Little Hawaii Babe

When Peter and I were planning our trip to Hawaii I was scouring the internet to find tips for flying and vacationing with a baby. I found a lot, but we didn't use all of it. Here are 5 things that helped us the most through the flights and spending a few beautiful days in Hawaii.

Get a suite: I think that was the best decision we made on this trip. It was so nice during nap times and bed time that we could put her in the living room and close the door. It allowed us to still be able to have evenings together and not just watch tv when she was napping during the day. We stayed at the Andaz Maui and LOVED it. We were able to get a suite with a pool attached so it was amazing being able to swim and hang out while Ellie was sleeping.

Entertainment on the plane: We brought 2 new toys and 2 new books for Ellie on the plane to help pass the time. It was nice that when she was bored with her regular toys we could bring out some new ones and it helped her stay busy. I am also a firm believer and a cup (or water bottle or any of big piece of trash) being the best toy for a baby. No one wants to deal with a bored baby on a plane!

UPPAbaby Travel System: We use the UPPAbaby Mesa and Vista at home and I love it so much I didn't want to use anything else for travel. What's awesome about UPPAbaby is that if you use their travel bags and something happens during air travel they will replace it for free. Our airline actually broke our stroller seat on the way to Hawaii and all I had to do was call them, let them know the situation and they sent us a new seat for free! The Mesa carseat is also great because we were able to use the hotel car service and just put her use her carseat without the base.

Nanny at the Hotel: Okay. This one I was really nervous about. When we checked into the hotel the staff let us know that they do have a kids club, but it's only for kids 4 years and older. However, they did tell us about a company they work with called Nanny Connection that we could use. We waited until the last full day to use them because I was nervous about it and thought it was going to be crazy expensive. Turns out, we had the BEST lady come to take care of Ellie for a few hours while we relaxed on the beach. She had been a Doula for over 20 years and was the nicest, best lady ever. We wanted to take her home with us! Next time we will definitely be using them before the last day,

Ergobaby: I decided to wear Ellie through the airport just because we had enough to carry and I didn't want to push a stroller around. I loved it because both hands were free, I didn't have to take her out to go through security and she was able to sleep comfortably on the plane in it. Ellie isn't the baby who will fall asleep in your arms anymore (insert crying face emoji here) so the only way she would sleep is in the Ergobaby. I was able to walk up and down the airplane or just rock her in the seat and I was still able to read my book and have kind of a moment to myself. 

I will end with two things. One, kudos to everyone who travels with babies! It can be exhausting and daunting, but it's doable! I am excited to continue traveling with our little family. Second, I think that Cary from The Real Housewives of Dallas said it perfectly. A vacation with your kids is a trip, not a vacation. We loved showing Ellie the ocean and going swimming and just seeing her see Hawaii, but it is not like the vacations we had before her and that's okay! Especially with the time change and trying to stick to somewhat of a schedule it was exhausting. It just made us realize that a vacation with just Peter and I are even all the more important.  So go! Travel with your baby! You can do it and you'll love it!

10 Things

Peter went back to work in February and I am happy to report that I have kept a human alive *mostly* all by myself during the day while he is away! In this post I will be telling you about 10 things that get me through the day with little Ellie. The first 5 are under $100 and the other 5 are over. Without further ado here are a few of my favorite things!

Wabbunub: The Wabbunub is something you never thought you needed until you use it and you'll never dream about not having one again. Now that Ellie is 4 and half months she loves to hold it in her mouth and it's easier for her to *kinda* put it back in her mouth when it falls out. I get it, hand eye coordination is difficult. 

 Inverted Zipper Onesies: Gone are the days of taking off the whole onesie in those middle of the night diaper changes! All you have to do is zip off the legs and you are good to go. Cotton On Baby is my favorite place for them because of all the cute prints and they fit really well. They have footie ones, footless ones and even shorts for the hotter months. Did I mention I'm really into Cotton On Baby?

 Activity Gym: Honestly, I didn't think we were going to use an activity gym all that much and boy was I wrong. This thing allows me to get ready in the morning, make dinner (when I feel like it) and wash bottles through out the day and for that I am forever grateful. We were gifted this cute one from Crate&kids (formally known as Land of Nod), but there are cheaper ones at Target, Ikea or Buy Buy Baby.

Milkbarn Swaddles: You probably think I am about to start telling you about how great these are to swaddle Ellie in, but nope! Peter and I quickly realized that actual burp cloths are way too small and we just started to use her swaddle blankets and they work so much better. I usually just use one for the whole day as compared to using a burp cloth for each feeding which means less laundry! Yay!

Nested Bean Zen Swaddles: Now I really am going to talk about swaddles. This one is velcro which is so much easier than learning how to swaddle those squirmy little babes correctly and it also has a little weighted part on their chest. It helps baby feel like you're there and protected. I am a firm believer that it helped Ellie sleep through the night fairly quickly.

Mamaroo: Before we had Ellie I heard a lot of things about the Mamaroo, some babies loved it, some babies hated it and that it wasn't worth the money. My mom ended up giving us one and I am happy to say Ellie loves it. It has enabled me to get things done during the day without her crying about wanting to be held. It's so nice to be able to put her in it so I can make dinner or just to take a break because this mom job is exhausting.

