five things Friday: good buys edition

Soooo, might be no surprise, but when one is spending a lot of time parked in a chair nursing and/or pumping, with device screen in hand, it's easy for one to spend some of that time online shopping... Popping in today to share some of my recent good buys:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

There are legit shopping needs with a new baby around - and then there are these ones that I justify by saying but there's a new baby around! ... A couple of nights of trying to nurse in PJ tops that don't unbutton + in the dark to try avoiding on too many lights led to a new henley-style pj purchase from ThirdLove (because also legit necessity: additional nursing bras) and this great little rechargeable/remote control operated glow light for the nursery. 

New phone (better camera for baby photos!) always = new case, and I am quite pleased with this inexpensive silicone one. My favorite pink, and the perfect combo of lightweight and grippy in my hand. Speaking of my favorite pink, pretty excited about the new Cupcakes & Cashmere polish collection from Olive + June and can't wait to try out this pretty rose valley color. (Nothing to do with a baby, except that I spend too much time looking at my phone and getting tempted...)

Aaand baby clothes just are irresistible. I mean, this shirt jacket for our walks on chilly fall days?!

reading lately: literary mysteries

Literary mysteries are books I define as being propelled by the mystery at their core, but at a slower pace than a straight up thriller or procedural, and with much more emphasis on character development, connections to a character's backstory, or potentially a bit of a genre mix (like being combined with a coming-of-age story, as with one example below). It's a bit of a "unicorn" genre, to be able to achieve the perfect mix of character and plot that satisfy both types of reader preferences, but when you find it, these are books that can be widely recommended to your plot-loving and character-driven reader friends alike. Three recent examples from my reading:

We Begin at the End

The residents of a small town in California are collectively remembering a major tragedy of their past, the murder of a young girl, when the man who was convicted of the crime, Victor King, is released on parole and is coming home to his long-empty family home. On a more personal level, we see how it affects Walk, who was close friends with Vincent growing up and is now the town's chief of police, and Duchess Day Radley, the pre-teen daughter of the victim's sister, Star, now an adult with substance abuse problems. Walk has to juggle the town's attitudes about Vincent's return along with his long-term guilt over being the one to provide the testimony that put Vincent behind bars when they were teenagers, and his feeling that he needs to do right by all of the people involved - looking out for Duchess and her brother Robin, as part of it, when Star is unable to. Duchess is quite a character herself though, and doesn't think she needs any looking after - she considers herself an "outlaw," an armor she puts on ;in order to protect herself from disappointment in her mother, and most of all to protect and provide for her 6-year-old brother, Robin. When trouble and tragedy come along with Vincent King's return, Walk and Duchess both take it head on, to protect those they care for. This is billed as a "thriller" in some of the blurbs, but it's really more of a slow burn, and really more about the characters and their relationships. The maturity that Duchess is forced to take on as a child, and the tragedies in her life and Robin's, are heartbreaking, but the resilience and resourcefulness made me fall in love with her, and while at times I was biting my nails to see how it would all turn out, I appreciated that overall the book left me with a note of hope. Similarly, I appreciated the depth of Walk's character, portrayed in how he straddled the line of what fit his moral code, and what was required of him as police chief. The book was blurbed by Louise Penny and Jane Harper, among others, so that tells you the promise this one holds - and kind of blew my mind that the author is a 40-something (?) British guy, for how well he wrote the perspective of a pre-teen girl and a small-town America police chief.

4.5/5 stars, excellent characters, great story and setting - definitely recommend

When Ghosts Come Home

Though the setting/era and story differ, this book reminded me of We Begin at the End with the small-town sheriff protagonist trying to do the right thing - and finding that what he feels is morally right doesn't' always align with what his job/the law would deem right. In a small, coastal North Carolina town, Sheriff Winston Barnes is woken in the night by a strange noise from the nearby airfield, which turns out to be what he least expects: a large cargo plane that has crash-landed, with no pilot in sight, and a dead young black man from the community lying nearby. This kicks off an investigation involving the FBI looking for drug dealers, and Winston trying to protect the fate of his community but also his job as he runs for re-election. Interspersed with the (slow-burn) investigation are the perspectives of Winston's adult daughter, coming home for a visit as she tries to cope with a recent pregnancy loss, and the teenaged brother-in-law of the murder victim, who gets caught up in the racial tensions in the town. This made for lots of emotional resonance and good character depth in terms of family relationships and community racial tensions, and I also really enjoyed the 1980s setting, the way family dynamics/past actions were woven into the mystery, and the overall plot with a slow burn that left me jaw-dropped in the end, based on how well everything tied together but also surprised me. Recommend for fans of books like We Begin at the End, or even Attica Locke's Bluebird, Bluebird; while less gritty perhaps, it similarly is a slow-burn mystery related to the town's past that brings to light how current racism still is.

