A "Garden Party" Themed Baby Shower

"Baby fever" is the only thing I can call this phenomenon, but I swear, everyone I know is expecting, or just had a baby! At our church, there were (at least) 5 of us pregnant at the same time - with all of us due only weeks apart.  It was crazy!

One of the lovely side-effects of all of this new life is the ability to celebrate with baby showers!

Baby showers are a mostly American tradition, but ladies all over are starting to do them more and more.

I was very touched when a group of my friends from our church here in Ljubljana hosted a baby shower for Jocelyn and I.  It was so nice to feel loved and supported, especially since we had recently moved here.

When one of the sweet mamas who threw the baby shower for us found out she was pregnant, I knew that I wanted to return the favor.  This particular mama isn't in love with the color pink - but is expecting a girl, so I knew I needed to find a tasteful way to make it feminine.  We settled on a "Garden Party" theme, and it turned out just lovely.

For center pieces, we bought potted flowers, and put them in terra-cotta pots.  I loved how naturally beautiful it looked!  I was able to then use them as door prizes at the end - perfect!

This was the "activity" table.  We had a guestbook, where each guest left a thumb print and their name on a bare tree.  Then, I had clothespins out, to play the "baby" game (where you can't say the word baby), and little cards to fill out with "prayers for baby".  I punched holes in the corner, and then had a ring to string them on.

For food, we had cucumber sandwiches, sugar cookies, melon and blueberry "flowers" (melon, cut with a cookie cutter into flowers, then placed on a kebab stick, with a blueberry on top), breadsticks, and Danish lagkage - the recipe for which you can find here.

We also had a really fun gardening station - I bought some dirt, five different seed packets, terra-cotta pots, and also the kind you can plant all in one - the ladies then to planted some seeds to take home; the perfect party favor!

For dishes, I actually used these beautiful dishes my mom recently gave me - they were hers, but she didn't use them, and graciously passed them on.  They're not my style for everyday dishes, but are perfect for something like this.  I also used my great-grandmother's silver, which I adore.  I put the cutlery in a terra-cotta pot, to continue with the theme.  I used garden markers to label the food, and drinks.

I set up a welcome table, with a bucket for cards.  I also set out the board book, The Secret Garden, but sadly didn't get a picture of it.

And of course, a "throne' for the mama-to-be.  I love our apartment, but was especially thankful for the open floor plan.  We flipped the couch around, pulled the benches out from around the dinner table, and changed up the sofa chairs, and it worked out great!

Everyone seemed to have a lovely time, the food all turned out delicious, and I was thrilled with how it all looked!

DIY Baby Girl Headband

I'm neck deep in girl-world, and unapologetic about it!

I fully embraced boy-world the first time around, but I'm really excited that I get to dive into bows and flowers!

I really liked these soft hairbands I found all around Etsy, and bought a bunch.  But then, I wondered if there was a way that I could make them!  My mom gave me some cute flowers she bought, in the off-chance there was ever a girl our lives, haha!

So, I searched around for instructions, and found a few and thought I'd share it with you!

Here's what you'll need:

- 1 pair of pantyhose

- Flower, bow, whatever

- Hot glue gun

- Scissors 

1. Cut the leg part of the hose into 1 inch strips.

2. Stretch them a little until they roll on either side (like in the middle of the picture), creating the band.

3. Glue flower or bow on the band.

4. Allow to cool, and voila!

This way, you can always make a hairband to go with a particular outfit!  Also, these are not at all tight, so you don't have to worry about it hurting their little heads. 

Perfectly delicate, just like your little girl!

Thoughts From A Second-Time New Mom

New mommyhood.  That fog in which many of us find ourselves.  Diapers, sleep (the baby, not you), spit-up, blowouts, tiny clothes that need washing, smiles, crying, gas, more crying...

Funky smells, engorgement and/or bottle sterilizing, sleepless nights, 3 am articles about SIDS, hair loss...

It's a magical time.

One, that oddly enough, even as a mother of two (woah!)...

I'm almost doing for the first time.  "What?", you say?  I'll explain.

