saturday style + whisk bake shop

Saturday afternoon we had nothing much at all to do, so we decided to wander around Cherokee Street for a bit.  We don't spend nearly enough time in that neighborhood, but since I've started working at Nebula while our sitter stays with Claire, I figured it might be in my best interest to scope out all the good coffee & tea joints.  

It was a really gorgeous day in St. Louis - a little overcast, but considering it's August the temperature was amazing.  The perfect day to wear my Sonnet James Quincy dress and carry Claire in our Solly Baby wrap.  Also, I've developed a real love for my Birkenstocks.  Expect to see me wearing them ad infinitum, maybe even with socks come autumn...

Our first stop was Whisk Bakeshop, which is one of my favorite places for a treat & a coffee in St. Louis.  One of the best things about Cherokee is that it's a neighborhood comprised of entirely local enterprises - no chain stores or restaurants down here!  

 I mean, can you even get over those light fixtures??

We usually go to Whisk for the artisan popsicles (strawberry goat cheese anyone?) but since it wasn't so hot on Saturday we swapped that choice for a nanaimo bar.  I couldn't tell you why they called it that, but it was sort of like a way more indulgent Almond Joy.  

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 Claire slept through the entire afternoon, taking about a 3 hour nap in her wrap.  Nothing better than a low-key afternoon exploring our city.  The next time you're down on Cherokee, we definitely recommend making a stop at Whisk!  

and now, here is the story of our very exciting friday night

So, our Friday night started out as any Friday normally does.  Staring at a baby while drinking the celebratory TGIF glasses of wine.  

And then Claire got bored and irritated of being stared at and said to us "guys, it's time to go get some ice cream."  We happily obliged.  

No point in looking this cute and nobody getting to see it!  Claire's still getting used to her fancy new stroller (we got a Bugaboo on Craigslist last week, which I was beyond excited about.)  

As you walk down 39th in Shaw, you walk past this and may assume there's just a new explosives factory on the corner....

but nope.  Ice cream.  

Ices Plain & Fancy makes ice cream like you've never seen it before.  You order at the counter, and then they literally make your ice cream to order using those big tanks of liquid nitrogen!  

Lest you think it's all just a gimmick, let me reassure you; the ice cream is INCREDIBLE.  So far we've tried butter pecan, chocolate, & salted caramel, and all three have been SO delicious.  The waffles cones are made in house as well, and they are the perfect balance between chewy and crunchy.  

Claire really enjoyed it too.  

Ices Plain & Fancy just opened in the Shaw neighborhood, at 39th & Shenandoah.  They're open Wednesday - Sunday 11:30 am -10 pm.  

awkward & awesome tuesday

Awkward: 

I somehow managed to get asphalt on the bottom of our carseat this week without knowing about it.  For about two days I had black streaks on pretty much every part of myself from the waist down, and COULD NOT figure out how to get it out.  In fact, I ruined a pair of white jeans (that FIT me) by smearing tar all over them while carrying Claire in the seat.  Luckily, I finally figured out what it was and managed to get it off the seat with some coconut oil, but the clothes it came in contact with may not be salvageable.  

The dress in this photo was brand new & perfect, until Claire decided it was missing something.  And by something, I mean a nice streak of mustard colored baby poop.  

Certain parenting books....I read "Beyond the Sling" this week and, well, no.  You want me to hold my baby to pee over the potty?  Elimination communication what?  Just all the "NOs."  

(Seriously, Google that.  There are a whole group of totally insane parents out there doing this right now.)  

Awesome: 

Claire's little neck rolls, thigh rolls, and baby bicep rolls.  Yes, she's still a rather tiny baby, but she has rolls and I helped make them.  

Close friends living next door.  Darrell had a boys night (complete with baseball, grilling, & beer) and took Claire duty on Saturday, which meant that I got to watch Real Housewives, bogart the whole bed, and fall asleep early - and we were all within 50 feet of each other.  

Sonnet James summer shipment came out this week, and the three new dresses I got are as perfect as any I've ever bought before.  They are a forever favorite for this new mama, soft, stretchy, and nursing friendly.  Now if only the stripe Marni would come back in stock!  

Sundays of nothing.   Claire let us sleep in until almost 9, and then we made coffee & a frittata and ran through our Netflix options.  We all stayed in pajamas & white onesies, and were happier for it.  

