All in a Day {+ Giveaway Winner}

Y'all, I keep saying I'm going to blog more regularly (and in my mind I'd like it to be about something other than my kid or being a mom). I really miss it so thanks for putting up with me!

Also thank you to everyone who entered the Day Designer for Blue Sky Planners giveaway! Congrats to the winner, Meg! Yay! I'm so glad you all loved the planners and I wish I could rig it so everyone could win.

Today I'm sharing a small glimpse of our day.

I can't even count how many times I've been asked how I work from home with a baby or what our schedule looks like, so here it is in all of its hectic, exhausting glory. I honestly love that I get to be home with him, but we are floating the idea of a nanny just to get some help as he gets more active. The schedule below is a typical non-work day, so for specifics about working with a baby see the end of the post!

I've mentioned before that we have been using the Moms on Call schedule with Rowan since he was about 4 weeks old. We follow it loosely, so if he sleeps in (this rarely happens, my little alarm clock) we just push everything back a bit. If he seems hungry before his next feeding then I feed him early. No big deal. The structure has really helped us all but it's also flexible enough that I can shift things around to accommodate my work schedule. I also credit Moms on Call for R sleeping through the night at 8 weeks old!  He had some issues (I'm looking at you 4 month sleep regression) but I think we are back on track now!

6 AM - Nurse Rowan when he wakes. (I'm basically sleeping with my eyes open at this point)

6:30 AM - Mama gets some coffee and a bagel, R plays in his bouncy chair or does some supervised tummy time

7:30 AM - Naptime for R. I try to shower during this nap but to be honest if I shower before 5 PM most work days then its a shocker! I just don't have time because I have to be super productive during naps.

9:30 AM - Nurse R. I'm usually bored nursing him so I try to catch up on blogs on my phone or buy something on Amazon #itsaproblem

10:00 AM - Feed R solids. Lately this consists of oatmeal cereal and a pureed fruit or veggie (he has limited options since we're waiting every 4 days to introduce new foods). We do playtime after that until his next nap.

11:00 AM - Naptime for R after we read a couple books.

12:30 PM - Nurse R then playtime. He loves his jumperoo during this time.

2 PM - Naptime for R. He has been fighting this one the past week. Ah!

4:00 PM - Nurse R.

4:30 PM - Feed R solids (fruit + veggie) then playtime. He usually has a lot of energy by this point so tummy time and the jumperoo are key.

5 PM - Cat nap for R.

6:30 PM - Bath time with Daddy. R loves his bath and my husband is so great at taking over baby duties when he gets home from work. Major kudos to that guy, I love him.

7 PM - Bottle feed with Daddy while mama makes dinner, then my husband reads to him until he tries to eat the books. (Listening to them read might be the sweetest sounds I've ever heard)

7:30 PM - Bedtime for R, dinner time for us.

8 PM - Collapse onto the couch, the dirty dishes usually have to wait.

9:30 PM - Pump. Literally the most boring time of my day... I hate pumping. But I have to keep up our freezer supply because the bottle feeding really helps us make sure R gets a good feed in to sleep through the night. He is currently eating almost 9 ounces at his 7 PM feed! Love my little chunker.

After that, we try to go to bed. I've always been a night owl though so I do my blog reading and writing, online shopping (oops), and catch up on social media before dozing off.

Work Days

As far as working goes, I get a lot of work done in the morning and during his naps. You learn quickly how productive you can be during those nap times! I never really take a lunch break because I use Rowan's feeding sessions as my break. I'm usually scarfing down some sort of unhealthy snack whenever I get a second. 

My main goals for the workday are: hit my 8 hours and get everything done that I need to (sometimes that requires me working once my husband gets home) and always be accessible via phone or email for my coworkers and customers.

The days are long but it's completely worth it to be able to see him roll over for the first time, see his hilarious expressions when he tries new foods, and watch him learn to sit up on his own!

