Day 5: Belted Comfort

Yay belts!

I'm really happy with how this turned out. Today was Jesse's two month appointment, and I didn't have a lot of time to get ready. I love this cardigan - it's so comfy! Like wearing pajamas, but more stylish. I've never belted it before, but I definitely will again!



I feel like belting is easier for nursing than tucking was. It's easy to put a belt back on, but the retucking was...complicated.

I think this outfit is going to transition really well into fall - just switch out the sandals for some brown flats and I'm golden!



We had such a good night last night! We hung out with our friends Scott and Heidi. Their little boy is 5 months older than Jesse (and is an adorable TANK. You know those kids that are just solid? That's Caden!) We have been friends with them ever since we went on a road trip to St. George 4 years ago. Because of delays, I got home from my study abroad in England 3 hours before we left. I was INSANELY jet-lagged the whole time, but I was alert enough to think, "We need to stay friends with these people!" Now we are all married and have kids. it is so much fun! They are so COMFORTABLE to be around. I know that we will have a great time and talk for hours, even if nothing is planned. Friends like that are a gift. (Also, Heidi is my Zumba buddy. Yay!)


Green Cardigan: Target
Lacy Tank Top: Maurice's
Brown Belt: Borrowed from Jon
Jeans: Motherhood
Gold Sandals: Forever Young
Earrings: Mayflowers from Plimoth
Crane Necklace: Provo Farmer's Market

Day 4: Inspired by a Stoplight

Instead of green, yellow, red, I've got blue-green, mustard and coral!

I was SO MUCH more confident with this challenge. My closet is mostly solids, so it was way easier than, say, pattern mixing.

I haven't ever worn these pieces together - I was afraid it would be too bright. I'm glad I had an excuse!




Laura is both a big-ring fanatic, and big ring-fanatic. I needed one more pop of color for my outfit and she came through for me! In fact, she had FIVE rings that would have worked for this.



Jesse has been enjoying being outside during all this picture taking, but today was just not his favorite. So he decided that he was going to add to all the colors! He's my best-looking accessory.



Cardigan: Nordstrom Rack
Tank top: 2 Love
Capris: Gift from a friend
Shoes: Forever Young
Earrings: Provo Farmer's Market
Ring: Borrowed from Laura, my sister-in-law
Necklace-as-bracelet: Thrifted

Catching Up: Jesse's First Month

July 21, 2011

Dear Jesse,

Welcome to our family! It is ridiculous how much we love you already.



You spent your first five days at home sleeping in a suitcase. It was so hard for your dad and I! We could only take you out when you were being fed and changed. I *might* have taken longer to feed you than was necessary, just so I could hold you a little longer. You hated it too - the first night Dad and I spent sleeping on the floor next to you so we could hold your hand and reassure you. Your mask was particularly annoying - it gave you terrible baby acne! We were so relieved when the doctor said your bilirubin levels were high enough!



You are so strong already! When Dad holds you on his shoulder you arch your back so you can look around. Wobble, wobble, wobble, FACEPLANT! It's hard with a 90th percentile head! Sorry, kiddo, you get that from BOTH sides. It makes tummy time a little difficult, too. When you raise your head up, you overbalance yourself and your bum and legs lift up as your head crashes down. It's pretty amusing.



You are such a GOOD BABY. I don't have any idea how that happened, but we aren't complaining! You don't cry much, and when you do, you don't cry for long. It's as if you know that your objections have been noted, and now you can calmly wait for your problem to be fixed. We even took you to the fireworks on the Fourth of July, and they didn't faze you at all! I also took you to the midnight show of the very last Harry Potter movie. I sat on the aisle and was ready to run out if you so much as squeaked. You ate, then fell asleep! My good boy.



You sure love that Dad guy. You did right away! When you went to the nursery to be poked and prodded, you were fine as long as you could hold your dad's finger. We were so lucky that he was able to get three whole weeks off of work to take care of us! He was better than me at getting your burps out. Now that he's back at work, you get so excited when he gets home! Your vision still isn't good enough to see him, but you can hear his voice, and you'll twist your head to find him. And much to my chagrin, at about three and a half week-old, you smiled at him first.



You love baths - the warmth and water calms you, just like your mama! You HATE being taken out, though. It's too cold! It's ok, I don't like getting out either. What you love best, though, is being rocked and listening to someone sing or hum. I've had to brush up on my primary songs!



My favorite trick is to kiss your cheek when you are hungry and watch you try to eat my face. You get so mad, and I think it's so funny! I'm a mean mama. Dad loves to tickle you and zerbet your tummy. It makes you so confused! You know you should react, but you just don't know how.



We call you Tiny and Stinky McStinkerton. Dad say that you are his Tiny Sweetie, and I am his Sweetie. He calls you Mr. Spaceman when he holds you above his head to dislodge the burps, and says "Atta boy, Luther!" when he is successful. I call you Little One and Fussbudget and Jesse Boy.



