Riley's Birth Story

I'm writing this with a sleeping baby by my side, and once again, I'm struck at the insanity of it all that one day, you're impatiently STILL pregnant. And the next day, your baby is next to you.

I was really hoping to have precious big-siblings-meeting-baby-in-the-hospital photos to share with this post, but instead, I just have those initial OUR BABY IS HERE pictures you take 0.5 seconds after the baby is born that are really appropriate only for sending to your mom and sisters, because maybe your hospital gown is barely on? Anyway, since Aiden and Emma were sick for a whole week after Riley was born, I snapped these photos of me and Riley in the quiet moments we had together while her siblings recovered at their grandparents'.

As I did in Aiden's birth story and in Emma's birth story, I'm going to use chapter titles to help break up this story because helloooo, I am not concise. Grab your favorite snacks (pretzels) and settle in for a lengthy recap of how Riley Kirsten arrived.

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Things That Make the Newborn Stage Easier

Thank you, Bump Boxes, for sending me products to review. Affiliate links used. 

Hello, from the fog-ridden, sleep-deprived trenches of having a new baby! Riley Kirsten is officially here! We had a strange start to this family of 5 life (which I mention here on Instagram) since Aiden and Emma had confirmed cases of the flu and spent Riley's first week of life at their grandparents' house to keep the baby safe from the flu.

So,  I'm only one week into having all three kids at home. But in having a week with just Riley and a week with all three kids, I've come to realize a few key items that are the most helpful!

I don't want to call this "newborn life essentials!" because this is 100% not a list of things you have to have. We lived through having two newborns without these items. But this time round, I have been enjoying a few extras that genuinely make life easier and better. If you have pregnant friends or friends with newborns, you'll win major points for scooping up any of these things for her. If you yourself are expecting and wondering what extra things you might use, this is a tried and true list.

Related: DIY gift basket for new moms | Advice for life with a newborn | Neutral nursery reveal

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Neutral Nursery For Baby 3

**Some affiliate links used. When you purchase using one of my links, I may get a small commission. Thanks for supporting my blog!** 

The theme of this nursery is, once again, "bedroom." I made that joke when I was setting up Aiden's nursery (let's have a laugh at the photo quality and my "home decor style" from back then! Ha!!). Just like when I put together his nursery at the old house exactly four years ago, I don't have any woodland creatures. I don't have any florals. I don't have any real theme other than "this is a bedroom."

But since blogger requires a post title, me and my wild burst of inspired creativity have decided to call this a "neutral nursery."

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39 Weeks | A Coffee Date

Hello, 39 weeks! And Happy New Year to everyone else who isn't celebrating the weekly mile markers of incubating a small human inside them.

As it turns out, having your entire family get sick with the flu is  GREAT way to combat the third-trimester impatience of "WHEN IS THIS BABY GOING TO GET HERE." For 7 days straight, my kids were sick, and somewhere in there both Devin and I caught their fever/cough/runny nose symptoms. In one week, I have used Target Drive Up three times to get essentials like juice, flonase, 14 boxes of lotion-infused issues, and other sickness-related items. I'm sure the employees there were bringing my items out to my car, just wishing they could toss them from afar because clearly I have the plague.

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Winter Maternity Favorites

Affiliate links used. When you purchase using one of my links, I get a small commission. 

Thanks for supporting my blog!

Back in August, I shared 8 of my maternity wardrobe staples and shared some snapshots of my 20-ish week bump that was already VERYY visible. Well, I'm back again with more maternity favorites, but I'm at a whopping 34 weeks and looking like I'm actually 43 weeks pregnant. Why do you this these photos were taken from so dang far away? It's because I'm mostly chins at this point and for some reason, triple chins don't do super well with getting repins on Pinterest?

While I can no longer sit up from the couch without letting out a strange grunt sound that just makes EVERYONE feel more comfortable, I am hoping to savor these last few weeks with just Aiden & Emma. I'm planning last visits to all our favorite spots (which I rounded up for you here in this post on what to do in the Philly area with kids!), and I'm finally done decorating the nursery. JK. It's still the room that holds all the unfolded laundry and now Christmas presents that I haven't wrapped yet.

Related: Baby registry checklist | 5 things no one told me about labor | An accurate description of the 3rd trimester

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5 Healthy Pregnancy Snacks

This post is sponsored by CAULIPOWER but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Today I'm officially 30 weeks, and the single-digit count-down to the baby's due date has begun. (Please, baby girl, come early!).  I wrote a post years ago when I was pregnant with Aiden about the healthy snacks I was trying to eat more of. And here I am, back again to share more yummy things that I've been enjoying this pregnancy that are also of some nutritional value. If I can eat healthy during the day, it doesn't feel like such a failure to eat tacquitos and pretzels once the kids go to bed. So that's where my goal of healthy snacking came from! (Pretty much just a reason to indulge in the less-good-for-you things after 7 PM 😉)

Related: 7 things nursing moms need to know | 8 maternity wardrobe essentials for every season 

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Neutral Nursery Inspiration

**Affiliate links used.

Hello, 28 weeks A.K.A. THIRD TRIMESTER!! I am sharing a few "Friday favorites" here just to keep myself focused on getting the baby's room all ready. I know the final few weeks are going to sneak up on me, so I made this little checklist for myself.

