Newborn pics + 5 favs (baby edition)

I'm so glad that in the haywire that ensued after Stephen Gabriel's birth we somehow made time for newborn pictures. It's such a fleeting time and I feel like I missed some of it with the afterbirth, move, and orientation so I'm glad we have these photos to capture some of the indescribable sweetness that comes with the newborn phase (the sleepless nights are worth it). Little Stephen has gone from 6 pounds, 3 ounces when we brought him home from the hospital (down from his original birthweight of 6 pounds, 11 ounces) to his current two month weight of (drumroll) 12 pounds, 2 ounces! So all those late night feedings are doing something :) I can't get over his growth chart (proud docta momma) which shows a steady incline from the 9th percentile, to the 27th, to the 54th. And if you make it through these gazillion pictures (it was so hard to choose just a few!), I shared my five favorites for the newborn phase at the end of this post. Also, if you are wondering about my sweater (drapey but not sloppy = a postpartum lifesaver) it's this one.

All photos by Vafa-Coffman

So after my vast experience of two months (ha), I can now share my 'wisdom' on my five favorite things for the newborn period. The truth is, they really don't need much and there are definitely things that we got that were totally unnecessary (although that doesn't include the notorious wipe warmer, which I still love contrary to popular belief). These five essentials though I would 100% buy or register for over (and over) again.

1. Aden By aden + anais Muslin Swaddle Blanket 4 Pack, Safari Friends: There's nothing I can say that truly sums up how wonderful these are. Yes they're pricey, but the gazillions of moms who love these can't be wrong. They are perfect swaddlers (those silly flannel receiving blankets never cut it for our little houdini), burp cloths, breastfeeding covers, sun protectors/insect repellers when draped over a car seat, etc. etc. They also come in the very cutest patterns and get softer with washes.

2. Summer Infant SwaddleMe Adjustable Infant Wrap, 2-Pack, Woodland Friends: My sister-in-law recommended these and my mom gave them to me as a Christmas gift after we found out we were pregnant. Somehow I forgot about them in the craziness after he was born and just starting using them a few weeks ago... and they are gold. I first was using the Halo sleep sacks at night but they were waaay too hot, then I was using the muslin swaddle blankets but the extra steps to swaddle started driving me crazy when the little man went through a wake-up-every-hour phase at night. These swaddle sacks are perfectly lightweight for summer, so soft, and super easy to use.

3. Boppy Pillow with Slipcover, Lots O Dots: This kind of goes without saying since almost everyone loves the Boppy. We used this from Stephen Gabriel's very first days of life and we love it both for breastfeeding and for holding the little guy. My mom birthed eight kids without a Boppy and after she saw me using it proclaimed that she had no idea how she did it.

4. Fisher-Price Deluxe Newborn Vibrating Rock n' Play Sleeper, My Little Snugabunny: those of you who read this post know about my love/hate relationship with the Rock n' Play. I question whether it meets safe sleep standards (although absolutely no judgement on anyone who uses this as a sleeper - we did for almost a month and I have tons of friends who do so I'm probably just being paranoid) and little Stephen also had some sleep problems that I don't think were helped by this. All this being said, this sleeper is gold still for daytime naps, occasional playtime (or to put him in while I'm showering, etc.), and I think helpful for his mild reflux. It also folds up which is really nice for the traveling we've done.

5. Graco Duo 2-in-1 Swing and Bouncer - Sweet Pea from the Sprout 'n Grow Collection: I saved the best for last. This was actually something that I didn't register for, but one of the residents in my class loaned me hers after insisting that it was an essential. Stephen Gabriel loves.it. I so wish that we had registered for this in place of our bouncer, which he hates, not to mention that this doubles as a bouncer in case he ever has a conversion. After we discovered this awesome swing, Stephen and I could actually sit down and eat dinner together again. He occasionally naps in it too.

Those are my five, although I'm sure that some of these are baby specific and there are probably other items that more experienced moms swear by for the newborn phase. Linking up with Heather for Five Favs.

Spring shopping + some birth stories

I figured that since I've been getting so much use out of my maxi skirts, I should try a maxi dress. I picked this one up for 40% off at Gap thinking that it would be postpartum and breastfeeding friendly (I did order one size up to accommodate for both). I like that I can dress it down with a jean jacket and sandals or dress it up with heels and a cardi (I'm thinking rehearsal dinner dress for the weddings that I'm in this summer?)

