I'm loving my new life, taking care of Cooper and learning (so much learning!) about being a mom! That said, we have had a chance to use a myriad of "baby stuff" for Cooper and postpartum things for me, and I thought it would be fun to share what we like. There are so many "must-have" baby products and blog posts telling you what you need. I found it overwhelming, and since a lot of baby stuff is expensive, we wanted to be sure that we were buying and registering for items that we would use and love. Ultimately, I researched a bunch and asked numerous mama friends what their favorite things were...

I've been thinking a lot about how my little boy is growing up in a world that has a very different relationship to technology, compared to my own childhood. And I'll be the first to admit that I often feel pulled away from what is happening right in front of me by texts that need responding to, or other notifications, or the desire to "check in" on social media. And this is often at the expense of whoever is actually with me. I love sharing about our life (and writing about it here), but I'm beginning to think some more personal boundaries are in order...

A week from now, Cooper will be a month old! It's difficult to process how fast the time has gone. Everyone tells you it moves at lightning speed, and so far, that's holding true.Two days ago, Nicholas worked a half day, so we had a taste of a one-on-one day, but today is my first full day home alone with Cooper. When we first brought him home, I kept thinking When I get back to feeling normal again...

Cooper is seventeen days old today! It's hard to believe that we've had more than two weeks to get to know our little guy.Here is what life looks like lately, at the DeVries home:Meeting family! Great grandma and great grandpa Friend came to visit, along with Aunt Julie and cousin Connor. And my parents and brother came to visit from Minnesota! There were cuddles and baby snuggles, and my mom and I read picture books aloud to Cooper. And collectively, we all ooed and awed over him...

I wanted to write out the specifics of a very special day, the day we met our little boy, before the details became fuzzy. Labor and delivery are truly incredible things; the way God designed our bodies to go through such an intense and wonderful process is amazing. On Monday, June 10, something felt a little different. I knew labor wasn't starting...