baby favorites! {accessories}

I often get asked by friends where I find Aven's headbands and other items we love, so I thought it would be fun to compile a list of links to some of our most loved shops and current favorites. Each of these shops offer something a little different than the others. If you're a mom of boys, many of these shops carry other baby items besides hair accessories - burp cloths, unisex leggings, and even bowties.

{P.S. a couple have even graciously provided coupon codes for you guys- yay!}
Just click on the name of each shop to visit their sites!

Jumping Jack 
The soft and stretchy jersey floral headwrap is one of their signature pieces, but they also carry lots of fun baby items including apparel. This teal headwrap is one of my absolute favorites! It doesn't leave marks on her head and looks cute with dressy or casual clothes. They even have some irresistible mommy and baby sets (like the black and white stripes below!). 
(Ps. - the shop closes periodically to catch up on orders. If they're currently closed, you can sign up to get an email when they open back up!)

Lucille Paige

Kind of funky and different, I love her style and she always has the greatest fabrics/patterns. She has a variety of items, including baby leg warmers, flower crowns, and I especially love her baby/toddler scarves! (Ridiculously cute!)

8 month update

It's been 8 months since she joined our family. 
We are at that point now where I'm actually having a hard time remembering what life was like before her. She is our new normal, and any time spent away from her doesn't feel quite right.

This past month has been one of lots of growth for our girl. And her personality is blossoming. She is chatty, a little dramatic, funny, emotional, and extremely observant.

Aven Harper {a birth story}

I loved reading birth stories when I was pregnant. Something about hearing so many different scenarios helped calm some of my fears. Not to mention I just love a good story. I knew I would want to write Aven's down so I would always remember all the details that become blurry with time, but the birthing experience is a lot to process! So I've been working on this one for a while and I finally feel like I'm ready to share it.

{Also...it's kind of long. That's what 30 hours of labor will get you.}

{January 28, 2014}

It was my due date. I left an uneventful OB appointment and was greeted by little snow flurries on the way home. We knew to expect some snow, but "nothing ever sticks around here."  (LIES).  Brandon got stuck in terrible traffic on the way home from work, and we soon learned this same scenario was playing out all over the state. Due to unprepped roads and gridlock traffic, eventually people were forced to either abandon their cars and walk home, or spend the night in their vehicles. What. A. Nightmare. We just prayed that our girl would stay put until the weather passed. Brandon did not want to deliver his daughter himself and I knew I was gonna need that epidural. AMEN.

Well she must be a good listener, because stay put she did. 

The days slowly ticked by. With each one, the number of "is she here yet?" texts seemed to increase, as well as our medical bills thanks to an OB appointment every couple of days to check on the baby and my progress (hello, crappy insurance). Each doctor visit was the same - very minimal progress. Clearly, she was quite content in there. I guess I'm glad at least one of us was comfortable at this point.

I remember actually laughing when this calendar alert popped up on my phone. It was both terrifying and reassuring to be reminded that she couldn't stay there forever. 

{February 5, 2014}

I was 41 weeks and 1 day pregnant.

I had a non-stress test and an ultrasound, which measured our girl at almost 8 lbs. As a Sonographer, I'm well aware that late-term ultrasounds are not especially accurate when predicting weight so I rounded up, figuring she would be about 8 1/2 pounds. Yikes.

But judging by this belly......sounded about right.