Category Archives: Motherhood

Baby / Birthdays / Motherhood / Sky

Motherhood Update: Sky at 1 year

October 27, 2020

No one has ever loved a smash cake as much as Sky did at his little, socially-distanced party this weekend. 

Saying: Sky says Mama, Dada, all done, and “meow” (when the girls are pretending to be cats). He also loves to roar like a lion, and is probably saying hi and more, but mostly we’re still in the phase of insistent shrieking in order to communicate needs over here (ha).

Eating: Sky loves to eat (much like his mama, daddy, and sisters). He generally dives face-first into whatever is put in front of him (I’ll be posting the video of him with his smash cake on Instagram — it’s hilarious), but he has a special affinity for avocado, fruit, and Mexican rice and beans (smart kiddo).

Sleeping: Sky is still sleeping well for the most part, though his molars are still sporadically causing some sleep strife here and there. I’m hoping to wean him sometime in the next two months, so hopefully that doesn’t disrupt things too much!

Doing: Right in line with his sisters before him, Sky is chattering away right now and is clearly frustrated that he can’t communicate verbally yet. I remember this phase being particularly difficult with Prim and Lark as well (the 12-15 month span, in particular) because they can understand so much but communicate so little. I am trying to remember that this too shall pass (this is definitely one of the hardest ages for me, parenting-wise) and enjoy the sweet parts of this age, but some days are tougher than others (having Sky melt down anytime he spots me when I have to run downstairs for something during work hours is not ideal).

Latest milestone: Sky has mastered getting up and down the stairs in our front yard now (thanks to a lot of practice during his outdoor birthday party this weekend). He is very physically determined — much more so than the girls at this age. He hasn’t started walking just yet, but can fully stand unassisted for long periods, so I’m sure he’ll get there just as soon as he sets his mind to it.

Favorite toys: Sky is mostly interested in anything the girls are playing with and any items contained in the kitchen cupboard. Honestly, he would be happiest if we just let him capture our cell phones, TV remotes, and topple over any water glasses in the vicinity. His other favorite pastimes are pulling clothes out of dresser drawers and climbing into any box or laundry basket that happens to be on the floor.

Sweetest things: Sky is kind of attached to me at the hip these days. Prim and Lark went through this phase around 12 months as well — separation anxiety, stranger danger, and mama-attachment seems to all come together into a very clingy few months around age one, which while challenging, isn’t without it’s upside. I’m certainly getting lots of sweet baby snuggles these days.

Favorite thing about this age: Sky loves music and seems especially drawn to The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack. The girls are obsessed with the film and score right now, so it’s played pretty much daily in our house. When one of the songs comes on, Sky will often throw his hands in the air and dance with enthusiasm — it’s so pure and sweet! 

Baby / Motherhood / Sky

Motherhood Update: Sky at 11 months

September 28, 2020

Am I freaking out a little bit over the fact that this kiddo is less than a month away from turning one? Maybe. Probably. I mean, definitely. HOW HAS IT ALREADY BEEN ALMOST A YEAR??? It’s fine. We’re fine. 

Saying: Sky officially said his first word just before he hit 11 months, and even though I was really rooting for it to be “Mama,” he followed in his sister Larky’s footsteps and hit us with not just a first word but a first phrase: “All done.” 

Eating: If you’re wondering why both Lark and Sky’s first words were “all done,” it’s because this is what we ask at the end of meals (we ask and sign “all done or more?”) — and the fact that two of our three kiddos first words revolved around mealtime, you can guess where food ranks in this house. (Honestly, it’s one of my dreams that my children grow up to love food as much as I do.) Sky loves to eat and will often out-eat even his sisters at dinnertime. He is obsessed with salmon (a favorite of everyone in this house), avocado, and I think could probably take down an entire watermelon if we gave him the opportunity.

Sleeping: Sky is still sleeping through the night for the most part, with just a few disruptions here and there when teeth are coming in. The last two nights he’s slept until 7:45am (he goes down around 7:15/7:30pm) which is AMAZING. I doubt this will last, but I’m gonna go ahead and take that win while I’ve got it.

Doing: Sky is so busy and is determined to get into anything and everything these days. We recently invested in all new kitchen appliances (just buying our way out of the pandemic over here…) which has been really helpful for keeping Sky out of things. He previously would immediately grab things off the bottom shelf of the fridge and try to climb into the dishwasher to grab everything in sight, but our new freezer-on-bottom situation and two-drawer dishwasher is not so easy to get into, so there’s less “remove Sky to the playroom and race back to try to complete the task before he’s able to speed-crawl back into the kitchen” happening now, which has been nice.

