2.27.2015

FIVE THINGS


Happy Friday!

Time for a little update...

-ONE-



You all know by now my love for traveling, and then annoying you all blogging about all the details. In fact, deep down I REALLY wish I could be a travel blogger (sigh-wouldn't that be nice?!) so anyone out there who wants to help me make that possible just shoot me an email, mmmkay? :) 

We have two trips coming up that I'm so excited about! We are heading to Nashville over Memorial Day weekend for me and my best friend's 30th birthdays (hers is 5 days after mine!) It'll be us and two of our other closest girlfriends that I've grown up with and our significant others. As much as I will miss Cam since it'll be our FIRST time away from him, Nashville isn't exactly the best place to bring him to. Bring on the live country music, drinks in mason jars, cowboy boots, and SUN/heat! Oh yes. There's not much to hate about Nashville. 

However...we will bringing Cam with us to the CT/Boston area a few weeks later at the beginning of June for my cousin's wedding! I'm planning a little meet up with Erica while we're there and cannot wait!!

-TWO-

I didn't read the book, but I went out with my girlfriend the other night to see 50 Shades. It wasn't as intense? as I thought it would be and at times I wished I had read the book because I felt like I would've understood Ana's character a little bit more. I personally think Dakota Johnson totally carried that movie! 

And if you haven't heard the soundtrack, it's so good..worth downloading for sure. I have "Love Me Like You Do" by Ellie Goulding currently on repeat daily.



-THREE-

My son is already posing for photos at 6 weeks old. Look at this ham...


Billy's parents and sister came to visit last weekend and when his sister was holding Cam I looked at him with her cell phone and said, "pose for Mommy!" and this is what I got! I melted! He wasn't even looking in the right direction before I said it which is the best part. He's such a little peanut!

and then this happened too...

#STUD


-FOUR-

Just ordered Cam's first Easter basket! I couldn't resist this cute puppy one from Pottery Barn Kids with his name personalized on it...


On that same shopping note...saying no to spring clothes for him has been rather difficult. Baby clothes are theeee cutest and I'm really wishing and hoping for some warmer weather around here...I'll take 50 at this point. 

This whale swimsuit and outfit (both from Target) and these personalized paci's (bought here!) were calling my name and I basically had no choice in the matter...



-FIVE-

Billy's birthday is next Tuesday! We are going to go to our favorite brunch places on Sunday and hopefully make it out to dinner one night. I want to try and find him a cute new Daddy gift, too! Any ideas girls?!


I also got around to taking the second half of this picture last weekend! I hope to frame it and hang it somewhere in Cam's room :)



PS: I only have 2 weeks left out of my 11 off for maternity leave! Can someone please explain to me HOW this is possible? I feel like it just started. I might go cry now. 

not kidding. 

Have a great weekend! 

2.26.2015

7 Days of Juicing + Jillian Michaels Detox

Hey friends!

So it's taken me a little longer to get back into a regular blogging routine as you can see! Things are going much more smoothly now that Camden and I have a nice little routine in place (and he's sleeping longer!), so I know that it's only a matter of time before I am posting regularly again. I have so many posts half written - it's just getting around to finishing them. Making it a goal of mine this week to do that!

In the meantime, I have gotten so many emails and comments lately about two certain posts that I originally talked about a couple years ago and wanted to share them again for those asking, or if you might have missed them. We can't have that now can we?! Since it's the beginning of a new year (two months into it still counts right? please say yes because it feels like yesterday that it was Jan 1st.), we all have a blank slate to get motivated and to make this your healthiest year yet!!

Here's two options to get you back on track...

The first is the Jillian Michael's Detox Drink. Full post here.



The next is the 7 Days of Juicing that I did around his time last year. Full post with recipes here.

juicing recipe juicing green juice

Both are easy to fit into your current diet and lifestyle, but will increase your energy and help you get rid of some nasty toxins that has (most likely) been weighing you down! Don't be scared to give them a try, girls. You will feel so much better, trust me. 

