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Here you will find recent home and fashion favorites, gift ideas along with information on mothering and wellness.

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Postpartum Must-Haves

I had a rougher time postpartum physically than I expected and hoped for and E had colic pretty bad the first few months (he’s finally doing better, praise God!). Here are things that we got to help during that time and what I actually used for myself and will use again next time.

Must-Haves for Mama:

I had a whole stock of different brands of sprays, ointments, pads, and the Frida Mom Recovery Kit — the above are all that I used and recommend. Everything else was too complicated and too much of a pain in for me to use while I was weak and in pain.

Must-Haves for Baby:

We bought some of these items out of desperation trying to find something to soothe E while his colic was at it’s worst those first weeks and what I’m sharing below is what seemed to help most and worked for us. It was a hard time... for anyone looking for reassurance — just know it’ll pass even though it doesn’t feel like it will.

Another thing that really helped us get through the hard first few months was making sure to set aside time to spend with the Lord. Whether that meant going outside for a few minutes to pray, reading the Bible, listening to worship music or just reading the few verses about being awake at night that I wrote and put on our bathroom mirror to see easily while awake changing diapers, etc.

Tiana 9/11/23 Tiana 9/11/23

Two Months Old

Two months with this angel baby today! ♡

Tiana 8/11/23 Tiana 8/11/23

One Month Old

Our sweet boy is one month old today! It has been one of the hardest and most joy-filled months of my life. We are absolutely obsessed with him and so thankful.

Tiana 7/15/23 Tiana 7/15/23

Making Hospital Birth Comfortable

We were fully prepared and planning on a home birth but unfortunately a third trimester ultrasound and some doctors overstepping (and being biased against home birth) ruined that for us and we were forced into a hospital birth.

All that to say, these are the things I brought, used and recommend bringing to make a hospital birth more comfortable and to feel a bit more like home.

A comb. I know it sounds strange but this was a lifesaver for me and really helped to distract from contraction pain. I had this comb in my hand the entire time.

A birth gown. It was definitely not necessary but I hate hospitals and it made me feel more comfortable to labor in. I wore it to the hospital and didn’t have to change when I got there which was nice and took the edge off as well. Mocha Delivery Gown, Milk and Baby.
I also wore this nursing bra to make things easier once baby was delivered so I didn’t have to change or feel exposed at any point. Auden Nursing Bralette, Target.
My favorite comfortable throw blanket from Target. I really enjoyed having this to help myself feel at home, it was nice having something soft and comforting while I was in pain (especially in the car on the drive there).
Honey sticks, Liquid IV, gum / mints and snacks. My favorites were apple sauce pouches, Belvita and Nature’s Bakery Fig bars because they’re easy to eat when I don’t have an appetite or if I’m nauseous.
Flameless candles to make the atmosphere more comfortable. These candles flicker like a true candle and made everything feel calmer after we turned down the bright lights and put these in the delivery room and bathroom.
Travel / car diffuser with USB charging cord, Amazon and essential oils, Young Living. Lavender and Neroli for any stress, tension or headaches. Peppermint for headaches. Lemon for nausea. Orange for energy. Clary Sage and Cypress for their medicinal properties. I had a lavender Aroma Ring in the entire time I was there to help me stay calm. I brought my oils in this travel case to keep them organized and easy to grab quickly.
Birth Affirmation Cards — here’s a link to the cards I used here.

|| Young Living — Get 10% off with your first order with promo code: SHAREYL ||

Tiana 4/10/23 Tiana 4/10/23

Preparing for Baby E

We are going for a very minimal setup right now because we are in a one bedroom but here are some of the things we’ve added to our baby registry. I had a hard time finding out what was most important vs completely unnecessary - I hope this helps any moms who are trying to build their registry. Once baby is here I’ll make sure to share what we ended up using.

Nursery Must Haves:

Feeding:

Infant Care:

This section has been updated after our newborn season to include items we wish we had right when we got home and recommend having on hand.

Travel & Transportation:

Nuna Stroller & Carseat Travel System | Car Seat Cover | Beanko Diaper Changing Station | Nuna Wind Cover | Nuna Cup Holder

Tiana 4/3/23 Tiana 4/3/23

Bonn Baby Shower 2023

Our baby shower was on Saturday April 1st, 2023, the rain stopped just before the shower and allowed us a perfect warm afternoon. The theme was “spring duckling” and we chose a bright spring theme with a white and powder blue color scheme. Decor was rustic serving trays, simple florals, citrus fruits and rabbits added here and there.

We wanted the food to have a casual picnic feel to it so we served croissant sandwiches, wraps, veggie cups with ranch, fresh fruit, strawberry vanilla cupcakes, cookies and pastries for dessert. Each guest was given a small basket, honey stick, mini jam jar, tangerine and chocolate chip cookies as a favor to take home.

We are incredibly thankful for our family letting us use their home to have this shower and for helping to set everything up and shower my husband and I as we anticipate the arrival of our sweet boy this summer.