I am so excited to share our ‘Fresh 48’ photoshoot by The Deerwood Company! When Indie was born, I had a similar session scheduled and had to cancel for obvious reasons. This time, it brought me such great joy to have our photographer be able to visit the mother-baby unit to photograph our littlest love in all her good health. There’s not much else to say about this other than: look at these GORGEOUS PICS!!!!!!!
Continue reading “Stevie’s “Fresh 48” Shoot!”
First thing’s first – I’m writing this, four days postpartum, from my couch with my baby. Home and healthy. Quite the 180 from Indie’s birth story, where I struggled to find my words from the NICU. Stevie’s entry, however, still packs a dramatic punch – and I am so eager to jot it all down on this blog. Read on for all the details (and some potentially graphic but really cool birth photography by my amazing husband!)
Continue reading “Stevie’s Birth Story”
Finally getting around to showing you guys what I packed in my hospital bag ahead of meeting Baby Sis! I want to preface this post by saying that, as someone who prioritizes photos and blogging, I probably pack way more than what’s actually necessary…. so take this all with a grain of salt. The reality is that all your baby really needs is YOU (and an outfit to go home in!). Focus on the essentials for yourself – what will make you comfortable – and the rest will fall into place. It’s amazing how much the hospital actually provides you with… but some people just prefer to have their own “stuff” – and I’m one of those people! I also packed a bag like this when I had Indie and I learned very quickly that NONE OF IT MATTERS. Her birth and NICU stay made all plans go out the window and 90% of my “bag” was literally useless with the exception of a change of clothes. Do not lose sight of this! It’s so important to remember why you’re there: To get baby Earthside safe and sound. The rest is nominal. Read on to check out my full packing list this time around!
Continue reading “Hospital Bag Checklist!”
I’m so excited to share the details of my Baby Sprinkle with you! If you’ve been following along for a while now, it’s clear as day that I LOVE planning (and executing) beautiful events. In another life, I must have been a party planner! It brings me so much joy to take my vision and run with it, and I’m so lucky to connect with many incredible and local vendors through the power of social media to make these pipe dreams a reality. Read on for the nitty gritty details, and of course, to view the photos from the event!
Continue reading ““Shello” Baby! My Beachy-Boho Baby Sprinkle Recap”
I can’t believe the time has come for another maternity photoshoot. This pregnancy has seriously flown by (so much so that I haven’t even written about it on this blog, now that Instagram has become my predominant form of posting) – but there’s no better place to share a huge gallery than in this space right here, so let’s get cracking on THE shoot of all shoots…. what has become hands down my favorite photography session I’ve ever done.
Continue reading “2021 Maternity Photos With The Deerwood Co!”
I cannot believe that in just a few short days my tiny, brand new baby will be TWO. “The days are long, but the years are short”…. isn’t that the saying? She continues to amaze us in every way. It’s been a unique and challenging year since her first birthday party (which was the last time we really gathered with all our family and friends under one roof) – and the global pandemic has gotten in the way of us having a big birthday bash for her this time around, but I’ll be damned if I let such a special time pass without a little extravagance! Read on for some behind the scenes of our themed birthday photoshoot, and of course, to see the final product!
Continue reading “TWO The Moon! Indie’s 2nd Birthday” 
In honor of January being EA/TEF Awareness Month, this year I have submitted a short blog post to DifferentDream.com and I thought I’d share my words here on this platform as well. I have tweaked it so that it appeals to a broader audience, but what you’re about to read is pretty close to the article that will be published later this month. If you’ve been following me from before Indie was born, you probably read her birth story and have been keeping up with our journey as parents of a child with Esophageal Atresia/Tracheoesophageal Fistula (abbreviated EA/TEF). If you’re new, you can read my birth story by clicking here. In the article I wrote for Different Dream, I focused specifically on making connections in the EA/TEF Community and how they’ve helped shape our story. You don’t have to have a child with this specific set of special needs to be able to relate to the article you’re about to read – because when it all comes down to it, every parents need to connect with other parents to feel like they aren’t alone sometimes. Whether it be sleeping through the night, or navigating tough conversations, developmental milestones, or choosing the best daycare – “it takes a village” – and in parenthood, finding that village early on will make a world of difference. So I do hope you read and connect with this on some level – and if you have questions about life with EA/TEF, my inbox is always open!
Continue reading “Connecting The EA/TEF Community”
It’s that time of year again! My cards have (mostly) made it to their recipients and I’m so excited to post our photoshoot here in their digital home! We always enjoy our family photo sessions with Little Nest Portraits in Westfield, NJ and as a part of their Heirloom Membership, this specific shoot is something we look forward to every year. Click to read (a little) more and to view this year’s finished product!
Continue reading “2020 Holiday Photos By Little Nest Portraits of Westfield!” 
I am extremely excited to be sharing this DIY with all of you! I worked so hard on it, and I’m a very proud mama. Indie had a play kitchen that I accidentally broke. (Surprisingly not her… me!) So I decided to invest in the $89 Ikea Duktig kitchen as a replacement, giving it a complete overhaul to make it special, functional, and eye-catching in our house. Read on for a list of supplies, a written how-to guide, and of course detail shots of the finished product!
Continue reading “Ikea DIY Play Kitchen Makeover!” 
So excited to be writing a “real” blog post right now! Lately it’s been a whole lot of milestones and just about nothing else…. but with this lockdown lasting so much longer than I think all of us really expected, we’ve had to get creative with how we’re spending our time at home. 90% of it is ultimate procrastination, laziness and boredom… but when the urge sparks to do something crazy, I answer the call! Last week I put Indie into our very own sink/milkbath photoshoot! On my weekly trip to the grocery store (mask and gloves included) I made sure to pick up a grapefruit, a navel orange, a half-quart of whole milk, and a very simple bouquet of flowers. All from your average grocery store. The supplies were about $12 total, and the photos turned out so fabulous! So I’m going to list out some DIY steps for all you mamas out there looking to get creative at home!
I hope this has inspired some of you to try this at home! After we finished Indie went straight into a real hose-down, so you might want to do this just before your kiddo’s regular bath time (as long as there’s ample natural daylight). Don’t be discouraged by your kitchen. I resisted this project for the longest time because I don’t have a white farmhouse sink and butcherblock countertops (goals!!!) but now that I see these photos, the bath itself is so prominent and everything looked perfectly in-place!
If you’ve been itching to be a better hobby-photographer (even if you shoot on your phone!) there’s no better time than now to take the plunge and try something super cool. The last thing I can recommend is to download Photoshop Lightroom for your cell phone and choose a pack of presets that speak to you to make editing a breeze! Personally, I’ve been using both of Lindsey Badenhop’s packs and I’ve been thrilled with them!
That’s all folks! Currently taking suggestions for the next fun and crazy at-home photoshoot ideas to help pass the time! What would you put inside a milkbath? Is this something you think you’d attempt? We had so much fun! More happening over on instagram so be sure to follow along!
