June Favorites

Florida is heating up and we're doing everything we can to cool off! Below is what we have been crushing on the past couple weeks. 

We switched from the Pampers swim diapers to these because the back is labeled and they aren't pull on like Pampers. The only bummer is that they aren't a part of the Amazon Subscribe & Save program.

My sister in law bought the blue version of this LED nightlight for my nephew for Christmas. I knew I had to have it! It charges via wall plug and has two setting; one color and multicolored. The best part? You can buy it online!

J Crew baby ships free everyday with no minimum. Head there now as all SALE is an additional 40% off!

Zara has the cutest collection this summer! I scooped this up and the Cockatoo Jumpsuit as well.

I LOVE these headbands. They go with everything and the quality blew my mind. I found them while searching for modern baby clothes and I plan to get a few more sets. I dress Isla in mostly patterns and colors. I just don't care for Carter's and their appliques and whatnot. If Isla is wearing something from Carters, I didn't buy it.

So, if you read this post you know we have a very hard time with shoes and tend to buy all of her shoes from Nordstrom. However, I typically spend $35-$60 on one mismatched pair so if I find a pair I love like these gold sandals at $19, then I buy two pairs in two sizes. At least then I can resell them on Ebay later.

These are perfect for hydrating Isla when she is sick. I typically use one pouch for 4, 8 ounce sippy cups. These are convenient because you can have them on hand when needed and only use what you need.

We are on Isla's third runny nose in the past two months. I gave up on those small packs of Boogie Wipes and started getting this big guy. The wipes are far more gentle on her nose and face than tissues. My husband even used them recently when he had a sinus infection so he wouldn't get that chapped skin we all know and hate!

We Heart Nordstrom

My dear, sweet Isla Mae. This may be the hardest post (I hope) I'll ever have to write. I'm sharing because I want you to know everything we have done for you so far, and everything we will continue to do for you. To me, you are perfect. You will always be perfect <3

The day after you were born, I got a good look at you. Now, I know babies don't come out of mommy's looking like supermodels, but I also know when something is not quite right. I still need to share your birth story, and I will, but know that I suffered a spinal leak with my epidural so I wasn't all there for your first four days. Thank God, Daddy was!

The day after you were born, I put you in your hospital cradle to take a shower. I noticed that your right foot was shaped differently than your left. I immediately thought, babies lay all funky in the belly, so perhaps this is just one of those cone head type of things. Right? I mean, surely the doctor would have said something if it were more than that. Right? The nurse came to check your blood with a prick on the foot and she chose that foot. Wouldn't she have said something if she thought something was wrong? No one said anything. Your pediatrician came to see you twice while we were at the hospital and she didn't say anything either. Must be fine.

At your one week check-up I finally brought up the fact that your right foot didn't look like your left. And the doctor agreed. We took measurements, and your right foot, right calve, and right thigh measured bigger than your left. The doctor threw out lots of words...pediatric orthopedic surgeon, ultrasound, tumor, specialist, geneticist, hemihypertrophy...My head was spinning. You had grown hungry so I also had my boob out at this point to feed you and I just lost it. I'm crying, you're crying, my boob looks like a garden hose gone crazy! Total. shit. show!

We left that appointment with these facts:

1. Babies who present with one limb larger than the other may be diagnosed with a condition called hemihypertrophy; one side of the body is larger than the other.

2. Babies with hemihypertrophy are also at greater risk for cancerous stomach tumors and need belly ultrasounds every 6 months until 8 years old or a tumor is found.

3. We need to see a specialist.

Daddy and I were sick. We didn't and still don't (up until now) tell many people about your "Super Foot." Mostly because I start crying and partly because it just doesn't come up in regular conversation.

We have taken you to three specialists, one being a world renowned pediatric limb surgeon specializing in hemihypertrophy. After three months of waiting for an appointment, we sat in his waiting room and almost felt guilty that we were taking an hour of his time. The waiting room was full of babies from around the world with one leg a foot shorter than the other. It was heartbreaking. Upon seeing us, he told us to just be happy with what we have. That you were the mildest case he'd see all year. We found zero solace in that. To us, you are the most severe case we'll see all year. He gave us a preliminary diagnosis of isolated hemihypertrophy. Isolated, because your first ultrasound came back clear of tumors. (I already knew that, because I threw my crying self at the poor tech who ran your scan and demanded he tell me if there was a tumor, with the promise that I wouldn't sue if he were wrong)

We left there feeling like nothing had changed. No answers. No treatment. Nothing. He told us to come back in a year. We asked for another referral to the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital. We met with an amazing doctor, who answered all of our questions, and gave us future treatment options.