Whatever we call you, you are our boy, and we love you more than we thought was possible.



Love,
Mom and Dad

Day 3: Lack of Patterns

This morning I pulled out every single piece of clothing I had with a pattern. I had 6 pieces to choose from, all in different color families, except for this top and skirt. I just don't wear a lot of patterns. When I shop, I automatically pick solids. This is boring. Especially since patterns hide spit up, as I discovered this morning!



I now have a new mantra: I will be open to patterns.



Once again, my shoes are a gift from Jon. He has a real talent for picking out shoes I will adore.



I'm not sure if I'm a huge fan of the pattern mixing yet, but I think Jesse pulls it off with aplomb! (He has a lot more patterned clothes to choose from!)


Top: Maurice's
Tank top: Shade
Skirt: Gift from my mom
Shoes: Gift from Jon
Necklace: Macy's
Earrings: Made by Chels, my sister-in-law

Day 2: Steampunk or Schoolmarm?

Top: TJ Maxx
Tank top: Shade
Belt: Borrowed from husband
Skirt: Shade
Shoes: It's been 10 years - I don't even remember!
Necklace-as-bracelet: Maurices
Bracelet: Tie from shirt

Gah. I really struggled with this one. I have this internal "rule" about not tucking things in if I don't want to call attention to my middle. Which I REALLY don't. Add to that the fact that Jesse has finally succumbed to being coughed on by his plague-ridden mother, and you have a complicated day for outfits and pictures. (He's fine. It's just a cold, and he's very pathetic.)



Hair tutorial at Sidewalk Ready - it was so easy! You will be seeing this again!



I've had these shoes since freshman year in high school. They have held up AMAZINGLY well.



Between the military look of the top and the length of the skirt, I thought that this was looking kind of Steampunky - 19th Century Victorian with a twist. So I added some bracelets that looked like gears, and a fancy updo, and felt much better about this whole tucking thing.

Then Jon came home for lunch and said that I looked like the Matron of a girl's school from 1880. At least it was the right time period! What do you think?

Day 1: Remix

Vest: Gift from my mom
Top: Halftee
Jeans: Motherhood (Yes, I'm still wearing my maternity jeans. They are so comfortable, I may never go back!)
Shoes: Christmas gift from my husband who has really good taste
Earrings: Gift from a dear friend
Charm bracelet: Gift from my mom
Pseudo wedding ring: Portobello Road
(Pictures by Laura, my lovely sister-in-law)



Jesse approves!



My vest is my remix item. I always wear it like this with a black shirt underneath, but it's a vest! Surely I can figure out other ways to wear it!



I have to tell you, I LOVE the Halftee. It makes it really simple to layer, and gives me easy access for nursing. I'm so busty that I usually need a tank to hide the excess cleavage, and the Halftee gives me the coverage without the bunching. It's not very good for those shirts you need the length in, though! (They didn't pay me or anything, I just am a huge fan.)



Jon and I bought my pearl "wedding ring" in London on our first anniversary. I'm not really comfortable traveling with my actual ring because it is so priceless to me - I would be devastated if anything happened to it. So, we got this pretty pearl one at Portobello Road (the street where the riches of ages are stowed!). Luckily, it's a little big, so when my hands got swollen during my pregnancy I was still able to wear a ring that was meaningful. Jon doesn't really like it - he thinks it makes him look cheap (silly boy). I LOVE it, though, and get compliments on it all the time. I am excited to go back to my real ring...hopefully soon!


Hey! Mooooom...gross!


This lipstick crushes my soul.


Nah, just messing with you, Mom!

The 21 Day Challenge

Ever since Jesse was born 7 weeks ago, I have been living in PJs and housedresses.

Now, I don't think that's a bad thing! I've been getting used to this Mom thing, with the nursing and the bathing and the changing of the diapers. It's very moist, is what I'm saying, and having something that I could easily throw in the wash was essential.

But lately I've been feeling like it's time to start rejoining normal life. Jesse and I are on a pretty good schedule. I've been cleared to start exercising again (yay, Zumba!). Mostly, though, I always feel more accomplished if I actually get ready, even if the only thing I actually do during the day is feed myself and Jesse.



That's why I'm so excited to do Kayla's 21 Day Challenge. I don't even remember the crazy path that I followed to get to Freckles in April, but I'm so glad I did! She has a lot of great prizes - from eShakti to DownEast Basics. So I could win something awesome AND have an excuse to get back in the habit of getting ready.

I'll need your help to tell me what works and what doesn't, as I try to figure out my new body shape. Don't hesitate to say, "Ali, maybe not this..." or "Yeah, this looks great!" (Hopefully it'll be a lot of the latter!)

The first challenge is August 15th! No promises that the pictures will be good - it depends on if I can find a willing photographer!