Love to Dream

Just recently, I started using the Swaddle Up from Love to Dream for Evelyn, and her and I are both big fans! I love how cute it is, and that it truly works to help her self soothe and stay asleep in both her crib and bassinet.

Unlike traditional swaddles, the Swaddle Up allows baby to keep their arms up by their head/face which is not only a more natural position, but it also allows them the opportunity to use self soothing techniques like sucking on their fists. The snug fit helps calm the startle reflex and helps baby feel secure so they can fall asleep faster and sleep for longer intervals. Also, one of my favorite features is the two-way zipper so that middle of the night diaper changes are fast and easy.

Love to Dream also makes a selection of transitional swaddles, sleep suits, and sleep bags for baby as they get older and bigger, and we are so excited to try the whole line! Click here to shop for the best and easiest swaddle ever, and as always please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions!

***This post was sponsored, but the opinions are all my own.***

 

Two Months With Evelyn

Two months down with our little Evelyn, and I can’t even believe how fast time is flying! My little sweet potato is growing like crazy! She is 10 lbs 5 ounces, 20.25 inches long, and is wearing 3 month clothes and size 1 diapers. This month she has started to become way more aware of her world, and woke up one morning a few weeks ago greeting us with all the smiles! This is my third time, and I still get giddy over baby smiles, I think they’re just the sweetest!

A few days after turning 1 month Evy celebrated her 2nd first holiday, St. Patrick’s Day! We got her all dressed in her green, but she wasn’t very impressed...

The next day, we finally did some newborn pictures! (I like to wait to do pics at 1-month because my little Oompa Loompas always have jaundice, so by 4 weeks old they usually look a lot less yellow.)

We spent a lot of time just snuggling this month, and it was just the best! I know I will miss the cuddles when she’s too busy for me, so I am soaking it all in!

Miss Evy also decided to go on a nursing strike this month, so she is now almost completely bottle fed. I already miss nursing her, but she is thriving on bottles and finally going 2-3 hours between feeds instead of every hour, so I know it’s better for us both!

We ended the month with Evy’s first Easter! It was a wonderful, relaxing day, and we finally got our first picture as a party of 5! I love this little family of mine so much! :)

The day after Easter, Brian went back to work after being home for a glorious 7 weeks! I was so nervous to take on 24 hours of the girls by myself, but we made it through! Baylee has been the biggest help on days when Brian is on shift! I just love watching the bond between her and Evelyn grow every day!

Miss Evy you belong here more than you will ever know! I can’t imagine life without your sweet face! Mommy loves you my little 2 month old!

 

Evelyn’s Newborn Shoot

We recently got Evelyn’s newborn pictures back, and the amazing Jamie D. Photography did such a wonderful job capturing all 3 of my little beauties! This blog post is just a sample of my favorites from all of the gorgeous photos she took for us! Thank you again, Jamie, I will cherish this shoot forever!

 

Easter Basket For Baby

 Easter is just a couple of weeks away so I thought I would show you what my girls are getting in their baskets! A majority of the items are from Target or Amazon, so you would definitely still have time to purchase them. 

This list is what I got for Evelyn. Since she will only be 7 weeks at Easter, she’s not getting much but I wanted the big girls to see that the Easter Bunny included her too! Just click on the corresponding number for the link to the item!

1//2//3//4//5//6

1 Month With Evelyn

 And just like that our littlest love is already 1 month old! It’s absolutely bittersweet...I miss those first few days of newborn bliss SO much, but I also can’t wait to watch her grow into a tiny tot as the year goes on! She just had her 1 month check up on Friday, and she already weighs 8lbs 8oz and is 19.75 inches! Way to grow my little chunk!

After we got home from the hospital, we spent the first few days of Evy’s first month doing lots of cuddling and LOTS of nursing. She was the cluster feeding queen, but since I was recovering from my surgery anyway I didn’t mind one bit. 

Our family and close friends all took turns coming over to the house to meet her, which, not going to lie, is MUCH better than having tons of visitors in the hospital. I wish I knew back with Nat and Bay because things would have been a lot different! We also did our first pics with all three sissies!