I have a new smoothie post coming soon, too! I really want to get back into posting healthy recipes again and it's the perfect one to start with.

Good luck if you give these a try and let me know if you have any questions!

2.23.2015

HALO Bassinest Swivel Sleeper



Over the next few weeks I thought it would be fun to highlight some of my favorite baby items so far, in a few short paragraphs! Because really...who wants to read a book on my blog? I'm sure not many of you... (including myself sometimes :)) 

Well, when your pregnant you spend SO much time researching what to register for and what to spend your own precious dolla dolla bills on, so I'm here to report all those A+...can't live without things...that you'll want in your home when that time comes to bring your sweet baby love home from the hospital!

First up is actually brand new...

HALO's Bassinest Swivel Sleeper

What makes it great?

The Bassinest has a unique dual-swivel design that is the only bassinet that moves to bring baby to mom. It allows baby to sleep as close as Mom wants so baby can sleep close AND safe.

This bassinet is the first to provide both convenience and safety. Baby sleeps in his/her own separate sleep area, reducing the risks associated with bed-sharing, and then Mom can easily get in and out of bed to tend to baby without having to get up! Not to mention, it's really cute to look at and modern looking which I really like! My favorite thing about it though besides the swivel is all the features it has (all those buttons in the picture above)...a light, vibration, and music! You can also control the volume. It has pockets on the sides that you could store diapers in as well! 

Love it all! I'll swaddle Camden first then place him on his back in it and he's content! If you're looking for a bassinet that has everything you'd ever want all combined into one (and by a great company-their sleepsacks are awesome too) this one is for you.

Any questions about the product...feel free to email or comment below! :) 



2.19.2015

Getting Into Shape After Baby

Today is a high of 5. Five. But no, let's not give this miserable weather the attention it deserves...

Instead...something positive. Guess who was officially cleared by my doctor the other day to get back into working out + running?!

Picture me raising both of my hands and clapping over here! I could've started after 4 weeks off per his recommendation, but I decided to wait until now (closer to 5 weeks) to step back into one of my favorite spaces again. I always wondered throughout my pregnancy if I would have the same motivation to work out after having Camden came that I did prior, just because of wanting the most time with him as possible, but right now the desire and motivation is definitely there. A healthy mom makes me a happier mom!

I know it'll be tough when I go back to work after my maternity leave is over...I mean, I can imagine trying to fit in baby time, work, dinner, and exercising. That sounds tough. I KNOW it will be tough, but you make time for what's important, right?

I plan to start back up exactly how I left off...very slowly! I have 8 lbs left to lose to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight and my plan is to first focus on getting my core back, before anything else, after 9 months of NOT having one. Because abs...what are those?! Breastfeeding...pumping...and just constantly bending over/holding a baby really takes a toll on your back so working on my core will help strengthen those back muscles and help me have stronger runs. I've also got what many call the "mom pooch" (such an attractive term) going on, so I hope to go back to eating really healthy and focusing on getting rid of that. You know, before summer comes and my bikinis are staring at me in the face (special thanks to Target for already having bathing suits out..#not)

Here's some of my favorite exercises I've been doing that I'll do before each cardio session. Even if you aren't in the same boat that I am, these are some awesome exercises to add into your routine if you want to tone up before spring break or summer. If you aren't sure what some of the exercises are, just google them and pictures will come up!

+ situps // oblique crunches // planks (regular + both sides) //  crossover crunch // flutter kicks // dumbbell side bends // russian twist // lunges // squats

And here's some of my favorite circuits! The easiest way to remember these, for me, is to pin them to my Pinterest and then take a screenshot on my iPhone of them so that when I'm at the gym I can just pull up my camera roll (or my Pinterest board) and follow along that way...




I'm hoping posting this will hold me accountable and keep me motivated to shed these last 8 lbs. I've heard losing the last of the baby weight can be tough, so I know I've got my work cut out for me! 

