the little things we do

nostalgia.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

This weekend my friend Becca surprised us with this awesome Fisher Price A-Frame House for Fern and it has me feeling all nostalgic reminiscing about all of the childhood toys that I wish I still had - especially my own first doll house.

Isn't it cool?

Thanks Becca! We can't wait to play with it!

Lauren

my favorite thing about today #67.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

My favorite thing about

today (or actually yesterday) was....

Fern's first Chucks.

Aren't they precious?

Why is everything so much cuter in miniature?

(Please see exhibits: A, B and C)

Lauren

blogging fail. mommy win.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:51:00 +0000

SO....

I'm sure that by now, any of you who headed over here looking for your Friday usual... Fill in the Blank are being met with disappointment and wondering,

"Where are the blanks?"

Well...

There aren't any this week.

I've just been busy with being a mom - no other excuse than that. Instead of coming up with them yesterday, I just took a break and laid on the floor and played with my baby.

It was a total "blogging fail", but definitely a "mommy win", because look what Fern learned....

She was totally into holding this ball!

I know that for those of you who aren't parents yet, this probably isn't that cool, but for me, it was. I was just realizing that while I was busy trying to fulfill all of my blogging obligations, Fern was missing out on real, focused time with me. Obviously we spend all day together, but a lot of the time I'm not really "present". A lot of times I'm playing on my iPhone or one-handed blogging and I'm missing out on these fleeting moments with her.

So instead of scrambling in the early hours to put together some blanks this morning, I'm just going to be real and tell you that I'm not one of those super-blogger-moms who can simultaneously whip up a craft tutorial and bake cookies, while one handed-blogging AND nursing their baby. It's just not gonna be me and I'm ok with that. Fern comes first.

Does that mean I'll never be doing blanks again, or that I'll be shirking my Friday blanks on a regular and unpredictable basis?

NO!

It means I'll try to be more organized and get them done earlier in the week from now on, but I hope that for this week, you'll just give me a little bit of grace.

Thanks guys and I hope you have a great weekend!

Lauren

what fern wore #2.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the second edition of

What Fern Wore...

Not a fan of the photo shoot, but it started out ok.

This face kills me....so sad!

So grumpy!

And then the crying.

Apparently she wore herself out.

Lounging at lunch.

Dress: gift from friend, Dwell for Target

Onesie: Carter's

Pants: Carter's

Scarf: made by me

I love the pattern mixing in this outfit - the polka dot onesie with the striped pants and the snowflake dress. I also love that even though there's a lot of busy-ness going on with the pattern, it's made more simple through the simple colors: grey and white. And let's just talk about the scarf. I'm kind of obsessed with it. Baby accessorizing is the cutest. It's fun dressing Fern in things that I like and that don't look overly "baby'ish", but that have a spunky twist (i.e. pattern mixing).

Happy Wednesday!

Lauren (and Fern!)

local portland favorite: lucas salon.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Over the weekend I got my hair did...

and I'm kind of (super) in love with it.

The cut and color were courtesy of the lovely Taylor Lucas of Lucas Salon here in Portland (also in L.A. if you don't happen to be a Portlander!).

The salon is a little off the beaten path, located on SW 1st Ave. downtown right off the MAX line, but if you venture over here for a cut, you will most definitely not be disappointed. Taylor brought all of her L.A. talent from her salon there and poured it into opening a second location here in Portland and we are all so lucky she did!

In addition to her mad styling skills (yes...I just hit you with a verbal throwback there), the salon space itself is absolutely amazing! It's bright and airy and comfortable - like somewhere you'd want to just go hang out even if you weren't getting your hair cut. There are tons of creative personal touches to the space that make you want to move in.

See what I mean?

If you live here in Portland or even if you're just planning on coming here for a visit, make sure to pop in and have Taylor or one of her other wonderful stylists at Lucas Salon work their magic. I've seriously never gotten more compliments on this haircut than I've had on all my past haircuts combined!

Thanks for making me pretty Taylor!

Lauren

P.S. Make sure to check out Lucas Salon on Facebook and Twitter and read more about how awesome The salon and Taylor are here.

date night: work with what you've got.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:23:00 +0000

I'm quickly learning that date night is

important when you have a baby.

Not that it wasn't important before, but basically any/every night was date night because we had uninterrupted time together every single day. Even though we didn't necessarily go anywhere, just watching a movie or hanging out and talking about our days without being sleep-deprived and/or having an infant demanding our attention was a date in and of itself. At the time I didn't realize it, but now I would kill for some time to just cozy up alone on the couch. Oh those were the days!

So....now we have date night.

