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February 11, 2020

REFLECTING ON MY FIRST YEAR OF MOTHERHOOD (AND JUDE’S 1ST BDAY)

The days are long but the years are short.

It’s absolutely wild to think that one year has flown by. Everyone says that when you have children, time is so fleeting, and it is so true. Time is a parent’s greatest gift and biggest thief. You shut the door on so many tiny chapters that make up their childhood, only to open a million more that give you small glimpses at the person they’re growing into. And while I honestly proclaim that every new milestone and month is my favorite, a part of me will always miss the one I leave behind. 

It feels like yesterday that he was born. Three weeks earlier than he was supposed to arrive, this blue-eyed, strawberry-blonde-haired, 6-pound human changed our lives forever. Every little cliche they say is true. Life is so much sweeter being Jude’s parents and I can not think of what life was without him!

Before I go on about parenting, I’ll share a little on our celebration. We wanted to do something super small but meaningful… and admittedly, we really wanted to celebrate the fact that we made it one whole year as parents with everyone still in-tact. 😉

One year is a big birthday, but it typically is more about the adults than the baby since they obviously can’t remember. A big party isn’t our thing, so we decided to have a few close friends and my parents at our house to celebrate. We had our favorite BBQ food catered, cake, and ended the night playing a board game. It was perfect!

I do love any excuse to decorate, so I created a DIY balloon garland, which came out so much better than I thought! The entire thing cost me less than $50 and I started off with this kit from Amazon. I kept all the white balloons and went to Party City to find different shades of blue/greens to use as well (the JUDE balloons were also a last-minute purchase from Party City). There was no method to the sizing of the balloons – I blew them up in various sizes and attached them to the garland by pulling the ends of the balloon through the little slits. It took me less than two hours!

And how cute is the cake from Alliance Bakery that Aunt Heidy got? Jude was born to Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles, so it was very fitting. 

For me, one of the most shocking things about parenthood was the impact it had on our marriage. My husband and I are pretty solid communicators, but everyone says that the first year of parenting can be rough on any marriage. We definitely have had our moments this past year, but I will say that having Jude has only brought us closer together. We never argue about who is going to do what for Jude and neither of us ever complain when we hop out of bed to check on him if he starts to cry. Part of this I attribute to the fact that we waited a bit to have children. Although there’s never a right time, we knew there’s very little room to be selfish when you have little ones depending on you, so there were many things we wanted to do before we started this journey (I wrote about this in the past here). We both trust each other’s judgment when it comes to making decisions relating to Jude and we never, ever fault each other for making parenting mistakes. Trust me, we are not perfect and just like any other relationship, marriage is something you work on every day, but we really work together as partners when it comes to parenting. 

One change I am excited about is packing up my pump. I swear I am going to forever hear the sound of that motor stuck in my head! It’s such a time commitment but I am very proud to have made it a year. In the beginning, I set three goals for myself – a three-month goal, a more realistic six-month goal, and an ultimate goal of nine months. Shockingly, I made it to a year. Around nine months I started cutting back (I had a freezer stash that allowed me to do so) and I also used formula. One thing that helped me make it that long was that I never put pressure on myself. I had zero guilt for those times that I used formula because it was easier, or I forgot to unfreeze milk, or I had too many glasses of wine and had to dump. It’s so nice to be able to leave the house without packing my pump, and I laugh looking back at the crazy places I’ve had to pump (bathrooms, in the back of cars, random closets). I have such an appreciation for businesses that have a mother’s room now. 

So now we take on toddlerhood! Jude is already taking steps, loves to say “hi” and “hot” when we take food out of the microwave, still says “Dada” more than “Mama” (work in progress!), and will still choose avocado over every other food. We can’t wait to see what next milestone he hits and for this next chapter. 

x Jill

Filed Under: Lifestyle

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(I'll go first...)

