After receiving so many questions on Instagram about everything ranging from “do you want pets some day?” to “what’s your position on vaccines?” (they really run the gamut!) and noticing that I’m getting asked the same questions over and over again, I figured I’d start a Q&A series. In this monthly series (although bare with me post-baby, I probably will skip a couple of months!), I’ll be answering some FAQs and dividing them up into categories. For this first one, we’ll be doing Motherhood & Pregnancy, because that seems to be the most common questions I’m getting right now!
If you have a specific question and don’t see it answered, feel free to send me a DM on Instagram or comment on this post, and I’ll include it in the following month! Plus, this will be a great way to direct those of you who have the same questions, so the answers will be archived here on the blog!
Motherhood & Pregnancy Q&A: April 2019
Did you baby wear with Luca?
Yes! All the time. It was the only way Luca would sleep sometimes – and it was so much better to be hands free. I wore him traveling, just on walks, and even around the house. For the newborn/0-6 month stage, I love the Solly Baby wrap and then for any heavy duty travel (ie airports, long walks) I recommend the Ergobaby.
Do you and Lu have any reservations/concerns about raising a girl different than those with Luca?
Nope! Lu is a bit nervous to clean the baby’s private parts, but aside from that, we haven’t talked about it. We’re just raising them to be good, kind humans.
If Luca finishes all of one part of his meal, do you give him more of that one thing?
Yes! Read all about my philosophy on toddler feeding here.
When you weaned Luca, did he have any “withdrawal” crankiness, tugging you?
No, he did not! It was such a slow and steady gradual process, that I don’t think HE even noticed.
Any ideas for Luca’s 2nd birthday?
I’m trying to get through the birth of my daughter first, haha! No ideas at all, haven’t even thought about it. I definitely want to do something, though, especially because he now has real friends!
How does Luca fit into your work life? Is he always around with the nanny?
I wrote an entire post on this! You can read it here.
How do you keep Luca occupied when you are cooking, cleaning, getting ready?
Honestly, I used to stress about this and the more I stressed, the harder it was. I was constantly trying to entertain him while I simultaneously got ready, but now, I just kind of talk him through what I’m doing, let him interact with me in the process, and he has learned that sometimes Mommy needs to clean, cook, get ready, etc. He stopped whining at my feet (as much) and it’s much better. I also got a Learning Tower for when I’m cooking and that’s been a huge help!
Do you ever nap when Luca naps?
YES! On the weekends, I usually try to get at least 30 minutes in! I’m not always good about this, because there’s just SO much to do, especially with the new baby coming. Luckily, Lu loves to nap, so sometimes he’ll make me slow down and nap with him.
How do you manage staying in routine during the first weeks with a baby?
This is a trick question, right? What routine? Haha! Let yourself just heal, get REST, and spend all your time enjoying snuggles from that precious newborn. There’s PLENTY of time for routines later on.
How do you transition from chores to work to mommy hood and being a wife?
I’m very conscious of my time and being present. While I’m working during the day (8am to 5:30pm), I’m in work mode. During the week, when I’m with the baby (in the mornings, 6:30-8am and in the evenings, 5:30-7:30pm), I’m laser focused on spending time with him. After 7:30pm, I have a few hours with my husband, and I’m in wife mode. By dividing up my time like this, I’m able to never feel guilty about spending time on work, etc. That’s been really key for me!
What has been your favorite age with Luca?
Oh my gosh…. it’s so tough, I have loved every single age, seriously. I think the more he develops a personality, the better it gets, so I’m loving this stage right now. He’s fun to hang around! But, I don’t think it’s my favorite, because I felt that same way during the other stages. I also LOVED and miss the newborn phase (I’m crazy, I know) – he was just SO cuddly! They all have their pros and cons.
How do you get Luca dinner and everything else done and him to bed on time?
I stop work at 5pm so that when he gets back at 5:30pm with the nanny, dinner’s done and we can eat, play, and then when Lu gets home, he takes over (he usually gets home around 6:30/6:45pm) and plays with Luca for 10-15 minutes (with me too, unless I use that time to get something personally done or cleanup) and then he does the bath routine and we trade off who reads him books. He’s usually in his crib no later than 7:30pm.
How do you transition baby to bottle?
We introduced a bottle about 8 weeks into Luca’s life, because there was never a reason to give him a bottle otherwise. And he was fine, we didn’t have any transition issues. We used the paced feeding method to mimic the flow of breastfeeding.
Favorite clothing and shoe brands for Luca? How would you describe his style?
I think he’s “urban comfy,” haha! He loves to run and play and is extremely active, so I try not to put him in restrictive clothing, so he’s in sweats a lot. ZARA is my favorite brand altogether for baby clothes. For shoes, I’ve had great luck with Vans!
Reality about holding a (not so) baby boy while carrying a baby bump?
It’s exhausting! I have to be careful when I pick him up to squat instead of using my back, because I’m afraid of pulling my back or overextending! It’s a lot, but I always tell myself that women have been doing it for thousands of years, so I can handle it. Working out (especially strength training) makes me feel strong enough so that I’m not worried I’m going to hurt myself.