It's not an actual night. Just something we're going to make a habit of. We were definitely due this past weekend as I'd only had a total of 2 hours away from Fern since she was born AND it was our 10 year dating anniversary. BUT...we're also on a tight budget with me not working.

SO...we decided to work with what we had:

A Burgerville gift card

and a house that needs remodeling.

The entire date didn't cost us anything, but we had a blast. And even though we weren't going anywhere fancy, I still put on a lace top and heels to make the most of it. You can never go wrong with heels and looking and feeling pretty is always a good idea.

{Dinner: burgers, fries and we even shared a milkshake.}

{Our destination}

{Being silly in the shower section.}

*A friend of ours saw this picture on instagram and said it looked like

this was the section of the store where you go to buy a wife. Haha!

{Dramatically contemplating flooring.}

We were only gone just over two hours and it wasn't fancy, but it was just fun to be together. And Home Depot actually is a fun date destination - it's nice to dream about projects together...even if you can't always afford them :).

What are some of your favorite

simple/inexpensive date night ideas?

Lauren

fill in the blank friday.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 07:17:00 +0000

Happy Friday!

Today is February 17th...

and 10 years ago today I started dating the love of my life.

Craig.

SO....

In honor of this momentous occasion, today's blanks are love themed.

Enjoy!

1. The love of my life is Jesus! ...and Craig :) .

2. Falling in love is a gradual process. It's something that continues happening throughout a relationship and over time you fall even deeper in love...if you put in the effort that is .

3. Marriage is hard work, but the most worthwhile hard work there is .

4. The longest relationship I've ever had was 10 years! .

5. The key to a good relationship is self-sacrifice and forgiveness .

6. I feel loved when someone does something thoughtful for me - something that they specifically came up with because they knew I would love it .

7. My favorite quote about love is "Love is a decision, not an emotion" .

Hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Lauren

app fiend.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0000

I love me a good cell phone app.
And this is the one I've been having fun playing with lately:

Hubba Hubba

You can dress up your favorite photos with funny little accessories like so....

{Hipster Fern}

{Cool kid Bennett}

{Fancy Hani}

A bit of silly fun.

What are some of your favorite apps?

I'd love your suggestions!

Lauren

what fern wore #1.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Remember the good 'ole days when I used to do style posts?

Well...with my postpartum body, getting dressed is a little more difficult these days - just as difficult as dressing a pregnant body and even more difficult in some ways.

Don't get me wrong. I'm definitely not heading out to the grocery store in sweats or anything, but my clothing options are more limited, so I'm living in a lot of simple basics - nothing really fashion forward or worthy of a style post. I'm slowly figuring out how to dress my new body, but it'll probably be a little while before I feel confident/brave enough to get posey in front of the camera for outfit posts.

BUT....in the mean time

Fern is more than making up for my lack of style.

So, by special request from my friend Danni, I'm going to start documenting her baby fashions, so without further ado I give you the first "What Fern Wore" post:

What Fern Wore....

{to her great grandma's birthday dinner}

dress: Carters

pants: gift

cardigan: H&M

belt: headband repurposed c/o The Little Tiny

I'm in love with this outfit. It's been a little challenging dressing her because she's in newborn size still, but doesn't have many newborn size outfits, so I've tried to get creative and figure out how to make her larger clothes fit (i.e. using a cute headband as a belt to make the cardigan fit). This wouldn't work as well if she was pudgy, but with her long and lean baby body a belt seems to work. Also, note that in Fern's style posts she won't be wearing any shoes, because #1: she's a baby, so I'm not going to spend a bunch of money on shoes that she'll barely ever get to wear, but mostly because, #2: Shoes don't actually fit her. Most baby shoes are super wide (i.e. almost round), to fit chubby little baby feet, but Fern's feet (while long enough for some shoes) are way too narrow. I guess having skinny feet is a bummer is you're a fashion forward baby. It's a rough life.

The only downside to baby outfit posts?

Apparently babies aren't always willing models.

This is what most of our photos looked like...
the "outtakes" if you will.

At least I was able to get two quick (non-crying) shots!

Lauren

P.S. Today I blogged about Fern's fashions (and my own) over at Babble, so feel free to head over and check it out!

(*note: it won't be posted 'til 8:30 a.m.)

weekenders.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0000

We love the weekends.

During this one we....

Had dinner with Chris, Becca & Bennett at Red Onion.

Had breakfast at Bob's Red Mill with my parents.

Went shopping for a few postpartum outfits.

...Things that have a bit of stretch (for obvious reasons) like this skirt.

Rented 50/50. So good.

Went out to dinner to celebrate Craig's grandma's 88th birthday.

