Category Archives: Holidays

Easter

March 28, 2016

Our first Easter as a family of three was very low-key. KC was flying back from Arizona the morning-of, having spent the weekend at Spring training with a couple friends, so I held off on giving Prim her Easter basket in the morning so that we could watch her rifle through her treats together.

KC got back right as Prim was enjoying her lunch, so we only had time to get her dressed and then head over to Alexis’ house for an early Easter dinner. I did manage to snap a few photos of these two in their Easter finest before we left though:^^ Prim was feeling very serious during my first few snaps ^^

We had a delicious dinner of lamb chops, steak, asparagus, bread and salad over at Alexis’, and topped the whole thing off with strawberry shortcake (first good strawberries of the season!)

We even organized an egg hunt for the kiddos, which they loved. We decided to fill the eggs with Cheerios which was quite the hit:

After returning home, we finally gave Prim her Easter basket, which the bunny had filled with books, some new bibs, an egg-shaped portable sound machine, and a new Sophie bath toy.

Prim was mostly interested in pulling things off the Easter basket, but I will say that come bath time last night, the new Sophie toy was quite a hit!

Prim’s onesie dress is from Janie & Jack (sold out, it was a gift from awhile ago — similar here), pink cardigan is vintage (it was my mom’s!), and her bunny shoes are from BabyGap.

Holidays

January, You’re the Worst

January 12, 2016

I don’t know about you guys, but January always kind of gets to me. The fun and indulgence of the holidays end and suddenly it’s back to work (with, like, zero days off in sight), back on a schedule, and back to eating like a responsible adult (booooooring). The days feel long and monotonous, but I also somehow feel like I have zero time to relax (probably because my brain is like, “Get on top of all your work! Meal prep! Get to bed at a reasonable hour! Stop thinking about chocolate!”)

Ugh, it’s the worst.

I’m happy to report that El Niño (which is Spanish for The Niño) has officially arrived, so I’m at least getting the gray, rainy weather I love so much. So, there’s that.

These days though, I find myself wanting to just stay in bed, or curl up in front of the fire with a hot beverage. (Y’know, while shoving carbs into my face. Damn you healthy eating plan!)

Do any of you find January to be a completely depressing month? Or are you super pumped to start fresh on your exercise and clean eating plan in the new year? (And if that’s the case, what kind of a monster are you??)

Maybe someday I’ll be cool with January. I keep thinking that I should just have a baby in January or February of some year so there’s at least something positive in the first two months of the year. KC is probably having a mild heart attack reading that. (Hiii Kace I love you calmdown.)

What helps you transition back into the real world after the holidays? Any tips? I’d love to hear! (Unless it’s giving up carbs or going gluten free. I think I would lose my will to live entirely.)

Holidays / Resolutions

Thoughts on a New Year

January 1, 2016

There was so much about 2015 that was so amazing — the end of my pregnancy and meeting Prim definitely tops the list. But there was also a lot that was really hard last year. Unforeseen moves and transitions, and the settling into parenthood, which, as wonderful as it is, is still all-consuming and emotionally (and physically) challenging.

Now that KC and I have (mostly) found our groove together as parents, I’m looking forward to a little more calm in the new year. And (dare I say it) a little more sleep, maybe?

2015 felt like it was sort of a survival year. Powering through the second half of pregnancy, surviving birthing a child (literally), and then keeping up with the exhaustive, marathon pace of having a new baby, while weathering the bad luck of being kicked out of our house, then moving in with our in-laws the weekend before I went back to work.

It was kind of a lot.

So, while 2015 was a year I wouldn’t trade for anything, (I mean, look at this sweet life that started in 2015!) I’m really excited to see what 2016 has in store for us.

We have a lot on the horizon for this year, (including a tiny lady’s first birthday in May!) but for now I’m taking a moment to sit back and think about what things I’d like to commit to more in the new year.

