Hailey’s 1 Month Update

I can’t believe it- Hailey is already a month old!! I’m starting to understand why my parents would always say it seems like just yesterday they brought me home from the hospital. This month really flew by, and while I’m loving that she’s awake more, I miss how teeny tiny she was. I really wanted to do a fun, themed photo shoot each month with a number made out of items or something, but there just wasn't time. I took her first set of photos on Halloween in her costume with the sign, then did another photoshoot when she was looking cute a couple days later. It turns out, I accidentally did a theme because they’re both unicorns! So, I guess I can do something like this for the other months.

At one month old, Hailey is 8 lbs 6 oz and 21 inches tall. She’s still wearing newborn size clothes. She loves to wear sleeper pajamas, although her fashion item of choice is a diaper and nothing else!

Sleeping Beauty

The first few weeks were pretty interesting. Hailey was a really sleepy baby, and didn’t really want to eat. She would often cluster feed then sleep for long periods of time. She’s a night owl, so we took care of her in shifts. John got the overnight shift and I took the early morning one. We basically slept on the couch, because Hailey didn’t like her bassinet and preferred to be in our arms. We’d watch tv or movies and every couple of hours I’d feed her. 

Trying to get her to wake up was pretty comical. We’d strip her down to a diaper, change her, poke her, sing to her, “yell” at her to wake up, put our cold hands on her... basically anything we could to wake her up. It usually didn’t work. She’s open one eye, or look like she might wake up, but she’d just fall right back asleep again as if nothing happened. She reminds everyone of me when they try to wake me up! I’m a very heavy sleeper haha. 

Jaundice 

Because Hailey had a different blood type than I did, and because she didn’t really eat very often, she ended up becoming jaundice. We had to take her to the doctor every few days to track it, including a lab where they had to take blood work. It was so sad seeing her get pricked when she was so so tiny. We also had to make sure we woke her up every few hours to feed her, because that’s the best way to flush it out.  Luckily, within a couple of weeks it went away and she’s perfectly healthy now. 

Snack Time

She loves mommy’s boobies, but isn’t a fan of the formula we’re supplementing. She’s an aggressive little eater, but it’s the cutest thing watching her. I have scratch marks from her nails and a big bruise on my nipple but hey, as long as she’s fed! Breastfeeding was a struggle at first (blog post coming soon!) but we’ve gotten the hang of it and we have a rhythm now. Hailey eats more than I can provide, so we supplement formula. At first she didn’t care either way, but she’s definitely preferring the “boobie” over the formula now. She even prefers it fresh from the boobie over getting it from a bottle of pumped milk. 

Smiles

Hailey’s only given us a few short smiles, and we get so excited to see them! She smiles in her sleep mostly (a reflex) so if you watch her you can catch one! (There’s also a video of it on my Instagram stories). 

Songs

I like to sing “Row Your Boat” and “the wheels on the bus” to Hailey. I also looove Disney songs, so I sing them to her as lullabied, or I play a Disney playlist while doing bicycle legs with her. 

My Favorite Things

Like most babies, Hailey likes ceiling fans- she spends a lot of time laying down, and they’re the only thing up there. She likes car rides and mommy and daddy. She loves to snuggle and obviously, sleeping! Her very favorite thing is probably mommy’s boobies- they do feed her, after all! 

All in all, we love our little Hailey and we are so excited to see her grow even more!

Last-Minute Colorful Thanksgiving Ideas

As you probably know, I had a baby this year and things have gotten super hectic! I don’t really have tons of time for Thanksgiving blog posts (or projects!) which makes me super sad. However, snuggling this little baby takes some of that pain away ;) Since I’ve been blogging for a few years now, I’ve accumulated quite a few Thanksgiving blog posts, so I figured this year I can do a roundup for you with some great colorful Thanksgiving ideas! You can go back in time to the very first Thanksgiving (or… back to 2016 to Party HarDIY’s first Thanksgiving) and see some really fun ideas to take your Thanksgiving (or Friendsgiving) to the next level!

Plan a Glam Friendsgiving Dinner

If you like colorful pumpkins, sequins, and flowers, you’re going to love this glam friendsgiving dinner post! It’s full of simple advice so you can get your dinner all glammed up without too much effort on your part. You can also see my… unique… photos from 2 years ago! I’ve definitely improved since then (thank goodness!) but hey, we all start somewhere right?! If you’re interested in improving your photos too, check out these blog posts.

Roundup: The Best Colorful Thanksgiving Printables

Once you’ve got your table set up, you need to add some cute printables! These are all free, and include items like food labels, a menu, placemats and even games! They’re sourced from some of my favorite bloggers, so go on and snag some freebies for your table!

