Love at the Laundromat

Quite a long time ago, Landon and I did a fun photoshoot for Satie Marie Photography at the laundromat. We just got the photos back and Satie outdid herself again! It was such a fun time hanging out at the laundromat and try our hand at modeling. We definitely had our share of awkward photos haha since neither of us are very comfortable in front of the camera but as always, Satie's talent worked wonders.  These days most of our photos are all baby or one of us with the babe so it was so fun to see some photos of the two of us. Gosh I love my husband. Isn't he handsome?

These next two photos might just be my favorite photos of us ever. 

I Love The Temple

I came across this photo while doing some late night blog edits. It made me smile remembering when we were just 3 months married.

I'm so grateful that because of Temples, we are married for all eternity.

My Favorite Things: Baby Registry

I remember feeling like pregnancy would last forever and we would have plenty of time to prepare, but like all the best things in life the time just flew by! Pretty soon we were six months pregnant and I really needed to get ourselves ready to bring a baby home. 

When it came to buying baby things, I was definitely a minimalist and since we still live in a small space I thought it best to start off with the essentials and then expand further down the road once we knew what we would need. So much of baby product decisions depends on what your baby is like and how you want to parent, which I found really hard to completely know until we had our baby home with us. But in order to get an idea of our needs, I spent a lot of hours researching all the best baby products and baby registry lists and thought I would share my findings. Hopefully this helps soon to be mommas with their baby shopping. I won't go through our entire registry, but a few of our favorite things and what we found we can't live without. It's way too much information, but hopefully it's helpful!

***Please note, these products are what have worked well for us. Every parenting style, child preference, and life circumstances are different and may produce different opinions about these products.***

1. Solly Baby Wrap - I'm in love with this baby carrier. One of the hardest adjustments to motherhood was learning how to balance wanting to be holding my son and also needing to get things done. This wrap lets you do both! It's perfect for around the house, grocery shopping, walks and outings. There are several different kinds of wraps and we actually tried 3 of them (Baby K'tan, Moby Wrap and Solly Baby Wrap) and this was our favorite since it had everything missing in the other two wraps plus some special details. (Recommended by Love Taza here)

* made of Austrian beechwood trees so the fabric is soft, lightweight, breathable and strong 

* thinner design makes it easy to pack (even folds into itself fitting  into a little pouch at the end of the fabric) and much more comfortable to wear (doesn't bulk around your belly)

* built in pocket to hold keys or pacifier 

* really feels secure, which offers you a truly hands free experience without any worry 

* one size fits all (some wraps don't fit both parents)

* beautiful, fun color selection 

2. NoseFrida - to get out all those baby boogers

* works without inserting anything into the nasal passage which can could damage to their nostrils (with a wiggly baby this is a must. I was so terrified of hurting our son's nose when fought us using a nasal syringe)

* our baby loves the suck feeling and smiles the whole time while holding still 

* it works so efficiently and quickly

3. Comotomo Bottle

* wide neck and nipple base made for breastfeeding babies to avoid nipple confusion

* squeezable silicone base designed to mimic mother's skin

* doesn't leak

* modern look

* BPA, PVC and Phthalate free

4. Pampers Swaddlers Diapers - so these diapers are both great and not so great. They are the favorite of hospitals and lots of moms because they are absorbent, practically leak proof and have a wetness indicator. But the mesh on the inside frequently stuck to our boy's skin and I was concerned it hurt him when we had to remove it (the Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive Diapers were even worse). I also was not in love with the waist band. It was rough feeling and hard to get it tight enough to not cause a blow out without giving him red marks on his legs. That being said, 

***we never had a single blow out in those diapers.***

Recently, we just tried Huggies Little Snugglers diapers that were gifted to us and they are wonderful so far. The waist band is so soft and stretchy so we can get the fit tight without restricting his movement or creating red marks on his legs. The inside absorbent layer is so soft too and doesn't stick to him at all. And they do have a wetness indicator. I am concerned though that they are a bit loose around his legs which might lead to blow outs. We will have to see. 