Latest milestone: Sky is on the verge of saying more words (I think he likely has “Mama,” “Dada,” and “more,” but I like to wait to count words until I’m totally certain they know what they mean and use them in context.) He can also stand unassisted, so I’m sure first steps are just around the corner.

Favorite toys: Sky is obsessed with trying to grab everyone’s cell phone and any remote that’s within reach. As a result, we’ve lost the remote so many times that I finally invested in some Tile stickers to keep track of it.

Sweetest things: Sky loves to give sloppy, open-mouthed kisses all day long. He usually saves most for me, but our nanny was telling me the other day that he was being so silly with her while she was laying on the floor trying to do some stretches — “he was climbing all over me and kept putting his mouth on my face.” I started laughing and informed her that he was kissing her. It’s simultaneously a little disgusting and the sweetest thing ever (much like parenthood!)

Favorite thing about this age: Sky has so much personality now. I initially thought he might be quieter and more introverted than the girls, but he has proven himself to be just as loud, wild and silly as they are. He loves to yell and laugh his way through the day (much like the girls), and while I do sometimes lament the lack of “quiet” in our house, I would choose this insanity over the alternative any day of the week.

Baby / Motherhood / Sky

Motherhood Update: Sky at 10 months

August 24, 2020

I realize that I am so far behind on updates about little Sky, but as with third kids and living through a pandemic… I mean, what is there really to say? Life is crazy and we’re all just trying to muddle through as best we can, right? 

Saying: Sky has been saying variations of “Mama” and “Dada” a lot, but I’m still not convinced that he’s using them correctly to refer to KC and I. I’m holding out hope that Sky will say Mama first, since both Prim and Lark said Dada first (and Sky is a true Mama’s boy through and through right now — so, fingers crossed!)

Eating: Sky is a champion eater, and just like Prim and Lark at this age — eats like a truck driver. His current favorites are all forms of pasta (my little Italian!), watermelon, avocado, and pretty much any type of summer fruit.

Sleeping: Sky sleeps really well, for the most part, though he’s been getting his teeth at a fast and furious pace (he already has 6, with a couple more on the verge of breaking through), which can often disrupt things a bit. Most nights he goes down around 7:15pm and sleeps until 6/6:30am. Some mornings he will go back to sleep after I come down to nurse him, while other days he doesn’t — so we’re still straddling the world of one vs. two naps over here, just depending on when the morning started. Luckily, even if he’s up early, we can plop him into the girls room (if they’re awake) and he will happily play with them until breakfast time at 8am (I mean, that right there is maybe exactly why I had multiple children).

Doing: Sky is all over the place and into EVERYTHING. He is so much more mischievous than the girls were at this age (um, today he climbed all the way up the stairs because the gate at the bottom wasn’t closed. Yes, ALL THE WAY UP THE STAIRS.) He crawls at lightening speed, pulls up on everything and cruises around the furniture like a pro. He’s obsessed with trying to get into the fridge, rummaging through the liquor in the bar cart, zipping out the front door, and of course, trying to get up the stairs. I’m just trying to brace myself for the next couple of years with this kid because JEEZ, DUDE, CALM IT. 

Latest milestone: Since I’ve failed to update the blog for the last 10 months, there are a lot! He crawls, stands, cruises, babbles, climbs, feeds himself, sleeps through the night (hallelujah), and has nursed like a champ from day one. My favorite (and most recent) development though is he’s started dancing. Since we can’t go outside right now due to the wildfires, we have nightly dance parties so the girls can get their wiggles out before bedtime. Sky loves the Pirates of the Caribbean song (from the Disneyland ride) and will get up on his knees, throw his hands into the air and dance — I literally can’t think of anything cuter, honestly.

Favorite toys: Sky loves laying on pillows right now and climbing into Lark’s bed and playing with all her stuffed animals and books. It’s so sweet to peek in on him and see him snuggled up on Larky’s bed, happy as a clam.

Sweetest things: Sky can now “ask” to be picked up by getting up on his knees and lifting his arms. It’s so sweet to see him make a beeline for me or KC and throw his arms up so he can get a little snuggle.

Favorite thing about this age: Sky’s personality is really coming out now. He is such a happy, easy-going baby and very rarely gets upset. He is so great at going with the flow (third kid!) but I suspect he’s going to be a little daredevil as he gets older because he wants to do everything his big sisters are doing!

Budget-Friendly Weekend Fun / Covid19 / Motherhood / Toddler

Quarantine Activities

March 16, 2020

Looking for something time-consuming to pass the time while quarantined? May I suggest: breastfeeding.

