The Best is Yet to Come!: Mama Mateya

Hey everyone!  My name is Mateya and I blog over at The Best Is Yet to Come!  I am a new mom to our sweet baby boy, Hayden, who was born on May 23rd.  In my whole month of being a mommy, I have been exposed to the most wonderful love I could ever imagine!

I honestly wasn't one of the women that felt an extreme connection with my baby while I was pregnant.  Don't get me wrong, I loved the little baby I was carrying and I was so excited to meet him, but it was hard for me to fathom that there was a little person inside of me.  It was so hard for me to imagine him on the outside. The second that baby boy was laid on my chest, I felt the most intense love I have ever felt.  It was so crazy how much I loved something so small! I couldn't believe that my husband and I made such a beautiful little person.  The perfect combination of his dad and I.  His dad's tiny little lips, my long skinny fingers, and the tiny little nose that both of us share!

Hayden has completely stolen our hearts. I can't imagine my life without him.  He is the sweetest little thing.  He is such a good baby, a great eater and sleeper from the very beginning!  It is so amazing to watch him grow and change every day.  I love the way he looks right into my eyes when I am feeding him and the way his head turns as he follows my voice around the room.  We share a bond that no one else can take away.  I am so thankful for being able to carry him for 9 months and bring him into this world!

I truly love everything about being a mom.  It is the greatest gift I have ever been given and I thank God every day for entrusting me with this perfect angel!

Natasha-I am so excited for you to get to know your little man and for you to embark on this wonderful journey called motherhood!  You are going to love it!

What to Wear: Nursing Apparel

Maxi Dress // Maxi Dress // Tank // Shirt // Bra // Sandals // Shorts // Skirt // Leggings

When I was pregnant, I always knew I would breastfeed.  What I didn't realize then, however, is how difficult it is to dress for breastfeeding...and really, for postpartum in general.  My body, which had slowly evolved over the last nine months, suddenly seemed so foreign to me.  It was {and still is!} softer, rounder, and so unfamiliar.  And the transformation happened in the blink of an eye...talk about shock!  I found that dressing postpartum, with nursing in mind, was way harder than while I was pregnant...who would have guessed?!  It initially left me feeling frustrated and anxious as I was learning so much all at once in the beginning.

For me, while comfort is key, I also wanted to feel "normal" again, which is hard to do, when you're forced to wear granny panties and nursing bras, not to mention adjusting to my new body!  Easy access for nursing also became a key requirement.  So through trial and error, I've been figuring out what works best for me:

I have found that strapless maxi dresses are key.  I love both styles above...they're loose-fitting but still flattering.  I have also been wearing low-cut tops and button ups so that I can nurse at a moment's notice.  I recommend this Gilligan & O'Malley nursing bra too...it's feminine, yet functional.  On the bottom, anything that is forgiving around the waist is a priority for me, like these shorts, skirt or leggings.  And of course, Havaianas sandals are my favorite.

Dressing accordingly has allowed me to not only nurse Ethan, but also start to regain my confidence in my body postpartum.  We new moms already have enough "unknowns" on our plate as is without having to worry about how to dress postpartum...so I hope this helps you find your way and focus on what really matters, your new bundle of joy!

So ladies, what is your nursing style?  Any tips for this first-time mama??  I'm still learning!

xo natasha

The Short and the Sweet of It: Mama Alexa

Hi everyone, it's Alexa from The Short and the Sweet of It and I am so excited for Natasha to start this incredible journey of parenthood! Today I'm sharing some of my thoughts on my own experiences and emotions as a mom and how much I have changed and evolved since the day Mila was born.

After 17 and a half hours of labor, at 1:30pm on February 15, 2011, Mila Alice Evans came into the world with an opinion that needed to be heard. I would venture to say that at this point, almost a year and half later, Mila is still offering her "thoughts" and "advice" in strong and often loud tones of either joy or discontent. Two days after Mila made her grand entrance, the pediatricians in the hospital proclaimed that she was feisty. I wondered aloud what that meant for me. One of the doctors looked me in the eye and smiled. "It's going to be an adventure for you. But the good thing is: you will never have to worry about Mila going off into the world. She'll be alright."