I've come a longggg way since putting Aiden's nursery together 4 years ago...and instead of hang a DIY-packed gallery wall of random stuff (my plan for his nursery!), I'll hang a few simple, larger items like a circle mirror and something with baby girl's name on it or a verse. Baby girl's nursery will have a closet to hide away our storage of diapers, extra wipes, and bins of extra clothes... unlike the old house's nursery which had custom shelves Devin made me when the room was my "office."

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Preparing to be a Mom of Three

Since having a three-year-old and a one-year-old, it's really easy for me to be so focused on them that I forget to really prepare for this new baby's arrival. But in a few short months, she'll be here! She!! (Still getting used to the fact we're having another GIRL!)

Most of my day IS centered on mothering two toddlers: cutting up cucumber sticks. Reminding Emma not to screech but to USE YOUR WORDS when she's mad. Asking Aiden to use the bathroom before we leave. Checking in that don't your shoes feel weird when they're on the wrong feet? And now I'm going to add one more to the mix?! How can I prepare for THAT?!

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8 Maternity Staples for Every Season

**Affiliate links used

I have been pregnant in every single season. I was pregnant with Aiden from March to January, then I was pregnant February to October with Emma. And here I am again, due in January!

That means that I've acquired lots of maternity clothing...And, thanks to my beautiful, stylish and similarly-sized sister-in law, we have a huge bin of maternity clothes that we just pass back and forth which has helped me see all the favorite and best maternity wardrobe staples we need for every season!

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Our Tie-Breaker Baby Is A....

2016: Boy.

2017: Girl.

2020:

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Our Tie-breaker Baby

We have some exciting news--this January we'll have a new little one in the family! I am calling this little baby our "tie-breaker" baby, since we've got one boy and one girl already (or was "tie-breaker baby" super self-explanatory already? haha). Aiden and Emma both LOVE babies and are super gentle with infants, so I'm so thrilled they'll get to have a baby to love!

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7 Things Nursing Moms Need to Know

This post is sponsored by Evivo but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Being a mom is a demanding job, and whether you've nourished your little one with formula or with breastmilk, I'm over here cheering for you.

Now that Emma is weeks away from being one, I can say that I've nursed an infant for two full years of my life. I nursed Aiden til he was one, and here I am having nursed Emma for a year. When I first started nursing Aiden, I thought it would be this dreamy, easy process. Which it sort of was. I wasn't chasing a toddler while I sat and fed him and watched Parks and Rec. (That was totally me with Emma, trying to nurse her and keep a toddler happy!) But after my first baby, it was still a hard adjustment for my body and for my expectations. I was the first of my friends to have a baby, so I didn't really know what to expect about nursing.

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3-Step Breakfast Casserole

Updated 12-19-19 for a more accurate bake time!

For those of us who grab 10 pretzel sticks and half a sugar cookie while running out the door and call that "breakfast" (hi, I'm talking about myself here), this recipe is for you. You can make this ahead of time (even FREEZE it ahead of time and bake it later), and it's protein-packed. 

Spoiler alert to my husband: I will absolutely be serving this on Christmas morning because I can have it all made up the night before and then just pop it in the oven Christmas morning. (But I know you won't be mad about it, Devin, since you and I ate the entire thing in one sitting last week, minus the plateful that our dog jumped up and ate...that jerk....)

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Baby Registry Tips (From A Second-Time Mom)

Affiliate links included. 

**Revised August 2019, as I'm preparing for a third child!

Preparing for my second baby has reminded me of all the wonderful things you need to have on-hand for life with a baby! Plus, since I've already had a baby once before, I have come to realize what really needs to be on that registry list. However, any mom will tell you that it comes down to preference. What worked for me might not for another, so I recommend asking all the new moms you know what they liked/didn't like!

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What I'm Bringing (& Not Bringing) In My Hospital Bag

Hello, 36 weeks. I'm exactly 4 weeks away from my due date (but who trusts those things, anyway) and I'm going to be ready for that "oh my gosh, this is real, we have to get to the hospital!" moment.

