baby girl

How Amazon’s Subscribe & Save Helps Me Save Hundreds

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

I wish I would have done this sooner. And by “this” I mean signing up for Amazon’s Subscribe & Save. I wish I would have done that while I was still pregnant so I could have a stockpile of necessities.

As a new mom–and now 8 months into this whole “mom” thing–Amazon’s Subscribe & Save has been a lifesaver for me. What is Amazon Subscribe & Save? Well, it’s a subscription service and the more you subscribe to, the bigger the discount. As long as you have 5 items arriving to your house every month, you’ll receive up to 15% off your products. If I’d go to Safeway or Target to get these things, guaranteed they’d be more expensive. Doing this has allowed me to save hundreds of dollars.

Here’s what I subscribe to:

Pampers Diapers. This has been a huge help! Not having to frantically run out to buy diapers is a plus as a new mom.
Dreft Laundry Detergent. Because babies have lots of laundry.
Happy Family Stage Two Formula. Jadyn’s main source of food is still formula, so this is a perk having it automatically delivered.
Water Wipes. Because babies poop and you can never have too many wipes.
Dreft All Purpose Wipes. I love these because you can use them on toys and on the highchair tray!

Now, I don’t get all of these every month. Every three months I’ll save 15%-20% per product, but every month is usually 5% per product. Still a killer deal! The main benefit is not having to remember to order these essentials and saving tons of money by just clicking a button.

Having them magically appear on my doorstep is also wonderful.

Do you use Amazon’s Subscribe & Save? I’d love to know what you order! Leave a comment below.

Starting Solids

I can’t believe I have a five month old. Jadyn is not only talking up a storm and can almost roll from back-to-tummy, but she’s now on solids a few times a day.

At her four month well-check, Jadyn’s pediatrician said we could start introducing solids. I always thought I had to wait till 6 months, but by the time Jadyn is 6 months, two of her meals during the day should just be solids. At four months, I thought she was still a little young to truly start, so if I was eating a banana or watermelon or cantaloupe, I’d let her try some. But once Jadyn hit four and a half months, I really thought about it and started thinking of different things to purée. Here are my go to combinations right now:

Sweet potato + apple
Sweet potato + carrot
Mashed bananas
Zucchini + apple (completely tastes like apple sauce)
Broccoli + apple

What I plan on trying next:

Peas
Pears + spinach + kale
Spinach + apple + sweet potato
Apple + spinach
Chicken + sweet potato
Cantaloupe
Watermelon (she already loves sucking the juices from melon!!)

With fruits, you don’t need to steam them (obviously)–puréeing is just fine. However, in order to keep the nutrients in the veggies, steaming is better than boiling. And one of the best gifts I received from my baby shower was the Béaba Babycook. It’s a one-stop-shop to steam and purée vegetables for your little one. I use it three times a week to make Jadyn’s concoctions. You can find the Babycook on Amazon. And for more recipe inspiration, I’ve been browsing ThinkBaby.org’s recipes page. They have some great combinations I need to try and also some tips and tricks for when Jadyn is in the toddler years.

courtesy of Amazon.com

Obviously starting solids was a slight learning curve for Jadyn since she didn’t really know what to do with a spoon, but since I have the Béaba silicone spoons, I let her play with them for a few days and every day when we eat, she’s learning that a spoon helps get food in her mouth. It’s so cute!

I also have to give a shout out to Inspired Start. They sent me a couple samples of their apples and wheat pouches to try out. What I love about Inspired Start is that each pouch contains a couple teaspoons of a common allergen like wheat, tree nut, peanut, seafood or soy, and masks it in a sweeter fruit. We’ve used the apple and wheat pouch a few times and can easily say that Jadyn does not have a wheat allergy! You can find Inspired Start only on Amazon.

I’m so excited to learn what Jadyn is going to enjoy next! It’s always an adventure with her.

What food combinations did you try with your little one when you introduced solids? Leave a comment below!

The Perfect Spring & Summer Accessory

With spring finally here (I mean, we’ll still probably get rain, but oh well…) I’m excited to start dressing Jadyn in more outfits that are bright and colorful. She has so many outfits that I’m eager to put her in, accessorize and–of course–snap a photo.

