Type 1 Diabetes & the day our lives changed forever (Copy)

It’s been a little over a year since I’ve written for my blog. It’s something I wish I had more time to do, but between balancing motherhood, my career and life it’s been hard to keep up. With the challenges life has thrown our way over the past couple of months, blog posts might be very few and far between for a long time. This isn’t the end of a chapter for my blog, but I did want to update on my life since I’ve been absent. If you’re reading this, you’re either family, a friend, a follower of my instagram/facebook or blog. Or you’ve stumbled here because we unfortunately share something in common in our lives. Type 1 Diabetes.

I entered motherhood with the same eagerness, joy and worry every mother has. I became a mother and thought I would teach my child about the world, and while that still may be true, never in a million years did I imagine I would be here.. hoping to teach the world about my child. But that is exactly why I’m here, writing this for the world to see. So the people in our lives and the people who enter my sons life in the future, have more insight into this disease that has taken over my family. I’m not here for pity, or sympathy. I’m here so others are informed, and educated. If it’s one thing we’ve learned so far, absolutely no one understands this disease unless they have gone through it themselves.

In May of 2022, my husband and I took a last minute trip to Vegas just the two of us. It was our first time flying out of state and leaving our son behind! We had a great time, and little did I know that would most likely be the last trip we took just the two of us for the foreseeable future. When we returned home I planned to start potty training our son. He would be 2 in July, and I was hoping to have him potty trained by his birthday. Things were going pretty well, he seemed to understand the potty, and would even get excited about it. He made it to the potty more times than he had accidents, but what I first noticed was how often he peed. He would go every 15 minutes on the dot, and it wasn’t ever just a small amount. I found it strange, but I continued potty training thinking maybe he just needs to learn to hold his pee. I thought to myself, well he does drink A LOT of water too. Maybe thats why. It is summer in Texas after all, I’m sure he’s just hot. I gave it 11 days until I made an appointment to bring him into the pediatrician. The day before I brought him in, I remember looking at him and thinking he looks skinnier. But again, I thought maybe he was just growing and getting taller. Later that night, I had put his diaper on and within about 30 minutes the diaper fell off because it was filled with so much urine. We did just get bigger size in diapers maybe these don’t fit, I thought to myself, still I was in complete denial that anything could be wrong with my kid.

We woke up the next day and had a normal morning, and I drove to take him to the pediatrician. I truly thought we would leave and go about the rest of our day. I even had plans to go home and garden with my mom after. We got the the doctor and a successfully got him to pee in a cup, I was so proud of him! Little did I know the news we were about to get and getting him to pee in a cup would be the last of my struggles. We waited in the room with our doctor while she asked us questions about his symptoms. The word diabetes hadn’t been mentioned yet. It looks like he’s lost 2 pounds, the doctor said. Then I proceeded to tell her the other symptoms. “well he was peeing every 15-20 minutes when I was potty training, and I noticed he was drinking about 48 ounces of water a day.” “Yes he does pee the bed sometimes.” “No, no other symptoms, he’s always been a bad sleeper, but other than that he seems fine. Still calm, I was waiting for her to say oh yea! he seems fine, probably just growing. I’ll see you guys at his next visit! But, I saw it on her face as soon as the nurse come in to deliver the urine test results. She immediately turned to me and said, “I am so sorry….” In that moment the world went black. my heart sank to my butt. I don’t even remember what she said, all I heard was “Nathan has type 1 diabetes, this is going to be so hard, it’s going to be so so hard. but you can do this. I know you can because you brought him in here SO early mama, you knew and you trusted your gut that something wasn’t right and you did it. Most kids are not sitting there like he is right now, most kids don’t come to me first. Usually they are sent straight into the ER.” I cried so hard and she hugged me, then gently said “you got this. But you guys need to go to Dell Childrens now.” Wait, what? I thought to myself. We’re going to the hospital? I thought she would tell me what to do when we got home and that would be that. I had no idea how much our lives were about to change. I knew it was going to be different and hard but it wasn’t until we got to the hospital that it really sank in. I was so naive to this disease, like so many are, I had no idea what the next 3 days would entail.

(For those that don’t know, type 1 diabetes is a lifelong, chronic disease where your pancreas can no longer produce insulin. It can not be prevented, cured and is not caused by diet. Type 1 can be fatal if not caught, or managed properly. Type 2 diabetes is a completely different disease. They are not comparable diseases)

My son, my sweet happy baby boy was diagnosed with a life threatening disease that is incurable. 2 weeks before his second birthday.

The next several days were a blur of emotions, shock, anger, denial, and sadness. All while taking educational classes in the hospital about his disease and trying to stay strong for a 2 year old. Diagnoses day and the weeks to follow was much like going through grief. We are mourning the lives we had before, the life that would never be again. As we were leaving the hospital I was SO nervous. How can I do this on my own without the nurses and doctors? I’m going to kill my child. I cried the whole first night home, and the days and weeks to follow. I remember the first day I finally said to my husband, “hey I don’t think I cried today” what an accomplishment. I will never forget those first few fragile weeks and the people who made it easier for us during the hardest time in our lives. I’ll never forget my sister driving down and getting us set up with a new phone for our son to track his new CGM, and getting me set up with an apple watch so his numbers are always easily in sight because I could barley think straight to do it myself. The first 2 weeks back at work were absolutely the hardest and I’ll never forget the clients and coworkers who made those days more bearable.

The months to follow have looked like this: wake up, check blood sugar, listen to podcast about diabetes, check blood sugar, treat a low, over-treat a a low, oops-give him more insulin, count carbs, check sugar, treat a high, treat a low, read books about diabetes, go to bed and hope for the best.

I quickly learned that this disease is a full time job, that is never fully taught. It’s been trail and error every day. There are no breaks whatsoever. It is around the clock care, its life or death. Every day is an obstacle. Every decision is crucial. We’ve absolutely had good days and when we do I feel like supermom. But good days usually come with some bad to follow. It seems like once you get it figured out, things change and start back over on the roller coaster of blood sugar control.

Being a mother to a type 1 child, especially a two year old means I don’t know what it’s like to fully fall asleep at night without checking blood sugars through the night. I do know what it’s Iike to sleep with one eye open, with my phone clenched to my hand in fear of missing an alert that could end my child life. I don’t prepare a meal without a calculator, measuring cups, or the proper timing of insulin delivery before a meal. I don’t know what it’s going to be like to drop my child off at school fearing he is in good hands of someone who will know how to take care of him. I do no what it’s like to feed my child sugar through the day and night- knowing that I am sacrificing his teeth to save his life. I do know what it’s like to give insulin late at night and pray I’m not too tired to make a fatal error. I do know the absolutely gut wrenching feeling of hearing my tiny 2 year old have a bad dream and say “no boo boo” in the middle of his sleep. I know what it’s like to hold him while he says “no mama” as I’m injecting his already bruised arm with insulin. I know what it’s like to pick up my next round of 200 needles, when it seemed like it not long ago we just picked up the first set. I do know what it’s like to know my husband and I can no longer take our annual anniversary trip to Fredricksburg because I couldn’t imagine leaving him through the night. I know what it’s like to fear my son being jealous of his future siblings, cousins, classmates and friends. The last thing you ever want is your child to feel different or less than. I now know what its like to see notifications all day long of high blood sugar alerts wondering which long term complications he can get from these high sugars. I know what it’s like for someone to offer him a sucker and I have to say no. I know what it’s like to one day fear a teenager driving or experimenting with alcohol- then add diabetes in the picture. I know what its like to hold a 2 year old down with my husband to inject what feels like a staple gun into his lower back every 10 days while he screams. I could go on forever.

I quickly learned that if I blame myself for this I will drive myself crazy, although I still carry that guilt with me every day. I think as a mother I will always wonder if there is something I could have done to prevent this. I’m still not sure why I was chosen for this. I’m not sure why I went through pregnancy during a world wide pandemic/lockdown, or had a traumatic birth experience, and then to be given the biggest fear of all everyday: the fear of losing my child. It just doesn’t seem fair. But I do know this has absolutely changed me. I am brave, and some days I am strong. I have become more fearless, and I hope that continues to progress. I know I will carry the weight of this for my child for as long as I possibly can, so he can be a kid for as long as he can. I will wear the fanny pack with his supplies, I will do the research. I will talk to pharmacies and doctors and I will keep fighting when I’m tired and weak and had enough. I hope to never let him see how hard this all is, so I will carry that for him until it’s time for him to branch out on his own. And when he does, I hope that I have set a good example of bravery and strength to fight this, confidence to control blood sugars. I hope he hears my firm, but gentle voice when dealing with pharmacies and insurance. I hope he never feels less than or lets this disease stop him from anything he wants to accomplish. I hope I can show him that.

Type 1 Diabetes & the day our lives changed forever

It’s been a little over a year since I’ve written for my blog. It’s something I wish I had more time to do, but between balancing motherhood, my career and life it’s been hard to keep up. With the challenges life has thrown our way over the past couple of months, blog posts might be very few and far between for a long time. This isn’t the end of a chapter for my blog, but I did want to update on my life since I’ve been absent. If you’re reading this, you’re either family, a friend, a follower of my instagram/facebook or blog. Or you’ve stumbled here because we unfortunately share something in common in our lives. Type 1 Diabetes.

