Halloween looked a little different this year for everyone, but we still made the best of it. Every year we usually are at one costume party, or another, or out trick or treating with friends and family. With Hadley being a little too young to go out trick or treating, and parties not yet safe for our high-risk family, we still made yesterday as fun as we could for her to celebrate her second Halloween!
Hadley dressed up as a New England Patriots cheerleader, but as New England weather is chilly this time of year, it was very cold to wear her costume all day. So instead, we opted for an all day pajama party! We watched old and new Disney Halloween movies, including my favorites : Hocus Pocus and all of the Halloweentown movies! We made cocoa and a yummy breakfast, built a pillow fort in the living room, and laughed the day away!
Happy Monday! Iām not usually the person whoās that excited about the first work day of the week, but with the new schedule we have Iām suddenly a āMonday personā, who knew?
With Hadley, my husband and myself all being considered āhigh riskā during these weird times, itās a blessing that I am able to work my full time job from the safety of my own home. As weird as this sounds, I actually accomplish more work while being home! Not having to deal with the crazy traffic that takes away anywhere from 2 to 2 and a half hours of my days, Iām able to spend more time focused on my work, spending invaluable time with Hadley and actually keeping up with all of our laundry!
The moments I get to experience with Hadley – witnessing all of her firsts, her excitement and her energy, is the best part of this new normal we have going for us. I never thought a favorite part of my day would be spending my lunch break watching Paw Patrol and watching my toddler dress up like her mama with her little purse and her Paw Patrol hat that she just had to have! These times I will have forever etched into my mind; I never want to take any of this for granted!
I remind myself every day to focus on the positives around me, and to put my energy into the things that I can control. I feel for every mama out there thatās overwhelmed juggling work, being a homeschool teacher, being a mom and just trying to navigate our ever-changing world. Weāre all in this together, so be kind to one another and show some love because you never know what someone elseās battle is.
Hey everyone! Itās been a little while since Iāve written, mostly because itās been challenging finding a new normal with our new routines during this crazy time! Iāve missed keeping you all up to date on Hadleyās happenings and the milestones we reach, so I decided to make the time to start writing again, sharing our messy, stressful, beautiful life!
Weāll start with the day in June that my mama instincts went into full effect. We had a normal day playing outside and exploring, followed up by a quick run to the grocery store. Hadley hadnāt been acting like herself all day – very sleepy, not hungry at all, not really feeling like doing much. I attributed this to the joys of teething and semi brushed it off. In the pit of my stomach I knew it could be more, but I tried not to overthink too much. She didnāt feel warm, and no other symptoms so it must be teething, right? I wish it was.
When we pulled into the driveway after our supermarket adventure, I opened Hadleyās door to see her convulsing aggressively in her car seat. I quickly unbuckled her and tried to get her to come to. The shaking suddenly stopped, but she wouldnāt make eye contact and wouldnāt respond to us. She was burning up so we rushed her inside and put a cold washcloth on the back of her neck and continued trying to get her back to normal. After just a couple of minutes, she passed out and went unconscious in my arms. We called 911 and Iāve never ran faster in my life down to the ambulance with her. The paramedics were angels and were so great with Hadley. They first took her temperature and she finally woke up, confused as to where she was. Her temp in the ambulance was very high, so off we went to the hospital for her to get checked out.
Once we arrived, we were put into a room and the nurses came in to triage her. Her temperature was 104 degrees Fahrenheit and her blood sugar was in the 200ās. The first steps were getting her temperature down and get her some fluids. They swabbed her for Covid-19 and luckily, that came back negative. The doctor came in and explained to us that what happened was that Hadley had a febrile seizure. Basically, she went from having a normal temperature to a fever too quickly and her body didnāt know how to react to that. Because of that, it caused her blood sugar to spike to try to help protect her body.
After many hours at the hospital, Hadleyās temp started trending in the right direction, her blood sugar regulated and we were able to go home. The next few days we spent following up with her pediatrician, constantly checking her temperature and keeping up with alternating medicine to keep her fever down. The pediatrician explained to us that it was just a mild virus and to keep an eye on her in the future because the seizures could happen again, but sheāll eventually grow out of them. 5 days later, Hadley was back to her bubbly, silly, sweet self and her fever broke! My baby had her first sickness and momma had the first of Iām sure, many panic-inducing moments.