I start working at a creative co-working space tomorrow, and I am SO excited.  I love working from home, but me + babysitter + Claire in 750 square feet?  Not a workable situation.  

essentials for the first month: mama + baby

*All items listed are mostly pictured left to right, top to bottom.  

1 - A good collection of nursing bras.  This is probably the number one thing any nursing mother will need - but here's the real tip: you don't actually have to buy nursing bras.  I have a few, and I wear them (this Le Mystere is my very favorite) but did you know that Nordstrom will convert any bra you already own into a nursing bra?  They do an amazing job, you cannot tell that it wasn't originally a nursing bra, and it's only $15. I had been wearing this bra until the end of my pregnancy, and I've had three of them converted so far.  

2 - A diaper bag you can share with your husband.  Maybe it's the feminist in me, but there should be more unisex diaper bags, right?  I mean, my husband does have to diaper this baby sometimes, and I'm not always the one carrying her things.  This is his very favorite.  

3 - A Sakura Bloom sling.  I can't speak to the quality of any other types of baby carriers, but we have only used the Sakura Bloom sling so far, and I adore it.  Claire will almost instantly fall asleep in it, I can use both my hands when wearing her, and when she just doesn't want to be put down it is the only way I can get anything done.  We bought their least expensive version, but I've got my eye on this one because we really need a second, especially for when one is in the wash.  

4 - Safe to Sleep mat.  This is definitely one of the pricier items on my list, but we have really loved it.  It takes the place of a baby monitor.  The baby sleeps on the mat, and its very sensitive sensors monitor baby's breathing.  No running into the nursery over and over to make sure that baby is breathing (which I would totally do if we didn't have this).  There's a remote that you keep with you, and it sets off an alarm if the breathing is too fast or slow, or if the baby leaves the mat.  It also works as an audio monitor, but here's the best part: the audio only comes on if the baby's cries get above a certain decibel.  So we aren't awoken by every grunt or coo, only by actual crying.  You can also talk to baby through the remote to soothe them. The one downside?  The app that you can supposedly connect to the mat doesn't work very well at all - we could never get it to function properly, and Darrell is pretty tech savvy!   

5 - The Miracle Blanket.  Claire is a baby houdini, and she completely destroys a regular swaddle within minutes. The thing is, she WANTS to be swaddled.  This is the only thing that has keep her wrapped up so far.  

6 - Target Basics Nursing Tank.  For the first few days after Claire was born this nursing tank with yoga pants was all I wore.  I layered it under loose dresses and tees in place of a bra until my milk came in, and I wouldn't know what size nursing bra to buy.  Now I wear it as a layering piece any time I wear a top and jeans, because then I don't need the top to have a nursing friendly neckline.  At the ballgame the other night, I just pulled up my t-shirt, undid the clasp on my nursing tank & bra, and was able to feed Claire discreetly between the folds of fabric.  

7 - 4moms Mamaroo & Breeze.  Claire has recently entered the rather difficult phase of "never ever ever put me down!!"  Most of the time I just wear her, but for times I can't (showers, anyone?) the Mamaroo will usually buy me 20 minutes or so.  The Breeze has a bassinet top, and that's what Claire slept in for the first three weeks - she was so small that I wasn't comfortable having her far away from us in the nursery, and I think being near her helped us foster a good nursing relationship.  Now she sleeps in her crib, but we'll be using the Breeze when we travel.  

8 - Sonnet James dresses.  I have lived in these dresses since I got them, both pregnant and postpartum.  They stretched well to accommodate the bump, are comfortable and flattering now, and the necklines stretch and bounce right back for nursing on the go.  Darrell never fails to compliment me when I'm wearing one.  You can still preorder for the summer shipment in a few weeks!  

9 - Breastfeeding Kit - nursing pillow, Kindle loaded up with books, a new Netflix series, a cup with a straw, handheld food.  Nursing in the first few weeks is amazing, such a great bonding experience......and sometimes boring.  You are going to spend a lot (A LOT!) of time parked on the couch with your nursing pillow, oftentimes using one hand to eat, drink, and entertain yourself.  I watched Netflix during the day, but at night I don't like how the noise wakes up Darrell, so I read on my Kindle app.  Say what you want about moms being alone on night duty, but he can't breastfeed and a rested husband is worth a lot more to me than someone as equally exhausted as I am.  I also get incredibly thirsty when nursing, so I like to have a cup with a straw - like the one they give you at the hospital - and some granola bars or bagels handy.  I like the boppy pillow, and definitely get a second cover.  Breastmilk gets on everything.  Pottery Barn has had the softest covers I've found.  

