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Motherhood I

Grammie and Pea are here! Grandbaby number three for them! They got here on Saturday and are staying for a couple of days.

This time the snake is fake!!

We had a little birthday party for Pea (November 1 birthday!) out by the fire pit yesterday.

Complete with afternoon smores and pumpkin beers!

When Grammie comes to town, the family room becomes a giant animal party. I don’t go down there until it gets cleaned up at the end because I can’t handle the chaos! Exhibit A:

Here are some updates!

On Birch!

^^ Fox outfit! I love everything Kickee pants! The fabric is SO soft!

We are loving every inch of this little squish!! (I just typed squash – haha! #fall) So far he’s been pretty easy to sooth, and we’re just rotating eat / sleep / eat / sleep round the clock. The Dock-a-Tot has been awesome to have on the couch as a little nest that keeps him safe from rambunctious six-year-olds and drooling dog, but I can’t say he really loves it. He’s happy in it for about 15-20 minutes after nursing or while he’s alert. I’m glad we have it though because it prefer it to an on-the-floor bouncy seat.

We’ve been doing a ton of baby wearing. I posted on Instagram about the Solly baby wrap and many of you swore by it. My friend Tricia dropped hers off on my doorstep the next day! I like it a lot more than my Boba because the fabric is SO soft and thin and it’s not quite as stretchy as the Boba. Thomas likes it too!

Our first night home Thomas basically sat up all night holding B in an armchair skin-to-skin alternating with me nursing. Birch was not happy with any flat-on-the-back sleeping situation, including his Halo Bassinet. The following night we brought up the old rock n play that I found a few weeks ago under a bed (thankfully!) and had a MUCH better time. (I consulted with our pediatrician at our Friday appointment and she said it’s fine for newborn use but to try to transition to the bassinet periodically until he likes it. I caved and bought the newborn insert for the Halo and that is coming today, so I will report back on if he likes that too. I’d love to have him in the Halo so he’s at a good height next to my bed.

I’ve actually been getting up and sitting in the arm chair in our room to nurse. I find it’s easier to hold him with My Breast Friend (<– a must have!) in a chair with arms than in my bed, even if it means getting up. I put a robe over my shoulders and a blanket in my lap and we are quite cozy! I often have a snack and text with other moms. I actually look forward to these middle of the night sessions. It’s the soothing back to sleep part that I dread a little (thankfully Thomas has been helping with that!)

Lastly, we also tried the Ollie swaddle that my sister bought us on night two and LOVE it. It’s so simple to put on, and I love the thick fabric. Birch seems to like it too, and while he has managed to get his little hand out once or twice, I think those times we just didn’t get it quite snug enough. I am thinking of getting a second one and sticking to using it for the long term. The big swaddle blankets are great, but I can put on the Ollie in about 2 seconds and those seconds are precious when baby is crying.

On Activity

^^Our first stroller walk around the block!

KERF’s gonna be heavy in the baby department for a while, but I promise I do intend to get back into food + fitness eventually. I am emotionally and limb-ready to get out there and go for a run, but my core and pelvic floor are no where near ready to do anything but walk around the block. I met up with Carly and Erica who also just had babies for a quick walk in the neighborhood. It felt so great to get outside, but after about 30 minutes I could tell that my abs and other areas were so weak that I had to spend the next hour on the couch resting! One day at a time.

5 days + 4 weeks  + 8 days

On Food

While I was in the hospital I was FAMISHED. I literally ate anything that was put in front of me – Poptarts (hadn’t had one in 20 years!), peanut butter crackers, mediocre hospital food. I ate a bowl of plain oatmeal topped with butter and proclaimed it the best bowl of oatmeal ever (haha).

Back at home I’m eating healthier, and my appetite is stabilizing. Our neighbors brought us the best box of breakfast goodies from Albemarle Baking Company. That muffin was the bomb! (Do people still say that?!)