Be good to myself and my body. 2015 brought about a lot of change to my life and my body. Pregnancy and childbirth change who you are down to the cellular level, so it can be easy to sort of lose your sense of self in the process of becoming a mother. In 2016 I’d like to focus on feeling like my best self, which means remembering to take some time just for me and getting my body back to a place where I feel strong and healthy.
Embrace the big changes to come. KC and I have some big decisions and changes coming in the coming months, so rather than fretting and over-analyzing everything (like I am known to do), I’m going to focus on embracing the changes as a whole and try not to bog myself down trying to control every tiny detail or worrying over every possible outcome.
Let go of the guilt. Growing up in a Catholic household, I’m very familiar with guilt. In fact, I’m pretty much fluent in it. Add being a mom into the mix, and sometimes it’s like, “Oh hey, is that Guilt River? Let me just go drown myself in it.” But, bathing in guilt is neither healthy nor productive, so in the new year I’m going to do my best to trust my own instincts and stick to my guns, while working to keep that creeping sense of mom-guilt at bay.
Give credit where credit is due. I’d like to focus a little more on being appreciative in the new year. This means not only appreciating the tangible things we have (like our health and a roof over our heads), but also appreciating the acts of those around me, and appreciating myself as well. I think so many of us work so hard, but continually focus on all the things we could be doing better, rather than taking a moment to be proud of all that we do and have accomplished. I think it’s about time I learned how to say, “I did this, and that’s awesome.”
Reconnect with KC whenever possible. Having a baby is a huge stress on your relationship (people who have kids to “save a marriage” — how?? I don’t understand it.) And while KC and I are as strong as ever, I’d like to make a concerted effort to really focus on finding time for just the two of us. Even if we can’t make it out for date night as often as we’d like, there’s plenty of other ways to make sure we carve out time for just us (hello, date night at home!)

What are your goals for the new year? Do you want to learn to pat yourself on the back? Get rid of the mom-guilt? (Easier said than done, right?) Or maybe just be better to yourself overall in 2016? I’d love to hear!

Happy new year, guys. It’s gonna be a great one.

Holidays

So Long, 2015

December 31, 2015

Since I didn’t get around to posting about our Christmas right after the holiday, I thought I’d combine it with a post for New Year’s Eve. And hey, I got to it before the year actually ended, so that’s pretty good!

We kept Prim’s first Christmas fairly minimal, since she really doesn’t need a whole lot toy-wise these days and we lack a permanent residence at the moment. Santa ended up bringing her some blocks and books and Green Toys, along with a few other wooden toys, some stacking cups and a cold teether.

I was most excited about Prim getting The Bumper Book, which is a book from my mom’s childhood that she read to us when we were kids and is now out of print. Santa must have some tricks up his sleeve since he was able to find it! 😉

Um, and yes, baby moccasins may have been a “practical” item added to Prim’s stocking. (I mean, they are bigger sizes for when she actually starts walking, so they’re kind of necessary, right?)

It was a pretty awesome day; and overall, a pretty amazing year. 2015 was the strangest combination of really great things, paired with really terrible things.

In reminiscing over the past year (as one does on New Year’s Eve), here’s what stuck out:

A babymoon trip to New Orleans in January with KC, which included both some of the most delicious food and some of the coldest weather the city had ever experienced.
A work trip to NY in February, without a coat that zipped over my big, pregnant belly (and it was 6° when I arrived). Luckily a local — and also pregnant — friend of mine let me borrow an extra one she had lying around!
The arrival of the sweetest tiny human imaginable in May.
Followed by the loss of close to a half-gallon of blood after we brought her home (mine, not hers, thank goodness), which prompted a trip in an ambulance to the ER and a procedure that was worse than labor.
Savoring those sweet first weeks home with baby, only to find out we were being evicted when she was only 2 months old.
Moving in with in-laws (on-site babysitting and free rent! Yes please.)
Going back to work, which is somehow both a break from the everyday of having a baby, and also terribly, terribly hard.

There are so many big, amazing things already in the works for 2016, and I can’t wait to talk all about them on the blog. For now, I’m focusing on the present and thinking long and hard about my goals for the new year. (Post on that coming up!)

Let’s do this, 2016. I’m ready for you.

Holidays

Merry Christmas!

December 24, 2015

We’ve got our presents all wrapped, the tree lit, and Prim’s very first ornament on the tree (it’s a mouse for our little milk mouse).

I hope you have a wonderful and very merry Christmas!

Love, Chelsea