10 - Burp cloths and baskets for burp cloths.  Did I mention that breastmilk will be on everything you own?  Have a stash of burp cloths in every room.  The Gerber cloth diapers make fantastic burp cloths, trust me.  

11 - White onesies and long sleeved pajamas.  As much as I love all the beautiful clothes I have for Claire, there are only so many diaper blowouts I'm willing to go through before I declare it a white onesie day.  These are cheap, you don't care if they get so stained they're ruined, and I still think there isn't anything cuter than a baby in a white onesie.  As for the long sleeved pajamas, well the fabric friction between sleeves and swaddle keeps Claire from breaking free.  

12 - Spanx & Belly Bandit.  There's nothing like Spanx to smooth everything out underneath your clothes, they make a huge difference.  As for the Belly Bandit, I'm not sure I can attest to it flattening out my stomach any faster - breastfeeding does that on its own - but it made for wonderful support under my clothes in the first couple of weeks when everything just felt really, unfortunately loose.  

13 - Lululemon Wunder Unders, Forever 21 tees & jeans.  Wunder Unders are a year round must have for me - I wear them running, to yoga, and just about everywhere.  They're the thickest and most slimming leggings I've ever found, and they do wonders for the post baby body.  Until jeans will fit (no really, they just won't for the first few weeks.  Your waist and legs will be just TOOOOOO far apart in sizing) leggings are the best option.  But leggings as pants?  Not always so great.  These are the only ones that will work.  Wear them with the thin & cheap $4 Forever 21 tees, and then switch to Forever 21 jeans for transition.  They look great and almost always cost less than $20.  

14 - Breast Pump.  I didn't start using this until my 2nd week, but having a stockpile of extra milk is pretty much the greatest thing ever.  You don't want to depend on bottles too much - your supply will go down the more feedings you skip - but being able to run errands and leave the baby with Darrell knowing that she won't go hungry and cry the entire time I'm gone is pretty great.  Mine was completely free through my insurance, so definitely look into that!  

15 - Honest diapers, nipple balm, lotion.  It's no secret that I love the Honest Company, and we're using them for basically everything baby.  Their diapers are the best at holding in major messes so far, I found the nipple cream (I know, maybe TMI, but you need it) really effective, and the lotion has all but cleared up Claire's cradle cap.  I use a lot more of their products....okay, almost all of them, but these are probably my top three.  

16 - Puj tub.  We have a teeny apartment, with a matching teeny sink, and this tub is easily stored, folded, and very soft for Claire to sit in.    

17 - Soothies Pacifiers.  Claire + the carseat = not such a great equation.  Claire + the carseat + one of these pacifiers = a long nap.  

18 - Wine & coffee.  Sometimes, you just need them.  Wine for the nights when it seems the baby has just nursed endlessly (you can have a glass and still breastfeed, one is fine!) and you're so exhausted and stressed out you think you might lose it.  No one can help you with breastfeeding but you, and that shit is HARD.  Wonderful, but hard.  Coffee.....well, obviously, coffee.  Coffee some mornings (or let's be honest, all day) makes the difference between my being an okay mother and a good mother. 

19 - Some money set aside for unexpected expenses.  Every baby is different, so every baby will have different favorites.  When Claire was born, we only had one Miracle Blanket, but quickly realized that with her wearing them all day long we'd need a few more.  We also needed extra covers for the nursing pillow, different sizes of baby clothes than the ones we had, and I purchased nursing tanks & bras that I didn't want to buy until I knew what size I would need.  

20 - Britax B-Safe Carseat, Base, & Stroller.  This set is really fantastic.  The carseat feels very sturdy, clicks in and out of the base easily, and the stroller can be popped open and closed with one hand.  It steers well with one hand as well, and has a good amount of storage.  We got it for a fantastic price by buying the bundle of all three at Target.  It's not pictured because......I'm not a photoshop wizard and I ran out of room, but seriously, check it out.  

