It's Been Too Long...Project 365

It really has. I mean seriously if I didn't know better I wouldn't have thought I've ever blogged at all. But truth be told, I sort of miss it! It's a fun way to express myself and share our family adventures, stories and more. SO I'm going to try and make 2017 the year of blogging, starting now!

The holidays are such a special time and have always been my personal favorite. I'm actually quite bummed that I wasn't better about blogging last year, it would be fun to look back on Grace's first year of life. But hey, stuff happens right?!

So to kick start this effort to blog more I'm going to join my friend Megan in Project 365. An effort to take more and better pictures using my fancy camera I got last year but forget to take out. I've been honing in on my skills using the manual setting and they say practice makes perfect so this will be a good way. This isn't only to become a better photographer, but to capture the every day moments in the life of the Slusser family (or mostly Gracie) that I know I'll miss or forget about as she grows up.

Lets just be really clear for a second... This definitely doesn't mean that I'm ready to ditch the professionals for family photos and other major life events. That's just crazy, because lets face it, I'll never be able to get those precious newborn shots like this:

BUT I do want to be able to capture better everyday moments so I can cherish those, along with the professional photos my family has taken. So starting January 1st, I'm going to attempt to take one photo every day with my camera. I'll try to post them nightly, but we all know how life is and sometimes that just isn't possible, so if anything I'll do weekly/monthly recaps when life gets crazy. I'd love to hear any tips you have or if you can see through photos how I can get better. One thing I've definitely learned is that when there isn't great lighting and you have to turn your ISO up too much, your pictures get grainy. Learned that the hard way!

So anyway, here's a few I've shot over the last few weeks while playing around with manual mode:

Time is Fleeting: 35 Things I don't Want to Forget About the First 8 Months

Everyone says your life changes when you have a baby, and I'd be lying if I said that wasn't true. It does change, but in our case it has changed for the better. When Grace was born, we both filled a hole in our hearts we didn't know was there. What has changed the most in life is the concept of time. From the moment you discover you're pregnant you begin counting time in weeks and months. It's almost as if you stop counting days but just skip right to weeks.

Then just like that 40 (give or take a couple) weeks goes by and you're now counting days for the first week or so, then you start counting weeks and months. And you quickly realize how fleeting the quiet moments of each day are, and how fast time goes by. Everyone you know and even the random people in the grocery store will tell you how fast time goes, but you don't truly realize just how fast until you're staring at your EIGHT MONTH OLD asleep in her crib.

The days are long and the years are short. And those first few weeks at home were some of the hardest yet most wonderful of my life, and they literally flew by. I just don't know how we got here so quickly, how I'm already planning our daughters first birthday or how we've already started putting toys away that Grace is "too big for."

Because I already feel like I've forgotten parts of the first few weeks and months, I'm making a list of the things about Grace I don't want to forget. Before I know it she'll be 1, then 2, then 10. So here goes.

I don't want to forget:
- When you first came home and hardly opened your right eye so I called you "one eyed willy" for a couple of weeks. 
- How seeing you with your Daddy made me love him even more. 
- The way you stare at your Daddy in awe and light up every time you see him walk into the room
- Your big belly laugh when we play peek-a-boo.
- The giant smile you get whenever you see your Grandma and Papa
- The way you can hardly contain your excitement sometimes and have to burrow into my arms.
- The way you look at your cousins and how much you already love them.
- Your sweet demeanor.
- How you can make a complete stranger smile. 
- How much joy your Grandparents had the moment they first held you, and still have every time they see you. 
- How much you've taught me about patience.
- The way you cuddle in close when I need it the most.
- How you shake when you see your bottle in the morning, as if you haven't seen one in days.
- Your love for avocado.
- How much you already love books and get so excited to read before bed.
- How skinny your feet are - I swear you’re never going to fit in shoes!
- How long it took you to finally roll over and how much we can’t stop you now.
- How proud of yourself you are each time you figure out something new.
- Your smile in the morning when we get you out of your crib.
- The way you talk and coo in your crib before naps and bedtime.
- How small you were the first time we put in you in the sink for a bath.
- How much you love the color red.
- The grunting noise you make when you're frustrated.
- Your big smiles and endless talking in swim class. 
- How you laugh when Lucy gives you kisses.
- How you had zero interest in holding your bottle until you were about 7 months old. 
- How singing "When The Saints Go Marching In" can calm you down within seconds.
- How most mornings we chase Lucy around the kitchen and you laugh so hard.
- How you already want to be independent but also want to be close to the action.
- How much you LOVE sleeping in your crib (even if that means refusing a nap anywhere else).
- Your leg rolls and arm chubs. 
- The way you stretch you're entire body every morning and let out a giant yawn. 
- How you kick your legs at night until you fall asleep, it's even earned you the nickname "Thumper."
- How fast you went from barely crawling to racing around the house.
- How I think I couldn't possibly love you more and then you smile at me or giggle and my heart grows in size. 

Some nights I wish I could just hit pause, so on those nights I hold you a little tighter and rock you to sleep. Some days I wish I could have a few more "newborn cuddles" but then I start to see your personality shine through and I realize how fun it is to watch you grow. Everything seems to be going so fast and I know the time of you needing your Momma will come and go, so for now I'm promising my self to enjoy the little moments because they quickly become the big moments.

