Documenting the Life We Created!

A few days after we got home, I wrote down my birth experience. It was so hard to remember, just a four days after it happened, from all the hub bub of having a baby. But it's the most important thing I have written down since Noah was born. I go back each year on his birthday and re-read what I wrote and remember the day my life changed. The day I was no longer 'just me,' I became a mother and took second place in my heart and mind.

Once you've done that (super easy, right?) get cracking at that large, daunting, baby book that seems like it will take FOREVER to complete and will eventually become a 'bad mom' thing that will most likely cost thousands of dollars in therapy for your children (I kid, there will be way worse things that will cost $$ in therapy).

Wow, sounds heavy? It is, I know so many moms who take the "I never did a baby book bc they're stupid" road or the "Agh I'll never make my baby book look cute" road or the "I hand-sewed this during contractions in the hospital, nbd" road when talking about baby books. I have a baby book, it's pretty close to filled out, but doesn't have pictures in it. They're shoved in a pocket in the back. BUT the info is there! Kind of...

My baby book route was a little different, actually it's a few routes. We'll just say I had ambitious hormones pumping through my body after doing something so cool and amazing. I was like "I'm a Goddess, I can make life! That life is still alive! I'm going to OWN documenting this child's life!"

These are my She-Ra paths to the Crystal Castle...

Route 1: Monthly Pictures
Since we are a photography family, we collect old cameras. It makes buying my husband gifts super easy, and makes for beautiful decoration! So, we decided to incorporate our cameras in documenting Noah. This also made the cutest (bias included) 1st birthday party, ever! Each month, on (or around) Noah's birthday, we took a picture of him and a different camera. It's so cute, I want to die! These are a few pictures and a link to Matt's Facebook Album with all the pictures!

It was honestly, sometimes stressful but mostly just really fun. I loved staging all the pictures and we have the cutest collage of Noah's first year!

Route 2: More Monthly Pictures
We also did what we call monthly wall photos. I found this picture on Pinterest and tried to chase down the blog to which it belongs with no avail. So we set out to do our own, and this is what it looks like, so stinking cute! Matt took the pictures and I put them in a powerpoint then added the words. Now there are so many websites and apps you can use that makes it a lot easier! Lots of people use a chair, stuffed animal, or prop to show their growth.

Route 3: Personal Journal
The most amazing thing I did was journal. I originally got the Day One app, which I don't recommend. It's an apple only product so I have my entries split across two apps that I am now trying to merge together. I switched to Diaro, which is Fantastic! You can log in on every device and your computer and add multiple pictures. I would open the app and journal just a few minutes every night to "brain dump" before bed and add a picture. Some entries are filled with emotion, some are "Noah ate. slept, and pooped today." But I am making it into a book for myself really, I feel like it's too intimate to share with anyone. I will probably make a 'highlights' book for Noah for his HS graduation or wedding or first child, who knows I might give him the unedited version so he can read what drove me nuts about his dad, lol! But all in all it's been amazing. I have gone back and entered when big things happen, walking, school, etc. but I don't journal every night anymore and I am okay with that :)

Route 4: Baby Calendar
I thought this was so incredibly cool when Matt's mom showed me his. These 1st Year Baby Calendars are blank so you start when you bring home baby and the premise is that you hang it up and write little things as they happen. My m.i.l. has a calendar hanging on her wall to this day for appointments and things of the sort and so it's completely practical for her. It was so daunting for me, I was overwhelmed at the thought of blank squares and went into full on panic. So, the lesson to take away from these is there are many options because every person is different and to ditch things that send you into panic mode. But, I still think they are the cutest darned things ever.

Route 5: Let the Professionals Do It (the recommended option for anyone who isn't nuts)
The last option is BabyPage. This is super cool, you upload pictures and the system will prompt you based on timed milestones to enter in the text. You guys, it's fool proof, it takes little to no time at all and really takes the guessing out of keeping track of your little one. Here are a few pictures of Noah's book that I made for him (yes, more books, I have a problem). This isn't sponsored, I just think it's a super cool product and think it's an AMAZING baby shower gift!

Let me know what you did to track your little bundle of joy and if you try out BabyPage!