Her umbilical stump came off completely at just over 2 weeks, so Evelyn got to take her first real bath! She loves the warm water, but is not a fan of getting out of it. ;)

We finished off the month celebrating my 35th birthday with the three best gifts I’ve ever been given! I love my sissy squad more than I could ever explain!

I love you so much my little Evy Mac! This month with you has been beyond perfect!

35 Things About Me!

 

In honor of me turning 35 a few days ago, here are 35 things about me...

1. I once had a goldfish named Sushi that lived for almost 3 years and survived three moves!

2. Brian and I are currently planning a trip to Scotland for our 10th anniversary! (2023) We plan on renewing our vows while we are there!

3. I’m a total Harry Potter and Star Wars nerd.

4. My favorite flowers are lilies. (stargazer lilies are the best!)

5. I think being a girl mom suits me well! I would have loved to experience a son, but life just feels right with my 3 girlies!

6. I can never have enough coffee mugs or cozy blankets.

7. I was a Disneyland Annual pass holder for over 17 years until they discontinued all passes a few weeks ago.

8. I once had to break into my own house. Baylee was just about 2 and was watching a movie on the couch. I went into the front yard to quickly grab our mail, and I somehow locked myself out of the house. After trying everything to get back in I finally picked up a huge rock and threw it through one of the back windows (far away from where Baylee was) and broke away enough glass to open up the other side of the window and climb in. I called Brian sobbing and he immediately rushed home from work. The craziest part? I tried to move the rock I used later on and I could barely pick it up. Adrenaline made me super mom!

9. I’m almost always barefoot, in slippers, or flip flops.

10. I don’t like bacon. Like loathe it.

11. My college boyfriend convinced me that he commissioned Brad Paisley to write the song “Everything” for me. I 100% believed him because at the time I drove a Saturn with a sunroof.

12. Christmas music makes me super emotional. There’s certain songs that make me cry every year!

13. I love my 30s a million times more than my 20s.

14. I am super excited about being done having babies! I can’t wait to start the next chapter of traveling and doing all the fun things with our girls!

15. I’m also super sad about being done having babies...#bittersweet 😭

16. I aspire to own chickens, goats, and maybe a cow or a horse one day. I always joke with Brian that we need to retire on a farm, but I’m also kind of not joking. 😉

17. My favorite colors are pink and grey, and I mostly only wear grey, black, and white. Sometimes I throw a little color in for fun but it’s rare. (I’m currently in a black shirt and grey pants haha)

18. I absolutely love being a SAHM. I don’t think I will ever have a “job” again unless it’s freelance.

19. Being a fire wife is one of the most challenging parts of my life, but I also wouldn’t change it for the world. Brian was made to be a firefighter.

20. Baths are my favorite way to decompress.

21. I love mornings! I never thought I would, but now they’re my favorite part of the day! ☕️

22. My favorite holidays are Christmas, Halloween, 4th of July, and St. Patrick’s Day. In that order.

23. I can’t believe I have two IVF kids. Never in a million years did I think I would be able to say that.

24. That being said, IVF has defined a huge part of who I am now. I now know I’m tough as nails, and it’s helped me learn to not make mountains out of molehills.

25. I’m an enneagram 9 in all the ways.

26. I’m the worst housekeeper...my whole family is terrible about putting things back and I just procrastinate. 🙈

27. If I ever absolutely had to get a job I would probably be a preschool teacher.

28. When I was a kid I wanted to be a marine biologist. I was absolutely obsessed with marine animals and had hundreds of drawings of orcas and dolphins.

29. I still have a strong connection with the ocean. Being near one brings me instant peace.

30. I love finding good deals. I almost never buy anything (besides essentials) full price.

31. love margaritas, piña coladas, and mimosas. I absolutely cannot drink vodka anymore.

32. I’m 100% a dog person and will probably never own a cat.

33. Sometimes I wish I had more style but truthfully I’m just too lazy. 🤪

34. I can’t wait to move out of California one day. The only good things about this state are the weather and Disneyland.

35. I’m as family oriented as they come. Nothing means more to me than spending time with my family!

Evelyn’s Birth Story

My littlest love is already a week old today, and it’s so very hard to believe! I figured I needed to get her birth story up before the memories start to fade a bit, so here we go!

