Nursing/Postpartum Tuesday: First Year Frame
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My mom had one of those school frames with a slot for each school photo from kindergarten through senior year. Here’s one for your baby’s first year.
This square, rustic-style frame has a dozen 3″ x 3″ slots to capture your baby’s first 12 months. This would make a great shower gift for parents-to-be — I would have loved something like this if only to help me remember what went on during those blurry, sleep-deprived months.
Pearhead’s First Year Frame is $29.99 at Target.
Sales of note for 2/7:
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Nordstrom – Winter Sale, up to 60% off! 7850 new markdowns for women
- Ann Taylor – Extra 25% off your $175+ purchase — and $30 of full-price pants and denim
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything + extra 15% off
- Boden – 15% off new season styles
- Eloquii – 60% off 100s of styles
- J.Crew – Extra 50% off all sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – 40% off everything including new arrivals + extra 20% off $125+
- Rothy’s – Final Few: Up to 40% off last-chance styles
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – 40% off one item + free shipping on $150+
Hi all! I stepped away for a bit as I wound down my last role, took three weeks off, and started my new gig. Leaving my old role and company was hard because I had made some truly great friends in the trenches. That being said, even with the benefit of 6 weeks of space, I can see more and more by the day how utterly horrible my prior boss was and how grateful I am for having made the jump. At my old role, I wasn’t “allowed” to email, chat, or meet with anyone my boss considered her peer unless she was cc:ed or also invited. First two weeks in the new job, and I met with tons of folks. I asked my boss if she wanted to be cc:ed or included, and she responded, “I have my own work to do. Let me know if anything interesting comes up,” and that was that. I have interesting, ridiculously complicated work and peers that are fantastic. I know that there are bumps ahead (like the total crisis of confidence of last week when I was overcomplicating an issue), but I’m really grateful that I made the switch. In those three weeks of downtime, I rested, did a bunch of kid stuff, and also hired more help. I hired a grad student to pick my kids up a couple times per week and hired someone who comes when the kids are not here to help with household management. Right now, she is organizing my kids’ playroom and doing a deep clean of the fridge (she will also help with kid pick-up on her day). I also got back into running and signed up for races this fall, which is the motivation I need not ignore my runs in favor of scrolling social media. Now if would just stop raining in New England, that would be great. Anyway, I’m back and wanted to say thank you for the pushes over the past six+ months to make the transition!
My daughter is 10 months old and an excellent sleeper. In the mornings she wakes up initially around 8am, and she’ll usually hang out in her crib falling in and out of sleep until 9:30ish, when she stands up/indicates she wants to get up. We put her down for a nap at the first sign of sleepiness, and that’s usually before 11am. Then she’ll sleep for 3-4 hours, with a chunk of that time being spent awake and chilling. I guess I’m wondering, is it fine to leave her be if she seems content? It seems like she’s spending more and more time that way. We don’t adhere to any schedule and just follow her cues, and it’s leading to a ton of sleep + rest. Is there any reason to eventually impose a schedule just to have one? And when?
A slight follow up on the redshirt thread where this sort of came up.
I have a 9 yo, rising 5th grader, who is in a tech / athletics camp this week. They reorganized the camp to balance the section sizes, combining rising 2nd-4th and bumping up rising 5th to the “senior” section so it’s now rising 5th – rising 10th combined. So now my 9 yo is now unexpectedly in the older group.
She’s the only girl in her group of 13-15 kids, with the other kids being boys ranging in age from 10-15 yo. She has a rising 7th or 8th grade boy as her lab partner for the two week session.
How would you feel about this?
My son’s 7th birthday is the first week of August and we planned a fun party for him at a local ninja gym. Knowing that this is a tough time of year with vacations, we invited way more kids than we normally would, about 20, and we sent the invitations far in advance. We were hoping that at least ten would be able to attend, but even with upping the guest list, only four kids can make it. He’s devastated. Looking for advice on how to 1) help him get over the fact that his party will be so much smaller than all of the ones he’s attended in the past/a lot of his close friends won’t be there and 2) how to make the party feel “fuller” and “bigger” than it will be.
We can’t move the party to have it at home as our current house and yard aren’t really set up for it and we don’t want to cancel as this is the first birthday party he’s had since 2019 due to a variety of factors. What can I do?
I’m losing it. I’m just at my limit – last week I had a cluster of appointments for DS #2 (nothing special, just a few regular things that ended up all in the same week), work is toxic and unstable – I’m looking but as you all may know, the market is pretty tight, we had multiple other obligations last week/weekend (in hindsight, I could have skipped at least one) so I’m running on minimal to 0 downtime.