I entered motherhood with the same eagerness, joy and worry every mother has. I became a mother and thought I would teach my child about the world, and while that still may be true, never in a million years did I imagine I would be here.. hoping to teach the world about my child. But that is exactly why I’m here, writing this for the world to see. So the people in our lives and the people who enter my sons life in the future, have more insight into this disease that has taken over my family. I’m not here for pity, or sympathy. I’m here so others are informed, and educated. If it’s one thing we’ve learned so far, absolutely no one understands this disease unless they have gone through it themselves.

In May of 2022, my husband and I took a last minute trip to Vegas just the two of us. It was our first time flying out of state and leaving our son behind! We had a great time, and little did I know that would most likely be the last trip we took just the two of us for the foreseeable future. When we returned home I planned to start potty training our son. He would be 2 in July, and I was hoping to have him potty trained by his birthday. Things were going pretty well, he seemed to understand the potty, and would even get excited about it. He made it to the potty more times than he had accidents, but what I first noticed was how often he peed. He would go every 15 minutes on the dot, and it wasn’t ever just a small amount. I found it strange, but I continued potty training thinking maybe he just needs to learn to hold his pee. I thought to myself, well he does drink A LOT of water too. Maybe thats why. It is summer in Texas after all, I’m sure he’s just hot. I gave it 11 days until I made an appointment to bring him into the pediatrician. The day before I brought him in, I remember looking at him and thinking he looks skinnier. But again, I thought maybe he was just growing and getting taller. Later that night, I had put his diaper on and within about 30 minutes the diaper fell off because it was filled with so much urine. We did just get bigger size in diapers maybe these don’t fit, I thought to myself, still I was in complete denial that anything could be wrong with my kid.

We woke up the next day and had a normal morning, and I drove to take him to the pediatrician. I truly thought we would leave and go about the rest of our day. I even had plans to go home and garden with my mom after. We got the the doctor and a successfully got him to pee in a cup, I was so proud of him! Little did I know the news we were about to get and getting him to pee in a cup would be the last of my struggles. We waited in the room with our doctor while she asked us questions about his symptoms. The word diabetes hadn’t been mentioned yet. It looks like he’s lost 2 pounds, the doctor said. Then I proceeded to tell her the other symptoms. “well he was peeing every 15-20 minutes when I was potty training, and I noticed he was drinking about 48 ounces of water a day.” “Yes he does pee the bed sometimes.” “No, no other symptoms, he’s always been a bad sleeper, but other than that he seems fine. Still calm, I was waiting for her to say oh yea! he seems fine, probably just growing. I’ll see you guys at his next visit! But, I saw it on her face as soon as the nurse come in to deliver the urine test results. She immediately turned to me and said, “I am so sorry….” In that moment the world went black. my heart sank to my butt. I don’t even remember what she said, all I heard was “Nathan has type 1 diabetes, this is going to be so hard, it’s going to be so so hard. but you can do this. I know you can because you brought him in here SO early mama, you knew and you trusted your gut that something wasn’t right and you did it. Most kids are not sitting there like he is right now, most kids don’t come to me first. Usually they are sent straight into the ER.” I cried so hard and she hugged me, then gently said “you got this. But you guys need to go to Dell Childrens now.” Wait, what? I thought to myself. We’re going to the hospital? I thought she would tell me what to do when we got home and that would be that. I had no idea how much our lives were about to change. I knew it was going to be different and hard but it wasn’t until we got to the hospital that it really sank in. I was so naive to this disease, like so many are, I had no idea what the next 3 days would entail.

(For those that don’t know, type 1 diabetes is a lifelong, chronic disease where your pancreas can no longer produce insulin. It can not be prevented, cured and is not caused by diet. Type 1 can be fatal if not caught, or managed properly. Type 2 diabetes is a completely different disease. They are not comparable diseases)

My son, my sweet happy baby boy was diagnosed with a life threatening disease that is incurable. 2 weeks before his second birthday.

The next several days were a blur of emotions, shock, anger, denial, and sadness. All while taking educational classes in the hospital about his disease and trying to stay strong for a 2 year old. Diagnoses day and the weeks to follow was much like going through grief. We are mourning the lives we had before, the life that would never be again. As we were leaving the hospital I was SO nervous. How can I do this on my own without the nurses and doctors? I’m going to kill my child. I cried the whole first night home, and the days and weeks to follow. I remember the first day I finally said to my husband, “hey I don’t think I cried today” what an accomplishment. I will never forget those first few fragile weeks and the people who made it easier for us during the hardest time in our lives. I’ll never forget my sister driving down and getting us set up with a new phone for our son to track his new CGM, and getting me set up with an apple watch so his numbers are always easily in sight because I could barley think straight to do it myself. The first 2 weeks back at work were absolutely the hardest and I’ll never forget the clients and coworkers who made those days more bearable.

The months to follow have looked like this: wake up, check blood sugar, listen to podcast about diabetes, check blood sugar, treat a low, over-treat a a low, oops-give him more insulin, count carbs, check sugar, treat a high, treat a low, read books about diabetes, go to bed and hope for the best.

I quickly learned that this disease is a full time job, that is never fully taught. It’s been trail and error every day. There are no breaks whatsoever. It is around the clock care, its life or death. Every day is an obstacle. Every decision is crucial. We’ve absolutely had good days and when we do I feel like supermom. But good days usually come with some bad to follow. It seems like once you get it figured out, things change and start back over on the roller coaster of blood sugar control.

Being a mother to a type 1 child, especially a two year old means I don’t know what it’s like to fully fall asleep at night without checking blood sugars through the night. I do know what it’s Iike to sleep with one eye open, with my phone clenched to my hand in fear of missing an alert that could end my child life. I don’t prepare a meal without a calculator, measuring cups, or the proper timing of insulin delivery before a meal. I don’t know what it’s going to be like to drop my child off at school fearing he is in good hands of someone who will know how to take care of him. I do no what it’s like to feed my child sugar through the day and night- knowing that I am sacrificing his teeth to save his life. I do know what it’s like to give insulin late at night and pray I’m not too tired to make a fatal error. I do know the absolutely gut wrenching feeling of hearing my tiny 2 year old have a bad dream and say “no boo boo” in the middle of his sleep. I know what it’s like to hold him while he says “no mama” as I’m injecting his already bruised arm with insulin. I know what it’s like to pick up my next round of 200 needles, when it seemed like it not long ago we just picked up the first set. I do know what it’s like to know my husband and I can no longer take our annual anniversary trip to Fredricksburg because I couldn’t imagine leaving him through the night. I know what it’s like to fear my son being jealous of his future siblings, cousins, classmates and friends. The last thing you ever want is your child to feel different or less than. I now know what its like to see notifications all day long of high blood sugar alerts wondering which long term complications he can get from these high sugars. I know what it’s like for someone to offer him a sucker and I have to say no. I know what it’s like to one day fear a teenager driving or experimenting with alcohol- then add diabetes in the picture. I know what its like to hold a 2 year old down with my husband to inject what feels like a staple gun into his lower back every 10 days while he screams. I could go on forever.

I quickly learned that if I blame myself for this I will drive myself crazy, although I still carry that guilt with me every day. I think as a mother I will always wonder if there is something I could have done to prevent this. I’m still not sure why I was chosen for this. I’m not sure why I went through pregnancy during a world wide pandemic/lockdown, or had a traumatic birth experience, and then to be given the biggest fear of all everyday: the fear of losing my child. It just doesn’t seem fair. But I do know this has absolutely changed me. I am brave, and some days I am strong. I have become more fearless, and I hope that continues to progress. I know I will carry the weight of this for my child for as long as I possibly can, so he can be a kid for as long as he can. I will wear the fanny pack with his supplies, I will do the research. I will talk to pharmacies and doctors and I will keep fighting when I’m tired and weak and had enough. I hope to never let him see how hard this all is, so I will carry that for him until it’s time for him to branch out on his own. And when he does, I hope that I have set a good example of bravery and strength to fight this, confidence to control blood sugars. I hope he hears my firm, but gentle voice when dealing with pharmacies and insurance. I hope he never feels less than or lets this disease stop him from anything he wants to accomplish. I hope I can show him that.

Best of Austin Beauty

I’ve been wanting to do this blog post for a while & I’m so excited to put this list together for y’all! So many clients ask my recommendations for beauty services around Austin and I thought it would be fun to put together some of my personal favorites! I also did polls on instagram for all of my followers to leave me their favorite places too!

Below you’ll find a list of MY personal favorites along with the TOP recommendations from ladies around Austin! If I haven’t personally been to the place that was recommended, I looked up reviews and photos before adding them to this list! I think this is a great list because if several different people unknowingly recommended the same place- thats such a great testimony AND I know my clients personally, which means they expect the same type of quality service I give them in the salon! Meaning- these places should not disappoint! ;)

I am not working with any of the following businesses (other than Blonde Faith of course) and these recommendations are 100% just recommendations based on trusted resources or myself! I am not a blogger posting for trade or getting paid in anyway for these reviews.

