Am I the only one that associates Labor Day with the Labor Day sales? It’s the first thing that I think of! Anything with sales and a long weekend and I’m a fan!!
My tiger motif obsession is truly out of control, but this one is under $50 so I couldn’t resist. Bonus: it’s from ASOS and they are having 20% off full priced items for the Labor Day Sales! I’ve also been wearing these black high-waisted pants non stop. They are flattering and strechy.
Which Labor Day Sales I’m Shopping
* ASOS – Use code “LABORYAY” for 20% off all full price items.
* EXPRESS – 40% off EVERYTHING. No joke. Stock up!!!
Fall is coming! Fall fashion is my absolute favorite. I love to layer, and nothing beats a good live in sweater. You know, the kind you wear day after day in a row? (Or is that just me?!) This mustard-ish color in the sweater and tank is really hot for fall this season. This tiger tie front shirt is so soft and on sale for $27! (I sized up to a large so that it wouldn’t fit like a crop top. This mama isn’t quite ready to be baring my belly.) These studded booties are my favorite fall investment piece so far. The block heel makes them comfortable and easy to wear for day and night. They are neutral enough to go with everything, but also have that little something “extra.”
Fall fashion isn’t the only thing I love about this season. I’m ready for the crisp air, all things apple and pumpkin, and dressing the boy’s up in Halloween costumes! Who is with me? I’m hoping to enjoy one more summer weekend for labor day, but after that I’m jumping on the fall train. We will be outside as much as possible. Nashville has lots of great things to do in the fall. Cheekwood has one of the most impressive pumpkin patches as well as thousands of mums. They have food trucks and a beer garden with live music on the weekends. I can’t wait to take the boys there and snap some adorable shots of them.
What do ya’ll do for family fun during the fall? Love hearing ideas of fun family traditions we can start. Now I’m off to go brainstorm/Pinterest family of four Halloween costume ideas!
Real talk… getting myself and the boys ready for this picture and packed in the car to meet Trey and my friend/photographer might have been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. It took hours of planning, packing their diaper bags, sippie cups/snacks, change of clothes, loading the car. Then waiting till G napped to rush in the shower and attempt to do my make up. Then getting each of them ready without the other one crying, etc. Whew. I’m exhausted just thinking about it again.
Once we got there G decided he wanted nothing to do with picture taking that day. Par for the course. He normally is so sweet and cooperative. Not this time! Baby tantrum. He only wanted to play with a puppy he spotted from afar and eat dirt/throw sticks.
My original idea for this post was tips on taking family photos, because I do get asked that a lot. However, given the train wreck that was my children during these, I decided to stick to some tips on coordinating outfits. At least I got that part down!
How to Coordinate Family Photo Outfits (without looking cheesy)
1. Everyone does NOT have to match perfectly. (I know every family has done the all white beach pics, but we don’t need to all match. Keyword here is coordinate.
2. Make sure and choose a fairly neutral backdrop. You don’t want something super bold in the background to steal the show, or compete with anything else in the shot.
3. Don’t be scared of a little print. (However, no ones prints should match exactly.)
4. If you are unsure, stay in the neutral family. (Grey, black, white, tan, denim, etc.) They can all be mismatched easily.
5. Pick one persons look to start. (I knew I wanted to wear this dress. Even though it is orange, there are white, tan, grey, and sage colors in it as well. I pulled those colors for the boys!)
6. Don’t pick anything overly “trendy.” Fashions and trends are constantly changing, there is no way around that. However, if you want something that stands the test of time don’t go head to toe trendy fashion on every family member.
