Brooklyn Limestone

What's in a Baby Book?

2013-05-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

So I'm trying to work on Agatha's baby book a little at at time but I'm struggling what is important to include and what is best to leave out. I tend to be drawn to really simple book designs that are almost entirely photos but part of me wonders if I'll be sorry I didn't have more details included. What do you think: Is less more? What details did you include in your baby's books?

On that subject, here are some fabulous baby memory keeping that inspire.

Arden's First Year by Copy Cat Chic / Fill in The Blanks by Strange Birdy
Bee's First Year by Pencil Box / Chalkboard Design by HannaMac

Did you do a baby's first year book or other memory keeper you want to share? I want to see it!

Steal this Idea*: One Big Letter

2013-05-17T09:28:00.000-04:00

Its Friday (yippee!) - time for another Steal this Idea* feature - a tiny show of appreciation for a well executed tutorial. It will come as no surprise to anyone that a typography loving, font hoarding, diy project lusting person like me would appreciate today's project. Straight from the creative mind of Kate Bower over at Bower Power, comes a giant wooden letter DIY

Aside from it looking fabulous, it only cost her $7.25!

Anyone want to make a giant A for me? Pretty please?

Bower Power needs no introduction but on the off chance you haven't already stumbled into all of the lovely projects that go on over there, go check them out here.

postscript: *When I say steal, I really mean borrow nicely and give proper credit!

**If you have an idea/tutorial you would like me to consider for a feature, email me. I'd love to see!

Most Useless Baby Stuff: Newborn Edition

2013-05-15T09:00:00.000-04:00

As a new mom to be who didn’t want to be overloaded with a lot of extra junk, I tried to research all the baby items that were absolute musts for newborns. I made careful notes and was judicious in purchasing. Turns out that some of those must haves just did not apply to us at all. Like almost everything to do with baby, so much depends on what kind of mom you are and what kind of baby you have. The items that were life savers for other moms ended up being complete wastes of space for us. So perhaps useless would be the wrong term. Let's just say that these were least loved items I had stocked up on and ended up not finding all that critical. With that in mind, I give you ...

The Top Ten ~~Most Useless~~ Least Loved Baby Items

1. Onsies. This one seemed like a no brainer – everyone said I should have lots of these as baby will pretty much live in them. I had several in newborn, 0-3 months and 3-6 months sizes all ready to go. It never even occurred to me that a baby born in the middle of winter wouldn’t have a lot of occasion to wear a onesie without some kind of pants to go with. And considering the number of diaper changes in those first few weeks, the last thing you want to do is add another thing to put on and take off. Since she needed to be covered from shoulder to toe anyway, why not put her in a footie outfit and be done with it? Yea, that’s what we did. With the exception of one time, I never used those white onesies.

2. Diaper Pail. I was sort of resistant to this one anyway but many people told me it was an absolute must. So we bought one and then got another as a gift. Guess what? We have two unused diaper pails collecting dust. Perhaps its my overwhelming aversion to having bins full of baby waste laying around but we simply throw it in the trash and take the trash out as needed. Duh.

3. Boppy Pillow Not only was it useless at home, it was also one of the things I dragged with me to the hospital. Everyone told me it (or one of the other products like it) would be critical. I guess I must be an odd shape because my anatomy just didn’t line up with the boppy. So it wasn’t helpful for nursing at all. I thought it might be handy to use to put baby in on occasion but she isn’t a big fan of sitting in it in general. It does make a pretty supportive pillow when I remember to use it but if I had never had it, I would have never missed it either.

4. Baby Towel I know I’ve personally bought a lot of these for moms to be along with other cute baby bath stuff. Never again. Much thinner and not nearly as absorbent as one of our regular bath towels. It only took one bath to realize that using the cute towel wasn’t worth it. Skip that purchase and just use one of your own.

5. The Happiest Baby on the Block So many people recommended this book to me so I ran out and read it quickly. I was somewhat shocked to finish it and realize the whole book can be summed up in 5 words. Sure, those 5 words are very useful and I think its handy to know but save yourself the $10 and just read the jacket.