This AM I realized I forgot to make our CC payments – I handle our finances. Luckily I was able to quickly rectify and get the late fees waived, but still. I also have two returns I need to make in the trunk of my car, a belated dentist appointment (for me) to make, a trip to our bank to make a deposit that I can’t do via ATM, and I left DS #2’s water bottle at his doctor’s office last week and still need to go and get it (it’s literally 5 minutes from our house).
DH and I are going to sit down tomorrow night to find a better approach on the finances so there’s no single point of failure. I know he’s at his limit too so I want to be mindful but also not a martyr.
I was planning to go exercise around 4 PM today after signing off of work but it seems like I’m better off getting some of these errands done. I’d welcome any tips on how y’all tread water in these situations. And we have ample childcare/family help – maybe I’m just not working smart?
BTW – thanks for all the feedback on DS #2’s toddler behavior yesterday. I ended up putting them in a word document and sharing with DH. Super helpful and validating!
I wanted to check in and update you all on our ten-day France trip with 3 kids (7,5, and 18 months) since everyone was such a big help both with practical advice and encouragement. It was WAY better than I expected — the baby in particular just adored being out and about, and while the big kids had some tough/tired moments (especially in our epically delayed 24-hour trip home) they also had a blast, especially at the seaside.
We did not check a bag on the way there and everything turned out just fine (and made our inter-city train travel easier). We did one load of laundry, and there was nothing I wished I’d brought but didn’t. On the way back we checked a duffel with our dirty laundry and some random souvenirs we’d picked up.
In sum: I’m VERY glad we went and it made me excited to do more traveling with the kids. That being said, for our next vacation I’m looking forward to a chill lake house rental! Thanks again to all you experienced travelers for your tips; I used a TON of them.
Edited to avoid Mod — and adding that we went to Spain and Italy. I had never been to either place, and loved seeing both.
Wanted to weigh in after a completing a 2 week multi-city international trip with several inter-trip flights with twin 3 year olds with some recommendations —
We got the cheapest amazon kindle fires (I think we paid $35 last Prime day?) plus a cheap SD card, and loaded up hours of familiar movies and tv shows that we’d already bought on Amazon. These were the unsung heroes of the trip — we used them extensively, on the plane rides — they sat next to each other and we put up the armrest, and they were able to stretch out by facing each other. We put a blanket over them, and they each held their tablet until they fell asleep. I’m really glad we didn’t rely on the screen in front of them – my kids could not have managed or reached the interface on their own, and I think would have bugged the person in front of them trying to touch the screen. Also, there were lots of shows, but none were familiar. I was glad they had shows they were used to when so much was unfamiliar to them during the trip. Also, thanks to an end of trip flight cancellation, they managed a day that started at 4AM, and involved 3 flights with minimal fuss thanks to hours and hours (and hours) of screen time + international play zones at airports.
Also, I’m sure this got us side eyed on the trip and maybe even here, but we used the tablets + headphones (always) extensively at meals in restaurants. This was a bucket list trip for me (not something we did for the kids), and I wanted to be able to sit and relax and enjoy dessert and wine and chat with my husband at meals. My twins are good at sitting and eating, but they cannot handle lingering. We covered a lot of ground on the trip, and there were times when they were tired, frustrated, etc. I’m glad I was able to enjoy some of the meals, which would not have been possible if they didn’t have any entertainment. To be very clear, we never ate at a fancy restaurant (I’m talking the airport restaurant or an on-s i t e hotel restaurant or a local pub) or late — but it massively reduced our stress to not feel like we were counting the minutes until they were both melting down or climbing on the person next to them. Similarly, I was able to hand them the tablet during long lines for check in or customs, waiting for flights, etc.
We told them before the trip that the tablets were for travel only, and I put them away as soon as we got home. Neither has asked for the tablet since the trip, so I do not think we created any kind of long-term habit. I am extremely thankful for the assistance they provided on the trip though. Everything in moderation (this is not something we do at home), and I have absolutely no regrets for many of the quiet moments they provided me and my husband on this trip.
We also took a stroller for the same reasons – just a simple double umbrella stroller, but it kept them contained and happy when we were stuck in a line somewhere. It usually stayed in the hotel room when we were out and about, but I’m glad we had it for all the airline travel we did.
We strategically upgraded our rooms bc we knew we’d end up spending more time in hotel rooms than we would during a kid free trip. I justified it as we spent a lot less on food than we would have if it was just my husband and me (only one meal out, a lot of PBJ for lunches, plus breakfast was usually included). I was so glad we did – I never felt a sense of frustration if we were back at the hotel room early if we had a balcony to sit outside or be right on the water. We occasionally traded off, and one adult could go to the on s i t e restaurant with a book and read and the other adult would stay back in the room and relax on the porch or outside the room. I found that resorts or hotels that had little separated cabin like rooms our favorite — the twins could play right outside the cabin, and we never worried about disturbing people in the hallways or if there were rooms that shared walls with us. Two toddlers can get real loud….
