Yesterday I featured Chase’s newborn photos on the blog and I have to laugh because after sharing so many pictures of our little guy looking like a peaceful sleeping angel, I must admit that this week has been a bit rough.
I think Ryan and I got lucky with Chase during his first three weeks. While he was up a lot to eat at night, he typically went back to sleep fairly well, with only a small handful of rough nights sprinkled in the mix. Well, once Chase turned four weeks old, something changed and our nights have been a bit of a battle with our little guy. He’ll generally sleep well for the first stretch, but every single night at 2 a.m. this week, he’s been up acting fussy or excitable for two hours… And then the 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. timeframe is a crapshoot as to whether he’ll go back to sleep or drift in and out (<— usually the latter). Let’s just say this mama is ready for the weekend! I’m crossing my fingers that I’ll be able to catch up on a bit of sleep over the course of the next two days.
Hopefully you guys have something a little more exciting on your agenda this weekend other than sleeping whenever you can! I’d love to get out of the house and perhaps take Chase to the farmer’s market this weekend, but we’ll play it by ear. In the meantime, let’s chat about what we’re all loving most this week in your weekly Things I’m Loving Friday post! Feel free to participate in the comments section, as I always love reading about the things that make you guys smile.
Things I’m Loving Friday
- Cotton Candy Grapes
These grapes taste so, so good and I’ve been freezing them this week for a cold and sweet treat. (We found them at Fresh Market and Target.) After a warm morning walk with Sadie and Chase, an ice-cold bowl of hydrating grapes totally hits the spot!
- Vacation Planning
In October, my parents, sister and brother-in-law are joining our little family (with the dogs!) at a rental house near Boone, North Carolina for an autumn vacation. It will be Chase’s first big getaway! We’ll be spending six days in the mountains together and not a day passes where we aren’t talking about our upcoming vacation right now. I cannot wait to see the leaves change (hopefully our timing will work out well), explore and just hang out with my family. We’re already planning to make s’mores by the bonfire on a nightly basis and I’m hoping we’ll be able to figure out a way to take Chase along on some short hikes. (He will be 2 1/2 months at this point… I’m not sure if there’s a baby carrier that would work best for hiking when he’ll be so small, but if you know of one, I’d LOVE to hear your advice. Right now the Ergo360 carrier seems like a winner based on your Facebook recommendations last week.)
- Butterscotch Caramel Bliss Coffee
Before I had a baby, I never really understood how moms could nurse one cup of coffee all day long but now I totally get it. I have yet to finish even 3/4 of a cup of coffee or tea since Chase’s arrival, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still treasure a morning cup almost daily. This new-to-me flavor came highly recommended by my mom and apparently Fresh Market sold out of the butterscotch caramel bliss within days of offering it up as a free sample to patrons. Thankfully we got our hands on some freshly ground beans and it tastes amazing with a splash of creamy coconut milk. (You may see more of my favorite flavored coffees in this post: Best Flavored Coffees)
- House Party – Sam Hunt
Ryan is not the biggest fan of country music, but I absolutely love it, so I was thrilled when he came home the other day and said he’s been playing a country song on his phone on repeat. What!? Well, House Party is the country song that swayed him and my country-lovin’ heart is psyched, even if the song is fairly country-light. I’ve been playing the Country Pop station on Pandora in our house non-stop lately in a likely foolish attempt to make Chase take my side in the Fagan country music battle one day. Yeehaw!
- Kut From The Kloth Cropped Ankle Pants (via Stitch Fix)
These pants came in my most recent Stitch Fix delivery (my first non-maternity delivery this year!) that included two nursing-friendly dresses, a tunic and and pretty floral top. These pants stole the show! I am so picky when it comes to finding pants I like, so I was psyched when these turned out to be a winner. I love the burgundy color (perfect for fall!) and the slightly cropped cut.
- Around the Web
Some Labor Day sales that may be of interest…
Nordstrom – Up to 40% off (My favorite splurge-worthy Marc Jacobs purse is 40% off!)
Gap – Up to 40% off
J.Crew Factory – 50% off everything (Love the puffer vests for fall!)