9 Tutorials to Help You Build the Best Thanksgiving

With this post, we’ve got some really fun and colorful Thanksgiving ideas so you can have a one-of-a-kind Thanksgiving dinner!

DIY Pretty Floral Pumpkin

Dress up your table with a centerpiece featuring this floral pumpkin! You can purchase the supplies with a quick trip to Michael’s. Your guests are sure to love it!

Easy Colorful Thanksgiving Placecards

Give everyone a seat at the table with these easy placecards! There’s 3 awesome mix-and-match designs to choose from, and they can be customized in any color!

DIY Colorful Leaf Garland

Take your decor to the next level with this fun and colorful garland! It’s super easy to make. For a last-minute edition, swap out the fabric leaves for real leaves so you don’t have to wait for shipping!

DIY Fall Faux Leather Drink Markers

The newest DIY to join the bunch! These DIY drink markers are SO easy to make, and they’re super cute! They’d make a great keepsake for your guests, so they can always mark their drinks in style.

DIY Mini Faux Pinatas

Perfect for the kids table, these faux pinatas can be filled with candy or prompts for the kiddos to say what they’re thankful for.

Colorful Fall Pumpkin Wreath

If something quirky is what you’re after, check out this colorful wreath! It’s got pumpkins, yard AND pom poms for a fun and colorful pop to any door.

Looking for more ideas? Be sure to follow my Fall and Thanksgiving Pinterest board!

Mix and Match Fall Baby Capsule Wardrobe

Now that I’ve got a super cute little baby, I’m so excited for all the adorable outfits I can put her in! She’s still a little too small to really dress up, but I couldn’t resist looking! I’ve rounded up some of the cutest fall looks for your sweet little babe, which I think adds up to the perfect fall capsule wardrobe. Plus it’s a perfect mommy and me matching moment, right?! And the best part is that all these items can be found on Amazon, PLUS most of them are Prime! So what are you waiting for? Let’s go shopping!

*This post contains affiliate links.

1. Aqua frilly suit- Girly and sweet, this little onesie is perfect for any fall outing or event where baby needs to be a little more glam!

2. Star bow flats- These would add such a fun little touch to any outfit, and would also be perfect for Christmas time too!

3. Polka dot onesie- Your baby will look adorable in this glam gold dot onesie! It has such cute trim, and would look perfect on its own, or with a pair of tights underneath. Plus it comes with a matching headband!

4. Bear knit hat- Keep your little one warm and stylish with this super cute teddy bear hat! The pom pom ears are so fun, and the color is perfect for all of winter!

5. Gold and pink moccasins- A slightly dressier version of the typical baby moccasin, these are extra gals with gold fringe and a tiny bow!

6. Pink bodysuit- This sweet outfit will allow your babe to be cute and stylish without being too warm. Plus it’s perfect for layering!

7. Floral and yellow overalls- These have such a cozy fall feel without being too cheesy in colors. It’s perfect for people who like their clothes a bit brighter! 

8. Tan maryjanes- These look great with any outfits while adding a traditional feel! 

9. Teal fringe bodysuit- This little bodysuit is perfectly seasonal! It would look cute on its own, or layered with a little cardigan and some pants!

10. White ruffle onesie- Basic but still fun, this onesie is perfect for layering under a pair of overalls to keep baby warm but stylish!

11. Maryjane socks- If your little one is too small for real shoes, give her a pair of these socks! It comes in a set of 3 colors, so it’ll match with all your Thanksgiving outfits.

12. Yellow cardigan- Perfect for staying cozy and cute, this little cardigan is perfect for chilly fall weather!

13. Yellow off-the-shoulder onesie- Perfect for keeping it simple, this basic onesie can be paired with any color or accessories for the look you want!

14. Floral headband- If you want to add some seasonal fun to your outfit, grab a cute floral headband to dress up your little one! 

15. Tan bodysuit- Slightly traditional in color, but also has a fun shade of rusty brown, plus trendy fluttery shoulders and slightly poofy sleeves!

16. Aqua moccasins- These are perfect for the season, but super trendy by being in a fun aqua color for year-round fun!

17. White lace bodysuit- This cute lace onesie is perfect for layering! It’s simple without being boring, and can be dressed up with some cute shoes or a headband!

18. Yellow bodysuit- The little crochet emblem on the chest is perfect for adding a warm and cozy feel. Plus those sleeves are super fun!

19. Pink knit overalls- These are so cute to pair over one of these onesies featured here! They look super cozy without making baby too warm, since they’re shorts!

20. Rose gold flats- Let your little one put her best foot forward in these cute casual-but-dressy rose gold flats. If only they came in our size!

I mean... how cute are these little outfits? Don’t you just want them all?! Which is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below!