And a couple other spring shopping purchases were this denim jacket from J. Crew Factory and these awesome Old Navy sandals that I blogged about last week (they are suprisingly comfortable). I bought the J. Crew Nolita denim jacket a couple years ago on final sale, but I ended up giving it to my mom who is a few inches shorter than me with a shorter torso. It never quite fit me right (too cropped for my frame) and I'm way happier with the cut of the J. Crew Factory version.

Maxi dress: Gap

Denim jacket: J. Crew Factory

Shoes: Old Navy 

Necklace: Madewell (old)

The sun is finally out and *most* of the snow is melted (still a few piles here and there) so I'm thinking it's a good time for baby M to make his appearance? I've been taking my evening primrose oil, drinking some rasberry leaf tea, and continuing the many, many squats I've been doing these last  couple of months but I don't think any of it is really doing much. If anything, I have less cramping that I had between 33 and 36 weeks ha. And baby is only getting bigger...and bigger. I'm thinking about trying this Hypnobaby "Come OUT baby" track, suggested by my sister-in-law, but Stephen is definitely against it.

And for Five Favs this week, here's a round-up of some natural birth stories that I've been reading:

1. Anne's birth story was really encouraging to me, since she makes a natural birth seem totally feasible (not easy, but feasible)

2. I can't believe that Martha was 10 cm when they first checked her at the hospital - that is awesome.

3.  Sarah's birth story is another great natural birth story.

4. And so is Katrina's.

5. Lastly, for the craziest of them all (and then some), is Indiana's.

Let's hope mine isn't nearly as crazy. Linking up with Five Favorites and What I Wore Wednesday.

Pink Blush giveaway + what I wore Weds

I wore this outfit out to dinner with Stephen the other night and he approved. 

I'm discovering that it isn't exactly easy to find things to wear these last weeks of pregnancy; a lot of my former favorite shirts don't quite reach over the belly anymore. But this tunic is perfect: I love the length, it fits without looking like a tent, and it's my favorite shade of burgundy. It's also wonderfully versatile (with a scarf, cardi, vest, jeans, leggings, etc.) which is a must for maternity wear since the same few pieces end up on repeat. I had a hard time deciding on this tunic though, because Pink Blush has so much great maternity wear (their maternity clothing is both trendy and reasonably priced!). Some of my favorite maternity clothes on their site: this top and this one, this dress (which I reaaaallly want but is probably not practically with only a few weeks left to go) and this skirt. They're graciously giving away a $25 gift card to a reader, and you can enter below...

And 5 favorites this week (clearly last rotation of med school = lots of time on Pinterest):

1. This quote (a beautiful life philosophy)

2. Pink peonies (so gorgeous and spring-y)

3. Such a pretty dress, courtesy of Boden

4. A lovely, simple outfit (and another one)

5. And lastly, this video on real beauty that I saw on the Today Show this morning (made me cry - thank you pregnancy hormones).

Top: Pink Blush, c/o

Vest: J. Crew Factory

Jeans: J. Brand Maternity

Booties: Sam Edelman (thrifted)

Linking up with Pleated Poppy and Hallie

a Rafflecopter giveaway

An outfit + five looks for fall

Lace sweatshirt: J. Crew

Wine crops: the Limited

Shoes: Sperry's

This outfit is actually what I wore Sunday, but since I've been a bad blogger and haven't posted in forever here it is now. I won't give too many excuses for not posting except to say that I submitted residency applications Sunday and have been working weird shifts day-after-day in the ER on top of not feeling very well recently. Ok maybe that was too many excuses. But at any rate, I've missed blogging.

Fall is my absolute favorite time of year for style. Nothing quite beats a big chunky scarf, a pair of boots in the perfect shade of grey or brown, or a classy blazer. Here are five of my favorite fall looks floating around Pinterest lately:

1. Booties for the win

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2. Classy neutrals

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3. Perfect blazer + chambray

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4. Pretty lace + heels

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5. Chunky houndstooth scarf

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Linking up with Hallie and Agi.