6. Bundle Me I thought for sure this thing would be necessary since we were having a winter baby. We did use it a few times but because we were using the car seat in the stroller for those first few months AND using a bundle me in the car seat is a safety no-no, it just didn’t make a lot of sense to put that thing in and out all the time. The same cozy factor can be accomplished with blankets. (That said, if I had used the stroller without the car seat right from birth, I think the bundle me would have been handy)

7. Any Swaddle blanket except the Miracle Blanket Baby A was a world class escape artist almost from the moment we brought her home. We were given or purchased nearly every kind of swaddle product that exists and the only thing that could keep her little arms in for the entire night was the Miracle Blanket. Skip the other products and go right to the Miracle Blanket.

8. Diaper Bags I only have a couple of them but so far haven’t found any to be all that useful. They are all too big and unwieldy for me to sift through while trying to change baby in a public restroom. If a good one exists, I haven’t found it. Until then I’m just using a purse.

9. Baby Detergent Perhaps we just got lucky but this seems like a bit of a racket. Why did she need to have her own laundry detergent? Baby had no reaction no matter what detergent we used.

10. Bottle washing doo-dads I’m referring to special baskets and brushes to help clean bottles. The bottles we use were very easy to clean both by hand or in the dishwasher without any special tools. Just buy the bottles and skip the rest.

So there you have my list. I hope it will save someone from making the same newbie mistakes I made.

What do you think? What was your most useless baby buy?

Blessings

2013-05-13T08:30:00.000-04:00

Last week we hosted a very small gathering to celebrate the baby's christening. Despite my inclination to always go the extra mile for any occasion, we did keep it low key. Of course I had to add a few special touches or I just wouldn't feel right.

In this case, there were three special touches (aside from plentiful food + drink which is always a must!):
1. a beautiful splurge: Sugar Couture made us a stunning cake to work with the pink and gold theme. Penny does such amazing work!
2. a large visual centerpiece - giant mylar balloons that spelled out baby's name which we will be saving and using again
3. something whimsical - cut outs of baby holding onto a cluster of balloons were floating all around - such a big hit that everyone went home with a 'flat aggie'

Doing something simple was a change of pace for me but I'm kind of itchy to do something more my style for her first birthday party. I'm torn on what since it would be around Christmastime. Any winter baby mommies have any advice to share on birthday parties?

What I want for Mother's Day

2013-05-10T09:30:00.000-04:00

This weekend will mark my first Mother’s Day. A day that has come and gone in my life without much fanfare up until now. So what do I want for this first special day?

I want my daughter to know that being her mother has been my pleasure. Before I was a mother, I imagined parenthood to be a marathon of sorts – worth it in the long run but painfully difficult while the race was being run. Good parents sacrificed to give their children what they needed to grow and parents reap the benefits over time as their children age and are able to reciprocate that love. While that is entirely true, I didn’t realize there was something wonderful that was much more immediate. I never imagined that being a mother wouldn’t feel like a sacrifice at all – at least not one that I minded. How could I have known that even one sided love can fill my heart to bursting? How could have I realized the happiness of simply seeing my baby smile back at me, holding her close while she sleeps or a million other little moments were an emotional experience that parallels no other? I did not expect that my mostly happy life would be catapulted into a different stratosphere of pure joy when she upended my life.

I’m sure there will be many days in my life when motherhood isn’t quite so joyful and many days in her life when she will forget the unending love I have for her. But I hope in those darker times I can recall this and remind her that I am here for her, always. Not because I am obligated as her mother but because I am blessed to have had her in my life.

For mothers day, I want my daughter to always know that being her mother is the greatest joy I could have I never imagined.

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Want more Brooklyn Limestone? Please come visit me elsewhere on the web. Let's talk about stoop gardening at My Way Home, thrift store shopping at Colortopia, some favorite shopping finds via Wayfair, behind the scenes of our lives on the Brooklyn Limestone facebook page and Instagram feed.

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What the what? Playhouses

2013-05-08T11:02:00.002-04:00

When I was a little kid, I always dreamed of having a playhouse in our backyard. So now that I have my own baby girl, I thought it might be nice to investigate getting one for her. Granted, our backyard is postage stamp size and we live right near a great park and I'm sure once she is old enough to play in it, she will be driving a hoovercraft to preschool but a girl can dream, right? So off to google I went and found this.

in case you are made of money, buy it here
WHAT THE WHAT? Aside from not having room for a second home in my backyard, I will most definitely not be shelling out twenty large for a child's toy. But I wont lie - I would love to!