Fabletics – 75% off your first outfit (I nabbed the strappy dash bra and tuberose capris earlier this week!)
Reebok – 30% off with code LABORDAY
A few fun finds…
For my fellow Pure Barre lovers –> Pure Barre Technique Spotlight: Abs Under The Barre
Gluten-Free Veggie “Pasta” Bake (Made with spaghetti squash – Looks delicious!)
- Friday Flashbacks
Pumpkin Spice Puppy Chow (Please add this to your must-make list this fall! It’s so tasty and a big-time crowd pleaser!)
25 Minute Boot Camp Workout (Perfect for days when you’re short on time but want to sneak in a quick workout!)
- CVS Giveaway Winner
Congratulations to Shelby A., the winner of the CVS gift card giveaway! Shelby was emailed first thing this morning. Thanks so much to all who entered!
Question of the Day
- Share one thing you are loving this week!
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This week I’m loving pumpkin spice coffee over ice and some almond milk. It’s still hot where I live but it’s September so give me Pumpkin spice or give me death! 🙂
I’ll have to be on the lookout for that caramel coffee. looks great!
You will love the Boone area in October! I went to college there and still visit as much as possible. The colors and the temperature should be perfect for you guys to have a family vacation! I hope you love the area as much as I do!!
I am so excited! I’d love to hear any recommendations you may have for things to do in the area!
Of course! I’ll shoot you an email sometime in the next week with some good suggestions! Have a great weekend!
I also lived in Boone for three years- LOVE that area- Must try Coyote Kitchen – it’s in an odd location but the food is AMAZING. ALSO Proper- the brunch on Sunday is the best and the owner is a dear friend and great woman
Awesome! Thanks for the recs!
I’m currently a student at ASU in Boone, and you’ll be visiting at the perfect time! Hob Nob is another great restaurant to try out, it’s in downtown Boone and has some delicious food! For hiking, Moses Cone trails are really awesome, and should be really good for a stroller. Great views, and fairly low intensity!
Thank you! Adding your recommendations to my list!
Yes, it is kind of rough when the 3 week sleepy newborn stage fades away. Don’t worry–it’s totally normal (sorry, I know that doesn’t help the sleep deprivation!). Also I cannot say enough good things about the Ergo 360!
my friend said it’s a trick newborns play on their parents to make them think they have an easy baby! haha!
Sleep deprivation isn’t easy! I’m with you there! I love those cotton candy grapes too!
Ryan (my husband) and I were just talking about cotton candy grapes! He tried a sample at the grocery store the other day and said they were, ummm, interesting. He’s not a huge sweets person so I’m not surprised by his reactions. I’m looking forward to trying them at some point and freezing them sounds like a great idea!
I tried Kut from the Kloth jeans a while ago and totally fell in love! I find they run a bit big, but overall I love the style and fit of the pants – new favorite and they’re so reasonably priced!
Long Lazy Weekend ahead – we bought a pontoon and headed out to Lake Michigan for a few days of floating and soaking up the last few days of summer …. since next week’s forecast is a strong turn to fall weather and trees are starting to change already – we’re going to use up our sunblock and have sandy toes all weekend!
Too funny! I just bought the cotton candy grapes yesterday (found them at Whole Foods) and LOVE them! My boyfriend, on the other hand, couldn’t see how they taste like candy AT ALL and I gave up after several tries. 🙂
Hang in there, mama! Those nights seem so so long! I remember getting anxiety before bed because of the impeding long night that was likely going to happen. It will pass… Then happen again month later.. Then pass! One day he will sleep all night and you will feel human again. As for carriers the Ergo is great, but I LOVE the Beco carrier over the Ergo. It offers the face out version (while still being ergonomically correct) for the baby which is essential when Chase gets older and wants to see everything. I highly recommend looking in to it!! The was the only downside for me on the Ergo is it different offer that. And the carriers are one of those pieces that are pricey so you want to make sure you get the most use out of it for sure!