4/5 stars, received an advance e-copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review; requested it as I have really liked Wiley Cash's earlier work too - check him out if you like southern fiction

Ordinary Grace

I went into this book expecting "mystery" because it is an Edgar Award winner - but I would say it reads much more as coming-of-age historical fiction, with a very slow burn uncovering of how some tragedies came about. In a small Minnesota town in the summer of 1961, 13-year-old Frank, son of the town's Methodist minister, came into contact with several deaths - accident, nature, suicide, and murder - which changed his life, family, and town forever. Frank narrates the story from 40 years later, describing how he came to make sense of the world and of faith as he learned about the secrets, lies, and betrayals of the adult world. There is some mystery to the deaths that befall the town that summer,  but rather than a thriller/procedural type mystery, it feels more like real life - the way deaths bring unanswered questions about what happened, who the person really was, and also, important to this book, the mystery of God and of grace in the face of tragedy. It has an overall quiet tone, but it's definitely compelling reading thanks to the authentic feel of Frank's narration, the excellent writing, and the heart.

4/5 stars, recommend if you enjoyed this author's recent book, This Tender Land, or books like Leif Enger's Peace Like a River for their mix of coming-of-age, spirituality, and Minnesota midwest sort of sensibility

Of course, I have a preference for literary mysteries that involve a detective (or sheriff, I guess, based on these ones), but the genre doesn't absolutely require it. A few other recent books that fit well into this "literary mystery" category and do it well, with great characters and emotional resonance: When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McClain, The Searcher by Tana French, and What Comes After by Joanne Tomkins.

Sharing on Show Us Your Books.

wearing lately: fall fake-out

I'm not one for the "no white after Labor Day" thing, especially this year, as I love my white jeans... but there was no possibility of fitting into them until after Labor Day had come and gone. So here they are, and I'm faking fall with them by adding a button-down with an autumnal hue on top.

Also kind of faking it in the role of "dressed-up mom of infant" - because while this looks really put-together and made me feel snazzy enough that I got my act together to snap some photos, it's actually sneakily easy. White jeans actually don't show spit-up (ha!), a button-down is a staple for nursing, curled hair masks the fact that it hasn't been washed in seriously I don't remember how many days, and sunglasses cover any sleepy eyes/dark circles. 

Even if I'm (sort of) joking here - there is something to feeling put-together that makes me feel good, even if I believe that sweats are perfectly fine for a day of maternity leave. Especially when I'm always dressing my baby bear in his cutest things to be constantly photo ready (my phone's camera roll would attest to my constant snapping!), it's nice to give myself a little of that attention too.

Speaking of cute little clothes, I had to really work hard to limit myself to just this outfit, because all of these options would have been equally snuggly baby bear perfection...

Freddie at one month

Freddie is a month old already! It's fun to see how much he's changed and grown and somehow gotten even more cute over the last month, but also makes me a little sad because he's never going to be this tiny again... He is just such a delightfully snuggly little peanut, and we can't get enough of that part. (Would love to sleep more at night though.)

The first 2 weeks were a true honeymoon period with how much he slept and how little he cried, though the feeding every 2-3 hours kept me quite busy. All of his eating and snoozing paid off though, with great weight gain over the month - he was above birth weight already at his 5-day-old weigh-in with the pediatrician, and at his 3-month appointment he measured 8lbs, 9 oz - over 2 pounds above birth weight! With the pudgier cheeks and legs he’s looking more and more like Hendrik (he started out a full pound smaller at birth, so there was a little catching up to do in cheek pudge).

