Boldness

Becoming bold.
I'm talking to you, mamas.

This is a characteristic I've never associated with myself or motherhood until recently.

Motherhood is a new season for me, and I love finding others who are walking this same path. It's such an encouragement to walk alongside friends and learn from each other. It might mean trying something new, going some place you've never been, and talking with new people.

You might not be able to find a playgroup that meets at the right time or location for your baby because of nap schedules, feedings, or feeling odd jumping into an established group. So, start one. I did and love it.

Look for activities for you and your baby to do together. CHP and I love going to the library for baby story time every week. She loves the music, hearing the stories, watching other babies, and we both like getting out of the house.

J and I have tried a couple of small groups at church. It's been hard adding CHP into the mix because some small groups bring the kids. For us, this option wasn't ideal, so we kept looking and have found a different small group that seems to be a better fit.

I've been encouraged by reading For the Love to keep pursuing community. It has been great talking with J and figuring out what that looks like and how we can love others.

It might take a step of boldness, being uncomfortable, and reaching out again, but keep trying!
Happy Monday, mamas!

Beachin'

Building memories as a family is so important to me and when friends are like family, vacationing with them is the best! 

Two of my best girlfriends, their husbands and us love to try and meet up a couple or more times a year. Now that the wedding season of our lives is coming to a close, we're looking forward to traveling to new places and each others' homes more often. 

Labor Day week, we met our besties in Tybee Island and had the best time. 

They are incredible to let us bring and love on our beach-hating baby. How can she be my child, if she hates the beach!? Maybe next summer we'll have more success when the waves, noise, and sand aren't so overwhelming.

Adding a baby into the mix, sure does change things: early dinners, early bedtimes, nap scheduling, and general fussiness being out of her routine, but it's so much fun having her spend time with people we love and see new places.

None of us had been to Tybee before and liked the beach and loved that it's so close to Savannah. The boys golfed, and the girls shopped. We snuck in some beach time with J and I trading to watch CHP nap in the condo. Our favorite spots were: Tybee Social Club, Collins Quarter, Tequila's Town, and Red Clover.

We can't wait for our next trip together! 

This Rain Makes Me Basic

I know everyone is over this rain, but I'm loving it.

I love that it has brought cooler weather. This summer was so beastly hot.

Postpartum hormones + hot natured + carrying CHP, a diaper bag, and car seat everywhere = sweaty, gross mama ALL summer long.

I love wearing my Hunter boots. day. after day.

I love another reason to brew a second pot of Trader Joe's pumpkin coffee. Even if it means reheating it five times because I've gotten distracted with CHP.

I love alternating between my Lulu pants and my new favorite Target pants. They are the softest, most comfy, lounging pants ever. Go buy a pair; you'll thank me.

I love our growing grass. We had it planted before all of the rain started, and now we have a lush, green yard. It makes me so excited for all the hours of playtime we'll get out of it next spring when CHP starts walking.

I love that CHP's nap schedule has been amazing this week. Her room is so dark, and she's napped for longer than usual, which probably means we need to purchase darker blinds.

I love another excuse to go grab a latte at local coffee shops with friends. If you're in the area, Jubala has a pumpkin spice that tastes like pumpkin pie, and Sola has one that is lightly spiced and only slightly sweet, which is how I like a latte. I know, #basic right?

This week has been exactly what we needed. People seem to always ask what CHP and I do all day, and we keep ourselves busy between baby story time at the library, playgroup, Bible study, small group, seeing friends, running errands, and playing at home. But this week, we didn't have many plans and loved a little down time before I work this weekend.

Snuggle up, light a fall candle, brew a pot of coffee, and enjoy your rainy weekend!

Thinking Fall

Yes, I'm thinking about fall on these 90+ degree days. I love, love summer, but this one has been brutal. And totting a baby, car seat, and diaper bag has left me a sweaty mess most days.

Fall and slightly cooler days, I'm ready for you.

I'm ready for crisp lake walks, pumpkin everything, crunchy leaves, and all the fall candles.

While I've been wishing for cooler temps, I've also been looking at fall fashion. I'm excited about pulling out old clothes that I couldn't wear last year and adding some new ones. My mom uniform for summer has been flowy tops and shorts. Easy access to the boobs is key for nursing. My fall wardrobe will definitely have to incorporate that aspect.

