wearing lately: before and after!

While it didn't make it into the collage for my postpartum capsule post, this dress from the Nines by Hatch at Target collection is one of the pieces I most love. Partly because it's easy breezy for hot days and has good nursing access thanks to the button front, while still making me feel pretty (a nice break from elastic waists) and "in" on the tiered dress trend of the summer - but also because it was a great maternity piece to boot! And here you can see it in the before and after states:

Here it is at just about 39 weeks pregnant (3 days before Freddie's arrival!), and then again when he was about 9 days old (clearly he is super thrilled to be part of my photo shoot). I'm very glad he's here and overall glad to be done being pregnant, but seeing the "before" photos does make me kind of miss having him in there - so wild now that he's almost 3 weeks old to imagine he fit in there, but also kind of bittersweet to realize that special time and those unique sensations are only going to be a past experience now. But then that's time for you; he's never going to be this tiny again, we keep saying to each other every day.

So I better go back and get some more baby snuggles, or (most likely) start another feeding...

five things Friday: September TBR edition

Popping in for a quick TBR post for September, because I love having these monthly (loose) reading goals to help me pick my next read/make sure I actually get around to some books that I intend to read - plus need to do a little recap of my August list, because there's some good stuff you should know about on there!

I'm in the mood for some brain candy type reading these days - something that I can enjoy even when really tired, and something that makes me want to be on the Kindle app on my phone rather than messing around with scrolling while I am sitting and nursing. So here's a good variety: On my Kindle, I've got family drama with Olympus Texas, and a cute rom-com with Very Sincerely Yours (have really enjoyed Kerry Winfrey's other books as light/tame/feelgood rom-coms). On my physical shelf, not as easy to get to, but hopefully can make happen, I've got The Husbands (really enjoyed Chandler Baker's previous book as great brain candy - makes you think but is compulsive reading) and also Body Talk (postpartum seems like a great time to read about embracing one's body...). And hopeful thinking on getting my hands on a copy of Paula Hawkins' new book that is out soon, A Slow Fire Burning, as I am realllly in the mood for a good mystery/thriller.

As for August's recap, I think I was smart to line up the Kindle books for myself = in the way described above - definitely made it easy to keep up some reading momentum while spending hours nursing. And it helped that I lined up some (mostly) pretty great selections!

• Good Girl, Bad Blood: the sequel to the A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, which is a great pick if you like Serial-type podcasts and YA mysteries. This second book follows Poppy as she actually does put out a podcast recapping the trials related to the book - and then ends up doing a 2nd season as she gets involved in the active investigation of finding her friend's missing older brother, when the police refuse to do so and the family begs her to help. I might have enjoyed the first more, but still a solid YA mystery if you like the genre! ★★★.5
• Nobody Will Tell You This But Me: memoir/story of Bess Kalb's grandmother and their relationship, written as though from the perspective of her grandmother after dying. Sounds a bit strange, but a really creative way to tell her life story, interspersed with transcripts of some of their phone calls/voicemails. I loved this one - Bess' grandmother was clearly a force, ahead of her time in some ways, and overall a fascinating and hilarious lady, but not over-idealized in the book, as you can see some of her faults too. Really makes you feel like you know her, and really gives you a sense of their amazing relationship. I shed some tears, and I laughed a lot too. ★★★★★
•  The Soulmate Equation: Christina Lauren comes through again with a great romance read that has well-developed characters who are facing some struggles but have great banter/some comedic moments, and is a great twist on tropes I love - it's enemies to lovers, with a dash of fake dating, but the backdrop of the story is a new dating app that matches people based on genetic markers, to predict their compatibility. I was nervous at first it would be too sci-fi (like John Marrs' The One, which has a similar type of matching system), but it's not at all. I got into this one instantly, and didn't want to put it down, loving both the male and female protagonists, the sense of place in the eclectic San Diego neighborhood where it's set, and also the very excellent cast of side characters. Just the right amount of sexual tension/steam for me (which means not over-much...), plus banter! ★★★★
• The Tourist Attraction: a light and fluffy rom-com with a cute tourist town Alaska setting. Just felt too slapstick with characters underdeveloped for me. If you're in the mood for something really light and fun with some vacation-gone-wrong and some curmudgeon diner owner (think Luke from Gilmore Girls) vibes, it might work for you, but it was just too for me, so I put it down and started in on my September list a little early.
• Magic for Liars: this is a genre mashup if I've ever seen one... and I liked how it turned out! You've got the hardboiled, struggling to make ends meet private eye (except the twist is this one's a woman); she's asked to take on her first murder case, but the twist is that this brings you into the magic/wizard genre, because the murder took place at a school for mages - where her estranged sister happens to teach. So we mix in some family drama genre, along with the campus novel, but with the twist that the story is from the perspective of an outsider (non-magic) adult, rather than a student. Lots going on, but it worked for me - and I thought the description of "Harry Potter for grownups" was pretty apt, but would add that you'll enjoy it even more if you also like detective stories. ★★★★