Here's the deal:

1. You may or may not have hemihypertrophy. The doctor will not diagnose you without an MRI.

2. Your bones measure the same size and length. If this changes, and it is due to bone growth, we can put a stunt in your growth plate until the other foot catches up in size.

3. The extra size may be due to fatty tissue and liposuction will be the treatment.

4. The extra size may be vascular, meaning extra blood vessels, and there is no treatment.

5. The size will remain proportionate as you grow. Meaning, your right foot measures 1.5 shoe sizes bigger than your left and it will remain at that difference as you grow.

I'm scared. I'm scared that once you are old enough for the MRI (we won't do it right now as you will need to be sedated and you're too young for that) we will be told that the size is due to blood vessels and there is nothing we can do. I'm scared because kids are assholes. I don't care, I'll say it. They are. They're assholes! They're mean. How do I know this? I had a big nose, baby. I was teased SO much growing up that I hated myself. I let those asshole kids and their comments shape the opinion that I had of myself. I still remember the first time it happened. I was in the 6th grade and I was walking across the gym and some boy called me big nose. I was all, "WTF?" What is he talking about? I went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror and thought, yeah, I guess it is a little big. The teasing didn't stop until college. I also had plastic surgery my senior year of college. There were mean girls in high school who teased me relentlessly and never once apologized. Were they perfect? Um, no. For whatever reason, they felt it made them bigger to tease me. I'm afraid you're going to go to school with assholes like these. Here is what Daddy and I can promise you: You will be raised to be kind and accepting. You will be raised not to make fun of others. You will be raised to love yourself. You will be raised to ignore those comments and not let them shape the opinion you have of yourself. You will be raised to know that if someone in high school makes fun of you, I will personally throat punch both them and their parents. It's okay baby, we have a lot of lawyer friends, and they love you too <3 Uncle Greg will get mommy probation at worst. Promise.

So, why do we love Nordstrom? Nordstrom will sell us a pair of shoes with mismatching sizes. I know! Amazing! We just simply go in, pick out what we want, and they sell us a size 4 and a size 5.5. All of the employees know us by now and are very comforting when I end up crying in the middle of the floor. I love Nordstrom. We were already loyal customers, but now we're devout customers for life!

I promise to always take care of you. I promise to do anything and everything I can to ensure you have the absolute best medical treatment available. I will fight for you.

I love you, Isla Mae. To me, you are perfect. XOXO

May Favorites

For Mama

Ingrid Michaelson: My brother first introduced me to Ingrid and I instantly fell in love. If you watch Grey's Anatomy you've heard her voice. I feel like 90% of her songs have been featured on the show. This is her new album :)

Ballet Dress: I ordered this a few weeks ago not knowing if I'd like it, but it has quickly become my go to dress to throw on for the day. It is super soft, very flattering, and the perfect weight for summer. I snagged another one today with the 40% off coupon code. I'm 5'4 and I ordered the petite size.

Rain Cucumber Lime Vodka: Florida is heating up and this is my fave poolside cocktail. The taste is so light and refreshing...it's like you're at the spa...but not.

Alien: There was a sample of this in my InStyle a few months ago and I didn't expect to like it, but I ripped out the spray sample and gave it a spritz. LOVE! It reminds me a lot of Givenchy's Amarige. I hate the name of this fragrance, but it's my new fave scent!

Punker Eyeliner: I received this in a Glossybox and will definitely be repurchasing! The line is very precise, fast drying, highly pigmented, and smudge proof. I am by no means a master at applying eyeliner, and this little puppy makes it appear that I am :)

For Mini

Summer PJ's: The warmer temps call for cooler jammies! I of course have stocked up on these jams for Isla. The fit, price, durability, and style is what keeps me buying them month after month. You just can't go wrong with Baby Gap if you are a cardholder and shop with discount codes.

Marled Dress: My mom bought Isla an outfit for Christmas that was made from the same marled terry and I loved it. Victor hated it and hates this. He thinks it is boyish. I don't care, I like it. I'm not one for lots of color, appliques, or baby farm animals. I like to dress her in mostly neutrals and patterns. I couldn't get this dress in my cart fast enough!