With Aiden, my contractions started SUPER strong out of nowhere and within an hour, my contractions were 5 minutes apart lasting for one minute (which is my midwife's magic formula that means it's time to head to the hospital). When that happened last time, Devin and I ran around like chickens with our heads cut off. We started throwing DVDs and my laptop in a backpack, and suddenly we were rethinking everything we had already packed. Do we need pillows? Should I bring my slippers? Not this time around. This time, we'll be ready with this super-short list of things to bring.


FOR MAMA:

• 1. Delivery robe. All I wore after I delivered was a hospital nursing gown. Do you know how awkward it is to introduce your baby to your dad and to your father-in-law while you're bra-less in a thin hospital gown?! Because the hospital gown was open-backed, I couldn't get out of bed while people visited, lest they see my maxi pad stuffed granny-panties. Nooooo thank you. 
• **PinkBlush has a great selection! A regular bathrobe won't cover your belly completely (trust me, I've tried), and you want something patterned so if anythinggggg leaks it won't be obvious to others!

• 2. Toiletries: shampoo & conditioner, deodorant, toothbrush & toothpaste. Seriously, just bring the basics. 

• 3. Snacks!! You OR your spouse will be starving after delivery, and who knows if that hospital cafeteria will be open at 3am when you've nursed a baby for the 400th time that day and seriously need something to eat? My sister-in-law who has a 3-week-old baby agrees that snacks are a necessity. 

• 4. Nursing bra/cami/bralette. My sister-in-law reminded me that wearing this under your robe makes it easy to nurse with others in the room so you aren't suuuper exposed, especially if this is your first baby and you're not used to it yet!

• 5. Going home outfit: nursing bra/bralette, stretchy pants/maternity pants, loose shirt

FOR BABY:

• 1. 2-3 footie pajama onesies. The hospital we were at gave us a onesie & hats, so save yourself the trouble and just bring an all-in-one outfit. Bonus points if the onesie has sleeves that fold over the hands. 

• 2. Blanket/swaddle. Our hospital also provided swaddling blankets to use while there, but we needed our own for the car ride home!

EXTRAS:

• 1. Insurance cards
• 2. Phone chargers

WHAT I'M NOT BRINGING: 

• 1. Lots of clothes for myself. Last time I was in the hospital with Aiden, all I wore until I left were hospital gowns. Why make more laundry for myself? Plus, when you're recovering from delivery, you want easy on/off clothing (a.k.a a robe) to nurse in. 

• 2. Lots of clothes, mittens, hats, booties for baby. Save yourself the trouble and bring one or two onesies that have the feet attached!! That baby will be so swaddled the whole time that you won't even need all the other accessories. 

• 3. Recovery things for myself. The hospital I delivered at had all the pads, sprays, and disposable undies I needed for my stay there. 

• 4. Pillows, slippers, etc. No nursing pillows, no regular pillows, no slippers. The hospital has so many extra pillows you can get to help with nursing, and they give you grippy free socks. I love free. (Can you tell?)

• 5. Burp cloths & other baby accessories. Like I said, the hospital will have swaddle blankets you can use!

What about the dads, you might be thinking...well, sure, you can always throw in a set of clothes/toiletries for the dad. Devin had to run home to let our dog out anyway, so he took a shower and changed at home...which meant no need to pack extra stuff!

What would you add to this list? Are you an overpacker, like me?!

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An Especially Accurate Description of the Third Trimester

Today I'm 31 weeks pregnant with Baby #2. 

Current mood: large & in charge. 

Do I really need to explain anything else? 

1. What my body looks like:

source // source

2. I'm mildly irrational, but don't you dare tell me that: 

source

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3a. How I feel when someone says, "wow! you're only ___ weeks!?" (because I know I look bigger than that...) 

3b. OR when someone says, "wow! you're getting close!" (am I? Bc here I am still pregnant) 

source

4. How I feel in general: 

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5. When you realize you don't know anything and suddenly google tips on caring for a baby. Even if this is your second kid. 

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6. Anytime I try to move quickly (like when chasing baby #1 who's not a baby but a surprisingly quick toddler)

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7. What you say to your best friend but no one else, because that would be harrassingly annoying: 

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If you're looking for more pregnancy-related things (like perhaps things that are ACTUALLY helpful, like tips and suggestions?), check out...

--these healthy/high protein pregnancy snacks

--how to take silhouette bump pictures

--5 things no one told me about labor 

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28 Weeks With Baby #2

I wrote so many "bumpdates" with Aiden that I don't feel like I need to document my ever-growing bump. The world (this blog) has already seen the progression from week 17 to week 37, so this time round I'm sharing more of a highlight reel than a play-by-play. (That's about as good a sports reference as you'll ever get from me...)

I can't believe I'm starting the 3rd trimester here with this little girl. I'm still getting used to the idea that the ultrasound said she's a girl, since our early detection blood test said boy...(who to believe?!). Just in case the ultrasound's right, I've been clearing out the local thrift stores of their adorable baby girl newborn/0-3m onesies.

