my style, kids

we woke up like this

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ok, i know full well that i’m reaching maximum baby capacity on the blog lately. but it was a long weekend and when you wake up in bed with a happy lil bebe like this, sometimes you’d rather just stay in your pajamas all day. so i decided to skip the outfit post for today in favor or showing off our preferred sleepwear of choice. i’m wearing my favorite set of j.crew pajamas and adam is wearing a set of eric carle pajamas that we received as a gift from gymboree. i don’t think there is any better way to start off the day than with your little one smiling in your face when you first open your eyes. and i’m glad that we pulled out the camera to capture this moment, because boy, is it fleeting. looking at these pictures, i can’t believe how big he’s gotten already! i can’t help but sort of wish that he would stay little forever!




lifestyle, kids

calivintage + target: what’s in my diaper bag?

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This post is sponsored by Target.

since becoming a mama earlier this year, i now have a new accessory to add to my repertoire: the diaper bag. before adam was born, i somehow managed to forget about this very essential item. the one i carry now is actually a weekender bag by kate spade saturday that i packed for the hospital. when we got home, it sorta just morphed into the diaper bag after i discovered that i could no longer leave the house without an array of very essential baby things. and now, several months later, what was once merely an afterthought is now one of my most crucial necessities. i’ve even begun to take great pride in how quickly and efficiently i can pack this bag, like a doomsday prepper anticipating a really major diaper blowout. or, you know, like a mom who might be excessively worried about somehow managing to lock herself out of the house (am i the only one who worries about that kind of thing?) or who has one of those rare babies who can’t stand to be in a carseat for more than five minutes.

all kidding aside, the diaper bag really is my lifeline. i pack it every day and never leave the house without it. i keep it in the stroller on our morning walks around town, and i toss it into the car when we head out on afternoon excursions to the park (or to go thrifting!). if we visit friends or family, it’s always nearby, filled with all of the essentials to help adam feel right at home. so of course, i was thrilled when target asked me if i’d be interested in sharing a peek at my tried-and-true baby essentials:

diapers
my selection of diapers is mostly based on whatever eco-friendly option is available. we’ve had about the same success rate with every brand we’ve tried. i’ve found that they key is to make sure they fit! we’re currently going through a big case by seventh generation, but i’ve also been happy with earth’s best and babyganics.

baby wipes
these are not only great for their intended use, but are also very practical for wiping dirty hands, toys, and various spills. they’re so useful, i actually don’t know how i lived without them before i had a baby. we’re been using seventh generation, but just about any brand will do.

toys
the toys may come and go and change over time, but don’t get between a baby and his favorite toys. at this stage, his favorites are usually little teethers that are easy for him to clutch in his little hands. like every baby on the planet, he loves his sophie and we never leave the house without her. he also really enjoys chewing on this silly little baby banana teething toothbrush, and lately he’s been really into his ladybug rattle and bumblebee beeper by plan toys. it’s not currently his favorite, but for months we couldn’t go anywhere without his rainforest tails book by jellycat.

clothes
another pretty self-explanatory essential. it’s always good to have a fresh set of clothes on hand in the event that baby decides to make a mess of some sort. in fact, i sometimes even stash a second set of clothes for myself in the trunk of my car. you never know!

snacks
like toys, little finger foods can be a really great distraction when adam isn’t so keen on sitting in his car seat. they can be a bit messy, but it’s totally worth it. i simply put him in a bib and let him go to town. his current favorites are these little baby cookies by ella’s kitchen. note: this is also one of the reasons i recently invested in a dirt devil to keep in the backseat of the car!

toiletries
like many babies, adam has a tendency to get a little bit of baby eczema on his chin from all of that teething and drooling! it’s par for the course, but i’ve found that reapplying a little bit of lotion every now and then really helps to keep his skin free of irritation. i’m personally a big fan of california baby and use their everyday lotion, shampoo and body wash, diaper rash cream, and bubble bath. another little trick if you’re in a bind: a stick of unscented lip balm. got that tip from another mom in the pediatrician’s waiting room!