** = places I have personally been
(others are top recommendations from y’all!)

All things hair:
AKA best hair extensions, best blonde highlights, best overall color, best cuts, best blow outs etc etc etc…..
BLONDE FAITH SALON

Best Nail Salon:
**CAESARS IN THE DOMAIN
This is my personal favorite place! It is upscale, affordable, clean and I’ve never left disappointed. I normally get pedicures and if I do my nails I get shellac/gel

E’shee Nails in the Arboretum
This was the top recommended nail salon. I’ve walked past it but never been in, looks nice! It’s also next to a home goods, target and michaels…what more do you need in one day?!

Bliss Nail Bar

Best Botox:
**Dana Kirk with Rejuvenate Austin
I’ve seen Dana for YEARS and her botox seems to have the most longevity and overall best results! She’s also the sweetest human. I’ve been a few different places over the years since Dana moved a little further from me, but I just love her and always find my way back to Dana! It’s worth the drive to me for longer lasting results!

The next top recommended Botox Injector was Alicia Long with Synergy I have been to Synergy but didn’t see Alicia! I’ve heard great things from several followers, coworkers, and clients. She has been highly recommended from trusted sources as well!

Best Massage:
**Oak Haven Massage
I go here frequently for massages! It not a spa, but I’ve always had great results and its a great place for affordable, routine massage services.

**Viva Day Spa
also a great place for massages, they are a little more expensive but has more of the spa atmosphere. I’ve gone to the one in the Domain!

Best Spa Day:
Top responses for sure are:
Lake Austin Spa
Miraval Austin

Ok so I’ve never been to either but definitely want to try both. After mostly everyone said these as their top answers I started really looking into it!

I have my eye on Miraval Austin right now because they have a 25% off for an entire spa day if you go Monday-Thursday! Even without a discount it is reasonably priced! See what all it includes here. I’m going to try it and let y’all know what I think.

Lake Austin Spa also has a half day away which looks pretty cool and affordable! View what their half day away includes here. I’d love to go overnight or for a full day sometime too but everyone said great things about both places!! Miraval seems like a better deal in my opinion because it’s about the same price (and way cheaper if you go during the week) for an entire day VS a half day at Lake Austin Spa. I’ll eventually try both and let you guys know which place I liked better!!

Best Lash extensions:
Pink Lady Lash
I don’t get lash extensions so I’ve personally never been but they have been highly recommended through the years and if I did get them this is for sure where I would go!
ATX Volume and Lash

Best Facial:
Lindsay at Skin Spirit
-Going here in April and I’m so excited! I’ve been following her for a while and she also gives great skin care tips on her instagram here
Mint & Thyme
Rejuvenate Austin
Skin Savvy - ok this place looks adorbs
Hydrafacial at Maui Med Spa (most affordable price in Austin)

Best Spray Tan:
Airbrush-360 Tans
Went here for all my wedding custom airbrush tans and always had great results!!

Also recommended- Organic Bronze Domain

When I don’t get Airbrush I get the Versa Spa at any tanning salon. I ONLY use the Versa because it gives natural results and you can pick your color. I usually do a “clear 4” it’s very natural looking!

Best Couples Massage:
**Spa Sway in the Domain
**Viva Day Spa
Of course either Lake Austin Spa or Miraval would be a great option too but at the higher price point.

Best Lip Injections-
Cece, @derm_nurse at Skin Spirit OMG I’m going soon and I’m PUMPED!!! Her work speaks for itself.

Alicia Long at Synergy Plastic Surgery
Top Recommendation from y’all again!!

Best Plastic Surgery
Not a ton of answers for this one but these were recommended
Synergy Plastic Surgery
Jennifer Walden

Best Teeth whitening/Veeners
Cosmetic Dentists of Austin

Best Waxing
**Soooo many recommendations for European Wax Center
Also, The Pretty Kitty Domain

Best Microblading:

I’ve been eyeing lovemybrowsby_m foreverrrr and want to go see her someday! Her work is incredible and she books out several months in advance. If she is booked she trains all of her employees I believe and she can recommend someone else!

Other Recommendations are:
Resshape Microblading Studio
Kara Sanchez

Prenatal Massage:
Honestly never had a great prenatal massage in Austin, the best one was of course the last trip we took over a year ago when I was pregnant at a spa in Charleston :( Maybe prenatal massages aren’t meant to be comfy haha. But the best results I had was when I was laying on my side VS the donut pillow. I went to all of the following places even towards the end of my pregnancy.
**Spa sway
**Milk and Honey Spa
**Oak Haven Massage
Viva Day Spa
Lake Austin Spa for Mothers to be Day Away

Our favorite toys for an 8 month old

Hey guys! I know it’s been a while since I’ve done a blog post. Mom life has been so busy and trying to balance being a mom, wife, dog mom, blogger and stylist definitely hasn’t been easy! I thought it would be fun to share some of the toys Nathan has been loving, here are some of his favorites!

Panda Crate
I’m adding this one first because I seriously LOVE the panda crate toys! I’m suppperrr picky about toys and like for them to be aesthetically pleasing. These toys are not only super cute but we have loved every single thing we’ve received and actually use the toys that comes in the kit! I think it is delivered every 3 months and is super affordable for the amount of toys you receive and the quality is great.

Finger Puppets

Bubbles

Music Set
He specifically loves the tamborine in the music set. I bring it with me everywhere and can get him to stop crying in a second by shaking it around!

Activity Center

Water Play mat

Stacking Teethers

Teething Blocks

Crawl along toy

Jolly Jumper
(we have the one that attaches to the door but would recommend the one that can travel around your house!)

Playmat
(ours is out of stock but this one is beautiful, under $100 and the same company!)

Balloons
This helium tank comes with balloons but is super fun! I’ve tied them to Nathans legs and arms for a fun kick and play activity. Obviously this one needs adult supervision.

Popsicles
I know this isnt a “toy” but it keeps him entertained so I’m adding it haha. I add yogurt mixed with pureed fruits to create popsicles and he is OBSESSED!

I also love getting books from Target! They have a great selection and are super affordable. Also get a cheap mirror from target or walmart and lay it horizontal against the wall by the babies tummy time mat! Nathan could stare at himself all day in his mirror.

How to make a kids christmas eve box!

I’ve already had a lot of questions about how we did our Christmas Eve box so I wanted to share how we did it! It’s SO easy and such a fun tradition to start!

When I was younger I always remember Christmas eve being so fun and exciting because my siblings and I were always allowed to open one gift on Christmas Eve. It was so fun as a kid because we were not only excited about Christmas but Christmas eve too! I wanted to carry on the tradition but in another way. Each year we will gift Nathan a Christmas eve box filled with candy, pajamas, a toy, book, and a letter from Santa, etc. We might use it as our elf on the shelfs farewell too!

Heres how to make the box! You can click on the photos to purchase the items!
First I started with this box below! I found it at Michales and it was super easy because the back already had this decal on it and was already painted white. You could also just paint any white crate!

Then I bought these decals from etsy to apply to the blank side of the box! Super Easy. Hoping to get a cricut for Christmas so I can do this myself…. ;)

I made my own letter from Santa on Canva. Here’s what ours looks like and says for reference. You can also buy one on etsy! I’ll link those here!

Then I stuffed it with the following items, this year we just did books, and pajamas and the little moose! It will change as he gets older of course! Here are some of our favorite books and pjs!

Updated Nursery Tour with a 5 month old!

I wanted to update our nursery tour video to show you guys what we use and how we have things set up now that we are 5 months postpartum! Everything is linked below.

Click here for a link to the nursery tour from before we had Nathan!

Crib
Crib Sheets
Sound Machine
Changing Pad
Rocker
Dresser
Monitor
Tummy Time Mat (Similar and less expensive- ours was a gift and not made anymore it seems!)
Foam Playmat
Subscription Kit
Floating Shelves
Toy Bins
Plastic Toy Bins
Closet Dividers
Hangers
Drawer Organizers
Clear Drawer Organizers in closet
Shoe Holders
Happiest baby Swaddle
Ollie Swaddle
Pacifiers
Wall Stencil
Animal Prints
Picture Frames
Mobile
Toy Dresser
Pacifier and Cotton Ball Holders
Waterproof toy baskets
Lion Basket
Curtains
Ceiling Projector
Bibs
Burp Cloths
Muslin Burp Cloths
Pee Pee Cloths

Christmas Tree
Christmas Tree
Mini ornaments
Star Ornament
Tree Skirt
Tree Topper

Some of our favorite shoes
Converse
Checkered Converse

Baby Boy Outfit Guide

Lots of questions where we get this cuties outfits so I’ve put together a little blog post full of some of our favorite places to shop, and our favorite outfits. I’ve even put together a little mommy and me outfit guide too! Some of our favorite places to shop are Lou Lou and Company for the easiest tie gowns, H&M, Zara, Etsy and Amazon! Nathans style is mostly neutrals and classic pieces he can wear with several different outfits! We like to dress him in an edgy and trendy style and I don’t really like dressing him in much color other than neutrals, and some greens and blue. And I LOVE matching him so I’m excited to share a few of our favorite outfits.

