This has been one of the most requested posts and I have been dreading writing it, because I am just not sure what to say.
I mean I WAS NOT sure.
I am writing it now because after a whole year, we are finally starting to find our place together, our new relationship. That’s right – it took us a year to get into an equilibrium!
So I will finally put a complete mess of my thoughts into a post in an attempt to make some semblance of it.
WHAT?
No wait, wait! *Shaking head*
You’re 8 months? That can’t be.
I remember reading blogs where babies were 8 months and thinking how big they were, but you’re still so little. You can’t be 8 months.
*in shock*
I am trying to catch up with all the photos posts that I’ve planned, so I am hoping once they are all done, I will be more current on things and events. The way Alexis naps, cooking and cleaning have to go by wayside, as I try to get at least 10-20 minutes of blogging during each nap. Sometimes I luck out, sometimes I can’t even get that. That’s life.
So for a few days/weeks you’ll see older photos and posts from when Alexis was 2.5 months and on.
Here we go:
We live relatively close to the beach, about 15-20 minutes to the closest public beach, or more to some other fun ones. Right now, when Alexis is small, beach trips are limited due to many factors. Up until now we couldn’t really take her anywhere without a major meltdown in the car seat. We got a new convertible car seat and another one coming for 2 week trial review, so we’ll see how she does then, but I am very hopeful. Another reason is this is Florida, which means 8 am and it’s too hot to go anywhere with a small baby. So when we can do baby sunscreen at 6 months and swim in the ocean is when I can expect to go back to weekly beach trips. Lexi is like mama, she LOVES water, so I am excited to see how she reacts to the ocean. The key will be to make sure she is comfortable in the heat. My plan is to get a beach tent plus 2 strong battery operated fans plus baby sunscreen plus early mornings and a lot of nursing sessions to keep her hydrated. I am crossing my fingers that will work.
Anyways, our first trip was selfish. We really really wanted to go to the beach, even if just for a few minutes and a few photos and the sunset. Thankfully, Alexis was doing just fine that day and handled the car well and I actually managed to get her to sleep sometime during the walk to the beach. Looking at these pictures, she was soooo little… It’s only been 2 months and she’s a different baby.
The day we went was unfortunate: very windy and kind of chilly, so I held Alexis close and shielded her from the wind and the sun. We spread a blanket on the sand and sat shoulder to shoulder, relaxing for the first time since the birth of our daughter. It was nice to not be so focused on things and just lay back on my husband’s chest with our 2.5 months old baby girl in my arms. It’s a shame there isn’t a picture of the both of us, but I am still trying to get the hang of doing self-portraits while juggling a baby. Eventually, I’ll go back to being able to include our whole family into the picture, not just one of us + Alexis.
She eventually woke up and I nursed her leaning against my hubby’s back. It was getting colder so we pulled out her adorable terry hoodie from My O Baby that she only manage to wear once.
And then the fuss train arrived and Andrew strapped her into our Nordic carrier (btw, I just noticed that it’s on sale for only $79 and this is my favorite carrier, so I wanted to point that out in case someone is looking) walking around singing to her while I took pictures of the beach and people around.
There was some prayer group at the beach or something along those lines, raising hands in the air and chanting. It’s amazing how the beach changes with seasons and times of day. During season, the beaches are crowded with tourists, and at sunset the locals come out, summertime comes and you won’t see a soul on some of the beaches, those are my favorite times to go.
Finally, the sun went down and we rushed home. For the next week, we’d remember how nice it was to get out and go to the beach and feel normal again. It only gets better from here on out.
A month or two later, we took another trip to the beach, however by the time we got in the car and got there, the clouds gathered and the wind picked up indicating the inevitable Florida shower, so we had to quickly pack back up and go home. It was just as I closed the car door that the rain starting pounding on the windshield.
I feel so blessed to live near the beach. I cannot even begin to imagine the fun times to be had when Alexis is big enough to swim and play in the water. We got a sneak peak of what it’s like to have a “beach daughter” with Gabby (and another one here) and are looking forward to repeating it with Lexi.
