Wood Family Montage Part Two

Once again our video clips began to compile and so I set aside a day to create chapter two of our journey as a family and this is what I came up with:

And if you didn't get enough of us already, here is a repost of part one:

Could you stay this little?

I hope I'll always remember what it feels like to hold Luca's tiny 5 week old body in my arms.

Hours, days, and weeks seem to wisp on by and already Luca is a completely different baby from when we first brought him home. It is bittersweet watching him grow. On one hand you get so elated every time he does something new, yet on the other hand you realize he'll never be this little again. I find myself gripping onto moments hoping time will miraculously stop for a while and sometimes in the twinkling of an eye or in the warmth of a big toothless grin it feels like it does. The actuality is he's coming into his own, and his little personality is blooming day by day. Every morning when his big blue eyes meet mine I fall in love all over again. It's magical really. I am a complete puddle at times when I think about how beautiful he is or over the fact that I cannot get over how much I love him. I was told he would come into my life and I would wonder how I ever got along without him, and isn't that the god-honest truth? I find myself staring at him completely lost in his movements when he's sleeping, when he's in a daze, when someone else is holding him. I just stare and relive the paradox of disbelief and reality that he is all mine. Is this for real? Is this my life? I don't know if the shock of it all will ever set in for me and if for some reason it never does, that'll be ok.

Month 1

Meet Luca Lennox Wood.
7.23.2013 || 12:55 p.m. || 8 lbs || 20.75 in.

This little man came into our lives on July 23rd and has had us completely enraptured ever since. In all my life, I have never known such a love. Motherhood is incredible. I am so blessed. I promise I will get around to writing Luca's birth story soon, but in the mean time I just couldn't keep him from you any longer!

Tuesday will mark one month since Luca was born. Over the past four weeks we've slowly begun to discover our new "normal" and in that process we've found some things that have made life with a newborn so much easier! Here are our favorite baby items for the first month:

1. 4moms mamaRoo- This swing is designed to mimic mother's movements and let me tell you, it is a lifesaver. This is Luca's couch in our living room. As difficult as it is to put your newborn down, there are just some things that are way too ridiculous to do one-handed. The swing comes in all sorts of different colors, and also plays soothing sounds to lull your little one to sleep. The swing is a little on the pricey side, but if you're estimating cost per use you will definitely get your money's worth. I guarantee you'll be seeing tons of photos of Luca in this contraption. 

2. Cloud B On the Go Sleep Sheep- This sheep puts Luca to sleep in minutes at night. It plays calming nature sounds. The falling rain is his favorite. I don't recommend the babbling brook unless you want to be changing diapers and running to the bathroom every five minutes, but this is a must have, PLUS it will teach your baby to sleep with sound. No one wants a baby that needs complete silence to sleep.

3. Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild Soap- This is what we use to wash all of Luca's clothes. It's all natural and made with essential oils. You can also use it as bath soap, cleaner, dish detergent, and tons of other ways you can read about on their site. We love Dr. Bronner's!
4. Gumdrop Pacifiers- Now I wasn't planning on giving my baby a pacifier right away, but he had this continuous need to suckle even after feedings, so I finally gave in and how glad I am that I did! These turn my baby from fussy to content in a matter of seconds, we've nicknamed them "the silencers."
5. Boon Grass Bottle Drying Rack- This is just plain cute and totally functional as well. We have the flower accessory to dry the nipples and caps, and millions of other accessories bottles come with these days.
6. Medela Calma bottle- Luca took to this bottle right away. It allows babies to use the same feeding patterns as when they breastfeed. Everyone has their favorites as to which bottle works best for their babies, this one works well for us.
7. Summer Infant Organic Swaddler- Luca was never happy to have his arms swaddled, he has this overwhelming need to be free and so it was really hard when we got home from the hospital to try and wrap him into a little burrito. He wouldn't allow it. We would swaddle him bellow the arms but his strong legs would loosen the whole wrap and then it became a suffocating hazard having loose blanket surrounding him. In came these swaddles. They velcro. enough said. Luca sleeps in one of these every night. It keeps him warm, snug, and he can flail those arms all he wants! If there is an art to the swaddle, these are the Michael Angelos.
8. Angelcare Bath- It's really difficult to describe how this bath works, but it has little holes that allow the water to drain as you scrub your little one up. It's portable, compact, and easy to clean. I'm so glad we decided on this one.
9. Aden + Anais Bamboo Muslin- I know everyone raves about these and it isn't without reason. These are great. It's way worth it to go with the bamboo material because it is so much softer than their traditional blankets. We didn't care for these as swaddlers  because Luca just could not be contained and his arms were always flailing out, but we loved them as blankets. They are breathable and cozy, and are perfect in the stroller, carseat, mamaroo, what have you.
10. Baby Delight Snuggle Nest- Lastly, but certainly not least, the snuggle nest. This was a hand me down from our neighbors who have three kids and know their way around all things babies and toddlers. At first we were using this as his changing pad, but it has since become his bed.  He'll eventually sleep in his bassinet, but right now it's just too spacious for him. We plop this thing right between us in bed and he sleeps sounder than ever. Did I mention Luca only wakes up once a night? I know not everyones newborn is like this, so please no hate mail!

