traveling with a baby |

This mother’s day was a special one. Not only was it my first official mother’s day but it’s the first mother’s day in like 5 years that I’ve been home to spend it with my mama. Where Zach and I live now is about a 6 hour drive from where we both grew up, so getting to be home with my family was amazing. We spent the day having a backyard BBQ at my sister’s house. It was so awesome having both babies together (my sister’s and mine) and the weather was perfect!!

Motherhood so far has been the best experience of my life. It has also been the most challenging and has made me to look at things in my life, and qualities in myself in a totally different way. My priorities have shifted. The things I used to put ~~too much~~ time into are now special treats and qualities like patience and sacrifice are things I hold in the highest regard. Motherhood has been beautiful and quiet and loud and messy and stressful and natural and hard…like super hard but to me, nothing feels more like home than being a mom. It often feels weird even saying I’m a mom. It’s hard to wrap my head around that sometimes. I will watch movies where someone gives birth and I can not believe that’s how Dexter got here. I honestly can barely remember. I think it’s because my brain is now flooded with new moments and memories every day that it’s so hard to remember way back then. Our bond is growing stronger by the day and I can tell that him and I have something that I will never have with anyone else and that is worth everything to me. I willingly give up my plans, my old body, eating warm food, and sleeping through the night for him and even though somedays it’s so hard, I will never ever look back.

On the drive home from Brockville Dexter woke up and started crying right as we were passing through Toronto. Nothing would sooth him so we found Old MacDonald (a sure way to calm him down) on Zach’s iPhone. Sure enough, he was silent. We were going insane listening to this song a hundred times in a row and for a minute in I thought to myself, “Ughhh is this my life?” About as soon as I thought that, the phone died and Old MacDonald was no more. About a second after that, Dexter started crying again and Zach (honestly, my husband is incredible) picked pretty much where the iPod left off. He did the verses and decided which animals were on the farm and I had to come up with the noises. Dexter quieted down again and I realized that this was probably one of the best moments of my mom life so far. My husband, exhausted from a long drive is singing the most annoying song ever with a smile on his face and my baby boy in the back, smiling and soothed by our voices.

And that’s exactly how it is. Even in the most exhausting moments. Even when you think you miss your old life. Even when you have listened to Old Macdonald 34 times in a row…if your baby is smiling, there is nothing you wouldn’t do and no place you would rather be.

Hope all you mama’s had an awesome day! And if you’re not a mama that you showered the mamas in your life with love!

Reese.

OHH and Dex stood on his own this weekend!! AHHHH

I also got to catch up with one of my closest friends Lindsay! Her little baby Ben is the cuuuutest and Dex and him instantly hit it off on our park date! So thankful for mama friends like her!

Thanks so much for reading!!

Britt

While we were on vacation (the day we traveled home) Dexter turned 8 months old. You know how everyone says every stage is better than the last? Well this month I feel that way more than ever. Zach and I constantly say to each other how 8 months is our absolute favourite so far. He is getting so much more talkative and laughs all the time. He is also starting to cuddle more (finally) and have a preference for certain games, food and toys.

photo by: Mint Photography

This is probably not the best time to write this update because since coming back from our vacation sleep/eating/mood has all been thrown way off. I’ll do my best to accurately tell you where we are at!

Weight: We haven’t had him weighed since his 6 month appointment. If I had to guess I would say around 21-22lbs. He is so much more mobile now and leaning out a little bit.

His face/hair in the morning is my favourite!

Sleep: Sleep is okay. In Jamaica he slept horribly. New place, a weird rickety crib and all that sun totally threw him for a loop. Now that we are home he is getting his second top tooth and has a cold (we both caught one on the flight) so still not sleeping well. Since we got home I literally feel like I have totally forgotten how to parent him and be a mom. It’s taking some time getting back into our routine and until then I always feel like I’m second guessing myself. So instead of worrying too much about the sleep thing right now we are in survival mode until this tooth cuts through and this cold passes. Sleeping whenever and wherever by any means necessary.

