Our Trip to the Oregon Zoo

Yes I realize that my 3 month old will not remember a thing from this trip but I was still so excited to take Charlotte for her first (of many I’m sure) visit to the zoo. This was also a great way for me to practice keeping expectations realistic in order to avoid being disappointed (see previous post: Expectations Versus Reality).

Going into the trip I was pretty positive that she would sleep the majority of the time and I was okay with that; I was still excited to watch her react when she was awake and to take a bazilllion pictures. Well the pictures just didn’t happen, for a multitude of reasons, but believe me, I was ready! I totally looked like one of those crazy tourists with a big camera around me neck!  We went with some friends and their 3 children between the ages of 9 and 2, and we had our diaper bag strapped around the double stroller they had rented (I will never again go without our own stroller, I don’t know what we were thinking!), so it was hard to get things in and out of the bag without holding everyone up constantly. With little ones, being held up just isn’t an option! So not having access to the bag meant no quick snapshots (mmm…or do I mean selfies) with my phone or retrieving the adorable sunglasses from target that I forgot to put on her (see them on her here: Instagram because they really are adorable). Besides all of that it was super crowded and really hot for us here in the pacific northwest! My husband had her in the chest pack (she was snoozing away) and we just didn’t want to block all of the other little ones that actually wanted to see the animals to take pictures of our sleeping baby. So we ended up with very minimal pictures. That being said I had a blast!

You guys not having my phone ALL day and not being obsessed with getting the perfect shot constantly meant that I was engaged in our day. I was able to make memories with my husband and our friends. Putting away my phone was pretty awesome! There was no “hold on I need to type the perfect Instagram caption” but instead I was present and didn’t miss a thing! I loved the day and I want to make more of an effort to do this more often so that I can fully enjoy my friends and family without interruptions.

We do have annual passes (thank you to my wonderful parents!) so I’m not denying that next time if its less crowded and she’s awake I will probably take those bazillion pictures because I can’t help it! I’m totally a mommarazzi.

P.S. If you are ever in Portland the Oregon Zoo is absolutely fabulous! It is easy to walk with little one’s because it is not overly large but it has a ton of great exhibits including an entire area for animals found her locally (black bears, cougars, etc), a huge new elephant enclosure, and my personal favorite animal the polar bear!

Have You ever had an experience where you disconnected from social media and had a fabulous time? Share it with me below!

Love Always,

Sam

Charlotte’s 3 Month Update

My little girl is officially no longer a newborn! (Insert mom crying) These past three months have flown by and I cannot believe how much she has already changed and grown. Her hysterical little personality is starting to really surface and it is so fun to find out who she is as a little person. Oh man, though she most definitely got her momma’s sass, that is already evident. Keep me in your prayers for when I have a toddler.

A few of Charlotte’s Favorite Things:

• Screaming to hear her own voice while playing
• Giggling at mommy’s silly faces
• Bath time and floating in the bath
• Kicking her legs like a future soccer star
• Practicing her standing (and making mom and dad’s arms feel like they are going to fall off from constantly doing this)
• Getting her belly tickled and fart kisses on her nakey belly
• Eating her milk, duh
• Staring at her daddy in awe and wonder (and confusion as to what his beard is)

 

This month has been a pretty awesome month, I have to admit. She slept through the night about half of the time, so needless to say that’s been amazing. Seriously who would have thought that 7 hours of sleep would feel like a vacation! She is an early riser, though, like 5 am early. I’ve learned that the better she naps during the day, the better she sleeps at night (that was a learning curve, let me tell you). She’s reaching up and trying to hold her bottle, and she has found her hands, ladies and gentlemen! Oh my goodness does that girl suck on her hands and fingers. She is a drooling machine because of it, too.

We’re excited for this next month because my birthday is in April! More importantly we are going to the zoo for the first time with her as my present and I’m beyond excited. (Fair warning if you follow me on instagram I will be blowing up my feed that day, April 23rd.) She is so close to rolling over so I will be on pins and needles  waiting for that happen! All the new things that this next will bring has me so excited.

What are your favorite memories of your little ones as newborns? If you’re expecting your first, what early milestones are you the most excited for?

Love Always,

Sam

Charlotte’s One Month Update!!

How is she already a month old!? They weren’t lying when they said that time would fly by with your newborn! I cannot wrap my head around the fact that she is actually a month old already and she has …

Being a Mom to a Little Girl

Being a Girl Mom

So first off let me start by saying that I am so stinking excited to have a little best friend for the rest of my life. I still want a boy(for a laundry list of reasons) but let’s be real here for a second, I was and still am relieved that my first is a little girl. For some reason it just felt a lot less intimidating as a first time mom to have a little girl. As I start to think about her future I have to admit that I do have some fears regarding how to raise her and the type of woman that I hope for her to become.

Strong, yet feminine:

I want my daughter to know that she can take of herself, that she can changer her own tire, shoot a gun and hunt with her dad, and basically be a tough girl, however I don’t want her to forget her femininity. Like how about some pink camo or hunting gear with her daddy? There’s nothing wrong with a girl who can handle her business but let’s just be  honest for a second I don’t want her to “butch.” How do I convey that a pretty little girl in dresses and hair bows and can get dirty and be tough too?

