'Neh' and other random mom-vice /  by jen geigley

The mom life. I usually feel like the last person who should be giving advice in a world full of advice-givers. But if there are any rookie moms reading (or new moms-to-be), here are a few little things I've learned along the way from my two kids. And like anyone else, I learn something new all of the time. It goes without saying that every kid and mom and baby are different, so this is just my two cents about a few random things.
Baby whisperer. Not even kidding. There is apparently a universal 'cry' language that all newborns use. All over the world. If your baby's cry sounds like the word 'neh' with a strong 'n' sound, it's a hungry cry and they want to be fed. If they're crying with an 'eh' or 'o' or other vowel sound, it means stomach trouble or too hot/cold or they want to be held or need to be changed. I swear by listening for the 'neh' cry ... both of my kids have made this cry really clearly as newborns.
Fingernails. Eeek! Please don't try to use nail clippers on teeny-tiny newborn fingernails. It always ends badly. Use a nail file instead. Trust me. Bloodbath. Those fingernails are paper-thin (and sharp) but clipping them is oh-so-tricky.
Don't be afraid of the pacifier and bottle. Throw them in the mix right off the bat. Yup, even if you're nursing. This is just me, and it probably goes against advice that lactation consultants will give you, but my babies have done so well with this and we never had any problems with 'confusion.' When they're tiny babies, it seems like they'll suck on anything, so I let them get the hang of nursing and then I introduce the pacifier and bottle during that first week or two. It's later on that they get picky and may only want to nurse instead of taking that bottle you pumped ... say, on the one night you really, really want to meet up with girlfriends for margaritas. And that's just sad for everybody.
Eat. Play. Sleep. Feed the baby, keep them awake for awhile, let them sleep, repeat. If you have time. These days, trying to keep a strict schedule is not easy when we're keeping up with Lo's activities and school drop-off/pick-up times. But even if you are anti-schedule, you can make this work and still be super flexible. The baby learns what to expect and you will have better luck with planning out your day, too.
Diaper bags don't have to be diaper bags. There are tons of high-end diaper bags out there that are fantastic. But my best go-to bags are always messenger bags, whether I'm carrying a baby around for the day or not. They have that fantastic big back pocket, perfect for a diaper changing mat and wipes. And plenty of interior/exterior pockets for bottles, sippy cups, My Little Ponies, etc. My all-time favorite is my Moop messenger in gray canvas and I carry it everywhere.
Take photos. This sounds like a no-brainer, but it's easy to lose track of all of the fun and fast changes that take place during a baby's first year. Especially if you have more than one kid. Sometimes it feels like time stands still, but that little person is growing at hyper speed right in front of your eyes. So fast that you just might miss it if you're not careful. Mark down a monthly 'photo shoot' day on your calendar. Put your babe near a window to snag some natural light and take a crapload of pics with favorite blankets, outfits, etc. It may seem redundant now, but you won't be sorry you took the time to do this down the road (when all of those tiny t-shirts look impossibly ... tiny.)
Write it down. This is another thing you can tackle monthly. Open up a Word doc (or even write yourself an email) and make monthly notes about your little one's accomplishments and developments. Take five minutes and type up a list of what your baby is into right now and significant 'firsts' that have happened over the past couple of weeks. It doesn't have to be complete sentences and you can write whatever you want. Later, when you pull out that baby book, you'll have lots of material to work with to fill in all of those blanks.
And last but not least, the best mom advice ever given to me. Listen to your baby. You'll do the right thing. And if what you're doing isn't working ... do something different. You've got this.

from London, with love /  by jen geigley

Look, look! I got a little surprise at my door the other day with a big Royal Mail stamp on the front. My sweet friend Kim Smith hand-knit these baby socks for Bowie. I love the colors, and there's nothing sweeter than a little pair of knit socks.
This is Kim. We have a lot of things in common. We somehow crossed paths online a few years ago when I originally found her through a Vespa Flickr group. She's a fantastically talented photographer, and I loved her work. Later, I discovered we were both also into paper crafting, journaling,  scrapbooking and such and we became long-distance friends. With her living in the U.K. and me here in the U.S., we also became pen-pals of sorts, sending each other random drawings and found papers and mixes on CDs. We started a little project called Work Your Soul, later adding our friend Kara to the mix. And now we're hooked on knitting. If only we lived in the same city. (Or even the same country.)  :)
Anyway, wow. Check out that colorwork. Such a labor of love. One more keepsake to add to my little guy's wardrobe. I can't wait to tell him where each of his handmade gifts came from one day. (Thanks so much, Kim.) xo.

the M /  by jen geigley

Do you shoot with a DSLR ... but you're scared to move from Auto to the M? You need to take my friend Kara's online photography class. The M.

Here are the details ...

