Sweet baby Logan Eugene arrived in the early morning hours of April 16 at 8 pounds 15 ounces.
We’re all healthy, very happy, and more than a little bit in love — especially Miles, who is an amazing big brother already. So glad this little guy is here to complete our family!
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What I heard from a lot of other people who've been pregnant more than once turned out to be true for me too – that your body really remembers what to do pretty early on! When I was around six months pregnant with baby #2, putting on shoes got really annoying...and then impossible. I was also supposed to walk every day, so 24/7 slippers weren't cutting it.
I started getting Instagram ads for Kizik shoes, which claimed to be really easy to just step into, hands-free. Kristie, who was taking on the brunt of tying my shoes, encouraged me to order a pair. I signed up for their newsletter and texts to get 15% off, and happened to order on Valentine's Day, so they sent a free pair of socks, too. I ended up spending around $84 for my shoes.
I picked the Women's Prague shoe in "Bone," and got my regular size – 6.5. They're true to size for me, comfortable, and they really are that easy to step into! They've been my go-to shoe for the last three months of this pregnancy, and I don't see that changing once the baby is born. They're just...easy. (Actually, I'll probably order another pair too!)
I will say it took a little while to break them in – probably a day or two of stiffness before I got used to them, but never any blisters. (I also made an Instagram reel showing how they work.) After sitting criss-cross-applesauce on a playground for awhile one day I got some black scuffs on the shoes, but they came out in the washing machine. (I ran them through on "delicate" and let them sit on a rack to dry before realizing that that's not quite recommended – but they came through fine!)
And I'm glad they're picking up in popularity, because they're a good example of a product that can be used comfortably by a lot of people regardless of factors like age or disability (look up "universal design"). Accessibility is so important! There's no reason products like shoes can't be designed to be used by the largest number of people.
Anyway, this post isn't sponsored at all. I just wanted to share a new product that has been making life a little easier :) If you want, you can use this referral link to get $20 off your next Kizik order (and I will too).
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I asked in my Instagram stories a little while ago if anyone had any questions about my second pregnancy or about our family expecting our second baby, and thought I'd answer them here!
ANY DIFFERENCE IN APPROACHING "BABY ESSENTIALS" FOR #2?
Yes! Firstly we still have lots left over from Miles's newborn days. We knew we wanted to have more than one child, so we saved plenty of things that came in handy the first time – and got rid of a few that just didn't.
What I'm finding myself really focusing on the second time around is preparing essentials for myself – comfy clothes that allow nursing access, a postpartum care cart for the bathroom, two "nursing stations" where I think I'll be chest feeding most often (which each include snacks, water/Gatorade, breast pads, a Hakaa [affiliate link], lip balm, hair ties, burp cloths, and a few special activities to keep Miles busy when he's around and needing attention), and lots of freezer cooking. I think these things will help us all adjust a little bit better to those early days :)
Regarding things like baby clothes, I'm being a lot pickier this time around about choosing items that are more gender neutral, and just things that I like better. I don't know why this feels important, but it does!
WHAT'S THE BEST THING ABOUT THE SECOND PREGNANCY (SO FAR)?
The best thing about this second pregnancy is less fear and anxiety than the first time. A lot feels physically and emotionally familiar, and I've just been feeling less anxiety overall. Having a four-year-old who needs to have his routine maintained has kept me really grounded in the present, and this pregnancy feels like it's gone by really quickly, which I'm glad for especially as I'm starting to feel really uncomfortable!
HOW ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT THE TRANSITION?
For the most part I'm feeling positive about transitioning from one to two children. I mean, I know it'll have its moments, but we'll all adjust. (That's the best thing I learned from going through the early days/years already – nothing hard lasts forever!)
My primary focus is Miles's transition to becoming a big brother. We've been reading lots of books, having lots of conversations, and watching videos about newborns. Most of the time he's excited, and when he's feeling other (totally normal) ways about the new baby coming, he shares it with us either by saying it in a straightforward way ("I've decided I don't want to have a new baby anymore") or by regressing with other behaviors that we can then help him process. I'm just glad he feels safe enough to be open with us no matter what he's feeling, and we're doing our best to work through it together. That's my hope through it all, that fundamentally he just feels safe and like we still have his back even through a change as big as this.