*This is not a sponsored post.

Bet on our baby!

A friend introduced me to this great website that generates a pool for your family and friends, or pretty much any yahoo that has access to the internet to make predictions as to when your baby will be born, height/weight, time, all that fun stuff! So go for it, place your bet on our baby! Don't worry, no real money is involved, although turning it into a gamble would make it a lot more fun if you ask me, but I'm also a gambler feigning to hit up the casino once it's safe to be around cig smoke again--not that it ever really was...Anyhow, before my preggo brain takes this post to an entirely different topic all together, here is the link to our pool:

 Click here to bet on our baby  Happy betting!

First there was us.

As I think about being a mother, I think about how so very soon we will leave our house as two and come home as three. I think about how I will tell Luca the story of how his dad and I met and fell in love, and how we were before he came into our lives...

I want him to know how amazing our journey has been thus far, how fast we fell in love, and how purely, truly, and freely we loved before he ever existed. How we were friends first, and how important that friendship has been in our growth. I want him to know how naturally it all happened, and how I can't think of a better example of when something feels right, it's just right. I'll tell him how we traveled at every opportunity and how we laughed hard. a lot. I'll tell him that it wasn't always easy, we didn't always know where we were going or what we were doing, but we always ended up where we were supposed to be because everything always works out. I hope that my son lives our love even more so than the million and one times we will express it to him. I hope that he learns through this love to always follow his heart, and to never fear taking huge risks. I wish for him to be open to experience, and even more so I want him to one day be fortunate enough to experience for himself a love like the one I found.

In no other circumstance should our paths have crossed, but somehow they did and we were just what each of us had been looking for without fully knowing it. Everything progressed so organically and before we knew it our lives began morphing as one, each of us a perfect opposite and compliment to the other. I imagine seeing our son for the first time will be much like this. A new yet familiar feeling that you are exactly aligned where you should be in time and space. Nothing and everything makes sense all at the same time, and the world stops spinning for a moment with nothing else being of any importance to you but the feeling of utter completeness.

I was just branching out into a completely new chapter in my life, just finishing school and wondering what my next venture would be. I was finding myself and really coming into my own when I began falling in love with the person who would become my entire world. We were friends long before any romance ever sparked, more than friends even, roommates. It's a very long story, one which would need an entire blog itself, but our situation ended up being the best place to nurture our new relationship. Not only did we know each other for who we really were, but we knew how each other lived in their element. There were no secrets or surprises, everything was face value with us. It was a bit awkward when we first started dating of course. There was that fuzzy transition in learning to be boyfriend and girlfriend rather than roommates, but I'd say we adjusted pretty quickly. We were off to the races, and day by day we were discovering more and more about each other, and pinwheeling into what would become "us."