Straw Cups: We have bought almost every sippy and straw cup out there. These truly are spill proof and she seems to like them...this week.

Velcro Chuck Taylor's: A friend of ours had her little boy in these at the zoo last month and I died! I had just bought her a pair with laces as I didn't see the velcro version. There aren't many color options in velcro, so this DIY mama took out the laces of that pair and added some hot glue and velcro, et voila! The silver is sold out right now in many of the sizes, but you can join the wait list and receive an email when they are back in stock. Just another reason why I heart Nordstrom!

Mini Chair: My aunt bought this for Isla at Ikea last year and she is just now big enough to sit in it. Seeing her sit in this chair with her Minnie, blankie, and snack cup just kills me! I plan to prime and paint the wood gold.

My proudest mom moment last week: We were on our way out for an evening at SunFest with beers in hand. My mom and mamaw were in town watching Isla, so I went to kiss her goodbye. She was standing up in this chair and leaning over the back. I saw the chair start to tip and it was very slow motion. So slow that I remember thinking I could throw the beer and dive after her, but would probably only end up hurting her even more. I chose to save the Summer Shandy in my hand and not my baby! What kind of mother am I?! She landed face first on a soft rug on the tile, and was only hurt by my primal scream. I was so grateful that rug was there or I would have sacrificed the limited edition beer and probably landed ourselves in the ER. We still love the chair, but back it up to the ottoman so she can't tip it again.

January Favorites (A little late)

1. Zella Live In Leggings: Just like the title suggests, I live in these! They are the best leggings I have found on my quest to find the perfect legging. They have compression spandex so they are super slimming, they will not fade, and they have a wide waist band so there is no unwanted muffin top. Zella is Nordstrom's athletic line that is very comparable to Lululemon. I own 4 pair and plan to keep adding to the collection :)

2. Tangle Teezer: Amazing. I have a lot of naturally curly hair, but it is fine and prone to being dry. I used to dread combing out my locks after a shower even after using Moroccan Oil conditioner. I saw this creepy looking thing on a YouTube video and then spotted it at Target. I plucked out $9.99 for it and have never looked back. This brush is SO gentle and my hair doesn't make that ripping sound that used to make me cringe while thinking I should rush to salon for a hasty pixie cut.

3. Algenist Face Oil: My face is combo on a good day, and oily on most. Putting oil on my face seemed counterproductive to my skin care goals. I love the Algenist line and the girl at Sephora suggested I give this a try. After threatening her with a window egging if my face blew up with acne, I took home a sample to try. LOVE IT! It actually controls my oil and tricks my skin into thinking I have enough and it doesn't need to produce anymore. The anit-aging benefits are a plus as well. Hello, 30's.

4. Spinach and Kale Chips: We can't get enough of these guys!

5. Earrings: The new Morningtide Stud earrings have been my go to earrings as of late. They are so simple, but full of gorgeous detail. I love vintage feel and pop of pink.

6. 2 in 1 Statement Necklace: I'm obsessed with this necklace, or rather, necklaces... I love the nautical feel of it and it comes with two chains; navy and antique brass. I can instantly change the look of this for day to night. Just look at it! Perfection! Want $25 off? Just ask :)

7. Slippers: I found these at Target in January and they are so cushy and soft. Perfect for those chilly Florida nights :)

8. Hape Pound & Tap Bench: My friend gifted this to Isla for her birthday and the kid LOVES it! She's a little young to play with it as intended, so she makes sweet tunes with the hammer and xylophone, and plays fetch with the balls. Seriously, this chick throws the ball and then fetches it, then throws it again and fetches it. My dog acts like a cat and baby acts like a dog. Who knew?

9. Nosefrida: Honestly, this was not a fave of mine until Victor and I proved to be bad parents one night. Isla had just taken down her evening milk and we were making her laugh. Hard. She then threw up her milk and it came out of her nose! Her nose was packed with disgusting milk snot! I whipped this out, stuck it in her nose, and every trace of milk snot ended up in that little tube. It's not good for boogers, but snot doesn't stand a chance! I think this will be a life saver when Isla has her first runny nose...or we make her laugh so hard she nose vomits again :)