 

Also really enjoyed One Last Stop in August, my last pre-Freddie hardcopy read :)  What was your best book of August? Or what you're looking forward to most in September? Other favorite authors Kimberly McCreight and Liane Moriarty also have new books coming out - expecting to see those around a lot and hope to get my hands on them soon-ish too!

around the house: nursery tour

Have been so excited to finish up and officially share baby brother's nursery - so much that I already put it on Instagram, but I wanted to save the blog post to have a few things scheduled in advance for when he arrived... So here's the official reveal + sources!

The ideas came together very quickly some time ago, since we've known for ages (since February) that we were having a boy, and it made sense to utilize almost all of the same furnishing from Hendrik's nursery, with a few accessory updates. But the implementation didn't happen until end of July because the room had been my mini Peloton studio since early last fall... before we knew baby brother was even a possibility. My brother and Peter eventually were able to muscle that veeerrry heavy bike down two flights of stairs, and it's now set up in our low-ceilinged, unfinished basement. A bit sad to lose my exercise room with a view, but it's nice and cool down there, not to mention that getting to have this baby nursery is 100% worth it!

Hendrik started coming in and reading old board books in the chair as soon as the bookshelf was set up, to get all prepared for his new role - and we're all thrilled to finally have the little one in here now.

Looking for any of the sources? See below... I've indicated what we re-used and what's new; I'm loving how it is similar to the previous setup (which I always loved) but still feels refreshed for a new little guy to have a space of his own.

Wall color: Benjamin Moore gray horse
Crib: Babyletto (old)
Chair: Pottery Barn Kids (old; similar)
Rug: West Elm
Bookshelf: Wayfair (similar)
Bookends: Target
Lamp: West Elm (old; similar)
Shelf baskets: Target
Rattan animal decor: Target (old; similar)
Pouf: Target
Side table: Target (old; similar)
Dresser: Ikea (with replacement pulls similar to this)
Dresser basket: Target
Changing pad cover: Pottery Barn Kids (old; similar)
Map: vintage buy for H's nursery (similar, similar)
Rainbow print: Urban Outfitters (similar, similar)
Mobile: West Elm x PB Kids
Crib sheet: West Elm
Blanket: Crate & Kids (similar)
Hamper basket: H&M (similar, similar)
Stuffed giraffe: Melissa & Doug
Throw pillow: Dwell (old; similar)
Diaper pail: Munchkin

wearing lately: postpartum capsule

I'm sure there will be plenty of postpartum leggings or pj wardrobe days, but remembering how I craved feeling like myself after Hendrik was born, and how feeling myself means dressing like "normal," I tried to plan ahead a bit on some things to wear that would work to make me feel good in the period of time when I'm not spending a lot of time on appearance, my old wardrobe doesn't quite fit, and I need nursing-friendly access so I can't wear a lot of my old wardrobe favorites yet anyway. Also I remember hating wearing nursing tanks because camisoles are so not me, so I dug around a bit for other top options, and here's what I've got lined up:

henley tee (similar) | fly-away hem tank | button-front tank (similar) | shirt dress (similar, similar) | cardigan (similar) | pull-on cropped pants (similar, similar) | chambray shirt (similar) | pull-on shorts (similar) | espadrille slides (similar) | white birks | nursing bras

It's going to be hot around here for a bit still, so this should hopefully take me through the late summer/early fall with lightweight fabrics and tanks but also layering options that are all very nursing-friendly (lots of buttons here!), comfortable, and roomy/elasticy enough for the still-adjusting body shape - but they still feel like real outfits. And of course, planning it in capsule form takes the guesswork and time out of getting dressed, which is just what I'll be needing. 