I knew I loved Miles long before I ever told him. There wasn't a distinct moment or specific event when I knew, I just had an overwhelming feeling of symmetry I had never felt before. He is so much a part of me and who I am. I sometimes find the line between 'me' and 'us' a bit blurry, yet both of us are still such independent persons. We are protectors over each other's solitudes and at the same time we are a true partnership.

Before Luca ever was, We talked about getting married, and dreamed about our future, but finding out we were pregnant was a huge shock. We never planned or thought about what a baby would bring to our lives. Huge believers in the power of words, we are always expressing our wants and needs aloud to each other and for the universe to hear. One night, Miles was expressing to me how he needed a change in his life, how he felt stagnant, but he wasn't sure what that change looked like or what it would be. Little did he know, what he was asking for was already manifesting. I was a few weeks pregnant during that conversation and didn't yet know it. The most life changing event for both of us was growing within me, and a few weeks later we would hear his heartbeat for the first time.

From the very beginning I wondered how this would change us and the dynamic of our relationship, and through it all we've only grown closer and closer. Throughout my pregnancy I've fallen in love with my husband all over again. He has been my backbone through these long months, and I know I could not have done it without him. I know the woman carries the child, but I haven't felt I've been carrying the weight, no pun intended, alone. Miles has been doing it with me all along. His support for me is immense, and his care and gratitude for what I am doing has been tremendous. Everyday I feel more motivated and encouraged to be the best version of myself for me and my family. I've never felt more like a woman or more purposeful in my entire life, and a large part of that is because I've been blessed with someone who looks at me as if I spun the world into motion. At least that's how he makes me feel. I pray one day that my son finds someone who makes him feel significant, unique, appreciated, and beautiful, just like his father makes me feel every single day, or better yet becomes the man that makes his wife feel as special as I do. Miles has been a gift. A perfectly wrapped, ribbon-tied, vibrant package you would find on christmas morning. Every day gets better and better and I'm not afraid of the change anymore. My love for Miles is so great it engulfs me, and I know he feels the same. He has my complete support, utmost respect, and undying loyalty. We are in this together for the long haul. He is the best of me. I remember looking at him as we drove away from our wedding thinking, this is everything I have ever wanted, and day by day that rings truer and truer.

If I wasn't already lucky enough to marry Miles, I was lucky enough to marry my best friend. And if there was ever such a thing as soul mates, well there is no doubt he was meant for me. I don't know if I'll remember what it was like being "just the two of us," already that feels like a distant memory. Even the thought of there once being a "just me" seems like a figment of my imagination. Because the truth is, our little boy is a part of us now, and has been since the moment I uttered to Miles those two simple words. It has been the three of us all along. Already I'm in awe at the life we've created, I don't think I'm even close to knowing what is to come once this little one makes his entrance into our lives, but I am front row, arms in the air, flailing about, eyes wide open, ready for the ride.

Our Dearest Luca,

As much as I want you to know us as we were, we alone could never have been as great as we are since we knew there was a you.
Above all, we are this, we are in love with you. Complete, whole-hearted, aching love.
And if you know nothing else about us, know that we adored you before you were ever born.
Know that we yearn to learn from you...We want to be your teachers, yes, but we long to be your students. And we long to learn from you over and over again what it means to be innocent, youthful, light-hearted, and purely good in the face of the world.
Sweet baby boy, an embodiment of our love, we will strive to do right by you every step of the way. We will do our very best to provide for you a platform where you can only thrive.
Please forgive us when we make mistakes, as I know we will.
Coming into this world means that you will be human too. You will do great things we know, but you will also have moments of uncertainty and mistakes, and we long to be there when you do, to offer you forgiveness or a helping hand. Know that there is nothing you could ever do that would stop us from loving you.
We wish we could tell you that life is always grand, but that would be a lie.
It's hard to imagine now as you so sweetly and safely twist and turn inside of me, but you are in for a crazy ride, which is to say that you are in for being alive. We won't always be able to shield you from the evils that exist, but know that there is so much good in the world. We long to teach you to seek out the good in everything, to see you perform your first act of kindness or generosity, and to see you grow into the wonderful human you are destined to be. There is so much we wish for, but most importantly we hope that you learn to live the questions. If you learn to live the questions you will one day, so suddenly, stumble upon the answers.