Thomas and I ate rotisserie chicken two nights in a row with some sides from the Whole Foods hot bar, and now that my parents are here we have an assortment of options. Mom brought mac and cheese and chili and Thomas smoked a pork shoulder yesterday.

Mom’s apple crisp!

On Brothers

Gussie and Mazen are adjusting to their new brother nicely. Mazen is warming up day by day and takes a break from playing to run by to touch Birch’s head or give him a kiss. I’m usually yelling “hand sanitizer!!!” in the process because he’s also been playing well with the neighbors and the dirt outside! There’s only so much germ-coptering I can do though.

We gave B his first sponge bath and Mazen was a great helper with the washcloths. He did some washing too. He has zero interest in diaper changes though : )

That’s about all I have time to report on now. I’m hoping to work on Birch’s birth story in the next few days! I’d also love to share some of the must-haves I’ve loved postpartum this time around. All in good time 🙂

Finally, can someone recommend a really good de-puffing eye cream? I don’t feel as tired as my eyes look but they are so puffy! I used to have an amazing kind about 10 years ago but I don’t remember the name!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  8. omg he is so adorable!!!! K is transitioning to dbeing able to sleep 2-4 hours on his back sporadically usually from 2-7 (with one feeding in between) I’m still going to look into. Rock and play though just in case! Can’t wait to hear how the newborn insert goes!

    Reply

  9. For puffy eyes:

    Real (not herbal) tea bags after soaking and cucumber skin….just rub peels around eyes and actually on entire face.

    My mom did this all the time and her skin was gorgeous! Feels good too (:

    Reply

  10. Hydrogel under-eye masks! I use e.l.f. and like it but if you’re looking to splurge I hear that the Estee Lauder and Peace Out brand ones are better.

    Reply

  12. Congrats on a healthy and cuuuuute baby B! I am totally ok with baby-centric posts for a while. The cuteness never fails to cheer me up! Also kudos to T for happily pitching in on the baby tasks. <3

    Reply

  18. Hi Kath! It’s Gwen from soccer! I wanted to let you know that I’ve been really enjoying your blog because I just had my first little one on October 18th (Russell Raleigh Schorling). It’s really helpful to hear how life with Birch is going for you. Hope you are enjoying the day!

    Reply

    • Hey Gwen! I saw you had him on Facebook – congrats!! Hope things are going well. We should get together, or perhaps meet up at one of the mom groups in town 🙂

      Reply

  23. Such a sweet baby he is, and Mazen looks in love.

    We loved the Boppy newborn lounger (not the standard boppy pillow) when my daughter was small, all the way up until she could sit on her own. It is curved and has a bit of an incline, so it seemed to cradle her just right for the first few months. It was gifted to us by some friends who swore by it for their little one. It will also fit great in a reading nook when she is a bit older, if its not being used by a younger sibling by then!

    https://www.amazon.com/Boppy-Newborn-Lounger-Elephant-Love/dp/B014A7MABU

    Reply

  26. I don’t remember the specific product but I got an eye gel from Mary Kay and the consultant suggested putting it in the frig for a nice cooling effect! I had a March baby so was struggling with no sleep and seasonal allergies so my eyes were a red, puffy mess!

    Reply

  28. Just a tip that I didn’t know when swaddling my own baby but learned from the nurses in the NICU where I work. Try swaddling Birch with his elbows bent and his hands out of the top of the swaddle. This will keep him snug and secure but with access to his hands to suck for self soothing. Babies sleep better when swaddled this way because they don’t fight to get their hands free.

    Reply

  29. Your face and your baby are gorgeous.

    Puffy eyes are, in your case, probably a result of fluid retention. DO NOT worry about buying anything new. You can literally put some ice cube on your eyes, and do some tapoltment massage around the eyes should do you good, as well as drinking fluids.