Ergobaby Omni 360: To be honest, I hated the Ergobaby in the beginning. With the Omni 360 you don't need an infant insert, but I felt like she was still so low and I ended up crying everytime I tried using it because I thought she was going to suffocate on my chest (somewhat dramatic, I realize). I was determined to start using it before Peter went back to work so I could walk Walter without using the stroller. It took some time for both of us to get used to it, but once we got in our groove she loves it. We go on walks everyday now and Walter loves it.

Apple AirPods: I never thought I would want AirPods because they looked so dorky and they were so expensive, but I love them so much. They are so nice to use on my walks while using the Ergobaby, I don't have to worry about Ellie getting caught in headphone cords or chewing on them. I also used them a lot when we would have to rock her to sleep at night and it would help pass the time. *pro tip* I love listening to different podcasts on my walks and since she usually falls asleep it's a time to have a little break. 

babybrezza Formula Pro: This is for all the formula babymama's out there. Run, do not walk to Target and get one of these. In short, it's a Keurig for formula. You're welcome.

DockATot: Think of the DockATot as a glorified dog bed, but for your baby. We put this in the bassinet for her to sleep in, but what's also nice is you can take it anywhere for them to sleep in. We used it on the couch, in our bed or took it friends houses for her to sleep. It's so nice not having to worry about her rolling off the couch. 

Instant Love Connection

While pregnant I always pictured what it would be like when we first met Ellie. I, like pretty much everyone else, pictured it just like the movies. I thought the first time we saw her I would start crying and fall instantly in love. Fast forward to seeing Ellie for the first time and I was in total shock, I did not cry at all and I actually barfed.

I'm getting a little ahead of myself here, let me back track. One piece of advice I did get was by my lovely old manager (Hi Yessenia!) who told me it is okay to not have that instant love connection to your baby and that it will take time. While she was telling me this I had no clue this would be the best advice I was to receive my whole pregnancy.

Here I am looking at my daughter for the first time, on one hand I do love her and would do anything for her, but on the other hand I have no clue who she is other than the fact that she has just grown inside me for the last 40 weeks and has all her fingers and toes. After a month a half we finally had our moment. Peter was getting ready and I was holding her, walking around the house trying to clean up. I noticed that she wouldn't stop looking at me and smiling. Unlike before she was really looking at me, not past me and that moment changed everything for me. 

So if you're a new mom feeling terrible about yourself because you keep having to lie to people when they ask you "Aren't you in love with your new baby!" know that I get it and it's a real, justified feeling. Remember that you will have that instant love connection moment with your own babe, but for now give yourself some credit (and maybe a glass of wine) because this is a hard job. 

Fairy Godmother

Please, let me be your pregnant/new mom fairy godmother and tell you 4 things I learned this past year during those weird/exciting times of pregnancy and motherhood. 

1. The time between peeing on a stick and getting your first ultrasound are a weird few weeks. You know you're pregnant, but you haven't seen an ultrasound to prove it. Once I had a positive test we were so excited and wanted to tell the world, but it was a few weeks before we had the ultrasound to confirm we were pregnant. That did not stop us from telling our family and close friends because I am terrible at keeping secrets ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  Also, that first ultrasound isn't on your tummy if you know what I mean.... 

2. You will pee your pants a little when you sneeze. I always heard moms say this and I would always tell myself, "That won't be me! I can totally hold my pee!" Ha, good one Kristy. You'll keep telling yourself that until one day you sneeze at the mall and think your water broke, but it was just you peeing your pants a little. 

3. Breastfeeding hurts so bad. I heard after a week or 2 it gets a lot better, but honestly I couldn't even get to that point. 4 days into breastfeeding I started to pump and it changed my life. I didn't have to cry everytime I fed Ellie and Peter could help feed her too which was a lifesaver. 2 months into pumping and I couldn't keep up with what Ellie needed, so I decided to switch to formula and I think we are all better for it. I don't feel stressed out from not producing enough milk and I'm not resenting Ellie for her constant hunger. AKA: Do whatever makes sense for you and your baby. Don't let anyone judge you for doing the best for you and your lil family. Bye momshamers! 

4. You will lose all your hair and go bald. Just kidding, but it will feel like that. I'm in the thick of it currently and it. is. no. joke. You could have made another Kristy out of all the hair that has come off my head this past week. While being pregnant you don't really lose a lot of hair and it gets beautiful and thick and you feel like a hair model. It's great! Then one day hair starts to fall out and it does not stop. 

xoxo your fairy godmother 

Maternity Leave

When Peter and I first started telling people we were pregnant there were lots of "Yay! Congrats!" and then usually followed with some sort of negative comment about saying bye to sleep or hopefully we have done all the traveling we wanted to.  Me being the sassy person that I am just told everyone that my baby would be perfect and we aren't worried about any of that. Before Ellie came we would spend our dinners and car rides dreaming about what we wanted to do on maternity leave with our daughter. We made a promise to each other to have no expectations and to try to get out at least once a day.