Confidence without the Attitude:

Alright so we all have had those encounters with women, young girls, or teenage girls that are just a little too full of themselves, like they are fully aware that they have it going on. I don’t know about you but these are females that I do NOT want to be around. More importantly I don’t want my little Charlotte to be one of these either. On the flip side I also don’t wish my daughter to be meek. In my dreams she is humble, yet fully confident in her abilities and her strength. How do you teach a little girl to be self-assured without being “full of herself?”

Pride in her Appearance, Minus the Vanity

We are all aware at this point that my little girl has a momma who loves style and shopping. As a (strong) female I hope she always takes pride in what she puts on her body and how she presents herself to the world, but that is not to say that she needs to dress for anyone else but herself. I’m not asking for her to be a sheep or to dress to fit a mold, but I also hope that she doesn’t go out in the world everyday in dirty sweatpants and messy hair (now we all have those days but on occasion). With this pride in one’s self I hope she avoids the traps of vanity and materialism. A cute handbag or pair of shoes is never more valuable than the experiences of life. So ask how to teach to take pride appearance without it becoming the most important aspect of her life?

 

The Ability to Navigate this Crazy World with Grace

This modern world is getting nuttier and nuttier by the day and being a female there is added stress. How do I teach about being aware of her surroundings in order to protect herself without causing her to live in constant fear? How do I explain why a man still makes more than she does? What do I say when her first boyfriend breaks her heart and she never wants to date again (by the way according to my husband she is never allowed to date anyways)? My little girl is my whole world, but I want her to build a full and multifaceted world for herself, where she experiences adventures, is aware of the dangers of this modern world, and at the end of the day knows who she is and adds a little “pretty” where ever she goes.

 

As a new mom questions like these plus many more cross my mind everyday, and I look into her pretty little face and I am so excited to see her grow and become her own person. Of course these are all rhetorical in nature but they are something that will be answered as my husband and I navigate being her parents, and of course my little Charlotte will become the person that she wants to become.

Nothing but love and support to all the moms out there (and I know all you boy moms have your own list of hopes and dreams being a girl mom is just my experience).

Love Always,

Sam

and Little Miss Charlotte

 

DIY Newborn Photos

Alright so first off let me start by saying that I was spoiled for Christmas by my hubby with a new camera; he said it was so he would have pretty pictures of his little girl to look at when …

Charlotte’s Apartment Nursery

An Elephant Nursery

Alright so the nursery I had always dreamed of creating for my first little bundle of joy wasn’t able to come true for this little peanut. I had always thought I would be in a home of our own with more financial freedom to create a special, beautifully decorated space. In real life, however, things don’t always go the way you had thought they would. We weren’t allowed to paint in the apartment we are currently living and the wood trim isn’t my favorite detail, but I have to admit that Charlotte’s nursery turned out better than I had thought I would.

We are on a tight budget, so all the little pretty details I had in mind just weren’t able to come to life. My husband just always reminds that she doesn’t notice if her room is pretty, just that she is loved and taken care of, and I know that this is true but part of me still wishes that I was able to afford to make her room extra special and pretty just like her. I am so grateful to be able to have a happy, healthy little peanut but I get caught up in all the pictures of other people’s nurseries, and I have to admit that I get a little jealous sometimes.

The theme of her nursery was elephants with aqua and yellow and a little bit of pink. I didn’t want something super obviously girl-y or cliche. Of course we wanted her to be pretty, but we didn’t want to do any of the obvious themes for little girls like princess.

Her bookshelf is my favorite part of her room! I bought some picture frame ledges at Ikea and painted them Aqua to add some color. I also put one above the changing pad to keep essentials like rash cream, wipes and hand sanitizer.

This little girl does have a ton of clothes already but they range from newborn to 18 months so it’s not too bad right?

I store her pretty little hair bows in an apothecary jar on top of the shelving unit and her pacifiers are on the little basket. I found both of her prints at Home Goods for a super great price! (This is my favorite place to get those pretty little extras because their prices are great plus their stock is always changing.)

I would love some input if anyone has ideas for her room! Plus I would love to hear how you all decorated your nurseries!

Love Always,

Sam

 

Charlotte Autumn’s Birthday

January 8th, 2016

Our little girl entered this world, and we are so in love with her. Her and I are both happy and healthy and doing well at home.

Our Labor:

Okay so I have to admit that I sort of feel like I cheated for my first labor and delivery process because I had a scheduled induction. I didn’t have the panic at home or while out running errands of my water breaking or feeling my first contraction. My husband never had to rush home from work or rush us to the hospital for the delivery. We woke up early the morning of and I had a good breakfast while we packed the car and got everything together (like seriously I feel so lucky to have such a calm start to my delivery). I checked in at 7:00 am and my labor was officially started a little after 8:00 am.

See this is all of us before being taken back…pretty relaxed right?