HATS
We get hats from Amazon, Binky Bros, Etsy, and H&M! Here are a few of our favorites linked below!

ONESIES
I’m linking our favorite onesies below. He has a couple white ones, but I wanted something “different” than the basic white onesies so we got some black ones and ended up tie dying white oneses instead! Linking our favorite black onesies (good quality) and the tie dye kit we used too!

Pants
We have a few packs of these h&m pants that Nathan mixes with so many cute shirts!

Outfits
Here are all of the cute baby boy outfits!!

The secret for the healthiest hair: Milbon Treatments

If you are one of my clients or follow me on Instagram you’ve probably heard me talking about my new favorite product line: Milbon. Ya’ll. I have never seen anything like it, I’m obsessed and so are my clients, especially my blondes. Even my husband is obsessed with it! This in-depth luxury salon treatment offers immediate results, leaving your hair soft (I’m talking like silky soft), shiny, more manageable and healthier. AND it can last up to 5 weeks (sometimes I’ve had clients say it’s lasted longer than that!) It’s something that can’t be matched by any other conditioning treatment, and can only be done in a trained Milbon partner salon. Milbon quickly jumped to the top of my product recommendations and I’m here to tell you why.

If you’re one of those people who like to know how and why something is working, this post is for you. If you’re someone who wants to know what the best thing you can do for your hair to make it healthier, this post is definitely for you.

First, heres a little about the Milbon Product line. The #1 product line in Japan, is a luxury brand that has quickly made it’s way to some of the top salons in the U.S. (Blonde Faith being one of them!)

One reason this product makes your hair so soft is because it has SSVR-Silk™ which is a powerful, silk-based complex which improves hair’s overall integrity, inside and out, incorporated throughout every product in the collection. This helps restore hair's integrity and shine, while offering targeted solutions to enhance manageability and appearance.

How its done:

First, there are several different lines for the treatment making it completely customizable. They include Repair in fine and coarse hair, Smooth in fine, medium and coarse hair, the Moisture Collection, Anti-Frizz, and Volume. I’m going to address the Repair Collection because that is the one I do the most, and is great for blondes, which is what I specialize in. Your stylist can help customize a treatment for you.

 This one is a 4-Step deep conditioning treatment and is designed to rebuild and strengthen damaged, over-processed hair. It’s available in 2 formulas - Fine and Coarse, so even fine hair won’t be weighed down. 

Step #1 - Primer (DIPA preps the hair, ensuring the absorption of Steps 2-4)
Step #2- Internal Repair (Hydrolyzed keratins repair hair from the inside out. This is the one that I work into each hair strand by twisting and pushing the product into the hair)
Step #3  Reconstructing Repair (Reconstructive complex targets extremely damaged areas of the hair)
Step #4 External Repair (Cellulose seals the cuticle and locks in the treatment)
I also work the last 2 steps into the hair. The treatment takes about 15-20 minutes to do!

Step #5 Weekly Boosters (SSVR-Silk™, CMADK™, and Cellulose refresh & prolong results)
Each client gets a booster kit that comes with 4 conditioner boosters! This helps prolong the results. When using these boosters I always recommend the coordinating Milbon Shampoo and Conditioner too for best results.

“Milbon has been a complete game changer for my hair! I have very blonde, fine, curly hair, but sometimes with my texture of hair, going blonde can leave it super dry, brittle and unhealthy. Ally suggested I start using the Milbon Treatment as well as the Repair shampoos and conditioners a little over a year ago and since then my hair is so soft and healthy that I don't even need to use a leave in conditioner to brush through it after I shower anymore. My hair feels like pure silk, my curls are also more bouncy and my hair is so much thicker! I can't speak highly enough of this treatment!” -Camille

Ally has been my hair stylist for years, she is literally the only person I trust with my hair. After a brief move to Houston, I made the mistake of going to a different stylist - which resulted in a lot of damage to my hair. Pieces were fried off and frazzled. The minute I knew we were moving back to the Austin area, I scheduled an appointment with Ally. Priorities! I had always heard Ally talk about Milbon treatments and heard great things, but after she saw my hair - she highly recommended having a treatment. It only took about 20 extra minutes, and the results were insane! My hair was so silky and soft, I couldn’t even tell where the fried off pieces of hair were anymore. I was shocked! If you have the time and a little extra in your budget - you have to get the Milbon treatment done!!! It is totally worth it.-Kelli

Fall Decor for 2020

I’m so excited that fall is finally almost here! Today I’m sharing our fall and halloween decor. Everything is linked at the bottom of this post! Additional items that were not linked are from Michales, Target dollar spot, and Home goods My favorite items this year are these awesome bat decals from amazon! Happy decorating! :)

12 gifts any new mom would love

Now that we have a baby I wanted to share some gift ideas for new moms! It’s so fun to shop for baby clothes, and items from the registry, but sometimes mom just needs a little gift too! As a recent new mom I’ve found it so important to take some time to myself.. which isn’t always easy to do! For me, any new mamas in my life will always receive a gift for their baby, and themselves!

Below are some ideas of gifts that any new mom would LOVE to receive after she has a baby, because being a mom is literally the BEST thing in the word and new moms deserve to be celebrated!

#1 Meal Deliveries

I put this one first because it is hands down the most helpful thing you can do for new parents. Make sure you check with the parents first to see what days work for them!

Cooking is the last thing any new parents wants to do and honestly just figuring out what we wanted to eat those first several weeks was a task all in itself. Anytime between 2-8 weeks is a great time to arrange meals for new parents. It wasn’t until about 8 weeks that I started feeling like myself again and started planning meals, and regularly cooking! Make sure they have a few meals spread out over the first several weeks and not just all at first! Even just sending a gift card for favor or another meal delivery app would be an amazing gift. We had more help the first 1-2 weeks and he slept more at that time than he did 4 weeks in. It was particularly hard for us to cook around the 4 week mark when Nathan started to become super colicky so having meals sent/using gift cards around that time was a godsend!

You could even set up a meal train with several friends, coworkers and family members to make sure the parents have meals delivered a couple times a week for several weeks! mealtrain.com is great because it arranges it all for you! A few of my coworkers dropped off meals and my husband and I both agree that meals are the BEST gift you could give.

#2 A coffee cup that keeps your coffee warm

After a few times of making my morning coffee and having it get cold because #momlife, I ordered this simple coffee mug from amazon and I’ve never had a cold cup of coffee since.

#3 A comfy, lightweight robe

I literally wore a robe on most days for the first 4-5 weeks after we came home. I had a 2 different robes I would switch between because…spit up. My mom and husband would joke, hey she has a different robe on today! Robes are just the easiest item of clothing to wear after a baby. This robe was my favorite because its lightweight. I have a barefoot dreams robe which I love, but it was WAY to heavy and hot for those postpartum sweats.

#4 A comfy PJ set or Postpartum wear!

A comfy pajama set is a great idea too! Mom could also bring this to the hospital, make sure its button up and shorts! Like the robe, you don’t want to wear something too heavy or hot. Below are the ones I have (I was gifted one during pregnancy too!) One is from nordstrom and one from amazon, I honestly can’t tell a difference.

Even if mom already has a pj set, you really can’t have too many of these and having a new “outfit” to wear is great. I was constantly switching between my 2 robes and my pj sets. I would have felt like a new woman with new pjs that I hadn’t worn yet, haha. It’s the little things.

I’m also OBSESSED with Blanqi girls postpartum shape wear. I have the 2 leggings below and they are like butter. They help shape my postparum body and are seriously SO comfortable. I also love their postpartum biker shorts shown a couple photos up!!

#5 Spa items for a bath

One of my sweet coworkers brought a gift like this for me to our baby shower and I thought it was the sweetest thing ever. She had bath salts, body scrub, essential oils, a diffuser, bubble bath, and a bottle of wine. The last thing you’re thinking about after you have a baby is yourself. So having a little gift like this given to you is a great way to take sometime to yourself and is so thoughtful. Keep in mind, she probably won’t be able to use this for at least 6 weeks after the baby, so gifting this before she has the baby would be a great idea!

#6 Gift card to get a massage or mani/pedi

A massage or a mani/pedi is a great way for a new mom to have some me time that only takes about an hour. My first pedicure after I had Nathan was magical. Don’t ask if she wants to go with you, just gift her the gift card, and let her have sometime to herself. If she wants company- she’ll ask! Sometimes being alone for an hour is just what a new mom needs.

#7 A gift card to her favorite clothing store, so she can feel good in her new body

One thing I didn’t prepare myself for was needing to buy new clothes. None of my jeans fit me anymore and dresses are too tight. I didn’t even think about needing to get new clothes before starting back at work! A gift card is a great gift- make sure it’s to a place where she buy clothes for herself, like nordstrom’s, target or another clothing store she likes. All my amazon gift cards went straight to baby haha.

