WHAT I LOVED HAVING IN MY HOSPITAL BAG

Baby Charlie arrived 6 months ago, but I can still remember my complete stress over what I needed to pack for the hospital pretty vividly.  I was not one of those girls who was packed and ready as soon as I hit the third trimester. Nope. I read all the blogs, pinned all the Pinterest pins, and still felt like there was going to be something SO IMPORTANT that I would regret not packing for the hospital, so I kept putting it off until 37 or 38 weeks. Basically when I could have gone into labor at any moment. (Joke's on me though because he was 3 days overdue!)

A friend from church who is expecting her first baby asked me last week if I had any tips for the hospital, and immediately my mind went to that dreaded packing list I had stressed over! So, here are the things shared with her, and that I want to share with you. 

Favorite things in my hospital bag:

My own water bottle. You are constantly drinking after the baby comes! The nurses encourage it and ask you regularly if you're drinking. Hormones, nursing, and just plain exhaustion make it necessary. So rather than refilling the tiny styrofoam cup they give you a million times, I was thankful to have my old faithful water bottle (and for the sweet nurses who would go fill it with ice whenever I asked). 

Pillows and blankets. Comfort from home. Plain and simple. The blanket was especially helpful for my husband who slept on the couch in our room. 

A Bath Towel. Hospital towels are basically oversized paper towels. No, thank you! Having my own towel from home really helped my shower feel all the more refreshing. It was soft and familiar. On that same note, the first shower you get to take after delivery is the best shower you will ever take. 

Laptop (for Netflix). We LOVED watching The Office in the hospital during some of our down time without visitors. For us, it was a show we could put on, laugh, and relax. If there's a movie, show, or book like that for you, I would highly recommend bringing it for some relaxing entertainment! It ended up being TOO funny for me though because I literally felt like I was going to undo my stitches from laughing. Maybe don't bring something that hilarious. 

Coins for the vending machine. This one is for all the husbands out there - I got your back! They spend so many hours awake with you and sometimes they just need a can of Coke or candy bar to keep their eyes open and ready to help. You never know what time of day you will be in labor or when your husband might need to hit the vending machine, so don't count on the hospital cafeteria being open.

Snacks. Snacks. Snacks. My post-delivery self was RAVENOUS. I think that's pretty normal too. My sweet Samuel had to go get me a ham sandwich at 11 p.m. one night because I was craving it. So pack up on healthy snacks like apples, trail mix, and granola bars that will keep you going. You won't regret packing snacks, and your husband will thank you also!

Things I thought I would use (but didn't):

Basically all the clothes I packed. I didn't even end up touching half of what I packed for our hospital stay. There are a couple reasons for that. One is that I pretty much lived in the hospital gowns. Call it new-mom-first-time-hospital-patient-itis. Another great thing was that pretty much anything I needed for my own post-delivery comfort the hospital had and would give graciously (even sending me home with extra). So all of the pads, creams, ice packs, and what-nots were taken care of by the nurses way better than anything I could have packed. 

Socks. Almost everyone I talked to mentioned bringing socks because hospitals can be cold. I don't think I even touched mine. I was pretty warm because of all those hormones adjusting in my body so I liked feeling the cold floor. 

Robe. Again, clothes I didn't need! I have never been a robe person so why did I think this would change? 

Post-delivery/Nursing comforts. The hospital has ALL of the pads and creams you could possibly need. And you're already paying for it (Thank you, hospital bills$$) so you might as well take advantage of it. Save what you bought for when you get home and stock up on what they give you at the hospital. I asked for extras of everything I thought was helpful as I was packing up the last day. They're more than happy to give it!

A notebook. I packed a notebook thinking it would be helpful if there were any tips or things I needed to remember and write down. SIKE. I didn't have time for writing a thing! I basically just relied on my husband and my mom to be listening when the nurses were giving me instructions because I knew I wouldn't be able to remember anything they were saying on my five hours of sleep in 48 hours! PLUS, the hospital will send you home with LOADS of wonderful(ly boring) reading material that you will never even get a chance to read, so just plan on relying on Google when you get home. (I think I googled 1,000 things in the first week of having a newborn. Not an exaggeration.)

One last thing! 
Talk to your nurses. Ask for their help when you need it. Almost all of my nurses had had their own babies and were full of other helpful tips about life after baby, my recovery, and learning how to be a new mom. They were such a blessing to me. You know they have heard it ALL, so don't feel shy about asking them what's on your mind either. 