Anyone else trying to lose baby weight or have in the past? What worked for you? Any tips?!


2.17.2015

Currently Has A Whole NEW Meaning...

My little valentine this year

One would think that while being on maternity leave that I would have all this free time to blog, clean up the house, catch up on some reality TV drama (I might have some time for this...), shop a little, get my nails done...and HA! It turns out that I have this super cute nine pound babe attached to my hip who has wanted to nap a lot less lately unless it's in my arms...go figure :)

Don't get me wrong, I'm soaking up all these newborn snuggles as much as I can (and kissing him about every other 5 seconds during it all), but it definitely leaves me little to no time to get anything remotely productive done! I think Cam might be going through a growth spurt, so here's to hoping I can soon at least have my hands and arms free for a little bit.

Here's what's been going on in my world lately...

+Maternity leave goes by SO fast..it's crazy. I still have until middle-late March before going back to work (and I will still get to be home with Cam one day per week), but I'm already feeling sad about it. Any tips on returning back to work, ladies? (about pumping/enjoying the last few weeks/trusting that baby will be OK/etc.)

 

+I went out with my girlfriends to a new Mexican restaurant downtown for the first time while Billy watched Cam last week which was SO refreshing and nice! Girl time = good for the soul. I made a promise to myself to keep making time for my girlfriends even though right now, these first few months, time is harder to come by.

+Fitting back into my regular jeans and tops again feels awesome, but I still have some weight to lose and a lot of areas to tone up-post about that coming tomorrow! I give 100% credit to breastfeeding and maintaining a good exercise routine through most of my pregnancy that most of the weight came off pretty easily and quick! Dressing Cam is SO much more fun though...especially in things with ears ;)
(the best boots for babies! they stay on and are so warm)

+Vacations now have a whole new meaning. Right now since Cam is so small and we're smack dab in the middle of winter here (or hopefully maybe end if we're lucky?), we will probably wait until late spring/summer to go anywhere, but I'm currently already dreaming about it. I hope Cam grows up to love traveling and seeing different places like I do!

+Requesting Starbucks gift cards for all future holidays / birthdays / special events. That one day a week thing that I used to do? HECK no - that's long gone! Give me the coffee everyday, please.

+Cam's smiles might be my favorite thing ever. And the way he looks at Billy. I love it so much...


+Wondering if anyone saw the closing credits on the Bachelor last night with Whitney's dog? I did get to actually watch it last night and was cracking up and watched it a minimum of about 6 times. ;) Also, BrosBeingBasic on instagram. Pretty much the best. 


+Billy and I had our first date night without the babe this past weekend while my parents watched Camden. Even though it was pretty short (we just went out to dinner and got dessert after!), it was much needed! I even had a glass of wine for the first time (don't worry-just one) which was AMAZING! I missed my bff named Pinot Noir. ;) Also...not many people tell you how much you will miss just the time you had with your spouse after having a baby (I cried a few times!), but I will and DO! So for all of you who are pregnant...make sure to get some awesome date nights in with your spouse before baby comes! Trust me! I value our time together so much more now.

I'm sure I'm missing a few things, but that's all I've got for now! I've had a few requests to share some of my must have baby items so I'm working on that post and will have it up soon...stay tuned!! And thanks as always for reading & commenting!

2.12.2015

Newborn Pictures

Good morning!

Sorry for the overabundance of baby posts, you guys. I promise not every week will be like this!

But today we (or maybe just myself) can ooh and aah over my son's newborn pictures. :) Towards the end of my pregnancy I went back and forth between deciding if I wanted to book a session or not. I thought I might be able to get some decent shots on my own with my DSLR, but ultimately decided to hire a professional (Patti Rose Photography to be exact-for all you Columbus gals!)

And yeah...there is no way I could've gotten any of these shots on my own! Best decision I made was to book it! All the effort and patience that goes into getting one good shot of a baby is seriously insane. Patti did the most amazing job.