#8 Offer help

Offering help by specifically asking what she needs is the best thing you can give for free.

Simply saying “do you have any dishes I can do?”, or “can I throw in a load of laundry for you?” is so helpful. If you’re coming over to visit the new baby, thats great but DO NOT make the visit only about the baby. While yes, the new mom loves her new baby, and loves that everyone loves him or her…she is most likely feeling super overwhelmed by her new lifestyle and is in the process of a HUGE adjustment. She will definitely take you up on ANY offer to help, even if she’s not the type of person to ask for help

The last thing she wants to do is have company over that she needs to entertain. Even offering to bring over coffee on your way or asking if there is anything you can bring over for lunch or from the grocery store is super thoughtful.

#9 The Taking Cara Babies Online Class

This class was so helpful for us and would be a great gift for any expecting or new parents! A great way to give this gift so the new mom doesn’t feel offended in her parenting skills, would be saying something like, “I’ve heard great things/took this online class, and wanted to gift it to you. I’m sure you’re doing great being a new mom, but thought this would be helpful for any stress that may come your way!”

#10 Anything that says “mama” or “mom”

I love these bracelets with Nathans name on them! It’s a great reminder of the incredible journey you just went through and it makes you so proud to wear that first item that says MAMA. Here are some of my favorites

#11 A cleaning service

Coming home to clean smelling house is the best feeling. As new parents you want to spend all the time with your newborn that you can, it goes by so fast. You’re also exhausted and still recovering from birth. Hiring someone to clean for you is the best. My mom and sister cleaned our whole house before we got home form the hospital and again before they left after we had Nathan and it was so great.

#12 Text her, a lot.

The last gift you can give a new mom is just being there! Its hard to get out with a newborn. especially during Covid! She may be feeling isolated, or lonely. Phone calls can be hard, but texting is great! And you can always say, “call me if you ever have time to chat or want to talk to someone other than the baby!” Sometimes she might not be able to respond right away but trust me, she definitely appreciates the check ins.

Continuing to check in for the first few months is especially thoughtful. Most new moms are alone with just their baby and husband for days and weeks at a time, for the first several months. I had Nathan during Covid- so it was literally just us 3 all. the time. I’m sooo thankful for this special time with them but it’s also important to have outside communication and feel like other people care about you and how you’re doing.

You can say things like:

“how are YOU doing?”
“do you feel like taking about your birth story?”
”is there anything you want to talk about?”
”you look great”
(most likely her husband is the only one who has said this & she probably doesn’t believe him)
”how’s this week going? is there anything you need?”
”has the baby done anything special/extra cute this week?”
”what you just went through is incredible”
“I’m thinking of you & here if you need to talk!”

DO NOT say things like:

“are you breastfeeding?”
(sometimes this can be a really emotional subject)

“you guys look exhausted!”

”are you so in love?”
(sometimes this can be emotional too, because some moms take some time to really bond with their baby. This question can make her feel guilty, or sad. Of course they love them. But having someone assume you’re just SO in love and bonding can be a touchy subject.)

”when do you go back to work or are you hiring a nanny or doing daycare?”
(Literally the last thing a new mom wants to talk about right after birth)

”will you have another baby?”
Thinking about having another baby right after birth was literally the last thing on my mind. Fast forward 8 weeks later and I’m all about another baby. But the thought of going through all of that again right after having a baby is NOT something you want to talk about or think about.

And this one goes for motherhood/pregnancy in general- “oh, you think this is hard just wait until ____”

I hope all of these gift ideas helped. Comment below with any other suggestions!

In depth newborn product reviews!

I’ve tried to link everything below from either target or buy buy baby because I feel like they have the best discounts for your baby registry and buy buy baby has so many great coupon offers!

Nanit Monitor

We love the nanit monitor! First, it has an app that has a clear image (you can literally see them breathing and hear every noise.) We just have our iPad set up in our living room when we use it and can carry our phones with the monitor on it too. The view of the monitor in his nursery is great because it shows the entire room. And when we have the portable monitor in our bedroom when he’s in the bassinet it is super clear too.

The monitor tracks sleep patterns by using a “breathing wear” system. (kind of like a swaddle that goes around their belly) We haven’t used this yet since he’s not in his crib and this part doesn’t work with the mini “multi stand” we’re using in our bedroom. But we LOVE that the nanit comes with a small detachable monitor that can go in our room/used for travel! We thought we would have to buy a separate monitor for the first few months, so the fact that it comes with a small monitor we can use while he’s in our room is awesome.

You can buy the complete monitoring system or just the camera system. So far we probably could have just bought the camera and not the monitoring system. You can add the mini/travel monitor onto this for $50 and the total is $250 vs $379 but we got the entire system on sale for black friday for the cheaper price so why not! (if you’ll be pregnant around thanksgiving definitely wait for deals- we got a lot of great large items at this time!) Overall, we haven’t found it necessary to have the entire monitoring system unless he’s in his crib which wont be until 6 months.

Pros:

• love how it has the “multi-stand” mini monitor option

• great clear image and sound

• modern, sleek design in nursery

• like the sleep tracking app but haven’t found it to be necessary yet

• like that the app gives you free “sleep tips”

• great view of nursery on main monitor
  
  Cons:

• not necessary to have the complete monitoring system yet

• multi travel stand doesn’t work with the sleep tracking wear so unless their in a crib from birth you can’t use the sleep tracking part

• no major cons, overall we really like this monitor!
  
  Wipe warmer

So many people told me not to register for a wipe warmer because they were “unnecessary” so we didn’t! I feel like this is an item that yes, you don’t need…but now that we have one it seems so necessary to us! We ended up buying one from amazon in the hospital to have sent to our house for when we got home haha! Every time we would put the cold wipe on Nathan he would SCREAM and continued to hate the cold wipes for about a week until the wipe warmer came in! As soon as we started using it he hardly ever cries during diaper changes and our diaper changing routine is much more calm now.

The only con to the wipe warmer is that is has to stay plugged into a wall. Unless there are wipe warmers that are chargeable (which I can’t find) I dislike the fact that we carry it from room to room to use. If you have a large house I would maybe get 2.

Pack n Play WITH changing station!

We went back and forth about getting a larger pack n play with a changing station because our house really isn’t huge and we weren’t sure if we needed the pack n play in our living room with the nursery being so close. My uncle ended up giving us this pack n play and I’m so glad he did! We change him mostly out in the living room and it’s so much easier to have the changing station so close throughout the day. He also loves the music and lights that this one has!

Pros

• Can be a changing table, moveable bassinet

• Love the music option and lights

• Pockets for storage

• Great size to grow with him

• Great quality

  
  Cons

• Large/takes up more space

  
  Burp cloths

  We have a ton of these burp cloths which are great for my diaper bag, but overall we’ve been using these muslin swaddles because they are so large and can be used as a blanket too. We just lay them across our shoulders and since their so big we like these the best for burp cloths!

Mamaroo

Hands down our favorite baby item we received from our registry. He absolutely loves the mamaroo and would nap in it all day if he could haha! We’ve never tried another swing so yes, he might be just fine with an inexpensive swing. Guess we will never know because we love the mamaroo haha!

Pros:

• baby loves it

• size is great compared to other swings, its very compact and doesn’t take up a ton of space

• light weight and easy to use

  • great after feeding to have the baby stay sitting up right

  • love the different options for sound, and type of movement

    
    Cons:

  • More expensive for a swing
    

  Halo Bassinet
  
  Ok so the halo bassinet was probably our least favorite item that we’ve bought. I thought it would be great because it has so many great reviews and it seems to be THE bassinet to get. It just wasn’t my favorite, but that just might be our opinion! If you do get the Halo I definitely wouldn’t recommended any of the upgraded bassinets. Just get the least expensive one, I also like how the legs tuck all the way under the bed with this one. Linking that one here

  We ended up getting this bassinet instead. I like it better because it can pull and stay all the way down and its much easier to grab him at night. It doesn’t move out of the way as easily but I would rather be able to see him clearly, and grab him easier.
  
  Halo Pros:

• Easy to move out the way
  
  Halo Cons:

• don’t need the light or sound machine. the light is super dark

• don’t need the sheets or mattress pad- they make it lumpy

• side pockets don’t fit anything

• can’t see the baby through the mesh at night

• it was hard for me to pull down the side although that’s what is supposed to be great about it. Maybe it was the size of my bed? Overall it was more difficult for me to use.

Dr Browns bottles

We love the Dr Brown’s bottles the most! We wanted the comotomo bottles because that seems to be what all the rave is about right now but we actually really didn’t like them. Maybe they just didn’t work for our baby. We tried all the different nipples- fast, medium, slow flow and he just never seemed to be able to suck the milk out! I also didn’t like the nipples because I never knew which one was which. It was hard to see if it was fast flow vs medium. The only way to tell was the holes at the top of the nipple, which is hard when you’re already exhausted!