Forget giving it to my daughter, I want to be the lucky kid that gets to play here. Look at that outfit she is wearing on her hot date! Is that couture? I die.

Alas my child will have to rough it with something more pedestrian. Do you have a playhouse? Did you DIY or buy? Does your child actually play in it or is it just a giant paperweight? Please share.

DIY Photo Shelves

2013-05-07T09:00:00.000-04:00

As promised, here are the details on the DIY photoshelves / message center I made for our little hallway. I knew I wanted to have somewhere to be able to easily display lots of photos of baby where I would see them regularly but also wanted something that was easy to change out as she grows.

Enter Ikea's Tolsby frames which were just 99 cents each. I snatched up a bunch of those and made some simple shelves using the help of some wood glue and my brother (for the extra set of hands that required when photographing a project).

You will need: 3 pieces of wood for each shelf (I used 3 by 1/2 inch, 2 by 1/2 inch and 2x1 boards but you could make similar shelves with different combinations of wood), bulldog clips, Tolsby frames, wood glue, clamps, screws for the bulldog clamps, a 5/8 paddle bit (I only had a 3/4 so I used that instead) and a drill.

I measured and cut the wood to the desired size, drilled holes for the frames and glued it all together. No screws or patching needed. After the glue was dry I painted white, screwed in the bulldog clips and sat each frame into the holes. I repeated three times, dropped my photos in and hung. Voila! A new message center that has my favorite person staring back at me.

The best laid plans.

2013-05-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

Yea! A full fledged DIY was completed this weekend! With a few pieces of wood and some Ikea picture frames I put a twist on a traditional gallery wall.

I know its not much but accomplishing anything that requires measuring, sawing and painting is quite the feat around here. I had intended to post a full tutorial today but you know what they say about the best laid plans. I promise to share the step by step later this week along with some photos of baby A's christening party which turned out lovely if I do say so myself. Have a great Monday.

If I were a hoarder...

2013-05-01T10:05:00.001-04:00

and had the right spot for this, I would be all over this mirror/console table monstrosity.

I think it would look pretty amazing in the right room painted a better color.

Alas, I'm not a hoarder but I hope this ends up in the right hands.

Succulent!

2013-04-29T07:34:00.000-04:00

After my first week back at work, I had a fabulous weekend cuddling with baby, enjoying the company of friends and even getting a few household projects completed. The one above was just a simple outdoor centerpiece using succulents and extra terracotta pots I had laying around from my vertical herb garden. Sadly the plants in my succulent chandelier didn't survive the hurricane so I'll have to replenish.

I know its horribly on trend to be so enamored with succulents but they are a black thumb's girl best friend. Happy Monday!

Steal This Idea*: Vintage Camera Nightlight

2013-04-26T09:44:00.000-04:00

Its Friday (yippee!) - time for another Steal this Idea* feature - a tiny show of appreciation for a well executed tutorial. Today's feature something that I saved to a favorite file ages ago and just recently rediscovered. I so want one! I just need to find a tiny camera to hack.

Jason Hull shared with anyone who wants to know just how to turn a little camera into a nightlight . Isn't that kind of him?

I like it so much, I'm tempted to just buy one already made (etsy seller relectronics sells a cool albeit pricey versions).

postscript: *When I say steal, I really mean borrow nicely and give proper credit!

**If you have an idea/tutorial you would like me to consider for a feature, email me. I'd love to see!

Things I Wished I Knew Before Bringing Home Baby

2013-04-24T10:25:00.002-04:00

Keeping with the theme that I want to share a little bit about what my experience in parenting has been like (see the 10 things I wish I had known before getting pregnant), I thought I’d share a bit more about the few weeks that followed her arrival. I can honestly say that the entire experience from pregnancy to now has easily been one of the happiest times of my life - much of it in a way that I had never experienced before making it all that much more amazing. That said, I thought I was a lot more mentally prepared for what would happen after her birth than I was. So with that in mind, I give you...

the 10 things I wish I knew before bringing home a newborn.