"This class is for anyone who wants to learn the technical aspects of digital photography in an easy to understand and unintimidating setting. The class starts at the very basics – camera and lens recommendations, exposure, composition, lighting, and Photoshop corrections. It ends with basic tips from everything from landscape to portrait photography and includes free Photoshop actions, film photography tips, challenges, critiques, and inspiration. Most of the focus is on portraiture, but other subject matter is covered. The class material covers two week’s of thorough, daily lessons, tips, and ideas. This e-course will go on sale on March 26th for $45 on Classes Kara Made. Class begins on April 2nd, runs for two jam-packed weeks, and concludes on April 13th."

You can see some of Kara's work here. So. Sign up already. You'll have so much fun with your camera this summer if you do.  :)

handmade for baby /  by jen geigley

So, it's probably about time that I shared some tiny newborn knits that my new baby boy has been wearing. Some of them were made by me, but lots of them were super sweet (and gorgeous) gifts from family and friends. Anyone knows that a knitter truly appreciates something handmade, and everything you see here is extra special.
First up is this adorable tiny button-down sweater that my good friend Sarah made for little Bowen.
To make it even more fantastic, she used hand-dyed yarn made by our pal Diane. And she started knitting this at our winter knitting retreat ... right in front of me! Sneaky friend. I had no idea this cute sweater would be for my little guy.
If you're interested in making one of these, the pattern she used is the Puerperium Cardigan by Kelly Brooker. (So so so cute!)
Next up is a gift from Grandma. My mom is a talented crocheter, and she made this awesome turquoise blanket for Bowie's room. I don't think she used a specific pattern, because her stitching knowledge is all stored in her brain, but I do know it's a shell pattern with a shell edge.
While I was pregnant last winter, I spent a couple of evenings knitting up some quick and tiny chunky hats. I made up the pattern for these, since the yarn was chunky (making the math easy) and just made a couple of modifications to two of them so they weren't all exactly the same. These are so incredibly small!
(I'm pretty sure he's saying "Noooooo, mom. Don't make me wear the one with the pom-pom!")
I also made a quick organic cotton newborn hat for this spring. The pattern I used is Welcome to the World Newborn Hat by Nona.
It's a little thinner than the chunky winter hats and I think it will be perfect for our walks and outings this spring. And even though the pattern is for a newborn, I think this hat will fit for awhile. It was definitely too big at first (and still is) and has a good bit of stretch to it, so I think we'll be good for awhile.
And oh my, check these out! My awesome friend Amy knitted Bowie these super rad striped knit pants! They are too cool. I couldn't have him model them quite yet because they're a little bit too big, but they'll be a perfect fit this fall. I can't wait for him to wear these!
Finally, this sweater (which is the same sweater shown in the very first pic above) is the one I was working on while I was pregnant. The pattern is New Babeh by Kayla Dyches. I love love love this sweater, which was knit with Rowan Amy Butler Belle Organic Aran cotton. It's super soft and basic. If you're looking for a simple unisex newborn sweater to knit up for someone special, give this one a try. 

That's about it for now! Do you have any go-to knitting or crochet patterns for newborns?

up all night ... sleep all day /  by jen geigley

'So, how are things going?' people ask. And I would probably answer 'up all night, sleep all day.' It's not just a Slaughter song. And it's not describing my life, let's be clear, because my life would be more like up all night, up all day. (I have a five-year-old who is not about to take a nap.) Now, before you get all worried, let me tell you ... it's okay! I'm having all kinds of fun in new baby dreamland. I love this. I adore having a tiny baby in this house. You have no idea. Okay, you probably have some idea.
But there are a few things about newborns that I had forgotten about. Everyone seems to need me all at once, causing me to do things like burn grilled cheese sandwiches and such. And let's say that you have a few nights of no sleep? Like in college? Cake. But night after night of waking up and nursing for an hour, sleeping for 45 minutes, changing a super poopy diaper that has leaked through the onesie (only to get peed on while doing so) and then feeding, sleeping for an hour and doing it all over again? I had forgotten that the all-nighters are the toughest part of new-momma life. Sleeping for an hour at a time can mess with you. I have all of the current 3:00 am infomercials memorized. (Ask me about Cindy Crawford's anti-aging line or the 'Insanity' workout program. Or anything Guthy Renker-related.) Zzzzzzzz.
You can give me all of the advice you want, and in my brain, I know what to do about our sleeping situation. I keep him up as much as I can during the day, giving him baths and talking to him and singing and playing but that doesn't always work. I follow the advice of books that promote putting babies on schedules, but he might be a bit too young for that. It's just the whole newborn thing – this little guy has day and night a tiny bit mixed up and this too shall pass. It's okay. I can roll with that.
Because, really, our days and nights are sweet. I smile at him. A lot. And I know it's all worth it and someday I can tell him about the days when he was a tiny baby and I stayed up and stared at his little face. All. Night. Long.