We ended up getting these Dr Browns bottles and they’re GREAT! They’re the number one pediatrician recommended bottle and can be found in NICU’s/hospitals too! Thats always a great sign. Here are some great things about the Dr Browns bottles:

• Clinically proven to reduce colic

• Decreases spit-up, burping, and gas

• Shown to better preserve nutrients in breast milk and formula

• Aids in digestion for a good night’s sleep

• Offers a flow rate that supports breastfeeding

• BPA free, dishwasher (top rack) and sterilizer safe
  
  We’ve also found that it really helps prevent air from getting into the bottle. With these I never “hear” him sucking in air like he does with other bottles.

Boppy

We haven’t really used the boppy, maybe when he’s bigger. For breastfeeding I feel like the My Breast Friend would be better and what was recommended to me by lactation consultants in the hospital!

Gripe Water!

He’s obsessed with Gripe Water! It’s BABY MAGIC! He stops crying literally ever time we give this to him haha! Talk to your doctor, but this is the brand that we use!

Diaper Caddy/Rolling Cart

We love having a rolling diaper caddy to move from the living room and into our bedroom at night! We keep things that we use daily on it. We have it packed with wipes, diapers, gripe water, diaper cream, changing pad, my pump, extra swaddles, and an extra outfit.

Humidifier
We like the fridababy humidifier. I would say the only con to this is that it has to be cleaned often-like 1-2 times a week. The night light isn’t really necessary especially if you have a lamp or the sound machine below.

Sound Machine
The hatch sound machine is great. I like how you can just tap it for different settings. At night when I need more light I have a brighter setting that still keeps the sound machine on. I have a setting for him when he’s asleep that is more dim. One thing we’ve noticed is that it looses connection a lot. Only major con there. But overall I like the different settings for brightness and sound and how it connects to my phone!

Baby Carrier
We’ve been using these 2 baby carriers! The Boba is nice and lightweight but it takes a little longer to put on. I love the ergobaby carrier! It’s also light and easy to use.

Swaddles
We’ve tried the following swaddles in order of favorite to least favorite! I’ll just say our son gets his hands out of every single one of the swaddles below. We use the happiest baby pretty much every night! We still haven’t found one that he can’t break out of haha

Happiest Baby swaddle- We use this one every night, easy to use and breathable mesh
The Ollie baby swaddle-We like this one too! Super easy to use and baby seems to like it
Swaddle Me Swaddles- Again, easy to use, overall great affordable swaddle!
Halo Bassinet swaddle- We don’t like this one much, its harder to use and there are just better swaddles out there. It’s also really bulky.

Hatch Changing table with weight scale We wen’t back and forth about getting this and I’ll say that I don’t really think its necessary. We have only used it a few times. If I was breastfeeding I would for sure use it, but since we change him in the living room right now instead of the nursery it isn’t really necessary and we don’t really feel the need to check his weight often right now.

These towels instead of PeePee TeePee!

The pee pee tee pees were cute but hard to use and you had to keep your hand on it while changing- just another added step while changing a diaper. I ended up purchasing these towels and we just keep them on him when we change! They are super absorbant and there haven’t been any messes with these!

Baby Bath
We were fortunate to receive both of these baths and we like the sling one better! The sling is great and I like being able to fill it up with water!

Baby Brezza Water Dispenser

We LOVE this bottle warmer! It’s kind of like a Keurig for bottles. We didn’t want to buy the one that has the formula dispenser because I wanted to make sure we were personally adding in the correct amount of formula ourselves. This is a great option because you just press a button, add in the water then add in your formula and thats it! It has settings for the temperate you want. We keep it next to our bed and it makes life so much easier!

Doc a Tot
I HAD to have the doc a tot, haha. We really don’t use it much right now, but it has come in handy a few times I need to lay him down somewhere quickly. I’m hoping he uses it later on more. But definitely don’t think this is something that is super necessary.

Diaper Genie

This was another product we were told we didn’t need but for sure a necessity for us! We use it daily and it’s a huge convenience.

Other items we’ve loved!

• Dreft stain remover (2: one for the bedroom & one for laundry room) and detergent

• Oxo Drying Rack

• Over the sink drying rack

• The first years bottle warmer

• Fridamom Snot Sucker

• The babys brew portable bottle warmer

• Portable Sound Machine for the Car

• Click here for all of my postpartum must haves
  & click here for a tour of your nursery!

An open letter to my first born baby

To my first baby. The one who made me a mom. The one who taught me how to be a mom. My life changed in so many ways when you came into the world. Although I knew it would, the way you changed my world is only something you can only understand when you become a mother. That means you'll never truly know the love I have for you, or the way it felt the first time we locked eyes, I held you for the first time or brought you into the world. Thats why I’m writing you this letter-to remind you how much you mean to me. My love for you is and forever will be infinite.

When I found out I was pregnant with you I was shocked, excited, terrified, overjoyed, and timid. As the 9 months went on, I'll be honest. There were times that I thought to myself, am I ready for this? What if I'm not good enough? What if I can’t do all the things I like to do anymore?

Well, the 9 months flew by. They were hard. You wouldn't stop kicking me in the rib. I was exhausted. Then, the day finally came that you came into this world. It was 6am on the dot and I was asleep. Somehow, I knew that week it would be happening though. I thought you’d make your debut July 9th, and my water broke on the 10th-I like to think you knew I was waiting for you that week, we were both ready to meet each other.

My water broke as I was laying there bed…I immediately woke up your dad and went and stood in the shower, shaking like I was standing in freezing cold water, even though it was burning hot. I was terrified. Then 17 hours later the time came, they said it was time to start getting you out of my belly! I looked over at your dad with tears in my eyes and said, "I'm so scared."  2 more hours of the worst pain I've ever experienced.. and there you were! I waited for what felt like eternity for the nurses to hand you to me. But when they did, you looked right at me with your big blue eyes and just stared at me for what felt like forever.

Time stood still for the first time In my life. I completely lost it, happy tears came down my face. I just cried and cried and held you like nothing else in the world mattered. The pregnancy pain and exhaustion no longer mattered, the pain I just went through, although still very present was somewhere lost in the back of my head, the nurse that told me to put my mask on halfway through delivering you didn't bother me, the new, unknown doctor that was switched on us a the last minute, who’s face was covered in a mask, became a blessing. The stress of carrying you, and bringing you into this world in the middle of a world crisis- went out the door. All that mattered was you were here, you were beautiful, even more perfect than I could ever have imagined and happy.

Time stood still as I held you on my chest and blissful tears rolled down my face. The same way it will when you start your first day of kindergarten or go off to college (or whatever you choose to do).

Before you, life was free. I was carefree, my worries seem so small now looking back. My days consisted of me, your dad and buddy. I was selfish. We could pick up and leave whenever we wanted. We could eat whenever we wanted. Our house was spotless. Everything was easy. I didn't know what to expect when you came along, I didn't know how I would feel or how you would change our lives. But you did. You changed my life for the better and life as we knew it forever. Suddenly our spotless house is no longer perfect, but its so much warmer. My days are longer and sleep is shorter. But holding you and having you fall asleep in my arms gives me more happiness than those full 8 hours of sleep ever did.

Leaving the house has a whole new routine but bringing you with us everywhere is a joy. You taught me what it means to wake up over and over again every night, to feed you, comfort you or even just to make sure you're okay when you're not even making a sound.

All of your firsts are our firsts too. Your first smile, our first mistakes, your first bath. But more than anything, you were the first to show us what it is like for our hearts to walk around outside of our body.

Because of you I am no longer selfish. I would give everything I have for you and I now know the meaning of "loving something more than yourself" The day I became your mommy, I loved you more than I could ever love myself or anything else In the world. I would give my own life for you. I never knew what that meant before you. I didn’t know that you would teach me to slow down and truly savor moments with you. You would teach me that our time together is the most important and everything else can wait. You would teach me that YOU will be the best thing I do in my life. My biggest accomplishment.

You are the greatest gift I have ever received and I hope you always remember that. Even when I make mistakes, or whatever life throws at us down the road. I hope you always remember that my love for you is infinite and how wonderful life is now that you're in our world.

Thank you to Brooke with Honey Gem Creative for these beautiful pictures of our new family.

What I actually used in my hospital bag!

Hey guys! Incase you haven’t heard, we had our beautiful baby boy on July 11th, 2020 at 1:19AM! I can’t wait to share our birth story, and some of our favorite baby items we’ve used so far. But first I’ve had some requests about what we actually used in the hospital so I wanted to start with this post! I previously did a post about what I was packing here. I’ve gone through and made a list of the items we actually used (which was pretty much everything!) I also added a few things we wish we would have brought too!

Alright so I’ll start with how we packed. I bought a cute bag to pack everything in, but quickly realized I would rather pack everything in a suitcase once I started packing everything. It was so much easier to find everything when we were in the hospital and easier to roll a suitcase around.

Below is a list of everything I used while we were in the hospital!

We ended up being in the hospital for 5 days, and this was a good amount of clothing for me to bring!