1. CALL THE WAH-BULANCE.

You will cry ALL THE TIME FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER. Yea I know you think you are tough and “not a cryer” but it doesn’t matter one iota. Forget the Kleenex, you are going to need super absorbant paper towels, which you carry around all day and all night long because…

2. YOU WILL NEVER SLEEP AGAIN!

Sure, you thought you were mentally prepared for sleep deprivation but the reality of it is way worse than you imagined. You really can’t grasp what true torture it is night after night. You will spend your daytime hours in a zombie like state and your nighttime hours praying to whatever god is listening to please let her sleep just a little bit longer tonight while you…

3. YOU WILL FEEL LIKE YOU WERE HIT BY A TRUCK.

You spent nine months dreading the pain of labor but reassured yourself by saying it was “just one day”. You didn’t think about the aches and pains of recovering from said labor would take a lot longer not to mention the odd things your body will do just to mess with you. You will walk with the gingerly grace of an old woman and mumble “ouch” all day long as you resign yourself to the fact that…

4. YOUR HOUSE IS A DISASTER.

No matter how carefully you prep or what sort of minimalist you think you are right now, your house will look like a Babies R Us bomb went off. Stacks of diapers and clothing and other baby paraphernalia will take over every inch of your living space. You will forever being doing, folding and putting away laundry. You will feel defeated by the mess that is so unavoidable but is also not worth giving up one moment of precious sleep to take care of properly. It’s especially difficult to clean up when you…

5. YOU WILL NEVER PUT HER DOWN!

Something happened to your brain during labor that made you feel like leaving her alone for even a few seconds to use the bathroom is a form of child abuse. This sort of attachment at the hip somewhat explains why…

6. YOUR DAY IS FULL EVEN IF YOU HAVEN’T DONE ANYTHING.

Before, you wondered what exactly would you do with an infant all day? After all, how many times a day can you sing nursery rhymes or change a diaper? Surely I would have lots of time to fill her day with stimulating activities, power walks and making healthy family meals. HHAHHAHAHAAHHA (insert evil laugh here). Your day (which just so happens to be extra long, see #2) will fly by in a whirl of rocking, shushing, diaper changes, laundry and do it all over again. The days go by very quickly even when you never leave the house. While you won’t have much time to accomplish your to-do list you have plenty of time to doubt yourself because…

7. EVERYTHING WILL SEEM LIKE A LIFE ALTERING, CRITICALLY IMPORTANT, HUGE DEAL.

Somehow every decision regarding her care – whether big or small – will feel momentous. As if one wrong move will ruin her life forever and it will be ALL YOUR FAULT. No matter how sure of yourself you were before you had a baby, you will temporary lose all perspective for a short while. You turn to your wonderful friends for some advice and realize…

8. YOUR FRIENDS GIVE TERRIBLE ADVICE.

Ok this isn’t entirely true as I did get some great advice but most wasn’t very helpful. This isn’t because my friends aren’t amazing mothers and friends and were genuinely trying to help. It’s because my friends are at least a year (and in some cases a decade) removed from life with a newborn, they don’t recall this insane period in their own life. They tend to say stuff like “I can’t believe how small she is” and “so much has changed since I had a baby”. You will wonder ‘what the heck’ and then you realize….

9. YOU WILL FORGET ALMOST EVERYTHING FROM THIS TIME.

Trust me, the month will come and go you will have a giant black hole where normal memories live. No matter how good of a memory you think you have, it will all be gone! Some highlights may remain but the low points all smooth out so you barely remember the anxiety, depression, stress and pain you felt. Mother nature is smart that way! Further proof of that is just just when you think you can’t take it anymore…

10. EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE!

What seems so overwhelming right now is not only going to be better, it will be mostly a hazy memory in just a few short weeks. She will sleep through the night, you will be able to diaper one handed, her cries won’t send you into a panic, you will feel like yourself and you will have confidence in your parenting! What follows that first crazy month is be the most amazing period where this tiny person’s smiles will fill you with an exquisite happiness you never knew existed.

So there you have it. The whirlwind that was the first month was pretty intense but became a lot more amazing soon afterward. For those of you with kids, did you have the same experience? For those of you who are about to join the mommy ranks, was this helpful at all?

The next baby related post I’m planning is all about the MOST USELESS BABY BUYS which I hope will be helpful but if there is something you want to hear about, please let me know.

