2.21.2017

life lately with 3

Happy Tuesday! We have been staying busy with our trio of little girls and planning Adaline's Sip & See for next month. I can hardly believe March is almost here and that our baby girl is 3 weeks old already. This is my second week home with the girls since Dustin went back to work and slowly but surely we are falling into a natural routine and it feels so good to be finding our new normal.


Della is still in the sleepy newborn phase so she can nap anywhere, anytime; she usually wakes between 8:30 and 9:30am in the morning, a bit after her older sisters, which has been nice since it gives me some time to shower and make breakfast for the girls and myself before our day really starts. She is up twice in the night to eat and the times she is waking are pretty consistent which makes it a little easier to crawl out of my cozy bed to feed her.

We have been trying to get outside as much as possible with the girls when the temps allow and are aching for Spring to get here, fresh air is so good for the soul! If we're not at the park on a walk, it's usually some form of baking in the kitchen after breakfast or before nap time. Between muffins, rice krispie bars, brownies...we are never short on treats around here.

Olivia and Penelope are also really into sticker books right now, so that is an activity they often are doing while I am sitting and nursing Della. Olivia has loved stickers for a long time but Poppy is now just getting to an age (17 months) where she loves them too. Our all time favorite sticker book is this one, it seriously has so many stickers and is so fun for the two of them. I have reordered it four times over the past year we love it so much. 


The hardest part of the transition from two to three so far is preschool drop off and pick up, which requires me to carry both a carseat and Penelope at the same time while simultaneously trying to hold Olivia's hand. Poppy has been walking for a few months but with icy/wet parking lots, it's easier just to swoop her up and make our way in and out quickly. Thankfully it's just two days a week and while I could use a stroller to make life a little easier, the time it takes to unload, put them in, etc. isn't worth it to me, at least not until Della's carseat gets too heavy to carry ;) 

I'll share more soon about how Dustin and I manage three, now that we are officially outnumbered, as well as a closer look at our day to day routine. For now, we are loving having a baby around and I definitely cry every time I think of her growing up, blame it on the hormones but goodness it is going too fast!! 

2.09.2021

top 5 first week favorites

We have been settling in as a family of 5 since bringing Adaline home from the hospital last Thursday and it's hard to believe she's already over a week old! The past week has been a whirlwind in a lot of ways, but at the same time I feel like I've had a lot of time to slow down and just be still, especially while nursing her. The first days and weeks of having a newborn are always equally parts wonderful and tiring. I am just over here trying to soak up every minute, it's already going by so fast. 


I thought it would be fun to share my Top 5 "First Week" Favorite items that have made life a bit easier with a newborn while caring for our older girls too! 


If you've seen my pictures or stories on instagram you've probably noticed Della has been wearing these day in & day out. The organic cotton makes them so cozy, soft to the touch and keeps her warm whether we're inside or out and about. I love how many basic, neutral options they offer and the wide variety of sizes (NB up to 9-12 months). Newborn sized clothes are still big on Adaline cause she's so tiny, but so far of everything we have, these are the best fit and a total game changer when it comes to dressing a brand new babe. Enter BLESSEDNEST15 at checkout for 15% off your L'oved Baby purchase today through Saturday February 11 at midnight PST.


If you're already a Mom you know the first days and weeks involve a lot of nursing. During my pregnancy I was on the hunt for something natural to use as a nursing salve and came across Min.Erbs soothing nursing salve and so far I absolutely love it. Made of almond oil, coconut oil, calendula flowers, plantain leaf, dandelion root and chickweed herb, I love that it is free of petroleum, artificial fragrances and colors, parabens and more. Plus the packaging is so darling I don't mind seeing it sitting on our bathroom counter or nightstand every morning! 


I've raved about Oatmama bars before and just as when Poppy was born, they were my first snack after giving birth to Adaline. They're so yummy I have to restrain myself from eating more than one a day! My favorite flavors are Chocolate Almond Coconut and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip. They are filling, perfect for throwing in my diaper bag or stashing at my bedside and a great snack anytime of day, especially at those 4 in the morning nursing sessions ;) Enter BLESSEDNEST15 at checkout for 15% off your Oatmama purchase.