One of my favorite Etsy shops to purchase hair accessories for my daughter is Lucy Belly Designs. Owned by my friend Nina, her shop features the most luxurious leather bows, clips and hair ties for little ladies, cuffs for tweens and moms and since she opened shop last year, Nina now offers bow ties for little (and grown!) gentlemen. Nina’s shop is truly amazing.

My latest purchase just arrived yesterday! One of my favorite pieces is the Oversized Jade Bow Mommy + Me set I bought a couple months ago. I purchased it in the color Sky and I can’t wait to match with my little nugget. I also had a custom order made featuring what I like to call a “lady bug” bow. She can make anything custom–all you have to do is message her on Etsy and she’ll work with you to make a one of a kind item.

Here’s my latest trio of Lucy Belly Designs bows:

This is the Jade bow (named after my daughter Jadyn!) in orchid, the Aurora bow in quartz and the Sienna bow in tangerine. All classic sizes and I’m obsessed with these colors!

Listen, I’m not getting free bows for writing this review for Lucy Belly Designs. I have purchased almost every single one of Jadyn’s LBD bows (except for my baby shower gift set) and Nina’s bows are worth my money. I mean, can you see that I’m obsessed with these?

She has a special offer going on right now, just in time for Mother’s Day. Use code LBDMOM15 now through May 5th and receive 15% off and ensure on-time delivery for Mother’s Day!

Have you purchased any Lucy Belly Designs bows? Snap a photo and share in the comments!

What Happens Post-Baby? Here’s What They Don’t Tell You

Having a baby is truly magical, but no one really tells you what happens after your little bundle actually arrives. For me, the worst has been my postpartum hair loss. Here are some postpartum truths I’ve discovered.

1. You’ll lose your hair. Lots of it.

via GIPHY

2. Sleep deprivation is real. Like really real.

via GIPHY

3. Food? What’s that? You’ll forget to feed yourself because all you care about is feeding your child.

via GIPHY

4. Breastfeeding is hard. It’s okay to say “I’ve had enough” after you’ve given it your best shot.

via GIPHY

5. You’ll have a whole new appreciation for coffee.

via GIPHY

6. Gone are the days of social drinking.

via GIPHY

What were your truths? I’d love to know! I may even add them to this list! Leave a comment blow.

My Labor & Delivery Story: Part 1

It has been 15 days since our little one arrived and I now feel semi-human enough to share my Labor & Delivery story with you. Since it’s a pretty intense story, I’ve decided to break it up into two parts.

Disclaimer: if you’ve spent time watching beautiful YouTube videos of labor & delivery vlogs like I did before actually going into labor, let me warn you that it definitely isn’t necessarily all like that.

Sunday, December 31, 2017

You’d think that with New Years Eve, Max and I would be with our friends at a party like we were when we rang in 2017. Nope. I was either laying on the couch trying to sleep or on my birthing ball. I was able to make it to midnight to ring in 2018 while having sporadic contractions that were about 20-30 minutes apart. The contractions didn’t hurt that bad – like my regular period cramps – but I was still uncomfortable.

Monday, January 1, 2018

Courtesy of the BabyCenter app

From about 1 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. my contractions were about 4-7 minutes apart lasting 30-45 seconds, but the pain was surely picking up. It got so bad that I was literally moaning and crying in pain, waking up Max every few minutes. I was contracting the whole night that at around 4 a.m. I went into my mom’s in-law/studio unit (she lives with us) and continued my early labor there. I called Labor & Delivery at Kaiser (my healthcare provider) a few times during the night and the last time I called them, the nurses told me to come in when my contractions were about 3 minutes apart. Fast forward around 5 hours later and we’re heading to the hospital.

We got to the hospital at around 9 a.m. on New Years Day and immediately went up to Labor & Delivery. I checked in via security and the red phone and then immediately went to the triage room (of course, right after peeing in a cup). My entourage was my mom, Max and my best friend Eliana. She drove to the hospital the moment we told her we were on our way there. In the triage room, they immediately did what they had done at all my prenatal appointments: check my temperature, blood pressure and pulse. My blood pressure was elevated (I mean, can you blame me? I was in serious pain down there!!) so they gave me some medication to bring it down.