 

FOLLOW ALONG @jillbadlotto
Happy weekend. 🖤 Made it to the Van Gogh exhibi Happy weekend. 🖤 Made it to the Van Gogh exhibit in Miami yesterday. If it’s in your city, I highly recommend! #miami #darlingweekend #imaginevangogh #vangoghexperience
When I brought up driving to Florida with our two When I brought up driving to Florida with our two kids and two dogs to my husband, I was half kidding and half hoping he would say yes, because MY GOD did we need a change of scenery. We knew flying wasn’t an option, and we wanted to drive straight through in order to avoid people. Here are some things to make the journey easier on us:

- Organizing EVERYTHING with Amazon packing cubes. We packed things by category (one cube for small toys, one for snacks, one for pumping parts) so everything was easy to grab.

- We kept a ball in the car so when we stopped at rest stops, Jude could let out some energy and stretch his legs (Also, stopping at rest stops vs gas stations is ideal. There’s rarely any people and usually there’s outdoor space to run)

- We tried sticking to nap schedules by playing white noise via Spotify through the car. This helped the boys sleep!

- Investing in a good cooler was a MUST. Our @yeti cooler kept all the bottles cold, along with snacks like fruit and sandwiches. 

- To keep Jude busy, we raided the @target dollar section for new toys. I also binded flash cards together so they didn’t get lost in the car, and magic marker color books kept him entertained for awhile. 

And when all else failed, we used the trusty iPad for some screen time. All screen time limits go out the window on a road trip. Just make sure you download an app beforehand that locks the screen so you don’t have to fix it 100 times in an hour. 🤪 You can check out my recent blog post on more tips/tricks, and some photos from out time here so far. 🚗🌴#linkinbio #heyjudeharrison
Yesterday we celebrated Heathie boy’s 6 month bi Yesterday we celebrated Heathie boy’s 6 month birthday. ❤️ Can not believe it’s been half a year but also can’t believe there was a time where he wasn’t a part of our family. Heath has such a peaceful presence and calming nature. I love the way he takes the world in, a little skeptical and curious but still always smiling. He is so happy to be out on adventures and admires everything that Jude does. He’s constantly laughing, rarely gets upset, loves when we play music, and is turning into a little water baby. But nothing makes him happier than putting him in his sleep sack and taking a nap (just like his mama 😂). He is truly an angel on earth and we are so lucky he is ours. ❤️ #heyheathjoseph #6monthsold #babyboy #childhoodunplugged
Foolishly thought because I felt fine after my fir Foolishly thought because I felt fine after my first shot that the second #covidvacccine would be fine. Yeah... 😂😂. Had body aches and a bad headache all day yesterday that kept me in bed, with a fever last night and chills. Feeling so much better today, especially sitting outside in this beautiful weather we’re having. So excited to be fully vaccinated and hopefully pass along some antibodies to my children! #ᴠᴀᴄᴄɪɴᴇssᴀᴠᴇʟɪᴠᴇs #florida #darlingescapes
YAY for science! And vaccines! 💉 Received my 2n YAY for science! And vaccines! 💉 Received my 2nd dose of the #covidvaccine and it feels like Christmas in April. I know we still have a bit to go and it’s crucial to follow CDC guidelines, but this shot in the arm felt like that light at the end of the tunnel actually exists. This time last year I was sad that my job was put on hold (and eventually eliminated), we had all of our weddings for our coordination business postponed, and I had no idea when I’d see my family again. And now I can almost taste an overpriced glass of wine in a crowded bar with my friends. So grateful for science, doctors, nurses, essential workers, and all those who continue to carry our society through this pandemic. #WillSelfieForVaccines #covid_19 #ᴠᴀᴄᴄɪɴᴇssᴀᴠᴇʟɪᴠᴇs
Sharing some photos from our time in Florida so fa Sharing some photos from our time in Florida so far and some tips for road tripping with two kids on the blog today! 🚗 🌴 #linkinbio