If you are like me, you almost won't want to go home by the time your hospital stay comes to an end. At least for my first baby, it was a nice, reassuring, comfort to know someone knew the answer to my question, can help me however I needed it, and would always be operating on more sleep than I was. But God will give you strength, wisdom, and an amazing motherly instinct. When you get home from the hospital and wonder where the baby instruction manual is that the hospital must have forgotten to give you in all that reading material, just remember that you are that baby's mommy! God chose you specifically for them. And he will be faithful to help you in your great need.  

GOODBYE, 2016. HELLO, 5 MONTH OLD.

2016 is officially in the rearview. I know it sounds cliche, but I will always reflect on this year as one that changed me, in many ways, forevermore. A few things that happened: 

- Celebrated one year of marriage
- Welcomed Charlie Lewis James into the world
- Lost my grandma, an aunt, and my childhood pet
- Graduated from Indiana University Southeast with a BS in Elementary Education
- Went to a Coldplay concert 
- Took a babymoon/anniversary trip to Gatlinburg
- Became a stay-at-home mom
- Worked my first real, paid teaching job 

It was a year of high highs and low lows. But the Lord sustained me through it all. 

Top: May, June, & July
Middle: August
Bottom: October & December

As we welcome in 2017, we will also say, "Happy 5 months of life!" to Charlie on January 4th. Motherhood is the greatest and hardest thing I have ever done. But it helps when you have the world's sweetest baby!

Weight:  16 lbs 4 oz
Length: 26 in 

This month:
- We found out Charlie has two teeth buds. Teething is on the horizon (and maybe has already begun). He drools like crazy and loooves chewing on teething toys, blankets, or his hands. 

- Because of various circumstances that I could not control, we finished our nursing days this month. Nursing was an extremely difficult but wonderfully sweet period of time that I will miss sharing with Charlie. 

- He started eating baby oatmeal with a spoon! Even though he is on the smaller side in weight (fluctuating between the 20something and 30something percentile), the dude likes to EAT. He was taking in over 32 oz in a day and the doctor told us at his 4 month check up that once that happened, we might consider adding in some baby cereal once or twice a day. So we did and it's been so successful! He still wants to eat every 3ish hours (I know), but adding the oatmeal has really helped with spit-ups from having to digest so much liquid in a day. 

- Charlie had a biiiiiigggg sleep regression during his 4th month. Or maybe it was just a weird hang up about sleeping. He pretty much only wanted to be held while sleeping or to sleep in his car seat. As of last week, he is FINALLY sleeping all night in his bassinet and going down much easier (sometimes being rocked/held by mommy, which is new!). I hope it stays this way.

- There was about a month long phase of screaming for fun. He wasn't upset, he was just loud and would squeal all the time! It was cute (at first), but thankfully that phase is over. 

- He is an expert at rolling in any and all ways. I had to learn not to blink or else I would find he had literally rolled all the way across the room!  I am pretty sure he scooted back about a foot the other day too. We might have a little guy who wants to be mobile early!

- Thumb sucking. Yeah...

- He had his first cold. It was the classic runny nose, sneezing, and poopy diapers. I felt much more at ease about handling his little cold after going through RSV at 3 months (which was way worse and scarier). Winter sickness is not fun.

- We experienced our first Christmas season as a family of three. It was soo fun and completely exhausting! Our sweet families blessed us tremendously this year. After seeing him through his first holidays, I can confidently say our little boy is SUCH a people person. Even when he was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open (and his head was literally nodding up and down), he was so content to be where the family was. He handled the hustle and bustle and meeting new faces so well too. I am a super proud momma.

2016 Christmas Card

I am so excited to see what the Lord will do in 2017. May it be a year of prayerfully submitting ourselves to Jesus and trusting him in everything. 

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a great start to the New Year!

NEWBORN ESSENTIALS

With Charlie reaching the 4 month old mark, I thought it was about time for me to share a few favorite items that I have been loving throughout the newborn phase.

1. Chicco LullaGo Bassinet 

Charlie has slept in this bassinet ever since he was a few days old. The best part about this bassinet is that it's made for traveling! We packed it up to see Grandma a few weeks ago and loved how convenient it was to take the bed he is familiar with on our trip.  It breaks down and folds into a carrying bag easily while still feeling sturdy when being used. 

2. Aden & Anais Swaddle Blankets

This boy has loved being swaddled his whole life. We have used the heck out of these swaddle blankets. Seriously, we have 6 of them. If your baby loves being swaddled you better stock up so that you've always got one ready! The muslin material is amazing - it's breathable, but also keeps him warm and cozy when it's colder. Another great thing about them is their super large size which makes swaddling easier and doable even as the baby gets bigger. Oh, my heart, look how little. (Too bad he won't take a paci anymore!)

