Four months with our sweet little girl Conley Kate and just like the last post (and the one before that, and the one before that) time is flying on by so quickly. The days all kind of blend together and then I have these moments where I look down at her and she’s just growing so darn fast. All of those silly cliches are true and basically, I’ve turned into every other mom who tells you it goes by so quickly. I’ll spare you the rest of the Hallmark quotes and get to the good stuff.

Back to work

The biggest transition from months 3-4 was really getting back to work and figuring out our new normal. I’ll be honest, it hasn’t been super easy but each day we’re finding our groove a little more. My goal and hope is to work part-time, so get in a solid 4-5 hours a day, 4-5 days a week. The hardest part of this goal is just figuring out what that will look like. I am far more productive when I leave the house and give myself the space to focus but I love being home with Drew and Conley and so we’re kind of in limbo in what an average week will really look like.

Right now, Drew goes to work out in the morning and I get to have slow mornings with my girl and then we hand off and I work until lunchtime, then feed the babe, and then get back to work! I want to make sure that Drew feels fulfilled in his role as a stay-at-home-dad (it’s a tough job, kudos to all of you who stay home) and I also want to make sure I am giving myself the time and space to keep growing and building my business, while being able to shut off and be present when the work is done.

As an entrepreneur, the work is never really done and so I’m considering growing my team to continue to support the business, we’re thinking about building a little office space for me, and basically we just have no clue how it’ll all shake out in the upcoming months but that’s been the biggest change this past month! I’m so grateful I built a business that gives us the freedom to both be home and spend time with our girl.

I traveled sans baby

A week into this past month, I got a text from one of my friends and mentors, Brendon Burchard. He recently moved to Puerto Rico and was just checking in on how we were doing. I sent him a selfie of me and the baby hanging on the couch and shared my version of mom life! Then Brendon said, “It might be too early but I wanted you to know you’re invited to Puerto Rico, a bunch of my friends are coming and we’re doing a mastermind!” Full disclosure: he had invited me months ago when I was just about due with the baby and I never committed because I wasn’t sure if I’d feel ready to travel, I’m also not the greatest at getting back to text messages.

The thought excited me but I wasn’t sure if I could really leave Conley for a few days. I called Drew and then called my mom and they both encouraged me to go! I truly felt torn but really excited to be surrounded by amazing humans and friends and to use my brain for business after taking months off to be a mom. I was worried about the criticism I would get for leaving my baby, but I knew I needed to do this for me. I was gone for 4 days, 3 nights and honestly, it was really great for me — but beyond being great for me, it was incredible for Drew. It was the first time he had a true solo-parenting experience and he absolutely rocked it and loved it.

We’re lucky that Coco takes a bottle like a champ and I had stockpiled a lot of milk! My sister and brother-in-law watched her when I had my early morning flight. My mom and dad came and helped to give Drew time to get some work done and go to the gym but overall, it was such a positive experience and while most of my travels this year include bringing the whole fam, it was reassuring that I can get away and chase my dreams while refueling so I can be present at home. I did have to pump the whole time I was away, which was interesting being at a table with some of the brightest businessmen in the world, and I ended up pumping and dumping (I know they have a service that can ship it on ice, but I was having a few margaritas anyways!) and so getting the flow of pumping — pun intended — while away was interesting but it all worked out!

Being away made Drew fall in love with parenting in a new way, gave me the space to think about the rest of this year, and allowed me to recharge to be a better businesswoman, wife, and mama. It really does take a village, so I’m so thankful to have family close to jump in when we need it!

I brought her to California

I flew home from Puerto Rico one day early so I could get back to see Drew and then we were off on a girls trip to California! Me, my mom, my sister, and the babe flew into San Diego and we spent a few days in the Temecula area and it was an incredible trip! She rocked the flights and I felt more equipped flying with a baby since we had already done it. We traveled a bit lighter this time (she still requires a lot of stuff) and ended up checking a full-sized suitcase for her and me, inside the suitcase we brought her DockaTot that she slept in, and then we checked her car seat!

We had a blast on the trip, she slept well, and she only added joy! One thing that has been a blessing for us is Conley’s resiliency and ability to just come along for the ride. There were numerous times where we just smiled at her because she came with us on wine tastings, sat through longer dinners, rocked trips in the car and long days out and about. She’s such an easy-going baby and I say that with so much gratitude because I know not all babies can rock life without having a set schedule.