Fast forward to when Ellie decided to show up, and we had 72 days of the 4 of us (Walter is included in that number because duh) and I am proud to say we *mostly* kept our promises. There was a night in there at 2 am where she wouldn't stop crying so I just handed her to Peter and walked outside to cry in the backyard, definitely won't be the last time that happens. Now Peter is back at work and looking back at our leave together makes me SO happy. We had lots of days of just hanging out at home and just walking to get coffee, but there were also days of wonderful adventures. We got to go to San Francisco to show her some of our favorites spots, Oakland to check out new breweries, and to San Jose for an auto show because we were bored that day. 

I guess what I'm trying to say is don't listen to the haters and do what makes you happy. I think my mom put it best when she told me have the baby fit into your life and not the other way around. 

Ellie's Nursery

Finally got around to sharing Miss. Ellie's nursery! It's hard to believe this was ever Peter's office, but here we are! The room is long and narrow with a slanted ceiling aka awkward. We painted the room white to make it look bigger, but decided to pull a color from the chair fabric for one of the walls. Yes, my daughter has a blue wall and I love it. Storage was also an issue since there is no closet so we made a coat rack to hang some things up and everything else somehow fits in the bins and dresser.  One thing I have always wanted was a floral chair and my Martha Stewart of a mom made that a reality, she used Rifle Paper Co. fabric and it turned out so well! I am so excited for Ellie to start sleeping and using this room more once she is a few months older, but for now it will be the place where we run in to get burp cloths and diapers.

Grammy's Snickerdoodles

I don't have very many memories with my Grammy because she passed away when I was younger, but one thing I will always remember is being in her kitchen baking with her. One of my favorite recipes is her super soft snickerdoodle cookies. I promise you, they are the best and so easy to make. Here is how you make them:

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 3/4 cups flour

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3 tbsp sugar

3 tsp cinnamon

1. Heat your oven to 350

2. Mix butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar and eggs in your mixer or large bowl

3. In another bowl combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt

4. Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture

5. In a little bowl combine 3 tbsp sugar and 3 tsp cinnamon 

6. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll in the cinnamon sugar mix

7. Put on parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes

8. Put them on a cooling rack as soon as they are out of the oven

Kauai Babymoon

Real talk: babymoons are the absolute best. If you are able to take one I highly, highly recommend it. Peter and I loved Kauai. We honeymooned in Maui, but Kauai was on another level. It was the perfect mix of the adventures Peter loves and the relaxation that I love (and need). We hung out on the beach, drank the YUMMIEST smoothies (currently craving one right now) and snorkeled with a 120 year old sea turtle named Carl. It was the most magical trip and we are definitely going through the babymoon blues. 

Gallery Walls

Gallery walls. They look amazing, but can be very intimidating. Do not fear though, I am here to help! Here are some of my tips and tricks:

- Just go for it! I used to tape everything out and spend time arranging frames on the floor, but I realized you just gotta start hanging frames on the wall until it looks right. Just make sure you have some extra paint to cover up the holes. 

- Frames can be expensive so buy cheap ones from Ross, Marshalls, Home Goods, etc. and paint them whatever color you like. I don't think I've ever spent more than 15 dollars on a frame! Don't be afraid to mix and match different style frames either.

- Speaking of mixing and matching, don't just use pictures. Get cute prints (one of my favorite shops is Rifle Paper Co.), buy some metal letters or even some fun antlers!

- The farther down the wall you go the higher your ceiling will look.

- Last, but not least make sure you have everything in front of the wall that you want by the end of it. Don't forget about the lamps or a vase of flowers!

I hope these tips and tricks help you in your gallery wall adventures. Make sure it reflects your personality and most of all have fun with it!

Bolfs + Baby

The Bolfs and baby Arya, nothing is cuter.

MYO Boozy Lemonade

Make your own boozy lemonade! What's better!? Peter and I had some friends over for a Memorial Day BBQ and I thought having lemonade during the first weekend of summer would be perfect. We found the best lemonade recipe from allrecipes.com and hand squeezed 30 lemons, yay! Once the lemonade is done put out your favorite booze (our friends favorites were bourbon and vodka) and you're done! People can make their own cocktails all night.

We're Pregnant!

We're pregnant and so excited about it! In typical Hootman fashion we decided to do a very over the top pregnancy reveal, but we love the way it turned out. Fun fact: the song is Stay Young, Go Dancing by Death Cab for Cutie. The same song we had our first dance to at our wedding.

Ps, i love you

A few weekends ago Peter and I needed some sun so we decided to go Palm Springs, somewhere we had both never been before. The weekend was filled with laughs, poolside drinks and yummy food. We hung out with some some dinosaurs, ran away from rattlesnakes in Joshua Tree and biked through downtown. 

Hotel: Arrive. Go there now, can't recommend it enough.

Ate: Draughtsman has good food and beer cocktails (insert heart eyed emoji here). Reservoir was the best food to eat poolside, still dreaming about the chips and guac. Birba has lovely cocktails and brick oven pizza, will definitely being going back next time. Cheeky's had an awesome waffle and was able to bike from our hotel.