3. Cetaphil Baby Wash & Shampoo

Is a clean baby smell not the best thing in the world? This baby wash is the best clean baby scent. It has organic ingredients too, which makes it even better for their sensitive skin. I would definitely recommend it!

4. Baby K'tan

All mamas need this baby wrap! I had heard horror stories about moms having to wrestle confusing/tangled-up baby wraps and was really hesitant about getting one because of it. Then someone recommended this wrap to me when I was pregnant...about how it was newer and becoming more popular. I think it might be better than the Moby wrap (even though I haven't really tried the Moby, to be honest) because everything is already "wrapped" for you to just slip on like a backpack. You don't need to know how to wrap it. It has revolutionized my grocery shopping and going out experiences. When you don't want to lug your baby around in the car seat, or need some hands-free time, just wrap them on you and go! Charlie loves being in the K'tan especially when he is sleepy. And mommy loves wearing him in it too. I will be sad the day he grows out of it! 

5. My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow

Nursing can be hard as there are so many things to learn! This pillow helped me learn what worked best for me and my baby. I'll be honest - I did not like this pillow at first when Charlie was so little. He was just so small that holding him on his own ended up being easier. But as Charlie has grown (and gotten heavier lol) and as we have learned to nurse better, this pillow has been a lifesaver. It's firm and has two rests for the baby's head to fit snugly. We both relax more when using this pillow as opposed to nothing at all or a different pillow. It has been such a great purchase. 

6. Fridababy Nose Frida

This thing does the trick!! It's on my favorites list, but it is definitely NOT one of Charlie's favorite things. The poor baby hates the Nose Frida more than anything in the whole wide world. So be prepared to listen to a little sadness if your baby is like mine. He got really sick when he just turned 3 months old and this was the only way I could get the junk out of his nose. The bulb thingy was not cutting it. He really, really, really does not like having his nose suctioned by the Nose Frida, but I can tell he feels better after we use it. Maybe one day he will think what I'm doing is funny instead of screaming like it's the end of the world. Still, despite how much this child dislikes being suctioned, it had to make the essentials list because it's that amazing. Don't be freaked out by what you have to do to get the snot out either! It's totally sanitary and safe if you clean it after every use. Every parent needs one of these. 

Those are a just few of the things I have been so thankful for in these first few months. I can't believe my little boy is growing out of the newborn phase already. They said it would go by quickly, but I didn't believe it would be this quick!

What were your favorites when you brought home your baby?  Is there anything you recommend I try? Let me know in the comments!

MY FAVORITE SEASON + BABY'S FIRSTS

I have seriously been looking forward to fall for MONTHS. Ever since the very early stages of being pregnant last winter I imagined what it would be like this year. I just knew that this fall, with our new little bundle of joy, would be so special. I looked forward to all of the "firsts" our baby would get to experience during the best time of the year (fall and all of the holidays that follow). It has definitely been as sweet as I hoped!

Baby's First Pumpkin Patch
We took Charlie to Joe Huber's Farm a few weekends ago. Not only was this his first time to the pumpkin patch, but it was also at this same place almost two years ago to the day where Husband and I got engaged. So it was extra special to visit Huber's Farm on our two year engagement anniversary with a plus one. :) We rode the tractor to see the pumpkins, had a picnic lunch by the pond, and ate caramel apples from the farm market store. It was a perfectly fall outing.

Baby's First Camping Visit
Fall also means camping season is nearing its end. Oh how I have missed camping. Since we hadn't visited any of my family's campouts yet this year, we drove out to the campground they were staying at last weekend for potluck, s'mores, and Halloween festivities. It was Charlie's first campground visit! Otter Creek campground has the best activities on Halloween weekend. This weekend there was trick-or-treating, a campsite decorating contest, and movie on the big screen!

campsite decorations

the winning campsite!

Halloweentown on the big screen

Baby's First Halloween
And of course, it was baby's first Halloween! I could not wait to dress my baby up in some sort of fuzzy, cozy, and just stinking adorable costume. We went back and forth about what he was going to be quite a bit. I feel like there is some unwritten rule that babies have to be a pumpkin for their first Halloween. We almost went with this baby carrot costume (HERE) because why not? But we ended up going with a football outfit that we already had because it had yet to be worn! It was a Christmas gift from his Aunt last year before he had even arrived. Our plan was to take Charlie trick-or-teating on Halloween night in his football costume and enjoy a walk around the neighborhood ourselves.