CLOTHING

• 1 Lightweight Robe

• 1 pair Button up PJs

• Delivery outfit (not necessary but I liked wearing this one)

• Cozy Cardigan for over my nursing tank

• Sandals to walk around in/wear to and from hospital

• Grip Socks, I wore these instead of slippers

• Hair ties/Headband

• Going home outfit

• Nursing Tank Top and Nursing Bra (I wore these pretty much the whole time with a robe/cardigan over them)

ELECTRONICS

• Extra Long Chargers for Mom and Dad (2)

• Video Camera (charged) This is the one we have been using to film!

TOILITRIES

• Chapstick (your lips get really dry in the hospital!)

• Makeup remover incase you have makeup on when you go into labor!

• Deodorant

• Toothpaste/Toothbrush

• Face lotion/Facewash

• Hairbrush & Dry shampoo

• Contacts/Glasses

• Towel (not white)

POSTPARTUM CARE:

• Depends- I would get 2 packs of these. They are the “Always Discreet boutique” brand and “cute”…for adult diapers at least. haha. They are much easier to wear than the hospital undies and putting a pad on the underwear they give you. These are super padded and eliminates the extra step of attaching a pad. Bring one pack to the hospital, I only had a few and ran out before we left the hospital since we were there longer than expected.

• Nipple Cream if you’re breastfeeding or pumping. They give you some but I have preferred this brand.

• Hands Free Pumping Bra- again we were there longer than expected and I didn’t expect to need to pump right away. They hospital provides a pump, but holding the pumps every 3 hours is so tiring. I love this one! It’s easy to use and can fit everyone.

• Fridamom Ice Pads- I used 3 packs of these. They come with 8 in a pack. I would purchase atleast 3 because I ended up ordering some from amazon when we got home! I changed them out as often as I could. I preferred these over the hospital ones they gave, although I did alternate between the hospital and these when I ran out due to our longer stay. The Fridamom ice pads just seem to stay cooler longer and they are softer. A tip for the hosptial pads (not fridamom)- get them wet and they last a little longer.

• Fridamom Spray Bottle- I didn’t have this in the hosptial but its a game changer compared the the hosptial one they give you. A little tip that I did was keeping a swell bottle with warm water next to it in my bathroom to refill it. The warm water was more soothing to me. You’ll thank me later

• Fridamom Perinal Wipes- Again, I liked these compared the the Tucks pads. I like how they are long and cover the entire pad and they were much more cooling to me.
  PRO TIP: pop in the fridge for even more cooling relief.

• Donut Pillow- Essential for the ride home and to sit on the first few days after birth! I left mine in the car, but I would say to bring it inside with you too!

• Breast Pump- The hospital has a pump you can use, but I wish I would have brought mine so I learned how to use it before I got home and didn’t get use to the one they had. I’ve been using the Spectra S1 and its worked fine! Although I do have my eye on the Willow or Elvie pumps if I choose to continue pumping longer. The hands free bra that I bought makes it similar to a hands free option, but the willow or elvie are a true hands free breast pump which seems so nice.

Here was my postpartum routine during the hospital/at home:

• Rinse with the Perineal Bottle (warm water)

• Depends undies

• Fridamom Ice Pad

• Layer with a Perinal Wipe

LABOR ESSENTIALS

This is everything I had in a little makeup bag or next to my bed during labor for easy access, my husband knew to pull this bag out right when we arrived!

• Jolly ranchers (your mouth gets dry during the process & ice chips get old)

• Phone charger

• Headband

• Towel for face during labor-my husband would keep this cold and wet during labor and it really helped

• Chapstick

• Hydroflask

• Portable Fan (totally used this one during birth and can use this on his stroller)

• Heating Pad

• Video Camera

FOR DAD
(this is Eric’s Diaper bag that he packed everything in!)

• Pillow & Blanket

• Clothing for 3 days

• Candy/Snacks- I thought this was a good idea & could give some of the snacks in nurses thank you baskets too!

• Flip Flops/Sandals

• Sweater or Jacket

• Hydroflask- keep dad hydrated too!

• Socks & Briefs

• Checklist of last minute items next to hospital bags at home

• Make sure mom’s ID and Insurance card is packed

BABY

• Going home outfit -This one includes mittens and a hat!

• 1 swaddle (you can let the hospital use theirs but we liked that we were taught how to use ours)

• 1-2 different sized onesies

• Small Hat (I hated that his hat they hospital gave was mostly pink lol!)

• Pacifier

• Diaper Bag for all of babies items!

• Mittens

• Socks

• Birth Announcement Signs- Name Sign we used & acrylic milestone signs

• Nail Clippers (I didn’t bring these but wish I did, his nails were so long!)

• Car Seat

• 
  Overall here are the things I didn’t pack that I should have brought!

• Nail clippers for baby

• More of my personal postpartum items

• My own Breast Pump & Pumping Bra
  
  & heres what we didn’t use that we brought

• Makeup

• Slippers

• The boppy pillow (the lactation consultants didn’t ever want to use this, they also recommended the “my breast friend” brand)

How we told our families we're pregnant!

Our Nursery Tour

Our nursery is finally 100% complete just in time for baby moose to arrive! We have been working so hard on his little space and we are so proud of how it turned out!

With everything going on in right now, we were on a budget and we feel like we really found all of the nursery items at such great, affordable prices! I’ll be linking all the decor items, his closet, as well as some of our baby items that we are going to use at the bottom of this post!

Also, thank you so much Brooke, with Honey Gem Creative for the beautiful photos taken below of our nursery and the maternity pictures! If you need a photographer in the Austin area, we highly recommend her!!

Decor:

Wall Stencil // Animal Prints // Picture Frames // Mobile // Toy Dresser // Pacifier and cotton ball holders // Waterproof toy baskets for Bookshelf // Floating Shelves // Lion Basket // Curtains // Ikea Stuffed Animals

Our mobile looks like it is out of stock and has been for a while. This is the company its from, they were sold out when I got it so I found it on amazon. But it looks like they are sold out there too! I think you can reach out to the company to see when it will be back in stock but they also have some other cute mobiles, hopefully it comes back in stock because its soo cute!!

Baby Items:

Crib // Crib Sheets // Humidifier // Sound Machine // Changing Pad // Rocker // Ikea Dresser // Monitor

I also took some pictures of our closet and will link some of the organization items below! His closet was so fun to do, I love organizing closets!!

Closet:

White Floating Shelves // Closet Dividers // Hangers // Drawer organizers for dresser clothes // Clear drawers for medicine, pacifiers, etc // Shoe Holder // Black Onesies

The ultimate hospital bag checklist

Hospital bag // Robe // Button up Pjs // Button Down Delivery outfit // Nursing Bras // Under the bump underwear // Always Discrete Underwear // Cozy Cardigan // Extra long charger // Chapstick // Hydroflask // Slippers // Grip Socks // Cheap Sandles // Hair ties // Headband // Make up Wipes // Dry Shampoo // Loose fitting going home dress

Backpack/Dads Diaper Bag // 2 days of Clothing // Slippers // Flip Flops // Sweater // Hydroflask // Long Phone Charger // Supply Caddy for next to bed // Socks

Diaper Bag // Coming home outfit // Car seat and base // Swaddles // Pacifier // Car Seat Cover // Socks // Birth Announcement Sign // Nail Clippers // Baby Blanket // Stroller

How to make a keepsake box for your child!

I had a lot of questions about how I made our son’s School Keepsake Box! It was super easy and it will be a great way to keep all of his school documents, artwork, and keepsakes organized through the years!

I started by purchasing this filebox to put everything in. Its a double size file box so it is really long and has a ton of room left over still from what we already have started in the box. We will just double up on file folders per grade as needed through the years! We will make a cute graphic at some point for the front once we 100% decide on his name! Yes, I have 18 years of a keepsake box organized before he even has a name….haha!

Then I purchased these file folders to put in the box! And placed these labels in the right hand corner with his school year, teacher name, and school. I just wrote mine myself! (See photo above!) I will add a picture of him each year to the other side as well!

We have labels from ages one-four, preschool, kindergarden-12th grade, college/trade and an “other” section.

I purchased these tabs separately because I didn’t like the ones that came with the file folders!

I’ll put these in the elementary school grade, since he probably won’t want to fill these out when he’s much older than that! I thought this would be a fun little activity for each school year.

It would also be cute to write a letter to him on certain years, like his first birthday, first day of kindergarden, first day of middle school. first day of high school, and first day of college. I would put these in each folder and give it to him with each milestone.

And thats it! Super easy and a great way to organize your childs keepsakes through the years! I hope you guys enjoyed this post!

At Home Spa Day

Hey Guys! I wanted to share how I do my at home “Spa Days” I felt super relaxed after doing this & it’s like bringing the spa home to you! Watch the video below to see how I bring the spa experience home including shaving my face (dermablading)

All the products I used are linked below!