I've also got a few during/after pieces - this blouse and this dress from Target's Nines by Hatch collection are ones I have especially liked wearing during pregnancy but also knowing that I'd get to continue feeling cute in them later! And I do have a nursing tank or two, even though I really didn't like wearing them before, because that's some good convenience for the inevitable loungewear days, which are okay too.

mini me Monday: introducing Freddie!

Meet Freddie! Our long-awaited baby brother is finally here, and this sweet little peanut really brings the "mini" to mini me, coming in at a full pound smaller than Hendrik at birth, and about a million times smaller than him at present...

I love a good name origin story, so here's his: I've always wanted to name a girl in the tradition of my matriarchal family, where the name lineage starts with my great grandma Angeline, then grandma Evangeline, mom Angelea (and then I'm Angeline as well). When we found out we would be having another boy I realized we were going to have to find another way... which in the end (once we got over the fact that it's awfully similar to the name Hendrik) was to take my great grandma's middle name, Fredereka, and give him the male version. Bonus that there is a Frederik in the family tree on Peter's side too, plus the nickname Freddie is ADORABLE. (If I may say so myself.) Wasn't sure I would ever get to have any baby #2, so to get to name him in honor of my own namesake still makes me feel so lucky every time. His middle name is in honor of a couple of David's in our lives, my grandpa and Peter's brother.

It was a long and tiring labor, but worth it a million times over to finally meet Freddie and have this perfect little bundle in our arms. We're all tired, as to be expected, but doing great otherwise. Hendrik has been incredibly sweet, already reading him many board books a day and narrating our strolls around the neighborhood to fill him in on everything, though we certainly are seeing some high emotions from everyone at times - it's a big adjustment across the board.

Now back to sniffing my baby (cannot help myself), recreating photos/poses of Freddie in Hendrik's old gear, and feeding... so much feeding. That does provide ample time for spamming Instagram with big brother and his mini though, if you ever need another hit of sweetness to bring a smile to your day.

reading lately: romance roundup

In the last couple of years, I have gotten way more into rom-com/contemporary romance reads. To be included in the genre, the book must have a happily ever after (or happy for now) wrap-up - which might make it seem like they're just going to feel predictable, but in a year with a lot of upheaval, I actually really appreciated a set plot arc that I could count on. That said, if I read too much of anything in a row in any genre, it can start to run together a bit... so I've had to take a couple of breaks from contemporary romance in order to still appreciate the next one I pick up. Still have made my way through quite a few of them in 2021, and I've got some here that are some real stand-outs that could pull one out of a romance rut.

One Last Stop

Okay, here's something a bit different in the romance category - perfect for dabbling in it if you don't enjoy a straight-up romance, but also great for if you're a bit burnt out on the standard form, because it's got some unexpected rifts in the time/space continuum... August has always been quite a loner, but when she moves to New York and finds an ad posting for a new roommate, her new community starts to pull her out of her shell a bit. And then on the subway, she meets Jane, forming an instant crush on this girl with the cool 70s rocker vibe and . Eventually she realizes it's a bit weird that Jane is always on the Q train, no matter when or where August boards - and it turns out that's because Jane is *actually* from the 1970s, somehow caught in time on the Q train forever. Over the course of trying to help Jane figure out who she is and how she got stuck in time like this, August completely falls for her - but how will this ever work out, if she's trying to get Jane unstuck and back to her own era? I'm not usually super into sci-fi/time travel sort of elements, but it worked well here as a new twist on the trope of lovers being in impossible situations. Beyond it being something a little different, what I really loved about this book was the found-family aspect of this story, with such a sparkling cast of quirky characters all over the sexual orientation/identity map (and that this was just a given, not a remarkable thing in terms of everyone's acceptance); I almost loved the side stories of their apartment community and their working together to save a neighborhood diner more than the romance itself, these characters were just so wonderful together in terms of their support, friendships, and banter. In terms of the romance, there's actually a surprising amount of steam for one of the characters never being able to leave the subway - they find their ways to have their moments... but still in the realm of moderate steam overall, just right for me. 