timestamp /  by jen geigley

If you've been reading here awhile, you might remember our calendar page project that we started five years ago to document Lo's first twelve months. (Or you may have seen our project before on iVillage or Rookie Moms.) After she was born, I photographed her holding a calendar page once a month (on her birth date, the 2nd) until she was a year old to record how much she was growing and changing.
As everyone knows, babies change so incredibly fast and monthly photos are an increasingly popular way to record that crazy first year. People use chalkboards, screen-printed t-shirts ... you name it. I ended up creating a calendar page in Adobe Illustrator so I could update and print it out each month. At the end of the year, I had all of the photos printed and put them into an accordian-fold album.
Looking back, I have to smile. I remember getting our first 'nice' camera the year Lo was born, but I didn't really know how to use it. I propped her up against an enormous black backdrop every month and she'd try to eat the calendar page, crumple it up, spit up all over the place or crawl away. But we ended up with a pretty fantastic record of her first year. Totally worth it.
So, now it's little Bowen's turn. I was thinking about abandoning the calendar page idea and trying something different this time, but I think looking at siblings in side-by-side photos (that were shot the same way) someday might be interesting. Plus, I'm trying hard to keep it fair and do the same things for my second kid as I did for the first. So we're sticking to the format. I can't wait to watch him grow. Did you document your baby's first year in photographs? Tell me how you did it!

room tour: the kids' quarters /  by jen geigley

Since our new addition to the fam arrived, we have settled each kid into their own room. Lo moved to a new bedroom and we converted her old room into the baby's nursery. Which has been fun. We're still doing a little rearranging as we all get situated but I wanted to share how things turned out. First up! Bowen's room.
Bo and I decided to hang up some skateboard decks above our Eames rocking chair, and our new little guy is already pretty intrigued by the bold patterns. Seriously. He likes to stare at those decks!
Typical necessities: a crib, a laundry basket and lots of books.
These shelves hold metal bins that are perfect for storing bath towels, burp cloths and hats/mittens. Below that is a Vespa print (from OrignauxMoose,) a Parker Jacobs (of Yo Gabba Gabba/Paul Frank fame) banana print, and some of Bo's old wooden toys. I scored the skateboard hook/rack on clearance at Target several years ago. Below that is a pull-out toy box from the STUVA storage system from IKEA.
And that's our baby boy's room. I'm sure we'll change it up as he grows but I think we're off to a good start.
Next up is our girly-girl's room. Which is also home to several My Little Ponies, Yo Gabba Gabba characters and LaLaLoopsy dolls. Lo's new bedroom was an interesting project, as this space actually used to be part of our living room.
Bo and his dad transformed what was formerly a lounge area with couches into Lo's new big-girl bedroom with a little bit of drywall, a closet and some lighting. We hardly ever used our old seating area so we were happy that we were able to convert it into much-needed bedroom space so that each of the kids could have their own room.
We knew that our little clothes horse of a daughter would need a dresser, but we didn't have a ton of room for a wide piece of furniture. This vertical dresser was the perfect solution and is part of the STUVA storage system from IKEA. The deer print and metal L are from Urban Outfitters.
Lo has tons of tiny toys with tiny parts that need a home, so this modular bookshelf with storage boxes works well to keep little things in their place. Above the bookshelf, we hung a metal magnet board to display her artwork. It's the perfect way to allow her to change up whatever she feels like displaying whenever she wants. Without gobs of tape stuck to the walls.  :)

Here are the bright contents of this little girl's closet. She has some super fun stuff in there.  :)
And that's pretty much it! The spaces where they will live, play and pretend. I remember loving my childhood bedroom; I would happily spend hours in there drawing and reading and playing with toys. I hope my kids end up enjoying their rooms just as much.

baby pictures /  by jen geigley

One week ago, I was here. With my one-day-old baby boy. It's only been a week but what a week it's been. Here are some of our favorite photos of how the baby life has been going.
Here's how it all started – with a crazy fast delivery and a healthy little guy.

This is Allie, our labor and delivery nurse (who is also Bo's cousin.) We loved having her there with us and she was seriously amazing. 
 Little Bowie, one day old.
Lo's first visit was the sweetest thing ever.

She's a natural. 
My sleepy boys. 
One last hospital room service meal.
Time to pack up.
And go home. 
Where we've settled in quite nicely. It's pretty much snuggles all day.
  And little conversations with our new one.
I love the tiny white t-shirts. The tiny socks and diapers. The tiny hands that already have such a strong grip. The tiny cries and hiccups. I'm drinking it all in because I know too well how fast he'll change and grow. So I'm enjoying the tininess. Enjoying my babe.