•15 min read
2019: A year in review
Every year, I find it a bit therapeutic to look back on the last year. I know my heart is bent toward nostalgia, and at times, I wonder if that is one of the reasons I find looking back easier than looking forward. That's something for me to mull...
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Slow snowflakes
Cooper woke up a little earlier than his usual, as of late. He gave me big, sloppy kisses when I got him from his crib today. I ate my breakfast while he sat next to me in his high chair, fascinated. He smiled and laughed as he dropped toys on the...
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Lately, I love (December 2019 edition)
Some of the smaller moments in this season are the ones I adore the most. Beside the Christmas shopping, gift wrapping, etc., there are so many sweet moments, tucked in, nearly missed unless I make a point to see them. Here are a few highlights from...
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Littlest joys + bedtime reading
In the past several weeks, we started implementing a bit more of a schedule for Cooper. And as such, we've seen him go from napping a maximum of forty minutes at a time to now napping for two hours (sometimes I have to wake him up after two hours),...
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Navy cardigan for Cooper, finished
It's been awhile since I wrote a knitting-focused post, but I have been knitting away over the past few months. Many of my projects are secret (or nearly secret) until after Christmas, but I did finish a sweater for Cooper that I wanted to share...
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Baby's first snow
On Halloween, we had cold weather, and then a mixture of rain, then sleet, then snow fell. I love snow more than most, so I was thrilled. And it was so fun to show Cooper! We didn't venture far because the wind was a bit brutal, but we had the...
Read more•5 min read
Early September bits & pieces
I've noticed a distinct change in the air: mornings are cooler, breezes are more refreshing, and I'm consistently seeing temps in the 60's at some point in any given 24-hr period. There is so much chatter about PSL and "fall bucket lists" and...
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Morning sing-a-longs
My mornings look radically different than they did just three months ago. And personally, I love them so much more. I usually nurse Cooper around the time Nicholas leaves for work, and then since it's still early, he will usually sleep for another...
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The edge of the season + Cooper at 2 months
The air feels a little bit different this week. It's still very much summer, but there are subtle indications that we are on the cusp of fall. A few golden and bright red leaves, here and there, a cooler morning and breezes that are not quite as...
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Little summer victories
When we had a baby, I had the assumption that a lot of things in life would be more complicated: errands, cooking, getting dressed, sleeping, etc. That assumption is based on reality, yes. Getting out the door takes more thought, more planning, and...
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Late July life
It's full-blown summer here, evidenced by the forecast. We've had some very hot days, along with more mild days (my personal favorite), like today. Each week seems to bring a bit more routine and familiarity. And by that, I mean Cooper is constantly...
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Newborn and postpartum essentials that we love
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...
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Fully present
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...
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New joy & embracing the pauses
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.
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A family of three
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.
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Cooper's birth story
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...
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Welcome Baby Cooper!
Cooper Robert DeVries arrived on June 12, 2019 at 5:36pm, measuring 7 lb, 6 oz in weight, and 21" in length. He has blonde hair and blue eyes (so far) and we are smitten.
Read more•8 min read
The sweetness of now
I get a lot of questions about baby boy's arrival. The basics, of course, like when, followed up by comments along the lines of You're so close! And usually there are comments about Aren't you just ready to be done being pregnant by now?
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Memorial day & life lately
This past weekend, my parents and brother came to visit for Memorial Day. Before they left, it was a little surreal to say, "Next time I see you, I won't be pregnant!" The reality that we're (at the most) a month(ish) away from meeting Baby DeVries...
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Preparations for Baby DeVries
I was just thinking the other day that I haven't shared all that much about what we're doing to prepare for June (our "due month" as one of the midwives I see referred to it as). Apart from preparing for the reality of being a family of three(!)...
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Baby boy knits, finished
I've been rather quiet about my knitting and making as of late, mostly because I haven't done a lot of either. That said, there are a few baby items that I've finished and blocked and I wanted to share them before this baby boy arrives! Several...
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Abundance
I frequently have nightmares (I always have) and usually, they set a tone for the morning, leaving me feeling unsettled. But today, even after a nightmare, I woke up to baby boy kicking like crazy, and thankfulness in my heart. We're still...
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Moving into a new home
Well, hello!
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Celebrating baby DeVries in Minnesota
This past weekend, Nicholas and I took a whirlwind trip to my hometown in Minnesota to see family and have my third and final baby shower. Friday, I drove to pick up Nicholas from his workplace downtown Chicago, and then we hopped on the road...
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Life lately, late April 2019
It feels like spring in our new home in Northwest Indiana. It is the beginning of a lot of things for us.
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