4/5 stars, intriguing twist on a romance, made even better by the supporting cast - recommend especially if you like "found family" feels

Spoiler Alert

April has been writing on fan fiction sites for a popular Roman mythology TV series (think Game of Thrones type hype) for years, but has always kept this part of her life a secret, partly because she isn't sure how the cosplay/comi-con communities will respond to her size. Meanwhile, Marcus, known to the world as Aeneas, the incredibly hunky star of the series, has a couple of secrets of his own: first, he's not the flaky fop that his public persona would lead fans to believe, and second, he hates the direction the show's writers are taking it and copes by writing fan fiction of his own, in secret of course. And under their fanfic alter egos, April and Marcus have grown very close. Meanwhile, in the real world.. when April's post of her latest costume creation goes viral with lots of excitement but also plenty of nasty comments about her size, she ends up getting asked out by Marcus on Twitter. What they both assume will be a fun way to stick it to the haters turns into so much more... but what will happen when they discover that they actually already know each other through their online identities? It's a fun romance, and I really appreciated the exploration of body image and treatment - both the character's internal attitude and external attitudes/standards of society - but this one was just tooooo steamy for me. I can handle a few explicit scenes, but in my favorites, it tends to be more romantic tension with one or two serious steam moments; this one felt a bit non-stop, especially because the chapters were interspersed with samples of the fan fics, which are super steamy too. For other recent rom-coms that explore dating in the public eye, especially handling this body size issue in insightful ways, I highly recommend One to Watch and If the Shoe Fits. Both more to my level of steam...

3/5 stars, great for people who like fan-fiction type stuff and can handle lots of steam (like maybe a very adult Fangirl, a Rainbow Rowell YA book I adored)

The Friend Zone, The Happy Ever After Playlist, and Life's Too Short

Just realized that I have read all 3 of Abby Jimenez's books in 2021, and I've only mentioned one of them so far (from my February TBR post), though they are some of my favorite reads in this category all year. Since they take place in the same universe, I'll cover them all at once in a brief review - but as is standard in the romance genre, while there is character overlap, you don't necessarily have to read them in order. I started with The Happy Ever After Playlist, and it was totally fine to come back later to The Friend Zone, even if I did know in advance something big that would happen in it (because it's a central theme of the other book) - and I loved that the female protagonists of these books are best friends, so they appear in both books quite a bit, fun to keep reading about their relationship. The Friend Zone and Life's Too Short feel a bit similar to each other in their female protagonist dealing with a chronic/genetic health issue, and then having certain shields or coping mechanisms in their lives that make it a bit hard for them to open up to love or allow others to help them; the relationships in these books are of the friends to lovers variety, and their male counterparts will give you big crushes too. In The Happy Ever After Playlist, Sloan is in a major life rut, grieving the loss of her fiance, when a cute musician's dog literally lands in her lap. Connecting the dog back with his owner leads to a bit of banter, and of course, things take off from there - especially after she finds out that he's actually a super famous indie musician (this was very swoony to me) who she really admires, while he just wants the taste of normalcy that talking with her brings - a bit in the vein of Evvie Drake Starts Over on this one, which I loved as Evvie Drake is one of my favorites in this category ever. Abby Jimenez's writing just goes down so easy (but without feeling too fluffy), and these were all so satisfying - would recommend any and all. 

4/5 stars, for those looking romance with good character development, over all feel-good feels, great side characters, and just the right amount of tension/swoon/steam

Are you into contemporary romances or rom-coms? I've loved learning that you can find a lot more depth in them in terms of character development, backstories, and struggles - but that that can be combined with a lot of fun, and some good swoons too. Here's a roundup of some rom-coms I've enjoyed, and there are several on this list too.

around the house: waiting for baby

While it's great to go into labor & delivery with a positive experience under my belt this time around, there's actually something to be said for being kinda clueless with the first baby. I fully expected to go overdue with Hendrik, so delivering at 39 weeks was a nice surprise - but now that has given me some expectations, and going into week 39 with this pregnancy, last weekend started to feel realllly long, especially as I started having some symptoms that (I realized only in retrospect) led up to Hendrik's delivery... but still no baby. Expectations are leading to much impatience here!

Here are some things I found to occupy myself with while on baby watch - trying to find a combination of relaxing/resting but also keeping my mind + hands busy and distracted! Especially as I had plenty of time to myself, with Hendrik off having fun at the cottage with my parents and at the golf course with Peter...

