how time flies

If there’s one thing I learned when we announced we were expecting, it’s that parents of all kinds will give the most enthusiastic congratulations upon receiving the news. You know what? I get it now.

When I hear a friend say they lost a baby or an adoption fell through, my heart breaks for them. When I hear a friend is pregnant or the adoption papers are official, I rejoice with them. I want to dole out hugs to my entire network because this whole motherhood thing is just as life-changing as you all told me it would be. 

The first twelve weeks were extremely stretching and I only felt half alive, but then the clouds opened up and started pouring down baby smiles and longer stretches of sleep, and I was able to wake up and see what a miraculous blessing our daughter really is. Now she’s 7.5 months old, full of giggles and curiosity, and I can’t resist hugging and kissing her pretty much any chance I get. I love watching her grow and develop, seeing what discovery she’ll make next. I look back at her infancy through rose-colored glasses and stare fondly at cuddly, sleepy newborns as my own daughter wiggles + kicks in my arms. I can hardly watch or read anything with children in it without getting teary because I see everything now in light of my own child. All those cliches about being a mom...I get it now.

So here’s to all the mothers [+ fathers] out there: to the new, *congratulations* on the transforming journey you’ve begun; to those who’ve been at this for years, *thank you* for the encouragement you give to newbies. 

make-ahead baked oatmeal

What does your breakfast routine look like? Mine used to involve measuring some quick cook oatmeal in a bowl, topping it with walnuts, cranberries, chia, maybe even peanut butter, stirring in some boiling water, then eating with milk. I thought I had it made. Quick, easy, healthy: what's not to love?

Then I had a baby. Suddenly, adding multiple things into a bowl seems complex - after all, she's usually in one arm, trying to grab everything from my free hand, or she's [not so] patiently waiting for her own bottle breakfast. So we're back to cold cereal? Or those oatmeal packets? Not so!

Make ahead meals are my new favorite thing in the kitchen. When C is sleeping or happily playing by herself, I measure + mix, then freeze or bake for future enjoyment. Since breakfast is one of my favorite meals [also the most important!], this is my current favorite recipe.

Filled with fiber and protein, [re]heat up a slice of this baked oatmeal, and you'll be set for the rest of your morning. So long cold cereal and packets!

Make-Ahead Baked Oatmeal

4 eggs

2 c. milk

1/2 c. brown sugar (loose, not packed)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

4 c. old fashioned oatmeal

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 c. chia seeds

1 c. shredded zucchini

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 7x12 pan [or other 2 quart baking dish]

2. Whisk together eggs, milk, brown sugar, and vanilla.

3. Stir in oatmeal, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, chia, and zucchini.

4. Pour in prepared pan.

5. Bake for 45 minutes.

6. Cool slightly, cut into 8 rectangles, and enjoy!

Nutrition Info

taken from my fitness pal

Calories: 319, Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 89.8mg, Sodium: 218.5mg, Potassium: 287.1mg, Carbs: 48.9g, Dietary Fiber: 8g, Sugars: 17.5g, Protein: 11.9g, Vitamin A: 37.7%, Vitamin C: 5.9%, Calcium: 18.4%, Iron: 20.4%

baby monogram

Back in the day when we were still expecting and the name was top secret, I did very well at keeping my mouth shut. It came as quite the shock, then, when my coworkers were asking me questions about the nursery room that I almost let a *big* hint slip. You see, while my lips were sealed, I forgot that hands can speak, too [particularly mine - watch out when I tell a story]!

Descriptions of curtains, shelving, and wall decor were willingly shared, hands flailing as I described this and that. Excitedly, I described how I wanted to create a monogram to hang on the wall - and that's when I almost slipped. Just as my index finger flew into the air and started to swing in a C-shaped flourish, I caught myself with wide eyes [meaning I had to explain what I had almost done]. Fortunately, they weren't able to gather the letter I almost drew for them, so the name remained a secret. Phew.

This was a super easy DIY project, and it was created entirely of items I found around the house. It's quick, too, so totally doable while the baby naps. Win. 

Step 1: Sketch your letter on Styrofoam. You could print the letter really large in a font you like, but in the interest of time, I drew freehand.

Step 2: Use a knife to cut out along your lines.

Step 3: If you're re-purposing packaging Styrofoam, cut off dramatic outcroppings. 

Step 4: Sweep up those loose bits and gather your materials, because this is where it gets fun.

Step 5: Wrap it up! First wrap a base layer where the yarn is wrapped basically in line. You can stop there, of course, but it felt a little mummy-ish to me, so I added more texture with yarn wrapped in a crisscross fashion.

Step 6: Grab some ribbon you have lying in your craft drawer and hang that stylish monogram on the wall!

Now doesn't that sound easy and fun? Trust me, it is. What are you waiting for? Go make one for yourself!

christmas cookies

It wasn't so long ago that I would spend a day, maybe more, making Christmas cookies with my mom and siblings. There was a standard list of recipes that appeared only once a year. Oftentimes they required more effort than the usual cookies or bars, so it really took an entire day to make them. Christmas music would be played, the younger generation would lick beaters and spoons before relinquishing them to be washed, and Tupperwares would be filled with various confections, ushered away into cold hiding spaces where they would be preserved until Christmas parties required their presence.

