Life Updates
It has been SO long since I have updated my blogging website and even longer since I published an actual written blog post, and I miss it! At 19 months post partum, life feels SO much more manageable now and I have so much to share.
Motherhood
I thought I would start with all things related to motherhood! As I already mentioned, life feels so manageable now. I do feel like once she turned 8 months and switched to two naps and started sleeping better, things got significantly easier, and now that she is on one nap and 19 months, we have turned another corner. She is sleeping much more consistently, we have an even more consistent schedule, and even though I have to keep a close eye on her she is becoming more independent.
For the most part I am really enjoying the toddler stage. Of course Tatum and I both have our moments where she throws a tantrum or I get overwhelmed, but it really has not been as difficult as I imaged this stage to be (and I know we are still on the early side of the toddler years). I am very grateful I am able to be with her 95% of the time. Watching her grow up is so bittersweet and I know the years will keep flying by so I really am trying to soak it in as much as I can. She is a little sponge absorbing everything around her and it is so sweet to hear her say new words and understand new concepts.
A few things that have made the toddler stage easier and more enjoyable have been including her in everyday activities as much as possible (she “helps” me with laundry, dishes, cooking, tidying, cleaning… there is very little housework I save for bedtime), letting her get messy (choosing my battles here – I’ll let her play on the bathroom floor with 100 bobby pins if it means I can do my hair and make up in peace), giving her choices whenever possible (letting her choose her outfits out of 2 options), promoting independence (independent play, combing her own hair etc), lots of time letting her run around outside, teaching her sign language (this has been HUGE since her vocabulary is limited), spending quality time with her and limiting my phone usage around her… and we don’t do screen time. I have also tried to get better about scheduling “breaks” for myself – usually dedicated time to work on my blog. I’ll usually spend 30-60 mins alone in Tatum’s room while Ryan gets some quality time with her and it has been so great. Last year he was gone around 70 hours per week so many days the only breaks I would get would be during her naps which were not long. I am sure there are even more but I really think these things have allowed me to enjoy this stage as much as possible!
I recently weaned Tatum from breastfeeding, which is bittersweet. If it were up to her she would probably have kept going for years but for various reasons I was ready to be done. Overall weaning went pretty well, and I am feeling so much better physically and emotionally. I will share more about my whole breastfeeding journey in a blog post later on!
Family Planning
Ryan and I have had many conversations about our future family and I think we have finally figured out a “plan” – of course as much of a plan as we can control. We would love a few more babies. If it were up to Ryan, I probably would have already delivered our second one, ha! Pretty much up until a few weeks ago I had no desire to start TTC but once I stopped breastfeeding and Ryan and I figured out more of a plan, I am just now feeling ready. I’m trying not to put too much stress or pressure on it though, and know it’s not all in my control!
House Situation
I don’t have any real updates as far as our house situation goes – we bought our first house almost two years ago and I was definitely less prepared to become a homeowner than I was to become a mom. For anyone who does not know, we live in a townhouse in Baltimore city. We decided on our house after touring houses for only 2 days… ended up having to do mold remediation which was the same cost as our down payment… and we’ve had other issues since. We love having a rooftop deck, being next to a huge park, living close to the water, being able to walk many places… but at the same time we long for the time we are in a house with a bigger kitchen, space for a dining room table, a real backyard, a safer area to raise our family… but for the meantime we are making it work. We would love to be able to move soon but for various reasons it won’t be for another couple years. We are starting to look way earlier this time, and have been going to open houses to get a better sense of what we want in the future. My sister has also been living with us for the past few months which has been a huge blessing!
Work Updates
For those who don’t know, I work part time as a nurse on a mother baby unit in a hospital. I usually work two night shifts per week (7pm-7:30am) – mostly on the weekends so that I can stay home with Tatum during the week. I do have to schedule myself for some weekday nights, but thankfully I have lots of amazing coworkers who are willing to switch shifts with me to make it work. Say I work a Friday night – I will be up with Tatum all day, then go to work Friday night all night, then come home Saturday morning and take a 3 hour nap while Ryan is home, then go to bed at a normal time that night. If I work back to back shifts, Ryan or our family is home all day with her so I can sleep. While this set up is not my ideal, it is my ideal in my current situation. I had a magical, huge influx of money I would prefer to work way less often, lol. I know that no matter what I choose to do, it’s going to be hard. But seeing my baby less would be my hardest. And for now it’s manageable and what works the best for us!
Rediscovering my sense of style
It truly did take me a year and a half to rediscover my sense of style as a mom. Pregnancy and post partum fashion was something I found a bit difficult to navigate. I quickly realized I didn’t have a lot of nursing friendly clothing, and I did not love most of the clothes I had. But now I feel like I have finally figured out what I feel comfortable in and what I want to focus more on. Creating a capsule wardrobe has made shopping and getting dressed SO much easier and more enjoyable. I try to focus more on quality basics I absolutely love and timeless pieces that are going to last me a long time. I stick to a color scheme which makes putting outfits together easy. I have a lot of blue, white, and black and some pink. I have been loving coastal, classic, grandmillenial fashion recently. We don’t have a lot of space in our house (I have to keep half my wardrobe on a separate floor than our bedroom) so I really try to be as minimal as I can be when it comes to clothes. I’m really excited to keep sharing more related to this!
A few recent favorites
*Athletic dresses – So easy to throw on, comfortable, easy to chase a toddler around in, instantly make me feel put together! I love this one from Lululemon because the shorts are open in the back so it’s easy to use the bathroom. I am interested in trying other brands though since it is expensive!
*Lake Pajamas – I have been obsessed with pajamas lately! I love that these are made of a natural material (pima cotton). They are so soft and comfortable and hold up SO well. I know they are a bit pricey but to me the cost per wear is so low they are such a good investment. They last for years and years compared to other brands I have tried.
*Wacoal bra – it feels so good to wear a normal bra again after breastfeeding. These bras are so comfortable and flattering, have minimal padding and are wireless. AND a few colors are on sale currently!
*Stud earrings – this pair from Kate Spade is under $50. I have the blue color that is sold out but also love the pink! The quality is really good and they match everything I wear.
*Brumate cup – I bought this one after I broke the lid to my previous Brumate (I dropped it way too many times). They have really upped the quality since! I love that it’s leakproof, a must have for a toddler mom!
*Lululemon claw clips – I’ve had these two for years and wear them everyday! I tried a few other brands but got rid of all of them because these do the best job at holding my hair back.
*Tula bronzing drops – I wear this mixed with their tinted SPF everyday! Gives a nice color and protects against blue light. My code COLLEENCOOK gives you 15% off!
*Kerastase shampoo – I recently switched my shampoo from Olaplex to this one and am in love. My hair is SO much softer. Before I had to spray a ton of leave in conditioner just to comb it and now I don’t need any product!
*Pat Mcgrath Labs mascara – I have tried probably 20-30 brands of mascara over the years and this gives my lashes the most volume. I don’t think I’ll ever switch to another!