Also, our plan is for him to keep going to preschool even though I'll be on parental leave until the fall. It's tempting to pull him out for a few months for more time together (and tuition savings!!), but I think ultimately it would be too disruptive to his routine, and I know he'd miss his friends. Plus we wouldn't be able to hold his spot with the preschool, which feels pretty risky. I'm happy that we can promise that at least one thing in his life won't be changing, and that I'll get the opportunity to rest, heal, and bond with the new baby with a little more peace during the day – and be able to give Miles more of my energy and attention when he is home.
HOW DID YOU EDUCATE YOURSELF AROUND LABOR/BIRTH FOR #1? HOW IS THIS IMPACTING FEELINGS RE: #2?
My top priority with my first pregnancy and delivery was just that both of us survive. We'd gone through so much to get pregnant, I really didn't care what kind of birth experience I had as long as the baby and I were okay at the end of the day. Kristie and I planned to deliver at a high-risk hospital with a NICU, just in case (even though there was nothing that indicated we'd need it, and we ultimately didn't).
Long story short, I ended up having a challenging, traumatic delivery that ended in blood loss and a childbirth injury for me which took a long time to heal, and many many moments I wish had gone differently. I'll of course be grateful forever that Miles and I made it through and are now both healthy, but the experience taught me that that's not the only metric by which we can measure a "good birth."
Because of that experience, Kristie and I are making as many choices as we can that are different from the first experience. I'll be delivering at a different hospital with the help of a midwife instead of a doctor, and we've hired a doula (so excited about this decision!). One thing that's the same is I'm still planning to get an epidural :) That was a good choice for me last time and I'm comfortable doing it again, albeit with a different care team this time around (thankfully).
Green t-shirt dress / Old Navy [affiliate link]
Earrings / Tiny Anvil
Bracelets / Kestrel & Cat Bird
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One of my earliest nesting projects in getting ready to welcome baby #2 was stocking a rolling cart with postpartum supplies. The cart, while currently in the nursery, is destined for the bathroom to be in easy reach during those first few weeks of healing.
The cart itself is from Ikea, but if you don't have a store nearby or are having trouble with shipping, there are similar options at Michaels, Target, and Wayfair [the last 2 are affiliate links].
I stocked the three levels with:
Whew! It's a lot, but I'm hoping to be really prepared to both care for myself as I heal, and hopefully have a nursing experience that is more satisfying than the first time around. I'm trying to avoid using language like "successful," but I am hoping and planning to try and share as many Covid-19 antibodies (thanks to my vaccines!) with this baby as possible.
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Last November I went to the first of a regular gathering of local queer-identified folks who are into crafting. We surrounded a campfire, each lugging our own big pots and bags full of scrap fabric and yarn. Organizers brought a few items to use as natural dyes, plus mordants. (I wish I remembered more of the process so I could share it with you here, but I was happy to just be a participant and absorb from the others! This is not an area of comfort for me and I was glad to follow others' leads.)
I returned home with fabric that I'd dyed with pokeweed (orange), red onion (greenish gray), and butterfly pea flower (pale bluish lavender), plus a little yarn that I'd dyed with the red onion as well. I loved how the colors looked together, and thought to myself I ought to try to make a quilted playmat for the new baby we are expecting!
I'm happy to say it's finished. This is my first-ever quilting project, loosely inspired by this project, although using much smaller pieces and yarn ties through the top layer and batting, as opposed to embroidery thread.
I cut 3.5" squares from the dyed fabric (and some other white scrap fabric I still had) and sketched out a rough design using my son's crayons. I used a grid of nine by nine squares for an approximate quilt length and width of 31.5".