We love you so, Mama and Papa

Life Lately.

What has life been like lately? Simply put: Crazy. I can't believe we are at 38+ weeks and are down to counting days rather than weeks until our due date. One thing I can say for certain, I am so DONE with being pregnant! They say the last two weeks are the hardest, but I'm glad they don't give you all the gritty details or I probably would have had a mental breakdown by this point. All uncomfortableness aside, once I start having contractions, I'll probably say "Wait, I'm not ready!" But whether I'm really ready or not, very very soon this will all be over and I'll have my sweet baby boy in my arms :) 

On a side note, it has been so hot here lately! I know what you're thinking, "You live in San Diego for crying out loud! 85 degrees does not constitute heat!" I know, we San Diegans are spoiled, but in all fairness I did live in Riverside for my whole life where it was actually hot in the summers, so I've paid my dues, annnd being as extremely pregnant as I am gives me some sort of freebie to complain about the weather. What I won't complain about is the fact that the Bachelorette is on tonight! How is it that every time I write a blog it's Monday? I'm not sure, but what a happy coincidence! Since not all of you watch the Bachelorette, I'll keep my vent short and sweet. So here we go: Michael has got to go next, he's way too 'prosecutor' and annoying, and that dumb sweatband he's always wearing is lame. James is a fake, and based on how much he sweat through his dress shirt last week he should snag Michael's sweatband and they should both be voted off tonight. As for the rest, Brooks is still my fave, but Drew is growing on me. The Bachelorette is a ridiculous show and I love it. Vent over. Thank you for letting me get that out, now maybe you could offer me some tips as to how to get this kid out?

Miles and I have been homebodies lately since I can't do much going out. And I must say, as much as I am excited to feel better soon and have the ability to roam freely, I can't say I haven't truly enjoyed the time we've been spending in our home. We spent so much time turning our house into a home and it feels good to truly enjoy it. Our lease ends very soon and we will be forced to move due to space restrictions, so I want to relish in it as much as possible before we must part ways. I love our little cottage by the sea, and I will be so sad to leave it behind, but I'll be forever grateful that it was the place we first brought our baby home to because it is definitely deserving of that. Before I get too gushy over it and cry my eyes out, what I was originally trying to say was, in spending more time at home we've been productive and constructive. We saw this amazing looking drink the other day so we tried to replicate it and it was a total success. If it's hot where you live, or you just like good tasting things you should definitely give it a go. It was very simple to make, and required few ingredients. Here's the recipe:

Watermelon Agua Fresca

2 cups cold water

2 cups diced watermelon (rind and seeds removed)

2 tablespoons cane sugar

Juice of 1/2 a lime

In the blender, mix water, watermelon, sugar, and lime juice until consistency is smooth. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the mixture and allow to chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Serve over ice and enjoy!

I hope you all have a great week and hopefully I'll have some big news next time I sign on here! xoxo

It's been a long time since I've come around.

Well hello there! I know, I know, it has been far too long since I've updated on here, but life has so busy these past few weeks (aka we've been nesting) and I didn't manage to take very many pictures so I kept putting this off...but at this point before this blog goes moth-eaten and outdated like half of my closet I haven't been able to wear for 9 months, I figure I can at least give you a condensed rundown of what's been happening even if that means I have to steal a couple of Miles' instagram pictures.

So here we go...

Father's Day came and went and it was so exciting to celebrate Miles on his very first father's day! I had no idea what to get him until I came up with the perfect gift. Did I ever mention my husband is 26 with 80-year-old man tendencies? Well if I didn't, he is. Just a few examples--he enjoys watering his garden daily, sometimes even bi-daily, shopping for the perfect bird feed and then excitedly spying out the window to bird watch as the finches indulge in his sunflower seed blend, and if you haven't been convinced yet I'll top the list with the fact that his favorite breakfast is corned beef hash...out of the can.