I totally second the beco gemini! My five month old started facing out at about 2.5 months (he was very strong and holding his head up consistency) and loves going for walks facing forward. It’s also a much more slimlined design then the ergo. However, the downside is it doesn’t have a pocket in the front, which is the tradeoff for a slimmer fit. I’d go to a fancy baby store and see if you can try both on – I just looked it up for your area, and GingerSnap baby carries both. (http://shop.gingersnap-baby.com/) Babies, in my experience of nannying and being a mama, tend to care way less about the fit of the carrier than we do, so I’d just make sure it fits your body and comfort.
Also, as a secondary thing, you are inspiring me so much with your commitment to exercise and your health. After Ethan was born, I found getting back to walking and moving to be so hard when I am so exhausted, but you’ve inspired me to get back to moving and grooving to make me feel better, not just loose the stubborn 8 pounds that won’t budge. Have a great weekend!
Thank you so much for your insight and for your kind comment, Kat! <3
The flip side of the newborn sleepy phase wearing off is they get so much more interactive and playful! It’s hard to stay upset that they aren’t sleeping at 3am when they give you the most adorable smiles!
I love my ABC (Action Baby Carrier)! I tried an Ergo and never was a fan of the clip on my upper back or the way it transfers their weight to you. The ABC is great because when you are front carrying the straps cross and it’s so comfy! You can back carry with and ABC in a very similar way as an Ergo does. A word of warning about outward front carrying with the 360 is that once you outward front carry baby tends to never want to inward front carry again, which can be problematic since they can become overstimulated outward carrying and not ever wind down enough to take a nap. I so hope you and Chase can fall in love with baby wearing! It’s so convient, keeps them so much happier and it so helpful for some extra cuddles on their fussy days or traveling.
Everyone’s been raving about those grapes and I have yet to try them. I think I need to add them to the grocery list this weekend!
Also, I wish I hadn’t seen that J. Crew sale. I’m in big trouble this weekend with all the sales going on!
ive used the boba carrier for hiking with my little girl. The newborn “insert” comes included with it and it just boosted her up to a comfortable position when she was tiny. I’ve heard great things about the ergo 360 since it allows the kiddos to be outward facing. You’ll just need to buy the newborn insert separately I think for that one. Most babies love being snuggled in facing forward when they’re little but as they get bigger they like to see their surroundings!
Sorry he thinks night time is awake time. That’s rough! I’d say it will Improve with time but make sure he’s eating every 2-3 hours during the day and twke him outside lots. I’ve heard that Helps their circadian rythym get set.
I love that song too. I can’t help but to dance to it and sing obnoxiously loud whenever it comes on. Here’s hoping you get some rest this weekend! 🙂
Oh those nights sound rough. I hope he gives you some sleep soon.
I can’t get on board with the cotton candy grapes. Although, I don’t particularly love cotton candy so I guess that’s why.
I like the Solly baby wrap for my 9 week old. We have the ergo 360, but plan on using it once he’s a bit bigger since we didn’t buy the infant insert. Why do a lot of baby products require purchasing something additional to make it work for a newborn?? Ugh!
Hi Michelle,
A great hack for the Ergo 360 is to roll up a baby blanket and put it under kiddo’s tush. All the infant insert does is lift them up so they’re supported, which a blanket does a great job of doing. Save the $24 and get a mani/pedi! 😉
Have you downloaded the Wonder Weeks app? It’s a GAME-CHANGER, in my opinion. It made it so much easier to understand the “leaps” that baby was making, developmentally.
Also, Kut From the Kloth is AMAZING. I didn’t love much of what StitchFix sent me but being introduced to that brand was enough to make three shipments worth it!
Downloaded it this morning after reading your recommendation and a few other recs on this post! LOVING it so far! It really is spot-on right now!
