My Latest Score
Those who a) have infants and b) appreciated my thoughts on baby sleepwear will appreciate that Bloomingdale’s not only has several Kissy Kissy footies on sale, but is also offering an additional % off to “loyalists” (free to join). So, I got this precious whale print lovely for around $20! Kissy Kissy has really soft, breathable cotton jams in the cutest prints, and they hold up well to lots of washings. I also snagged a few other items on sale, including a precious Jacadi Liberty of London print romper situation that was discounted to like 70% off that has since sold, but this one is equally darling. Jacadi makes the CUUUUTEST Eurobaby pieces.
You’re Soooo Popular
The items on Le Blog that have been the most popular this week:
+This hydrangea wreath from Etsy. So fresh for spring/summer.
+This Zimmermann floral dress (stunning stunning stunning). More inspo for chic weekend wear here.
+This Sapling Baby printed onesie (love this brand).
+This gorgeous crochet/scalloped lace maxi at a ridiculously pleasing price.
+This monogrammed baby bubble (for girls) and this adorable embroidered john-john (for boys)! Both at great prices and seem to boast heirloom quality.
+This sleeveless bow top ($65!).
#Turbothot
Tomorrow is mother’s day. I was reflecting on this on my run the other day (yay for running! yay for “feeling it”!) and could not decide if I yet fully relate to my new role as a mother. I mean, on the one hand, YES! I feel fiercely protective of mini and am literally obsessed with her and feel motherhood has come very naturally. Caring for mini gives me a deep sense of pride and satisfaction. I legitimately love giving her baths, lotioning her up, brushing her (surprisingly plentiful) hair, and swaddling her all fresh and clean. It makes me feel like a good caretaker–it makes me feel about as close as I’ve felt to being a good mom, perhaps because feeding her and changing her are largely driven by her discomfort (aka her squawky little cries), whereas bathing her is just something a protective, mindful caretaker does of her own volition. She’s never going to cry to be bathed, after all.
So, in those ways, I suppose I feel like a mother.
And there was also the time that we took her in for her two-month vaccinations and I cried when I heard those wails of pain. It was the first time I’d heard her legitimately scream. I did not like it. My mom reassured me that this was normal mom territory and told me that she had cried so hard when my older brother got his first shots that she soaked through the little paper liner they put underneath the baby on the examination table! So, there’s also that mother behavior.
But in other ways, I still feel like the same old me and sometimes have to remind myself: “but–you’re a mom now!” When we were at the pediatrician’s office and the nurse said: “Mom, can you hold her head still while we measure her?”, I looked around for a split second, expecting to see my own mom. Or someone else. Someone who looks like a real mom. Someone who carries tissues in her purse and who remembers to pack a sweater. Someone who clips coupons and reads the paper over a bowl of Crispix in the morning. (OK, maybe I’m again just describing my mom, and then it’s a toss up over whether she’d be eating Crispix or Grape Nuts or maybe just a well-done English Muffin with apricot jam on it, but I digress.)
You know, a real mom.
I don’t know what I expected motherhood would feel like, exactly–but I certainly anticipated that I would feel more of a seismic shift in my identity. Maybe motherhood is more like a layer, a mantle, you wear on top of your other layers of self. Or maybe it takes awhile for the role to sink in. Or maybe moms have some “snap into it” moment a few months in, when something clicks, and suddenly you feel like a mom.
Whatever it is, I’m taking it one day at a time and just rolling with it. So: happy mother’s day to me. And to all you moms out there.
And when you see me eating Crispix over the paper, you’ll know I’ve officially turned “mom.”
Shopaholic
+Obsessed with these bow-topped, lace-up sandals ($118, but 40% off currently!) — they remind me of my favorite Alexandre Birman sandals!
+Cute weekend dress ($78).
+I need these gingham pajamas ($39 for tops / $39 for bottoms).
+How chic is this all black jumpsuit ($160)?
+These baby shoes (on sale for $24). TOO PRECIOUS.
+A new favorite source for baby bows. (Can’t stop, won’t stop.) How great is this one?!
+Love this easy-to-wear dress ($110).
+At the suggestion of several readers, snagged these drool bibs for mini. Such cute patterns! And, better price than the Aden + Anais ones I’d been eyeing. P.S. — Check out all the comments on this post; so many great tips and thoughts on traveling with an infant from my lovely readers!
+Also, I’ve been more or less fastidiously avoiding “nursing tops” because so many of them are truly hideous and instead favoring button-downs or blouses that are easy to lift up. But, I should say that I have yet to nurse in public–I’m scared, to be honest–and I’ll need to do so when we travel to DC in a few weeks, and I think I’ll need a dedicated nursing top to make myself feel comfortable. So, I snagged this striped nursing sweatshirt, which I thought was pretty cute, and I’ve heard v. good things about the brand Boob, so this striped tee is on the list as well.