While at dinner I had my first libation in 10 months - a glass of prosecco.

It was wonderful.

Came home and watched "The Walking Dead" before bed.

I thought it was stupid when Craig first started watching it, but now I'm hooked.

How was your weekend?

Lauren

fill in the blank friday.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:13:00 +0000

Happy Friday!!

And Welcome to this week's edition of

Fill in the Blank Friday!

Today's blanks are brought to you by the lovely Courtney!

....Shopkeeper at the Etsy shop My So Called Vintage

....and blogger at A Box of Paint.

Thanks for the break Courtney!!

1. I started my blog because I wanted to share my domestic endeavors and inspirations - especially party planning which I've always loved.

2. One thing I love seeing on other blogs are stories that are real and vulnerable. I like looking at pretty things as much as the next person, but the blogs I enjoy most are the ones where people share little parts of their lives and I can feel like I'm getting to know them.

3. Something I love about blogging the kind and encouraging community. It's nice to have a place to share and vent and get feedback from others who let you know that you're not the only one that's ever gone through this before.

4. A favorite blog post of mine is probably my birth story, mainly because it was so cool getting e-mails from other people saying they were encouraged to try natural birth and I got a ton of questions. I'm still working on getting back to some people, since having a newborn and maintaining two blogs has been keeping me quite busy, but I've loved the interactions.

5. Something my friends in real life know about me that I've never before mentioned on my blog is that I can definitely be snarky. I have a snarky side that I reserve for close friends and family. I can be pretty sarcastic sometimes, but I mostly try to stay positive here on the blog. That's not to say that I'm a different person than what my blog portrays, because what you see really is what you get, but I guess I just try to save the snark for in-real-life, because it doesn't always translate well in writing :).

6. My new favorite blogs to read are Mostly my real-life friend's blogs: Life at 1521, Rain or Shine, Andy + Echo, and The Newelly Weds and The Whim Wham Life and The Alison Show. Aside from their blogs, some of my NEW favorites are: Ewing Way and Adeline's Daddy .

7. Some things I tend to avoid doing on my blog are being overly negative.

Hope your weekend is filled with loveliness!

Lauren

a bit of valentine's day romance.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Valentine's Day is right around the corner....

And since Craig and I will be spending ours at home with a newborn, I decided to get creative. In my brainstorming, I came up with 16 ideas for a romantic Valentine's Day at home.

If any of you are looking for some fun at-home date ideas, for Valentine's Day (or any day really) head on over to Babble and check out my post!

Lauren

guest blog: friendship bracelet craftiness with katie.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:40:00 +0000

Hey guys!

So, today my crafty blogger friend Katie is giving me a much needed break and guest blogging for me. Katie has known me for almost ten years and in those ten years I've been constantly amazed by her craftiness. This is mostly because while I have an inner crafty streak I am quite far from being what you would consider "crafty". I can't sew, so I tend to stick with DIY projects that require little more than scissors and glue. Yep. That's how I roll.

Lucky for me (and you) Katie has put together a tutorial so easy that even I could do it. Thanks Katie :). Now without further ado, here she is....

Hi guys. I'm Katie.

I blog over at The Red Kitchen.
I typically blog in a world of thread and fabric. Sewing is my regular.

I wasn't about to try and style blog like Lauren does.

Let's just say my clothing style isn't really blog-worthy. :)

So I figured I'd stick to what I know and share a little creative tutorial with you all today.

But I wanted it to be something easy.

Actually, I wanted it to be really easy.

So easy that Lauren could do it.

So easy that Lauren could do it while she's stuck on the couch breastfeeding.

Yeah.

That easy.

Since Lauren and I met during our college summers when we worked together as day camp counselors, thinking of Lauren always makes me think of outside summer fun.

And all of the funny, funky things we used to make with the day camp kids.

I don't remember whether we made many friendship bracelets with the kids back in those days.

But this version is so easy that we could have.

This version is so easy that a ten year-old could do it.

Or a seven year-old.

But, ya know, they're slightly more stylish than that. :)

Here's what we'll be making today...

Want to make one of your own?

Or one for everyone you know?

Or five for everyone you know?

Hint:

These make great Valentines for friends.

And they're dirt cheap!

But prettier than dirt.

These are super fast and easy.

Let's get started.

Step 1: Cut string

Choose three colors of embroidery floss.

For each color, cut a length of string about 1 arm length long.

For this bracelet I cut double the amount of string and then cut each piece in half so I'd have two strings in each color.

(Tip: For a blended-color look like the one in this bracelet, choose colors in the same hue.)

Step 2: Tie start knot

Gather all of your strings together and tie a knot at one end.