baby food (optional)
when i can, i let adam try a bit of whatever food i’m eating, but i always keep a stash of baby food in the cupboard. they’re especially handy to have on hand when we go for a long visit with family since he tends to enjoy sitting at the table when everyone else is eating and he can’t always partake in what we’re having. earth’s best is my go-to because they’re organic and free of preservatives or other additives.

but here’s the real beauty behind my well-stocked arsenal of baby supplies: subscriptions. before adam was born, i’d only really dabbled in subscription services. i often subscribe to a weekly csa share for fresh fruits and veggies. and i’ve gotten a few beauty boxes here and there. but nowadays, it’s really important that i always have plenty of baby essentials on hand. at target, you can pick from an array of subscription items, from baby supplies to vitamins to pet food or ink cartridges, then you simply set the frequency of your shipment and you’re good to go. i have my schedule set for monthly shipments, then i just wait for an email notification letting me know when my next shipment is up, and i alter my order based on my needs. this way, i’m never caught without diapers or wipes when adam wakes up crying in the middle of the night. and when i get up in the morning, i know i have everything i need all neatly packed up in my diaper bag, so we can head out on our baby adventures!

all of the target products in this post were purchased by me, and are all items we use daily. thank you so much to target for sponsoring this post. it’s because of opportunities like this that i am able to earn an income and work from home to take care of adam in his first years!

kids

adam: 29 weeks

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these photos were taken of adam right as he woke up from a nap while we were in the middle of our indigo dyeing frenzy a few weeks ago. aren’t babies so sweet and precious right when they wake up?

my style, kids

outfit: motherboy

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i didn’t plan this. no, really, i didn’t! earlier this summer, i just so happened to post a picture of myself wearing this corey lynn calter dress on instagram when my pal katie (and co-founder of mother) spotted it and told me that her baby diego had the matching onesie designed as part of an exclusive corey + buru collaboration. clearly, it was a sign. so thanks to the internet, the wheels were set in motion, and it was only a matter of time before i found myself doing my very best lucille bluth impression in a matching mommy & me outfit with adam. and i’m not gonna lie, i kinda think it’s the cutest thing ever. #noregrets #sorrynotsorry

wearing:
dress courtesy of corey lynn calter
handmade sandals by tuto
jasper sunglasses courtesy of warby parker

on adam:
baby jumpsuit courtesy of corey lynn calter + buru
handmade moccs courtesy of freshly picked
hand-dyed baseball cap

kids

adam: 28 weeks

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today i was talking with brendan about how happy i am that i decided to do this photo series of adam. it’s a good reminder for me to pick up the camera at least once a week to document just how quickly this little guy is growing up, even if some of the photos come out blurry because he won’t stop wiggling around, and even if i’ve missed a week or two here and there.

i love this picture because it’s showing off adam’s “muscles.” he has so many arm rolls that we always joke that he looks like popeye and we coo and say, “ooohhh adam, look at those muscles. so strong!” haha.

kids

the emmaljunga

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since adam was born, i’ve posted a few pictures of my emmaljunga pram on instagram. a lot of people have expressed some interest in it, so i thought i’d share a bit more about it. it’s vintage, so i always kind of awkwardly ramble on whenever people ask me where i got it. “oh, it’s vintage. it’s by this swedish company called emmaljunga. actually, i don’t know how to pronounce it. um… they’re kind of hard to find in the states. i found it on craigslist…? eh?”

then cue the eye rolls because i know that everything that just came out of my mouth totally sounded like something a very pretentious cartoon character would say. ok, i’m dramatizing. i usually have very nice, friendly conversations about it, even if some people think i look a little silly with it. i just always knew that i wanted one of these slick, european strollers. even before i knew i wanted to have kids, it wasn’t hard to conjure up some romantic fantasy of myself being that mother, the one who always seems to look so effortlessly pulled together while strolling down the sidewalk with her fashionable baby or whatever.

