Our niña, Lillie Sol, made her debut Earth side on August 1st at exactly 4pm weighing in at 6 pounds 12 ounces. One week early. Her cry is slightly raspy and soft, she nurses like a champ, her features are small and delicate (my petite little mama), and she’s already smiling. Her papi and big brother are smitten and I’m head over heels for my princess. Lillie Sol you are our dream come true.
A few weeks ago my beautiful loves gathered in Brooklyn together to celebrate my daughter, Lillie Sol. Lucas’s baby shower was a huge affair and this time around I wanted something a bit more simple and intimate (and ladies only!). Besides getting stuck in traffic on the way there the afternoon was magic. I am just so thankful that I have a group of women in my life that care so deeply for my family and I. My little princess is quite the lucky little girl with so many tia’s that love her so much already!
This post was supposed to go up a few weeks ago but let’s just blame pregnant mama brain here..
Images by the lovely Belle / DIA New York
Maternity shots are tricky business. I find that I am most drawn to images that are natural and not over done. Too fussy and overly thought out bump photos make me nervous! When the lovely and talented Belle offered to take maternity portraits I jumped at the chance. I am drawn to her style and beautiful creativity and I felt confident she would capture my growing belly and I just how I envisioned.
Everything is happening so fast now. Prepping and getting ready for baby girl to arrive. I remember Ivan and I washing Lucas’s first load of laundry and how emotional and giddy we both were. Cooing over how teeny tiny all the clothes were and carefully folding them into his new dresser.
This week it was our little girls turn. I clipped tags and loaded up the laundry bag and Ivan got elevator duty, lugging everything up and down. I set up the racks and soon we were both hanging everything to dry. Pastels and whites, florals and sweet hearts hung from the bars. It just made everything feel so real!
I had the opportunity to work with The Laundress and try out their baby detergent and fabric conditioner. I’ve tried a few different detergents with Lucas’s clothes and we are lucky in that he has never experienced a skin reaction. At this point we use our regular detergent for his clothes but for the first two years we made sure to use detergents made especially for babies. In all honesty, I’ve never smelled a detergent as good as The Laundress. Our living room was instantly transformed into a calming little haven. Her clothes gave off the faintest, most delicate baby smell (it’s a mix of vanilla, lily of the valley, sandalwood, and lavender) and once they were dry I nuzzled into each item while folding. Both the conditioner and detergent are allergen free and perfect for all your baby related items – bedding, stuffed animals, and clothes of course.
Hey baby girl, we are almost ready for you!
baby bird tee c/o the bee and the fox
Baby girl will be here in 3 months. We are still working on a middle name and Lucas is still asking for a brother. I know his world is going to be rocked when she arrives and everyone assures me he will be head over heels for his little sister. I get all giddy and emotional when I think of how protective he will be over her and the bond they will share. We are leaving to the Dominican Republic for a family vacation/baby moon and when we get back we will start to get the crib and all her essentials ready. My mama friends weren’t kidding me – the time really does fly the second time around.
A GIRL! A GIRL!
On the first day of Spring Ivan and I walked hand in hand through the snow (yes, snow!) to our 20 week anatomy scan. I had been crossing off the days on our kitchen calendar nightly in anticipation of our appointment. We made a quick stop for coffee and croissants and chit chatted about work, life, and the newest member of our family. Two hours later and a ton of squealing, hugging, and kissing, we left the doctors and immediately called our mothers to share the news.
I’m feeling so very blessed that our sweet pea is health and very (very) active. It was the sweetest treat to stare at our beauty while the tech measured all her teeny parts. She currently weighs 13 ounces and is growing right on track. Oh my little love. We just adore you already and can’t wait until we can cover you in kisses!
Those little shoes were mine as a baby and I can’t wait see my daughter wear them!
Even though Lucas is a toddler he is still my baby! Right? Right! After Lucas finishes his nightly bath part of our routine is wrapping him up in a towel, lots of hugs, and making sure he is covered head to toe in lotion. I’m completely obsessed with this Calming Lavender Lotion. The scent is mild but just so delicious at the same time and reminds me of Lucas’s baby smell (because who doesn’t wish they could just bottle up that scent forever?). Besides smelling divine, the ingredients are a win for this mama. It’s formulated with organic Calendula and herbal ingredients and is free of any synthetic fragrance or parabens. You can read more about this fantastic company here.