Guest Post at La Dolce Vita

Today I'm over at La Dolce Vita guest posting about my dream home. Be sure to stop by (click HERE) and say "hello" and check out my indulgent design choices for decorating my ultimate fantasy home. Thanks again Paloma for giving me the opportunity to participate in your new series!

Advice for New Moms: Haven & Home

Today marks the final installment of the Advice for New Moms guest post series and I'd like to thank all the wonderful bloggers who contributed to the series and made it so informative (not to mention entertaining). We're finishing up strong today with Marianne Strong (sorry for the bad pun!) from Haven & Home and Marianne Strong Interiors. While Marianne is not yet a mother herself, she's had plenty of practice setting up both beautiful and functional nurseries for her many clients and she's graciously offered to share some of her wisdom here today.

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Hi Odi et Amo readers, I am so happy to here today! Since we do not have children yet I am not sure how much help I can be but I will give it a try. I may not have a little one yet but I do know a thing or two about a nurseries. Right now I am currently working on my 12th, 13th and 14th future baby rooms for clients. Nurseries are actually one of my favorite spaces to design, I love the idea of creating a little child's first space. These are tips I would give any soon-to-be Mom:

1. Get the big pieces taken care of first then worry about the rest. Gliders generally take anywhere from 6-12 weeks to come in so I usually keep them high on the priority list. I wish I could give you a source for inexpensive gliders that have GREAT fabric but I can't. All the fabulous gliders I have found come with a hefty price tag. So, choose a neutral fabric and add a pillow or throw for looks.

I also like to pick the crib early in the process. It can set the tone of the room and it gets the future parents excited when it is set up.

2. Just say no to changing tables. Any piece can be a changing table, look for something that you will use down the road. I personally love chests. I already know when we have kids that I will use this wood and metal potting table I found for a changing table. Don't be afraid to use items in unconventional ways.

3. Don't forget the ceiling. I don't think I have done a single nursery with a plain ceiling. It is an easy way to add visual interest. Also pay attention to lighting, it is a great excuse to use something fun and whimsical.

4. Throw in a bookcase if possible. You will receive items you want to display and I think every child's room should include books....especially by Eric Carle.

5. Don't neglect the walls. There are so many cute things out there for wall decor it can be mind boggling. Etsy is a great place to start. Another thing I have done over and over and never get sick of is framing several pages from a favorite book. Sometimes frames can get lost on a wall when floating solo. A gallery wall looks clean but still adds color.

6. Don't stress too much. It is likely your baby won't even be in his/her room for the first few weeks. Just make sure you feel at home in your babies nursery and they will too.

I hope this helped some. Congratulations to all the expectant mothers out there. I am blown away every time I see a baby by what a miracle the whole process really is. Enjoy this time in your/their life, from what I hear it flies by.

All images Marianne Strong Interiors.

Advice for New Moms: Pewter + Sage

I'm pleased to welcome Sarah of the blog Pewter + Sage as this week's guest blogger in the Advice for New Moms guest post series. Sarah is a new mom herself, having just had her sweet baby girl Maura just three short months ago. In addition to her new role as mommy, Sarah is also the owner of her own business, where she makes beautiful custom stationery for weddings and just about anything else you could think of. If you haven't checked out Maura's birth announcement yet, be sure to do so here; it's absolutely gorgeous.

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Hi! Odi et Amo is one of my favorite stops on my daily blog list, so I’m super excited and honored to be included in this Advice for New Mom series. Congratulations again to Averill and Dave! Can’t wait to meet your little guy and see his awesome nursery. I’ve only been a mom for 3 months now, our little girl Maura just turned 12 weeks on Friday! Sometimes my husband and I still look at her and think “We have a baby?!” It is an amazing feeling, a crazy ride, a tremendous blessing. My “advice” is a bit random, just some things I’ve been jotting down ever since Averill asked me if I’d like to participate. Hope it helps!