From the couch

• Watched tons of Olympics, of course
• Read the delightful One Last Stop and then most of Good Girl, Bad Blood 
• Wrote and scheduled ahead some blog posts, including some book reviews and a full nursery reveal
• Painted my nails with my favorite Olive & June color, GH
• Annnnnd maybe did a bit of online shopping for a few last-minute postpartum wants/needs

Around the house

• Did several random closet clean-outs, and even got the junk drawer looking amazing thanks to these super inexpensive organizer trays
• Also did some deep cleans of appliances - super easy/low effort, but I just never remember to get around to them! Did the dishwasher, the disposal, and even the washing machine with some handy tablets that just have to be tossed in 
• Finished the last couple of baby prep things: washing the pieces/parts for the pump, setting up our borrowed Mamaroo swing, getting the baby monitor into place
• Strolled on the treadmill (too hot outside) a bunch of times while watching Lupin season 2 - maybe this will get the baby on the move??

In the kitchen

I'm not particularly into freezer meal prep (or into it at all, to be honest), but my nesting instinct is all about the baked goods, I guess...

• Made a double batch of energy balls - to make sure there are still some left by the time the baby actually arrives - as a perfect snack for when we have our hands full
• Used some more of the blueberries Peter & Hendrik went to pick with this muffin recipe - super quick and easy and delish
• And used a zucchini delivered by my in-laws to make this one-bowl zucchini bread

In the driveway

• In a last minute surprise: said goodbye to our Subaru last Friday, the first car we officially bought together, and upgraded to have a 3rd row of seats in a bigger vehicle - not to mention some luxuries I am very pleased with (as the August weather headed toward 90 degrees I was tempted to just go out there and sit on my cooled seats, for one thing...)
• Reinstalled the baby seat in the new car, next to big brother's booster - and then took H for a little drive just for fun to test it all out, and listen to some Queen (his latest music obsession)

And now CLEARLY we are ready - come on, baby brother!

five things Friday: nesting edition

With my work inboxes handed off to my maternity leave replacements, Hendrik at golf camp in the mornings, and the hospital bag all packed and waiting, I've been able to have a week in which I could almost entirely give myself over to nesting (oh and my first real pedicure in SO LONG), and it's just what I needed.

Some links around the internet that have given me those happy nesting feels - most of which would give me such great inspiration and satisfaction even if I weren't a week away from bringing home a new baby because I am just a homebody who likes to organize and tidy her space anyway.

1. 5 things you can organize this weekend that will bring you joy: just looking at the photos on this post put a smile on my face, and how much more so would the satisfaction of actually doing them - which I have, with the spice organization and the rainbow bookshelf. Both still make me happy every day. Now I want to do all of our electronics accessories, inspired by this!

2. How to create a cozy book nook for kids: I adore a book nook of any sort. We've got a little spot in the playroom, and of course a bookshelf setup next to the rocker in the nursery with all of our old favorite baby reads, and a new one or two of course. But these photos make me want to put one in every room!

3. Christian Robinson X Target preview: speaking of cute kid spaces, how about this new artist/illustrator collection coming to Target soon? So fun and happy, from the home goods (I mean, this lamp for my little scientist! or this adorable blanket!) to the pjs (can't get over these), and of course some great books and even a bookend for your little nook... we have had a bunch of them out from the library before and love the illustrations. 

4. Favorite rose wines of summer 2021: while not exactly nesting, I still wanted to share this post that I recently bookmarked for the summertime I have left after being pregnant. I really haven't missed drinks that much, especially thanks to finding some pretty satisfying substitutes (this brand for nonalcoholic beer and this for gin are my favorites), but when the weather got warm I did crave a nice cool, crisp rose. Thanks to Molly for some great suggestions to look for soon!

5. Postpartum recovery + hospital bag essentials: okay, thinking about some of the postpartum ick doesn't exactly give me the cozy nesting feels, but it is nice to feel prepared, so I was glad to read through this list (and also confirm the essentials to put in my hospital bag from someone with more recent experience).