5. Summer Infant Bath Sponge (Recommended by Cupcakes & Cashmere here)

* fits in any shower or tub. it also sits on a counter if you are doing a washcloth rather than immersion bath. The Puj is a great baby bath and is small to store but didn't fit in any of our sinks with the types of faucets they had.

* soft for baby when bathing and supportive. not slippery

* super easy to store if you are living in a small space

* cost: $5.99 (on Amazon)

6. Burt's Bees Mama Bee Body Oil - I was very surprised and impressed by this product. I got the typical skinny girl stretch marks when I grew so I thought for sure I would get them on my baby belly. I put this on every single morning and night of my pregnancy in the hopes that it would at least help decrease the amount or severity of them. Well because of this oil

***I actually didn't get a single stretch mark!*** 

I still can't believe it! This has Almond Oil in it which I later read in Bringing Up Bebe that Almond Oil is the french secret prescribed by Dermatologists to keep the stretch marks away. It has a great lemon sent too! (Recommended by Love Taza here)

7. Baby Bjorn One Carrier - There was really just one main reason I chose this carrier over the Ergo and that is that 

***you can put the baby on your back securely and without any help*** 

I really wanted a carrier that worked 360, but being alone with my child during the day, I needed to be able to utilize the carrier to it's full capacity without any help. Other great aspects about this carrier are it has a mesh material option for hot summer months, the clips are very secure and easy to work, ergodynamic for both baby and you (Baby Bjorn works with pediatricians, child psychologists and midwives on the safety of their designs for baby's hip, body and mind development), it has a stylish design and color choices and the fabrics are safe for baby's skin and to suck on. 

8. Halo Sleepsack Swaddle - This was our favorite sleepsack for one main reason, 

***the swaddle can be done with either the arms in or out.*** 

This was essential for our little boy because he absolutely hates having his arms restricted. He sleeps in a superman position with both arms up above his head. We were able to swaddle his whole body the first two days of his life and then all he wanted to do was break free! We would wake up to him squirming and grunting and trying with all his might to get his arms up. In order for us to give him the comfort he was looking for in a safe SIDS wary way we loved this swaddle. 

9. OXO Tot Bottle Brush - This is the popular bottle brush and it is fantastic. It's colorful, fits in every bottle and cleans every cranny, stands upright to keep it sanitary and has a smaller nipple brush included inside the stand. (Recommended by Love Taza here)

10. Nature Baby Organic Cotton Drawstring Booties (Recommended by Love Taza here)

* organic, soft, warm fabric

* stay on baby's feet even when they are kicking like crazy

* cute color choices

11. Layette Gowns - A lot of friends told us to stock up on these for middle of the night diaper changes and they were completely right! When you are so exhausted you can barely open your eyes, the last thing you want to be doing is snapping up a onsie. So definitely invest in a few gowns for bedtime. Our favorites were KicKee Pants because they are insanely soft. 

12. Mato & Hash Adjustable Hat - I knew i needed a simple lightweight baby hat to keep my little one warm in the house and outside in temperate weather so I grabbed this one. I love that it is adjustable so it can still fit him as his head grows and only costs $0.99. 

13. Fisher-Price Auto Rock n' Play Sleeper - This was one of the best purchases we made in preparing for our baby. We heard a lot of our friends swear by it that it got their little one to sleep when nothing else worked. So we gave it a try and in doing so learned it was amazing! Our boy had a bit of a spit up problem when he was born and so being able to put him on his back to sleep, but still upright really helped him to sleep longer and not spit up. The pediatrician also told us to keep him upright for 30 min after feedings and in the middle of the night I could barely stay awake during the feeding let alone hold him upright for 30 min afterwards. The rock and play did it for me! And it didn't hurt at all that it can rock automatically too! I was concerned that like sleeping in a car seat, sleeping in the rock and play might be dangerous too, but our pediatrician said that as long as the angle is no more than 30 degrees we don't have to worry about his head falling too far forward and inhibiting his breathing. Now that our boy is older, he sleeps in a crib, but we still use the rock and play so he can watch us as we do things around the house. 