What I Packed in my Hospital Bag

It's been two years (!) since I was in the hospital with Noah but I can still remember like it was yesterday what I so desperately needed (and didn't) at the hospital. Noah was put on a sepis watch bc my temperature was .1 degree too high whilst pushing, so we were there a day extra. Here we go! I'll split it up by categories :)

I assume if you're reading this blog, you've read every other one that has pretty much the same damn list. These are items/specifications of things NOT included on the whole internet, everywhere.

Electronics
Phone (duh) but also your charger and an extension cord, because you will run out of battery and the outlet will be very far from you. I wish I had a power bank (get higher mah so you can use it for a couple charges) so I didn't have cords on cords! I also took my iPad with movies and books loaded, but I honestly can't think of a time that I took it out.

Camera, be it a point and shoot or a uber fancy dslr like Matt brought to get the cutest pics ever.

*Addendum: Matt added a surge protector, so you have many outlets!
Also, a Roku Stick or Chromecast because the tv situation sucks in the room.

A photographer - We are a photography family, we love pictures and so we tossed out the thought of having a photographer like I had seen on Pinterest. We posted to a local photography board to see if anyone was interested and got a bite. So we met, exchanged numbers and set a plan that we'd call at about 7 cm. We told our parents, the thought it was weird and then quickly forgot about it, which made a surprise for them when she showed up at the hospital lol. Anyway, the reason I recommend it to anyone who can add that to their budget is that I didn't remember everything that happened and those are my favorite pictures of Noah, of all time. I love seeing my family waiting, everything that happened when I was pushing, and the pure joy after Noah was born. Then there is the final shot, Matt had gone to get dinner and everyone had left to give us time. Noah was breastfeeding before while we waited to transfer to the recovery room. It's the most magical picture that brings tears of joy to my eyes every time I look at it. That was a moment, was us, just us, and perfect.

Toiletries 
This is obvious, don't forget body soap, the hospital may or may not have that. Don't take anything too strongly scented; the rooms are small and you have a newborn with brand new skin that irritates easily. I recommend asking guests to not wear perfume for the same reason. Also, I read everywhere to use the hospital mondo pads and I did for like ever. When I ran out, I used some a friend had given me Oh.My.Goodness. the difference was comparable to wearing hiking boots vs. no shoes on a mountain hike. These are where it's at :) They are thinner so they don't press on your delicate area and super absorbent <3 them!

Clothing
I read all the blogs and took yoga pants based off recommendations. I don't know if it's bc I have a little more to love or something else, but yoga pants made me so incredibly uncomfortable. They were too tight and constricting, plus I couldn't really get them over my weird mesh undies. I also took a nursing tank top and that sucked. I recommend taking things that are super comfy. I didn't realize I would essentially sit on a hospital bed for two days straight and had I know I think I would have packed differently. Next go at (hopefully) I'll take those new cool joggers and a loose t-shirt and belly band to wear in the room. I nursed Noah until he was 2 and did it everywhere without a cover and I thank Madewell pocket slub t-shirts for that. They stretch nicely and are loose to give coverage.

Headband
This episode of "Up All Night" (Time 12:26) perfectly sums up everything I need to say on this matter. Except make sure your stupid headband stays on your stupid head before packing it. Otherwise you look like you're birthing a child and your face from your body at the same time. Don't ask questions, just make sure it stays on.

Not This => <= This

Baby Clothes 
Everyone knows to bring their take-home outfit, in preemie and newborn. BUT no one told me in their blogs to bring clothes for the baby BEFORE you take them home. Take other baby clothes, just onesies or something comfortable you've already washed so your kid looks like he/she belongs to a loving family and not the state. They have clothes at the hospital if you don't take any, but you're in a fragile state and if you are a consumer (let most Americans) you want your baby looking fly like all the others and not in a baby hospital gown. Don't go crazy though, this kid's been in water for 9 months, leave the suit or ballgown at home :)

Lumbar Pillow
The hospital will give you all the pillows you could ever want, but they are soft and pliable. The beds don't really let you sit up straight  and so it's really uncomfortable. My mom brought me a lumbar pillow and it was nice and firm and a perfect little wedge to put against my lower back to give me the support I needed.