One of my favorite fall trends is mixing prints. This bomber jacket is under $40 and can be paired with so many different things this season. I partnered it with this polka dot blouse (under $25!) and wore the ruffle cuff longer than the jacket length to add interest. It would also look great over a dress worn buttoned up, or over a graphic t-shirt and some leggings with sneakers. These studded booties sold out so fast during the Nordstrom sale, but they are back fully stocked in all sizes and worth the $$. The block heel makes them wearable for everyday, and they add so much to a look. I love adding some texture to an outfit. The weather has yet to cooperate with my fall loving self just yet. It hasn’t stopped me from rocking fall trends already! I’m so very ready for sweater weather, and to be able to take the babies outside for longer periods of time.
It was Wilder’s one month birthday yesterday, and I took him along to try out the new Cafe Roze in East Nashville. The interior decor is adorable, and they make a mean iced latte. (AKA mom fuel.) This past month has been a complete whirlwind, and we are still adjusting to the major lack of sleep. I’m literally surviving on coffee. Speaking of, I’m working on a post with all of my favorite coffee shops in Nashville. There are so many great ones. (From a self-proclaimed connoisseur, of course…)
The Nashville Guide has so graciously let me take over their social media channels today so that I could share some of my favorite local hot spots. I’d love for you to give them a follow and check it out!
This t-shirt dress has been my go-to post baby look. It’s so easy to throw on and go!
We are down at the beach soaking in some family time with the boy’s and their grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and some of our good friends. I was wearing this dress out and about running errands to get ready to come down here and I’ve also been using it as a cover up now that we’ve arrived here.
Packing for a 9 day trip with 2 babies under 2 is no easy task. We decided to fly so I had to really plan out the suitcase situation, and be mindful of space. (Rolling up their clothes really does save a ton of room!) There were so many bottles, toys, clothes, swim gear, etc. I didn’t have much time to pack for myself (or much room.) I stuck with easy pieces like this dress, jean shorts, tank tops, etc. One of the best parts about heading down to the beach is how laid back the days are. I have yet to wear any eye makeup or heels of any sort.
I hope everyone had a great week. I’ll be sharing lots of beach pics soon!
P.S. Check out this other post with another one of my favorite graphic tank dresses HERE.
Being a mom to a new baby is mentally, physically and emotionally exhausting. One of the main reasons for this is adjusting to a newborn sleep schedule. (Or should we say lack there of.) Not only do you need to wake up baby to feed every couple of hours, but also to every little sound they make.
I held George to sleep for every single nap, and throughout the night. (Yes, I know this is horrible.) I was able to do nothing else during the day when Trey wasn’t home. Having a one year old this time around, this simply wasn’t possible to repeat with Wilder. (I also wised up and realized it truly wasn’t in his best interest either.) I did tons of research on best sleeping habits with a newborn and swore I wouldn’t make the same newborn sleep mistakes twice.
First, we got an owlet smart sock and baby monitor. As a parent, the constant worry about the wellbeing your baby is real. The owlet uses pulse oximetry to track your infant’s heart rate and oxygen levels and is designed to notify you if something appears to be wrong. Peace of mind is priceless, in my opinion. The fact that I can put this device on Wilder, and sleep better myself, is one of the greatest possible scenarios for a new mom. Their motto is “love more, worry less.” This has proven to be true when we are using the sock. If you need to get a gift for any family expecting, there isn’t a greater thing you could get them. These are changing lives, and saving mothers’ sanity. You can find more information on the logistics of how these socks work HERE.
I also added a Dockatot to my baby supply arsenal. We use this method during the day for naps when I am keeping a close eye on him, but can’t hold him. (NOTE: The Owlet is meant to be used in a crib with nothing else in it, and not in co-sleeping situations.) We make sure Wilder is full, burped, has a clean diaper and then we swaddle him. (Little Unicorn and Modern Burlap are both great swaddle brands.) This method has really worked for us so far. (Knock on wood!!)
Also, the first go around I didn’t want Georgie to wear any baby “gowns”. I thought they were too “girly”. This time around Wilder is in them every night. It makes it so much more accessible for late night diaper changes, and he doesn’t get as upset undressing him and having to get him dressed again. These organic gowns have been my favorites.