Here are some ideas for adults and kids to stay sane amidst the insanity (please note that I have two toddlers, so a lot of the “kids” ideas are geared toward that age range):

For Adults:

  1. Baking/Cooking: with or without your kids! I make dinner every night sans children, but am planning on having the girls help me make blueberry pancakes, oatmeal, zucchini muffins, and chocolate almond milk, among other things. (We love the book Pretend Soup for easy recipes to make with kids.)
  2. Date Nights at Home: use this time to reconnect with your partner on the cheap. Maybe drink that nice bottle of wine you’ve been saving, or break out a board game!
  3. Drinking: make your own cocktails!
  4. Getting Moving: I’m feeling really pumped about the fact that we quit our gym at the end of last year in favor of setting up a small home gym. I’ve subscribed to Bar Method Online and this pregnancy/postpartum workout for years now, and recently purchased a barre off craigslist (though I used the back of a chair or edge of a table to do the workouts forever).
  5. Organizing/Cleaning: this is a great time to clean out your closets, weed out unused books and toys, organize the fridge and pantry — the possibilities are endless!
  6. Go Green: maybe it’s time to revamp your cleaning materials and figure out how to ditch the chemicals while saving on cost and packaging! Here’s what we use for laundry detergent and our everyday cleaning supplies. I should note that I recently made my own disinfectant spray as well, since vinegar hasn’t been tested on  . I added 2 tbsp bleach to 4 cups distilled water and spray it on commonly touched surfaces then let it air-dry. (Please note that it shouldn’t be sprayed on fabrics — because, BLEACH — so I stick to spraying it on faucet handles, doorknobs, toilet flushers, cabinet pulls, etc.)
  7. Helping Others: If you’re looking for a way to do good during the quarantine, consider supporting local businesses by buying gift cards, or by ordering coffee or food from a local cafe or restaurant and having it sent to a nearby medical facility (call ahead to facilitate with the medical center first). Many small exercise studios are offering web-based streaming classes at a reduced price. You can also have your kiddos write letters or draw pictures to send to nearby senior centers or nursing homes — get creative!
  8. Start a new hobby: or hey, maybe resurrect an old one — like your blog that you started 10(!) years ago!

For Kids:

  1. Send mail: set up a weekly “mail day” where the kids draw pictures to mail to friends and relatives. My kids love to send and receive mail, so we will definitely be sending out some pictures to grandparents, family and friends (I love to ask them what they would like to say to the person and then transcribe it on the back of the picture they drew. A lot of the time it’s random and hilarious tidbits like “This is a cat holding a sword and red is my favorite color.”)
  2. Wash toys outside: fill one plastic tub with soapy water and another with clean water and let the kids “wash” things like legos, metal kitchen toys, bath toys, etc.
  3. Pool party: put on swimsuits and hop in the bath in the middle of the day. (This is especially good on really hard days when everyone is falling apart.)
  4. Get outside: go for a hike, ride bikes/scooters outside, go for a walk down the block
  5. Nature scavenger hunt: send kids outside with a list of nature items to find. Draw pictures for kiddos who don’t read yet (make it simple, like “find one green leaf”, “find a rock that looks like an animal”, etc.)
  6. Dance party: put on special dance clothes (whatever the kids deem that to be) and put on your favorite Pandora/Spotify station (the ABBA Pandora station is fun for this)
  7. Audio books: our kids are obsessed with audio books — so much that we gave them an old iPhone and a bluetooth speaker so they could listen to them whenever they wanted. I made this playlist for Prim to listen to at rest time, and it’s become a favorite for all day.
  8. Decorate delivery boxes: if you’re anything like us, you’ll be getting quite a few deliveries in the coming weeks. We give the boxes to the kids to decorate with crayons, paint, etc. and they turn them into a rocket ship or school bus before we toss them into the recycling.
  9. Afternoon tea: serve tea (herbal, with honey) or hot chocolate (or whatever!) with a fun little snack (maybe tiny, crustless sandwiches and cookies). Teach kids to drink with their pinky up. Speak in a British accent. Pretend you’re royalty and ask, “What is a week-end?“
  10. Kids yoga: we love Cosmic Kids Yoga for “active” screen time.
  11. Library hour: set a timer and tell kids to explore books quietly. Tell them they can choose a certain number of books (maybe two each) that you will read to them aloud when the timer goes off. (Good for days when you’re losing your mind and need a little silence.)
  12. Pull weeds: fun after it’s rained (plus, free child labor!) Tell them they can look for worms and slugs too.
  13. Ooey-Gooey: (this was a favorite of ours as kids) — combine cornstarch and water in a plastic tub and let kids play with it outside. It goes from feeling like a solid to a liquid — fascinating!
  14. Blind taste test: cut up pieces of fruit, veg, whatever, and feed it to the kids with their eyes closed and see if they can guess what it is. Have them do it to you too (it’s funny for them to see an adult get it wrong!)
  15. Circle/sharing time: have dedicated time each day to sit together, sing a song, and talk about today’s activities. Allow them to “share” something: they could talk about a special toy, or how they’re feeling that day, something they’re looking forward to, etc. Structure is really helpful for young kids, and they may be missing this aspect of school while stuck at home.
  16. Weather/day of the week/date report: in the same vein as #15, designate one kid to ask Alexa (or google, or the internet) about the weather, then have them “report” it to the family. Have another kid ask about the day of the week and date and report it.