11 New Parent Must Haves

I remember when I was pregnant and spent countless hours at night searching the web for information about new baby necessities to help myself feel prepared for what was to come. The beauty about technology these days is the unlimited amount of information available, but unfortunately that's also the down fall. During pregnancy and my first few weeks of motherhood I cannot even begin to count how many times I googled something to make sure I was doing it right and then seconded guess myself because of what I read online. Here's a couple real, honest tips before we dive into my favs:

• No matter how much you read or how much stuff you have, you're not going to be prepared for the change you're about to experience. I know that sounds scary but that is the beauty of it all. Becoming a Mom is everything I expected and so much more. I love it and embrace the crazy, stressful and exhausting moments but I also thought I was prepared. Nothing can prepare you for the emotions your heart will feel and it's truly the most wonderful thing in the world. 

• Despite whatever you've read, even this list, all you need for that baby is formula if you choose not to breastfeed, some bottles, a whole lot of love and some diapers and wipes. You do NOT need a fancy schmancy $400 baby swing, or a wipe warmer, or a baby spa. BUT if you want those things than get them! My favorite part about motherhood is that we all get to do it how WE want and that's the best way. Do what's right for your family but don't be overwhelmed by everything you'll see at your local baby store, you really don't need a lot to properly care for your little one.

Ok now lets get back to business... Here's a few of my favorite gadgets, gizmos and other tid bits that helped me survive my first 8 months of motherhood!

1. Swing. Grace LOVED our swing and I was lucky enough to have a friend who had one sitting in her garage and is letting us use it. Swings can be pretty expensive and not every baby likes them so if possible wait until baby is here and see if you have a friend or family member who has one collecting dust in their garage.
2. Boppy. Seriously, don't become a Mother without having one of these, or some sort of other nursing pillow. Even if you're not going to nurse, they making bottle feeding easier, holding the baby in the middle of the night when you're exhausted easier, and they're perfect for propping baby up or for tummy time!
   
3. Sound machine. I feel like this is the only thing I didn't know to get, despite all of my pre-baby reading. The first night we had Grace up stairs in her bassinet next to us she had a really tough time falling asleep. We both quickly realized it was due to the lack of noise. Babies spend 9 months inside Momma's tummy where there is a ton of noise and then they come out where it's again very noisy but then we expect them to sleep in complete silence! Here's the one we have and we still use it nightly!
4. Feeding App. Much like the boppy pillow, download some sort of  app (here's what I used) before you head to the hospital. As much as you think you'll remember which side you nursed on last or even what time they last nursed or had a bottle, you won't. Trust me. Those first few weeks are a blur and sometimes I wasn't even sure if I remembered my name.
5. Video monitor. We love that we can always see our little one as she sleeps peacefully and I feel like it really helped me with the transition from sleeping next to our bed to sleeping in her crib in the next room. Here's the one we picked after talking to a few baby store employees and reading reviews. It's affordable and probably my two favorite features are the ability to zoom and being able to talk to through the monitor. I can just hear myself saying "Grace it's time for a nap" as she gets older and refuses! ;)
6. Blooming Bath. Am I the only new parent who thinks the bath is totally terrifying? Seriously I think jumping out of a plane would be less scary than those first few baths. The bath petal definitely helped alleviate those fears and Grace LOVED it!
   
7. Burp rags. LOTS and LOTS of burp rags. You can purchase them, but if you know someone with a sewing machine they're super easy to make. And, if your infant is anything like my daughter, they'll come in handy for more than one reason!
8. Butt paste. I'll let you guess why that's important. We loved this kind and still use it. It helped fight off some diaper rash while Grace was a few weeks old and has kept it at bay ever since!
9. Pacifier. We were told at the hospital that we shouldn't give our daughter a pacifier until she's at least 4 weeks old or it may affect her latch. Well about 9 days into motherhood I caved. She needed something for comfort and we had no issue with her latch. Here's our favorite kind, but I suggest having a couple on hand because you never know which one your baby will like. 
10. Bumbo seat. We love this seat, and it's so great for when your little one gets tired of laying on their tummy or back and wants to feel more independent. It also allows you to get a little more done. We were lucky enough to buy ours from a friend so we saved a lot of money. You can really do that with most of these things, for example we borrowed our swing from my friend Megan, saving us at least $150! Note in this picture Grace was on the counter on her seat which I'm sure is frowned upon but we were standing right there the ENTIRE time. As with anything, you shouldn't leave your baby unattended! ;)
    
11. COFFEE. LOTS and LOTS of coffee. If you are breastfeeding or want to breastfeed there are lots who say this is a no-no. And I know there are a million articles online of why you shouldn't drink coffee, but remember what I said above. Do what's right for YOU. I was really good about not drinking it while pregnant but let me tell you a little secret. When you haven't slept in 2 weeks, your baby is crying, you haven't showered, and you're wearing clothes that got spit up on (yesterday but don't tell anyone), you will need and want coffee. Talk to your husband or significant other and tell him one of his jobs during those first few weeks is to make sure you're properly caffeinated. Now there is a disclaimer here, and that's because caffeine affects every Mom and baby differently so watch for signs that it makes your baby gassy, or perhaps keeps them up at night because NO one wants that! I'm lucky and my little one doesn't seem to care if we have coffee in the morning or not!

I am sure as Grace gets older I will have even more essentials! I'll also be posting soon about the feeding essentials we've loved since starting Grace on solids.

What did I forget? What would you add to the list for Moms to be?