14. Aden  & Anais Swaddle Blankets - These are the best blankets! They swaddle perfectly, are lightweight, can also be used as car seat covers and nursing covers, and are safe textiles for babies. The bamboo ones are even softer than the muslin ones! You'll want a few packages of these! 

15. Pampers Natural Clean Wipes - We loved these wipes in comparison to the Huggies Natural Care brand. They are so soft and have Aloe in them. They are also hypoallergenic and unscented. Our boy got diaper rashes when we used Huggies brand because they are more firm and dry, but never with the Pampers. I felt like the Pampers coated his skin with a little healing Aloe with every wipe and so kept his skin protected. 

16. Graco Snugride Car Seat - This car seat had very high ratings on Consumer Reports and other reliable sites which made it automatically a top contender when we were deliberating which one would be best. It won out because the carrier without the base only weighs 7.5 lbs. This is whole 1-2 lbs lighter than almost every other infant car seat. It was really important to me that if I was going to invest in an infant car seat rather than an all-in-one car seat that I would actually carry the baby around in it. If it were too heavy I knew I wouldn't want to.

Research Resources: Besides long chats with friends, product reviews, consumer reports, and new articles, I used four online sources I highly recommend. They continue to be my favorite blog resources for baby, product and parenting inspiration.

#1 Love Taza: Baby Essentials Guide & My Pregnancy Lifesavers

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#2 Cupcakes & Cashmere: Baby Products Design-Loving Parents Need

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#3 Mint Arrow: The Best Baby Registry List Ever

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#4 The Wise Baby: Comprehensive Product Reviews 

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Labor Tips from a Labor & Delivery Nurse

I wrote this post a day or two before I delivered our little boy but didn't get to posting it until now. At that time I was all nerves and butterflies for the big event and originally wrote the little intro below for the post. A little outdated now, but I thought it was sweet to look back on how I felt at that time so I decided to keep it in.

"I can't believe that I could deliver any day now! Part of me (the very uncomfortable part) is so ready for him to come and part of me (the fearful part) wishes the delivery day would never come. I thought with being a part of hundreds of births I wouldn't be as nervous as I am. I thought somehow I would be completely calm, in control and unafraid. But that is definitely not the case. A few weeks ago I was absolutely terrified! And then something happened this weekend. It finally sank in that the time to deliver is here and most of the fear turned into great excitement! Instead of imagining what the pain will be like, I imaging my boy's little toes. Instead of fearing the complications that could happen, I dream about the physical features he might have. And amazingly enough, I'm actually excited to deliver."

That excitement never left me. Between contractions I was absolutely giddy like a child on Christmas Eve. We were so blessed with a smooth delivery and a healthy baby. It was all that we hoped for and having worked in Labor & Delivery as a nurse, I know so much of a birth is really chance and so we are so very grateful. We will save Asher's birth story for another post.

So here are few tips of the trade to help those of you who are delivering soon!

So often a woman a comes into the hospital with a plan. Sometimes she plans on it being just like her mother's deliveries. Sometimes she plans on it being just like it is "supposed" to be in the movies or how her friends had their deliveries. But most often that ideal plan usually comes from hours of research and advice columns. While it is always a good idea to become educated and prepared in the events of life since it allows you to have a foundation with which you can make good decisions, labor is not one of those events in life that abides by a prepared plan. No matter how much detail you write down, what color paper you use or even how much preparation you do during pregnancy, birth is unpredictable. So the best piece of advice I have is to know that you may never know what kind of delivery you will have nor will you always be in control of the type of labor you will have. If things don't go the way you imagined or planned, it doesn't mean you were inadequate in any way, it is just the nature of labor. There are so many variables and so many of them are not in your control. So try to prepare yourself for the unexpected and try to cultivate flexibility in your preparation, imaginings and hopes. The most important thing is a healthy mom and a healthy baby. And every hospital will have that goal as their top priority.

