Insta-Life, lately.

1. PalmSprangz 2014. The view from our amazing hotel Alcazar. So chic, with it's white and green color scheme. And really, we just got to lounge by the pool all day, uninterrupted. Can't beat that.

2. Gotta get dat poo shot. Pool, not...poo. You know. 

3. Ready for takeoff! And tryyyyying to take a decent selfie together. 

4. Pool shot on our last day together. Girls trips are so important every once and a while. So refreshing for my soul. 

5. Can I just say, I have the best husband?! He sent me this picture about 30 minutes after he dropped us off at the airport. They decided to go to Rooster Rock for the day so Rowan could work on his "Oregon Passport". So sweet to see when I'm missing them terribly.

6. The weekend after Palm Springs, we visited my in laws for some time on the river. Papa, Connor, and Rowan exploring the river bank. 

Xoxo, 

M-A

On Nap time.

Silence. Everyday, at 12:30, I kiss my baby boy, sing him a song, and set him in bed. And then, silence. At least for a moment.

Then my brain goes into overdrive. 

"Ok, what do I have to do? Laundry, dishes, and, oh yeah, I need to pay that bill- oh but I'm so tired. Maybe just a little nap. But, he'll probably wake up soon so..." 

And it goes on and on. I find myself somewhere in the midst of to do and not to do. 

We hear it all the time; 

"Sleep when he sleeps", 

"you've got to put on your own oxygen mask first" 

"You deserve it"

But, that doesn't make the choice to forgo the pile in the sink any easier. It doesn't change the "Mom guilt" we all too often feel inside. The nagging feeling that we aren't enough. Doing enough, being enough, working enough. 

But mama, you are enough. 

You're enough for your babies, your partner, your family. 

No amount of doing (or not doing) is going to make you any less important, less special, less worthy. 

And so I embrace that today. And I pray that for you. 

Xoxo

How I survived flying with a little one.

I can't believe summer is gone! (And that I haven't been posted in forever)

But I guess that's what happens when you're chasing around an 11 month old. We had a full summer, going from coast to coast, starting in Sun River, OR for Connor's family reunion, then to Maine to visit my family.   It's been so fun to see Rowan interact with family and friends, climb on everything, and now, learn to walk. Our trips were jam packed, so needless to say, I've had a steep learning curve while navigating the joys and trials of traveling with a babe in tow. I've gotten a lot of questions about flying with a little one, so I thought I would share what worked well for us.

1. Be prepared

Nothing can make or break a flight or road trip more than having a less than adequate supply of the basics.  For Rowan "the Tank", this means food. Toys too, but lets be real, if I let him, the kid could eat a whole bottle of puffs. Having food that keeps him occupied and helps him develop his mad-dawg motor skillz is a plus, (ie: puffs, cereal, etc.)  Favorite toys are great, but there are so many fun people around to stare at and talk to, who wants toys?! Lets just hope the people you sit by are baby fans. Don't worry, most are.

2. Don't board early. 

I got this tip from my friend Lauren, and I couldn't agree more. Airlines think they're helping you out by letting you bring your baby, and their 50lbs of gear on the flight before everyone else, and hey, if I were child-less, I would love to board early, kick my feet up, and relax. But as you're probably well aware- babies will do no such thing.  For us, it worked well walking around the terminal area until the last minute, then getting settled right before take off.  He didn't have to wait very long before the next exciting thing. Or, you can board early, and pray that you get seated behind a volleyball team of college girls who looove babies. This happened to us on the way back. 

3. Wear your baby

I'm a firm believer in this anyway, even when I'm not traveling, but it was such a lifesaver. It kept him calm, he can see whats going on, and he stays close. It also eliminated the need for a stroller. One less thing you have to lug around the airport with you. (The stroller, not the baby). 

4. Nurse or bottle feed as you're taking off and landing

I'm sure you've heard this one before but its great for keeping their ears pain free as you rise or fall in elevation, and, if you're lucky, they just might fall asleep. 

5. Consider the red eye/night time flight

Rowan is on a very consistent night time routine and bed time, so normally, I wouldn't consider this an option, but let's face it, when you travel, schedules kind of go out the window. My Dad booked a red eye for us, and I kind of enjoyed it. Granted, when we landed, I felt like I got hit by a truck and lost all notion of time, but other than that it was quite pleasant. I put Rowan to bed a few hours before we left for the airport like normal, Connor and I packed the car, and right before we left I woke him up,  put a sweatshirt on him, and we were out the door. Once we took off, he was still so tired, he slept most of the flight. A win for all. 

What worked for you while traveling? Love to hear your tips! 

xoxo M-A

Insta-life, lately.

The past few weeks have been full. 

Full of fun, friends, and new things. We got a new couch because our other couch was not suitable for my husbands back. (Or really, most people's.)  I loved our couch but I'm beginning to realize I loved the idea of our couch. It was a lovely olive green velvet mid century couch that was 8ft wide and pretty good for naps (when those happened way back when).  We got it for like, $100 and it was ours. But, now as we grow up and have babies, we're adults now, so we bought one of our first real life purchases. It's a lovely mid century gray sectional and I am in love.  Connor loves over stuffed, whereas I like clean lines, so I was afraid we'd never see eye to eye, but somehow by some miracle, he loves it too. Win Win.