Baby girl is kicking lots and making me thirsty, and Aiden loves kissing my belly and saying "BAY-bee!" He's so excited about babies now and loves our friend's newborn baby boy, so I'm excited to see how he reacts to having his own little baby sister around.

Since I've been so big and pregnant over the summer (as opposed to winter, with Aiden), I've loved having loose tops like this one from Pink Blush to wear! Since it's such a light color, you have to wear a nude-colored bra and should probably save it for date night when the sticky-fingered toddler isn't around to schmeer their snack on you (this happens to me all. the. time.). It's so comfortable because it's so flowy (read: it makes me sweat less), and I like to pretend the off-white color makes me look tan 😉 (you've probably heard me talk about their cute maternity clothes but trust me, they deserve the hype)

Read more about how to do the whole silhouette pregnancy bumpdate photos and 5 things that surprised me about labor. 

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20 weeks // Baby #2

Thanks, PinkBlush, for sending me an item to review. As always, these thoughts are my honest opinion. 

Today I'll have my first ultrasound and get to see the little guy for the first time. I'll make sure to have tissues on hand, thanks to tearing up at the first ultrasound with Aiden 😉  (sentimental mom problems...)

I'm halfway through this pregnancy with baby #2, and I can't believe how quickly it's going. This little baby didn't give me any morning sickness, unlike Aiden...(thanks to him, I started my days of teaching with ginger ale, crackers, and a prayer I wouldn't barf again). 

The main difference between the two is that this time, I'm not wondering "what is life with a baby going to look like?" Instead, I'm looking forward to life with two little boys, and I can't wait to see how they'll play together and make each other laugh. I'm praying they get along, that they grow up loving each other and loving Jesus, that they don't break too many bones in their wild adventures. Devin and I have LOVED watching Aiden learn new things and laugh at little jokes like "stinky feet? oh nooo, stinky feet!", and we can't wait to see what life is like with two little boys. 

Another difference between the two pregnancies is that I'm enjoying being pregnant in the warmer weather, and that means short sleeved dresses! The one I'm wearing in the photos is from PinkBlush, and is cinched only on one side (which means there's no awkward flabby fabric against your back!). It's super comfortable and would match with a ton of stuff since it's a solid color! 

If you're looking for more maternity posts, check out how we told our parents we're pregnant (with baby #1), boy names my husband will never agree to, and 5 things no one told me about labor. 

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Bump Style // Spring

*I partnered with PinkBlush for this post, but of course everything I say about them is honest & my own take on their adorable clothing. 




When I was pregnant with Aiden, my January due date meant that I only had a big bump during fall/winter. This time round, I'm due in October and IMMEDIATELY my baby bump started showing. Hello, cute maternity clothes for warm weather.

Yes, I'll probably be a sweaty whale this summer. But I won't have to layer up with maternity sweaters, stretchy pants, and heavy coats, that fit a big third-trimester baby bump! (Like I did last time......) Can I get an amen?!

Since literally everyone in blog-land who's having a baby has talked about PinkBlush, I figured I'd give it a try...and believe me, they live up to the hype. All their stuff, from maternity dresses to regular clothes, is insanely cute and my dress (which you can get here) arrived 2 days after I ordered it!

Perks of this dress that I got from PinkBlush: 

1. You don't have to play the "is it too short to wear to church?" game.

2. It has loose sleeves so you don't need to shave your armpits. (Am I the only one who hates that?!)

3. It's light & flowy so you aren't sweating to death.

4. It's not so light that it's see through.
 

For more maternity posts, check out my favorite healthy pregnancy snacks and how to take a silhouette bump picture!

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Our Next Adventure (And Why I'm Not Eating Lunchmeat)

Exciting news part 1:

We're having a baby, due October 12! I feel like I've been keeping this secret FOREVER. Darn those stupid, stupid early detection pregnancy tests that let you know you're pregnant before anything else would ever suggest it's true.

Life tip: these pregnancy tests from Amazon ARE THIRTY-EIGHT CENTS EACH. And they were accurate. Though Devin did make me go buy expensive ones to verify...

Exciting news part 2:

Not only did we find out SUPER EARLY that I'm pregnant, but we also jumped the gun and ordered this blood test to find out that we're having a boy!! (We used SneakPeek, an early detection blood test you can do from home and got our results 7 business days from ordering the test! Check for a coupon from their FB page.)

I'm so excited for Aiden to get to have a little brother to share life's joys with. 

12 weeks ago I stopped eating lunchmeat and started googling "best double strollers." 😉 

You can also check out my pregnancy announcement from when I was pregnant with Aiden here, along with boy names my husband would still never agree to.

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