From what I have seen and also from the advice of many physicians here are a few things you can do during your pregnancy that can help you have a better delivery:

• Yoga and flexibility training: We have seen this allow the baby to turn into position easier and women tend push better
• Sitting on a birthing ball: We have seen this open the pelvis, allow the baby to drop, and relieve pain/pressure
• Cardiovascular exercise: Before third trimester and walking during third trimester help build endurance for the trial of labor

If all is healthy in the pregnancy, ask your doctor if you can have intermittent monitoring during labor. Usually they have to put in special orders for it. Intermittent monitoring gives you a break from all the cords which monitor your contractions and the baby's heart rate. The breaks allow you more freedom to move around, walk the halls, take a shower etc.

If this is your first baby, try to labor at home for a while before going into the hospital if your water bag is still intact when contractions start. The exceptions to this would be if you are GBS positive (you will need antibiotics during labor and should go in right away to begin the treatment) or have any other complications with your pregnancy. If you labor at home until your contractions have established a good pattern, you will be able to enjoy the comforts of home while your pain builds. There is little chance with a first baby that you will deliver at home (first babies take a long time) so wait to go into the hospital until your contractions are 5 min apart for more than an hour. Make sure that when you are timing the contractions your bladder is empty and you are really well hydrated. If not, your contractions might fool you into thinking that you are in an established pattern when you are not. Then as soon as you get your IV at the hospital your contractions will space out and the discussion of starting Pitocin will begin.

If your water breaks either before contractions start or while you are laboring at home it is best to go into the hospital unless your doctor has given you permission to do otherwise. Once your water is broken you are more at risk for infection as well as other complications so it is best to be monitored carefully. When your water breaks make sure and note what color the fluid is. We describe it as clear, light green or pea soup colored. It is really important for the nurses to know this information.

*** A little note, if this is your 2nd + baby go into the hospital as soon as labor starts. After your first, babies come very quickly and unless planning on it, you won't want to have it at home! ***

Being a nurse myself I feel it is important to let patient's know that they have the right to request a new nurse if the one assigned to them is making the experience less than agreeable. Having a baby, especially with the first is such a precious experience and you deserve to have someone at your side who can support you, validate you, comfort you and motivate you. It is never wrong to ask to speak with the charge nurse and request an assignment change  if the nurse you have is unkind or disrespectful.

It is extremely important to stay in a vertical position as much as is possible before you get your epidural. You can walk the halls, sway beside your bed, sit in a rocking chair or sit on a birthing ball. What matters is being upright. The vertical positioning will do two very important things: 1. It allows gravity to assist your contractions in pulling the baby down and 2. the vertical gravitational pull allows the baby to rotate so that he/she gets into the optimal position of facing toward your spine. If you are laying down in bed, the gravitational pull will pull the baby horizontally and make it much harder for the baby to rotate correctly as well as come down. Sometimes when the baby doesn't make the full rotation to face your back, it can cause the head to not be able to put equal or full pressure on the cervix so that you might not dilate fully. If this happens you have an increased risk going to a c-section due to not fully dilating.

Most doctors/hospitals will not allow you to get your epidural before you are dilated to 4cm. This is because it is best to wait to get an epidural until you are in the active stage of labor. Before the active stage you are not in true labor. For you to be in active labor you need to be dilated and have a well established contraction pattern. Your labor nurse will advise you if both of these two things are in a good position to make you ready to receive an epidural. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is our governing body and states that active labor is not until 6 cm for a woman who is having her first baby. It has been evidenced that your chances of getting a c-section go up drastically if you get your epidural before you are in active labor. My tip therefore is to definitely wait until 4 cm to get your epidural and if you can, then wait as long as possible to get your epidural. However, if this is not your first baby you do run the risk of running out of time to get your epidural since subsequent babies can come very quickly. So I would get your epidural when you are in active labor rather than trying to hold off longer with your first.

When you have your epidural and are stuck in bed, make sure your nurse rotates you from side to side every hour. This will help your baby to rotate into the correct position for delivery against the gravitational pull (as previously discussed above). One of my favorite aids for epiduralized patients we called peanut ball. These are much like a birthing ball but are shaped so that they fit between the legs. They open up the pelvis and really allow the baby to drop down and rotate. These are seriously miracle workers! They work so well. If your hospital doesn't provide them for you, you can click on the link to see how to buy one.