In the month following her birth I thought I might go insane. Would my daughter ever sleep on her own? Would I have to hold her in my arms for the rest of my life? Would she ever stop crying? Would I ever stop crying? I remember one morning venturing out on my own to a coffee shop where grown up humans were conversing in normal tones, walking by the themselves, ordering coffee, and the idea of Mila ever getting to this point seemed like such a foreign concept, you may as well have told me that aliens had just landed on Earth.

Then something crazy happened. She started sleeping on her own. In her crib. All night. She sat up. She started saying Dada. She pointed. She smiled. She laughed. She stopped nursing. She crawled. She started saying doggie and light and baba. She grew crazy, unruly curls on her head that she started twirling with her finger. She started walking. And understanding. And giving kisses.

Being a parent is certainly no cakewalk and in between all of the major and minor miracles, there are major and minor challenges. But what I have learned is that I can do it. We can do it. And though I may not always be right...in the end it will always turn out alright.

Baby Ethan: Week 5

Weight: We just had a 5 week appointment and Ethan is weighing in at 8 lbs 12 oz!  That's 2 lbs and 9 oz heavier than his birth weight!  Way to go champ!!  

Health: The reason for checking in with his pediatrician at 5 weeks was because his umbilical cord stump has yet to fully fall out.  Luckily, she took a look and said it's completely healed and she's not worried about it falling out on his own.  She also gave us a green light on baths...yay!  Can't wait to see how the little guy likes them!

Sleep:  Ethan sleeps about 3-4 hours at night and has a solid morning nap and afternoon nap.  He is becoming more alert during the day which is great!

Clothes: Still rockin the newborn clothes and 0-3 month.  He's just about out of the NB ones though...I give him a couple more days.

Visitors: Three of my best friends cames to visit this past weekend.  It was so wonderful having them meet Ethan and spending time together!

Diet: Breast milk!  Still nursing like a champ...and he likes the bottle too, though he's only had it twice so far.  I'm trying to build up my supply so that Ryan can feed him more often. 

Baby Gear Love: I just posted my first month "must haves" earlier this week, but one thing I forgot to include is our BOB Revolution SE stroller with carseat attachment.  Ethan loves going on walks...it usually lulls him to sleep.  And Wilson trots right alongside him...it's pretty darn cute.  

Crying: Ethan only cries for one of three things: dirty diaper, hunger, or gas.  It's pretty easy to figure out which cry is for what and I'm getting better at detecting the signs earlier.  All in all though, he's a very mellow baby.  

Likes: He loves car rides and stroller rides.  He usually will look around and take in his surroundings.  He likes floor time...though he doesn't tolerate tummy time for very long.  E also loves looking at our faces and is pretty enthralled by them!  And cuddling too.  I also read him "Where the Wild Things Are" and he loved it!  

Milestones: Ethan had his first day at the beach and did awesome.  I can't wait for him to get bigger so he can play in the sand and build sand castles.  We also had my our first "solo" lunch date with Jane!  I was so worried that he might start crying in the middle of lunch {which is when Ryan usually swoops in for a diaper change} but he did awesome!  I'm definitely building my confidence in going out with him on our own.  What a difference a couple weeks make!

He also started blowing bubbles, which I think is SUPER cute!  ;)

Postpartum: I'm tempted to write a post on this very subject alone...there is just so much to cover!  I feel like I'm finally getting the hang of things, though every day is an adventure.  Dressing post-partum is much more challenging than during my pregnancy.  I attribute this mostly to the fact that my body underwent a huge change so quickly, versus the gradual change of pregnancy.  I'm pumping about once a day...low pressure for now.  And I'm sleeping pretty well...as well as you can at this stage!  I went out for my first time without baby to get a pedicure, which was awesome!  Ryan and I have yet to go out on a date alone...hopefully soon!  

I can't believe it's August already!  The summer is flying by but I am loving every second of it!  Can't wait to report on how Ethan does on his first real bath!

xo natasha