We’re almost there, almost to the big ONE year birthday! This year went by so fast (and yet each day seemed so slow, funny how that works). The little guy just melts my heart. He’s got big smiles and belly laughs and it’s the best thing ever. I’m not going to get any more mushy…I’ll save that for my one year post.
Read MoreHave you seen the meme (this one) where the photo of the first child is all done up with cute props and then the second child just has a post-it note? LOL. I’m not quite at that level, but I didn’t get to post monthly for Wesley as I did for Caleb. I did get monthly photos, though. I also took my monthly notes on development and other things I wanted to remember. All that said, now I’m going to play a bit of catch-up and share some photos and notes of Wesley over the past nine months. Better late than never!
Read MoreHello Stranger,
And that's totally on me. I feel so guilty that my personal blog has been so neglected. I have these dreams of getting lots of fun posts up for you, but then life happens and whomp whomp. I'm sure you're curious as to what's keeping me so busy. Well, for starters, everything, but here's a few.
Read MoreSo yea, I’m totally sore and tight. I had no idea how taxing having a baby could be on your body (eh hem, beyond the actually giving birth part that is). I knew my arms would probably get a bit sore from carrying a baby - yea, that’s a story. I think it was one of the first time I held a baby, and it was for a gal at church at one of our community groups. I think she was glad to get her hands free because I held that baby a long time, but I was so nervous and was holding so tightly that my arms were sore for days afterwards. Haha!
But back to what I was just saying…oh yea, I was complaining about being sore. But seriously, guys, my shoulders, back, legs, neck are all sore – actually, I should really say what’s not sore!
I’ve been doing yoga on and off for a few years now, so I’m still a beginner. But I’ve picked up some moves from my yoga classes. I really enjoyed my prenatal/postnatal yoga class. I haven’t really done much yoga since Caleb has gotten more active and doesn’t sleep like a newborn anymore. However, I did just sign up for a mom and baby yoga class here in Tacoma. I’m curious to see how Caleb does in a yoga class with me. I fear that he might be too needy and I won’t get any benefit from it. But if anything, though, it’ll be quality time to spend together and maybe I’ll meet some new mom friends in the process.
I wanted to share some of the poses and stretches that I wrote down from the yoga class. Please remember that I’m still a beginner so my form may not be perfect and I might not be calling the pose as an instructor would. Also, I am not a professional nor a doctor, so please be sure you’ve got the green light from the doctor before doing any yoga or exercise.
When doing these, I suggest keeping the pose for at least 30 seconds or longer. Take a break between with baby pose or laying flat on your back.
Take it easy and be nice to yourself! Don’t stress and if you can only fit a few minutes in, that’s still awesome. Comment and share if you have any great stretches/poses, or if you’ve found other ways to work out those sore muscles!!
Over the past six (almost seven now!) months, I have come to realize that mama-hood is one big research project. I shouldn't call myself a Stay-at-Home-Mom (SAHM) rather Mama Researcher. Babies are constantly changing, and you have to keep up with those changes. How do you know what to do? You look it up or ask around...research it!
I started my research job before Caleb arrived since there are many questions to look into during pregnancy, too. One place I went to for information was the Hellobee site, which is a pregnancy, baby, and parenting blog. Recently, they were looking for contributing bloggers, so I applied. I was surprised to find the next day an email congratulating me as one of their newest blogger.
Needless to say, my writing for my personal blog has slowed a bit. I am writing about two posts a week for Hellobee. I have a pen name that I write under, but I'm not sure if I can share that here on my blog. I bet if you know me well enough, you can figure it out. So go over to Hellobee and check it out.
And I promise to keep up my own blog, too! Bear with me, though, as life is pretty crazy right now. Some big news on the way. Stay tuned!
When I go through some sort of big change in my life, for instance, having a baby. I tend to get some anxiety. Usually, the anxiety comes out in a crazy, small detail of my life. Then, I obsess about that detail and try to get it under control. I guess my mind thinks if I can get this detail under control, then I can get everything else under control and all will be normal again.
One detail my crazy mind decided to focus on once was clothing. With the changes in your life after giving birth, followed by breastfeeding, I just didn't know what to wear. Moms, are you with me? I was so wrapped up in maternity clothes that I didn't even think about wardrobe changes after the baby. I guess I figured I would go back wearing all my same clothes.
While I'm lucky I fit back in all my pre-baby clothes - thanks to yoga, eating right, and feeding a baby - they all don't necessarily "work" anymore. Many of them are work style clothes and don't accommodate the million feedings you have to do each day...not to mention, not completely comfy.
