Tag: mom blog

Our First Family Vacation -Calistoga

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Last weekend we packed up, dropped Juno off at pet camp & headed north for Calistoga! We stayed at Indian Springs Resort & we loved it. Our room was awesome. It had a great little balcony so when Will went to sleep around 7:30 Chris & I would head to the balcony & play cards & drink wine! This was our first getaway as a little family of three. We’ve taken Will to my parents house but he’s never stayed in a hotel. We really wanted to go on a trip to get him more accustomed to new places but we didn’t quite want the stress of flying yet. He’s typically a great napper on the go, but I think the heat was to much for the little guy because he definitely struggled to nap when we were out & about. I can’t blame him though it was hot even for us! Luckily he slept wonderfully at night! William also got to go swimming for the first time this trip! We’d wake up in the morning I’d feed Will really quick & then we’d head to the pool before it got too hot. It was great because the pool was empty that early in the morning. The pools at Indian Springs are natural hot springs so the water is around 92-94 degrees this time of year. William loved it. He was so relaxed, he would start sucking his thumb & closing his eyes while he floated! It was wonderful to get away for a few days & enjoy the summer weather & just recharge. We’re in SF for the next few weeks as I wrap up my maternity leave & then in September we’ll be take Will to Austin for the first time! YAY!

Read This: My Favorite Pregnancy Books

The Pregnancy Countdown Book:  This countdown style book has a little blurb for each day. It’s also separated out by weeks & trimester.  I liked that this book wasn’t terribly dense, it gives real life advice from real mommas & has a lighthearted feel which makes it fun to read. Pregnancy doesn’t have to be this in depth research project you embark on as soon as the second line appears. I had some knowledge I retained from my nursing school semester of maternity, but otherwise I found this book to be just informative enough. I loved this book while I was pregnant; each week Chris & I would read the weeks chapter & find out what our little babe was up to.

Bringing Up Bebe: By far my favorite book. This book is written by an American woman raising her children in Paris with her British husband. It explores how French babies sleep through the night by 3 months, why there are no kids menus in French restaurants & kids are eating everything from baked brie, cold veggies & variety of fish. I found myself relating with the French more than I ever imagined.  Not only does the book give tips on how to have good eaters & sleepers & kids that say please & thank you; it also provides encouragement with chapters like The Perfect Mother Does Not Exist. At the end of the day you have to do your very best. There is no gold medal for having a totally un-medicated birth, you aren’t rewarded bonus points for breastfeeding your baby until they’re two. I think this book provides some amazing insights on how to have  overarching principles when raising your kids but also letting them be kids.

Ina May’s Guide To Childbirth: I think whether you plan to get an epidural ASAP, or are aiming for an unmedicated birth I think reading this book can be tremendously helpful. Even if your plan is to get that epidural you may be laboring at home until you’re far enough along to be admitted to the hospital, so having some insights on making that process easier is always a good idea. I labored naturally for 30 hours before getting an epidural & I do think this book came in handy for that. I also think the first portion where women recount their birth stories can be incredibly powerful & motivating if you are attempting a natural unmedicated birth. I’ll admit I read about half of the birth stories & then skipped ahead to the second half of the book that discusses practical ways to labor.

How Not To Hate Your Husband After Kids:  Chris got me this as a half joke. It’s definitely funny to read & if you’re contemplating having kids then I’m sure you’re wondering in what ways your relationship will change. Everyone has seen the couples that are so bitter & resentful toward one another after babies, well this book was written by a woman like that. It’s insightful & gives good advice in regards to diffusing situations, talking about clear expectations etc. Some chapters include: TGIM how not to hate your weekends after kids, Hot Mess: less clutter fewer fights. This book is written to be fairly funny however I imagine the more real these issues are for you the less funny it becomes. Still I think it’s a great book that encourages talking to your partner about potentials stumbling blocks & it is pretty funny.

What are some of your favorite books for pregnancy, childbirth or parenting??

3 months

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And just like that William is 3 months old. In some ways it feels like it has completely flown by & he looks huge to me & in other ways it feels like so much time has passed! It feels like forever ago I was pregnant, even though I still have the linea negra to show it wasn’t all that long ago! This month Will has started to grab at toys and pull them to his face, he’s getting more comfortable at tummy time & everyday seems like he’s finding a new part of his voice. Last week he discovered he could scream(!!). He continues to sleep through the night (bless him!). & he’s taking 2-3 naps per day. He’s also becoming a lot more aware of our dog & cat & has taken to petting/grabbing Juno’s fur. He’s our happy little guy & everyday I love him more!

Below are a few outtakes from his 3 month photos!

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Weekly Roundup

I finished week 3 of BBG last week & I’m LOVING it! I’m so excited to start week 4 tomorrow.  I’m doing the program with two friends & it’s so much easier when you have other people keeping you on track. We don’t do the actual workouts together, but we keep one another motivated with a group chat.