At 2 weeks there was a definite change with a bit more fussiness (some gassy tummy troubles is usually the main source), but also with more alert time. Weeks 3-4 brought much more focus with his eyes - now he actually looks at the stuff dangling from his car seat and above his changing table, and he really is into his Lovevery kit, especially the black & white cards - and maybe even some actual responses to seeing his people. Though I've got the bittersweet feelings about the fleeting tiny baby days, it's so rewarding to see him grow and start to get a little more interaction.

Still adjusting across the board to family-of-4 life in how to divide attention, have a 7-year-old who has been extra in my personal space lately, oh and have time for a spouse... but we've had some very fun bright spots with our new crew in enjoying family movie night (okay, Freddie slept through the whole thing) and several back yard bonfires. Being with my big boys and having my baby wrapped up against my chest in his little carrier, or going on walks or farmer's market outings with all of us - this is what powered me through the tough moments of pregnancy (not to mention labor & delivery), and cheesy as it is, I'm trying to make sure to create "sense memories" of noting the smells, touches, sights of it all.

Photos are from 10 days old and then one month - you can see how he's filling that onesie much more now. And for funsies, here are some of our fave products at this stage:

wearing lately: transitional

September is always that weird wardrobe transition time when the "back to school" mentality makes you feel like you should be done with your summer clothes, but the weather says not yet. Never quite love my closet this time of year, but another transition - from maternity to postpartum dressing - has provided me with a great seasonal solution as well, via my little capsule for this period:

A pair of lightweight wide-leg pants + coordinating tank provides the breezy materials needed, but without feeling super summery thanks to the dark color, and especially when you add in accessories like my olive diaper bag. I like how this matching set looks a bit like a jumpsuit when paired together, but you can still mix & match the pieces with other items - but I found a few similar actual jumpsuits, linked above, that would look really cute and do the trick as well! 

And of course the whole ensemble is perfect with a denim jacket (what isn't), which comes in handy when you do get the occasional blessedly cool morning in this early fall season. Actually, this day I turned on my seat heater to bring Hendrik to school in the morning, there was enough chill in the air... which leads to a whole new wardrobe transition issue of figuring out what to put on my baby! It's been a lot of onesies in the hot days, but now I guess I better start bundling a little for our bringing big brother to school outings.

Sharing on Trend Spin.

currently

beginning: 3rd grade for Hendrik - today! He is excited about being back in the classroom, and we're thankful that the district decided on required masking, so that we can feel a bit more comfortable with it, because Hendrik was ready for some routine and interaction with other big kids, and I have admittedly been feeling ready for him to be out of the house. He's been a super helpful big brother and dotes on Freddie, but it's also nice to have some time when I'm not navigating 7-year-old activities and feelings at the same time as being frequently tied to the couch for newborn feedings... Happy that we checked off some fun big-kid summer activities before Freddie's arrival, and happy to send Hendrik on his way for a new school year too.

ending: my days of decaf/half-caff. (Enough said?)

loving: our adventures as a family of 4. Not that we've been out all that much in our first 3 weeks - because delta variant and August heat and round-the-clock feeding - but we have enjoyed some movie nights at home, lots of strolls around the neighborhood, and even a backyard bonfire with hot dogs and s'mores. For September we've got our sights on some longer outings, like some nature center walks and apple picking - and maybe even a trip to the cottage? There are of course big changes to our daily life, and it's taking some adjusting for us all, but it's also so fun and lovely to find how Freddie slots right in.

picking: a birth announcement card. There's just too many cute options - and of course way too many cute photos of Freddie - to narrow down yet, but I do love the idea of these all-in-one cards from Minted, where the "envelope" opens up to be the card itself. More budget friendly and just as cute.

posting: not all that much on the blog (though you should check out the nursery tour and my postpartum capsule, pretty great posts if I may say so myself), but there are plenty of Freddie-grams, because how could I not? (And also because the aforementioned lots of sitting on the couch, leaving plenty of time with phone in hand.)

The spotty posting will continue for a while, I expect, but I'll for sure at least make it back here for next month's linkup - hope you will too, on Wednesday, October 6, for what we're currently borrowing, buying, planning, prepping, and reading.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter