...and 20 things that i will do again:

1. ask for more pain medication if i really need it. after i ran out of my pain meds, i was scared to ask my obgyn for more, but more afraid of the pain i was experiencing. my doctor was totally understanding, and didn't make me feel like i was entitled, weak, or any of the other things i was worried about coming across as.

2. have a recliner. when i was expecting i kept wondering if i really needed a rocker when i had a perfectly good couch. i'm so glad my coworkers and husband persuaded me to buy one comfortable enough to sleep in. we got our money's worth in teddy's first week.

3. have a big diaper bag- i worried that this weekender bag i ended up getting was too big and i'd look like i was going on a vacation every time i went to target. i've since discovered that no bag is too big for me. and i only have one very small kid.

4. let my baby sleep on my chest when they are tiny. that bonding time in the first few weeks was so much more special than i realized while it was happening. i'd give anything now to have teddy lay on my chest and have his little eyes flutter open with milk drunk smiles. people aren't lying when they say it's unfair how quick babies grow up.

teddy around 1 month old.

5. get as many swaddles as i can find (bamboo and cotton). i can't believe how much use those thin blankets get. can't have too many. (our favorites here and here.)

6. splurge here and there. my pregnancy had some rough days; i was still throwing up at 38 weeks! one particularly hard morning i bought a pair of sweet little swim trunks that were $25 (a bit high for my unborn son's swimsuit budget) but every time i look at them they make me smile, and even though teddy never wore them in water i'm so glad i got them.

7. getting a soft carrier. i've loved having this wrap. it lets me keep my sweetheart close and the perfect temperature. i just need to try not to buy every color they make because seriously.

8. having more peace of mind. i was introduced to the owlet monitor when teddy was 4 months, and i fell in love with it after a few short weeks. i can't wait to use it during the first weeks with my next one. (this post has a promo code for the owlet monitor)

9. have a good stroller that will grow with my family. we got our stroller on discount, but it was still a bit of a splurge for us. that being said, i love it. i love the way it looks, i love how easy it is to maneuver, and i especially love that it converts to a double side by side. if i'd gotten a different stroller, i think i'd regret it.

10. have a monthly girls night. i have cool, hilarious friends who invited me to be part of a mamma's club where we got out to eat once a month. it's been a good thing in my life.

11. introduce my baby to books as early as i can. i read teddy his first book when he was less than 2 weeks, and it makes me so happy to see how his eyes light up when he sees his bookcase.

12. borrow my sister's nice pump. my sister sent me her awesome breast pump this week and it has made all the difference in my pumping experience. i feel like i can make it to the year mark now.

13. sleep train. i have nothing but love and respect for mammas who choose not to do this, but for me it was a good choice.

14. choose my battles. ready for a shocker? teddy, gid and i have never missed a sunday at church. (bananas!!!!) BUT i ate off of paper plates for months after teddy came, wear pajamas 24 hours most days, binge watched a tv show called "elementary" (a modern day sherlock and holmes mystery thriller), and sometimes scrub myself down with honest diaper wipes before getting into bed, and convince myself it's as good as a shower. it's all a balance...



15. trust my instincts. if i don't feel good about handing off my baby to you, i'm not gonna. and if i don't think i'm ready to not be at home full time, i won't.

16.  be okay with losing my identity, and also okay with gaining it back. feeling like you're losing yourself to motherhood is scary and sad, but eventually you catch yourself not wincing when poop gets on your wrist, and not gagging when your baby slobbers into your mouth. and then one day you get a job offer, or you earn a check, and when you start to remember that you have other skills you can really offer other than being a mother, that feels scary and sad. i'm still trying to find the sweet spot for myself right now.

17. savor moments without the camera. i have a background in photography, and it's easy for me to get carried away always having my nikon or iphone at arms reach to catch a charming teddy smile. but some of his sweetest moments have been recorded in my mind without any technology, and i'm just fine with that.

18. prioritize. my house looks like a tornado hit it, but my baby is alive and i managed to exercise.
so guess what, monday? i win.

19.  stick it out with nursing and pumping. it has been the worst, and i can never judge someone for choosing not to do it. but for me, somehow it's been worth it.

20. acknowledge gideon. if i'd have known what an incredible partner, father, and general sweetheart gideon would be as a husband, i would've tackled him the first time our eyes met and begged him to marry me. gideon doesn't only provide for our family financially. he often is also a chef, maid, errand boy, life coach, and emotional therapist in our home. he'll get up with teddy in the middle of the night and at dawn so i can have a full nights rest. he encourages me to go out with my friends. when i tell him that "i'm sorry, but it was a horrible day, and i have nothing prepared for dinner for the 79th day in a row" he grabs my face, kisses my lips and asks me what i'd like him to pick up from chic fil a. he rubs my back until i fall asleep, and he tells me it's okay that i just spent $20 on a toy that teddy feels completely indifferent to. he's the man of my dreams. if i didn't have him as my partner, there's no way i'd ever want another baby again.

what are some of the awesome choices you mammas have made that you'd absolutely do again?
i'm all ears. xo