This trip was filled with a lot of precious memories with my favorite ladies and it was so fun for nana and Auntie Kate to spend more quality time with Conley! There’s a precious bond between all of us and I love that we were able to sneak away from work and life for a few days for quality girl time. Work can wait, right?

This Months Favorite Things

• • Lalabu Pouch Shirt: Okay, I wish I had gotten this sooner! I saw someone wearing it on Instagram and new I needed one, especially for travel. I love wearing Conley and she’s getting a little heavier now but this would have been even more clutch for flying when she was tiny! It’s essentially a compression tank with a really sturdy pouch in it and you can nurse while the baby is in there. I would have had this on daily if I had gotten it sooner! It still worked great and was easier than wrapping her in a baby carrier and then taking it off to nurse, but I wish I had gotten it earlier!

• • Her Sophie Giraffe: I did NOT understand why everyone was obsessed with this little giraffe and I scoffed at the price of a toy for babies but I swear, the people who designed it, did so with babies in mind. Conley is definitely starting to teeth and so we die laughing as she chews on her giraffe and falls asleep snuggling it. The only issue here is that Chloe thinks it’s her toy, so they have to fight over it!

• • Primally Pure products: Can these just be on the list forever? When we were in California, we got to visit the offices of Primally Pure and see where the products are made and it made me fall deeper in love with their mission to get out incredible all-natural skincare. Especially since Conley is putting her hands into her mouth all the time, I think extra hard about the products I’m using on both my own skin and hers. If you’re looking to clean up your products, click here and you can see what my faves are and hear my own journey of going non-toxic after our miscarriages.

• • UpChoose Clothing Solution: Wondering why Conley wears a lot of neutrals? Well, for one thing we didn’t know if she was a girl or a boy and she’s still rocking the 0-3 clothes, so there’s that. I posted this on Instagram this last month and people went nuts over it! Essentially this company has created a more eco-friendly solution that makes kiddo’s clothing way easier and is a sustainable approach to those early months since babies only wear things a few times before they grow out of them. They send you everything you’d need for the size your baby is in, it’s all organic cotton, and then when your baby grows out of it, you send the clothes back and get the next size up. You can choose from new or gently used and you get credit for the pieces you send back to apply to the next size… like Rent the Runway but for babies! I love this option and plan to keep using it and then just buying a few cute pieces each month that I will hold on to for future babies or keepsakes. Use JENNA20 to save $20 off of your first order!

 

Ch-ch-ch-changes

So many changes this month! Conley rolled over for the first time and then the second… and well, you get the picture. She’s much more intentional with grabbing and holding things, love to talk and squeal like pterodactyl, she’s giggly a lot! She’s still a super easy-going baby and is sleeping almost all night! She loves to play with her toes, enjoys time in the shower with mama, and is the cutest in the morning when she wakes up. We still have her sleeping in our room and our plan is to transition her into the nursery this month! Part of me will miss having her close but part of me is ready to get a little better sleep and create a new routine with her. It just feels like we blinked and 1/3 of the year is already gone so savoring these little moments and preparing my mama heart for some bigger changes.

How I’m doing

Truly, I feel so grateful. When I think of our journey to get here, I feel like I am watching our miracle unfold each day. This morning Drew was holding Conley and eating his breakfast and the dogs were snuggled on the couch and the snow was falling (yes, snow in April) and we both just locked eyes like… how did we get so lucky? There have definitely been challenges and I’ve been trying to figure out what my new normal looks like as someone striving to continue her career but be an amazing mom and so the power struggle of those roles is real but I am confident that I can do both and I am still so sure that balance doesn’t exist but I can aim to be as balanced as I can through each season.

I’ve been thinking so much about what I want to teach Conley, how I hope she will see me and see what’s possible for her. I want to teach her self love and show her that her voice is powerful — ya know, I get it, she’s only 4 months but I think a lot about how I want her to be raised. This next month is a little crazy with work stuff but I’m excited as we figure out our home flow and have a month to just be home and settle into this new life! Thank you for all of your love, support, and encouragement as this new chapter unfolds for us, we feel so blessed.