You can't put a price on these pictures...that's how much we love them. They were taken when Camden was just 9 days old and mean the world to us.

Below = lots of wrinkles and adorableness, so proceed with caution if you don't want to end up with a bad case of baby fever... 

{omg-these wrinkles!}
 
{monogrammed sash from here}
{blocks from here}

All photos by: Patti Rose Photography

Luckily Cam cooperated for most of this 4 hour session (yes-FOUR hours) so we got some really great shots!!

Aaaannnnddd now I'm off to be a crazy mom and stare at these some more // order 1,001 copies...which are your favorites?! Which should I print? Help me decide!

2.10.2015

CJK: One Month Old



Highlights from this month:

Weight: 8 lbs, 12 oz.

Height: 23 inches, everyone comments how long he looks!

Hair: Brown, with lots of it in the back and it doesn't look like any is falling out (yet!)

Eyes: Bluish gray

Clothes: All newborn! We actually had to go out and buy more newborn clothes and sleepers because I wasn't sure how long he would be in them, but I think we've still got another week or two left in them!

Diapers: Newborn. We have only tried Pampers Swaddlers, but that's because we love them and he seems to as well! No diaper rash so far and very minimal leaks, so we are sticking with them for now.

Sleeping: Since I'm breastfeeding, we were waking to feed him every 3 hours in the middle of the night before but since he's gained enough weight he is now giving us a few 4 hour stretches every night (and one 5 hour). This past weekend he only woke up once, which was awesome! Also, lately he's done really great at going right back to sleep after feedings in the middle of the night. This little peanut, though, refused naps during the day a lot last week. I think it was because he had a growth spurt and was wanting to eat more, too!

Likes: Being held and rocked to sleep, mornings (so alert and smiles a ton!), Sophie "Colors" book (he makes the funniest facial expressions when I read this to him and show him the pages), he will take a paci but only half the time, baths (he HATED them at first, but seems to enjoy them now thanks to putting a warm washcloth over him and using a space heater to keep the room warm!), looking outside, and dun dun dun...the bathroom fan, haha.

Dislikes: Getting his diaper changed and not being fed right.away (who likes to wait for their food anyways?)

Eating: Exclusively breastfed/bottle fed every 3 hours (like clockwork!). Sometimes, especially during a growth spurt like last week, he will eat every 2 hours but mainly it's every 3 hours during the day with longer stretches at night. I have been breastfeeding during the day and Billy will bottle feed him at night while I pump.

Milestones: Cam is such a strong little dude! He holds his head up all the time and our pediatrician comments about it every time we come in. He has the strongest little legs, too! He started smiling the past few days which we LOVE!! Everyday just gets better and better with him. He used to hate being on his back and being changed, but he rarely cries when being changed now which makes us so happy!

Mommy's Favorites (aka things that keep me sane): Sleep Sheep (#LIFESAVER, specifically the Ocean sound), Rock n Play, Aden and Anais Swaddle blankets, our BOB stroller (even though it's winter we've got out for a few walks when it's on the warmer side and I just love it! I can't wait to run with him!), SwaddleMe, Wubbanub's, Musical Seahorse toy, cuddles, and Solly Baby Wrap.

But for real, HOW IS OUR BABY 1 MONTH OLD ALREADY?! 

This month was filled with the lowest of low's and the highest of high's. It's gone from the best day of our life...to past the point of exhaustion...to extreme sleep deprivation...to learning to adjust to the little sleep...to having extremely challenging days...to needed breaks out of the house...to missing him when leaving the house (funny how that works)...to now feeling way more comfortable/confident as first time parents, happy with the little routine we have going on, and wondering how we EVER lived without him.

