Milestone cards | Her outfit: Lou Lou and Co | Snuggle Me Organic | Cover (it’s a changing pad cover) | Curtain Bows (color: heirloom pink + she has different listings depending on what you want for your nursery)

One month with Josie

If you want to speed up time, have a baby – wow I can’t believe how fast this month has flown by! I’m sure an extra few days in the hospital with my blood pressure didn’t help, but still. This week marks one month with our Josie girl. Looking back at photos from her birth, it’s surreal to see how much she has already changed in just one short month. She’s starting to track our faces, loves to grunt and sing all night long in her sleep, and gives the sweetest cuddles! Because I know how quickly these months can go by, I wanted to document and share with you all a monthly recap to look back on.

The story behind her name

Y’all know we struggled to come up with a name pretty much up until the minute we left the hospital. For some reason, it was hard for me to picture using a name forever when I still couldn’t believe we were having a little girl, lol. Tim and I were fans of cute names that ended in -ie, but didn’t want a name that was too youthful. I also wanted her name to be more unique but not too out of my comfort zone. Tim had to warm up to the idea of Josie when I first mentioned it, but it always stayed on the list, and the closer we got to her due date the further up on the list it went. I love how unique, but still timeless her name is.

Have you found a good schedule + routine with Josie?

We haven’t watched the clock and tried to force any schedule on Josie right now, just going off her cues and the time between feedings (2-3 hours during the day) for now! The thought of a schedule seems like it would cause me more stress, and I’d rather have a more flexible routine right now. Eventually, I think we’ll try a eat + play + sleep routine, but most of the time she passes out at the end of her feedings and I don’t want to wake a happy, sleeping baby 🙂

It took us the first week to settle into a routine as far as all three of us working together as a team to care for Josie, and each other at the same time. I’m very thankful that Tim is such a natural caregiver for both of us and I have so much more respect for single parents out there. But there is a period of trial and error with such a big life transition.

Any surprises during the first month?

I think there’s really no way you can mentally and physically prepare for how much a baby is going to change your life, of course in the best way possible. Before having a baby, I was much more self-centered and I stressed over things that in hindsight, don’t matter as much as they should have or do now. I also didn’t anticipate just how much naturally falls onto the mother, especially if you’re exclusively breastfeeding. Not that Tim isn’t there to support us and help where he can, because I absolutely couldn’t have made it through this first month without him, but I just mean he has a lot more freedom to do the things he wants and needs to do. I’m sure this will change with more time, but during this phase with exclusively breastfeeding, I only have 1-2 hour stretches throughout the day where I can squeeze in personal tasks. I can’t just shower, get ready, eat, etc without looking at the clock and fitting it into those broken up time periods between her feedings throughout the day. I especially feel like I can’t leave the house for longer than an hour right now, even though at this point there’s always a backup bottle in the fridge just in case. That’s probably more on me and my comfort level than anything else.

favorite products of the month

Our favorite baby products this month

There have been quite a few products we have relied on during these first 4 weeks, as well as a few that I expected to use a lot more than we have.

VAVA light

This has been hard to track down online and I’m not sure why! But it’s easily one of our top 3 favorite baby items. It’s nice that it’s portable and you just double tap the top to turn it off and on and can also dim it for middle of the night feedings.

Baby Carriers

This baby carrier is very easy to get off and on and feels really secure. It will be perfect for any hikes we eventually take or when out and about. Babywearing is my go-to during the day when Josie tends to fight nap or two. I will say when we first get her in this she starts rooting because of how the sides fold in, but as long as I keep it out of the way until she falls asleep all is well.

I also love the Solly wraps for around the house. I was a little intimidated to try it out initially but after you do it once it’s really not as complicated as it looks! I watched a tutorial on their website to learn how to do it. She feels snug as a bug in them and they’re less bulky than the carrier above.

Swaddles

We have tried a few different brands and these are the ones we use the most. She can fight her way out of these if we don’t tuck her arms inside correctly, but she seems to sleep better in these overall. The others we’ve tried tend to get in her face a bit more, which makes her start thinking it’s time to eat.

Bassinet + Stroller

Whenever we put her down, it’s in a bassinet. We have this one upstairs and we use this stroller with the bassinet downstairs in the living room. Because we always lay her down in the bassinet, I really haven’t used the Snuggle Me or Dock-A-Tot as much as I expected. Maybe that will change when I get tired of having a stroller in the living room 🙂

Changing mat

This was one of my last-minute purchases before Josie’s arrival and I thought it was overpriced for what it is, but I’m so glad I don’t have to worry about washing covers over traditional changing mats. This one is easy to wipe clean, plus it’s a scale so you can easily track their growth.

Barefoot Dreams Blanket

Y’all know how much I love my own blanket, so you know Josie had to have one, too! It makes cuddles and skin to skin so much sweeter, I swear 🙂

My most used products the first month

I really didn’t know what to expect for the postpartum period, so I felt a bit underprepared with what I needed. But I think that’s completely normal, considering you have no idea how your labor and healing will go or how life will look as a new mom. These are the products I’ve used the most during these first few weeks.

Nursing Bras

I tried a few different nursing bras, and these are by far my favorite for around the house. They’re super comfortable and lightweight, which I especially appreciated during the night when I experienced postpartum sweats. I just got in these nursing bras, which is my favorite everyday bra that I’m sure I’ll reach for when I get out and about more.

Pajamas + Robes

I live in pajamas and robes these days, and I’m not complaining. Robes are very breastfeeding-friendly and allow you to easily do skin to skin if you prefer. These pajamas are my favorite because they button down to make it easy to nurse and are lightweight so I don’t get too warm.

Elvie Curve + Haakaa

I think between the two I prefer the Elvie curve because I don’t worry as much about it falling off since it can fit into my nursing bra. But it is also pricier between the two and they both do the same job. The Hakka provides more suction and is easier to clean. I reach for both depending on which one is clean and dry at the time.

Yeti Cup + Nursing cookies

I thought I was thirsty during pregnancy, but postpartum has been even more so! It’s important to stay hydrated when you’re breastfeeding, and I am constantly snacking on these nursing cookies for something quick and yummy.

* * *

I’m trying to soak up as much as possible during this sweet newborn stage. Tim and I are going out for our first date tonight since having Josie, and I’m excited but of course nervous, too 🙂 My Mom & Dad are coming over to watch her and I’m hoping my Dad makes some progress on her closet that I’ll share over on Instagram stories. I’m working on a postpartum Q&A that will be up in the next few days, along with her birth story which may take a little more time, but it’s coming soon!

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