Little did I know that our Halloween weekend wasn't going to go quite as planned. Come the Saturday night before Halloween, Charlie was so sick with congestion and a terrible cough that we were pretty much out of commission for the next few days. Baby's first halloween was spent indoors, cuddling, and sleeping his sickness off.

We did get to dress up on Friday night for a party before he got sick though, and it was SO much fun. Our family costume was actually Husband's idea. I made this all DIY. It was super last minute and easy because we had almost everything we needed in our closets already (except for the yellow shirt and black fabric paint that I got at Michael's Craft Store).

Don't his socks and shoes just make this Charlie Brown perfect?!  Y'all, I tried for like thirty minutes to put pin curls for bangs in my hair, it never worked, and #ImAMom and don't have time for that. Hence, the mom bun we ended up with.

Thus ends October and all of the fall festival and Halloween festivities. I hope you had a great month and are off to a good November!

Want to see more pictures and daily life with Charlie? Follow me on all my social media:
Instagram : @emilyjamesy
Snapchat : emilyreneehey
Twitter: @empottsy

DIY Fall Wreath (And The EASIEST Way To Tie The Perfect Bow!)

I realized I had reached a certain grown-upness in my life when I first started wanting seasonal wreaths for my front door. But no shame here, y'all. Being a wife and homemaker is fun.

Wreaths can be EXPENSIVE. At least the cutesy homemade looking ones I like can be. Craft bazaars, Etsy, sure - I can find the perfect ones out there. But for about a year (since last fall, anyway) I really wanted to just make my own. So when I came across a set of three plain grapevine wreaths for sale on a swap/sell Facebook page for just $10, I quickly snatched them up to make all of my wreath-making dreams come true!

FALL + HARVEST WREATH
I bought a package of fake leaves, some gold-edged burlap ribbon, and found some pinecones outside of our house to put on this wreath. Simple and cheap. I added a little something extra by mod podging some chunky gold glitter to the tips of the pinecones. I also decided to leave the ends of the string used to tie the bow because I thought it looked cute! But feel free to cut yours off when making the bow if you prefer.

The EASIEST Way to Tie a Bow 

One wreath down, two to go. Hopefully another day soon I'll have to make more time for crafting while mommy-ing. I had little man in his bouncer seat right beside me during this one. :) The next wreath I want to make will be for winter/Christmas, and the other will be a year-round boxwood type of wreath (thanks, Fixer Upper for all the boxwood wreath goals).

Just thought I'd fill y'all in about my wreath crafting venture. I hope it inspires you to get creative with your own. Happy Crafting!

One Month Old

Welcome to the world, Charlie Lewis James! He arrived on August 4th at 3:46 a.m. He weighed 7 lbs 11 oz and was 21 inches long. I gave birth to a perfectly beautiful baby boy who shares a birth month with his momma! What a wonderful gift he is.

Charlie is officially one month old. I'm writing this with him "frogging" as his dad and I like to call it (you know, scrunched up like a frog) on my chest. What a blur of a month, and yet I still remember the day he was born so vividly. I went into labor the day before I was scheduled to be induced because his due date had come and gone. And I was ready to get him on the outside! Little Guy decided to come on his own just in the nick of time. I was pretty thankful for that. When we checked into the hospital at 7 p.m., the nurses kept asking me, "Why were you scheduled to be induced?" To which I replied, "Well...before today this baby wasn't budging!" We checked in at 7 p.m., my epidural came at 11:30 p.m. (PS- Epidurals are amaaazing), a few minutes after 3 a.m. we were ready to push, and Charlie was born 38 minutes later!

I would be lying if I said it was an easy first few weeks of getting to know this little guy and what it's like to be a parent. Between Saturday when we checked out of the hospital and Monday when we had his first pediatrician appointment, our baby had lost one whole pound in weight. We were in and out of several different doctors offices during his first week of life - a really fragile time when new parents should be relaxing, recovering, and enjoying their newborn. After listening to several conflicting opinions and suggestions about what was going on, we finally found out that Charlie was having problems nursing due to a pretty significant lip and tongue tie. We decided to have the procedure done to release his lip and tongue, in hopes of helping him nurse and to benefit him later in life. At one month old, Charlie's weight is well over 8 lbs! He is a completely different baby now than those first two nights when we brought him home. He's full, happy, and healthy. And we are so thankful. 



