.sleep, my little one.

even though the smart thing would be for me to be sleeping as well [it's 1:30 am], i can't help but just stare at this little man for hours on end. he is my world.

sleep well, little one. momma loves you so very much.

.holiday wish list: the jack edition.

[SHOP: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10]

This year for christmas, even though Jack is only going to be 2 months old, he sure knows what he wants ;)

And while his father thinks we shouldn't get him anything, I strongly disagree. I mean, it's his first christmas Mr. Scrooge!! So while Jack continues to be on the 'nice' list [and I continue to sneak a couple things to fill his stocking], here are some items on his wish list and that he hopes to find under the tree.

1| i have loved these little handmade moccasins forever. so i think it's about time that i ordered some for our little man. i personally love the walnut shade, but the chocolate brown suede, dark brown, sienna suede, gold and red are also on my lust list. and they will
2| mr. man needs these blocks. period. large and modern and oh so cool.
3| these blabla finger puppets are not only to die for cute, but awesome quality as well. and jack has the large version of the fox too! sadly, looks like they are sold out at the time being.....time to go on the wait list!
4| batman was always my favorite superhero. bruce was always the most mysterious and sexiest. and this sweater just rocks.
5| any of the pendleton blankets has me swooning and i just want to wrap up jack nice and tight in it. this pattern is pretty darn cool though and would go so well in jack's nursery.
6| this wood pirate ship is just awesome. a little more on the pricey side, but will last the test of time.
7| books are my favorite thing to give a child but when it features andy warhol, it just takes it to that next level of favorite.
8| manny and simon toys are some of the most durable ones that i've bought jack [he has the train set] and this manly loader truck is super cool. actually any of the manly trucks are pretty cool.
9| again with the blabla dolls. i just can't get enough of them. this wolf is the next on jack's list and i think it'll quickly become his favorite. he needs the mini one i'm thinking.
10| baby moccasins! do you even need an explanation?!? these are ridiculously adorable.

.a baby shower, round two.

A couple weeks ago, my absolutely lovely friends [fiona + morgan] threw me and the little mr. a baby shower, which was absolutely a blast. I was blown away by the thoughtfulness and creative decor that the girls put together. It was more than I could have imagined, and I can't thank them enough for such a great time. It was simply lovely and a highly recommended way to spend a snowy Sunday. 

Mr. Jack got more love than he knew what to do with and was spoiled beyond words. This wee man is quickly becoming the most stylish person in our house. And is already the coolest by far, all at 5 weeks old.

A few wonderful details that made my heart swell, were the peter rabbit pinwheels [so cute to include daddy's name!], the blueberry tea bar [a personal favorite drink of mine!], the pregnancy progression garland of jack and myself, the onesie station, and the polaroids of each guest holding my little guy. 

HEART. SWELLING.

So thank you ladies, for reinforcing what sweet friends I have. You guys are the greatest. xo.

.our maternity shoot: project life photography.

While we are waiting to receive our maternity photos from our photographer [the incredible Meg with ELS Photography] we did receive a few pictures from our second shooter that I thought I'd share, as I simply love them so much.

Erin with Project Life Photography shot all these lovely images and most definitely did not disappoint us one little bit. What a treat! I looked back on these and find fresh tears on my face as I remembered carrying my little bundle of joy, our wee Mr. Jack, and how wonderful I felt as a soon-to-be new momma. I truly felt like I could take on the world and just wanted to ooze my happiness on everyone. If I was completely honest, I would admit that I felt simply radiant. 

So thank you Erin, for capturing how I felt those precious weeks leading up to meeting my little man. We will cherish these forever.

**I highly recommend checking out Erin's site....as I'm pretty sure she has a few bookings left before christmas! Hello family christmas cards or christmas gifts for the grandparents ;)

And stay tuned for our pictures coming soon from the exceptional Meg. I'm sure they will ooze with awesomeness!!!!!

.first week survival items: for baby.

one | two | three | four | five | six | seven | eight | nine

one] mamaroo: a gift from grandpa wayne [my dad] and a freaking lifesaver! seriously, this magical ride has allowed me to shower, do laundry, blog, read, watch a movie, take a bath, brush my teeth, etc. etc. it has basically has given me a life to do some normal things without having to tote around the little man. he stays nestled nice and tight and if he's fussing at all, i just turn on the 'car ride' motion and for the most part he's in heaven. he has also moved from co-sleeping [although, after daddy leaves in the morning, jack's goes right into bed with me for a morning cuddle and sleep] to snoozing in this at night. he seems to prefer the tightness of this better than our bassinet. best.gift.ever.

two] baby socks / mitts: while, i didn't think that would need these, i was very wrong. babies have the sharpest little nails and just love to have their hands in their faces at all times. poor little man really tried to do a number on himself! and while we went with tiny itty-bitty socks to cover jack's hands, these adorable mittens are just too cute. 

three] extra wipes: so completely necessary! and having a bunch of extra's around has saved me numerous trips to the store. i like to use the sensitive ones as they are basically water and cloth, without all the washing.

four] pacifiers: most nurses will tell you to not give your newborn a pacifier until you are well established in the breastfeeding department. and while i completely agree with them on that one and tried to keep a 'soother' out of jack's mouth for the recommended 1 month, it just didn't happen. the little man needed something immediately to calm him and after eating his fill of milk [we did pretty well right off the bat in the breastfeeding department], my poor sore nipples just couldn't take the extra 'play time' jack wanted. so after we figured out that he was just using me as a soother anyways, we introduced a nuk style pacifier and it saved our sanity and my boobies!

five] newborn / premie onesies: i was totally surprised when my 7.4 lbs baby didn't seem to fit anything we had for him. so i totally recommend picking up a couple newborn/premie onesies for those first couple weeks. and for summer, go with short sleeves; winter, stick with the long.

six] nursing pillow: at first i wasn't sure how much use i would get out of this, but after purchasing it on sale at a 50% discount at toys r us, i went for it and boy was i happy that i did! most used item by far for breastfeeding. i carry it with me from room-to-room.
seven] extra diapers: we've gone with cloth diapering at home [at least we're trying] and disposables for our and about. however, most of my cloth diapers are too large for the wee boy, so having a ton of extra diapers around has been a saving grace. especially considering this child poops 100 times a day!

eight] swaddling blankets: i've mentioned these [and my love for them] about a million times, but they really are just so awesome: the aden & anais swaddling blankets. as any new momma will tell you, most new babies like the feel of being cozy and warm [i mean they where basically in a tight heat machine for 10 months!]. so after discovering the benefits of a tight swaddle, little jack slept longer at night and i felt assured that he was cozy and warm. a win win. they can also double as a breastfeeding cover, stroller blanket, burp cloth, spit rag, etc. etc! i personally prefer the bamboo style of material [so incredibly soft!], but these bejeweled colors are pretty darn awesome too!

nine] baby lotion: this heavenly mom and baby balm was lathered over little jack day and night. with him being born in the middle of october and with us albertan's getting a bit of a cold hit early this year, his newborn skin was all sorts of dry. this totally helped with the little guys flakey and dry skin. the normal shea butter is pretty awesome too and totally soft enough for your little babe or yourself [click here to view].