Fellow homebodies, enjoy ;-)

currently

admiring: the ready-to go nursery 💙 Until a week and a half ago it was still housing my Peloton, but thanks to some muscles (Peter + my brother), it has now been relocated, and I was able to roll out the rug, reposition the crib, and hang up the mobile/art. For a little beyond this sneak preview, here's the whole moodboard - full reveal to come. (My new home for the Peloton in our dark, low-ceilinged, unfinished basement is a little sad compared to my little studio, but worth it for this!)

anticipating: labor & delivery, having a newborn in our arms again, and finally introducing Hendrik to his baby brother! The kind of anticipation that's a combination of great excitement and also some nerves... have been reading some birth stories to get myself pumped up for that part, including revisiting Hendrik's birth to remember how I can totally do this. Also loved Kelsey's post, another reminder me of how I can feel empowered and strong in this.

enjoying: our last few weeks as a family of 3 (and as parents who aren't needed for round-the-clock infant care...), even in our anticipation. With Hendrik there's been outdoor outings for ice cream and a new taco restaurant, lots of bike rides, beach time, so much Olympics watching. We've managed to get in a date night for ourselves as well. Also: currently on a week of vacation before my maternity leave officially starts, and talk about enjoyment! Never before have I had a week off where I didn't just have sooo much catching up to do when I returned, and I'm loving having this total free time for nesting and relaxing while Hendrik is at golf camp in the mornings.

spending: all the Paypal $$ I had saved up from affiliate earnings, on some online orders of fun stuff: a shirt dress and henley tee that look great for postpartum + nursing, a changing kit to go with the diaper bag my mom gifted me, some new colors for our Letterfolk tile mat that mean I can now recreate the above cute design, and fun new masks for Hendrik (these are the best for staying completely put over the nose/mouth!).

saving: some TV shows/movies and Kindle books for consumption on my mini iPad when the days of nursing are upon me. I've got these ones lined up on Kindle and especially looking forward to Good Girl, Bad Blood (love me some YA mystery); as for Netflix, I have heard the Babysitters Club show was really cute and thought that might be a fun one to save for this time  of life - easy to get into and enjoy. I've also still got some Apple TV+ shows on reserve: still haven't watched The Morning Show but think I will like it, and also there's season 2 of Ted Lasso (would not have saved because I'm so excited about it... but the Olympics have been allllll of my TV time lately!).

Big changes headed our way in August, clearly... But what's going on with you currently? Do share by linking a post below, and then come back on September 1st for another chat (and probably lots of baby photos!) about what we're currently beginning, ending, loving, picking, and posting.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

packing lately: my hospital bag!

Well, we're in week 38, and you've already seen all of what I've been wearing lately, so how about what I've just finished packing: my hospital bag. Everything is tucked away into the new diaper bag, just the right size for holding the few things I feel like are essential for me...

bag (similar) | grippy socks | birkis | robe | pouch with essentials (phone charger, invisibobble hair ties, toothbrush/toothpaste, gum, protein bars) | button-front PJs | nursing bra | baby blanket + hat | bebe going home outfit | mom going home outfit | car seat

It's not all that much - I feel like when I'm in labor there won't be a whole lot I really need to have aside from my trusty support partner hubby + doula, because I am going to be in the zone... but the birkis could be nice as shower shoes, my own pair of grippy socks nicer than the hospital-issued ones, and the pouch of essentials will be easily accessible in case I need to tie up my hair, we need a phone charge, or that trusty support guy needs a snack or breath freshener.

Post-delivery, there's not a ton either, but just a couple of things to help myself feel more comfortable - my own soft, nursing-friendly pjs +  a nursing bra, a robe, and some matching accessories for bebe because I couldn't resist. I'll also have some travel-sized toiletries (mascara, lotion, shampoo) that are nicer than the hospital ones. But otherwise, since we live only a mile from the hospital (and also will be checking out of there as soon as we can!), I'm not worrying about packing much more - it'll be easy for Peter to pop out and grab anything we might want, especially as he'll be popping out at some point to pick up big brother for a visit 💙

And then all you really need to be able to take a baby home is the car seat (which Peter installed a couple of weeks ago to help me feel more prepared). Also something to wear for both of us: a roomy/comfy/easy nursing access dress for me, and 2 outfit sizes for the little guy, a super soft footie outfit and also this adorable striped kimono set, depending on how big he turns out to be. 

I don't *think* I'm missing anything essential, but it's been a while since I packed one of these... anything else you found you couldn't live without?