Reasons To Love The Newborn Stage + My Newborn Favorites

         Well, every time people ask me how old Josephine is, I find the number of weeks getting larger and larger each time. Time waits for no one, and my little girl is slowly blossoming from a very fresh newborn to a more alert baby! Going through the newborn stage a second time has been a completely different experience. Not only is it a different experience having two children to care for, but it has been such an enjoyable and relaxed time for us all. When Logan was first born it felt like we were constantly exhausted, never quite knew what to do, and barely staying above water. This time, I may still be low on sleep, but I am just trying to enjoy every moment of each stage. Josie will never be a newborn again, and I don't want to spend my time wishing she was sleeping more, or bigger, or walking - because I absolutely love that she is tiny and totally dependent on me in these first few weeks. Hindsight is 20/20, which has made it so much easier to know and relax about the fact that she will grow out of waking from a gassy tummy, and she will eventually sleep really well. I hope this encourages any mams in the trenches of parenting a newborn to stop and enjoy the mess, because it's gone too soon, and doesn't come back. If I had to pick my three favorite things about the newborn stage, they would be:

I. The Snuggles: 

Oh man, Josie is a snuggler, and I love it. At night when I hold her, sleeping on my shoulder after eating, I just can't believe her little body grew inside me. She is precious and sweet and so small. I love carrying her while grocery shopping as she sleeps in my sling, able to sneak kisses on her head that still smells like fresh newborn, or holding her while I make dinner because she would just rather be with mom than nap in bed. It is totally crazy she will be a full grown adult some day! 

II. Bath time:

I don't know why, but I have extra enjoyed bath time this time around. I used to get so excited about seeing Logan play in the bath tub and be able to use toys, but I love how Josie needs lots of help getting clean, and the way she smiles when warm water goes over her head. She cries sooo hard when we take her out of her tub, and needs a good snuggle wrapped in a towel to calm down. Babies are so dependent on us - what a privilege to do these simple tasks, like bath time, with love and care. 

III. Brother & Sister:

Seeing Logan with Josie absolutely melts my heart. He always wants her included, like making us hold her hand while we pray for dinner, or giving her a ton of kisses first thing in the morning. Even from the first time they met, we would tell she recognized his voice, and she is calm when he kisses her quite forcefully or runs around screaming because that's what boys do. I pray they grow up to be great little friends, and that Logan will always protect and love her well. 

Aside from being purposeful to have a mindset of gratitude and joy this time around, another thing that has made this stage "easier" or more fun is knowing better what things are actually practical and most helpful. I've put together a collection of my favorites below, but wanted share about some that were new to me this time around.

Puj Baby Soft Infant Tub

 One product that has made life soooo much easier is this Puj Baby bathtub! We don't have a bathtub in our house (so sad!), but this sits perfectly in our sink and allows for the same experience. It is lightweight, compact, and easy to clean. I can actually hang it with a command hook on the back of our bathroom door and you would never know it is there! I am not a fan of kitchen sink baths, because I think its gross to wash a baby where I rinse chicken guts down the drain - so this has been the perfect alternative! Below I've listed some of my other favorites too, in case you're interested! 

H&M Newborn Clothes

I didn't discover the amazingness that is the H&M kids line until Logan was about six months old. Since then I have bought so many of his clothes from there. They are cute, well priced, and well made! I bought Josephine some onesies from them before she was born (their organic cotton line is soo soft and breathable), but my favorite item from them so far has been their knee high socks for girls! I had the hardest time finding socks for her tiny feet, and didn't want to spend an arm and a leg. I got this pack of four from H&M for the price I could have paid for a identical looking pair somewhere else! They also just released their new kids line, and have some seriously adorable dresses and rompers for babies as well.

There are so many products I could talk about that I really enjoy, but you can find links to everything else I'm loving below.

         

        

     

XO, B

Julia Child's Roast Suckling Pig + An Autumn Dinner Party

I love the ritual of traditions. In some ways its a very romanticized ideal for me. There is something so sacred about pausing time to come together at regular intervals to celebrate with ones we love. In many ways this is becoming a thing of the past as the value of tradition has become lost because we are just "too busy." When Ian and I married I knew I wanted our family to have traditions that were fun, meaningful and joyous. The thing is though, that you can't just force a tradition into existence, they just kind of form on their own in an unspoken sort of way. Our first tradition as our own little family was born during the week of our first Thanksgiving together.

Dock-A-Tot Review

Today I am excited to share about a baby product I am loving - the Dock-A-Tot! Life as a mom of two looks quite a bit different than it did when I just had Logan to care for, and my needs have changed adding little Josephine into the mix of life. While I wish I had unlimited time to hold, rock or sit with her, sometimes that just isn't practical when breakfast needs to be made, or we are all running around getting ready to quickly head out the door. Enter Dock-A-Tot. It has made naps, lounging and playing such a breeze, and allowed for a consistent environment for Josephine to nap in, even when we are out of the house.

Valentine's Day Gift Guide for Men

Oh Valentine's Day. 

I think this holiday causes equal amounts of joy and pain for people all across the world. This is Ian's and my fourth Valentine's Day we get to celebrate together. Our first one came in 2014 - we weren't officially dating, but we had the biggest crush on each other. It so happened that we were in San Diego for a retreat with our church's college group and had gone down a day early with a group of others to get things set up ahead of time. That night we drove through downtown San Diego with another friend looking for locations for activities that would be happening that weekend. We stopped to get dinner, and there at Chipotle, I sat across from Ian with a swarm of butterflies in my stomach as we told silly jokes back and forth. The rest, they say, is history. Our next Valentines Day we were just over a month away from our wedding, and now we have two babies born out of that love.

DIY | Delicate Handmade Velvet Bows

Hello there and happy Tuesday! We are embarking on week three of having Little Josephine in our arms, and it has just gotten sweeter by the minute. Thus far the transition from 1 to 2 kids has been so much easier than becoming parents for the first time. Maybe it’s because we have a little more confidence in the little things we have to do, or maybe the last year of constant change and craziness prepared us, but either way we are really loving every minute we have with our babies. I’ve had fun doing new “girl mom” things like ordering flower print diapers and picking out the perfect bow for each outfit she wears.

Pumping & The NICU - A Comprehensive Guide

When I started this blog, my heart and intention behind it was to be helpful and honest. This post so deeply reflects that desire, and I almost am in tears writing because my heart aches for any woman who needs to read this - because the NICU is not a place I would wish to see any baby. If you are reading this from a hospital room, desperate to figure out how to make this all work, I pray this is a helpful guide and that these words bring you a sense of solidarity, knowing that you are not alone. When searching online during our hospital stay, I found tons of articles on pumping, but I never found a post directed to NICU mamas, and wanted to put this out there for women who may be looking for similar advice or guidance.

Recipe | Gourmet Brunch Board

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day but it’s also the favorite meal in our household! A few weeks ago Ian’s family celebrated his grandparents 90th birthdays with a brunch birthday party. I wanted to make something special and fun for the party so I started brainstorming on Pinterest. After using my trusty charcuterie board for another party it hit me! What if I made a breakfast board that people could pick yummy treats off of?! I started planning right away. Food, and especially food for parties, is my nerdy obsession. I actually pulled out paper and drew put a sketch for plating everything (😂).