I have stayed away from these posts because honestly I don’t enjoy reading them on other people’s blogs, so I just assume other people wouldn’t want to see them here.
However, given the readiness of the photographs and lack of time currently, combined with the more “real” nature of cell phone photos, I thought I’d give it a try and you let me know if it’s something that I should occasionally share here or not.
I have a few weeks to catch up on, so let’s start with the week furthest back (top left to bottom right)
1. nursing at the pool 2. Lexi getting all excited about a red flower on the window 3. grumpy pants
4. all set with a fan and a Haba doll 5. out and about, had to put her to sleep in the car while hubby shopped 6. same day, woke up doing tummy time on the seat
7. she loves tummy time in the morning 8. trying to get things done around the house while Lex is in her Nordic carrier 9. more tummy time (seriously that girl is only happy on her tummy or trying to crawl )
1. more tummy time 2. nursing with a friend 3. more carrier action
4. our house 5. lounging outside 6. morning stroller walks
7. up from a nap 8. bathy bath time 9. her first pig tail
1. Loving the new sunny stroll arch 2. reading books ( really she was just interested in eating it) 3. she loves being walked around on mommy’s neck
4. check out that leg lol 5. don’t ask, she does that often with her favorite teether 6. “mommy, need boobie!”
7. more walks 8. out by the pool with friends 9. helping mama work
1. smiley morning girl 2. fathers day with friends by the pool 3. Leeka visiting
4. we can sit up unsupported now 5. more tummy time on our favorite supermat 6. kisses from mommy
7. crawling from supermat to her gym- our family room is her playground 8. women in black 9. going for a walk with another 4months old friend
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Ok, so I am starting a new series of reviews and giveaways of baby related products, titled BEST FOR BABY.
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I’m attempting to do the same thing I did with the maternity clothes feature ( Pregnant With Style), which is find little known brands of baby products and baby related items and give my opinion on them, as well as give you a chance to win some of them. You can expect to see diaper bags, breastfeeding products, interesting toys, organic clothes, strollers, carriers, bottles, seats, personal care products, etc. I’ll be running them once a week just like before, so come back every weekend to see something new and hopefully win it.
We’re starting this feature with amykathryn Diaper Bags.
One of the first fun purchases pregnant women get to make for themselves in anticipation of their baby’s arrival is a cute and stylish diaper bag. Before becoming pregnant I had always heard about how ugly and plain diaper bags were, but it wasn’t until I had to look for one that I saw where the problem was.
Most diaper bags look frumpy- bad fabrics, bad colors, bad design- it’s like they scream: “Hi! I’m a diaper bag! My owner gave up on style” . Then there are those that look like normal large purses with lots of pockets, but the prices are YIKES! Finally, you can always buy a reasonably priced non-diaper bag, but then without the extra storage, it always looks like a trash can in there and you still need to get a separate changing pad that might or might not fit into or match the bag.
Enter the world of cute, girly, large and functional diaper bags that won’t cost as much as a stroller: amykathryn!
I’ve been eyeing her bags for a few months now, trying to decide which one I liked more, because as you will see her whole line is outright A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E! In the pictures I’m carrying the Hydrangea Lilac Messenger bag and I am in LOVE with its design and colors. It’s perfect for spring, and goes with pretty much any outfit. I liked it so much that I promptly emptied my previous diaper bag and stocked this one up.
Here’s what we’ve got there pocket wise:
Visit amykathryn.com to check out latest styles and prices, but be warned this spring collection is bound to sell out FAST.
Occasionally, you can find sales for half off on Zulily, MyHabit and Gilt
You can follow their blog, FB page and Twitter to get new about sales and discounts as well as new releases.
Enter our giveaway below for a chance to win a $100 credit to amykathryn shop where you can pick out your own gorgeous bag. Open to US and Canadian residents.
Disclosure: I received this bag in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% mine.