When we had Aidan, I was working as a Kindergarten teacher in the US.  I was employed full-time for most of my pregnancy and birth, but was only employed part-time at the time of getting pregnant.  This meant that I was not eligible for any kind of paid maternity leave.  Legally I was allowed 6 weeks of unpaid leave.  Which is what I had.  It absolutely broke my heart the first day back at work, when Dan took our teeny tiny baby to the babysitter (an amazing mama from our church, who watched him Tuesday-Friday, for about 8-9 hours/day).  Although I was thankful for a job (without which we wouldn't have been able to live), and for someone who loved my baby enough to watch him, it was not easy.

Every day, when Aidan came home, he smelled like the babysitter's house (which was actually a wonderful essential oil smell, but still), not our home.  I think that is the most tangible image of what I felt.  My baby didn't even smell like he lived with me.  My husband actually spent more waking hours with him than I did - he had Mondays off.  I pumped at work twice a day, because I was determined to breastfeed.  When he came home, around 5, he basically cluster-fed until bedtime.  He was/is an AMAZING sleeper, so then he would sleep from about 8:00-6:30.  Then, I nursed him, got him and I both ready, and Dan would take him to the babysitter again.  Every day.

Whenever I decided to sit down and do the math, about how many hours a day I actually spent with him... I just couldn't do it.  I stopped myself before I actually got to the answer.  Even now, I'm getting emotional.  But we did what we had to do.

When he turned one, he started going to the preschool at my school.  That was a little better - because of less of a commute, I got probably an extra hour a day with him.  I could also check in on him throughout the day, if I needed.

Then, when he turned 2, our lives took a drastic turn, we were commissioned to be missionaries.  All of a sudden, I became a stay-at-home-mom to a toddler.  It was a huge shock to the system.  The first few weeks were heaven!  After that, I started to realize more and more what the positives of being a working mom were.

I had a professional life, people actually cared about what I had to say.  Adult conversations.  Feeling fulfilled on a non-mommy level.  Feeling like I'd accomplished things in my day.  "New" experiences every day.  Putting on real clothes (don't laugh, it's true!).  Getting a "break".  Not having to change all the diapers in the world.

Thankfully, Aidan was already 2, so he was active enough, and fun enough to do things with.  We were a one-car family, and Dan traveled a lot, so I did have to get creative about how to keep his busy self occupied, but overall it was a good experience.  We had fun, I felt like I got to really know him, and we adjusted.

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And now here we are.  I'm now (as of 8 weeks ago), a stay-at-home-mom to a newborn.  This is new territory for me.  It feels so strange to say that, but it really is true.  I'm so blessed to have a job where I can be involved in ministry, and still be a SAHM, I am so thankful for that!  But this is nearly all new to me.

For example - going out with her TERRIFIES me!  I'm getting together with a friend tomorrow morning, and it'll be our first real outing just the two of us - by ourselves, riding the bus, going into the center of town.  AAAHHHH!

Also, how do I fill my days?  We live according to her schedule, so I'm not actually in "want" of things to do, but what do I do with her when she's awake?  How do I stimulate her growing mind?  How do I break up the mundane, never-ending slew of laundry?  What do I do when she won't stop crying?  (By the way, the answer is nurse her.  Always nurse her.)

Thankfully, the culture here in Slovenia is very mommy-friendly.  I have mommy friends to go on walks with, get coffee with, or who come over.  But it can also be very lonely, and all-consuming.  I often crave a professional conversation, where my education is of use to me.  I nurse on demand, so I'm very "tethered" to the baby.  She's not always a happy baby, and needs lots of holding.  Or baby wearing.  I love the cuddles, and closeness... but I also love hot coffee, and lunch.  And sleep.

Basically, my rambling doesn't have much of a point, or conclusion, except to say that mommyhood is a complete devotion of self; whether you are a working mom, a stay-at-home mom, work-from-home mom or any combination of those.

There are positives and negatives to each situation.  In my experience, both are hard, but in very different ways.  For me though, the ability to stay home with Jocelyn is priceless.  I am beyond thankful for our current situation, and ability to mother they way I'd like.  

I am so thankful that Aidan was such an easygoing baby, and that he loves and adores me.  Even with his first year the way that it was, he has always loved me (a very real mama-fear), he is healthy and happy, and now that he is 4 and back in school (Slovenian kindergarten), he loves it, and is excited to go every day!

