Moments of Musing

Love Your {Postpartum} Body – Pt. 2

Filed Under: motherhood, postpartum body //

Read Part 1 here. 


Each pregnancy, I gained 40+ pounds. This time it was a bit more shocking because I only gained one pound (just one!) the first trimester due to feeling sick. However, once I felt well my appetite caught up with me. 


If you know me, you know I am a relatively healthy eater + try to get workouts in however I can so gaining that much during my first pregnancy was mentally trying. I knew this second time that my body could and would “bounce” back if I treated it well. 

Ultimately, though, I promised to give myself grace with pregnancy #2 and I truly believe it’s allowed me to be less stressed about my body, which in turn has helped me feel emotionally better postpartum, nurse successfully thus far and be healthier (I eat and hydrate MUCH MORE this time postpartum than I did last time!) 

Now, I am still human. So, even though I’m down 32 pounds, I was slightly disappointed it wasn’t more when I stepped on the scale at my appointment last week. There I was disappointed right after I had drafted this body positivity post! The irony was not lost on me. However, I quickly readjusted my attitude and was happy and grateful again that more important than any weight lost, I have healthy kids and I am recovering and feeling well.

All of this is to say to be kind to yourself and your body. Treat it well. Nourish it — with the right foods (and treats!), love and self-care. Have grace. Give grace. 


So, You’re Having a Boy

Filed Under: boy mom, motherhood //

This post is for all the moms of boys, perhaps especially those who were wishing for girls.

Before we found out our first baby’s sex when I was pregnant, I had a nightmare and in it, my main concern was the well-being of my baby boy. Something about that nightmare and the powerfulness of it told me I was having a boy. I just felt it was a sign. I started preparing myself on my Pinterest baby board, which had mainly girly things, and got to pinning baby boy-related pins. Lo and behold a few months later, we found out he was a boy.

(I had a dream during my second pregnancy, too, but it confused me. In it, my mom told me I was having a girl — but I was upset in reaction to her news. I wasn’t sure whether that meant the baby was a girl and I was simply upset because I wanted another boy, or that the baby was a boy.)

Of course, when I found out I was having my first boy I wondered whether I would still be able to do some of the things moms and baby girls can do. As a boy mom, I’m here to tell you, yes you can:

1. You can co-sleep and cuddle with your baby boy.

2. You can match outfits with your baby boy.

3. You can bathe with your baby boy.

4. You can go shopping with– and even ask advice of (haha)–your baby boy.

5. Most importantly, you will bond with him and love him endlesy, and he will love you. That’s what matters most, right? Not what sex or gender he is but that he is your child and you are his mom, for life.

Maternity Leave Guest Series: 3 Tips on Becoming a Mom of Two

Filed Under: guest post, maternity leave guest series, motherhood //

As most of you know, I will be away from blogland a bit while I’m on maternity leave. Lucky for me – AND you!- I’ve partnered with some lovely bloggers to consistently bring you great content. 

This week, I am sharing a post by Joceline from A Raad Story. She offers some great tips for transitioning to becoming a mom of two.

 Enjoy!

 (Maternity robe by ShopPinkBlush.com)