Be sure to leave a few inches of string at the end.

You'll use this to tie your bracelet on your wrist when you're finished.

Slip a safety pin through your start knot and pin it to a secure surface.

(Tip: To take your project outside or on the road, pin it to your pants!)

Step 3: Braid

Braiding is a fairly basic and universal technique, but in case you're not familiar with it, let's do a quick review.

Spread each of your strings apart.

I have two strings in each color here, but I treat each color like one string while I braid.

In this case, the bright pink is string #1, the light pink is string #2, and the peach is string #3.

A - String 3 crosses over string 2.

B - String 1 crosses over string 3.

C - String 2 crosses over string 1.

Repeat steps A-C until you've braided the entire length of your strings.

(Tip: For a tidy, even braid, keep a taught grip on your strings as you braid.)

Step 4: Tie end knot

When you're finished braiding, tie a knot at the end.

Be sure to leave a few inches of string left after the knot.

(Tip: For a polished look, try to make the loose string at the beginning and end approximately the same length.)

Step 5: Tie it on

The length of your braid should wrap around your wrist two or three times.

Wrap it around your wrist so that it's comfortable.

Using the loose strings at each end of your bracelet, tie a knot to keep it in place on your wrist.

Pair with an old funky tye-dye t-shirt and skinny jeans.

It's the cool new trend I'm starting.

Also, it's really comfortable.

Have fun braiding to your little heart's content!

Thanks for having me over today, Lauren!

Give that sweet baby Fern lots of kisses for us!

Much love,

Katie

...............

Thanks Katie! And make sure to pop on over to The Red Kitchen and check out Katie's other awesome craftiness!

Lauren

weekending.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0000

This weekend Fern had her first bath.

OK....

That's a lie.

It was actually her second. She had one at the birthing center on her second day of life so we could wash off all the birth gunk from her hair. Also, it wasn't actually a bath. It was a shower. I took her in with me and was ~~kind of~~, ~~sort of~~, super terrified I was going to drop her. Thankfully I didn't. She actually really seemed to like it. And then lots of cute photos ensued. It's quite possible that I'm partial since I'm her mom, but regardless, baby's getting baths are pretty freaking cute no matter what they look like.

We also got out of the house for a wedding, a birthday party and dinner with the in-laws. It was so nice to get out of the house! It definitely takes more planning now with feeding schedules and all that, but Fern was quite the trooper and was well-behaved for all of the events (i.e. she slept through it all).

What did you do this weekend?

Lauren

fill in the blank friday.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:43:00 +0000

Happy Friday!

Today's blanks are brought to you by Meg of Mr. C & Me.

Thanks for giving me a break from blanks Meg! Make sure to check out her blog and I hope you enjoy filling in the blanks!

1. If money wasn't an issue, the first thing I'd cross of my life list is adopting a child. I've always wanted to adopt, but the cost is definitely prohibitive for the time being anyway. Hopefully we'll be able to afford it one day though .

2. Mustard on french fries is something I like that other people think is weird.

3. If my life were a movie right now, the title would be "Sleepless in Portland" (thanks newborn baby Fern) .

4. Three things I am looking forward to this month are Valentine's Day , my 10-year dating anniversary with Craig and Fern being older and maybe learning to sleep through the night...that would be awesome .

5. My favorite song to sing in the shower is old hymns or show tunes - weird, but true .

6. If I found out that the production of Newman's Own Chocolate O's was ending this month, I'd go out and buy as much as I could tomorrow.

7. One thing I'll never grow tired of is hanging out with my husband. I like him pretty much always .

Hope your weekend is filled with loveliness!

Lauren

mommyhood.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Did you see these photos I posted the other day?

{photos by Lisa Warninger}

No?

Well....that may be because you haven't been following along with my blog posts over at Babble!

These photos are just a few from Fern's first photo shoot with Lisa Warninger

(see more here).

Not sure if you remembered, but in addition to blogging here at The Little Things We Do, I also blog over at the parenting website Babble.

When I was pregnant I blogged for their Being Pregnant section....

And now that I have an actual human baby, I'll be blogging about Fern's first year of life over at their Baby's First Year column.

I'd love it if you'd follow along with my posts there. It's a good outlet for me to vent about all the mommy stuff that those of you who aren't mommies may or may not care to hear about... things like the projectile poop incident that occurred today. See? This is why I have an outlet. I promise the posts won't all be about gross baby bodily fluids and actually, thus far, none of my posts have been about that.

So, go check out what I've been up to over at Babble!

xo
Lauren

my favorite thing about today #66.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

My favorite thing

about today was....

Taking Fern to visit her grandpa (my dad)

at his work (Bob's Red Mill).