I know not everyone is interested in this kind of thing but for some reason I always like hearing about the schedules of other mamas. If you made it through this post, congratulations I'm thoroughly impressed!

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Happy Friday {+ Blue Sky Planner Giveaway}

Happy Friday, friends!

Well, we made it through another crazy summer week. Its hard to believe it's almost August! I swear one of these days I'm going to get my act together to blog more regularly, I'm hoping a new planner will help me do the trick!

I mentioned earlier this week that I'm obsessing over these gorgeous planners by Day Designer for Blue Sky Planners! They teamed up to design affordable, chic planners exclusively for Target. (Because we needed another reason to shop at Target, right?!) They come in all sorts of stripes, floral, and geometric designs, but I'm partial to that floral one below!

Ruby Stripe Planner, Blue Casebound Planner, and Peyton Create Your Own Planner c/o Blue Sky Planners

I honestly can't get enough of these pretty planners to keep myself organized, especially now that things are a whole lot more hectic with a baby.

There is something about physically writing my schedule and to-do list down... I'm so much better at following them versus using apps on my phone. Anyone else the same way?

I'm loving the schedule, to-do list and "top three" sections on the weekly pages. They are perfect for keeping me on track with work, errands, blogging, and even meal planning which I'm hoping to get back into!
 
And because I know y'all would probably rather win a pretty planner than read more of my rambling... enter below to win you choice of a Day Designer for Blue Sky Planner below! You have until July 29th to enter, good luck!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Currently

Loving:  A bottle of wine on a weeknight (bonus points if its this rosé sangria), this adorable Baby Aspen shark robe you may have seen Rowan sporting on Instagram, and these gorgeous Day Designer for Blue Sky Planners.

P.S. You can enter to win one of these right here tomorrow!

Loathing: Post-partum hair loss (going on 3 months here... insert all the crying emojis. Also are you sick of hearing about this yet?), searching for a nanny, and the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale! Ugh. If I see fringe booties one more time...

I'll admit though I did make a few purchases, including a pair of booties. I thought maybe I'd hop on that trend like 4 years late. I'm definitely not cool enough to pull off the fringe ones though. 

Looking Forward to: The end of Summer.. because, humidity. And why are we all so busy during the summer? Aren't we supposed to be relaxing with a margarita in hand?

Also I know its a little premature but I got pretty excited when I saw the baby Halloween costumes on PBK's website this week. Holidays with a baby... be still my heart!

Pinning: Homemade baby food recipes. I swore I wouldn't be one of those "all organic for my baby" moms, but it turns out I am, at least in the food department. Homemade purees are actually way easier to make than I expected!

Learning: How to use Snapchat! So I've been using it for a while with my friends and I still have barely any knowledge of what I'm doing. Follow my blog account HomeSweetRuby for a completely unedited glimpse of our daily shenanigans, my favorite spots in Charleston, sneak peeks at new home decor, and maybe a video or two featuring yours truly. #yikes

Giving extra love to: Our sweet Ruby. She is learning her way around a baby that grabs her fur and tosses toys to the floor with reckless abandon.

Even though she kisses him any chance she gets, I still get the side eye from her most of the day. Once Rowan is in bed though, she comes out of her shell and gets really playful again.

So there is a quick update for y'all! I hope you're having a great week so far.. we're halfway to the weekend!

Linking Up with Natalie & Annie!

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Traveling with an Infant :: Tips and Tricks

I know there are about a billion "traveling with an infant" posts floating around these days (I swear I've read them all, that's how I know) but I thought I'd throw my two cents in the mix and share with you the one thing I really wished I had.

As prepared as I was, each baby is different and each mama is different. For example, I hate nursing in public. I instantly become a hot mess and I don't think Rowan is a fan of me sweating all over him. That meant getting 12 ounces of breastmilk through security and having to pump at 2:30 AM thanks to delays and flight changes. And in case you are wondering... yes, it did feel like my boobs were about to explode. Woof. 