This week we welcomed our second baby and first baby girl, Olivia Joy!  And she has indeed brought our now, family of four, so much happiness.  I began to feel a tad nervous for my firstborn son a few days prior to the baby’s arrival.  Our days consisted of mommy-and-me moments of quality time that demanded my full attention, so you can imagine why I began to worry how my son would handle having a new baby around the house.  Fortunately, with the advice of other seasoned moms and asking God for wisdom on this new stage, I can honestly say that my son has transitioned better than expected!  There are a few ways I am making sure his transition of being the only child to becoming the big brother, are as smooth as possible.  Here are 3 things that have helped me become a mom of two and help my firstborn transition to having a new baby in town. 
  1. Maintain your firstborn’s same routine.  My firstborn son is a toddler.  We’ve had him on a routine since he was a newborn.  When he is out of his routine, for example, when he does not take his afternoon nap when he is supposed to, he becomes fussy.  We wanted to make sure that upon returning home from the hospital, he would be on his routine no matter what!  Because your newborn baby will be sleeping most of the time, you will notice that it is easy to keep your firstborn’s routine.  We have been able to continue with Caleb’s routine primarily because newborn babies sleep a lot during the day.
  2. Make him or her feel extra special.  My sister who is now a mom of 3, gave me this advice and we have applied it with Caleb.  When he does something new, we celebrate it by saying phrases like, “Wow, Caleb, good job!” or “Yay Caleb!” And clap our hands.  It makes him feel special.  If your child is older, you can say words of affirmation and also spend quality time with them.  Another way to make your older child feel special is by including him or her in activities that involve your newborn, such as, during diaper changes, they can pass you a diaper, etc. and these small tasks will make them happy to help out.
  3. Encourage and allow them to get acquainted naturally.  Do not force your older child to hug or hold the baby if they do not want to.  Simply introduce them and any time you are with your newborn, welcome your older child to come, see, and touch the baby.  If you have a toddler, they will obviously not fully understand that newborns must be handled with care, so be extra careful when they reach out to touch the baby.  Unknowingly, they may tap or reach out roughly, so always keep an eye out whenever they are together.  My son has naturally transitioned into a protective older brother and is always on the look out when he hears his sister cry.  He runs to me and tries to tell me – it’s the cutest thing!
Other things to consider: 
  • At the hospital, I placed my newborn in her bed when I knew my son was coming for the first time to meet his baby sister.  When he came in, my attention was on him and I happily greeted him.  Then we introduced him to the baby, however because my son is still too young, he didn’t comprehend completely what was going on and he kept on running and playing.  If you have an older child, you can try what my sister did with her kids.  She greeted them with a small gift and told them the baby “brought them gifts”. These are little details that can make all the difference.
  • Don’t take it personal if he only wants daddy.  My son only wanted to be with his dad during the first two days of having his sister around.  This behavior is natural.  But he or she will slowly draw closer to you again as the days go by.
  • I knew I wouldn’t be able to carry my son a month after childbirth and the thought of this made me feel blue days before.  I wanted to hold my 15 month old son a little longer and carry him all the time.  I even rocked him to sleep the night before going to the hospital and embraced that moment with all my heart.  I strongly encourage you to pick up, carry, and hold your firstborn child a little longer!  Because you will definitely miss this for a couple of weeks.
Being a mom of two is the sweetest feeling!  God makes us capable of handling and enjoying both children with love and wisdom.  If you are a soon-to-be mom of two, there is nothing to worry about.  You will do a wonderful job!  Hope these tips will help you transition smoothly.
Here are a few photos of my last day as a mom of one.  I’m so glad I captured these moments.  Enjoy!  (Maternity robe by ShopPinkBlush.com)















Making Our House a Home

Filed Under: home decor, homeowners, New home //

When we stepped foot inside our home, I knew my husband would fall in love with it. Heck, when I looked at the photos, I was taken aback. I needed a bit of convincing due to its distance from NYC but my husband had me sold shortly after seeing it our first time.
I probably will never do a full home tour for privacy reasons but I thought it’d be fun to show you how we’ve decorated the main spaces and what progress we’ve made in making the house our home sweet home.
LIVING ROOM

Before:
After:
KITCHEN

Before:

After:

DINING ROOM

Before:

After:

Newborn + Family Photos (Spring 2018)

Filed Under: baby #2, family photos //

This post is sponsored. All opinions are my own.

As I mentioned before, we did things a little different with our firstborn. One of those things was professional photos. We opted for professional maternity photos and took our own newborn photos. This time around, I took my own maternity photos and we decided to get professional newborn + family photos. I couldn’t be happier with our decision!

My day started with a blowout at the local blow dry bar Luxe & Co. As was my first blowout there, the service was wonderful from start to finish, and my blowout had me feeling brand new. All in all, it took about 45 minutes for a wash and blow. Pretty amazing, especially with my thick and curly hair, if you ask me!

I then went home to finish getting ready for our photo shoot. Faryl of Faryl Loew Photography was such a pleasure to work with. She was efficient and oh so patient. We still had some things to get together when she arrived. Then, our toddler was not really into the photos so it took him some warming up to the idea of sitting still and posing. And our newborn was hungry, despite me feeding him right before Faryl arrived. Luckily, we got all the shots we wanted and some—she offered to photograph my nursing session both just R and me and with S and my husband. They’re photos I’ll treasure forever. Be sure to book Farly if you’re in the NYC area!

Without further ado, here are some of our photos: