This month was a really big one! A book launch, progress on the home build, listing our house, and family time. I feel like we crammed so much into this last month that it feels like a lifetime and a blink all at the same time. There was a lot of anticipation for the end of June and the release of “How Are You, Really?” and writing this blog post is honestly a touch surreal.
New York City:
If you’ve read my book (specifically the epilogue) I share about how a woman named Thea told me there was something I needed to do and I had to stop avoiding it and I immediately knew what that “thing” was, was writing a book. What I didn’t share in the book was that when Thea asked me if I had any questions, my big question was “Will I be able to have another baby?” and with confidence, she believed I could, BUT she told me, “The book needs to come before the baby.” No pressure, right?
I mean… writing a book wasn’t even on my radar or my vision board. Having a baby? That was. So now I’ve got this nudge from the universe (in the form of Thea) and I’ve gotta get writing. So write, I did! June signified a lot of things for me. A finish line of sorts but also the starting line of the impact my book could have on the world. We celebrated as a family in New York City and experienced so many surreal things: my first book signing, seeing our faces on a billboard in Times Square, being on The Today Show, walking through Central Park… it felt like five lifetimes shoved into three days.
Quinnie slept in our room, Nana shared a room with two twin beds with Coco (and learned how to sleep with the lamp on!) and it was just such a surreal trip. There were so many moments where my lives (professional and mom life) blended and it was almost laughable how intertwined we all are. From nursing Quinnie in a Barnes and Noble moments after seeing my book in a book store for the first time to Coco being hangry and almost missing the 30-second ad in Times Square, I almost just had to laugh at how crazy it all was, but how I truly wouldn’t have it any other way. Also, we took ZERO photos on my actual camera in New York, oops!
Home Build Progress:
This was also a big month on the home front! From being able to step into our house for the first time with the framing going up to doing a weekly visit to the job site to watching things change, it honestly has felt unreal. Seeing the girls in their rooms (that are literally just framing right now) and imagining them growing up in the woods, it makes us super teary-eyed! Every time we go there and walk through the space and imagine what it’s going to be like living there, we get goosebumps.
I couldn’t be more excited for this next chapter though it’s entirely sentimental to be leaving the home we brought both of our babies home to. In fact, if you’ve read Chapter 9 in my book, “How Are You, Really?” you’ll know the vision that led us home, led us here! This home was the space where visions were fulfilled, literally from the day we got here! (I got my positive pregnancy test that led to Coco the day after we moved in!) and so it’s really bittersweet.
We weren’t totally sure about the timing of selling but we just listed our home a few days ago (note: prepping to list in a crazy job season with two kids and two dogs is… interesting!) Thankfully, we’re heading up north while they do showings so we don’t have to keep cleaning it to perfection and exiting the premises! Fingers crossed the next owner is ready to love on this space and watch their dreams come true like ours did.
Things We’re Loving:
This DockaTot: Okay, I get it, these things are an investment, but once Quinnie moved out of the Snuggle Me Organic, we moved her into her DockaTot (which we’ve honestly had out since she was born! Having places to lay her down spread out through the house is a blessing!) We’re loving this because now that she’s bigger, we can unclip the bottom and she has room to stretch out and isn’t wiggling out of it. I feel like we’re going to get a lot of use from this in the next few months (and since it’s a hand-me-down from her big sister, totally worth it!)
This convertible car seat: I know I had this on here before, but this came in clutch for New York City! Another hand-me-down from Coco, this car seat that transforms into a stroller is a godsend for travel. We couldn’t have safely done Central Park without having this option! I love pushing her through TSA and the airport and gate-checking it! It’s been such an amazing travel companion, even Coco can push it! If you travel a lot or live in a city and have to take Ubers to locations, this is convertible car seat/stroller must-have!
This “One-Line-A-Day” journal: Drew is literally sitting on the couch across from me filling out the girl’s books! They are four-year-long journals where you just write one line a day down and it’s been so fun! We actually started when Coco was a baby and have somehow kept it going for three plus years. It’s amazing how just one written line can bring you back to a trip, a memory, a season. I love looking back over the years and reminiscing on all that we’ve done together and I can’t wait to pass this to the girls.
My book: Right until my book came out, Coco was convinced it was about playgrounds and puppies and she thought the title of it was “I Love You!” Now, at least once a day, she’ll find it in our home (on my desk, on the bookshelf, in my car!) and she’ll come running into the room and scream, “Mommy, it’s your book!” While she might not be old enough to read it, this is probably my prized possession when it comes to things I can’t wait to pass to them someday. If you’re a mama or someone questioning if motherhood is for you, grab a copy, I promise you, it’ll help you to hear your own voice even better.
These silicone feeders: Even just typing that makes it sound like I’m feeding an animal (which Quinn can be when it comes to food!) But these have been a super fun way for her to try new foods safely. We plop in a few berries, a banana, cottage cheese, we’ve even given her steak using this. It allows her to get the taste and suck out the juice without fear of choking!
This natural baby balm: Literally in the last 24 hours, I’ve used this stuff at least 5 times. On skinned news, diaper rash, bug bites, drool breakouts, and even on my own skin where it’s dry and for chapped lips. I swear the tallow in this is one of the most healing ingredients I’ve ever come across! Buy the big size, I promise it’ll become a staple in your life (even if you don’t have kiddos!)
The Easiest Baby:
I swear to you, Quinn is just the easiest baby on planet earth. She wakes up with a smile, and only whimpers when I walk into the room after being gone because she wants milk, and she literally just goes with the flow. There’s no guessing what she needs, she just has this energy about her that is so pure. She has an old soul (truly, it’s not just me thinking that!) and the evenest energy. It’s wild how fast time is going with her, each milestone just feels like a “Whoa, how did we get here already?” moment? I wish every mom could have an easy baby like Quinnie because she is just pure joy and rolls and giggles.
We Have Help:
Another massive milestone this month was getting outside help (beyond my mom!) for the first time in our parenting journey. Over the last three and a half years, it’s just been us, a family unit, living and working and figuring it all out together. I wouldn’t trade that time for anything and we honestly rocked it but when someone close to us noticed that we didn’t have help, she offered to come over a few times a week to watch the girls so Drew could have a break or so that we could have a date night. Up until this point, it was always and only my mom (and my dad too!) but I also didn’t want the pressure on them with their busy lives to be the only way we could step away for an evening.
For the last few weeks we’ve had help for a few hours at a time and it’s been incredible for so many reasons! The girls get to be around someone other than us, Coco gets to learn from another adult, we get a break, and Drew gets some precious (and well-deserved) alone time! We even have gotten in a fun date night. While us bouncing around to our place up north makes it had to keep things consistent, it’s been awesome just having a bit of extra help! I’m just excited to have some more flexibility and have another option since my mom’s about to get even busier as my sister is about to have a little one!
Watch her grow:
- Click here for our Month 7 Recap
- Click here for our Month 6 Recap
- Click here for our Month 5 Recap
- Click here for our Month 4 Recap
- Click here for our Month 3 Recap
- Click here for our Month 2 Recap
- Click here for our Month 1 Recap
Pregnancy and nursing-safe skincare for you and your family!