{Isn't she so cute with her little visitor badge?}

Today was my first day by myself without any help from family. I'm healing pretty well from my delivery, just a little slow doing anything, but that's to be expected. Breast feeding has been pretty difficult, so we spend most of our days sitting on the couch working on it. It's getting a little bit better, but still a work in progress.

It takes forever to blog because my hands are pretty tied up with feeding Fern and most days I'm lucky if I'm able to grab something to eat, let alone run to the bathroom. I'm not complaining....it's just been a lot different than I thought. I'm sure it'll get easier though.

I'm terrible at emailing one-handed, but I can spend time on my iPhone, so feel free to keep me company via Twitter or Instagram!

Hope you're having a good week!

Lauren

first the bad news. then the good.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

First the bad news....

Lovely and local Portland boutique

Le Train Bleu is closing :(.

Le Train Bleu was one of my favorite local shops and owner Bria always had such a wonderfully curated selection of clothes and accessories. It will most definitely be missed.

BUT....

The good news is....

Everything storewide is 30-80% off until

their last day on February 8th!

Here are a few of my favorites that I would be snapping up if I didn't have this post baby weight going on right now!

Make sure to check it out!

Lauren

fill in the blank friday.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:12:00 +0000

Fill in the Blank Friday is brought to you today,
by the lovely Erin of A Symphony of Grace.
(Make sure to check out her blog!)

Thanks so much Erin for coming up with these blanks and giving me a break while I'm busy with a newborn!!

Now let's play!

1. My favorite place i've ever traveled to is anywhere. I haven't traveled a lot, so I kind of love all the places I've traveled to .

2. India is somewhere I'd love to go someday.

3. I pass the time on a plane (or bus, or car ride or train) by making up stupid games and songs or listening to music .

4. My three must-haves when I travel are an iPhone , snacks and a cozy blanket

5. My favorite travel companion is my husband Craig .

6. The craziest thing that ever happened to me while traveling is when we were going to Kenya. That morning there was a terror threat on the London Heathrow airport, and it ended up being the day they randomly instituted the "3 oz. rule" for liquids so we lost a lot of our carry-on items. .

7.  The most exotic food I've ever tried while traveling is    ostrich and camel in Kenya .

8.  If I could live anywhere else, I'd live in    Arizona...it's really pretty there. Or maybe somewhere in Northern California.  .

9.  I have been to    eight

states in the U.S.

Happy weekend!

Lauren

my awesome friend and a guest blog post.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

I don't know if you know Kacie from
A Collection of Passions....
But, she's awesome.

I have been exhausted and muddling through this whole breast feeling thing and she so sweetly offered to write a guest blog post for me. Total life saver! I'm so thankful for awesome friends like Kacie and so many other friends and family (Matt & Claire, Chris & Becca, Kira, Liz, Jamie, and especially our parents!) that have offered their help during this time of getting into the groove of having a baby. We've so appreciated it!

Now...on with Kacie's Post!

Hi there, I'm Kacie from A Collection of Passions. I am so thrilled for Lauren and Craig and I can't wait to get my hands on Fern! I'm also a photographer and as soon as all this snow melts I'm going to zip over and take newborn portraits of their baby girl. I thought I would take this guest blogging opportunity to offer suggestions for a few easy and inexpensive ways you can help support a family with a new arrival.

Make them some food...

You can make them easy to freeze/reheat food. My personal favorite "new family delivery" is my Chicken Enchiladas. They are easy, and really yummy. The recipe makes two large pans so they can make one and freeze one. Tuna Noodle Casserole is also an easy, comfort food option. I have a "Gourmet" take on it here.

Chocolate Chip Cookies are always a good idea...

I would recommend making the dough and freezing it in balls on a cookie sheet. Then, just put all the dough balls in a big Ziploc for the new family to put in their freezer. That way they can pop a few of them in the oven for fresh baked cookies anytime they need a little pick-me-up. My recipe is here.

Bring a new mom something pretty...

When you're a bit tired and dishevled new nailpolish, lotion, or lipstick can go a long way. If you have babysitting skills, offer to babysit while she slips out for a massage or pedicure.

Bring over your favorite DVD...

TV shows are great because they are shorter. I love Mad Men and 30 Rock.

Bring your camera...

Even if you're not a professional photographer it's great to snap photos of the baby or family. They will appreciate it.

Bring over all the fixings for a hot cocoa date...

...or a hot toddy date.

Offer to run to the grocery store...

With a new baby, running to the store can be a little tricky. Offer to pick up some items for the new family.

Send a care package...

Even if you live far away, you can still offer your love and support in the form of a simple care package.