Wooded Wedding Invitations (aka the most awesome invitations ever)

2013-04-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

So you might have been wondering why I was making secret log boxes a few weeks ago. I was helping my brother complete his wedding invitations! They are definitely the most awesome invitations ever if you ask me but I guess I'm a tiny bit biased.

These log invitations were for the guests that will be celebrating all weekend long with the happy couple. Wedding only guests got another kind of invitation that was also pretty cool. Here you can see the save the date, wedding invitation and secret log invitation all together.

I helped by designing the printed pieces but the real genius was all the future mr. + mrs' idea. My brother crafted each box by hand and they were hand delivered. Kudos to him and my fabulous future sister in law for coming up with an invitation that wows. I can't wait to celebrate with them.

Flowery Stoop

2013-04-19T07:59:00.001-04:00

Today marks the final day of my maternity leave - back to the corporate grind on Monday. I'm not in a very cheery mood today but I'll leave you with a little bit of flowery cheer in the form our stoop garden. Maybe Mr. Gnome will cheer me up?

In other news, the 3 questions I ask myself before buying anything secondhand is up for your reading pleasure and I've finally updated the renovation, design, entertain, travel and DIY pages with recent entries so my best posts are easier to find. Have a great weekend.

A Little Birdie Invitation & Free Printable

2013-04-17T08:53:00.003-04:00

Although you would certainly be forgiven for thinking I was incapable of sending out a plain paper invitation, here is proof otherwise. We are having a very small, casual celebration for Agatha's christening so I designed a very simple invitation to go with it.

Want to use this design for your own small affair? I'm sharing the file with you for your personal use! Just add your own text and print. Tip: It looks especially pretty on pearlized paper.
{Download the free printable here.}

Got a few minutes to spare? Check out all of my free printables and other printed projects. As you can tell, I take stationery very seriously. :)

2012 Photo Book Done!

2013-04-15T12:41:00.001-04:00

Completing my 2012 photo book was on the short list of things I wanted to accomplish before my maternity leave ends this week. Hooray for getting it done.

Two Thousand Twelve

Once again I'm using Blurb mostly because I'm used to them by now and have three other books to go with. Aside from one company I didn't like the quality of, I haven't used any of their competitors so I'm not sure if this is the best option but it's good enough (I still think they should have better cover options but oh well). Want to see more? Check out Away We Go 2009 (and what I thought about it here), Away We Go 2010 and Away We Go 2011.

For obvious reasons, the format of this one was a little different than our prior travel only books. Instead of "Away we Go", its "We Become Three" - which Mr. Limestone thought was too corny but I forged ahead with anyway. Maybe I'm getting soft in my old age?

I also started adding a few instagram shots to create context for each month. Even if they aren't perfect shots, they remind me of a little things that were happening during that time.

Based on the sheer quantity of Agatha photos I've taken this year so far, I'm sure the 2013 book will very different again.

The New Us

2013-04-12T09:07:00.001-04:00

The past few months have certainly been a drastic change in our lifestyle but it has been amazing in ways I did not imagine. Thanks to the very talented Laura Bruen (who I met more than a decade ago and have been admiring every since!) for capturing this little glimpse of our new life.

Agatha was a bit crabby that day but Laura still did a great job capturing her sweet personality.

Despite not feeling like I am not looking my best these days, I'm so happy we had some professional photos to capture this fleeting time together. These were only taken 6 weeks ago but she has already changed so much! How do I make the time stop?

As a side note, I'm realizing I'm going to need to make room to display some of these photos (along with the billion others I'm taking myself!). Any advice from the mommies on this one? Id like something that can grown with her but I don't want my house to be a baby shrine either.

In Trench

2013-04-10T09:27:00.001-04:00

Spring has finally sprung in NYC. I decided to treat myself to a new trench coat

I've been rocking a blue bamboo printed trench for the past 4 years - its time for something new.

On that note, I'm about to go back to the office and I have nothing to wear. While my pre-pregnancy clothes technically fit again, they don't quite look right. (Oh how I wish I could wear yoga pants to work!) So I'm feeling a bit bummed out when I get dressed lately. Hoping this little sunny addition will brighten up my fashion mood.

What is your favorite bit of fashion for Spring?