We tried melatonin on them a week before we left, and had it in our back pocket for days when it seemed like they couldn’t settle. We only had to use it a few times, and I’m glad we had an option for nights when they were super disoriented.
We challenged the twins a LOT with this trip, and I’m so thankful we did it. There were definitely still meltdowns, but they melt down at home too — so I have no regrets. We went to countries I’ve waited my whole life to see! We also hiked with them, and somehow walking to the park a block away can feel like Everest, but they happily managed a few 5K hikes on extremely steep terrain — lots of snacks + lots of fun things to look at (oceans and waterfalls were huge hits).
Whew! Long recap – so TL, DR, I recommend leaning into things that make your life easier — we didn’t find that it created any habits at home (everything about this travel was SO different than our daily lives), and it really helped my husband and I enjoy the trip.
Wanted to weigh in after a completing a 2 week multi-city international trip with several inter-trip flights with twin 3 year olds with some recommendations —
We got the cheapest amazon kindle fires (I think we paid $35 last Prime day?) plus a cheap SD card, and loaded up hours of familiar movies and tv shows that we’d already bought on Amazon. These were the unsung heroes of the trip — we used them extensively, on the plane rides — they sat next to each other and we put up the armrest, and they were able to stretch out by facing each other. We put a blanket over them, and they each held their tablet until they fell asleep. I’m really glad we didn’t rely on the screen in front of them – my kids could not have managed or reached the interface on their own, and I think would have bugged the person in front of them trying to touch the screen. Also, there were lots of shows, but none were familiar. I was glad they had shows they were used to when so much was unfamiliar to them during the trip. Also, thanks to an end of trip flight cancellation, they managed a day that started at 4AM, and involved 3 flights with minimal fuss thanks to hours and hours (and hours) of screen time + international play zones at airports.
Also, I’m sure this got us side eyed on the trip and maybe even here, but we used the tablets + headphones (always) extensively at meals in restaurants. This was a bucket list trip for me (not something we did for the kids), and I wanted to be able to sit and relax and enjoy dessert and wine and chat with my husband at meals. My twins are good at sitting and eating, but they cannot handle lingering. We covered a lot of ground on the trip, and there were times when they were tired, frustrated, etc. I’m glad I was able to enjoy some of the meals, which would not have been possible if they didn’t have any entertainment. To be very clear, we never ate at a fancy restaurant (I’m talking the airport restaurant or an on-site hotel restaurant or a local pub) or late — but it massively reduced our stress to not feel like we were counting the minutes until they were both melting down or climbing on the person next to them. Similarly, I was able to hand them the tablet during long lines for check in or customs, waiting for flights, etc.
We told them before the trip that the tablets were for travel only, and I put them away as soon as we got home. Neither has asked for the tablet since the trip, so I do not think we created any kind of long-term habit. I am extremely thankful for the assistance they provided on the trip though. Everything in moderation (this is not something we do at home), and I have absolutely no regrets for many of the quiet moments they provided me and my husband on this trip.
We also took a stroller for the same reasons – just a simple double umbrella stroller, but it kept them contained and happy when we were stuck in a line somewhere. It usually stayed in the hotel room when we were out and about, but I’m glad we had it for all the airline travel we did.
We strategically upgraded our rooms bc we knew we’d end up spending more time in hotel rooms than we would during a kid free trip. I justified it as we spent a lot less on food than we would have if it was just my husband and me (only one meal out, a lot of PBJ for lunches, plus breakfast was usually included). I was so glad we did – I never felt a sense of frustration if we were back at the hotel room early if we had a balcony to sit outside or be right on the water. We occasionally traded off, and one adult could go to the on site restaurant with a book and read and the other adult would stay back in the room and relax on the porch or outside the room. I found that resorts or hotels that had little separated cabin like rooms our favorite — the twins could play right outside the cabin, and we never worried about disturbing people in the hallways or if there were rooms that shared walls with us. Two toddlers can get real loud….
We tried melatonin on them a week before we left, and had it in our back pocket for days when it seemed like they couldn’t settle. We only had to use it a few times, and I’m glad we had an option for nights when they were super disoriented.
We challenged the twins a LOT with this trip, and I’m so thankful we did it. There were definitely still meltdowns, but they melt down at home too — so I have no regrets. We went to countries I’ve waited my whole life to see! We also hiked with them, and somehow walking to the park a block away can feel like Everest, but they happily managed a few 5K hikes on extremely steep terrain — lots of snacks + lots of fun things to look at (oceans and waterfalls were huge hits).
Whew! Long recap – so TL, DR, I recommend leaning into things that make your life easier — we didn’t find that it created any habits at home (everything about this travel was SO different than our daily lives), and it really helped my husband and I enjoy the trip.
If I had this frame, it would probably only have a smattering of non-sequential photos from the first year, too!