I have a confession, I am a total swaddle hoarder. We have tried just about every brand out there and after discovering Max + Moose, I seriously found my dream swaddle. We try to keep things pretty minimal around here but when it comes to swaddles, I just have zero self control. Max + Moose is run by Stay at Home Mama Alyssa and all her swaddles are made of 100% combed cotton. This is what sets them apart from all others on the market. They are so so soft. They're made in the USA, garment dyed so each one is unique, put through 2 different washes and are totally stretchable, breathable and come in beautiful, gender neutral colors. We have the camel swaddle and it has not left mine or Adaline's side since birth. We are completely hooked and can't wait to add more to our collection. Right now the Max + Moose Dove swaddles are on sale so if you're in the market, it's a perfect time to snatch one up with some savings.


Shortly after Penelope was born, we got her a DockATot Deluxe and then as she grew, a DockATot Grand. You can read more about all that we love about our docks in a blog post here. Adaline is so tiny but regardless of their size, all newborns love the feeling of being cozy and surrounded on all sides. The bassinet she sleeps in at night in our bedroom (same style, different color here) is quite spacious for her so we place our Dock inside it and she's totally snug and surrounded. She has been sleeping 4-hour stretches almost every night since we brought her home from the hospital and I think a large part of that is because she's so cozy and feels similar to how she did in the womb. 


I hope that gives you some ideas if you're expecting, have a brand new babe or are looking for a thoughtful but practical gift to give a new Mama. We are off to pick Olivia from school and head out for cupcakes. Happy almost-Friday!! XO

2.06.2021

meet della

Happy Monday! All the days lately are running into one another, as we welcomed our baby girl Adaline Elizabeth, who we call Della, last Wednesday February 1 and I've lost track of time a bit since. I was due February 11 and was (very pleasantly) surprised when my water broke Wednesday morning when I woke around 7am, 10 days before we expected her. Dustin had just walked into work when I called him and told him to come back home, and once my mom got to our house we headed to the hospital. I was able to do a natural water birth again like I had done with Penelope, and Adaline was born into the water at 1:30pm that afternoon, weighing 6 lbs, 6 oz and measuring 19.5 inches long. I really wanted a February baby (maybe because I'm a January baby and wanted her to have her own whole month?!) and God so kindly waited until the first day of the month to send her on her way to us! ;)


Everything went well with labor & delivery and we are so so grateful to have a healthy and happy baby girl at home with us, making us a family of 5. We came home on Thursday afternoon and have been learning our new groove with three kids ever since. We like to say we moved from a man to man defense to zone, now that we are officially outnumbered! Adaline is our smallest baby yet and she feels so tiny; she weighed 5 lbs 13 oz at her newborn check on Friday but with how good of an eater she is, my guess is she'll be back up to birth weight soon ;) 

Getting to know her more each day is one of my favorite parts about having her here. She is incredibly mellow, tender and mild. She loves being held and her favorite place to sleep is in our arms or on my chest. Her big sisters adore her (and need to be reminded to give her space quite often...). She has her most alert wake time for an hour in the morning after waking up before I feed her and she just loves to lay and look around to take the whole room in. She has been giving me a few 3- and 4-hour stretches of sleep in the night and as tired as I am, I know this newborn season of endless cuddles and nursing is going to go by so so fast. I am going to miss it before I know it, so I am trying to soak it all up, enjoying every moment, even those at 2 in the morning. Dustin is home from work all week so it's given me some extra time with Della while he keeps Olivia and Poppy occupied. 


We got out of the house on Saturday with all 3 of the girls for a little trip to a favorite local bakery and it felt so good to do something normal again and just be together. She had her first bath yesterday and in just a few days she'll be one week old. It's already going by too fast! We are all smitten with her sweet and gentle spirit and mellow personality. God is good and our hearts are so full!

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