I wrote earlier this week on my blog about how important it is to be encouraging, loving, and supportive to new parents (you can read it here if you like). I hope this gives you some ideas for easy ways to do just that.

super cute DIY.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

I've blogged about her before, but....

Alison of The Alison Show is super awesome.

She's got a great sense of humor, awesome DIY's and she's just genuinely likable. Like...someone you'd want to go get coffee with. Anyway...I loved this last tutorial she posted on her blog and I thought you guys might like it too.

Behold the DIY studded collar necklace!

Head on over to The Alison Show for the tutorial!

Lauren

my birth story.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Before I blog Fern's birth story,
I wanted to include a disclaimer:

I had an all-natural birth and I thought it was awesome. BUT...I know that a lot of people (for one reason or another) do not choose the route that I took and I want to say that I completely respect that and I don't judge. Just because I think natural-birth is great, doesn't mean that it's for everyone. End disclaimer and on with the story.

It all started in the early hours of Sunday, January 15th...

The day before, my husband Craig and I had gone to our birthing class (just in the nick of time!) and afterward I wanted to go on a date. Craig was tired and wanted to go home and I got super emotional, saying that it might be "the last date we get to go on before Fern is born", so we compromised and he took me out for a milkshake later that evening. When we got home we watched some TV and went to bed.

Around 2:00 a.m. my contractions started. I'd been feeling a little bit "crampy" the day before, but didn't really think anything of it, since it wasn't painful. I had wondered before how I'd know if I was actually having contractions, but when they actually started I just knew. I laid in bed for about an hour timing my contractions on the iPhone app I'd downloaded for the occasion. The contractions were 3-5 minutes apart, lasting for one minute, which is when my midwife had told me was the time to head down to the birthing center. Could this be the real thing? I had fully prepared myself to be laboring for a long while - days even, since everyone says that first babies tend to take awhile (20 hours on average), but this seemed so fast! I sent a text to my midwife to let her know what was going on and she texted me back saying that I should go back to sleep and call her in the morning to see how things were progressing. Was she serious?? I tried to sleep for another half an hour, but by that time the contractions has intensified, so Craig got up with me and we started watching a basketball game he'd DVR'd. After about a half hour of that, I decided that this must be the real thing and called my midwife. She heard me have a contraction while we were on the phone and decided that I probably was in active labor and to wait an hour so they could get my room set up and then head down to the birthing center.

During this time we ran around the house collecting all of the things we'd need to take with us. The ironic thing is that I actually ended up forgetting the diaper bag with all of Fern's clothes/diapers/blankets, but did remember to put in pearl earrings. Craig laughed at me for this, since I did it right in the middle of a contraction, but hey - a girl wants to feel pretty while she's giving birth!

I was starting to get a little bit frantic during my contractions and had a hard time staying calm, but once we got to the birthing center I felt much more relaxed. It was like a breath of fresh air, a realization that I was ok now because this is where you have a baby....not on your couch while watching a Blazer game. We arrived at the birthing center around 6:00 a.m. and I labored in various positions for the next six hours - in the birthing tub, on the birthing stool, standing up while leaning on Craig and even on the toilet (I know it sounds weird, but it was actually kind of perfect). I tried getting in the bed once, but that was short lived. It was pretty much the most uncomfortable thing ever and I said that there was no way I was ever getting back in that bed again...and I didn't. Whatever position I was in though, I quickly learned that I liked to labor in complete silence (so much for that birth mix I agonized over)...eyes closed with focused breathing. I didn't want anyone talking, but I did want Craig to be right there by my side, which he was very diligent about.

Around noon, I started feeling a little defeated. My contractions didn't seem to be getting any closer together - they were still 3-5 minutes apart. (*Side note - and this is something I didn't realize before: the time in between contractions is amazing. I had read before that I would get "rests" in between contractions, but I figured that it would be kind of like when you stub your toe...after a bit, the immediate pain goes away, but there's still the slight throbbing of where the pain occurred, but no. The resting time in between contractions is AMAZING. In between contractions I felt totally fine...like...as in...the "I can't possibly be in labor, I'm falling asleep right now" kind of fine). At the birthing center they don't do cervical checks unless you specifically ask for them, because the way they see it - it doesn't really matter how far dilated you are - you'll have a baby at some point regardless. But at this point I felt like I needed to have at least a ballpark guess of how much progress I was making, so I asked my midwife to check me, but told her not to tell me a number, just let me know whether I was making progress. A quick check confirmed that I was almost completely dilated!