When youāre expecting a baby, you think youāve prepared enough for motherhood. You read the books, you memorize the articles, you buy all of the things that promise to keep your little one safe. I did all of that. But being a parent is hard, man! Those little people pull at every heart string we have and that fierce instinct to protect them takes over in a heartbeat and is so strong that you feel you could take on all of the bad guys in the world and come out victorious. I now embrace that instinct to the fullest, and will forever, knowing that I will never know it all. And thatās okay!
Stay healthy and safe and remember to wash ya hands!! XOXO
Long time, no blog! I have been pretty quiet on here lately, mostly because life has been crazy! Things have settled down a bit, so Iām so happy to be back writing!
We have so much to catch up on, but for starters letās talk about this quarantine, amiright? Since this scary time has started, itās been constant change around here. Both my husband and I started working remotely from home since about the third week in March and we know that we are so fortunate to have jobs that we are able to do that. Being in healthcare and my husband being an engineer itās not very often that these professions can still be productive from home, but weāre making it work!
With all of the shut downs of schools and daycare centers, comes the change of having Hadley home with us 24/7. I honestly couldnāt be happier!! I miss her so much during the week, and itās such a blessing to be home with her while sheās going through all of her big milestones and weāre nearing her first birthday (cue the tears š)
Speaking of Hadley, she just turned 11 months old! I still canāt believe how fast time is going by and that in less than a month from now my tiny baby girl will officially be a toddler!! Itās bittersweet because on one hand Iām so sad that my baby wonāt technically be a baby anymore, and that weāll have to postpone her birthday party given everything thatās happening in the world, and on the other hand Iām so excited to keep watching her learn more everyday and continue to grow into the smart, sweet, kind, funny, sassy little girl Iām lucky enough to call my daughter.
I canāt wait to get back into writing more often, again and share all of our big moments with you all! Stay healthy, safe and home š
I feel like lately my life has been one mini-meltdown after the next. With working full time, a feisty/sassy/needy six month old, moving to a new home, and everything that comes with life in general, thereās been more times than I can count in the past month where I just wanted to hide somewhere and have five whole minutes to just breathe.
This past weekend we moved into our new home. Neither my husband or I took any time off of work so we had to get it all done in the fastest weekend ever. I donāt think the word āstressfulā even begins to cover it! We had some set backs right before the move that were stressful and the things that kept me from absolutely losing my mind this week were the smiles on my favorite girlās face and hugs from my wonderful husband. We powered through it and with the help of our amazing families we were able to keep Hadley entertained so we could take care of the heavy lifting!
Itās still crazy now; I have boxes lining each wall waiting to be unpacked. Both my husband and I are working 40+ hours a week. Take out has been on the menu more times than Iād like to admit. And you know what? Iām okay with those boxes being there for now and focusing on being there for my teething, fussy baby when she needs me instead of unpacking one more box. I know that the rest of our things will be put away in their places in time and weāll get our new home in order. Iām learning not to sweat the small stuff, not to try to get everything on my list done in a day – because itās not realistic. Iām learning to embrace the needy-moments when all Hadley wants is just cuddles because it wonāt be this way forever. Im learning to be more in the moment. To find the good and happy in whatever the universe hands us.
Becoming a mom, Iāve learned that itās not as easy as people make it look. Itās the most exhausting, emotional, terrifying thing Iāve ever done. At the same time, itās also the most beautiful, fun and eye-opening miracle Iāve ever witnessed. Iāve gained a whole new respect for all of the mom-figures I have in my life and Iām so thankful for the lessons my perfect little one has taught and continues to teach me every day.
When the teething gets tough, we reach for the hard stuff! *No babies were intoxicated in the making of this photo*
Well, as expected, weāre still slowly getting used to our ever-changing life! Juggling the many tasks that seem to forever be marked on my mental to-do list (that just keeps growing!) is not a task for the weak! I canāt thank the heavens enough for my amazing husband thatās been my rock and saving grace during this transition into being a working mama.