Sorry the 3 week sleeping newborn phase is over! I remember those days…! It sounds crazy, but at 4am we’ll try crazy things…have you tried wearing Chase to get him to sleep? I’m sure you’ve tried it all, but I remember Carly (now 1!!) needing to be as close to me and it helped. I was able to settle her and I set myself up on the couch, all propped up on pillows and we both slept like that. It wasn’t ideal, but then we both slept! I wouldn’t go to bed wearing her, I was so paranoid of rolling over on her. It’s not a lot, but maybe worth a try?! 🙂
For hiking with a little one – I LOVE my Ergo 360. We actually went hiking when Carly was about 8 weeks old and we bundled her up in the Ergo with the infant insert and I had my hubby wear her. He kept her warm and was able to navigate the trail a bit better than me. I was nervous wearing her while hiking. She slept the whole time! She loved to be worn either way, so we could’ve been anywhere and she slept in the Ergo. Another small tip – if you are wearing Chase in the Ergo, it takes practice, but it’s also great to nurse in! It took me a bit to figure it out, but I could nurse Carly in the Ergo and no one even knew I was nursing!
Your vacation sounds so fun! Get some rest this weekend – you deserve it! 🙂
I started wearing Chase in the day in my K’Tan this week and he seems to like it a lot! And thanks for the Ergo info!!
I’ve been trying to get my husband to like country music for a long time, and I took him to a couple of concerts. I’ve found that he’s into Zach Brown Band at least, so there’s another option to put in front of Ryan! 🙂
Thanks for the link love to my Pure Barre post, lovah! 😉
Aaaand I might have been made fun of for about 2 weeks for playing house party on repeat. I just can’t get sick of it.
You’re gonna love Boone! Takes me back to my college days. <3
I can totally relate to the sleep deprivation as I have a 6 week old baby! She also slept pretty well the first few weeks and we even got 1 7 hour stretch at night about a week ago… Now it’s up every two hours at night again and definitely increased fussiness (they say that starts to decrease after 6 weeks?) I have the ergo 360 and absolutely love it! As a bonus, my baby loves it so much. There are times when she’s fussy and I put her in there and she instantly calms down. She also almost always falls asleep in it and it’s the only way I’m able to get anything done during the day (I just started working part time from home, so this is super helpful)! I know people are also able to nurse in the ergo 360 but I haven’t quite figured that out yet…
I am loving high waisted skirts for some reason. My Pinterest board is all over them. I finally decided to buy one, but I bought it online..we shall see how it goes!
Oh man, thanks for the reminder about that pumpkin spice puppy chow! I made it a couple years ago and it blew. my. mind. So, so, so good! I’ll have to make another batch this fall (once it cools off and I can actually think about fall, that is!).
I found cotton candy grapes at Jewel Osco for the first time a couple of weeks ago and bought a bag since I’ve been dying to try them. I was so surprised that they actually tasted like cotton candy! I was expecting something more like a Larabar where they say it tastes like *insert delicious thing here*, and then it doesn’t actually taste like that at all. I loved them! One of my roommates threw away almost the entire bag when I was out of the house, though, which was disappointing to say the least! She thought they had gone bad (which they hadn’t). Sad day.
Awwwww! Your comment about Jewel made me miss my Illinois days!!!
I’ve been loving House Party, too! But I love country music, so that might be understandable 😉 I hope you manage to catch up on some sleep this weekend. Have a good one!
Sorry for the rough nights you’ve been having! Then again, he’s just going to get more and more fun.
The puppy chow sounds delicious, but I just can’t get over the name. Then again, if you offered me White Chocolate Cookie Chex, I’d be all over that.
You should look into the Wonder Weeks app or book. It shows you when your baby goes through developmental leaps and tells you when to except their fussy periods. My son follows it to a T! It definitely helps me understand why he goes through phases of not sleeping through the night! (He’s almost 11 months)
This app is great!! I downloaded it this morning and you’re SO right about it being accurate! Super interesting, too!
Get the wonder weeks app. It tells you when newborns and babies tend to have growth spurs so odd behavior like that isn’t as surprising!
Just downloaded it!! Thanks for the recommendation — it’s already SPOT ON for Chase!
We have an Ergo as well and I CAN’T WAIT to take our first family hike with it once she’s big enough!! Eek!
Our nugget did the same thing at 3 weeks! I naively thought we had the best sleeper ever for the first two! HA! I can say that it typically peaks around 6 weeks and should continue to normalize after that. We are still up a few times each night, but she doesn’t *usually* have two hour block parties. We went back to swaddling and using loud, white noise around this time to help with sleep-and it worked! It will get better and I hope you can catch up on some zzzzz’s this weekend!