Also it should be noted that I was a ball of nerves for the first flight. But I managed to fly by myself with Rowan on his first airplane ride, sans diaper explosions and meltdowns. In fact the folks in the row in front of us on one flight said they didn't even know a baby was behind them! Hopefully Rowan won't make me eat my words the next time we fly!

Here are a few of the things that got us through our first plane trip...

Book Late Flights :: Though late flights tend to have delays more often (ours did and it was no fun), I think it was the best way to fly with a baby. I was able do his last feeding at 7:30 during takeoff or just before we boarded and he was tired enough to sleep through all of the flights. He did wake up during announcements on the plane and when I had to book it across the Baltimore airport for our connection, but he was tired enough from the stimulation that he went right back to sleep. Whew! 

Baby Carrier :: I used my Solly Wrap which I love because its really comfortable and easy to get Rowan in and out of for quick diaper changes. However, he has become quite the nosy kid and was trying to turn to the front constantly so an Ergo would have been ideal in our situation. Going through security with Rowan in the wrap was a breeze. He doesn't like to be in it when I'm sitting so I ended up holding him, but it gave me lots of snuggle time with him and I loved it!

Backpack :: I read this over and over again in other blog posts but had no backpacks in my house to use, so I figured I'd just use my regular baby bag. That was such a mistake! It was so hard to carry two carry-on bags, put them in the bin above my seat (only 1 person offered to help on 4 flights), all while keeping R safe and calm in my Solly wrap.

Elizabeth Bag c/o Lily Jade

So take it from me and use a backpack. Even better... get yourself a Lily Jade baby bag like the Elizabeth that converts to a backpack! This is the one thing I really wish I had for my flight. It has tons of storage to keep you organized and the strap can be converted from a crossbody to a backpack!

Overnight Diapers :: I picked up this tidbit from Stephanie and it helped me avoid diaper changes on all 4 of my flights. I think I got lucky on the no blowout thing though!

HALO SleepSack :: I got wise after trying to keep a blanket on Rowan for our first two flights and put ended up putting a SleepSack on him for our return flights. He's used to sleeping in them so I think he associates them with sleeping. Plus it was chilly on the plane and this was the easiest thing to do since warmer clothes weren't an option outside.

Car Seat :: I opted to have a convertible seat delivered to my destination but had I chosen to fly with Rowan's car seat and stroller I would have gate checked them (it's free) to give them a better chance at making it with us when we arrived. I also would have gotten a gate check bag to protect it from the elements and make it obnoxiously easy to spot when deplaning.

Feeding :: If you're not a fan of nursing in public, check in advance to see if the airports you are flying into have Nursing Mothers' Rooms like the one below at Pittsburgh International Airport.

This room was so helpful! It had a changing table, chair, side table, and outlets in case you needed to pump. You had to use a phone outside the door to get a code in order to access the room, so no random people would be able to walk in on you. 

Bottles/Take Off and Landing :: I was so worried about Rowan having ear problems because of the pressure, so I prepped 4 small bottles to use during take off and landing for all of our flights. That helped me avoid dealing with my lack of coordination while nursing him. He sucked the first one down before we even started taking off (guess I started that a tad early while we were taxiing!) but was totally fine with a pacifier. Just pack the bottles in a bottle cooler and make sure you have an ice pack touching them.

Going through security with breastmilk was no big deal, they just removed the bottles, tested them in a machine, and off we went. 

So there you have it, a few of my must-haves and tips for flying with a baby! As far as long car rides go, we also tried to make our 7 hour trek at night so he would sleep. Even with just 2 feedings during our road trip, 7 hours turned into 10. Ugh! Needless to say we're still working on perfecting the road trip with a baby thing! 

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Rowan's Baptism

This weekend I put on heels, (tried) to hide my receding hairline, ate my weight in dessert, and hosted 25+ friends and family at our home all in honor of Rowan's baptism.

Being so far away from both sides of the family, we did not expect to have such a huge crowd of people there to celebrate with us and it made the day oh so perfect! Rowan was a total ham all weekend, he is at such a fun stage right now!