Now to the babes. Teething. Enough said, right? Itās tough. Itās full of drool, sleepless nights (for all involved), cranky babies and parents alike, and being used as a human teething ring (RIP my fingers).
Hadley has been teething here and there for about a month or so. It started with the increase in drool and then the yelling and chewing (aggressively!) on anything thatās in her or her poor mouthās reach. This girl has 2 teeth coming in at once on the bottom and one on the top. Much like her dad, she has to go above and beyond with her tasks!
We started using a teething necklace from Baltic essentials and itās made a huge difference! (I even got one for myself, because we can all use some added mental and physical clarity šš¼āāļø) I attached the link at the end of the post for anyone looking for some teething relief or anxiety relief! Trust me, it makes a difference the day you forget to put it on)
Other than the teething necklace, āsurvival of the teeth arrivalā has consisted of frozen washcloths, refrigerated teething rings, frozen pacifiers and lots of cuddles for my little! As much as I wish for this phase to quickly come and go so we can get back to sleeping through the nights and not to be used as a chew toy for my daughter, I remember one important thing I was told while I was pregnant. āEnjoy every second because it goes by so fastā. Every mom, dad, grandparent and friend who spoke these words to me was 100% right. These days are flying by. I cried as I packed away Hadleyās newborn clothes and still wonder when my itty bitty baby girl turned into a babbling, rolling, trying-to-crawl baby, whoās no longer considered a ānewbornā.
So for now, Iāll be the hand sheās gnawing on, and the one to give her the cuddles she craves to feel better, because I know that one day I will miss these exhausting, drool-covered days.
Itās been a while! Iāve been meaning to write a lot more than I have the past couple of weeks, but life has been nothing short of, well, a bit on the chaotic side! All good things, but busy nonetheless. My wonderful husband has been working crazy amounts of overtime at his job before his busy season comes to an end, meaning we have to tweak our routines to adjust.
Speaking of routines, my side of things has done a complete 180! Iām so happy to announce that I started my dream job 2 weeks ago. I have a normal schedule now so we have more time to spend as a family! Itās been crazy getting everyone used to the new and exciting changes, but Hadley still isnāt a fan of getting up and ready at 5am (but really, who would be?!).
Itās going to take time, and changing little bits of the routine to get a perfect fit for what works for us, but weāll get it all right soon enough! In the meantime, weāre just praying that Hadley will go back to sleeping through the night and break through those two teeth sheās been working so hard on! (More on that later this week!)
Have a wonderful Sunday, and a great week! We know we will! ā¤ļø
Well, itās officially begun. The oceans of drool, the low grade fever, the constant chewing on everything she can get her little hands on. My teeny tiny baby isnāt so teeny anymore, and sheās getting those teeth in!
The past few weeks its been a race between whatās worse: the drool covering everything (including both cats-theyāre not thrilled) or the chewing on everything (including fingers-both hers and whoeverās hands are within reach). Itās constant outfit changes because one or all of us look like we fell in a puddle, and matching bibs to every single outfit for some extra protection!
Luckily weāve found some relief in a couple of things! First, is her Baltic amber anklet! I was pretty skeptical at first (how in the world would a piece of cute jewelry actually help teething symptoms?!), but hear me out. It works like a charm. The natural oils of the Baltic amber absorb into her skin with her body heat and naturally relieve her teething pain and decreases drooling! Within just a couple of days of her wearing it weāve seen such a difference, and the days I forgot to put it on her? My sweet girl was drenched in drool and angrily chewing her poor stuffed catās tail off while never breaking eye contact with me š¬ I whole heartedly recommend this for teething babes of all ages (they also have cute adult bracelets/necklaces for other ailments!) and you can catch a glimpse of the anklet in other photos Iāve posted! I have attached the link at the bottom of the post for where we got ours!