If you have more suggestions, please feel free to add them in the comments! 

Covid19 / Motherhood / Toddler

It’s Corona Time! Our daily schedule for social distancing

My usual state: unkempt hair, zero makeup, workout clothes, with a cute babe on my hip. It’s like I was BORN for quarantine.

In case you’re looking for a way to structure your days at home, I thought I’d post the rough outline of the schedule we’re following for the time being. Keep in mind that, like everything else with children, some days are unpredictable and it’s good to leave a little wiggle room and give yourself and your kids a break when everyone is just falling apart. I’ve built in some options for screen time, even though we generally limit screen time to pizza/movie night (Thursdays) and here and there on the weekend. This is unprecedented territory, so everyone deserves to be given a giant break on the “rules” — even kiddos. Remember that this is temporary and going back to “real” life is going to be an adjustment for everyone no matter what, whether the kids have been having ample screen time or not, so make sure to keep that in mind if you’re falling into the “I’m rotting my kids’ brains” mindset. Say it with me: this is TEMPORARY and they will be FINE.

We stick to bedtime and mealtimes strictly, rest/quiet time is non-negotiable, but the start and end times tend to vary a bit, and the other activities are more suggestions and a way to guide the day. (It’s also nice to have an answer for the inevitable “I’m bored.” Well, guess what? It’s creative time! So you can draw, paint, play with playdoh — whatever!)

I should also note that we have a newly-3 year old (Lark) and 4.5 year old (Prim), who generally go to 2 and 4 days of half-day preschool when not quarantined, respectively, and an almost 5 month old baby (he’s exclusively breastfed and hasn’t started solids yet). Those of you with older kiddos might want to structure in some more dedicated “academic” time — I personally don’t think this is necessary for a 3 and 4 year old. We will be “learning” via cooking and baking activities, getting outside to explore nature, and we will continue to use our words to explore our feelings and solve problems with parents and siblings, as they will (inevitably!) crop up during this weird, weird time.

TimeKids ActivityTimeMom Activity
7:30amKids wake up / independent play7:30/8amWake up / nurse baby
8amBreakfast8amKids’ Breakfast
8:30amCreative time (drawing, painting, playdoh, kinetic sand, etc.)8:30amClean up kids’ breakfast / make adult breakfast + coffee
9amCoffee + FaceTime family and friends
9:30/10amSnack + FaceTime9:30amBaby Nap 1 (nurse) / House tasks
10/10:30amActive time (backyard) or active screen time (kids yoga, etc.)10/10:30amWorkout (can move to 12:30/45pm if busy with kids)
11:30amLunch11:30amKids Lunch
12pm-2pmRest/Quiet Time: nap (Lark 3yo) / art + audio books (Prim 4.5yo)12pmPut all kids down for rest/quiet time (nurse + Baby Nap 2)
12:15pmMom lunch
12:30/45pmRelax / Workout / House tasks
2pmSnack + activity2pmKids snack + activity (see upcoming “Quarantine Activities” blog post)
3pmActive Time (backyard)3pmClean up / House tasks / Catch-up time
4pmKids choice / independent play (screen time if crazy)4pmBaby Nap 3 (nurse) / Cook dinner
5pmDinner5pmDinner
5:30pmActive time (go for walk outside, ride bikes/scooters, etc.) / Possible screen time if kids are losing it5:30pmTake kids out for active time
6:00pmClean up toys6pmClean up dinner
6:30pmTreat (if doing dessert)6:30pmNurse baby
6:45pmBath time / jammies / stories / songs6:45pmStart bedtime routine
7:30pmBedtime7:30pm Kids bedtime (nurse baby)

PS: If you’re wondering more about the kids or my schedule (my day is very exciting and involves LOTS of laundry), feel free to ask. I usually workout at home (we quit our gym after Sky was born), so this isn’t a huge adjustment from that perspective. I have been doing Bar Method Online and this pregnancy/postpartum workout series for years (I signed up after I had Lark in 2017 when I realized that my core was wrecked from back-to-back pregnancies). We also recently purchased an elliptical, which was an investment for sure, but it has been such a lifesaver for both KC and I.

List of fun quarantine activities for kiddos coming up next! Stay tuned…