We took tons of family photos but I dropped the ball on taking photos during the party. And somehow I didn't take a photo of my son by himself in his adorable smocked baptism romper! Mom fail. I did take a few photos of the food though... I guess I need to adjust my priorities?

I whipped up three batches of buttercream frosting mere minutes before the first non-family guests arrived, so needless to say there were no pretty rose cupcakes but they were still delicious.

Of course it was hot as balls so no one stepped outside the house during the party to play lawn games, but I couldn't blame them. Thank goodness my kid has a winter birthday now that we are Southerners.

I felt like I was in party prep mode all last week so as special as this past weekend was, I'm glad I can finally put my feet up and put a dent in some of the leftover wine. I hope you all had a fab weekend!

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Happy Weekend

Hey friends!

I just wanted to pop in and wish you all a happy weekend! I've been busy with party prep but I'm so looking forward to getting back into the swing of things next week.

Because I'm crazy and don't have enough food to make for the 30+ people that will be here, I'm making a layered cake and cupcakes for this shindig. Eek! Wish me luck! Make sure to follow in Instagram to get some sneak peeks :)

Cheers to the weekend! I hope you all have a good one!

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Our Fourth of July

There is something about a 3 (or 4) day weekend that is good for the soul. How can I get a few more of those?!

If you know me, you know I'm pretty holiday-obsessed. But the 4th of July will always be special.

This time last year we were telling our parents they were about to be grandparents, and making them swear to keep it a secret from the rest of the family for a few more weeks.

Fast forward a year, and we get to look at this sweet face everyday.

You won't see any photos of the fireworks we watched, the strawberry pie that disappeared before our eyes, or the wine that was consumed, mostly because Rowan had a full schedule and we had to keep up with his appearances.

Said appearances consisted of meeting another great-grandma, meeting my good friends from college including Louise and her sweet babe (instant bffs.. Seriously how are babies so cute together?!), his first trip to Siesta Key, and his first swim in the pool. He wasn't a fan of the beach, I suspect it's due to the 100 degrees with 100% humidity thing like his mama, but we'll try again in a few months.

 

He did tolerate his pool float when he figured out he could eat it so there's that.

Now it's back to the grind... making to-do lists out the wazoo and party prepping for this weekend! I hope you all had a safe and happy 4th of July! Yay, America!

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Recent Things

Hello friends! I didn't intentionally take a blog break but we're crazy and decided to do Rowan's first flight and road trip in a matter of weeks so I kind of lost track of time!

First I have to say thank you to all of you who commented and emailed about my last post. I just want to clarify that everything is great in this neck of the woods! I think it's good to hear from other mamas going through the same thing, strength in numbers right?

So just to keep y'all up to speed...

+ Rowan is almost 5 months old! How in the world did that happen? He has been learning so much lately and is very social. Now I know why mamas love this stage!
 
+ He was a champ on our flights, even when we got in at 2:30 AM after multiple delays. He slept through all four flights (we had to connect) and although I was a ball of nerves, he did great. I did learn a few things along the way so I'll share those next week!

+ We finally hung some shelves on the walls in the nursery and I feel like we are more settled in the new house. It will be nice to be able to do more fun things rather than devote our entire weekend to cleaning and organizing... because who wants to do that four weekends in a row?!

+ I'm embarassed to say that I'm still debating rugs for our living space. Y'all I am the worst decision maker. I have seen some that I like but I can't commit. Hoping Home Goods might surprise me with something this weekend!

+ Currently planning a big picnic we're hosting next weekend! We're going to have a lot of family in town and friends stopping by, so we've got a ton of food to make. If you have any good appetizer or side dish recipes you love, please share! I'm sure I'll be losing my mind Friday night trying to prep everything.

I'm so excited to have more time for blogging and DIY projects now that things are slowing down a little! Thanks for bearing with my MIA-self lately!

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