of good things along with a few challenges.

We lived, we loved, we celebrated, and we grew. I read a lot of books, set and accomplished a lot of goals, made new friends, and went on dates with Andy.

The best part of 2018 was finding out we are pregnant with our son, who is due to arrive any day now!

One of the hardest things about this past year is that Andy’s dad passed away the day after Christmas after a rapid decline in health over the course of the past few weeks due to heart failure. This is still very fresh news to us as we grieve the loss of a great man in our family.

This was the year that I turned 30, which I welcomed with open arms in anticipation of a new decade ahead of me. I had some amazing job opportunities such as designing + illustrating for Caribou Coffee, Ulta Beauty, PaperSource, and Target. We bought our first home and started preparing a nursery as we get ready to welcome our little son into the world.

As I look forward to 2019, there’s a whole host of goals I’d love to accomplish, but what keeps weighing on my mind is this feeling of the need to slow down. There were many days in 2018 that left me feeling frazzled, burnt out, and just exhausted (okay, most of that exhaustion was probably pregnancy-related but work with me here). I’ve been doing some prep work before the new year rolls around to really evaluate what worked for me and what didn’t work for me in 2018. There are some dreams that have been on my heart for many years now and I’d love to do some exploration to see how I can kickstart some of these once we settle into a routine with our little guy and once he gets a little older. I know these newborn days are so precious so I really want to be intentional about soaking them up and spending time just cuddling our little boy even if other things have to slide because of it.

Changing from a strict INTJ to an ENTP over the past few years helped me fuel some of these changes — a lot of the “striving” is gone and I find myself letting go more than I used to. Some areas of my life still have my death grip on them, but it’s a work in progress. ;) One thing that becoming an extrovert really taught me is that we really need people in our lives and I’m so thankful for the friends and family that I have around me — for both the good and the bad days.

One thing that I’ve been learning this past year is that sometimes our expectations of people can never be fulfilled — even when we really want them to. There was an incident this summer that has left a lasting impression on me and really taught me a lot. We had just found out the gender of our baby and so I stopped to pick up cupcakes for Andy and I since we decided not to do a gender-reveal party. There was a middle-aged woman at the cash register and she asked if I was celebrating something since I had two cupcakes covered in sprinkles in my hands, to which I told her we just found out we were having a baby boy. She was instantly filled with such enthusiasm and joy for us — exclaiming how exciting this news is and how she was so happy for us. She even told me to bring our little boy into the store once he was born so that she could meet him. I thanked her, grabbed my bag, and as soon as I got into my vehicle I burst into tears.

Here was this random stranger who was SO happy and SO excited for us — the reason why this was so hard was because she was genuinely more excited than some of the people that we had told about our news of having a baby and finding out that he is a boy. It was in this situation that I realized that not everyone will cheer for you and that is okay — we can’t control the way others act. What is most important is finding your tribe that is willing to walk alongside you and do life with you — celebrating the good times and overcoming the hard times.

Another thing that has really been on my heart is opening up and practicing vulnerability here on my blog which can be kind of scary. There have been a few posts that I’ve published over the last few months and then taken down a few hours later because I was feeling unsure about how others would perceive them — would they be able to handle my honesty and vulnerability? Most importantly, was I okay with being this vulnerable? Sure, I love sharing a good J.Crew sale and a fun weekend recap here on the blog, but what really brings people together is opening up and sharing. I hope to do this more in 2019 not just to free myself, but also to inspire others who might be going through similar situations.

For those that read my blog, thank you for your support whether you’ve been following me since my early days or even if today is your first day stopping by. I hope that you will continue to be encouraged, inspired, and entertained by the content that I plan to publish in this coming year.

I’ll be ringing in the new year with sparkling white grape juice (#39weekspregnant) and am looking forward to all that 2019 brings!

What are your NYE plans?
Do you have any special traditions this time of year?