It's a little different these days. To prevent my own waistline demise, I limit myself to 2, maybe 3, types of cookies. But which types? I can't use the cookies from my family's tradition, because it's no fun to bring more of the same to a family gathering. My grandmother no longer bakes, and since one of her signatures was Molasses Spritz cookies in the shape of an S [for the family monogram? for spritz? just an easy shape? I really don't know; I should maybe ask] with powdered sugar icing, I made an attempt at them. Next year hopefully I'm armed with her actual recipe and less water in my icing. One of my favorite treats is toffee, but making it has proved that it is truly my nemesis. The recipe I used this year involved saltine crackers and the oven...shouldn't that be too easy? Evidently not.

As I look at my meager baking, I wonder what our family baking tradition will be. What recipes will I hold dear? What treats will our children feel constitute Christmas? Will I ever be successful at making toffee? How did our parents arrive at their standard recipe lists?

On a completely separate note, I ponder how we will instill the truth of Christmas in our children in the midst of its cultural context. It probably won't happen with flour and sugar, but perhaps it could happen in conversations over a mixing bowl. What a day that will be!

a birth tale

"Oh, hello there. My name is C, and I decided to inhabit my nursery after all! I held off for 8 days past my mom's due date, and I've been keeping her on her toes ever since."

It may be cliche to blame a baby for not posting on your blog...but here I am, blaming her. Where I once lived a life of great efficiency and productivity, my goals are now limited to one a day. Well, one goal + one nap. Conquer those amidst feeding, rocking, and diaper changes, and my day pre-husband-arriving-home-from-work is pretty much used up. 

But today, on her 6 week birthday, I decided it's time to share my birth story.

As someone who doesn't like to take pain killers for her headaches, I wanted to have a natural birth. After talking to other moms and getting recommendations, we decided to pursue care at a midwife clinic, give birth in a tub, and attend Bradley classes to prepare. Great decisions, all of them.

The day before she was born, I was at the clinic for my 41 week check-up. At that point, I was dilated to a 3 and everything looked good...if only that baby would come. We had a feeling that she might make her appearance soon, so my husband and I took the opportunity to go on a date to a Thai restaurant, where I of course ordered spicy food. 

My stomach felt tight all night, so once more, I went to sleep wondering if this was really it - could I really be going into labor? At 1 a.m., I woke up with a contraction. Knowing I would need the energy for pushing, I stayed in bed and tried to relax and sleep as much as possible, despite the contractions holding steady at 8-10 minutes apart. When the alarm went off at 6:30, I immediately turned to my husband and told him, "I think this is it!"

As soon as we started to move around and get dressed, the contractions became even stronger. After a few calls to the midwife, some oatmeal breakfast, and an attempted bath, it was official: time to go to the hospital. After 20 minutes or so of electronic fetal monitoring, they checked me and found I was dilated to a 7. Time to fill the tub! 

Once the midwife arrived, I walked across the hall to the tub, shivering and shaking the whole way. The water was such a relief. It warmly encased me and eased any gravitational pressure or discomfort so I could really focus on relaxing through the contractions. They continued strong, and I kept trying different positions to maintain comfort without slowing labor. When the urge to push came, it really took me by surprise. Then, although it didn't feel like it, I pushed for 1 hour, 40 minutes under the gentle coaching of my midwife and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl with a head full of blonde hair [only 4 hours after arriving at the hospital!].

And so began the complete, utterly radical changing of our lives forever.

nursery tour

The phrase may be "if you build it, they will come," but our baby's not paying attention to that. As of right now, she's overdue by 4 days and showing no signs of remorse. I'm still comfortable (maybe too comfortable...), just dealing with nightly sleep that seems to come in 2 hour increments at most. Guess my body is just preparing me for our daughter's contribution to that scenario?

Or maybe she just wanted to give me time to show off her nursery photos. So let's do this!

The vinyl branch and birds are from Etsy seller Vinyltastic. She was an awesome seller to work with; if you're in the market for vinyl, seriously check out her store! I wanted to pair fabric-covered leaves with a vinyl branch, and she kindly created a custom listing that allowed me to do just that. The birds were icing on the cake!

In order to fit a shelf and its essential storage, we had to remove a mirrored bi-fold closet door. Replacing it was a breeze with an IKEA curtain and tension rod. I used the other panel in the package to make a matching curtain and crib skirt. 

One of our friends gifted us with this quilted art - isn't it cute? She's a crafty lady, that one. Now we just need to find some complementary pieces to fill out that wall.

My favorite square in this shelf is the one filled with books. I can't wait to have our daughter snuggled in my lap while we read together. Next to that is a bin of toys, which is second favorite. How can you not love all those squeezably soft friends? 

So, baby, what do you say? Are you ready to inhabit this space?

accessories for baby

Earlier this summer, I entered a giveaway over at Sandy A La Mode and actually *won*! The prize was store credit to Etty and Amelia, an Etsy shop filled with adorable hair accessories for all the girlies in your life. There happen to be a great many of those in mine, considering my three nieces plus our own future daughter, so I was a kid in a candy shop looking through her treasures!

In the end, I chose the four at the top of the photo above. The purple is sized for newborn, the cream is sized for 3-6 months, the yellow is sized for 6-12 months, and the coral + sparklies is for little ol' me. How could I resist?

Not long after these came in the mail, a lovely friend of mine (Mikalah of Posy the Porcelain Pig) stopped by to deliver a baby present. Since she's expecting her own bundle of girly joy any day now, she whipped up a couple headbands for ours! Those are the dainty flowered headbands at the bottom.

The day of her arrival is coming soon - so while I'll still try to keep my post subject matter a little varied, you can expect at least some gratuitous baby photos featuring our daughter in these headbands. You've been warned.