I knew the one bird feeder he has had been trafficking a lot of birds lately so I decided to get him a second feeder. The local pet store had a really lame selection as far as colors go, so I bought one I could pizzaz up myself to add a personal touch, and it actually came out really great! He loved it! There was also a corned beef hash breakfast. He was happy as a clam.

 ...before...

...after...

...here they are in action...

Speaking of Miles as a father brings me to the latest news concerning our bun in the oven. We are just under 37 weeks which is full term! I could go into labor anytime in the next 3 1/2 weeks, which is totally crazy right?! At our last doctors appointment we found out the baby is head down, measuring at about 6 lbs, and everything looks really good and healthy. We've spent the past few weeks organizing and settling all the last minute details. I can now relax and officially say we are ready. I've been taking daily walks, all his clothes have been washed, my hospital bag is packed, the carseat has been installed, all his baby accessories are assembled, and most importantly we have a full tank of gas to get me to the hospital for when the time comes. Now we wait. 

Baby Bib

My first completed sewing project on my new machine!

I also have to mention how great this company Cadia is, we didn't know much about them before but now we are totally hooked. About a year ago Miles posted a photo on instagram of his friend Shawn and him eating lunch at Jimbo's. In the picture you could see a bag of Cadia veggie chips. We have no clue as to how, but somehow Cadia found Miles' photo and tagged him as their fan photo of the week! We emailed them, and they sent us a whole box of groceries with a handwritten note thanking us for our support. They were so good to us! All of their products are certified organic and are made with all natural ingredients. We loved everything they sent but my favorite item was the box of gluten free animal cookies. You could eat 10 cookies for 130 calories or something ridiculous like that, and since this pregnant bod is about to go postpartum you know I can use all the low-calorie snacks I can get my swollen little hands on (no joke, I think my elbows are starting to get dimples). Anyways, you can check them out here and find out if there are any grocery stores near you that carry their products. 

Lately I've been on a sewing grind. I was determined and succeeded to make Miles some comfy sweat shorts for the summer and with all the extra material I have left over I'm going to make the baby a matching pair. These shorts weren't so easy to master. You should have seen the first pair I made. I wasn't following a pattern but using a pair he already had as a reference and I accidentally pieced together the two leg portions as the waist. So I ended up with these shorts that had really skinny leg holes, a super large waist piece, and somehow a hood looking part in the crotch. It was pretty comical.  Miles took the photo below and captioned it, "we're not amish but we make our own clothes." Clearly, the two of us have been watching far too much "Breaking Amish," you know the TLC show where those kids leave their amish communities and branch out into the world? Not ringing a bell? Yeah, I was pretty certain we were the only people so fascinated by drama surrounding bonnets and buggies.  So here I am folks, 9 months pregnant and in my element.

This week we also went to dinner at our favorite thai restaurant with our wonderful friend Ms. Gail Lee. Gail has known Miles for years and years. We wanted to catch up with her for a bite before the baby is born and before she left on her summer vacation to NY. Gail is the best. She's sharp tongued, extremely intelligent, overly generous, and an incredibly kind and loyal friend, teacher, and mother. She's just an overall inherently good, brilliant human being, and we are so lucky to know her. Life is all about surrounding yourself with beautiful people who better you, help you to grow and advance you to be the best version of yourself, and one thing I can say for certain about my life is I have always been so fortunate with the company I keep. 

Here's a photo of Miles' thai iced tea and me listening to one of Gail's many wonderful stories. How good does that boba look?! I would have ordered one as well, but I gave up caffeine of any kind for my entire pregnancy (crazy right?). I know some people allow themselves a cup a day, but that didn't resinate with me. I know it sounds silly, but giving up coffee was one of the hardest abdications ever, especially because I really love my daily cup of coffee and I haven't had a single taste in over 36 weeks--not even decaf! It's not even the caffeine that reels me in, it's the entire process of brewing, smelling, tasting, and sipping my coffee. There is something so comforting about the ritual of it all. Oh the sacrifices mothers must make before our babes are even here! But fret not, for very very soon I will be losing myself in what I envision to be the best cup of coffee I've ever had. 