During our second week at home, I started noticing that Camden was breathing louder than normal. He had snored a bit since being born, but this was different and I just had this instinct that something else was wrong. His neck was retracting when breathing and his nostrils would flare a bit. I immediately started googling things (I know...not always the best idea but paid off in the situation) and became really worried. We ended up taking him to urgent care after calling our pediatrician (they were closed at the time) and it was there that a doctor told us that she thought he had a condition called Laryngomolacia. She referred us to an ENT specialist at Children's that confirmed that he did in fact have this two days later by doing a scope down his throat (Children's? a scope? a breathing problem? yes, I was so upset and a mess.)

In simple terms-this means that he has a floppy, soft cartilage which causes partial airway obstruction. It is often worse when Cam, or the infant, is on his or her back because the floppy tissues can fall over the airway opening more easily in this position. Basically, he just sounds a little squeaky at night. When he sleeps during the day it's not as noticeable. Luckily, this is something that he will just grow out of (8-10 months on average) and his is more on the mild side! As you can imagine though, this doesn't ease our minds all the time as we are often worried about his breathing. I will say that the Snuza (alarm that clips on his diaper) has helped us get some sleep and some days we notice his breathing is much better. He also has acid reflux, unfortunately, and is on Prevacid (which seems to really be helping!), so both of these things made the first two weeks extremely stressful and hard. 

We are both really happy and thankful with how well he's doing now overall (in all areas) and to be honest we're glad to have this first month behind us. I don't want to wish away time at all, BUT since the first month is known to be the hardest, I'm looking forward to each and every day from here. :) 

This little boy has stolen our hearts in every single way possible. I don't go 5 minutes without kissing him or thanking God that he is ours! I know that I'm biased but he is honestly the cutest little boy in the world. He has the prettiest eyes and his lips and forehead wrinkles are adorable.

Can't.get.enough.


We love you, Cam, and are so extremely proud to be your parents! You give our days, and our life, a whole new meaning.

2.09.2015

Camden's Birth Story

 

On January 8th, the morning of my due date, I woke up pretty bummed that the day we had been waiting and looking forward to for 9 long months was here, but our baby boy wasn't! For most of my pregnancy Billy was convinced Camden would be born late, but I never thought that and was pretty sure that he would be early! So, that morning I was determined to at least try to get things moving along myself...

I went to the mall and walked for 45 minutes.
I ate a big carton of fresh pineapple.
I made an eggplant parm recipe for dinner that is known to induce labor (rumor has it?)
I spent some quality time bouncing on an exercise ball....

and nada. Not a single contraction!

After dinner Billy confidently said, "don't worry, it's going to happen in the morning!", which has been the day he has guessed I would go into labor all along. I looked at him and just gave him a sassy smirk that I seem to do pretty well, doubting it.

The morning of January 9th rolls around and we were in the kitchen making breakfast when I felt a small gush of fluid. Since you can have increased discharge towards the end of your pregnancy and it was such a small amount, I honestly believed it was nothing and told Billy to go ahead and go to work. I sat down to eat breakfast and relax a bit, but then 20 minutes later when I stood up there was another gush...

I got excited deep down, but then tried talking myself out of it because I felt great and had zero contractions. I figured if it was the real deal I would be feeling contractions, and would feel a lot worse! I decided to call my doctors office anyways, and the nurse told me to head to L&D right away because she thought my water broke. My reaction? There's no way! It was almost like I didn't want to be THAT girl who went to the hospital thinking her water broke just to be told it wasn't, and to be sent home. However, after talking to Billy I decided I would go anyways but I was definitely still in the mindset that I would be sent home and would have to continue waiting.

Around 11am I drove myself to the hospital (after taking a long shower and hanging out with Rocky for a bit-acting like I wasn't in a rush at all), walked right in fully expecting to just come right back out and head home, but instead when the nurses checked my fluid two they came running into the room where I was hooked up and said, "you're having a baby today!"

