I've Got a Fever...

Baby Fever, that is. Last Friday, I got a taste of what life would be like with two babies under age two. I had Miles, of course, and little baby Zachary- only two months old and the son of a dear friend. It seems like many of my friends are currently pregnant with their second, third, and even fourth babies; while I've been fairly certain that I have no desire to get pregnant, I was interested to see how the day would unfold. I was also a little nervous as to how Miles would react.

Let's be clear: little Zachary was perfectly calm and sweet. My normally calm and sweet Miles was practically throwing himself down in a "rit of fage", as Parker likes to say. This carried on pretty much all day, with only a pause for a brief morning nap. I would've been completely and totally overwhelmed if not for visits with family throughout the day. My sisters kept Miles distracted and occupied while I rocked Zachary and fed him his afternoon bottles. After baby Z left, Miles crawled to me immediately and gave me many slobbery kisses with his arms around my neck. My sweet boy was back!

So that settles it: I'm not ready! Who knows if I'll ever be ready. I know that for me personally, more than one baby would not be a good fit for our family right now and it would mean giving up certain things that I'm not willing to give up. Like my sanity (again, I am not criticizing mamas of more than one child. I am in awe of you!). Maybe later this will change.

At the end of the day, it was good to get some clarity on my baby fever and realize, as my friend Morgan said recently when I asked her if she had The Fever: "Yes, but I'm not going to do anything about it!"

Hmm. I Mean, Om.

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Remember a month when I wrote about taking a much-needed blog break? I returned to writing with good intentions but once again started noticing bigger and bigger gaps in between posts. I told myself it was in the name of relaxation, but even I can't convince myself that "relaxation" means watching an episode of Real Housewives of ______ instead of something like yoga or at least changing into my workout clothes and thinking about doing yoga (getting off the couch is the hardest part). 

 It's not that I don't have things to write about, though! I want to tell you all about when I had two babies under two for a day (my baby fever has broken), how I'm getting ready for Miles's first holiday season (I'm thinking a nice Nativity scene with a big Star of David in the background), his upcoming first birthday, and how excited yet freakin' scared I am to have a workout session coming up with Heidi Klum's personal trainer.

Stay tuned!

(PS, You can always follow along through Instagram for my daily happenings! I'm @joiedev.)

Me Want Food!

Virtual high-five if you got the 30 Rock reference, but this is actually how I would describe Miles as of late since he is really discovering food. We've stuck with baby-led weaning and I have to say that Miles has done so well with it. Here's the rundown of his culinary journey:

• He didn't try any solids until six months
• No traditional "baby food" (purees, homemade or otherwise)
• Started off with large pieces of food that he would mostly gum to a paste (shudder): toast, apples, chicken, cucumber, carrots, etc. This was mostly to help him get acquainted with the taste and texture of various foods.
• Continued giving Miles these foods, but as he became more proficient he taught himself to take bites and learn to swallow. This was the hard part (for the adults) as he would often gag- not choke; there is a difference- bring the piece back up, chew some more, and then successfully swallow the bite. Now he's a pro!

It'so interesting to see which foods he likes and dislikes. Most mornings he will have a blueberry waffle and some fruit-flavored Greek yogurt (both from Trader Joe's) for breakfast. Lunch is a variety but includes veggies or fruit. Sometimes I try to give him chicken, but he's usually unimpressed so I don't force the issue. Snack time is usually Trader Joe's pear sauce (like apple sauce but with pears) and crackers or we share a piece of a baguette with some cheese. And for dinner (or whenever we eat out) he'll have whatever I'm having! This was how we discovered that he really likes certain soups, cucumbers, beans, and potstickers- on the other hand, he's not a fan of rice and refuses to touch a pickle (like mama, like son). Super easy and fun.

Let me know if you have any questions about baby-led weaning! I highly recommend it and would be happy to help you with any questions.

Simple Gifts (Seven Weeks 'Til Christmas)

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For this week's Simple Gifts, I wanted to put together the perfect list of items for the mama-to-be. I found pregnancy to be a great time to focus on taking extra good care of my body, mind, and spirit while preparing for our baby. Enjoy this lineup of some of my favorite items to pamper the expectant mama in your life: 

1. The Pregnancy Project, for the fitness-loving mama

2. Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Ultra-Hydrating Body Butter, to nourish the bump

3. Mommy IQ: The Complete Guide to Pregnancy, to answer all her questions

4. Micro-macarons, to satisfy her pregnancy cravings

5. The Business of Being Born & More Business of Being Born, to give her peace of mind

6. Give Luxe: The Boyfriend Sweater by Hatch, the (cashmere) gift that keeps on giving through pregnancy and beyond

Let me know what you think of this week's list and don't forget to take a look at last week's must-haves for the foodie! 

Happy Monday!

Our Week (In a Nutshell)

This past week we've been reveling in the fall weather that has (finally) arrived. Other happenings: meeting friends for lunch and pumpkin scones from Starbucks, getting Miles his new car seat, and turning the car seat box into an awesome fort. Here are some of our photos from this week:

Morning: play with Mama, avoid getting nails trimmed by being cute (notice the nail clippers lurking in the background?)

Afternoon: go to lunch with friends and share a pumpkin scone together

Evening: go over to Grandma and Grandpa's house and play with Aunt Jessi

He sure loves his breakfasts!

We enjoyed some fresh-baked danishes to kick off my birthday week. They were so good!

Miles loves playing in his new fort!

We spent our Sunday afternoon at Parker's parents' house- Miles loves them so much! 

I hope you all had a great weekend!
Follow me on Instagram (@joiedev) for more photos throughout the week!

What I Wore Wednesday

Welcome to What I Wore Wednesday, Election Day Edition. I found this amazing dress on Poshmark sometime in the summer and thought immediately that I would wear it on this day since it's a version of our red, white, and blue but in more muted tones. In my head, I imagined I would need to wear a jacket with it but since today was over ninety degrees (g-r-o-s-s) that wasn't even an issue! Here are the details:

Dress: Anthropologie

Wedges: BCBGeneration

As always, I'm linking up for WIWW with The Pleated Poppy! 

Simple Gifts (Eight Weeks 'til Christmas)

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I'm starting a new Monday series, "Simple Gifts", which is basically my affordable (with the exception of the "Give Luxe" item at the end of each list), extended version of Oprah's Favorite Things where I don't give anything away (the similarities are endless). Personally, some of the best moments of the holidays are finding presents that I know my friends and family will enjoy and hopefully this will make shopping a little less stressful, even if you are a last-minute shopper.

This week's list is for the foodies we all know and love. Always expanding their palates, these gourmands will try just about anything and love the best, purest ingredients they can get their hands on. Delight their senses this holiday season with the following:

1. The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, for the DIYer

2. Fennel and Black Pepper Bacon Spread, for the lover of all things bacon

3. Intelligentsia Celebration Blend Coffee, for the coffee snob

4. Fleur D'Oranger (Orange Blossom Water), for the passionate baker

5. On Food and Cooking, for the one who wants to know how the magic happens

6. Give Luxe: Fresh White Alba Truffles from Italy, for the foodie that has everything

Last minute gift ideas:
Subscription to Bon Appetit
Gift card to Gilt Taste

Stay tuned for next week's Simple Gifts, and let me know what you think of this week's list!
Happy Monday!

Our Week (In a Nutshell)

The highlight of this week was by far Miles's first Halloween. I felt sort of distracted thinking of family and friends on the East Coast during the storm, but I'm very thankful they all came out the other side alive and well, if a little scraped up. Here are some pictures of  our Halloween:

 Have a great week!