This pumping bra is awesome! I ordered it on amazon & highly recommend it. So if you’re a new momma & are looking for a great & cheap pumping bra check this one out.

This weekend we took William out to brunch & he did so well, he was just sitting on Chris’ lap just taking it all in & then decided he’d spend the second half of brunch snoozing.

Chris & I started watching The Crown on Netflix & it’s SO good. I wasn’t sure if I would like it but the show is really well done. We realized we knew very little about the Royal Family at the start of the series & each episode we end up googling something that comes up.

We got William a little activity seat (it’s what he’s sitting in on in the first photo) & he looks SO big to me! He’s still a little small for the seat & doesn’t love it right now, but when he’s in there holding his head up he already looks so grown up!

I’m starting to plan out my work schedule when I return & even though I’m not going back to work until mid September, I have to submit my requests for my schedule at the end of this month & it makes it feel closer than it is. It’s so bittersweet thinking about having to go back to work. It makes me so sad to think about leaving William for 11 hours at time but I’m admittedly getting a little stir crazy being at home with not much on the calendar

Chris & I went on a date this weekend, we went out to dinner & to a Bob Schneider concert. It felt so nice to get out for a few hours.

Below are some of the workout songs I’ve been loving. I usually listen to “Firestone” station on Pandora & then I get ideas for what to put on my Spotify playlist.

hope everyone has a great week!

Weekly round up!

I’m trying something new & am posting some of the highlights from the week before along with some photos.

The best moment last week was waking up at 7am & realizing that Will had slept through the night!!! It was amazing. He slept through the night twice last week & the nights he didn’t he slept from 7pm until 5am! I have to say I feel like a whole new person getting so much sleep last week. I’m definitely hoping for more of the same this week.

My go to breakfast that is great for breastfeeding mamas has hands down been oatmeal, either regular or rolled oats. I love having it in the morning usually after Will goes down for his first nap. I usually top it with cut strawberries & walnuts & some brown sugar.

I’ve started working out again & this week is week 3 of BBG. I love that it’s only 28 minutes & it’s such a good workout. I’ve had to make some modifications but overall I’ve been able to keep up with it, plus I’m doing the 12 weeks with two other people so it’s nice to have some accountability.

Along with working out I’ve been making an effort to take Juno out for walks alone in the evening. It’s nice that the sun sets well after William is in bed & the weather has been really nice. So it’s been a great way to get some fresh air & clear my head after busy days with my busy boy! The photos of the USF cathedral were taken on my walk Friday night.

This might sound silly but I bought these ice cube trays last week because our old ones kept cracking and leaking water & honestly they are AMAZING. I remember listening to Gretchen Rubin’s podcast Happier & she would talk about how simple upgrades can make you happier & it’s so true. I love having ice water & I was drinking less water because I didn’t want to deal with our annoying old trays. Well $12 later problem solved!!

We took William to Costco for the first time. Chris & I don’t venture to Costco all that often although we have a few set things that we like to get there & it was time for a restock. Costco on a Saturday in general can be a nightmare but I feel like the Costco in San Francisco is made worse with the crowds & city size isles. Will did awesome though!! he was awake the whole time just taking everything in.

Will has been LOVING the play mat we got him a few weeks ago! It’s so fun to watch him swing his arms & try to grab the hanging toys, he also is such a little kicker that the paino part of the mat is great (although the same song on repeat can only get a liiiittttlllleee annoying haha!) If you have a newborn & are looking for an inexpensive activity mat I highly recommend this one.

We don’t have too much planned for the beginning of the week but the second half of the week Chris’ parents will be here visiting so we’re excited for that!

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

2 months

I can’t believe my little guy is two months old today! Time is honestly flying by. Will has his two month doctor appointment tomorrow so I’ll update how much he weighs after that but I have a feeling he’ll be around 12 pounds? This past month Will has gotten the hang of sleeping at night. He usually goes to bed around 7:30-8pm & sleeps until 5am, have a quick feed and then sleep until about 7 or 8 am. This morning he slept until 9am(!!!), I woke up around 8:15 shocked that he was still snoozing. He has started sucking his thumb which I think is helping him put himself back to sleep. Whatever it is I’m thrilled, it’s been game changing having to only get up once with him at night.

Will loves his play mat, loves going for walks outside & continues to eat like a champ!

This weekend we’re headed to my parents house, I can’t wait to get out of San Francisco’s June gloom & into some summer sunshine. A bunch of family & friends are coming to meet Will for the first time so I’m really excited for that!

Summer Solstice

Happy Friday everyone. Yesterday was the summer solstice & a few friends & I took Will to the San Francisco conservatory of flowers. The conservatory is a ten minute walk from our apartment & a $6 entry so it made for a perfect afternoon adventure.