Yay! Now, comes the easy part right? Everyone always talks about how great the pushing part of labor is, so this should be awesome! Ummmm...not so much. The pushing was by far the hardest part for me. I pushed for about three long, hard hours. After the first hour, since I wasn't making much progress, my midwife suggested a bit of directed pushing, which while uncomfortable was incredibly helpful. Sometime around hour #2 of pushing I started to feel a bit defeated and started questioning my ability to have this baby naturally. This came out in my laboring. Before this there was some low (but definitely loud) moaning happening, but by this point there were most assuredly some tears and yelling...screaming even. I kept saying "I don't think I can do this!", to which my midwife replied, "Yes. You can. You're doing it right now." Touche. At one point the tears were flowing and she looked at me and sternly said, "You need to look at me. Stop crying and focus all of this energy on pushing your baby out. Crying isn't going to help you have a baby." True story.

So I kept pushing. Pretty soon, I was close and my midwife said she could see the baby's head. She asked if I wanted to see it in the mirror. "NO!!!" I shouted emphatically. At this point (around 3:00 pm) my water broke. I was so thankful it didn't happen earlier since it can help to make labor more comfortable. Thank you wonderful cushion of amniotic sac! I was laboring on the birthing stool at this point and they told me that that baby was coming soon and I couldn't give birth on the stool, so I needed to get into the tub. At this point I was sort of freaking out and I kept saying I couldn't make it to the tub (ummm...hello...I have a baby coming out of my vagina and you want me to lift my leg over the side of a giant tub?). They said it was either the tub or hands and knees on the floor. Craig had to give me a pep talk and then he and my midwives helped me into the tub. One of my midwives was telling Craig he had time to go change and get into the tub with me, but he declined and it was a good thing too, because literally moments later (at 3:32 p.m.), during my next contraction, Fern was born. Craig said she "shot out like a torpedo", which is probably pretty accurate.

As soon as Fern shot out I got that awesome flood of endorphins that I'd read about. Craig said he's never seen anyone's face change so suddenly or dramatically. He said I looked like I was being tortured one minute and the next minute I looked like I was going to Disneyland - all smiles and bright eyes. I picked Fern up out of the tub and looked her over and the first thing I said was:

"Wow! I did that! That's bad ass!"

Not the most sentimental first statement after having a baby, but oh-so-true. I have never in my life felt more empowered than I did at that moment. I had just birthed a human and I did it without so much as an asprin. If that's not bad ass, I don't know what is.

Fern Winter Hartmann
Born January 15, 2012 @ 3:32 PM
in Portland, OR

...During the first snowfall of the year (*Craig and I got married four years ago during the first snowfall of that year...kind of romantic, no?)...we thought this made her middle name kind of perfect.

After my first reactions, my midwives informed me that the reason I was having such a difficult time with pushing was because Fern came out brow first. Her head was down, but instead of having her chin tucked down toward her chest and coming out with the back part of her head first (i.e. the smaller part with more malleable plates) she came out with her chin lifted up and her forehead first (i.e. the bigger part with less malleable plates). I just googled "brow presentation" and this is what I found:

"Most babies who are presenting brow first will need to be born by Caesarean. This is because the diameter (or width) of the baby's head in this position is much larger than the baby's crown (i.e. about 13.5 cm compared to 9.5cm). On rare occasions, if the baby is small, and the mother has a 'roomy' pelvis with strong contractions, it is possible for the baby to be born vaginally."

My baby was NOT small (8 lbs 7 oz) and I still did it. Thank goodness I didn't know! The plus side is that my midwives said that the next time I have a baby it should go really quickly and be much easier. Phew!

Was it hard work? Yes. But, was it worth it? Absolutely. I would without hesitation do it exactly the same way the next time around.

Also...the birthing center was awesome. It was like being at a bed & breakfast. We got to order takeout from a big book of local restaurants, I got a massage, they drew me candlelit baths, did our laundry, cleaned up after us....the list goes on and on. It was amazing.

This was my post-labor meal of choice: a giant piece of chocolate cake.

I also loved that it was an environment that set me up for success. Everyone present believed in birth and in my ability to have a successful birth. There were no drugs to be offered. It was a calm and comfortable space and my midwives were amazing. Everything was kind of perfect.

I know that natural birth is not for everyone, but if I am fully convinced that if I can do it anyone can. I do not have a high pain tolerance. I've never broken a bone or really had anything notably painful happen to me, so I don't have a whole lot to compare it to, but I will say that it is totally doable and if you are committed to having a natural birth (of course barring any complications) you CAN do it.

My one suggestion for having a natural birth?

The power of positive thinking.