Very recently a friend tragically lost her baby to SIDS. It made this post so much more meaningful. I feel compelled to help spread the word about the Owlet Smart Sock and how they can empower parents with the right information at the right time. I do want to share and be clear that because the cause of SIDS is unknown, Owlet cannot and does not claim to prevent it. Jana has quickly made it her life mission to equip families with the owlet to provide parents peace of mind. Owlet has SO GRACIOUSLY offered to match the funds that she raises to provide the socks. It would mean so much to me if you would make a small donation to help raise awareness and provide these to sweet moms who can’t financially manage to purchase one on their own.
You can read more about her story, her son’s legacy and how you can help HERE.
Thanks to Owlet for sending this product for review. All thoughts are my own.
Fall is right around the corner and I’m more than ready for the fall outfits! Ya’ll know I’m such a sucker for a graphic tee! I replaced the tigers I’ve been obsessing over with this cute snake tank. If you follow me on Instagram you might have noticed I’ve been wearing this striped cardigan pretty much everyday. It’s comfy and easy. Perfect for mom life. These jeans were one of my favorite purchases from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. (P.S. The sale is winding down… shop the new fall items now before prices go back up!) You can check out my favorites HERE. I stocked up on lots of great fall items and can’t wait to style fall outfits after this heat wave passes.
Ok, so now on to a “mom life” update. Holy heck it’s hard. Thankfully, my mom and Trey’s mom both took turns staying with us to help the first few days. So “real life” just truly kicked in. No moms, Trey’s back at work, and it’s just me responsible for two babies everyday. I’m pretty much saving G’s life 10 times a day. He’s constantly trying to jump off the couch, open the door to run outside, jump down the stairs, etc. That in itself was exhausting enough, but adding a newborn who feeds every hour to the mix, and things are pretty crazy around here.
Whenever it gets to be too much (which it does hourly) I try to take a deep breath and realize that they will only be babies for such a short period of time. One day soon they won’t truly need me anymore, and I will be wishing for this time back. That helps me put things into perspective and make it through until help arrives. HA! I’m SO grateful that Trey has been able to really help and go in late or come home early from work. These first few weeks are so important to bond with your baby, and it’s awesome that he has been able to have that precious time. It’s just as important for fathers as it is for the mothers. (IMO.)
My mother in law had two babies 13 months apart, and she always would tell me it’s best to be mentally prepared. I knew what I was getting myself into, but you don’t really know until you are “in it.”
I did not have high hopes for Georgie in the big brother department. I truly thought that he would have such a hard time sharing the spotlight. However, he has truly proved me wrong. He was acting out right before Wilder was born, but he’s been so sweet since he’s been home. Anytime visitors come he takes their hand and leads them to Wilder and points to him. He brings him blankets and pacifiers. If anyone is getting too loud he puts his little finger to his lips and says “shh.” He’s even brought him the remote control when he was crying, because hey what man doesn’t need a remote when he’s sad. It makes me so proud of him, and happy to see the innate love and protective spirit he has for him. As hard as it is having two babies it makes it seem worth it that they will be best friends.
We’ve been wanting to add some outdoor living space to our home for awhile now. I found this Safavieh daybed and it gave me the push to get it going! We added on a deck and are slowly adding furniture and decorating. I wanted to keep the look neutral since we plan on moving soon. These pieces will look great in any space. We needed a rug for G to play on, and I was able to find this braided outdoor rug at a great price. It’s adds some texture to the space. These throw pillows added some interest with the mixed prints, staying in that neutral theme.
I’m planning on adding a sectional to the other side or a table that we could utilize when the temperatures cool down. Their is also a bar that I’m eyeing that would be great for entertaining. Can’t wait to show ya’ll more as it all comes together.
With the addition of Wilder to our family, we will be spending more time at home. This gave us some additional space for George to play and us to sit outside at night with the boy’s to get some fresh air. G got a bubble machine for his birthday and he’s had so much fun playing with bubbles and his toy’s at night.
