Captured :: Family Photos at the Zoo

In keeping with the Little Man's first birthday theme, we decided to take his first year photos at Lincoln Park Zoo.  You can check out the details behind the little Man's jungle safari themed 1st birthday here.  I decided to use some of the decor from his party which included: the gold safari animals, his Jungle Book guest book, and the favorite things poster.  A special thanks to our friend, Niraj Gandhi who captured all our wonderful moments from carousal rides, to polar bear hunting, and just goofing off at the zoo! 

the Little Man is wearing:  Bergen blue chinos, H&M high top sneakers, H&M grey cardigan, & Carter's plaid long-sleeved onesie.

Monthly Updates :: 12 Months!! & A Look Back

I can't believe it, the little Man is a year old!  A whole year has just flown by and he has brought more joy into our lives than we know what to do with.  Here's a look at his 12 month stats!



A look back at this year in monthly updates:

Safari Adventures Birthday Inspiration

The little Man is turning one in three weeks!  Where has this year gone?  I’m a little sad that he’s growing up so fast, but so excited for what this next year will bring.  We decided on a Jungle Book & Safari themed party for the little Man’s first birthday.  The little Man is currently rocking some long hair, and with an orange diaper cover he’ll be a replica of Mogli, which is why the Jungle Book/Safari theme is perfect for him.  I’ll be sharing his party on The Wise Baby and hosting some fabulous Etsy giveaways, so stay tuned.  In the meantime, here’s the inspiration behind his Jungle Book/Safari themed party.



{Photos via: Postcard, Safari Notebooks, Jungle Book print, Gramophone, Leopard, Suitcases, Gold Safari Animals, Cake, Banner} 



Monthly Updates :: 11 Months

The little Man is 11 months old.  We are in full planning mode for his first birthday party which will be here before I know it.  Here's a look at his 11 month stats.  Spoiler alert:  He took his first steps this month!

Monthly Updates :: 10 Months

Happy Friday!  We are off on our island hopping adventure today.  Here's hoping the little Man does well on a 20 hour journey!  In case you miss us, you can keep up with our island adventures on Instagram with #APNinstatravel2014.  Hope you lovelies have a great weekend and we'll see you back here in 2 weeks!

The little Man will be on his first plane ride and he's only 10 months old.  Here's a look at this month's stats.

Monthly Updates :: 9 Months

The little Man is 9 months old!  The year is winding down and the little Man is growing up.

We're also over at The Wise Baby today with a list of our favorite holiday traditions.  Growing up, our holiday traditions were one of the things I was most excited for during the holidays.  And I love the idea of the little Man passing along the traditions we start with him to his kids one day. 

Monthly Updates :: 6 Months

And the little Man is half way there.  We celebrated his 6 month birthday with an end of the summer BBQ bash with friends and family.  These past six months have been amazing and exhausting.  I can't wait to see what the next six have in store for us.  Happy Monday!

Monthly Updates :: 5 Months & the Mister's Birthdy Weekend

This weekend we celebrated the Mister's thirtieth birthday (& the little Man's 5 month birthday) with brunch at the Trencherman before he headed out to Lolla.  The Mother's Milk at Trencherman is my new favorite summer cocktail, who knew you could carbonate vodka, it was refreshingly delicious.  Speaking of delicious, I made the mister a yummy birthday cake in the shape of a 3 and a 0, hopefully I'll get a tutorial up here soon.  And in other exciting baby news, my cousin had her little Man last week, welcome to the world baby Max, I can't wait to spoil you.  Hope you lovelies had a wonderful weekend!

Captured :: 3 Month Photos

Hope everyone had a great weekend.  I'm finally sharing  the little Man's 3 month & our family photos that we took a couple weeks ago.  It's crazy how much the little Man has already changed in those few weeks.  I love the candidness that Niraj (aka our talented friend) was able to capture, you can see the adorable mischievousness the little guy is harboring.  If you are interested in a having some amazing photos captured check out the rest of Niraj's site, he's done everything from weddings to kids to maternity to parties etc.  Happy Monday!

Monthly Updates :: 4 Months

I can't believe our little man is 4 months old!  He's learning the art of babbling and loves to roll over.  Apparently he's experiencing a growth spurt and is at the 98th percentile for his height.  Hopefully this pattern repeats itself when he hits puberty.  Happy Monday!

Captured :: 3 Month Pictures Sneak Peak

Our friend is one talented photographer.  He's taken our maternity photos, our little man's newborn photos, and most recently, the little man's 3 month and family photos.  Here's a sneak peak...

Monthly Updates :: 3 Months & Monthly DIY Project

Our little man turned 3 months old this past Monday, I can't believe how big he's getting!

Monthly Word Find/Search DIY
With the chalkboard wall now empty, after we erased the countdown to baby, I was looking for something to replace it with, and I came up with a monthly word search puzzle.  It's not only a perfect use for the chalkboard, but a fun way to keep track of the little man's monthly progress.  And as a kid I was obsessed with word searches, some people are crossword puzzle aficionados, I was a word find fiend. 