We love those Cotton Candy grapes at our house! So good!
And my kids were the same way when they were born. They were soooo good the first couple of weeks (I joked and said they were probably doped up on the pain meds Mom was still taking) and then boom, they wouldn’t sleep. I told my mom if we ever have another child, she is staying with us starting week 4 because that is when it gets bad.
It gets better! My 5 month old is now sleeping through the night. He kept waking up in the bassinet, but as soon as I moved him to the crib, he slept thru the night. He just wanted to sprawl out! We’ve hiked multiple times with the Ergo 360. It has great back support for you and is adjustable for you and Ryan. You might want to get a Frog Tog Chilly pad or something similar (I got something similar at Target) to put between you and Chase while wearing it to keep you both cool.
Thanks for the Frog Tog recommendation! That sounds great for warmer walks/hiking!
Those cotton candy grapes are no joke- we can’t believe how good they are. They’re usually gone before we even get home!
Hang in there, momma. Every baby is so different! I have 9 week old twins: One sleeps a 5-7 hour stretch every night…the other is up nursing every 1-3 hours (and also did the 2 hour “party all night” phase from weeks 4-6). Co-sleeping and side-lying nursing is the only way we got any rest. It works well for us for now!
I love the Ergo 360 now that they have a little head control, but the Moby wrap is also great and I liked it enough to hike with a baby in it last weekend.
Question: how did you know what size to order on Stitch Fix? I’m 3 weeks postpartum and have only worn yoga pants so far. I’d love some real clothes but not sure how long I’ll be this size and whether I’d still fit in my normal size. (I had a 3rd degree tear so I don’t really care to wear stiffer materials like jeans at this point…) thanks for any tips in advance!
I would just make a note and tell your stylist you just had a baby. I was sent pants one size up from my usual size, so perhaps requesting one size bigger might be a good place to start if that seems like it might be more comfortable? I also said I wanted comfortable nursing-friendly apparel!
Our pediatrician told us that the first three weeks are the honeymoon phase!
The ergo should be perfect for hiking with a 2.5 month old! We used it and it was comfy enough (especially when they are still in the infant insert) for the baby to just nap the whole time! And my husband could wear our daughter, which was great for him and a nice break for me 🙂
So glad you’ve raised this. Our little bean is 3 days younger than your little Chase. All started out fine but at week 3 he started finding the evenings hard and he would be on and off my breast for 3-4 hours. It was exhausting! We seem to be over that and generally I can set my watch by his night feeds (every 2 hrs) but the 2am feed seems to be troublesome. We usually do 1 breast then nappy change then other breast til he falls asleep. It takes an hour but the 2am feed takes 2 hours as he fusses while feeding. Its tiring. You aren’t alone on that front. Soery I don’t have any advice… just a sympathetic ear 🙂
I feel for you, Goldie!! Thank you for this comment!
I have a 6 week old (5 weeks early) and we use the Boba 4G. It’s amazing for little babies and we’ve been able to use it with our baby since she was 7 lbs. It also comes with the infant insert and my husband and I can both easily use it as its really easy to put on and quickly adjust the straps. We picked it out due to its simplicity as many other carriers felt complicated and had too many straps and adjustments. We tried on several too!
We also just entered a really fussy stage! She is great at night but very fussy during the day now. She didn’t let me put her down for 4 hrs this morning so my husband is coming home from work now so I don’t lose my mind. I’m hoping this doesn’t last!
Chase looks a lot like Ryan in that picture! I totally forgot about the Pumpkin Spice Puppy Chow, I am printing the recipe so I don’t forget! Your family’s fall vacation sounds great–I’m hoping to get away for a few days too this fall once the baseball season is over. I think I’m going to have to make a Target run this weekend–it’s been too long! I’m also looking forward to grilling, hopefully spending some time on the lake with friends, and watching/working a lot of baseball! Happy Labor Day Weekend!
I’m loving that one month from today I will by running my first trail ultra marathon A 50k in Reading, PA!! Training has rammped up and I felt great this week. But I agree I can totally dig some rest this weekend! Happy Friday to you and yours!