Once you are completely dilated, if the baby is not at a low state (2+ or more) you will want to labor down. Most doctors prefer that you labor down for just an hour so that you don't stall the labor curve. I have actually seen greater success laboring down longer if every hour you are making progress and the baby is coming down lower gradually. Your nurse should check you every hour at this point and see what you will benefit most from. Another unique tip I got from a patient. You can ask your anesthesiologist to turn down your epidural pump while you are laboring down. This will allow you to feel more pressure as the baby comes down and even some pain if you would like. The benefit of feeling pressure and pain (especially for your first delivery) is it makes your pushing much, much more effective. Pushing for a long time can cause distress for the baby, result in c-section and do more damage to your body. So it is ideal to be able to at least feel pressure when it comes time to push.

It is very common for women to get the shivers after and while they deliver. They can actually be quite extreme. While it has not been proven as to what causes these shivers, women experience them no matter what kind of delivery they have. Some doctors say it is related to the hormones released after delivery. Some say it is related to the adrenaline rush. And one doctor told me that it is a characteristic of mammals that we shiver after delivery to ward off predators. Whatever is the cause, they are harmless and don't mean that you are cold. They will pass in time. I found that even though the shivers are not related to your temperature, a warm blanket wrapped tightly around you and baby helps to suppress the nervous system and calm the shivers.

- If you have any questions or want some more resources/information, please comment below and I will do my best to help you find the best information -

Maternity Photos

My darling friend of Ashley Daley Photography took our maternity photos a couple weekends ago. Against the odds of overcast weather and rain that started 15 min into the shoot, her talented self took such lovely photos! She is amazing! My favorite thing about her photos is that they capture how excited and happy we are expecting our son.

Thank you Ashley for capturing this time in our life so beautifully!

- Travel Tips -

We took these photos at Pearl Street Beach in Laguna. It is a lovely, small little cove that is rarely crowded. The rock formations are the main beauty of the beach, but the waves are also great for boogie boarding here. This would be a particularly perfect spot during the summer when Laguna's beaches are full of tourists.

In My Hospital Bag

I got my first Braxton Hicks contractions (painless tightening) about 2 months ago. Then only a week or so after I felt my first Braxton Hick, I started getting the real kind. Still much too early to have our son come, Landon and I worried about what my body was doing and what would happen. I remember one particular night we had slept only a few hours as the contractions kept reappearing in hour long sessions and I could help but start to tear up worried about how my little boy would be. Landon, always my rock during hard times, said with a soft smile on his face "God loves this little boy, we have to trust Him." Then he gave me a blessing. After the blessing we felt such calm as we felt the love God has for our son and how we have to trust in His ways when there is nothing in our power to do. And thankfully with some bed rest we have made it to the end of 37 weeks and it is safe for our boy to come at any time.

Since our son could have come much earlier than expected, I have had my Hospital Bag packed for weeks and weeks. I thought I would share what I put together. I had a bit of an idea of what I wanted with me at the hospital, having worked as a nurse in Labor & Delivery, but not knowing too much about the recovery time afterwards, I turned to some other lists. My two favorite resources were from Cupcakes & Cashmere and Jennifer Lee. You can click on the links to go to their lists.

I'm a minimalist so some of you may prefer to have much more than what I have packed, but here are the essentials. I also included some insider's tips from working as a labor nurse.

Forms

• Blood Work Results 
• GBS Results 
• Medication List 

Sometimes the medical forms necessary in a delivery don't always make it from the office to the hospital. The pieces of information you absolutely need when delivering are your test results. If the hospital cannot locate your results they may have to give you antibiotics during labor or give you another blood draw. So ask for a copy of your blood work and Group Beta Strep results to take with you to the hospital just in case. If you take any medications it is also important to have the dosage information on hand.

Snacks

While in labor, you won't be able to eat anything and will be on a diet of clear liquids. But your partner will need to keep his energy up through the long hours and so packing a few of his favorites can make a real difference. One piece of advice I got from a friend who delivered just a couple months ago said to make sure to pack some chocolate for yourself for right after you deliver. Delivering is one of the most exhausting experiences of life and you will want a little pick-me-up just after. I packed one of my favorite treats, Trader Joe's Peanut Butter Cups.