{Maura's Nursery}

If you get a chance before you give birth, go out and purchase some cute thank you notes. Maybe even take some time and put your return address and stamps on them. Trust me, you will need these once your little one arrives! I don’t think we will have to buy Maura any clothes until she is like 2 years old! Our family and friends and neighbors have been so generous and I have been writing a lot of thank you notes. You will not have much free time taking care of a newborn and anything like this that you can have done ahead of time will be a huge relief. On this same note, if you plan on sending out birth announcements, try and get as much done on those as you can too while still pregnant. Oh, and complete the nursery as much as you can. The two additional projects I decided to do in her room after she was born are still unfinished!!

I highly recommend setting up a changing and sleeping spot for the baby downstairs (if you have a 2 story home), this makes things much easier during the day. We have a hand-me down Pack ‘N Play from our friends in the living room where Maura loves to take naps. As terrible as it sounds, her downstairs changing spot is the kitchen table! And it turns out this is one of her favorite places to be, she is so happy just laying there smiling and playing with us. So, go with what works for you. You will figure out what that is as you go.

Keep all your receipts. Both for any gifts you are given (if they are smart enough to include a gift receipt) and for anything you buy for the baby yourself. A lot of stuff I thought we would want or need (even when we closed out our Babies R Us registry after she was born) I have not ended up using. This way I can take them back and put that money towards other things…like diapers!

If you are like us and want to/plan on having more kids, try to get your big ticket items (like the car seat, stroller, high chair, swing, bouncy seat, play mat) in neutral colors. This way you don’t have to get another version of everything if you are blessed with both genders.

If you are going to try breastfeeding, I highly recommend nursing tanks. I have four Gilligan and O’Malley nursing tank tops (2 white, 1 black and 1 gray) that I got at Target for $16.99. I wear one literally every day. With a cardigan (or zip up hoodie). Cardigans are my other best friend.

I know everyone has a different philosophy on sleeping but here’s my two cents. Try and get your little one to sleep in their crib at night as early as possible. Both you and the baby will get a better sleep. We planned on having Maura sleep in the new Pack ‘N Play we registered for in our room for the first few months. However, she didn’t really go for it. Figures, she likes the hand-me down one we have downstairs but not the new one we have upstairs! So, in desperation one night, we put her in the crib. And she slept fine! We could still hear her on the audio monitor (a must have) and I could still get to her quickly for the night feedings. We sleep better because we are not sitting up to peer at her and see if she is still breathing every 5 minutes and I think she sleeps better because our tossing and turning doesn’t wake her up either. Sleep is a rare commodity in the beginning, so try and get as much as you can! And trust me, it will get better.

It’s all about attitude. I learned this the hard way. Maura had colic for a few weeks (thankfully it has passed now) and it was really tough. At times I broke down and cried in her room in the middle of the night when she would not go to sleep and all I could do was count down the minutes of sleep I was losing because each second that ticked away brought me closer to the next time I would have to be awake to feed her. However, once we took her to pediatrician and she told us it was probably colic, it was much easier to deal with the crying and the sleepless nights and frustrating feelings. Once I looked at the situation differently, it was easier to face. I mean, here was this little thing, uncomfortable and not able to help herself. Completely dependent on me. For everything. The poor little baby. I’m her mom, this is what I do. This is why I’m here. So I changed the way I was looking at things. And everything got better.

Make the most of this time. Three months have gone by so quickly, I can’t believe it! I mean, this time last year I wasn’t even pregnant yet (though we were working hard at it!) and now I have a daughter! Amazing. Take lots of photos, record video, keep a journal of your baby’s milestones. Just spend time together. This is such a special time in your life, enjoy it.

If no one minds, I’d like to also offer the following “advice” for labor and delivery as this was one of the main things that I stressed out about and feared during my pregnancy:

-Go in with an open mind. (Whether you plan on delivering naturally or have decided to go with the drugs, whatever your birth plan, even if you don’t have one – stay open-minded, try to go with the flow and don’t worry if things don’t go exactly as you had envisioned. You might not react the way you thought you would to the pain, you might experience symptoms you didn’t think you would, you might be more of a warrior than you gave yourself credit for. Just do what’s best for you and your baby.)