I started having symptoms of cholestasis right around 35 weeks. Itchy hands and feet told me it had returned yet again (I had it with Natalie also) and I was also having a lot of preterm labor. I went to my 36 week appointment and told my doctor and she said we would be delivering baby at exactly 37 weeks. Finding out you’re going to meet your babe in only 10 days is one of the craziest feelings ever!

I spent the next 10 days super busy. We had Natalie’s birthday party and her celebration on her actual birthday along with doing all the cleaning and before-baby prep work. The time seriously flew, and before I knew it baby day had come!

I was allowed to eat until 11:00am, so I started the day with a big breakfast from Mimi’s Cafe. We had a nice quiet day with the girls, settled them in with Brian’s mom, and then headed out around 2:30 to go to the hospital. They wanted us there 3 hours early for pre-op, and I was honestly glad because the waiting game was killing me!

Once we got to the hospital, they took us back to labor and delivery for pre-op fairly quickly, where I had an amazing team of nurses helping to get me ready. They told me that rumor had it that my OB might want to start with me a little early, and I got so excited! Sure enough, they walked me to the OR a half hour earlier than expected and we got ready to start the c-section.

I felt so much more calm this time than I was with Natalie. It was nice to know what to expect, and I was able to joke around with my nurses and actually had some fun. They brought Brian in to sit by my head and hold my hand, and I knew then it wouldn’t be long before our baby girl was born!

I heard my OB and nurses giggle at the sight of her little breech booty popping out of my uterus. “She has the cutest little buns!” made me crack up, and minutes later at 7:09 pm Evelyn Mackenzie Hope entered the world! (Fun fact: all of my girls were born during the 7:00pm hour, Baylee was 7:15, Natalie was 7:42) I didn’t hear a cry, so I knew immediately something wasn’t right. Brian could see her on the warmer and said they were giving her oxygen and that she was starting to pink up, which was a relief. They had to work on her so long, though that they decided she needed to go to the nursery for 4 hours of observation. I was bummed but I knew my OB had to finish my tubal ligation (I decided to get my tubes tied so no miracle oops babies in the future) and I had to still go to recovery, so I was hoping that would make time go by fast. Before they took her, I got to spend a few moments with her by my head snuggling and telling her “Happy Birthday!”

Once I was in recovery, Brian left the nursery to see me and show me pictures and video of our girl. I didn’t even know her stats yet, so he filled me in that she was 18 inches long and weighed 6 lbs 13.5 oz. Right around the same size as our other two beauties! I was counting the time to be able to finally meet her, and before I knew it, they were wheeling me in to my postpartum room.

Once I was there, and settled in, Brian went back to to nursery to see how she was doing. He texted me to let me know she was having chest retractions while breathing, so they needed to do a chest x-ray and keep her for and additional 6 hours. I was heartbroken that I wouldn’t be able to meet my baby on the night of her birth. I tried to get some sleep, but it was nearly impossible because I was so worried about her. Brian stayed with her until around 1:00am and then came to the room so we could both get a couple hours of sleep before she joined us in our room. At 4:30 I woke Brian up to go back to the nursery, and at 5:30 he texted me that they were on their way to the room! I was finally going to get to hold my baby girl!

She was an absolute dream, and looked just like a combination of her big sisters. That “big love” feeling returned immediately, and I couldn’t believe there was ever a time that I almost lived life without her! She is 100% the missing puzzle piece that completes us. 

I was also very lucky because my mom happens to be a postpartum nurse at the hospital where I delivered, so she got to be with me all 3 days, and got to give Evelyn her first bath which she has now done with all 3 of my girls! So special!

We stayed in the hospital for one more night, and both her and I were doing so well the next day that we were discharged to go home! I was so excited because it was Valentine’s Day and she was the most perfect Valentine’s Day present! Plus I was going to get to see my big girls, and I couldn’t wait! 

It was love at first sight for the two big sisters, and now we are settling in as a party of 5! Welcome to the world Evy girl, you are the most perfect addition that completes us and we love you to the moon and back!