Next, the triage nurse put my IV port in. Unfortunately, she pierced right through one of my veins so I’ve had a gnarly bruise on my arm since then. It is almost gone, thank goodness. Once she got a good vein, everything in that department was fine. The doctor on-call came in to check me and do an ultrasound of Jadyn’s head positioning. She had been head down since 36 weeks, so I would have been surprised if she changed positions.

When the doctor checked me I was already 4 cm dilated and 90% effaced… In all honesty I can’t believe I did all that on my own at home. I had a horrific feeling that I was 2 cm and they were going to send me home. When they told me I was going to stay, I was so relieved. I was able to walk myself to my room, which actually had a very nice view of San Francisco and was incredibly spacious. There, I continued to labor on my own until I hit around 5.5 cm, yes, while listening to my playlist. Then I plateaued. I needed Oxytocin (commonly known as Pitocin).

I finally asked for the epidural before they started me on Pitocin, and then things dramatically changed.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of my Labor & Delivery story to see how intense things got.

She Has Arrived!

I am so happy to announce to you all that our little bundle is finally here!

Jadyn Sky made her debut at 3:17 a.m. on January 2, 2018.

Labor and delivery story to come at a later date.

xoxo,

Leigh

Officially 40 Weeks Pregnant

As of today I am 40 weeks pregnant. And so far…nothing. Our little girl is cozy in there and doesn’t seem to want to leave, while I am getting more and more uncomfortable. We are so ready and excited to meet her. I want to really see who she looks like: does she have my nose or lips? What about Max’s eyes? We are so curious and so ready.

Today is also a very bittersweet day. Today marks 10 years since my father’s passing and it feels like it just happened yesterday. Here’s what I posted on my personal Facebook account that sums things up perfectly (along with two of my favorite photos of us):

“Today is always a hard day. I cannot believe it has been 10 years since this great man left this earth. This year has been a joyous one and I know it’s because of him. He has been watching over me ever since he departed and made sure, especially these last 9 months, that his little girl will have one of her own very soon.

Today is also my official due date. Crazy how the circle of life happens, right? We want to meet you Baby W, so please arrive soon!

Miss you every day, dad. I wish you were physically here to witness this magical time, but I know you are watching from above. I love you. “

If my dad were still physically here on this earth I know he’d be so ecstatic to meet his granddaughter and be cheering me on to get her out. This time of year is always tough, but with Baby W making her debut literally at any time, this time of year will truly be joyous.

If I don’t write again before 2018, I wish you all a safe, fabulous and Happy New Year!

Let the Countdown Begin!

It’s so crazy to think that almost nine months ago I found out I was pregnant. From working my full-time job at Red Tricycle to traveling over the summer to spending as much time with friends and family on weekends as possible, this pregnancy feels like it has flown by. I can’t even believe our baby shower was two weeks ago!

I am exactly one month away from my due date!

At my 36-week appointment on Monday, it was learned that our baby girl is head down – not “I’m ready to come out now” head down, but she’s starting to adjust herself into the right position. My next appointment will be at 38 weeks if I haven’t gone into labor already.

Things are now coming together. On the 18th we had our beautiful co-ed baby shower hosted by my mom and pseudo-sister at her place (check out my photo slideshow) and it was such a fantastic afternoon celebrating baby girl. My husband’s friends drove up from Santa Cruz to spend time with us and it was just a really joyful day. Check out the slideshow below for some behind-the-scenes look at the shower.

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Now things are starting to really get real: we just started receiving all our nursery furniture that we ordered, so this weekend will consist of our hospital tour, followed by putting together the crib, dresser, bedside bassinet and changing table. I can’t wait till the nursery is completely put together! We only have her blush pink curtains hanging up there and a sign that says “Spread the Sparkle.” Check out my post about Curated Nest if you’re in the market for nursery interior design ideas!

We are getting so excited to meet our little nugget! We cannot believe she will be here in just a month (or sooner!).

Do you have any labor and delivery tips and tricks? I’d love to know! Leave a comment below.