We’re entering month five with Conley Kate which means next month is six — a half a year?! How!? I am refusing to get ahead of myself, but still, I used to roll my eyes SO big when people would talk about how fast time went with babies and now I get it. No more eye rolls over here, because it’s real and it puts time into perspective in an entirely new way. So to sum up our last month with baby Coco, it just keeps getting better.
Travel Babe
We went to Wisconsin for Easter with the Kutchers and she got lots of snuggles from everyone and loved hanging with her cousins who talk to her with the cutest high-pitched voices. We also grieved the loss of Nicole – the amazing mama of 3 – who lost her battle with cancer the week before Easter. I was introduced to Nicole’s story through a DM and my community rallied around her, it was devastating to attend her funeral and hug her husband in real life. I think of her every single day.
Conley also flew back to California with me and her nana for an event with Aerie near San Francisco! She got to ride on the trolley, enjoy the views of Alcatraz, see the Golden Gate and snooze while we walked through Fisherman’s Wharf. She got to take part in her first Aerie REAL talk and needed a nap while it was happening (after eating of course) but it was so special for people to meet her, so many prayed for her to safely arrive and now that she’s here, it’s special to share her.
Family Time
We’ve gotten so much quality family time this past month from hanging out with cousins (who are growing too fast!) to spending time with Nana when she spends the night with us. Snuggles with aunties and uncles and just everyday life at home with the pups (who she loves, so so much — a little too much at times!) It’s been so amazing being close to my family and just being able to pop in and see people on a random day of the week. I will never take that for granted after so many years being far away!
We did a lunch date with great-grandma and pa at Gordys, a full family dinner with lobster, time spent at Nana and Papa’s and a few days exploring some of our favorite spots in Duluth from the new cider spot to New Scenic Cafe and Lake Ave Cafe — we even went and sat on the beach one night for sunset, ate a caramel apple, and stared at the lake (and it was there where sand and snow met and showed just how crazy Duluth really is!)
Mothers Day
What a tough holiday for so many, right? Last Sunday was a really special day for me, my first Mother’s Day where I got to hold a baby in my arms. That holiday has been really hard in the past and this year I clung so tightly to her, I prayed so much for that day and I felt so blessed. We went on a little Duluth adventure afternoon and it was so special to get to take her with us. Conley was squealing with so much joy at New Scenic Cafe, all we could do was laugh – I think she could feel how special it all was for me!
Our favorite things
- The Doona Carseat/Stroller: I wasn’t sure if we needed one of these but when they reached out to gift us one to try out, I said “yes” and boy am I glad I did. It was SO easy to travel with and saved us big time. You can hook the car seat in safely without a base, so when we went to San Francisco, I pushed it through TSA, saved my arms from holding Conley on a 3 hour layover, and then we were able to explore the city with easy, hooking her in Ubers and then pushing her around without having to lug anything extra. People stopped us all the time to ask us what the Doona was because it’s designed so well and was a charm for travel. If you live in a city or travel a ton, I highly recommend getting a Doona because it’s a car seat and stroller in one and you can take it with you through the airport!
- BabyJoy Walker: I snagged this on Amazon for $63 and I think it might be our favorite baby purchase yet! Some of the things people LOVE, we haven’t loved so much, like the Bumpo chair — Conley LOVES to stand up and so this has worked way better for us and she can scoot around the house and we can put toys on the tray for her (and food eventually when she starts on solids!) It has 3 height settings, wheels to roll, the tray to entertain. She was literally screaming with joy when we got it and she loves it!
- Primally Pure Baby Oil: I’ve had this on the list before but I swear, I can’t go a day without it. I’ve been snagging all of her products when we’re on the go and the baby oil is PERFECT for travel because we both can use it (it smells like heaven and is non-toxic!) I’ve been obsessed with ALL things Primally Pure for years but now that I get to use the baby line too, I’m realizing just how good it all is. If you want more of my faves and a discount, click here.
What she’s up to
You know how people talk about each stage getting more fun? Well, that’s true, too. She LOVES to stand up, she locks out her little knees and her sweet cellulite in her strong thighs show and she just smiles and giggles while I’m over here wishing I could freeze time. She is obsessed with the dogs and watches them all the time. We’re trying to teach her how to pet them without pulling on their fur and they have been so patient with her. She talks and squeals and straight up screams sometimes because she’s happy — most recently in church on a Sunday, if there was a baby noise that would go with the “praise hands” emoji, it would be hers.
She’s hilarious and just loves to flash her gummy smile whenever we talk to her. We sing the most ridiculous songs and I swear someday I will throw out my neck trying to make her giggle. She’s putting everything into her mouth and grabs for anything in sight. Her hand/eye coordination is improving every single day, hopefully, she will be more coordinated than her mama.
Sleep
We also transitioned her to her nursery which was harder than I thought it would be for my mama heart but it’s been good. The first night I swear I was up 20 minutes checking the monitor to make sure she was okay (spoiler alert: she got better sleep than we did!) Since then, it’s been really nice to create a little routine and get her used to sleeping in her nursery! She is still sleeping in the SNOO which we still love and I think she will be in it for about one more month, so we are switching it over to the wean mode which means the bassinet is still and will only turn on and rock if she wakes up and is restless. We are also having her take at least one nap in her crib each day, just in a sleep sack to help the transition from the SNOO and that’s been working well so far.
I was pretty freaked out about the sleep regression because we did have her sleeping through the night last month and beyond a few rougher nights, she’s been clocking from 9PM – 6AM with maybe one wake up that requires just putting her pacifier back in. We’re hoping we can get back to the all-night thing because that was awesome but for now, Drew and I are tag teaming the wake ups and following Taking Cara Babies suggestions as close as we can!
How I’m feeling
Let me preface this with saying: dang, I am so lucky to have the support I do with having Drew be home and my mom coming over one or two mornings a week to help. I am luckier than most that we all get to spend our days together as a family! I will say this month brought on the most challenges mostly due to being in 2 back-to-back launches that required a lot more brain cells, time, and focus.
The hardest thing for us has been finding a schedule that allows me to work more than 2 hours at a time. While I’m still working mainly part-time, this last month showed me that we need to create some semblance of a schedule so that I know I can log in and be available for my team while also doing more than just staying afloat. I’ve found that when I log in and off multiple times between feedings and naps and diapers, I’m only getting caught up but never ahead. It’s awesome having everyone at home together but it also makes it hard to get and stay in work mode, specifically when things have deadlines.
Beyond work though, I am feeling so thankful — we’ll sort that out and we’re looking at some options of either getting an office space or creating a set schedule so I can get a few longer hours of work in each week. I mean, I’m typing this with a squirmy girl in my arms and so yes, it’s possible, but it’s not ideal! I want to be all-in on both work and parenting and so when I am trying to both, I feel like I’m failing at both. Can you relate?
Month Five Can Be Summarized
As joyful. There was so much growth as a mom, so much growth with Conley, and so much growth in my business. It was a month that held a few growing pains but so, so much joy and possibility. Each morning we wake up to her smiles and we can’t stop reveling that she’s ours and she’s here and we get to finally do this. We love watching her grow, watching her learn, and watching us settle into this new life as a family of 3 + our two pups.
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Month 01 | Month 02 | Month 03 | Month 04