All you need is a chalkboard or chalkboard paint and chalk!

Step 1.  Create the word search.  You could use an online word find generator, but I had a specific amount of columns and rows, so I made one myself.  If you're making one yourself, start with all the words you want to find, and then fill in the remaining spots with random letters.

Step 2.  Measure out your columns and rows.  I indicated each row and column with little chalk marks, which I easily erased after.

Step 3.  Add your letters.  I contemplated using stickers, this way the font and size of the letters were consistent.  But seeing as I change my mind often, and didn't want to be stuck with stickers.  I will say adding your letters by hand requires a little patience, and a lot of erasing.

Step 4.  Marvel at a job well done, and start circling those words.  This would be a great way to get an older child involved.

Monthly Updates :: 2 Months & the Pumping Diaries

I mentioned in a previous Motherhood Monday post that when my little man was born we were having some breast feeding issues.  What I really meant was the first night we brought him home from the hospital he was miserable, up every hour crying constantly, trying to feed constantly, it was a hott mess.  Flash forward 2 days later when we were at his first doctors appointment and he had dropped 13% of his body weight, anything over 10% is a red flag.  So our pediatrician put us on a new schedule:  feed him for 20 minutes, then the mister would supplement him with a bottle while I would pump for 15 minutes.  It was exhausting doing this round the clock, but we managed to get his weight back up, yay! When asked how pumping was going, I responded it seemed like a lot of effort for just a couple of drops,  so our pediatrician recommended we see a lactation consultant.  I can't say enough good things about our lactation consultant, Jane, she was super supportive, and so sweet.  After coming up with a plan: breast feeding, supplementing, and pumping plus adding fenugreek and blessed thistle supplements (3 pills/3 times a day of each), I began to see an improvement.  I went from less than half an ounce to two and a half ounces, currently, when I pump, and the little man is steadily gaining weight.  It's still nowhere near enough, as he's up to at least 3 ounces a feed, but I'll take what I can get.  Other things she recommended to help with milk production included: keeping hydrated and adding oatmeal to your diet (I opted for the lactation cookies with oatmeal in them).

What I wish I knew: There is such a thing as primary lactation failure (granted it only happens in a small % of nursing mothers)  but most importantly it's not your fault.  I was racking my brain, blaming myself, getting tested for hypothyroidism etc, fretting over the fact that my boobs didn't grow during or after pregnancy, and just generally freaking out about not being able produce enough for the little man.   So when I can across this article, I was so glad I wasn't alone  Honestly, I think most doctors/lactation consultants don't mention it, primary lactation failure, because they want you to give it your all.  Yes, we get it breast milk is best, but seriously I would have felt a lot better if someone had just mentioned this to me. 

Stockpiling:  With our "mini babymoon minus the baby" vacation approaching and of course my inevitable return to work, I started stockpiling my milk.  This basically consisted of the "one boob" method of breastfeeding and pumping after.  Don't forget to leave an inch in your breast milk bags, as milk expands when in freezes.  Also if you lay your bags flat while freezing, they'll occupy less space in your freeze or storage container, when upright.

Pumping on vacation (it can be done).  What you'll need:  a hotel room with a fridge or mini bar; sharpie; milk storage bags; air tight container large enough to transport pumped milk back home (you'll have to check in your bag); alcohol strips; and your pump.
-Plan your day accordingly/around your usual feeding schedule

-Plan on boozing right after you pump, to get the max out of your vaca without slipping a little something extra in your little one's food.  This is where the alcohol strips come in handy. And remember the rule of thumb for every one drink you need at least 2 hours for it to clear your system. Realize that you might have to pump and dump.

-Don't forget those late night feeds.  After the mister and I split a bottle of wine at dinner, I was sloshed (yes I'm a cheap date, and what does one expect after 9 months of not drinking).  I went to sleep without setting an alarm.  Not to worry, my rock hard, throbbing boobies woke me up.  So yes those late night feeds are still going to happen. 

In other fun baby stuff, here's the little man at 2 months.   The age where staring at his face is hours of fun, his pacifier has taken a back seat to his thumb, and tummy time is still a struggle.  Happy Monday!

Back at it...

I celebrated my first Mother's Day this past Sunday, thank you to the Mister who made it special, and thank you to my little man.  I can't believe today is my first day back at work, where has the time gone?  Needless to say I'm missing the little man so much today, but hopefully this also means I'll be back to blogging regularly.  Happy Tuesday!

Then and Now: Our preggo announcement and the little man at 11 weeks.

 Mother's Day with my mom and sister. 

the Little Sir

I can't believe our little man turns 2 months old on Friday.  Where has the time gone?  It also made me realize how much I've been slacking on his updates.  So here's a peak at his 1st month's photos, it's hilarious how many pictures you take just to capture one where he's not crying and looking at the camera at the same time.  Happy Wednesday!

the Little Man's first month:
9lbs 2ounces
Makes weird alien noises at night.
Loves snuggles.  Hates bathtime.