Okay that's it!  I wanted this list to be the end-all, be-all, because these kind of lists made life easier for me once Claire arrived.  I discovered almost nothing on this list myself - they were almost all recommendations from other blogs I read.  Which is why I have to ask - am I missing anything?  What were your essentials for the first month?  She's only 5 weeks old this week, anything I should have on hand for the next few?  

snapshots & selfies

left: dress & wedges - target  right: dress - isabella oliver, clogs - old navy

left: jacket - forever21, old, dress - target, sandals - sam edelman

right: jacket - j crew factory, dress - old navy, sandals - forever 21, old

dress - sonnet james, scarf & hat - forever 21, old, espadrilles - soludos, old

So at this point, the question is: could I wear more stripes?  My iPhone says I may want to take it down a notch.  

the weekender

So, Friday was a rough day last week.  The previous night I was woken up by dripping at 3 am.  Our ceiling was leaking (again) because of our upstairs neighbor’s broken A/C.  So there was the 3 am moving of the bookshelf that had a home against that wall, and laying a towel down, and then we got to try to sleep through the drips for the rest of the night which is….impossible.  So Friday, even though it’s FRIDAY, and we're all supposed to be cheerful and happy, I was just not.  I was tired.  And whiny.  I was mad about the bookshelf hanging out in the middle of my living room and that I hadn’t slept.  But I figured, I could either let the whole day be ruined - no fun - or I could try to turn it around.  So, I wrote down everything that made me smile for the next few hours that morning, and here's what I came up with: 

A robin with a worm landed on our porch around 10 am, looking like the king of the castle.  I think he just wanted to show off to the dogs.

A few new dresses came in the mail.  Superficial I know, but those things make me happy.  And thank you Pink Blush, for cheering me up!

There was just one bagel left from our last run to Panera, it was the best kind of bagel (cinnamon crunch), and it was all mine.

This video of a fox with his head stuck in a can.  

And then of course our evening improved from there with a trip to Food Truck Friday, where there were cupcakes, sooooooo many babies and puppies, and the most perfect spring evening weather there ever was.  

Despite my best efforts, the day was determined to end as it began, and we BARELY made it home because on the way back because the bump suddenly just got REALLLLLLLLY heavy and tried to keep me from walking.  In fact, we had to stop and take a break on a stoop about 3 blocks from our house, and I felt fairly pathetic.  So even though there were cupcakes and new dresses, I conceded defeat and resolved to do better Saturday & Sunday, and I think we did!  

Sometimes, when you're 9 months pregnant, it's better to just give in to doing a whole lot of sitting around.  It's always better if you can do it outside in your garden full of blooming roses though, and then throw in a pedicure and have your husband clean the house as well (Darrell's first mother's day gift to me, and it was exactly what I wanted.)   

After a wholly relaxing Saturday, a gorgeous Mother's Day was had - the backyard roses made their way inside, and we had brunch & then lunch with our beautiful mamas, grandmas, and aunts. Also, there was Dairy Queen ice cream cake at some point, and there's really nothing better than that.  

I hope you all had a beautiful weekend as well!  I wouldn't mind doing it all over again....perhaps even Friday.  

awkward and awesome

Awkward: 

Fitz’ incredible ability to puke wherever we don’t place the protective towel in the backseat of the car.  We can cover every surface possible, and he will make an effort to screw it up and puke right on my car seats. I pretty much just laugh every time someone warns me about baby spit-up like it’s the most awful thing ever.  

Baby girl keeps measuring large…..like 80th percentile.  I have this lovely birthing plan that involves hypnotherapy & all-natural birthing etc, but no judging me if I scrap all that to get induced early if my OB offers, I have no interest in birthing a 10 lb baby.    "Birth plan" is kind of an oxymoron anyways, right?  

Any potential answers to the questions “are you hating being so pregnant?  Aren’t you uncomfortable yet?”  I mean…..awkward.  I actually feel pretty great - pregnant, but great - and also, I prayed for this baby.  I am grateful to be pregnant.  I try to reserve any complaining solely for my husband.  

I am hot ALL the time.  This is easily remedied by blasting the air conditioning, but poor Darrell may eventually take to sleeping in a parka.  He let me win that fight though, good man that he is.  

Hitting the belly on every single thing possible!  Getting something out of the fridge?  I am probably hitting the baby with the fridge door.  Walking into a door?  If I don’t open it fast enough, the bump hits it before it opens.  Getting into a restaurant booth?  The condiments are lucky if they make it out intact.  My spatial awareness is at a solid zero.  I’m sure next week I’ll be telling you how my belly finally hit a small child in the head.  Yes, I say "my belly" and not "I" because I'm pretty sure this thing has a mind of its own.  

Awesome: 

Our weekend at the lake.  I cannot say how nice it was to have three days on the water.  Even though I worked on Friday, it was incredibly nice to have a change of scenery. The weather cooperated perfectly & we got to get out on the boat - no bikinis, but there were mocktails!  