-Expect the unexpected.

-Try to make the most of your hospital stay. Even though we looked forward to going home as a new family, I actually really enjoyed the 2 days and 3 nights we spent in the hospital after Maura was born. The nurses were so helpful; ask them as many questions as you want (they know what they are doing, we didn’t!!) Our hospital offered classes we could attend and videos we could watch; I learned a lot. We did make use of the nursery at night. I would highly suggest this, even though it’s a bit heart wrenching to see your new little one wheeled away in the bassinet for a few hours. It helps for you to get some sleep; you’ll be a better parent if you’re well rested. Even though I was exclusively breastfeeding, they had Maura on what they called an “Out on Demand” schedule at night – whenever she woke up crying and hungry they just wheeled her back to our room. I would feed and burp her and then I could call the nurse to come back and get her when we were done.

-As funny as it sounds, take as much stuff back with you from the hospital as you can!!! The large stretchy underwear they give you to wear is actually a godsend; try to steal a few pairs! Our nurses were super nice about giving us stuff to take home, they loaded us up with bag after bag of Vaseline, baby bath soap, pacifiers, diapers, pads, even formula just in case we wanted to try it. Don’t be ashamed –those first few days at home are hectic and it helps if you are not running out to Target or CVS at the last minute for something you might need.

Thanks for having me! Congratulations again to Averill and any of you out there who are also expecting!

Advice for New Moms: JourneyChic

Back again with yet another fantastic guest post in the Advice for New Moms series. Today I'm thrilled to have Laura of JourneyChic, who welcomed her first son into the world back in June...wow, I can't believe how time flies! I feel like I was just reading about her being pregnant! In any case, Laura has (unsurprisingly) some incredibly smart thoughts on decking out the nursery, delivery and parenting generally.

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As a new mom of a 4.5 month old son, I've really enjoyed reading all of the other guest posts in this series because I'm still figuring out what the heck to do with my getting-bigger-every-day bundle of love. It's hard to believe there was a time when I didn't think I ever wanted kids! Averill, I'm so happy for you! Here are some words of wisdom and products that we can't live without in our home.

All That Stuff!

For such small people, babies sure do require a lot of things - but probably not as much as you think. Before starting a registry I sent an email to all of my mom friends asking about the products they can't live without as well as the ones that were a total waste of money. As you think about what to buy for your baby, consider this:

Will it only be useful for this child, or will it last long enough to keep for future babies? Keep this in mind when buying furniture and other pricier items. Keep these pieces gender-neutral so you can re-purpose them for baby #2.

Does it fit your house? If you are fortunate to have a large home, or at least one with a finished basement, this isn't an issue. Since we don't, we looked for space-saving toys like this frog jumper, a high chair that attaches to one of our kitchen chairs, and a changing pad that fits on top of the nursery's dresser.

Does it fit YOU? Averill addressed this issue last week when she talked about a changing table that was comfortable for her tall height. At 5'1", I have the opposite problem. I also have a bad back, so when looking for baby carriers, I focused on those that had lumbar support. Even the infant car seat had to be light enough for me to carry (a moot point now, since my baby's so heavy already that I can't carry him in his seat anymore!).

Are you buying this because the baby will like it, or because you like it? Newborns love things that are high-contrast: black/white, yellow/red, etc.. Neutral colors that look good in your living room may not be the most entertaining things for your child. I made this mistake with our bouncer (in the picture). Although it does the job very well, it's pretty boring for our boy.

What we bought and love:

Baby Einstein Around The World Play Gym: My son has loved this from the moment we put him on it when he was just a few weeks old. The globe at the top of the arches lights up and plays music, and he loves staring at it. I hung additional toys using plastic links so he can have even more things to grab, although the variety of toys in this gym is much better than others I've seen. This thing allows me to eat breakfast on the weekends.