It is FAR from perfect, but I love how it turned out, and (aside from all the ironing) it was a joy to create. I used other leftover fabric for the backing, and pieced together a few pieces of batting to make it work, so it also feels cool that I didn't have to purchase anything new for this project.
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Baby #2 is joining the party in April, and we couldn't be more excited!
Kim from Time Bandit Photography took some beautiful photos of our family at the end of my first trimester (I'll be 18 weeks along tomorrow).
I'm feeling better now than I was in the beginning, but still wouldn't turn down a nap!
We can't wait for this new baby to join us and complete our family.
My dress [af link]
Miles's Big Brother t-shirt [af link]
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If you haven't tried it yet, I hope I have the honor of introducing you to the free Flax Sweater pattern by Tin Can Knits. I've worked it up several times, and love its simplicity – and opportunities for modifying, like I did above by omitting the garter panel on the sleeves, and adding bobbles throughout the pattern.
I had pledged that 2021 was going to be a year of selfish knitting (where I knitted only for myself to build my handmade wardrobe) but I'm already – happily! – slipping on that vow. My friends just keep making tiny beautiful humans and I can't help but knit tiny things for them!
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When we moved to our new house, I knew I wanted to update the decor in Miles's room a little bit. It really hadn't changed since we'd set it up before he was born. He's definitely a woodland-loving kid, and is also really into outer space and constellations. I decided to do an outer space theme in his new room, with soft colors like purple (currently his favorite).
I made two new throw pillows for a reading area in his room. Punch needle is a new craft to me – in fact I'd only done one kit [affiliate link] before making the pattern and punching this pillow. It's so fun and satisfying! Read on for a list of what I used and how I made the pillow – plus the free pattern so you can make one too if you like.
I used:
The pattern is designed to print on four separate pages. Once they've printed, arrange and tape them together to create the smiling sun design.
After the printed pieces have been taped together, use another piece of tape to hang them in a window. With one hand, hold the monk cloth over the printed pattern so that the light from outdoors shines through and the pattern is visible through the fabric. Use a pencil to trace the pattern onto the cloth.
Use your embroidery hoop to keep the fabric in place, and start punchin', switching yarn colors and rearranging your hoop as necessary. If you're new to punch needle, please check out Sallie Dale's Instagram story highlights for tips and techniques.
When you're finished, measure the size you'll need to fit the pillow insert, and cut out a circle around the punched piece, leaving room for seam allowance, too. Cut the same shape from scrap fabric to serve as the pillow's back.
Pin both pieces right side together, and sew almost all the way around, leaving an opening wide enough to insert the pillow form. Turn the piece right side out, and insert the pillow form. Use your preferred method to stitch the opening closed.
The pillow is definitely a sunny spot in Miles's new bedroom, and he even sleeps with it in his crib some nights. I haven't done any punch needle projects since finishing this in January, but now I want to pick it up again! Do you punch needle?
Chair [affiliate link]
Fabric used to sew other pillow
Rug [affiliate link]
Wall decals in antique violet [affiliate link]
Cloud light [affiliate link]
Bookshelves
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I have a surplus of black linen that was once destined to be a jumpsuit and now...I don't know yet! In the meantime, I used part of it to sew a burp cloth for a friend's beautiful new baby. (It was pictured here.)
I pre-washed and dried the fabric, then cut two rectangles that were 9" x 21" and sewed around the edges, leaving an opening of approximately 5". I clipped the corners and turned the burp cloth inside out through the opening (using a knitting needle to get the corners nice and pointy), then ironed it flat and top-stitched around the whole thing. After that I freehanded a repeating running stitch with white embroidery thread. Then I washed and dried it once more, leaving it a bit puckered and lovely.
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So many friends in our (socially distanced) circle are expecting or just welcomed beautiful new babies! I wanted to share a few of the things I typically buy to celebrate the arrival of a new little one – and the birthing parent too.
(That William Morris quote comes to mind as a guide: "Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." Although in this case beauty is in the eye of the parent, so I lean more towards use.)
I'd love to hear your go-to gifts for new babies and their parents, or what you received after having a baby that really came in handy.
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