Make a Secret Log Box

2013-04-08T09:40:00.003-04:00

You already know I'm sort of obsessed with wood stumps so when my brother offered to show me how he was making wooden boxes out of small logs, I jumped at the chance. How fabulous to turn a little bit of wood into a beautiful giftbox or place to stash your emergency $20 bill? Vary the size a bit and you can use this in a lot of other ways too but lets just get down to the details.

DO NOT BE SCARED OFF by the length of the instructions - there are a lot of steps but its a very simple concept. Once you have it figured out, its not at all difficult. All you need is bit of log, a band saw, wood glue, clamps and a pencil.

The gist of the project is that you cut slices off of 3 sides of the round log which gives you access to center. Then you cut out a piece for a drawer and glue it all back together again. Voila!

Detailed instructions (click the image above for a larger view)
1. Find a log, cut to desired finished size. (pic. 1-2)
2. Slice off 3 slides of the log, leaving one rounded edge. Mark + set aside slices. (3-7)
3. Draw a conversation box on log to mark drawer (8), cut (9-11)
4. Cut out a slice to make back of drawer (12), set aside.
5. Mark a rectangle on cut out to hollow out drawer (13), cut (14-15) + discard.
6. Glue back of drawer to hollowed out drawer base, clamp, allow to dry (16-18)
7. Glue sliced back to center of log, clamp, allow to dry (19-20)
8. Once clamped pieces have dried, glue & clamp drawer to drawer front (21-23)
9. Glue and clamp sliced base, allow to dry (24)
10. Slide completed drawer into the open space and sand any rough spots if necessary.

You now have a secret hidey hole for any of your tiny treasures. Now go out and get some stumps.

Winner!

2013-04-05T08:40:00.004-04:00

The winner of the print giveaway is...

Michelle Lunt of Faith, Trust & Pixie Dust!

Congratulations Michelle. Please email me your address no later than Wednesday so I can mail you the posters.

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Let's throw a...

2013-04-04T08:06:00.000-04:00

...macaron party!

If I had even the faintest ability to make a billion perfect macarons or I wasn't too cheap to buy them from a proper baker, I would so be throwing a macaron tea. There is something about these little things that elevate a simple cookie into something much more posh. Don't you think?

sources: macaron pill box via urban outfitters, kim le photography via brenda's wedding blog, macaron wrapping via paper source, one love photography via style me pretty

I think this would make a pretty adorable theme for a shower or little girls birthday party too. If you have thrown a macaron party, you have to share it with me!

Sweetheart Birth Announcement

2013-04-02T09:00:00.000-04:00

If you follow this blog you know I'm not satisfied with traditional stationery so I had to do something different for baby's announcements. I originally wanted to a twist on a flip book but a few sleepless nights had me scraping that plan. Instead, I wrapped small boxes of conversation hearts in a print using the letters from Agatha's name and then attached a 4 panel birth announcement before tying a bow on it.

I think they turned out pretty cute but would have been far more adorable in February. Oh well. I'm sure my friends appreciated the sweet surprise even if it was a little late.

I got really good at tying tiny bows for this one. Might come in handy for other little girl things.

Happy Easter!

2013-03-31T10:00:00.000-04:00

Whether you celebrate or not, I hope everyone is making some memories with their loved ones today. Happy Easter.

Steal this Idea: Giant Egg Basket

2013-03-29T11:27:00.000-04:00

Its Friday (yippee!) - time for another Steal this Idea* feature - a tiny show of appreciation for a well executed tutorial.

Today's feature is great for those last minute Easter celebrators who want to do something a little extra special this year.

The House That Lars Built gives you all the details on this simple but clever idea. Pop over there to see this and lots of other great holiday projects.

Who wouldn't want to find this on their doorstep Sunday morning?

postscript: *When I say steal, I really mean borrow nicely and give proper credit!

**If you have an idea/tutorial you would like me to consider for a feature, email me. I'd love to see!

Things I Wished I Knew Before...

2013-03-28T08:18:00.000-04:00

I realize that my experience of one pregnancy does not make me an expert but I feel like I did a fair amount of reading and research beforehand and still had a few big surprises. At the very least, knowing some of this at the start would have made my life much better, much faster so I thought I'd share what I wish I had known a year ago today. I give you...