FOLLOW ALONG! @JILLBADLOTTO

Happy weekend. 🖤 Made it to the Van Gogh exhibi Happy weekend. 🖤 Made it to the Van Gogh exhibit in Miami yesterday. If it’s in your city, I highly recommend! #miami #darlingweekend #imaginevangogh #vangoghexperience
When I brought up driving to Florida with our two When I brought up driving to Florida with our two kids and two dogs to my husband, I was half kidding and half hoping he would say yes, because MY GOD did we need a change of scenery. We knew flying wasn’t an option, and we wanted to drive straight through in order to avoid people. Here are some things to make the journey easier on us:

- Organizing EVERYTHING with Amazon packing cubes. We packed things by category (one cube for small toys, one for snacks, one for pumping parts) so everything was easy to grab.

- We kept a ball in the car so when we stopped at rest stops, Jude could let out some energy and stretch his legs (Also, stopping at rest stops vs gas stations is ideal. There’s rarely any people and usually there’s outdoor space to run)

- We tried sticking to nap schedules by playing white noise via Spotify through the car. This helped the boys sleep!

- Investing in a good cooler was a MUST. Our @yeti cooler kept all the bottles cold, along with snacks like fruit and sandwiches. 

- To keep Jude busy, we raided the @target dollar section for new toys. I also binded flash cards together so they didn’t get lost in the car, and magic marker color books kept him entertained for awhile. 

And when all else failed, we used the trusty iPad for some screen time. All screen time limits go out the window on a road trip. Just make sure you download an app beforehand that locks the screen so you don’t have to fix it 100 times in an hour. 🤪 You can check out my recent blog post on more tips/tricks, and some photos from out time here so far. 🚗🌴#linkinbio #heyjudeharrison
Yesterday we celebrated Heathie boy’s 6 month bi Yesterday we celebrated Heathie boy’s 6 month birthday. ❤️ Can not believe it’s been half a year but also can’t believe there was a time where he wasn’t a part of our family. Heath has such a peaceful presence and calming nature. I love the way he takes the world in, a little skeptical and curious but still always smiling. He is so happy to be out on adventures and admires everything that Jude does. He’s constantly laughing, rarely gets upset, loves when we play music, and is turning into a little water baby. But nothing makes him happier than putting him in his sleep sack and taking a nap (just like his mama 😂). He is truly an angel on earth and we are so lucky he is ours. ❤️ #heyheathjoseph #6monthsold #babyboy #childhoodunplugged
Foolishly thought because I felt fine after my fir Foolishly thought because I felt fine after my first shot that the second #covidvacccine would be fine. Yeah... 😂😂. Had body aches and a bad headache all day yesterday that kept me in bed, with a fever last night and chills. Feeling so much better today, especially sitting outside in this beautiful weather we’re having. So excited to be fully vaccinated and hopefully pass along some antibodies to my children! #ᴠᴀᴄᴄɪɴᴇssᴀᴠᴇʟɪᴠᴇs #florida #darlingescapes
YAY for science! And vaccines! 💉 Received my 2n YAY for science! And vaccines! 💉 Received my 2nd dose of the #covidvaccine and it feels like Christmas in April. I know we still have a bit to go and it’s crucial to follow CDC guidelines, but this shot in the arm felt like that light at the end of the tunnel actually exists. This time last year I was sad that my job was put on hold (and eventually eliminated), we had all of our weddings for our coordination business postponed, and I had no idea when I’d see my family again. And now I can almost taste an overpriced glass of wine in a crowded bar with my friends. So grateful for science, doctors, nurses, essential workers, and all those who continue to carry our society through this pandemic. #WillSelfieForVaccines #covid_19 #ᴠᴀᴄᴄɪɴᴇssᴀᴠᴇʟɪᴠᴇs
Sharing some photos from our time in Florida so fa Sharing some photos from our time in Florida so far and some tips for road tripping with two kids on the blog today! 🚗 🌴 #linkinbio

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