We’ve been trying to take G out and do something special with him everyday since Wilder was born. Trey will be going back to work soon, and our mom’s will be going back home as well. When that happens this outdoor living space will be our little oasis to get him out of the house and in some sunshine and fresh air. It’s easy to go stir crazy sitting inside all day! I’m GREATLY looking forward for some fall weather, and this space will be even more perfect when that time finally comes!
Towards the end of my pregnancy the only thing that fit were leggings. Even in the hottest southern July heat, I wasn’t really able to wear any normal summer outfits. It feels so good to be able to throw on a pair of jean shorts, and have them button! As a now mom of two, I really don’t feel comfortable in super short shorts. I am such a fan of one teaspoon, but they tend to run really short. I was so happy to find a pair that were a bit longer. They are even longer in the back than the front which is extra flattering. You can find them HERE. I purchased this blouse while I was still pregnant as a pick me up. It really is so beautiful!! It’s very light weight so it can be worn this summer, and will transition to fall really well. I paired it with these neutral booties which I think are the most underrated item on the NORDSTROM SALE. Also, this handbag I’ve been carrying non stop is also on mega sale!!! It’s perfect with summer outfits, but can be carried all year long.
Today I got out of the house for an hour or so for the first time since Wilder was born. I get stir crazy very easily, and it felt good to grab a quick coffee with a friend and pick up some flowers to bring some “happy” to our house. I forgot what it’s like to live on the “feeding time clock.” There is a saying, “the months go by fast, but the days go by slow.” This is so true with a newborn. The sleepless nights make the days drag on, but before I know it Wilder will be G’s age!
I don’t like to miss a single minute of newborn snuggles while he is awake, so I tried to just get out for a minute while he was napping and home with Trey. Personally, I think it’s important to still take a few moments for yourself. It’s so easy to fall into the “post baby blues.” Postpartum depression is a very serious issue. If getting out for just a bit boosts your moral…than do it!!
It can be very challenging to not only live on the “feeding time clock” at night, but during the day as well. It’s almost maddening at times to feel like you have to squeeze everything you need to do in those precious few minutes in between feedings. (Wilder has been cluster feeding and eating every hour to hour and a half so far.) Here are a few ways that I was able to make it seem a little less daunting with Georgie that I will put into practice with Wilder as well.
Ways To Beat The Feeding Time Clock
* Wear Your Baby– This is a great way to not only bond with your baby, but also be hands free to do things that you may need to do. For me, I can have my hands free to play with G while also being close to Wilder.
* Have A Routine, But Don’t be Clock Driven – If you watch the clock, and attempt to feed at an exact time it can be extremely frustrating to get “off schedule.” I’ve found it better to look for Wilder’s sleep and feeding “cues.” I shape the routine around his needs. If you haven’t read The Baby Whisperer, it’s highly recommended.
* Get Some Fresh Air – Staying inside day after day can really get depressing. Something as simple as going outside to get a little fresh air can really brighten your day. We just got a little outdoor area, and I’ve been going out in their in the evenings when it cools off to blow bubbles with Georgie, and just let Wilder breathe in some fresh air and get a little sunlight. (For very short time periods since it’s so hot..)
* Save Some Time for your Spouse– It’s so easy to get agitated when you are sleep deprived, and the first person you tend to take it out on is your spouse. Now more than ever is the time to connect and work as a team. You can really use it to your benefit to strengthen your relationship if you stay on the same “team” and work together. We have been waiting to eat until both boys are asleep, and watching one little show together. Just that little bit of time can keep us on the same page.
* Have a Little “ME” Time – Even if it’s as simple as running to the grocery store or grabbing a coffee by yourself. It’s so easy to completely loose yourself during this time. While part of becoming a parent is putting your newborns life before your own, it’s still important to do small things for yourself. A happy mom is a better mom.