TEN THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE I GOT PREGNANT

1. Give yourself a worrying deadline
So many people told me not to worry and not to google everything that can go wrong. Um, ok. I don't know about you but telling me not to worry only helps me imagine the worst possible scenario!  Being a generally anxious person by nature, being older than the average mother, and having had a prior miscarriage all ramped up my stress level to 11. It took me nearly half the pregnancy to figure it out but the only thing that helped was making a deal with myself- a worrying deadline. I gave myself permission to freak out as much as I wanted until 20 weeks and then I promised myself I was going to let it go. Believe it or not, this worked like a charm for me and I had a blissful half pregnancy after that.

2. You just might feel great.
Having had lots of friends go before me, I just expected the physical experience of pregnancy to be extremely uncomfortable at best. Particularly as time went on, all mothers to be seem to be dying to get the baby out of them. Well let me tell you that it doesn't have to be that way! I felt great almost the entire time. Yes I got bigger and more tired but it wasn't anything I should have worried about before. Obviously I had no control over this and just got really lucky but I didn't even realize this was an option before I got pregnant.

3. Telling people is WEIRD
Before I got pregnant I never imagined I'd have any trouble shouting the news to everyone but once it was actually happening, telling others what was happening inside my body felt odd somehow. Especially to co-workers and people I didn't know that well. There just isn't a natural way to casually slip "I'M MAKING A HUMAN RIGHT NOW" into the conversation.
4. Be a Social Butterfly
Make lots of plans! If you are fortunate to not feel like hot garbage, I strongly encourage you to go out and socialize as much as possible. Aside from this being the last period of time where your time is your own, everyone who loves you is really dying to see you! I went to bars and restaurants, had people over and showed up on various doorsteps. I've never been so popular! This would also be a great time to take an extra vacation or two or three. (If you are worried about something happening to you in a foreign land see point #1). Get manicures, have long uninterrupted conversations with your girls. You get the picture.

5. Take the compliment
People will look at your ballooning belly, the bags under your eyes and your old lady shoes and tell you how amazing you look.  They are lying! Who cares? This is a form of affection for pregnant ladies so soak it all up. Instead of telling them why they are wrong, say thank you and walk away with your head held high. (Same applies to taking a seat when offered. Do it!)

6. Avoid Maternity Clothes
There are some exceptions to this rule but generally maternity clothes are awful. Awfully made, in terrible fabrics and hideous styles. Try to avoid them for as long as possible by buying larger sizes and non maternity clothes made out of stretchy materials.

7. Finish up
Complete whatever little or big projects that might be less convenient to do once baby arrives. For me that was the nursery. Everyone told me not to rush and that she won't be using it right away anyway - WRONG! So glad I completed it then because there is no way I would have had the motivation to do it now.

8. It's okay NOT TO SLEEP
Everyone will tell you to "enjoy your sleep while you can" as if you can store up sleep in a jar to use later. Doesn't work that way. Like many preggos, I had insomnia which I thought was some kind of weird preparation for parenting sleep deprivation but trust me it is nothing like i.wish.a.truck.would.hit.me.so.i.could.finally.get.some.rest tiredness you will feel later on. So sit on the couch and indulge in some middle of the night trash TV without guilt.

9. Listen to the stories
The moment someone finds out you are a pregnant, about 50% of the population feel compelled to tell you all about THEIR pregnancy and labor. It can sometimes you will feel like you can't hear about one more episiotomy or contraction but I urge you to listen to everyone's story. I learned lots of important tidbits this way - you might be surprised what you take away from these chats. And guess what? There is a good chance you will be on the other side of the conversation soon because there is something satisfying about telling other people all about it. Don't ask - I can't explain why.

10. Not everything is MAGICAL
Don't feel guilty if you aren't seeing the miracle in every kick and ultrasound. Other pregnant women told me how they broke down with tears of joy on a regular basis, felt a strong bond at the moment of conception, couldn't wait to expericence the miracle of labor. I didn't feel that way AT ALL. Most of the sensations of pregnancy felt extremely surreal and the very thought of labor made me wish someone could hit me over the head with a ballpeen hammer so I could be unconscious throughout. I worried there was something wrong with me.  Well there may be plenty wrong with me but not feeling that connection didn't have one ounce of impact once she was in my arms.

Ok so there you have it - my pregnancy tips in a nutshell. Any ring a bell or hit a nerve for you? Have any of your own to share?