Products Used:
Robe: https://rstyle.me/+TAKoFEqtncaBAH1GHMtzIg
Eminence Bright Skin Starter Kit: https://eminenceorganics.com/us/produ...
Eminence Lip Masque: https://eminenceorganics.com/us/produ...
Moroccan Oil Mask: https://amzn.to/2yPneUz
Gold Eye Masks: https://amzn.to/3cgkLBe
Sheet Mask: https://amzn.to/2V7Vxzg
Bath Salts: https://amzn.to/3b6HzmH
Favorite Tea: https://amzn.to/2VjfVfm
Essential Oil Diffuser: https://amzn.to/3ej3bhH
Favorite Candle: https://amzn.to/3b69rHJ
Belly Oil: https://amzn.to/2K1mm1J
Belly Lotion: https://amzn.to/2yeVFnf
Facial Steamer: https://amzn.to/2yYf9x3
Tinkle Razors: https://amzn.to/3esVHJ8

Nursery Decor on a Budget!

With everything going on right now, I was so worried about finishing our nursery and spending money. Yes we had to get creative and ended up using some items from other parts of our house, but it actually ended up working out perfect! We wanted a budget nursery, with expensive taste. We are so happy with how it turned out and definitely realized you can still have a super nice nursery at an affordable price! We finished our entire nursery (other than items that are on our registry like the changing table, crib mattress and essentials) for under $1000!

Be sure to check out this post for our baby registry must haves!

Convertible Crib $200

This crib looks like something you would find at west elm for half the price! It’s great quality too!

Wall Stencil $37

This is what we used to stencil the walls! We ended up using a sponge and it worked out great! Our walls are textured and wallpaper was expensive, this was only $37 and the cost of paint!

Animal Prints $17

These animal pictures are so cute and affordable! I’ve seen sets on etsy for $150+ and while they are beautiful, these are just as cute and SO affordable!

8 Wood Photo Frames 8X10 $60

I wanted to tie in the wood from the legs of the crib, so I found these picture frames to put the animal pictures is! They end up being less than $10 a frame!

Floating Bookshelves Set of 6 $50

Again, tying in the wood aesthetic from the legs and picture frames. I found these cute floating shelfs for super cheap too! No, they aren’t super heavy and won’t hold much other than light books and stuffed animals.. but thats all we needed them for! I was actually surprised with the quality.

Rocking Chair $289

This is not the BEST rocking chair you’ll ever find. But for the price we actually really like it and didn’t want to spend more than $300 for a rocking chair!

Storage and Toy Organizer $50

Keeping up with the wood theme, I found this dresser! I like it because it looks nicer than the basic white cube storage shelfs that you usually see and it ties in with the wood!

Toy Storage Bins (2) $20

These little baskets match out wall perfectly! We are going to use them for toys. They aren’t made of cloth, which I actually like because they seem easy to clean up.

Ikea black out curtains $34

Ikea blackout curtains are the best! And they’re so affordable! Their the only blackout curtains I’ve tried that really work especially for the price!

8 Piece Dresser $250

Talk about storage!! You could even change out the knobs to spruce it up a little!

Jungle Animals

We came across the jungle animals at Ikea and thought they were SO cute! They come in large and small sizes too!

My top baby registry items!

I thought it would be fun to gather up all the must have we registered for! This is my first pregnancy so obviously I’m no expert yet but this is what we are the most excited about and after doing lots of research these are the items we really want to try! I’m going to link my registry here too because one thing I’ve loved doing is looking through registries online! I get so many ideas from what other people have registered for. Did you know you can look at Blake Lively’s registry on Amazon? So fun.

We registered at Babylist, Target, Amazon and buybuyBABY. Babylist is our main hub for all the registries because you can link them all there. We have items from etsy, nordstrom and online boutiques on Babylist. From there you can click on the Target Registry, there we have more health related items like diapers, wipes, creams, etc. Amazon has a TON of stuff on it! We have a huge variety of items listed here. OH and you get a 15% completion discount at Target, Amazon and buybuyBABY! buybuyBABY has the bigger items like strollers, carseats, bassinets and things we wanted to look at in person. This was the easiest way for me to organize everything and really detail our registry, We registered for WAY more items than we need i’m sure. But since we get a 15% discount 60 days before the due date on the items left I wanted to register for more than necessary. The discount lasts for up to 6 months after the due date too! I feel like our registry is pretty awesome haha, and I really think we got EVERYTHING on it!

Here is our registry: https://www.babylist.com/baby-ally-and-eric-samouce

Monitor

We actually bought the Nanit Baby Monitor on Black Friday and got a really awesome deal on it! We already put it together to test it out and it is super clear on the picture and sound, and you can also play white noise on it! The one that we got comes with a swaddle and sleep tracker. “Nanit gives you your baby's sleep stats each morning, plus a timelapse highlight reel of their sleep, so you can rewatch their entire night in seconds. Get personalized, science-backed sleep guidance and tips from the world’s leading pediatric sleep experts, right in your Nanit app.” We haven’t actually used it yet since the baby isn’t here. But so far we really like it based on the app and picture quality!

DockATot

I’ve read and heard lots of mixed reviews about the DockATot. My personal choice is to try it! I like the way it looks better than other (less expensive) brands, and from reviews I’ve read the quality is better than some of the knock off brands you can get from places like etsy. I am aware of the sleeping guidelines, and other opinions but I am interested in using it so we registered for it! It’s actually been one item I’ve wanted since the beginning of my pregnancy! I choose the “white marble” color because I had feedback that it would hide spit up better than darker colors!

Baby Shusher

I’ve read a lot of great things about this little item! It is supposed to help lull your baby to sleep with a calming shush. It also has a timer and sound control! Baby Shusher

Bassinet

After a lot of thought and research we decided to register for the Halo Bassinet- Luxe Plus Series. I went to look at in in person, and I liked how this one comes apart, has floor lighting, rotates, pulls down to the bed, and has legs that tuck under the bed! This one is the newest design and has an updated wood design on the back which I like too. This is definitely one of our “must have” items!

Hatch Baby Changing Pad

We registered for the Hatch Baby Changing Pad because it looked great for a new mom with breastfeeding and weight tracking. It comes with an app so you can track their weight after feeding. I also liked how it seems easy to clean. I felt it in person and thought it was going to be really hard but it was actually really soft and squishy.

Baby Jogger High Chair

A high chair has been the hardest thing to find. They are all so ugly! haha! I feel like they’re either bulky, super bright colors or just do not match the aesthetic of our house. Since it’s going to be out all the time we really wanted to find something that could fold down or that didn’t look like a total eye sore in our kitchen. We found the Baby Jogger City Bistro Highchair and I LOVE how it folds down and isn’t hideous. I don’t know that we will get it, because in my opinion I think its expensive for a a high chair but we’ll see since we get a discount. The $20 Ikea highchair is also another option that is actually really modern. I also saw a ton of Ikea highchair makeovers that were super cute!

Pack n Play

I wanted to register for a Pack n Play that had a changing table, and space on the sides to hold diapers, wipes, etc. I don’t think this is something that needs to be super expensive. One thing we looked for was something that was easy to compact incase we wanted to travel with it or bring it to Grandma’s!

MamaRoo

This was an item I have also heard mixed reviews about. Some people/babies seem to love it and some hated it! I think with anything, you never really know what your baby is going to like. I think the MamaRoo is nice because it mimics human rocking, bouncing and swaying! I think this will be an item that we won’t buy on our own but if we get it as a gift we will gladly use!

Babywalker

How cool is this baby walker for little boys though?

Car Seat

This car seat has great reviews and is highly rated on Consumer Reports!

Babycarrier

Ok, so I’ve gotten feedback about baby carriers and it seems like the top favorites are Lilliebaby, BabyBjorn and Ergobaby. We went to try all of these on at buybuyBABY and honestly didn’t really like any of them. They were all bulky and I personally hate how theres a huge label on the front with the brand name. We ended up finding this one there and tried it on! It was lightweight and it didn’t have a big tacky label on the front. Again, I haven’t heard anything about this but I liked it the best out of all the ones at the store! You also don’t need an infant insert, it has the mesh lining and is the cheapest of all the other options. It has great reviews!

Humidifier

The FridaBaby is a great brand and this humidifier comes highly recommended at an affordable price! It can run for up to 12 hours and you can also add vapor drops to it as well.

White noise sound machine + portable white noise machine

We registered for the Hatch baby white noise machine and this portable one for car rides, traveling and outings! The Hatch Baby white noise machine seems awesome because not only is it a sound machine, a nightlight with an assortment of colors, but it also has a” time to rise” sleep trainer that you can control from an app!

Owlet

I’ve been going back and forth about the Owlet. I’ve heard great things, but it also makes me wonder if it could lead to false readings and unnecessary stress if the monitor glitches. Basically it tracks heart rate and and oxygen levels from a sock attached to the baby’s foot. From someone who spent weeks in the ICU and hospital with her husband a few years ago..hearing that beeping sound from a heart rate getting too high or low was SUPER alarming and it never meant he was actually in harm. I know it’s different for babies, but I can just see this being more of a scare to me. BUT I have heard amazing things about it, so if we get it as a gift we will certainly try it and keep you guys posted! We just most likely won’t go out of our way to buy it ourselves.

I think that just about covers all the must haves we put on our registry! Again, I’m not an expert and we have a TON of other items registered but these are just a few that I’ve done specific research on, read tons of reviews, and gotten quite a bit of feedback from other mommies and bloggers!