Ok, so I need some help. I don't want to be that frumpy mom who doesn't shower, has greasy hair, and wears gym clothes all day long without working out. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely those days around here too, but I'd prefer it not be every day. In preparing for fall, I've been scouring blogs for inspiration. I'm sure you've seen them, but I love Caroline's capsule wardrobes and am thinking about creating my own. I'm a frugal shopper and love the idea of purchasing everything at the beginning of a season and then saving the rest of the months.

Guilty Target shopper?

Yes, that's me.
I chronically pick one or two pieces up almost every trip. In thinking through my fall wardrobe purchases, I would rather have fewer, high quality pieces than a closet stocked full of mediocre pieces.

I'd say my style is fairly classic and neutral. So, where should I shop for reasonable, cute, new pieces?

Traveling with Bebe

If you've ever flown with a baby, you know it's quite the task. There is so. much. stuff.

Here are my top picks for packing and traveling with a baby:

Packing cubes. They will save your sanity while you're packing and once you've reached your destination. 

Baby Carrier. I wore CHP in her Baby Bjorn through both airports to have my hands free for luggage. 

Diapers and wipes. Unless, you're going somewhere that you can easily purchase these, it's best to pack them. 

Clothes. Pack a couple extra onesies, jammies, and outfits for those unexpected poop explosions. They'll happen. 

Car seat. This was a huge first-time-parent fail. We rented a car and car seat; however, they did not install it due to liability. After flying with a baby, strapping her to my chest, getting my bags, and shuttling to the car rental, installing a car seat was the last thing I wanted to do. So my advice is, bring and check your car seat. Even if you have to pay for it, it's cheaper than renting it from a car rental. 

Stroller and travel bag. I loved having our stroller in Chicago. CHP took a few naps in it, and while I love baby carriers, it was too hot to walk around the city with her on my chest. Before leaving, I purchased the travel bag for our stroller, and it guarantees our stroller if it's damaged during the flight. We were also allowed to gate check it for free. 

Covered Goods. This is essential for breastfeeding while traveling. I nursed CHP on both flights, at restaurants, and on our boat ride.

Toys. I packed a few of CHP's favorites to keep in my diaper bag for the flights, at dinner, and in the hotel room.

Happy baby traveling! 

City Love

J and I, both love the urban lifestyle and love to travel. Traveling may look a little different these days with CHP, but we want her to see and experience new places with us. In five short months, we've flown to NYC and now Chicago.

I hope she always loves to travel with us. 

We loved...

Beatrix for brunch. The brunch hour is relative when you have a five month old in tow. Ours happened to be at 8:30am on Saturday morning. But brunch on the weekends is just the best, so it doesn't matter what time you actually eat it right?
I highly recommend the chicken tinga and a latte. 

The Architecture boat tour is a must. We chose the Wendella because infants are free and was slightly shorter than other lines. 

Walking the city streets. We all loved the sights of Michigan Avenue. But Saturday, I grabbed an iced Intelligentsia coffee and the largest chocolate chip cookie and shopped while CHP napped, and J caught up on golf. 

Eating deep dish Chicago pizza. Although, that will be a one and done for us. Can you have too much cheese, sauce, and crust? We say, yes. 

We couldn't miss taking Bean pictures. I think, J rolled his eyes at how many photos I made us take together. 

The Publican. Our breakfast was tasty, but Beatrix was better. 

We're loyal Marriott stayers, and the Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile did not disappoint. The added touch was sending bath soaps, lotion, and a rubber ducky for babes. 

View from our upgraded suite. CHP is a charmer.

I'm hoping J can find a reason to go back, so we can have another Chicago weekend. Here are a few things on my list for next time: 

Lincoln Park Zoo

Children's Museum

Sky deck at the Willis Tower 

shop, shop, shop. 

Monthly Posts

Lately, I've been struggling with whether or not to post monthly updates about CHP. I have written two that are ready to be published, but I can't bring myself to post them. I keep thinking about her privacy and protecting her. It's another reason why I haven't shared her name and hope to keep it private on social media. So, if you are friends with us, I'd kindly ask that you refer to her as CHP.

For now, I'm going to keep those posts as drafts. I love writing and posting about her and being a mom. This is such an incredible time of life, but I need to be careful how it is shared. Who knows, there may actually be more posts around here now that I've decided to keep her monthly updates private.