Meanwhile, Rowan is growing way too fast, and is rolling over fully now (which i didn't expect for another 2 months), but I've always had a feeling he'd be ready to move as soon as he possibly could. That kid is a little fighter.  I love watching him try his hardest to roll over with full concentration, giving everything his little body has to offer. It takes everything in me not to help him, but I suppose I'm learning the lesson all moms learn- you gotta let em go and do it on their own. Crycrycry.  That's me crying in a corner over here. 

Valentine's day was lovely.  It's funny, the other night, I was talking with some friends about expectations, and we all came to the same conclusion- we don't want to make Valentine's Day a big deal, but secretly, deep down, we want it to be special. And somehow we expect our guys to pick up on that. Poor guys. Any who, the day started out lovely. Connor and I made breakfast and Rowan and I gave him his gift, some cologne he's been wanting forever.  He works so hard, I was excited to spoil him a little bit. Then, Rowan was asked out on a date with two lovely ladies, Millie and Kristina.  We tried Babika Hen in Lake Oswego. I had some delicious waffles(cheating on my Paleo a little), and Rowan had milk.  When we got home, Connor surprised me with flowers and my favorite perfume from Anthropologie.  I used to work there before Ro came along, so I've developed lots of favorites that I can no longer afford all the time, so it was special that he thought of it, and brought my co-workers in on the hunt. It really made me feel special.  I hope yours was special too!

xoxo Mary-Anne

 

 

 

Rowan's Wishlist

Okay, so, things I want to get for Rowan. But you get it, right?

I feel like, once I had a babe, my fashion focus and buying habits switched from entirely me, to entirely Rowan. When I go to a store now, I head straight for the baby section. It's kind of fun. Plus, the au naturale mama/woman in me is always looking for holistic remedies, supplements, and the like, so my wishlist can get real long, real quick. Here are some of the things that have caught my attention lately around the inter webs.

1. Amber Teething Necklaces

 

Turns out, we have an early teether on our hands. It hasn't been that bad yet but I can tell his frustration is mounting.  To everything around him he says "Get in my mouth!!!". I've known amber to have lots of great healing properties, but now they are quite popular for the teething crowd. They aren't meant to be put in the mouth (uh, hello, choking central), but rather they are short necklaces worn close to the skin, and as your body heats up, it releases minute amounts of oils that are healing to the little ones. Of course, they should ALWAYS be worn with supervision. Locally, I found some made by Momma Goose at Posh Baby.

2.  This Adorable Growth Chart

 

 It's the Heirloom Growth Chart by Miss Natalie. Rowan isn't standing yet obviously, but I love this idea! It's basically a strip of tweed or other fabric, pins, and tags, and you pin the tag where your child stands with their name, date, and age.

3. Polka Dot Gold Sheet Set

 

Need I say more?! I'm kind of obsessed with white right now..which is probably a bad idea with a baby and a dog. But, nonetheless, these sheet are awesome, and would work well for future babes of either gender. You can find them at Land of Nod. 

4. Djeco Cachempil Mother Hen

 

How cute is this toy?! It fits all the requirements for toys babies like, yet is beautiful and most importantly, doesn't light up or squawk at you every5secondsohmygosh.  Find it here.   

5. Udo's Choice Infant Probiotic

 

This isn't a want in our house hold, it is now a staple. Rowan had extremely bad gas up until recently, and really, we tried everything. Unfortunately, I have to give Rowan formula along with my breast milk, so this was contributing to the problem. But, breast, bottle, or both, our pediatrician recommended this to us, and we will be using this for all our babies.  Pro Biotics are basically just live bacteria that you introduce to your gut, that help sort out any imbalances you might have.  Babies have constantly changing and growing digestive tracts, so this really helped get Rowan back to normal.  It's so encouraging to me that Western medicine is catching on to more natural fixes to everyday ailments. If your baby has gas, I would ask your Ped. what they think. Locally, I buy it at New Seasons.

Those are some of my faves right now. Fellow mamas, do you have any goodies on your wishlists?

xoxo,

M-A

Hot Drink.

It's cold here. Real cold. 

Perfect time for a delicious hot beverage.  I tend to fill up on coffee when I want something cozy, but a girl can only take so much caffeine. Plus if I drink anymore Rowan will be wired too, and who want a wired baby?  Not me. 

So, I turn to hot drink. It's a pretty simple recipe.  Ready for it?

Water

Honey

Lemon

Basically a hot toddy, minus the whisky. Boo. By all means, add whisky if you so desire. I'm fresh out.

Now, you may feel like this is a no-duh when it comes to the world of drinks, but I really hadn't heard of it until I had it for the first time in college. I mean, I had had versions of it like, Lipton, but nothing beats fresh honey and lemon. 

The name hot drink came from my friend Mark, Connor's old room mate. He was the best at creating great names for things- especially food.  He also coined the term "sesh" in where one eats chips and salsa. Now we have sesh's all the time. It just reminds me of when Connor and I were dating and I'd go over to their house and on a cold night and make homemade pizza and drink their nasty attempt and hard cider. Le sigh...good times. 

Anything you like when it's cold out?

xoxo,

M-A

Insta-Life, lately.

Lately, my Instagram feed is all baby, all the time. But, I think that's okay.

 

1. Rowan and his cousin on Christmas

2. All bundled up

3. Homemade candles from dear friends

4. Connor's blanket from childhood. I think I stole it.

5. My little couch buddy sitting up 

6. Mall walking with my man.

7. Go Ducks

8. The amazing "12 days of Christmas sock set" from Trumpette, gifted by our lovely friend Lisbeth.

xoxo,

M-A