When you're pregnant everyone wants to tell you their birthing horror stories. I quickly learned to cut people off and let them know that I had no illusions that birth wouldn't be hard work, but that I was up for the challenge and that I believed that I was capable and that I could do it. I remained positive throughout (even if my words weren't always in line with my inner worries) because I really do believe that our words are powerful and that the power of suggestion is incredibly strong. Believe you'll have a good birth and it's more likely that you will. At least, I feel like that's what helped me.

Oh...and suggestion #2:

Get yourself an awesome birthing partner. Craig was beyond amazing throughout my entire 12 hour labor. He massaged my back when I needed it, got in the tub with me during part of it, and literally let me lean on him during contractions. He was there to offer me sips of water during the resting moments and let's not even talk about all the things he did for me after I gave birth. I love that man so incredibly. There were definitely a lot of less than pretty/humbling moments that went along with giving birth...I even cried at one point about how embarrassing it was that he had to help me with some of these things, but he just looked me in the eye and said, "You have never been sexier than you are right now - and I mean that. You just gave birth to our baby." I couldn't possibly ask for a more amazing man.

If you have any questions about my birthing experience, I'd love to answer them, so feel free to e-mail me and thanks for reading.

Lauren

the weeks are like the weekend now.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

I thought I'd do a weekend update...

But then I realized that the week is like the weekend now that I'll be home with Fern. I don't have to wait until the weekend to get rest and relaxation now...although I do have to wait until Fern decides to sleep to get rest and relaxation, but that's alright with me :).

Here are a few photos from our first week together...

Big yawn!

Meeting Marley.

Marley is still a little unsure of Fern. Every time she cries Marley starts pacing.

Maybe it's her maternal instinct.

Sleeping soundly.

Her first lesson in accessorizing.

Headband made by Alison of The Little Tiny and adorable little leg warmers made by my friend Becca. Fern looks like she's ready for some Jazzercize!

Adoring her daddy.

My first caffeinated mocha in ages courtesy of my wonderful husband.

Posing in her birthday crown made by my preschoolers.

A photo from our first date night. It was Craig's idea to go see a movie and the grandparents babysat. Fern did well, and I didn't cry either :). It was weird going on a real date though, since up until now every night could be date night if we wanted it to be...now it takes a little more planning, but date night will be all that much more special now.

A flower for Fern.

Snoozing the day away.

Basically all she does is eat, sleep and poop.

Lauren

we had a baby fern!

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:02:00 +0000

I hope you'll understand, but Fill in the Blank Friday is being postponed this week, because....I wanted to introduce you to the newest member of our family!

Fern Winter Hartmann

Born Sunday, January 15th, 2012, at 3:32 pm

8 lbs. 7 oz. and 21.25" long

I apologize for the lack of blog posts this week, but we've been busy getting to know our little lady. Regular posting should resume next week, along with Fern's birth story for those of you who are interested. The short story is that I had a wonderful experience - 12 all-natural hours of laboring at a birthing center brought this cuteness into the world. It was amazing and by far my proudest accomplishment to date. I can't wait to tell you guys about it and to encourage any of you considering a natural delivery - if I can do it, I'm pretty sure that anyone can :). I also can't wait to tell you about how amazing my husband was - seriously...I love that man on another level that I never even knew was possible. He's been taking such good care of Fern and I - such a good daddy and husband that man is!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Lauren

fill in the blank friday.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:00:00 +0000

It's Friday!
...and that means two things:

1. It's time for Fill in the Blank Friday.
2. My due date is only five more days away!

OK...now that we've established this we can get back to the blanks.
Enjoy!

1. The last thing I ate was frozen waffles with peanut butter and jelly on them and a glass of milk .

2. The last song I listened to was "Do You Love Me" by The Contours while having a dance party with my preschoolers .

3. Using the letters in my name I can spell {Lauren}...learn, are, rue, ran, lane, run, Earl, earn, lure, rule, ulna, urea, urn, real, nu, neural, lunar, near, era, lean, ear, el, an, ale .

4. If I had to dress in one color for the rest of my life I would pick blue, because even though it's not my favorite color, it would be really versatile and I'd have to choose blue, because I couldn't live life without jeans .

5. If you were to look in my bag right now you'd find makeup, gum, receipts, a granola bar, gift cards, ear buds, a necklace, a cardigan, 2 pairs of sun glasses, a grocery list, perfume, a water bottle and probably a whole lot of other crap I don't need to be carrying around everywhere .

6. When I finish filling in the blanks I'm going to go to bed! .

7. My all time favorite song to dance to is "Footloose" by Kenny Loggins or maybe "Jump On It" by Sir Mix-A-Lot...both totally cheesy, but I think it's because they both remind me of high school dances .

Happy weekend!

Lauren