Toiletries

• Lip Balm
• Lotion
• Perfume
• Hair Tie

For the pair of you, you will want all the essentials and a few pampering items for yourself such as lotion, perfume, and a favorite lipstick. Don't forget lip balm! Being in pain is dehydrating and one of the best reliefs is a nice lip balm. And bring your favorite hair tie to put up your hair when you get hot or uncomfortable! I received some CyndiBands hair ties from a friend that I absolutely adore.

For You

• Nightgown
• Robe
• Eye Mask
• Going Home Outfit

Next to your hospital bag or set aside in your closet put what you want to wear to the hospital. You will want something loose, soft and washable. You'll also want to wear shoes that can be thrown out if necessary. I have seen many women lose a favorite pair of shoes when their water breaks! For recovery I packed a nightgown, robe, flip flops for the shower, and a going home outfit. One other recovery essential I packed is an eye mask. You never know when you will deliver and thus when you will be able to first sleep afterwards. An eye mask can be so nice to block out the light in the hospital room when you try and sleep after the baby comes. The one pictured above is a Bucky Eye Mask and was a gift from a sweet friend.

For Your Partner

• Change of Clothes
• Something to Sleep In

The hospital usually provides an area for your partner to rest during the labor process with pillows and blankets, but he will still need some things of his own to make his stay more comfortable. A change of clothes would be nice and something comfortable to sleep in as well. He might want some flip flops for the shower too.

For Baby

• 2 Outfits
• Socks
• Swaddle Blanket

The hospital provides the following items so you won't need to pack them unless you have a long journey home: diapers, hat and nasal syringe. Instead pack an outfit or two for going home, some socks and a swaddle blanket. We packed an outfit with a kimono style opening because new parents can often be nervous about putting clothes over the baby's head. The one pictured above is from H&M.

Other Things

• Music Playlist
• Camera & Charger
• Phone Charger

Don't forget to pack things you might want as distractions or therapeutic items during labor such as a music playlist, movies or games. You will also want to pack your camera and its charger as well as your phone chargers.

- One Last Tip -

My last labor and delivery nurse tip is don't bring everything to the labor room. At times there will be many medical professionals in the room and little space. Much of what goes in the hospital bag is for recovery afterwards which in many hospitals is in a different room from the one you deliver in. If you have too many belongings with you it can become a hazard or inconvenience in the labor room and can be really difficult to relocate quickly should an emergency require you to go to the operating room. Keep the things for baby and recovery in the car and grab them after you are all settled in your new room and just take with you what you need for delivering to the labor room.

Bridals In Rock Canyon & Giveaway

My brilliant sister, Satie, is such a talented photographer. I only had a couple photos of just me from my wedding and none of the back of my dress so as soon as I found out I was pregnant and would soon be too big to fit into my dress (perhaps forever), Satie was so kind to take some bridal photos for me. In thanks I wanted to do a little brag session for my little sis and tell everyone to check out Satie Marie Photography if you are ever in need of a photographer in Utah or Idaho. She is very reasonably priced, makes you feel like the most beautiful person in the world as she helps guide you through poses and she uses natural light to capture a perfect image instead of just photoshop to create it. See details of giveaway below post.

These photos were taken early one morning at Rock Canyon Park in Provo, Utah. The park entrance is right at the foot of the Wasatch Range mountains and has some absolutely breathtaking views of these giants. Every season displays a different color palette in the landscape from the blues and purples of early spring to the reds and oranges of late fall. You want to hike around these trails multiple times during the year to get a full glimpse of its beauty.

GIVEAWAY

Satie Marie Photography is offering a special giveaway I'm so excited to host! She is providing a 30 minute couple, family or bridal session in Utah* or Idaho* completely FREE! Just comment on this post in the area below and share your favorite spot to take photos in either Idaho or Utah. The winner will be randomly chosen by Wednesday January 21st at Midnight. Best of luck everyone! 

*The giveaway photography session must be held in Salt Lake, Utah or Boise Counties.

Nina Loves Landon

I think we will be eighty and still newlyweds.