And last night was Chris & my first date!! We went to our favorite restaurant that does a delicious multi course food and wine pairing.

This weekend we have some friends coming to visit us and the weather is supposed to be AMAZING in San Francisco. Happy summer!

Giants Game

Last night we took Will to his very first Giants game, we went for a friend’s 30th birthday. It was so great to get out and do something social, plus it was a great test to see how Will would do staying out past his bedtime! He did great at the game & was able to sleep at night when we got home. So I’d say it was an overall great success!

Hope everyone had a great weekend 🙂

1 Month Old

Will turned a month old on Sunday & I can’t believe it. It feels like so much time has passed & that our week stay in the NICU was lifetimes ago, but then I think how he’s a month old & I can’t recall where that time went!! This month I’ve learned: he absolutely loves to eat, & when he’s starving he’ll angrily grunt while he chugs his bottle. He loves looking at the art we have in our apartment. He loathes being hot. He doesn’t mind bath time so long as his hair isn’t being scrubbed. He’s not at all interested in having his arms swaddled & he’ll gladly partake in morning snuggles.

The past three weeks at home we’ve worked on establishing some kind of routine & I think it’s finally starting to stick & I’m realizing I can kind of anticipate his sleep / wake cycles. He’s both bottle fed & breast fed. After some trial & error we found he’ll sleep longer stretches at night if we give him a bottle, otherwise it’s very hard to keep him awake nursing late at night.

Chris goes back to work this week & it feels oh so bittersweet. It’s been incredible to have him home & for the 3 of us to bond & for myself to have help in order to really feel recovered from birth. Part of me is sad that this precious time has come to a close but like many things in life they’re this sweet because they’re short lived & I’m made even more grateful because I know this special time is limited. I’m excited to start a new phase of being at home with our little guy & getting our own routine & just growing into day to day life. As of now I’m not scheduled to go back to work until the beginning of September so I greatly looking forward to cherishing the summer & making wonderful memories.

We’re off to enjoy a BBQ in Sausalito this afternoon & will be back home to watch the Warriors game.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!!

 

iPhone upload + 10 things

1. I can’t get over little baby dreams, I posted a little video of Will dreaming after I fed him, & it’s the cutest. He cracks little smiles or peaks one of his eyes open. It’s so funny to me. I could watch it over & over. & in the middle of the night when I’m exhausted feeding him at 4am it still cracks me up.

2. We signed up for Hello Fresh now that Will is here & this week is our first delivery. I normally love to cook homemade meals each night, but with a new baby the idea of meal planning, grocery shopping & actually cooking the meals seemed very daunting! Now that a major portion of my day consists of feeding our son, we decided to split up the duties of making meals, & using a meal service was a far less intimidating approach for my husband who doesn’t cook dinners on the regular.

3. Giving the gift of sleep might be one of the nicest gifts to give your spouse / partner. This past weekend Chris & I alternated Saturday & Sunday letting the other person sleep in. On Saturday morning he took the baby & the dog into the front part of our apartment & let me sleep uninterrupted until 9:30. It was GLORIOUS. & I happily returned the favor the following day. Getting a few hours of good sleep can totally change your mood & I think it’s one of the nicest & totally free gifts you can give your partner. Chris & I have always agreed it’s something we would continue to gift one another with.

4. We are starting to lightweight make plans for the summer that extend beyond our apartment & our little neighborhood. Although the idea of travelling in a car for a few hours with an infant, or sleeping somewhere that isn’t his little crib seems so extreme to me we want to be able to take our son places & not be tethered to our little baby bubble we’ve created. The only way to get comfortable doing these things is… to actually do them.

5. Right before Will was born we bought this laundry hamper & it’s quickly become one of my favorite things. We sort our laundry by: colors, whites, delicates. & this makes life so much easier. I’m no longer dumping out a full laundry hamper on the ground trying to sort clothes! It’s funny how sometimes such little things can make life so much easier.

6. William will be 4 weeks old on Friday & I can not wrap my ahead around it. I’ve always known that people say time moves incredibly fast when you have children & it’s so true. He’s already growing & changing so much, it breaks my heart a little bit! But I’m also so excited to see little bits of his personality pop out.

7. We are going to our first Giants game of the year in two weeks. We’re taking Will & I’m pretty excited!

8. Chris is going back to work next week. I’m so grateful he’s been able to take time off & work from home / only respond to emails the last two weeks. It’s been so great to have him at home & I don’t know what I would have done without him. It’s definitely going to be a major adjustment being on my own with baby & dog but I’m excited for the challenge.

9. I went to acupuncture this week for the first time since birth & it felt SO good; besides getting a 45 minute nap it felt so nice to relax & do something super positive for my body!

10. We’re watching the last few episodes of The Americans. The second to last episode of the series aired last night, we haven’t watched it because I can’t manage to keep my eyes open past 10pm but I’m dying to see how they wrap the series up!!