My contractions intensified and grew closer and closer together rather quickly. My mom stayed in the room with us up until I got my epidural. I finally was able to get it a little after 11. So let me be honest here I had planned from the beginning to get an epidural, I have so much respect for those who choose the natural child birth route, but it is not for me! I wanted relief from the pain (contractions seriously are rough to go through!) and the epidural was so nice to have. Now getting the thing itself was a whole other story. Having contractions while sitting up getting prepped for the shot was so painful and uncomfortable but thankfully it only takes about 5-10 minutes to start working, and then relief sets in. Oh but lucky me! I got to enjoy my epidural for a little over an hour before I started to feel pain again as I got ready to push. (I was planning on taking a nap but between my grandma and mom wanting to say hi one last time and being ready to push so fast there was no time for that!)

I pushed a for a little over an hour and let me tell you it feels like the most intense workout of your life. The reward at the end makes everything so worth it, though! The look on my husbands face when they placed her on my chest is something that I will never, ever forget. My big, tough logger was on the verge of tears out of pure excitement and joy. We had our little girl after what felt like the longest last month to an already seemingly long 8 before that.

Happy Birthday Charlotte!!

Love Always,

Sam

P.S: Hopefully you ladies had a smooth labor and delivery too!

Foodie Adventure in Portland

Alright so since my due date is Thursday the hubby and I decided to take a morning trip to Portland to try out this place for breakfast (seriously we drove 45 minutes for food talk about pregnancy cravings!). I am obsessed with Food Network and have seen this joint featured on shows (I think it was Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives but I’m not positive) and ever since we saw their food we having been dying to try it!! So the place is called Pine State Biscuits and man was it worth the drive! If you are ever in the city of Portland make sure to try this place for breakfast or even lunch. We went to their location on Division Street and we both agreed that the neighborhood itself was awesome and filled with great little shops and restaurants; nothing lacking in Portland quirk and charm.

If it wasn’t 25 degrees outside and windy we would have totally walked the neighborhood and checked more of it out but seriously my face hurt. We both want to take another trip to look further into what’s around Pine State (with the baby next time of course!).

Alright so onto the food. It was delicious!!! We ordered what is called the Moneyball with sausage gravy (they have a mushroom option). So basically this an order of biscuit and gravy but the added bonus is that it comes with, wait for it… an over easy egg on top (yum, I know)! Since I’m 9 months pregnant of course I had to order a piece of fried chicken on the side so that I could truly enjoy all of the amazing-ness of this place! Everything was delicious! We also ordered two lemonades (which is legit lemonade made from lemons not powder or concentrate!) and our total was under $15!! That’s a pretty sweet deal if you ask me!

Further down Division Street is another Portland staple worth checking out: Stumptown Coffee. Their coffee is uh-mazing and believe me we know good coffee here in the Pacific Northwest! It’s available in select grocery stores here in the Willamette Valley but it definitely tastes better from the source. Make sure to try their cold brew it is to-die-for! There is also a location right in downtown so there are plenty of opportunities to try out this local favorite.

We finished up our very chilly morning with a walk at Mt. Tabor park, it was short lived, however because again my face seriously hurt from the cold. This park has a spectacular view of the city and a ton of hiking and biking trails along with a cute playground area. It’s a great escape right in the city, another great gem of Portland.

All in all we had a fun mini adventure in Portland. The city has a lot to offer and there are so many other places we want to explore (and food we want to eat, like a lot more food to try). I have to say I love this beautiful state we live in.

P.S I know no fashion or pretty things in this post but hey our little adventures are one of favorite aspects of my life and I promised to share a little bit of everything.

Love Always,

Sam

Christmas Eve in the Snow

Well we had no chance at a white Christmas at home so we decided to go to the snow instead on Christmas Eve!! Living in Oregon we did not have to go very far (especially since this winter has been crazy already!). The drive out was absolutely beautiful! If you haven’t spent time in Western Oregon in the winter I recommend it! The views are like no other!

We pulled off a side road and let our crazy, little four-legged girl go crazy! She absolutely loves the snow, and her favorite game is trying to catch snowballs! It was much needed family time just the three of us before our new, precious little girl joins us (shortly, hopefully). It was an easy little afternoon, filled with lots of laughs and soooo many pictures, like seriously it was a little crazy how many we took!

It was a good thing we left when we did though the hubby saw the snow coming and we drove home through a pretty good amount of snow falling (nothing too bad we were safe). Here’s my handsome husband by the way, I just can’t resist because I love this photo of him oh so much!

Well to finish up let me tell you a little bit about what I wore to enjoy our snow day. I layered a long sleeve thermal (which is pretty snug these days!) under my maternity flannel. Layered a scarf I got last year from a boutique in Medford and my favorite red wool coat (it’s a few years old but I found it at Alloy). My headband is from Forever 21 and it is my favorite place to get cute accessories for a steal! My shoes were not ideal but hey we live in a valley and hardly get snow! With two wool socks on I managed just fine, though. Combat boots are always a girls best friend for adventures!

Share some of your Christmas memories in the comments below!!

Love Always,

Sam