We love our ergo 360 and have been using it with Reese since she was around that age. We didn’t have the infant insert, so we used rolled receiveing blankets until we could kiss the top of her head.
Thanks for sharing the pumpkin puppy chow recipe!! I will definitely be adding it to my fall must-make list. I’ve been eyeing up tons of fall recipes on the web, but have my eyes on some “pumpkin cheesecake truffles” to try first!
those truffles sounds great!! off to google…
Hi Julie! I have to admit I was turned off the first few weeks when you painted a picture of life with a newborn as rainbows and sunshine. It was just very unrealistic. With two kids of mine (14 months apart) I always appreciate bloggers who keep it real. Not to be negative, but I think as mothers, when you keep it real you are more relatable. Every mother can relate to what you posted today! It’s hard work! I respect those who post about that because other mothers who are struggling are going to find you as a blogger inspirational! As opposed to, i haven’t had a full night sleep in three weeks but everything is just perfect! So thank you for this post today because ultimately we all struggle sometimes and we are all in this together 🙂
Honestly, I really thought we lucked out with a super easy baby for the first three weeks. This week was the first time I truthfully felt hit with sleep deprivation and a fussy baby that wouldn’t settle. I truthfully wasn’t trying to be all “rainbows and sunshine” but I just think Chase was pretty darn easy up until this week. I think that now that his newborn sleepiness wore off, I’m definitely understanding how hard life with a new baby can be at times. It’s definitely filled with joy, but there’s also a lot of self-doubt, exhaustion and feelings of defeat that come along with it! Thank you for encouraging me to continue to share!
hey! quick thought on the baby sleeping–I read another blog called Cup of Joe (joannagoddard.blogspot.com) and she said that the book “The Sleepeasy Solution” totally changed their life when their little boy Toby was born. I already pre-emptively bought it for when our little GIRL is here in January! I haven’t started it yet, but have read really good reviews, so hoping for some good baby sleeping tips. the subtitle to the book says “how to get your child to sleep from birth through 5 years”
What a fun family vacation! I hope Chase starts sleeping better! Thanks for sharing the country song! I’m a big country girl too!
the ergo is awesome! i borrowed one when my family went to colorado over the summer and william was 14 months old – when he was a newborn i loved wrapping him… it definitely took a lot of practice but i LOVED it! see if your community has a BWI fb group (babywearing international) – it’s a great resource for additional options! 🙂
I found one in Charlotte and hope to check them out! They don’t have any meetings super close to where we live, but it still may be worth a trip to check them out!
Ergo 360 for sure. Our lil guys are a week apart or so and mine loves it! Just get the infant insert and he will snuggle up all on you! And it is so comfy, I prefer that to pushing a stroller!
I am so happy about how accomplished I feel about actually working out every day this week. It has been A LONG time since that happened. I found your blog earlier this week through a friend and I absolutely adore it. You have inspired a new one! Thank you!
That’s awesome!! And thanks so much for reading my blog. So glad you found me!
So weird I just discovered the cotton candy grapes yesterday! I’ll have to check my target bc whole foods had them for 10 bucks!which I totally splurged on bc… I hear you on the lack of sleep! I had my daughter 2 days before you had chase and we’re not sleeping weep at night either and my 2 year old makes it impossible to day sleep. So I’m pretty much losing mind but so grateful for family who comes all the time!
Julie! Congratulations. I know the first 4 weeks are such a tease. One of thing that comes along with a tiny baby is they seem to have a harder time with sleeping. My baby was 5 lb as well, and everyone thought something was wrong with her bc she was constantly crying and not sleeping. Well, at 4 months we had a major turn around (when she finally filled out some). Hang in there! You are doing amazing!!! Our baby is 20 months now and the best sleeper ever. This is temporary!!!!! You are the best! Thank you for inspiring us all on a daily basis.
I’m so glad to hear your baby started sleeping better at 4 months. My fingers are crossed!
I am 23 weeks pregnant and Cotton Candy grapes are my crack! Holy moly there are sooo good! I bought them and the cashier was asking me about them and I made him try one right then and there! haha he probably thought I was a weirdo but I think everyone needs to know about them!