Weekend Vibes, Edition No. 110: The One on Muscling Through.

My Latest Snag: Mini’s Spring Shoes.

I shared some of my favorite sources for traditional baby shoes a week or two back and then invested in a few new pairs for mini’s wardrobe just this week, especially with Easter and a lighter palette for her wardrobe right around the corner. I went with a classic pair of white Elephantito Mary Janes (heads up: these were surprisingly challenging to track down in mini’s size — they seem to be low in stock everywhere), these velcro Supergas in the pretty pink/lavender color (also low in stock), and these linen bow shoes (heads up: in select sizes, you can find this exact pair for nearly $15 less on Amazon). Between these three pairs, I feel like we’ll have casual, dressy, and in-between moments covered for the vast majority of spring outings. Three other pairs I am eyeing seriously but trying to hold off on snagging until a little later in the season (I have a hunch mini will outgrow her current size by mid-summer): these Cientas in the washed denim or the pink (I like the way these look with sundresses and more casual outfits, too) and these blue toile espadrilles (ZOMG).

I also have in my cart a pair of Baypod pram shoes and some Elephanito mocs (somehow marked down to $15?!) for micro’s first “dressy” shoes!

You’re Sooooo Popular: The Celine Trio Crossbody.

The most popular items on the blog this week:

+I referred back to a post on the best bags for everyday adventures and a bunch of you cottoned to the Celine Trio crossbody, which you can still find (gently used) at The Real Real. An incredible snag for everyday. I would love to own one of these elegant classics, preferably in this gorgeous powder blue color.

+An on-trend smocked and puffed-sleeved blouse for the romantic at heart.

+A gorgeous lace midi at a reasonable price — perfect wedding guest or Easter Sunday attire. (And it looks like Self Portrait.)

+A smart solution for bedside cord management.

+A stunning ladylike dress for a Baptism or shower or springtime garden wedding.

+The pointelle sweater you’ve been dreaming of.

+A perfect everyday, every-occasion flat.

+A gorgeous, artful pillow cover to spruce up your home for spring.

+A chic hat for summer adventures (love the pink band).

+Precious (and inexpensive) Easter baskets for your minis.

#Turbothot: Muscling Through.

I was so moved and inspired by the many thoughtful comments, emails, and direct messages I received after sharing an update on this pregnancy earlier this week. Thank you times a million. I heard from several moms who have had multiple c-sections and many of them mentioned that the second recovery was easier — maybe because we know what to expect? Or our bodies recognize the recovery path? Or we are simply too distracted by our children to be able to dwell much on the recovery aspect? (I also personally feel as though motherhood has reconditioned me with regards to my squeamishness around medical and physical issues. You’re wiping butts and cleaning spit-up for a living: you’ve got to adopt a shrugging attitude towards the many emissions of the body.) Whatever it is — I found that remark heavily reassuring. Amidst the many words of encouragement, this stood out to me from one reader:

“In the moment it can all feel so scary. Take it one day at a time and don’t get too far ahead of yourself.”

I have opened up my phone to re-read this note about fifteen times this week. Upon each re-reading, a wave of serenity washes over me. I am reminded of something I told myself in the days leading up to mini’s birth: “you can do anything for an hour.” (I had been told a c-section would last around an hour.) Then, as I lay on the operating table, I found myself thinking: “you can do anything for ten minutes. Just make it through the next ten minutes.” Then: “You can do anything for a minute. Just make it through the next minute.” Then, I finally broke it down into Hail Marys: “Come on, Jennie. You can make it through a Hail Mary.” One day at a time, one minute at a time, one word at a time. It all becomes so much more manageable on those terms.

What a gorgeous reminder of two things: first, to set realistic goals (read: small, measurable ones — which in turn reminded me of my mother’s “one per day” rule) and second, to live in the moment. These are two exceptionally difficult charges during pregnancy, which can occasionally feel like a long and unwieldy sit in a waiting room, spiked with unrealistic expectations, but are more broadly applicable to any particularly fraught or frenetic stage of life.

Sharing this lovely reader’s entreaty in the hopes it might find companionship with one or many of you on this spring Saturday, whether you’re lumbering through the final weeks of your own pregnancy, grappling with a break-up, grieving a loss, or struggling with any personal woe, be it big or small. (There’s no hierarchy of pain on this blog.)

How do you muscle through a tough time?

Blast from the Past.

From “Firsts and Lasts“:

“It feels like yesterday that I woke every morning to the sight of minimagpie’s empty bassinet, its vacancy engendering the deepest sensation of longing and anticipation.  Mini had not yet entered the world, but there it stood–open-armed, waiting, a visual reminder of what was to come.  (As if I needed the cue–my belly growing by the day, her kicks so forceful they sent electric shocks through me multiple times a day.)

These days, I wake to the sight of her empty bassinet, but feel something entirely different.  Most mornings, my eyes travel over it thoughtlessly, so accustomed am I to seeing it there, her existence and all of her paraphernalia so deeply incorporated into the quotidian activities of my life that I barely give it a second thought.  I’m too distracted by her cry, or too tired to think much of anything.  Other mornings, I wake and look at it and fight the urge to cry.  I thumb through pictures of her in it from just a few months ago, her limbs scrawny and her face red and squished and my recollection of this time continues to soften and float, suspended, in a haze of tenderness.

Did I adequately cherish those moments?  Those mornings and noons and nights with her snoozing in it by my bedside?”

#Shopaholic: The Whimsical Raincoat.

+I think mini needs this whimsical printed raincoat for spring. Love!

+If you are attending a horse race with your littles in tow (we went to Foxfield in VA for many years and then the Kentucky Derby a few years back), this is the PERFECT outfit for a mini.

+Dying over this gingham flat!!! (Should have included it in my roundup of spring trends — gingham was one of them.)

+Love this $30 floral/smocked jumpsuit for an easy spring everyday look.

+I’ve worn bare legs a handful of times and am truly astonished by how colorless I’ve become over the winter. Should I try this?

+OMG: in love with this minimalist slide. How chic?! Very MK + Ashley Olson?

+OK. OK. OK. We need to talk about the book Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney. A few of you recommended it to me over the course of the last few months and then my sister said she could not put it down. I am blown away by the portraiture. I’ve never met a female protagonist quite like Frances, or a love interest quite like Nick, and the book’s simultaneous sangfroid and candor are remarkable and fresh and unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Be warned: there are a lot of explicit sex scenes in it and I would not recommend it to most people for that reason. But the writing is absolutely incredible, I have to say. I’m shook.

+Loving these wood toys from a Russian Etsy shop: keys for an infant and a lace-up activity for toddlers.