Instantly I got so emotional, excited, and was shocked. Was I really going into labor on the exact morning that Billy predicted all along?! What are the chances of this? I called Billy and had happy tears in my eyes when he picked up the other line. I told him it was in fact my water and that we would get to meet Camden very soon! I cried for the whole two minute conversation because I just couldn't believe it was time to meet our son. Billy was escastic, but surprisingly really calm (you know, since he predicted this all along ;)) and he left work, rushed to our house to get our bags, and then headed over to the hospital to meet me.

Around 1230pm, they transferred me to our room that I would labor in and Billy arrived shortly after. Something that was really coincidental that we noticed right away was that our room number was 19...the date was 1-9...and Billy's hockey/lucky number was 19...it was like everything just fit together so perfectly and this was exactly how everything was meant to happen.

 

It wasn't until around 3pm that I was in active labor and started having contractions, but I was still only 2 cm dilated. My contractions were coming 2-4 minutes apart, but they weren't getting stronger so unfortunately our nurse recommended pitocin (the one thing I didn't want!). It was hard to believe my water broke, but yet I still needed the drugs to get things going. Ultimately, meeting my baby was far more important so I quickly came to terms with the pitocin.

 

For most of the time, I chose to labor and take the contractions standing up walking or bouncing on an exercise ball. I hated sitting in the bed and felt like I could handle the contractions better standing up or sitting on the ball. Around 6pm, I was 6 cm dilated and requested the magic epidural. I was told by our nurse that they would need to check my platelets again (they were checked when I originally checked in the hospital in the morning, and my levels were definitely high enough to get the epidural, but since it had been so long they needed to re-check them), which made me really nervous but we honestly figured my levels would be just fine since they were hours earlier...

Except they weren't. The results from the lab came up on the monitor on the computer screen in our room where the nurse was standing and (from what Billy says) the nurse looked at them and ran out of the room. Billy stood up and went over to look then a look came across his face like he had seen a ghost. Immediately I begged him to tell me what was going on, and that's when he told me my platelet count dropped to below the epidural level.

Cue Katie meltdown. I started sobbing, figuring that I was about to have an natural birth and that I wouldn't be able to handle it. The nurse came back in the room a few minutes later and kindly told me that it was the anesthesiologists call to give me the epidural or not, and we had to wait for his decision. It was the longest 30 minutes of my life, but when the nurse came in and told me "you can get it!" I let out the deepest sigh of relief and I'm pretty sure no words have EVER sounded better.

Shortly after I got the epidural, things started progressing pretty quickly. Billy was such a good partner the whole time and sat next to me massaging my back and neck, which felt wonderful and took my mind off the contractions.
 

At midnight I started pushing 3 sets of 10. I expected the contractions to be the worst part of labor, but looking back I think for me that pushing was far more exhausting. I didn't realize how much upper body strength it would take and quickly I felt so tired. I decided to use the mirror to give me an extra boost of motivation because the doctor said we could see his head at that point and we were getting close! With every push, I just reminded myself that I could do this (Billy also coaching me on the side!) and the harder I pushed the sooner my son would be in my arms. After an hour and twenty minutes of pushing, our little miracle Camden was born.

He came out without a single cry, but the doctor and nurses assured me he was perfectly healthy and immediately placed him on my chest for skin-to-skin. Those were, by far, the best minutes of my entire life. He glanced up at me with his perfect little eyes and I was overcome with happiness, joy, and LOVE.

I remember counting all of his fingers and toes, kissing his little perfect button nose, gazing at him up and down, and feeling like my world was complete.


But it just got better from there. Seeing Billy hold our son for the first time was more than I ever imagined it to be! It's like something changed in him right when Camden was born, and his role as a Dad just took right over. I could've watched him hold our son forever that night.

 

My labor was pretty much the exact opposite of how I figured it would go (driving myself to the hospital in no pain...yeah, would've never guessed that one!) and taking a long time to progress, but it's our story and one that I would never change. It's the way I became a Mom, and I will forever be grateful for every minute of it.

Happy Birthday Camden James! Thank you for changing our world for the better. We love you so much!