I got a journaling Bible from my husband for Christmas last year, but with student teaching, graduating, and preparing for a baby in the months following, I really didn't make time to learn how to use it well until I was verrry pregnant and couldn't handle being outside in the summer heat anymore (LOL). I went to town journaling in that thing. One of the verses that I journaled right before Charlie was born was Romans 12:12 and it has been the verse I've come back to so much over the last month. I have felt a lot of hope, affliction, and seen a tremendous need for prayer in my first few weeks of being a mom. This verse has really spoken to me in this new season of life. I have to be a mom faithful in prayer that the Lord would give me joy and patience in the midst of affliction. I have to be a mom faithful in prayer for wisdom on how to make decisions for someone who can't make them on their own.


The saying "the days are long, but the years are short" has already become undeniably true over the last month as well. Listen, a newborn can give you some looong. days.  But as long as the days have felt sometimes, I can't believe it's been one whole month of Charlie!! One whole month of learning, feeding, crying, laughing, growing, hardly sleeping, and cuddling until my arms are about to fall off. About a thousand times a day I will just look at Samuel and say, "He is soo cute!" Needless to say, I'm smitten and can't get over this little human with a fuzzy head of hair.

I wrote a little list of 10 things I want to remember about our first month of being parents and things we have learned about our son so far. Enjoy!!

Dear Charlie, 

Happy one month of life!!! It's been such a sweet month. Hard at times, but your dad and I have laughed more at each other and at the funny things you do than we ever have! 

Let me tell you some things I want to remember about your fist month:

1. The 2016 Olympics in Rio were happening when you were born, so guess what mommy and daddy did with you day and night in the hospital and during those first two weeks? Held you and watched Micheal Phelps win his final gold medals! (It was SO fun!)

2. You are the cutest stretcher.  

3. You get this cheeky little smile in your sleep sometimes and it's pretty hilarious. 

4. You seem to actually enjoy bathtime! You really like the sound of the running water and when mommy pours a cup of the warm water over your belly. Getting out and into the cold air is a different story though...

5. Things you hate: being changed (clothes & diaper) and when I can't feed you fast enough. Other than that you're a pretty content little guy. 

6. You love,  l o v e,  LOVE being swaddled. 

7. The face you make when pooping. Enough said. 

8. One of my favorite things about your newbornness is your hair! It's so soft, long, dark, and sticks straight up!   

9. Napping with you is like napping with a toaster oven. You are a little toasty furnace, Charlie!

10. So far your nicknames are Charlie Bear and (per your cousin Carson) Cha Cha. I'm sure there will be more to come!


Thank you to everyone for the texts, cards, meals, prayers, and the thousand other ways you have helped our family as we adjust to life with a newborn. We are surely blessed with some wonderful friends and family!

-Emily

COLDPLAY// A Head Full of Dreams Tour

We saw Coldplay in concert last night!! I still can't believe it. Talk about the BEST pre-baby date night ever!

Nothing like a concert at 39 weeks + 2 days!

Back when it was first announced that their tour was coming to Louisville, I thought there was no way we would get to go since it was five days before my due date. I mean, we could potentially have had a baby by then! Even two days before the concert and Baby was still cozy and seemingly content in my belly, I was trying not to get my hopes up. See, I'm the concert junkie in this household, but Samuel has loved Coldplay since he was in middle school and had NEVER had the chance to see them live. We have talked about seeing them "one day" so many times. So I knew thought I might be able to convince him to get last minute tickets. Husband and I talked about it and he admitted he would be a nervous wreck the whole time hoping I wouldn't go into labor AT the concert and him have to figure out what to do with me then. Which is totally fair haha. But luckily my weekly doctor's appointment fell the day before the concert giving me the perfect chance to ask her if she thought it would be wise or not. To my delight - she gave me the green light on it being perfectly safe for Baby and said that if I was feeling up to it, we could go!

And boy are we glad we did. Little Baby did fine, just a normal amount of wiggling ;) , and we lost our minds at how amazing Coldplay is live. It will definitely go down in the books as possibly the best concert ever. Samuel was the first person to introduce me to the band so long ago. He bought me my first Coldplay CD, and left another one on my doorstep one time on as a surprise because he had a crush on me (and wanted me to like his favorite band). So it was pretty special to finally get to see them together, married, and pregnant! We're thankful that Baby cooperated and stayed put for the night too.

Now that we've checked that off the list, we are REALLY super ready to meet our son now!

We ate at our current favorite sandwich place, Potbelly, on 4th Street in Downtown Louisville before the concert.

 

The band gave out light up bands to everyone and they coordinated with the music! 

Thanks for an amazing show, Coldplay!