    Reply

  31. My daughter slept in her rock ‘n play for the first two months of her life and our pediatrician said it was totally fine! She eventually started sleeping on her back without an issue. And I know what you mean about feeling weak on your first walk! When we did our first short walk after my son was born in August, my low back and core felt SO weak. It was such a weird feeling. Was relieved when it didn’t last too long! My daughter is so well trained now that when we get home from preschool she immediately goes to wash her hands saying we need to clean our hands so we don’t make Kevin sick. Sooo cute 🙂

    Reply

  32. Congratulations on your sweet baby boy! Looks like you are all doing great and loving the newest addition to the family ??

    As for eye puffiness, I LOVE Joy?me skincare! It’s a simple two step product (3 pumps of the morning cream and 3 pumps of the night cream daily). The ingredients meet European standards which means the quality is superb! Joy?me replaces 7 other skincare products (exfoliator, toner, moisturizer, and much more). It’s the bomb ?

    Reply

  33. Hi Kath-
    Congrats on baby Birch! Love his unique name. I’d love to see a post on your name inspiration. I too, recently welcomed a new addition (our 4th child) to our family 10 weeks ago. Like Birch, my son was not having the Halo. What did help was putting the doc-a-tot in the halo in lieu of the newborn insert. Not only did he adjust to the Halo, because of this but I also love that I can simply use the doc-a-tot to aid us in transitioning to the crib, a pack-n-play for travel, etc… Lastly, in regards to eye creams, I’ve found that the organic natural creams I’m using now not very helpful. What I do swear by is a good concealer: aka Tarte ShapeTape. It’s a miracle worker! Congrats again on Birch!

    Reply

  34. Congratulations Kath, Thomas and Mazen! What a beautiful addition to the fam. Wishing you all the best in both absorbing the joy and the fatigue that comes with a newborn baby.

    Reply

  36. You honestly have the most beautiful skin and I think your eye puff looks like awesome new mom eyes 😉 They’ll get better. But seriously–what are you using skin-wise these days? Hugs to you and Baby B!

    Reply

  37. Birch is precious…so glad you all are doing well! I remember being FAMISHED in the hospital, too. Ours gave me a small menu and I could check what I wanted for breakfast. I checked every single box, including the oatmeal and a bagel and cream cheese. They were amazing! Ha!

    Reply

  38. My 5 month old did much better in the Halo bassinet once we broke down and got the insert. It’s totally overpriced and has some flaws, but seemed to do the trick. Hope Baby B likes it too!

    Reply

    • I got it. I don’t know why I thought it was more of a hammock? The first time I tried he acted the same as he did in the regular Halo – grunting and then crying. I will try again in a week maybe? People swear by it on Amazon reviews!!

      Reply

  39. I love reading about baby Birch and seeing his pictures. Thomas looks out-of-this-world happy, and Mazen looks so proud. I love seeing Birch snuggled up with you. I’m aching to hold him, but we know that’s not going to happen in this world.

    Reply

  40. Thank you so much for these posts. I’m having my first baby in January and really appreciate all the real-time advice, product dos and don’ts and realistic expectations for my first few weeks. I’m super happy for you & your family!

    Reply

  41. Beautycounter for puffy eyes! I like the Rejuvenating eye cream… the caffeine in it helps with my “mom eyes’– and, everything is totally safe. If you want a sample, let me know- I’ll send from Richmond!

    Reply

  43. I’ve been bedsharing with my 12 week old since she was born and it’s a revelation. Zero crying at night and the sweetest cuddles. There is a lot of evidence that the incidents of smothering that we all fear are actually associated with alcohol and drug abuse. Have you read much about it? Here’s an interesting article for anyone who is struggling to get baby to sleep in a separate bed: http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-levine-cosleeping-bedsharing-global-20160916-snap-story.html

    Reply

  44. Congrats on your sweet baby boy! He’s so adorable! And the fall trees behind Mazen in that picture- wow!!! It’s so beautiful where you live! Enjoy the cozy baby snuggles. 🙂

    Reply

  45. Congratulations! Clinique eye depuffer stuff is awesome. Ps. I get it totally. However, I think you are looking super amazing.

    Reply

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