Bewitched by Make-up...again

When I was in college I LOVED make-up. I still have a huge collection from MAC from my many visits. Back then we used A LOT of of color, like a lot. Nowadays, it's all about the face..contour, highlight, make it on fleek... And now there's a this thing called YouTube, shockingly, it has more than funny cat videos. Actually, there is a new thing/person the "beauty guru." I fell down the rabbit hole earlier this year and found my make-up spark. I started watching gobs of videos. I learned to contour and I fell in love with my face again. Before this sounds like a sad story, I will paraphrase what I mean. I started working in my career when I was about 21 and that meant I needed to look...professional. And that mean saying bye bye to eyelids with 10 colors. I quickly fell into a rut of making my face look presentable and that was about it. But now, I really enjoy putting on make-up and trying new things and holy moly are there so many things to try now! If I only had the same discretionary funds like I used to :-/

I've tried lots of new products and I have a few I love. I like to keep my make-up pretty simple because A.) I don't have time and B.) I touch my face waaaay too much. I know I should stop, but I can't and I rather use my energy elsewhere. These are my favorite things separated by category.

Skincare
I got a sample of Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus from my mother in law and really noticed
brightening results. So I stalked Marshall's and bought a bottle there for about 33% off. I researched it when I got it home and learned that it was a duty free over stock, and it has the same consistency as the sample so I deemed it a great bargain (my favorite thing, next to Noah).

I recently started using BENEFIANCE WrinkleResist24 Intensive Eye Contour Cream. I found my under-eye area was getting a little creepy (yikes!) and this adds moisture for days!

I have also started using masks. I heard on tv that Khloe K. swears by the Origins CLEAR IMPROVEMENT mask and it's pretty amazing for clearing up acne. 

I also have tried lots of the face masks the cream masks I like are 7th Heaven, Glam Glow Gravity Mud, and Dr. Jart+ sheet masks. These range from $2 each to $70 for a JAR! PS I got my GG on a BOGO sale so they were 50% off otherwise I'd still wonder what's so great about it. All are great, I don't know if I notice the difference of one over another I think the most important thing is to use masks as you age to restore moisture.

Face

BB Cream

I really like BB creams, so I've tried quite a few. I like the Laneige BB Cushion you can get at Target, it's very light and moisturizing and has 50 SPF! My first favorite is the L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream, I found the Light color is a little orange but Medium isn't as dark as you'd think it would be. And my everyday I use now is the MAC Prep+Prime BB. I put this under my concealer and set it with the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish.  

Concealer

This is a pretty cool product, the Onomie Bright Concealing Elixir. This is a brightening concealer that has eye cream in it and is a brightener. Yes, mommas, the fountain of youth was poured into little pink bottles and it's amazing. I do feel like this makes my eyes brighter and generally better over time. I don't know if it's a combo of everything I've been doing but something works. I also got a sample of the Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer from Sephora and it's pretty bomb. I think I may have gotten the wrong shade so I'll give it another whirl.

Lips

Oh.Em.Gee I have fallen in love! There is this new craze called liquid lipstick. It's horrible, this stuff claims to be long-wearing, transfer proof, and matte. Why you'd want matte color on your lips is a mystery to me, especially since most of the "beauty gurus" who say it's 'amazing' put gloss on top :-/

I found the bombest lipstick stuff ever....and it's $3. That's freaking right, $3! I've done a little checking into the company too and they're vegan, which i figure must be good since a lot of fillers for products are animal by-products. The company has been around for 25 years and makes everything in CA. The brand is called Jordana. The name makes me cringe when I say it but whatever, it's $3 and awesome sauce. I love the Modern Matte lipsticks, 'Matte Pretty' and 'Matte Dare' are the first I tried and loved and today I bought like 1,000 tubes so I never run out. I also tried the Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain. I bought the Sweet Creme Matte Liquid Lip Color to try out, I'll report back.

That's it for now, later I'll write about my ventures into contouring and baking...not goods but yo' face. Some kiddo stuff and a few recipes that are family-friendly. Maybe a link or two to the better side of YouTube (cat videos). In the mean time, here's my favorite video maybe of all time #1 YouTube video.