Now that I'm five in a half months in, I can share with some confidence some clothes that work great for breastfeeding mamas.
I bought and tried on a zillion (ok, like four) different nursing tank tops before I found the ones I liked best. My favorite is the Bravado! Designs Essential Nursing Bra Tank. It works perfect under sweaters or button-ups or can even be worn on it's own for a hot day. I have it in black and blush.
The other one I have is the Undercover Mama Nursing Tank. What's nice about this one is you can use your own, real bra and then this just attaches to it. The only downside is you can't really wear it on it's own because the straps are your bra. However, it works great under clothes. I have it in off-white and use it a lot.
Did you have one of these during your pregnancy? I'm talking about those bands that make it so you can wear your regular jeans unzipped, so you can hold off buying maternity jeans. I had the Ingrid & Isabel Bella Band. Well guess what...I found that they work well for after pregnancy, too. How it works: Let's say you're wearing a normal bra and t-shirt. If you go to nurse, you'll likely pull your t-shirt up for baby access. However, then you have your bare skin showing. The belly band will cover that right up! So don't give it away or store it...use it!
This one is probably pretty obvious, but you can button down/up your shirt easily. I wear a tank top underneath so you can even just wear it like a jacket in warmer weather. My favorites are flannel and plaid type shirts like this Thread & Supply plaid top or this Allison Joy Verna Double plaid top. I've noticed a trend lately with sleeveless or short-sleeve plaid, too. Wouldn't this top be nice in the summer?
One of my PEPS friends clued me in on these types of tops. I have the long sleeved version of this top from The Limited in two colors. I wear the Undercover Mama tank under this one since sometimes the wrap is loose. I think this top is also pretty cute and would be great for a working mom.
Who doesn't like a nice, loose fitting shirt? I am a petite gal, and I thought loose shirts might overwhelm me. Not so, if you find the right one! I love looser tops; they are so comfy. They can be t-shirts or blouses. I'm pretty sure this top would look great on almost anyone! My mother-in-law (she's cool & not to mention a former model) and I both have this top! I also love wearing this sweater shirt - although it might be too warm now that it's summer.
I got the tip about these from my church mom's group and they were totally right. These wrap cardigans are perfect. They button to the side and are so cute and stylish. You can wear them with jeans and booties and BOOM you're ready for going out. I specifically have the Bobeau brand Fleece Cardigan and I love it so much I bought two colors - gray and blue. Also, these are usually available at Nordstrom (and on sale often). They come in different material as well. Click here to check out some lightweight ones on sale right now.
I'm not talking about mom shirts like we think of mom jeans. I mean shirts that make you feel good to be a mom. I love my #MomLife shirt and my Mama Bear shirts. They're fun and cute - embrace your mom-hood!
Did you know you're going to want to sleep in a bra? I didn't know this prior to being pregnant. Oh the things you just had NO IDEA about before getting pregnant. My favorite for nighttime is this Cake bra. Then, my favorite for daytime is the Bravado Designs Seamless Nursing Bra. It's comfortable, smooth, and stretchy.
I talk more about tops because bottoms are pretty straight-forward. You can wear jeans, capris, shorts, and skirts and match with a top. I would warn against dresses, though. It can be tricky to do any sort of nursing in a dress, unless you fully undress and "ain't nobody got time for that."
So, what are you wearing? Do tell!
Merry Christmas! Please go here to read our 2024 Christmas Letter.
I love Christmas movies. I watch the same ones every year, you know, the classics like A Muppets Christmas Carol and Elf. I kid. I also enjoy It's A Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street. What's your favorite Christmas movie?
This letter could be like watching a movie: the story of our 2023. Grab a hot cocoa and a blanket, and I'll tell you this year's story.
The Christmas songs are playing, the movies are being watched, we are snuggled with books before bedtime…Christmas has arrived here at the Brown family home. While this year (and even more so, last year) has been a bit masked of normalcy (see what I did there), we still have had a most wonderful year. A year full of growth, love, learning, goofy dancing, and ninja moves.
We are still loving our home in Tacoma with our two boys and crazy dog. We've lived in Tacoma for five years now, and there is no doubt it's home sweet home to us now. We have built some strong friendships that we know will last a lifetime. We are truly happy here!
Well, this year sure hasn't been a walk in the park. It has definitely had some hardships, and our heart goes out to everyone who has experienced tragedy.
But it's also been an amazing and blessed year for our family. And the truth is, we've taken many walks in the park; it was one of the few things that kept us sane during lockdowns with two crazy kiddos.
