• Today was the first Mother’s Day that I got to celebrate being a mother in addition to celebrating the amazing moms in my life. Becoming a mother is literally the best thing that has ever happened to me. It’s also the most intense thing that has ever happened to me and the most difficult thing I’ve ever faced. It has made me feel anxious, worried, sad, antsy, and guilty, but also excited, appreciative, and so so so incredibly happy. It teaches me to be patient, grateful, and to live in the moment. Motherhood has made me dismiss ideal body images and embrace my body and the incredible things it can do. I know it’s just going to get a hell of a lot harder, but I can’t wait for everything to come. #firstmothersday #chicagomama #mothersday #firsttimemom
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    Today was the first Mother’s Day that I got to celebrate being a mother in addition to celebrating the amazing moms in my life. Becoming a mother is literally the best thing that has ever happened to me. It’s also the most intense thing that has ever happened to me and the most difficult thing I’ve ever faced. It has made me feel anxious, worried, sad, antsy, and guilty, but also excited, appreciative, and so so so incredibly happy. It teaches me to be patient, grateful, and to live in the moment. Motherhood has made me dismiss ideal body images and embrace my body and the incredible things it can do. I know it’s just going to get a hell of a lot harder, but I can’t wait for everything to come. #firstmothersday #chicagomama #mothersday #firsttimemom
  • Yesterday was the last day of Jon’s paternity leave and today is the longest our little family of three hasn’t been all together. After we put Ella to bed last night, Jon and I sat together, drinking our second anniversary wine (8 months late) in the dark so that we could keep the bedroom door open and listen to her sleep. We talked about how our lives will never be the same again and about how sad that made us. We will never again have this time together - at home as a family, navigating the ins and outs of becoming first time parents and watching our little girl grow and change so much over the course of her first 8 weeks. I know this is life. We can’t just stay home as a family everyday for the rest of our lives and spend our days talking about how great Ella is and making silly noises until she smiles. And we both know we need mental stimulation and adult conversation, and have responsibilities outside our family. As we sat there in the dark, we talked about how special this time was and how grateful we are to have experienced Ella’s first couple months together. And now we’re shifting to a new normal- a new schedule with Jon at work and me home figuring out how to take care of Ella and our home until Jon comes home at night. Weekdays won’t blend into weekends anymore and late nights will no longer be remedied by late mornings. When I go back to work, it’ll be another shift and I’ll get home at night with just enough time to put her down to bed. And another shift will happen when Ella starts daycare. But I guess that’s what parenthood is. As soon as you get used to one thing, everything changes. I’m feeling bittersweet today. I’m sad that I’ll never have these last 8 weeks again, but I’m so grateful for every moment of it and excited for what’s to come and so appreciative of this moment right now. I’ve said it before, but parenthood has taught me to be present more than I had imagined it would. These days are so special and I know that Ella will never again be exactly the same as she is right now. 📷: @bellababyphotos #parenthood #firsttimemom
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    Yesterday was the last day of Jon’s paternity leave and today is the longest our little family of three hasn’t been all together. After we put Ella to bed last night, Jon and I sat together, drinking our second anniversary wine (8 months late) in the dark so that we could keep the bedroom door open and listen to her sleep. We talked about how our lives will never be the same again and about how sad that made us. We will never again have this time together - at home as a family, navigating the ins and outs of becoming first time parents and watching our little girl grow and change so much over the course of her first 8 weeks. I know this is life. We can’t just stay home as a family everyday for the rest of our lives and spend our days talking about how great Ella is and making silly noises until she smiles. And we both know we need mental stimulation and adult conversation, and have responsibilities outside our family. As we sat there in the dark, we talked about how special this time was and how grateful we are to have experienced Ella’s first couple months together. And now we’re shifting to a new normal- a new schedule with Jon at work and me home figuring out how to take care of Ella and our home until Jon comes home at night. Weekdays won’t blend into weekends anymore and late nights will no longer be remedied by late mornings. When I go back to work, it’ll be another shift and I’ll get home at night with just enough time to put her down to bed. And another shift will happen when Ella starts daycare. But I guess that’s what parenthood is. As soon as you get used to one thing, everything changes. I’m feeling bittersweet today. I’m sad that I’ll never have these last 8 weeks again, but I’m so grateful for every moment of it and excited for what’s to come and so appreciative of this moment right now. I’ve said it before, but parenthood has taught me to be present more than I had imagined it would. These days are so special and I know that Ella will never again be exactly the same as she is right now. 📷: @bellababyphotos #parenthood #firsttimemom
  • Last week, I hosted a Galentines Day dinner to celebrate some of my favorite ladies! Of course I was too busy enjoying dinner that I forgot to take any photos of us, but I did snap a few ahead of time. See today’s blog post for the details! Link in profile. #galentinesparty #partydecor
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    Last week, I hosted a Galentines Day dinner to celebrate some of my favorite ladies! Of course I was too busy enjoying dinner that I forgot to take any photos of us, but I did snap a few ahead of time. See today’s blog post for the details! Link in profile. #galentinesparty #partydecor
  • We have not yet mastered the art of getting out the door with a newborn in winter. We literally plan to leave the house an extra half hour early and then always end up getting places half an hour late. Needless to say, I don’t always have much time to make food. To help with this, I’ve been making oat bars for the week and storing them in the fridge and freezer to grab for a quick one-handed breakfast or snack. They’re full of oats, almonds, flax, and brewer’s yeast to help my body keep up with Ella’s demanding milk needs. They’re also delicious and healthy for everyone, not just nursing mothers! The recipe is live on the blog today. Link in profile. #nursingmother #oatbars
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    We have not yet mastered the art of getting out the door with a newborn in winter. We literally plan to leave the house an extra half hour early and then always end up getting places half an hour late. Needless to say, I don’t always have much time to make food. To help with this, I’ve been making oat bars for the week and storing them in the fridge and freezer to grab for a quick one-handed breakfast or snack. They’re full of oats, almonds, flax, and brewer’s yeast to help my body keep up with Ella’s demanding milk needs. They’re also delicious and healthy for everyone, not just nursing mothers! The recipe is live on the blog today. Link in profile. #nursingmother #oatbars
  • I hosted a little Galentine’s Day party on Wednesday. It was so much fun to celebrate with some of my favorite ladies and I’m happy to be able to throw parties again! Ella got to attend her first ladies night, which for her consisted of cuddling and drinking milk til she passed out at 9:30. Replace the milk with wine and that sounds like the perfect evening for me! #galentinesparty #ladiesnight
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    I hosted a little Galentine’s Day party on Wednesday. It was so much fun to celebrate with some of my favorite ladies and I’m happy to be able to throw parties again! Ella got to attend her first ladies night, which for her consisted of cuddling and drinking milk til she passed out at 9:30. Replace the milk with wine and that sounds like the perfect evening for me! #galentinesparty #ladiesnight