Winkel: This toy has a small rattle in the middle, but mostly my son loves to grab all the loops, which are small enough for his hands to easily wrap around. It's one of the first toys that he held onto, and now when he sees it his legs start kicking!

Freddie The Firefly: This colorful bug has crinkly wings that my kiddo loves to grab.

Sassy MOD Pop Bouncer (aka "the monkey seat"): Although this bouncer is a bit too bland to offer lots of good times for baby, it allowed me to take showers while I was on maternity leave - I just popped baby in the seat on the bathroom floor with his firefly toy and prayed he'd amuse himself long enough so I could shave my pits.

"What To Expect: The First Year": I didn't read the pregnancy version of this book (actually, I really didn't read much of anything while I was preggo), but this book is written in an easy, casual manner and provides lots of interesting developmental information.

Due Date!

Sorry ladies, your due date is a bunch of crap. Babies come on their own schedule, so unless you have a planned c-section, you won't know when that person will decide to make his way into the world. And even when he does decide, your body may not cooperate. My suggestions:

Be flexible. Your birth plan is just that - a plan. It may not be reality. With a June 28 due date, I fully expected to spend my Independence Day sipping a long-awaited margarita in one hand while rocking my newborn with the other. He had other plans, and was ultimately evicted ten days after I thought for sure he'd arrive.

Do what's best for your baby. You may not want a c-section (I didn't), but that may be the best way get your baby out safely. If you are comfortable with your doctor and have trusted him/her so far, make sure you think very carefully about what they're suggesting and be sure to...

Ask a lot of questions about what to expect both before and after your baby arrives. Don't forget that you not only have to deal with all the contractions and other madness that leads up to your baby showing his face, you also have to handle what happens to your body after the fact. For example, I had no idea that I would experience such severe shaking after my c-section that I would hardly be able to hold my son. Shaking is very common, but that wasn't thoroughly explained to me.

{Laura's baby boy nursery}

What Now?

Every baby is different. This isn't news, but it's worth repeating. Each child grows differently in both mind and body, and while comparing notes with fellow moms is tempting (and we all do it), don't let another child's development make you think something is horribly wrong with your own wee one.

Your parental choices are yours to make. For personal, non-health reasons I chose to formula-feed my son from the get-go, and it's the single best decision I've made so far. Some moms may be horrified by this, and that's fine because I know that my choice is not adversely affecting my son. Whatever decisions you make - whether they be what to feed your baby or whether or not to go back to work - odds are that your kid is going to turn out just fine in the end. And everyone else should mind their own beeswax.

There's nothing more stressful/wonderful than being a parent. People who think that having a baby will fix their relationship problems clearly don't yet have children. Nothing is more of test of your relationships (mostly your marriage, but your friendships and family relationships as well). The sound of your baby crying will bore a hole in your brain. When you finally see that first smile, you'll be able tolerate that hole much better.

Give yourself time. All my mom friends told me that six weeks makes a huge difference. I didn't really understand what that meant until it happened. Suddenly he started sleeping better, didn't cry quite as much, and shortly graced us with his first grin. Those first six weeks were incredibly difficult. Fatigue + hormones = madness. Slowly, I started to feel like myself again.

It's not possible to be Super Mom; baby will think you're a super mom no matter what. Note that I am writing this to reaffirm this message to myself. It's hard advice to accept.

Giving birth is truly a miracle. It's amazing to watch my son become more and more aware of his world each day. His new favorite thing to do is touching people's faces. Although this means that my hair gets pulled out of my scalp and my glasses constantly have tiny fingerprints on them, I love his little way of showing affection and exploring his world.

At the end of the day, it won't matter whether you have all the "right" things in your house or the nursery decorated to perfection; all he will want to do is stare at you, and all you'll want to do is stare at him. Enjoy this special, crazy time!