Eating: Eating is going really well. We have always done a bit of a mix of purees and bigger pieces of soft food and I’m noticing more and more that Dex prefers to feed himself. He will try to grab the spoon out of my hand, or just grab the puree off the end of the spoon (not possible) and put his whole hand in his mouth. So this week we tried toast with coconut oil, asparagus and some pasta pieces. He did great and loved the asparagus most. Right now we do a breakfast (usually toast and banana or avocado) and a dinner (usually whatever we are eating) and still nursing before and in-between meals.

Diapers: Cloth diapering. No new diapers but so many of you have asked me for a review of the different brands I use so I’ll start working on that post for you guys!

Just chewing on a YSL mascara. This is why we can’t have nice things.

Clothing: Dex wears 9-12 or 12 month clothing and size 2 shoes and moccs.

Also something fun for the clothing category. Dex was chosen to be one of the brand enthusiasts for one of our favorite baby shops Sugar Plum Lane Baby Boutique. They are such an incredible brand! Their prints are unique and their glittery/gold girl’s pieces are making me long for a little girl one day! Please check them out!

Mood: His mood is always super chill/laid back. Obviously he’s not loving it right now with a cold and a top tooth sloooowly making its way through his gums but honestly he’s still so happy. He has been so much more expressive lately. He is easier to make laugh and has really started to mimic us and get our attention.

Loves:

▪ The beach/sand! I knew this would be the case because he is obsessed with water but this kid was in his element on the beach in Jamaica. Splashing and digging his toes into the sand. He loved watching the waves come in and sitting in the shallow water.

▪ Swimming – he loved the pool in Jamaica too, we brought a floaty for the water and he kicked and splashed all day.

▪ Seeing other babies – he gets so excited when I hold him up to other babies. Makes me feel like he’s going to be such a people person like his dad.

▪ Peekaboo and singing songs – I have tried to play peekaboo with him since he was so little and never got any reaction now he is obsessed. I play it while he sits in his high chair and I hide below the tray. He also loves songs. It’s the only way to keep him on his back during a diaper change. ‘Old McDonald’ is my current go-to but instead of normal farm animals we pick different non-farm animals or other random objects to be on the farm. (Snakes, babies, dolphin..keeps it interesting)

Doesn’t Love:

▪ Teething and everything it involves. I feel like this is never going to end. We are at 4 teeth and working on his 5^th.

▪ The heat. One thing I did notice was how annoyed and hot he got while we were away. Obviously, it was crazy hot and coming from Canada we are so not used to dealing with that but we did our best. Also HATED the sun in his eyes but also hated his sunglasses and wearing a hat sooo.. lose/lose/lose there.

▪ Being told “No” or having a toy taken away. Just this month he has started to really cry when I take something from him that he shouldn’t have. Which is every 4 minutes thanks to his busy ways. Enormous tears form in about 8 seconds but then he’s over it when he spots a shiny dime over across the living room floor and the cycle repeats itself. All. Day. Long.

▪ Mashed potatoes. We have tried them several times and he will literally spit them out of his mouth, make 2 fists and twist his face up for a good minute or two. It’s the hardest I have ever laughed at him. Obviously not obsessed with carbs like his mama. It’s probably for the best.

What I Want to Remember:

▪ Our trip to Jamaica. Looking back it already feels like a blur. It was busy and different from a baby-less trip but I wouldn’t have it any other way. He was so happy and although he will never remember it, it was such an awesome time spent with family and seeing Dex experience new things. (PS. The mom transformation is complete. Check out this one piece. Haha. I actually wore a bikini most of the time but couldn’t resist this ruffled black one piece when I saw it.)

▪ He is going through such a mommy stage right now. Maybe is his cold or tooth but he will cry a bit when he is passed to someone else. He gets over it pretty quick and goes about his squealing and babbling. I secretly love it. There are going to be days ahead where I would do anything for him to want to be near me the way he does now .

– His first Easter. Easter is one of my favourite holidays. He is still too young for eggs and what not and I didn’t bother making him an Easter basket this year but I did read him the Easter story and spent some time at my in-laws enjoying a delicious meal