The second form of relief weāve found is, really anything cold or frozen. Simply enough, just running her normal pacifier under water and then sticking it in the freezer for a little while was instant relief for her angry gums. Another super simple technique is to take a clean washcloth (we use her baby washcloths because theyāre much gentler!), run it under water and freeze it for a while. The soft, cold material is perfect for Hadley because she seems to prefer chewing on things that are softer! We also invested in a teething bead toy that can attach to the handle of her stroller while weāre on the go so she can gnaw as much as sheād like without losing it!
Now that we have two teeth that have broken through, Iām sure the rest arenāt too far behind. I just have to accept the fact that I will forever smell of drool and baby breath, but thatās okay because itās just another new adventure that weāll take on one tooth at a time!
P.S. hereās that link for the anklet/necklace I promised! Happy shopping! balticessentials.com
Happy Saturday! This day couldnāt come fast enough for me! Why, you ask? Well, because this past Monday was my first day back to work after spending 4 of the shortest months ever on maternity leave.
Monday was, well, rough to say the least. I cried going to bed Sunday night, when I got up Monday morning, the entire time I was getting ready, (pulled myself together for a whopping 15 minutes so I could see while driving Hadley to my parents house), only to let the flood gates open up yet again as I was leaving, and continued my sob fest until I pulled into work. I was just a little emotional, you could say!
I was more than fortunate to get 16 weeks of maternity leave, but itās never easy going back to work. My hours are weird at my job, and itās not the closest to our home, so that added a whole other level of nervousness for me. Hadley did amazing this week tho! I also was much less of a basket case by the end of the week which is always a plus! Hadleyās starting to get used to our new routine, and being her goofy, smiley self all day long! Sheās so comfortable with her new routine, in fact, that she woke me up at the crack of dawn this morning because she thought it was party time! Iāll take it tho, because that just means I get more cuddles today. Now, weāll enjoy our two days off before we have to do it all over again come Monday!
Itās been a few days since I have posted, and mostly it was because I was too anxious. Not in the, āIām too excited or slightly overwhelmedā anxious, thatās talked about lightly. This has been the anxiety that makes it near impossible to leave bed, brush your hair, or complete any normal task.
I felt it coming on a couple of weeks ago, the way my anxiety attacks normally come about: the nagging feeling that āsomething isnāt quite rightā, but I canāt put my finger on what exactly is wrong. I did what I have done since I was 17, which is to just push it down and try to distract myself so I donāt get lost in my imagination and make things worse. Usually, that keeps it at bay for a little while, lasting only 2-3 weeks at a time until I finally feel like myself again.
This is the first anxiety attack that Iāve had postpartum. I think Iāve just been too distracted that pushing those fears and negative thoughts down for so long, I finally exploded from the volcano-like pressure. I didnāt want to get out of bed, I just wanted to stay in my little cocoon and not talk to anyone or see anyone. It wasnāt until I found myself breaking down in tears every single day for 2 weeks that I looked at my reflection in the bathroom mirror and finally realized that it was time to ask for help.
Maybe it was my pride, or fear of admitting that there was something wrong with me that has kept me from reaching out to my doctor about my anxiety for so many years, but whatever it was that was keeping me from seeking the help my chemical imbalance was begging for, it hit the road once I looked at my perfect little girl. I realized that she needs me to be the healthiest, happiest, version of myself for her.
So I made the call to my doctor and went in for an appointment. I word-vomited every single emotion that was running through my body and told him how I donāt feel like me. He listened, he gave advice, he prescribed me a medicine that will help regulate the chemicals in my brain that otherwise are all over the place, and most importantly he made sure I know that Iām not alone. Iām not crazy. Iām normal. āIām normalā. That one phrase is what stuck out to me the most. My anxiety and postpartum depression do not define me. They are the result of a hormone imbalance that can be resolved. Itās not going to last forever.
Iām so incredibly happy that I made the decision to call my doctor. I was relieved to learn that more women go through this than I had realized, and that hormone fluctuations and ppa/ppd are NORMAL. Going through all of this made me wish I had reached out sooner, but all in all Iām now on my way to becoming the best version of myself for not only me, but to be the best mom I can be to Hadley.