In the waiting room for my doc appt last week there were two children: a well behaved little girl and a, well, rowdy little boy.  Both were adorable, but the little girl had this absolutely hilarious and judgmental expression of "you filthy hooligan" towards the boy for my entire wait.  

Gap Outlet sales - we got Darrell 6 pieces of clothing I believe for about $60, and a hat for the baby.  One pair of pants was $3!  Shopping for boys is just about the most fun thing ever, am I right?  

Iced tea & lemonade.  This is my favorite right now, in addition to alllll the fruit - all I need is watermelon & peaches to be in season and I may quit eating anything else. Actually who am I kidding, there will obviously still be chocolate & tacos.  

My belly button is still in!  I mean, it’s hanging on for dear life I’m sure, but it looks like we might just make it to the end without an outie.  

I took Fitz for a walk yesterday, and I DID bring a dog bag, but of course he managed to poop twice, the second time directly as the owner of the house in front of his chosen sidewalk space came walking out of the door.  I was about to be fully mortified at having to leave it there, but just then my hero came to save the day in the form of another dog walker with extra bags.  

All my Sonnet James dresses - holy comfortable, stretchy, and flattering.  I pretty much ordered all the ones I wanted when they first went up for pre-order, and now I wish I had just ordered them all.  They are probably some of the best pieces of clothing I have ever had - I’ll be looking forward to every collection from now on.  

the weekender

Sometimes I feel as though each Friday kicks off an inevitable contest to have the "best weekend ever" after the workweek, and this weekend I think we won!  Of course that's easier at the lake, but I feel like the makings of a perfect day are pretty much universal.  

 Consider this post the official Light Sleeper, Heavy Dreamer guide to the perfect (lazy!) spring weekend.  

Step one: wake up in the morning of your own accord - no alarm clocks! Eat asiago cheese bagels &  fruit for breakfast with a big mug of Dunkin' Donuts coffee while watching the weekend news and reading blogs.  Shower & get ready for a day out on the boat at a snail's pace.  This may or may not include a quick trip to Target to buy a new hat (but it probably should.)  Pack your hat and your favorite sunglasses and a tote bag, and head down to the dock once you feel like eating lunch.  

sunglasses: ray ban (on sale!), hat: target, bag: old navy, and I had the embroidery done

Step two: make your handsome husband pose for some cutesy photos on the dock while the boat lift lowers into the water.  Make good use of your new hat in said photos.  

Step three: order a mocktail with your lunch, because Pina Coladas are yummy, rum or no rum.  

Step four: sit in the sun watching the boats and chatting about nothing much at all until you realize that it's time for more food! Head home to watch a movie, and eat dinner & some ice cream, of course.  Go to bed at 10, exhausted & happy from being in the sun for so many hours.  

Step five: rinse and repeat the next day (this time for brunch, because of course it's Sunday) potentially in a cuter outfit.  

hat - target, dress - loft

Other exciting (okay, to me) things that happened this weekend: 

I finally ordered a few samples of Le Labo perfumes I've been dying to try, because I'm almost out of Coco Mademoiselle.  Darrell just has a naturally stuck-up nose - he won't even notice it, let alone compliment it, unless it's....well, let's just say not cheap.  On the upside, more reason to buy fancy perfume!  I'll keep you updated on whether or not I decide their scents are worth the splurge.  The packaging alone....I mean the bottles are basically decoration.  

My Sonnet James dresses finally came!  I'm not going to lie, I was skeptical of whether or not they'd fit.  I ordered them all back in February when I was um, much smaller, but the dresses were supposed to work for pregnancy and after.  Well, they were all perfect!  When does that ever happen?  They're stretchy of course, and the fabric is pretty fantastic.  They're super fitted now, which is actually more flattering during pregnancy, and I think they'll be perfectly relaxed and casual later.  The packaging was adorable, each dress came in a bag with suckers and a little kids toy.  Also, I got a promo code I thought I'd share with my order: they have a few extra dresses in stock that you can check out here, and get $10 off with sjfriend10!  

I managed to snag my first pair of Karen Walker sunglasses on eBay last week after stalking them for quite a while, and they showed up too.  These are the "Helter Skelter" style.  I suppose time will tell whether or not I'm cool enough for Karen Walker sunglasses (debatable.)  Sometimes I think I'd rather buy something online just because of how fun it is to get packages, which is probably incredibly silly, but tell me you don't sort of feel the same!