so when it came time to actually start looking for baby stuff, i knew that i would have some challenges resolving the idea i had in my head of all the cool stuff i wanted, and the reality of having a budget and not being able to just buy whatever fancy toys they sell in fantasyland. i would browse the aisles in the big box stores kinda cringing at the baby stuff in all of it’s bright plastic glory. yeah, i know it’s about the kid, but let’s be real: babies would be perfectly happy playing with trash all day if you let them. buying stuff for them is just as much about your own preferences as it is about the practicality of it. and yeah, i admit that i’m picky.

enter the emmaljunga. it’s a swedish brand that’s been family owned and operated since 1925, having the distinction of being the oldest pram manufacturer in europe. i looked into buying a new one, but i was disappointed to see that the modern styles had been updated and were a little too “sport utility” for me. that coupled with their rarity in the u.s. market and an astronomical price tag, and i knew it was going to be a hunt.

but who can resist the thrill of the hunt? i started scouring ebay, craigslist, and etsy several months before i was due. they don’t pop up often, and when they do, they’re usually not in the world’s best condition. the fabric might be faded or ripped in some tiny spot, or else there would be a pram with no seat attachment, blah blah. i even found the perfect one, only to have the seller, suddenly struck with nostalgia, pull out of our craigslist deal at the last second.

but after months of determined searching, i found her. i don’t know the year, but it’s a viking model if you’re interested in sleuthing around. she’s a beautiful navy blue buggy perched atop a shiny chrome chassis (with suspension for a smooth ride). when adam was a teensy little guy, i would gently lay him in the bassinet while he was napping and cautiously stroll him around the neighborhood. then once he was old enough to sit up, i detached the bassinet and replaced it with the equally pretty, upright and adjustable seat. i bought it from a woman who had pushed around two of her now-adult children in it, and kept it in pristine condition because it was a top-of-the-line purchase at the time. and now i, too, get to push him around in it feeling every bit the glamorous mother that i always wanted to be. at least until he starts to cry…




kids

adam: 27 weeks

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i can’t get over putting little hats on this boy. my mom picked up this straw fedora on sale at gap, and we’d been waiting months for it to finally fit his head! this picture makes me think of adam’s namesake and my great-grandfather, juan urzua roque. i always remember him in a straw hat similar to this one. and a simple button up shirt, as old men will wear. my great-grandpa had very strong mayan features, and we could actually see this very slight resemblance in adam when he was born. it’s hard to say who he’ll actually take after, but it’s fun to see little glimpses of similarities from different family members.

also, he is making the most ridiculous face, haha. i was actually snapping his photo on my iphone and got this cute shot before i decided i should probably memorialize it with a better camera. of course by then he wasn’t too interested in waiting around for me to get a good shot anymore.

wearing: gap hat, denim shirt from swapdom, koala baby leggings.

kids

adam: 26 weeks

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i’m jumping ahead to 26 weeks today because i shared a picture of adam at 25 weeks in this post the week after we moved to redlands. thankfully, adam isn’t allergic because one of his favorite things to do is play in the grass. we didn’t really have a yard at our last place, so it’s been a fun activity to hang out in the shade if the heat isn’t too unbearable. and despite the fact that he seems to want to put everything in his mouth, he never tries to eat the grass, which i think is kinda cool.

kids

kira kids fall 2014

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way back when adam was a wee little thing, i was lucky enough to receive a few onesies from the super cute children’s brand kira kids. they were some of the first clothes that adam wore (see evidence here, here, and here), so when he grew out of them after about a month of wear, i couldn’t help but shed a few tears. i’ll always remember those silly little outfits from those early days. oh how i wish they would stay tiny forever!

so of course, i was pretty excited to see that kira kids has just released their new fall 2014 collection filled with silly little logo tees and onesies for kids and babies. the little hot dog wearing a top hat (monsier hot dog!) is kinda killing me.

photos courtesy of kira kids.


kids

adam: 24 weeks

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and here’s the little man at 24 weeks. this was the only shot i took that week, but if memory serves correctly, this was around the time we moved from los angeles to our new home in redlands. this photo was taken in my grandmother’s kitchen after my brother and sister plopped him into the sink to entertain him on a hot day. he loves being in the water, taking a bath or splashing in the swimming pool, it’s the cutest thing!

and yes, that’s sophie the giraffe poking her little head into the frame. easily his favorite toy.