DIY Fall Faux Leather Drink Markers

Thanksgiving is coming up soon, and it seemed like the perfect time to debut these faux leather drink markers on the Pinhole Press blog! They’re perfect for preventing a very sad reality at crowded events- abandoned half-filled wine glasses, unsure of who their owners are. Don’t let this happen to you! Especially when the solution is so simple- and adorable.

Within a matter of a few minutes, you can whip up a set of these drink markers for everyone in the family. They’re also great as seating cards when looped on a pumpkin stem!

Dying to make a set for yourself? Head on over to the Pinhole Press blog to see the full post!

Hailey's Birth Story

I had big plans and expectations for how Hailey was going to be born. They always say that a birth plan isn’t something you can really depend on and that’s 100% right. I kinda feel like all my plans and ideas went out the window, and I’m starting to become ok with that. Everything worked out perfectly, even if it wasn’t as I expected it to be. Hailey is healthy and I am too. We are both alive and unharmed. That’s all you can really ask for! 

The Beginning

Almost 2 weeks before she was born, John and I went to BJs to get groceries. I started having contractions and I thought for sure she was coming today. But, they turned out to be Braxton Hicks and went away. Then almost a week before she was born, I had painful contractions but those didn’t go anywhere either. I was starting to get frustrated and confused.

After these 2 false alarms with contractions that led to nothing, I was starting to get cranky about baby’s (lack of) arrival. After the first false alarm I was thinking, holy crap- I’m not ready for this! But, then I started to get excited. With every additional day (and false contraction) I started to get more and more impatient. 

On September 27, I woke up at 4am with the beginning stages of labor, but at this point I was unsure what was real and what wasn’t. This felt a little different than the other times, but I wasn’t willing to bet on it. My husband went to work (he leaves around 5am) and I went back to sleep. I kept having contractions while I was asleep (the pain kinda made its way into my dreams!) and they finally woke me up around 7am. 

I monitored my contractions all day, but they still weren’t regular. Strong contractions came and went, sometimes every 15 minutes and sometimes nothing for a half hour or more. I really felt like today was going to the the day, so I got a manicure to try and relax. I luckily had an OB appointment at 1pm, so I told her my symptoms and she checked to see if I was dilated. I was 3-4 cm dilated, and she said normally she would have sent me to hospital at this point if contractions had been regular! She didn’t seem too convinced that I would be having this baby today so I went home confused once again. 

John got home around 3:30pm, and my contractions started to get more regular. I was hungry at this point, so we went to McDonald’s and called the family to let them know I was probably going into labor. We stayed home for a while but by 7pm my contractions were 5 minutes apart (or less!), so we went to hospital. Everyone met us there and we were in the waiting room a while. I finally got admitted, they checked me out in an exam room, and determined that the contractions had slowed down to 5-7 minutes apart. They gave me 2 options- go back home to wait it out, or down to the lobby to walk around for an hour or two. I decided to go home so I could at least be comfortable (it could’ve been more than an hour or two!) and we ended up bringing my MIL and sister back with us. My parents went back to their house to rest for a bit. It was probably around 10-11pm at this point and everyone was tired. 

The 20-minute drive home was full of contractions, which came every 5-7 minutes pretty strong. Everyone was hungry so we hit the McDonald’s drive-thru, and the contractions were so intense that I made everyone be quiet while they were happening. It was so hard to go through the pain with everyone chit chatting and asking me questions, and I felt like I had a hang over! Everything seemed loud, I was nauseous and the smell of the food wasn’t helping. We got home and I took a shower, where I had my husband hang out in the bathroom with me and time the contractions. They were super strong and a minute apart. We got a little worried, so we sat down on the couch and they were 2-3 mins apart. I knew they would make me lay in bed at the hospital so I practiced getting through the contractions while laying on the couch. I somehow slept through the less than 5 minute break between contractions. John kept reminding me to breathe through contractions, since I tended to hold my breath. I wasn’t in a rush to get back to the hospital and possibly sent home again, so we stayed home to about 2 am then headed back to the hospital.

Natural vs Epidural 

I really wanted a natural birth. John and I had both decided it would be best for me and the baby. I was worried about the epidural slowing contractions, then needing pitocin to speed up the contractions, then eventually needing a C-section. I knew a few people that ended up on this route and I didn’t want that for us. 

When I got to hospital, I was 4-5 cm dilated. Then an hour later only 5 cm dilated. Around 4am, after being in labor 24 hours and awake almost a whole day, John convinced me to get an epidural and I’m so glad I did. I was terrified of the epidural (um, it’s a needle in your SPINE!) but my contractions were hurting in my back. I figured at least this way, the stabbing pain would only be for a few minutes as they were doing the epidural then go away, vs labor going on who knows how long. After I got the epidural, I felt immediately calm. We finally were able to get a few hours of sleep around 6am. At 9am, visiting hours began and our moms and my dad came into the room. My sister had stayed at my house and doesn’t drive, so my aunt gave her a ride to the hospital and stayed with us for a little while too.