In the afternoons, when I get to have both of them with me, and we're having a snack, playing or watching TV, I'm so thankful that I don't have to do lesson planning, or prep for a parent-teacher conference.  But I do kind of pine for a lunch break, donuts on Friday, morning chats with coworkers and looking professional.

So if I seem very "new mother-y", please understand.  

I kind of am.

5 Tips For Outdoor Newborn Photo Shoot

Hello, world!  About 4 weeks ago we welcomed the newest member of our family!  We had our newborn pictures scheduled for two weeks after that, and here are my tips for surviving an outdoor newborn photo shoot!

1. Be Flexible

Our peanut came a week late.  This put a bit of a damper on things, as the weather was getting colder, especially the week we ended up taking pictures.  I had originally planned warmer-weather outfits, or on changing mid-way, and then I realized that was kind of crazy with a newborn and 4-year-old in a public park...
So, we decided to stick with one outfit, and I'm SO thankful that we did!  Here's a bonus tip - if you do want a slightly different look, you can layer, and remove one layer for some photos - like I did with my sweater. :) 

2. Moderate Props

In the age of Pinterest and elaborate, 3-hour-long newborn shoots, it's easy to get caught up in all the props.  Those are a very specific type of photo shoot, and if it's what you want, you should absolutely go for it! However if you're doing a more simple look, or more overall family photos like we did, props can make the pictures too "busy", and take away from the beauty of your sweet baby's features.  Also, in our case, the more props, the more things we would've had to carry through the park.  The props we decided to use was a wooden children's rocking chair - mainly so we could get pictures of our son holding his sister, a basket - so we could get some pictures of her alone, an embroidery hoop with her name on it, and a couple blankets.

3. Try To Take It Easy
With a newborn (who needed a nursing break) and a rambunctious 4-year-old boy, I had to remind myself to take it easy, and go with the flow.  Now, I'm not gonna lie, I did get onto my son to smile nicely, and not be so goofy, but some of the cutest pictures are of him doing exactly that.  Being a 4-year-old.  And I realized when looking at them, that he's only gonna be this goofy adorable age once, and why not have photographic evidence of it? (Also, the superhero pose one is one of my favorites!  Such a boy thing!)

4. Getting "That" Shot
There were a few pictures I knew I wanted.  Aidan has been hands-down the sweetest and most caring big brother, so I knew I wanted a few of just the two of them.  The "Secret Garden"-y one is just gorgeous.  It's even more beautiful than I could've planned!
I also knew I wanted one of me with both of them, and I love the one we got!  I wanted a "Daddy's Girl" one (it's breathtaking), I wanted a 3-generations one with my mom, and I wanted a traditional one that we've been doing with Aidan every year, of him standing between us.  If there are specific things you want, make sure you communicate them with your photographer - their aim is to make you happy, and they will do whatever they can to make it happen!

5. If You Can, Get Some Help
We are very lucky to have had my mom come and help us when Jocelyn was born.  I understand that isn't always an option.  But if you can, it's really helpful to have an extra pair of adult hands to either hold the baby, so you can get those special one-on-one pictures with the older sibling, and someone to entertain the older kiddo (by climbing a tree, in our case) so you can get those precious newborn-with-parents pictures.

And there are my 5 tips for an outdoor newborn photo shoot! Here are a couple extra, quick bonus tips:

- Pick somewhere quiet - less distractions for little one.

- Pick a pretty blanket/swaddle to wrap baby in, since newborns can get "swallowed" by clothes (do make sure whatever they're wearing underneath goes with the pictures, because the blanket will shift).

- Bring a pacifier, let fussy baby suck on it, have the photographer tell you right before they're gonna take the picture, pop the paci out, and hide it in the blanket you brought! :)

- No matter the type of pictures, I suggest taking a blanket to sit on, because realistically no one wants to get their bottoms dirty.

Also, our AMAZING photographers were Andraž and Neža with Happy Moments Photography.  If you ever find yourself in Slovenia, and in need of photos, they are definitely who you want!
I found the adorable headband at Lilies London on Etsy, and the blanket at Molly and Averie, also on Etsy.

Let me know if you have any extra tips you'd share!  I'd love to hear from you!