Well, that is all I have for now. I will keep you all updated as to whether or not this seed decides to make an appearance anytime soon. I'm really nervous and anxious, which I know is normal. And I have that Beach Boys song stuck in my head, but I really should take their advice "Don't worry baby, everything will turn out all right." I know, I know, everything always does. 

P.S. Are we friends on instagram? If not, we should be! @theworldsmyoyster

Random Rambling and I turn 23.

Have you ever watched the show "Extreme Weightloss?" Now there is really nothing more ironic than sitting on your couch watching someone work off and lose nearly a whole person in body fat while you munch on some potato chips, but there's also nothing more motivating. Mid way through the show I nearly snapped as I looked over to see Miles had eaten a sleeve and a half of oreos (fortunately they were single stuffed, although I was probably more thrown that they weren't double stuffed). After reading this post Miles mentioned, "I see you reduced my oreo splurge from two sleeves to a sleeve and a half." I told him I was trying to save him some of his dignity, but in reality when I called him out on eating two sleeves he told me I just couldn't see the other half that was still left, busted! He was just so enthralled by how much weight this girl had lost, he clearly wasn't paying attention to portion size. I wasn't  any better, as we flicked the TV off and recapped how amazing Meredith was for losing 160 pounds, I reminded Miles I wanted a maple bar from VG's Donuts for my birthday breakfast. I turned 23 on Friday and for my birthday all I wanted was a donut from VG's in Cardiff, the most amazing pastry shop EVER. We even had our wedding cake made from there, and I plan on purchasing many more donuts and cakes from them for eternity (no, this is not a sponsored post, I just l-o-v-e love VG's). Sure enough, I awoke to the beautiful sight of a perfectly golden, generously frosted donut. It was beyond delicious. I began to wonder why I dont indulge in these more often, but then quickly remembered that muffin tops are much better suited on muffins than they are around my waist. Coincidentally my birthday fell on "national donut day," which I didn't even know existed, but I was totally okay with it. I kept the rest of my day low-key. Miles had to work and when he got off we had bean and cheese burritos and watched "Gangster Squad." We actually stayed awake for the whole film, which rarely happens, and I managed only to ask one or two questions the entire time. All in all it was a great night. And we are now going back to eating healthily, because Meredith was inspiring and I really don't want to continue to look pregnant after this baby's born!

On the homefront, we are officially baby-ready, minus all the baby laundry I've still yet to do, oh and I still need to pack my hospital bag. Now it's just a waiting game. 2 1/2 more weeks until I'm term, 5 1/2 more weeks til' my due date. The countdown is on. I'm tired, I'm achey, I'm nauseas, I am so ready! I heard the last few weeks of pregnancy are intentionally so miserable to prepare you for childbirth so you get over the fear to the point where you're just like "I don't care, just get this kid out of me!" Well Mother Nature, seems accurate enough to me. We have to get some sort of fancy high-tech ultrasound on Sunday to measure how big the baby is. Our doctor is guesstimating he'll be about 6 pounds from his measurements, but wants to be sure. You have to drink 24 oz of water an hour before the ultrasound and hold it until they're done. I have to pee after a sip of water these days so this should be interesting. Other than that, baby is looking healthy and right on schedule.

In closing, Father's Day is on Sunday and since Miles went all out for my first Mother's Day and spoiled me silly for my birthday, I've got to make sure I make Sunday special for him. I really wish  he would tone down his awesomeness sometimes, so I wouldn't look so lame. What are your plans for Father's Day? 

P.S. on a side note, it's Monday, which means The Bachelorette is on! Tell me Brooks shouldn't just ask for Des' hand already!! Ahh his dimples are killing me! Miles also wasn't too happy about that last comment, but I'm not taking it back, those dimples need to be acknowledged! Lastly, both my sister and I agree Ben has the "crazy eyes" and he is just so wrong for her!

And here's what a slightly awkward, heavily pregnant, 23 year old looks like at 9 am

Happy Monday!