At this point, my contractions had slowed down again, so they gave me pitocin to speed them up. Despite the epidural taking away the pain, I was totally weak and out of it. I hadn’t eaten in so long but luckily I was able to get some apple juice and jello, which honestly gave me some strength. If I wanted ice chips, I couldn’t even say it- I would pinch my fingers together and my husband would hand me the cup. People were asking me questions and I wasn’t even answering. I didn’t have the strength to listen, process it, form a response and speak it. I talk SO much and the fact that I couldn’t say a word just showed how tired I was. 

Around 2pm, the doctors finally told me I was about 9.5 cm dilated and would be pushing soon. It was such a relief because things felt like they had stalled, but the pitocin was finally helping. They also showed me the magic blue button that you can press to get a boost of the epidural, which ended up being a lifesaver since the pain was getting more intense. I couldn’t really feel most of the pain from the contractions, but there was still some happening and I was so exhausted I couldn’t handle anything

. 

The Birth:

The nurses came in and determined that I was ready to start pushing soon. I was fully dilated and baby was in position. They asked John if he wanted to see her head and he said no, but I made him take a peek. The first thing he said was “wow, she has a lot of hair!”  Luckily Hailey was right in position, so it only took a few pushes to get her out. John said it was about 20 minutes but to me it felt like only 5! The epidural was still pretty strong, so I didn’t really feel anything. As soon I started pushing she was already making her way out, so I figured hey I guess I’m doing something right!

First Few Moments

As soon as Hailey was born, she started crying. It was such an amazing thing to hear, and I immediately started crying too! Our family was right outside the door and my sister recorded her first cries, so we’ll always have that video. They cleaned her up a bit and handed her to me and I was staring at this foreign creature, really confused. They say some women feel an immediate connection to their baby, while others need some time to bond. Despite feeling so connected to her in the womb, I was definitely more in the “who are you” category! We couldn’t even get a good 3D scan of her, only sonograms. And I was staring at her trying to figure out who she looked like, but she didn’t really look like anyone. I couldn’t really grasp the concept that that tiny little human wiggling around inside me was finally out in the world!

the doctors cleaned me up and I got a few stitches while we decided her name and then she gave us the (middle) finger for the very first time! It was so funny and I tried to have John get a picture, but then I had to push the placenta out so we didn’t capture it. Darn!

We decided we wanted to spend a little time just the 3 of us before letting the troops back in. This was perfect because I had decided while I was waiting to deliver that I wanted a smoothie. I was parched, exhausted and starving. A smoothie commercial had come on and it was exactly what I needed. So I half-joked that no one could see the baby unless they brought me a smoothie. And let me tell you, that smoothie was one of the best things I have ever had in my life. I literally passed my child off to anyone that would take her so that I could enjoy my smoothie. At one point I had to put it down for a photo, and I started asking for it again. And they thought I wanted the baby so they were ready to hand her to me. Nope- I wanted the smoothie! Labor is so tough guys. I swear I’m not a monster! It’s just that after 24 hours without eating and being in that much pain, I really needed some fuel. I mean…. I think this photo says it all.

The Name

John and I had decided early on that we didn’t want to tell anyone the baby names we were considering. We really wanted to decide on our own, without people influencing our decision or criticizing our choices. We both liked the name Hailey, and John suggested using my sister’s name, Irini (pronounced ee-ree-nee), for a middle name. I’m really close to my sister and she’s going to baptize the baby and be an important part of her life, so John thought it would be a very fitting middle name for her. It was soooo sweet that I couldn’t resist. When we told her the name, she got adorably awkward about it. She told me that when she got home she cried because she felt so honored that we named our baby after her. 

The Next Few Days

We stayed at the hospital another couple of days, and we had tons of visitors! Everyone wanted to see the baby. Although it was a bit exhausting, it was nice to see everyone so happy to meet the baby. Plus, they made the time pass by faster AND they brought us food! I was getting hospital meals which were ok, but John wasn’t. It was nice to get some tasty food and sweet treats when people came to see her, especially after a tough labor and sleepless nights with the baby.

We are so in love with our beautiful little Hailey. I spend most of the day holding her, and we all have enough pictures of her to start a gallery haha. I can’t believe my first pregnancy is over, but I am so happy to have my little girl! If you’re interested in postpartum tips and advice, stay tuned. I have a whole series coming up since I learned SO much in these past few weeks!

*Special thanks to my sister Irini for taking these pictures of us at the hospital! I really wanted to hire a photographer but it wasn’t in the budget, so I really appreciate having these photos from the day :)