* Don’t Be Too Hard on Yourself– It’s easy to want to hurry to get your post baby body back, want to keep the house up, work, etc. Give yourself time and don’t be too hard on yourself. All the laundry won’t get done. The house will most likely be a mess, and food is whatever is most convenient. BUT…. newborn snuggles are irreplaceable. This time goes by so fast! (Saying this one as a major reminder to myself.)
Well I wrote this whole post one handed while holding Wilder in the other. I consider that a new hidden talent. Got to get back to these sweet baby snuggles…
We are SO happy to introduce Wilder and share his birth story! As many books as you read, tid bits of advice people send your way, preparations you make, there is nothing that can truly prepare you for the arrival of a new baby.
I had a little bit of deja vu when it came to delivery time, because I felt like I had just done this. I’m grateful that I was able to have two healthy pregnancies. I’m equally grateful he is in my arms and I’m no longer pregnant! I’ve spent 19 of the last 24 months pregnant, and that is NOT easy.
Georgie had IUGR and throughout the entire pregnancy Wilder was also measuring small. The doctor thought that he might have it too, and we were prepared to deliver him at 37 weeks (same as G). However, towards the end of the pregnancy he started showing major improvements in his growth. I ended up making it to the 39 week 4 day mark.
My doctor elected for an induced labor, because of my rib pain. We were planning on inducing right at the 39th week, but my doctor was out of town.
It’s always a strange feeling knowing the exact time and day you are going in to have a baby. It’s so strange to have on your calendar “5am have a baby.” I truly liked it, because I was able to have everything planned. The day before we had him I spent tons of quality time with G, and crossed all my t’s and dot my i’s with packing, having the house prepped, food prep, etc.
The night before we were scheduled to go in I couldn’t sleep at all. My nerves got the best of me. I really wasn’t too anxious about the pain or the actual labor, but the fact of bringing home a newborn with a 14 month old. Now that’s terrifying! By about 3 am I just stood up and started pacing around for about an hour until it was time to get ready to go. We got there so early that we walked up to the doors and they were still closed. Needless to say at 4:59 am we walked back up, and were the first people there. They got me straight up to the room, but from there it was a lot of sit around and wait.
They started my pitocin drip around 6:45 a.m. I went in at about 2cm’s dilated. I chose to not get the epidural at first so that I would be able to get up and walk around to help progress labor. I started doing hundreds of squats. No joke. Every five minutes I did 30 squats, and I did that for almost 2 hours. It helped me keep my mind off of everything.
Trying to keep this the abridged version without to many gory details… After a few hours of this, the doctor came in and broke my water. Things went from fairly uneventful to extreme so quickly. My contractions got so intense so fast that I could barely stay still enough to receive the epidural. (I was having back labor…so it was extremely painful!) I had jumped to 8 cm. So I was so glad to have that magic little shot!
After the epidural, I was able to relax, and even fell asleep. The very next time that the nurse came in I was at a 10. HOWEVER, he was still up pretty high, and the doc was delivering another baby so they had me wait a little while longer to push.
The pushing process started at about 3 pm. They told me that they thought he would be a “one push baby”. We quickly learned that would not be the case… He was “face up”. (G was this way as well.) They even had me break after pushing. The doctor went and delivered yet another baby, and they put me in the “pretzel.” It’s pretty much what it sounds like… Yikes. After hearing what seemed like the fifth baby chime come over the hospital speakers, it was our turn!
There is nothing in the world like seeing your sweet baby for the first time. A love that is truly indescribable! Those sweet first cries completely overwhelm you with emotion.
Our parents, and some of our siblings and nieces and nephews were all able to come in and meet sweet Wilder. No one knew the name, so it was fun for everyone to see the sign on the door for the first time!
The first visitor was Georgie! He wasn’t very interested at first, but has been sweet since we have brought him home.
I know it’s cliche to say, but we are very, VERY blessed. Tired but happy at the Wilson household.
