Birth Story: Oscar's Arrival

We have another son! It's been 6 days since Oscar made his entrance into the world, and we couldn't love him more. He is the little life that was growing and kicking inside of me, and we were all very excited to meet him! 

I re-read Delilah's birth story, and was actually surprised how similar the two experiences were.  Her labor was half as long, but otherwise similar. I had originally posted this birth story with more details, but decided not to share the whole experience.  What matters is that he arrived safe and sound. The whole labor was uneventful, and went without a hitch.

He was face up during the labor, but turned at the last minute, so he was facing away from Ryan when he was born.  He was looking forward to announcing boy/girl, but I got the first peek!  I knew he was going to be pumped that it was a boy, so I smiled and whispered to him "It's a boy.." as they laid him on my chest.   I was able to hold him for what felt like a long time right after delivery, which was really awesome.  Nothing like it.  Overall, I was in labor for 11 hours, and it was a good experience.  I had 2 great nurses taking care of us and my doctor was great.  I was only at the hospital for one night, and we brought Oscar home the next day. Feeling so blessed to have a healthy boy, and have no complications with my birth experience.  Simon & Delilah were THRILLED with their new baby brother, and we could hear them screaming with excitement even before we came through the door, bringing him home.  Delilah calls him "Babo" and loves "holding" him. She points out that he has 2 hands, and whether or not he's wearing a hat, and loves studying his ears and his eyes.  Simon is very proud to have a baby brother, and says how much he loves him often.  

Ryan came up with his name. You may have noticed that Oscar and Charlie are both from the Phonetic Alphabet.  This summer when Ryan was doing his flight training, the plane that he flew was call sign HOC, which is Hotel-Oscar-Charlie over the radio.  He thought it sounded like a great name for a boy, and I agreed! :) (For those curious, we had chosen Clover Evelyn if we had a girl)

We've already had some bumps along the way with establishing nursing, but I think we're making progress.  Sleep hours are few and far between, but I know that this stage is very short.  Having Ryan home all last week was amazing, and made the transition a lot easier on Simon and Delilah.  Next week is going to be a challenge, but we'll take it one day at a time.  Our parents have been so great, and help is never far away, to which I am extremely thankful for.  Everyone seems pretty smitten with our little Oscar, and I thank God for him all the time.  He's my last baby, and I am trying to make sure time doesn't pass by too quickly. He's bigger today than he was yesterday, and so I am soaking in all his tiny features.  

Thanks so much for all the congrats in the comments, and on twitter/instagram. The encouragement and love is so appreciated, and makes me feel so blessed to have this blog and it's followers.  XO 

OSCAR CHARLIE

We welcomed our second son on January 30th @ 11:06am!
OSCAR CHARLIE NEUFELD

8 lbs 4 oz 21 inches

We brought him home today, and my family is complete. Surreal.

More photos and a birth story to come.

XO.

Due Date

Well, the due date has come and gone.  I should have expected this baby to come late as the other 2 kiddos were also over-due (Simon 14 days over, Delilah 2 days over), but with a very stressful December, and bouts of false labor, even my Dr gave me the impression that this little one would make an earlier appearance.  That's ok though, because I have a very relaxed schedule, and I'm feeling wonderful (other than hip/pelvis discomfort, but no big deal at all).  My blood pressure is still low, and everything is working fine, the baby is doing great.  I am at peace.  It's a strange place to be though... awaiting a baby to come at any moment... will my water break? will I have to be induced? will it be today? will I have time to get the epidural? It's easy to let the mind wander and go stir crazy, but really... I'm at peace.  I'm more prepared than ever, and I can't wait to soak up every minute of the birth experience.  I am looking forward to Ryan announcing "It's a boy!" or "It's a girl!", and that first breastfeeding experience... there is nothing like it.  

Simon gives my tummy kisses throughout each day and says that the baby will "come tomorrow, probably".  I think he's hoping for a brother, and I can tell he's looking forward to holding him/her. He's got a select bunch of his soft toys put aside for the new baby that he wants to pass down, it's cute.

Well I am going to try and get a good rest tonight.. no signs of labor at the moment. Tomorrow can be for spending time with the kids, taking it easy, and maybe baking some cinnamon buns.  The bags for the hospital are packed, and I'm ready, so baby please don't take too much longer... mama wants to meet you.

xo holly

Fancy Five v.8

1. Neon wedding inspiration via Brooklyn Bride

2. Neon bobby pins - J Crew

3. Wooden Bangles - Voz Etsy

4. Tudor City Wallet - Kate Spade

5. Nicki Minaj for OPI Collection (Super Bass Shatter?? yes please!)

Thinking about Spring again.... and I am feeling hints of neon making it into my wardrobe.  I know the neon trend has been around for a while, but I wasn't feeling it until now. I'm a neutral loving girl, so I think adding small neon accessories would be fun!  Hair pins, a bright mani, or eye-catching wallet would be fun to add some *bright* to any outfit.  I am in love with those wooden bangles, and can you see those green heels?! Love it.

Adding a neon accessory can be a great way to remind yourself to look on the bright side of things each day.  We can all use a dose of positivity throughout the day, right?

xo holly

Waiting

Tomorrow is baby's due date, and I'm trying my best to wait patiently... I'm so anxious to meet this little one, and finally know who it is!! This whole 'leaving the gender a surprise' thing has been hard!  We've finally picked names, so we're ready.

I find that this time around, the anticipation for a third child is altogether different than the first two.  When I awaited Simon's arrival, I was naive, and had seriously no clue what was about to happen to my life. I mean, you know that the baby is coming, and that you are about to become a Mom, but the details are yet to be discovered.  It's so much excitement before the reality hits. Now that I've experienced life with 2 toddlers, I know what sleep deprivation is all about, and the amount of energy it takes to keep up with multiple children, and everything that goes along with that.  Not to say I'm less excited about this baby, but just more aware of what the days and weeks and months ahead are going to bring.  It's hard work. I think that attitude is the hardest part of it all, actually.  I'm not worried about the paint color of the nursery matching the crib bedding, or if the house is in perfect shape before baby gets here.. I'm more concerned about making sure I'm in the right mindset, ready to operate on an hour of sleep here and there, unshowered, and giving 100% of myself to my newborn and his/her needs while balancing attention for the other two.  Sure, planning a nursery is fun, and nesting is fun too, with baking and making meals for the freezer... choosing names is fun, and dreaming up pretty birth announcement cards and newborn photos is fun to think about as well, but it's something altogether different to prepare mentally for the arrival of a baby.  I'm praying for a healthy baby that nurses well and sleeps a lot.  I'm praying for patience with my toddlers, when they are misbehaving or making messes. I'm praying that I don't set high expectations for myself and for my household. I'm praying that I have the courage to ask for help when I need it, and accept help graciously. I'm praying that I can take life 1 day at a time, and appreciate each day I have with my family, even if I'm exhausted, and recognize the blessing that motherhood is.  It can get crazy, y'all! So those are my prayers.

I want to thank my blog readers for following along and sending encouragement and compliments my way during this pregnancy. I appreciate it so much!  Can't wait to introduce the 5th member of our not-so-little family to you all!

xo holly

Food File - Easy Eggplant Parmesan

It is believed that eating Eggplant Parmesan can induce labor... so I thought I would be adventurous in the kitchen and give it a try! I don't expect it to work, but it couldn't hurt to try, plus I love cooking new things. Here's how my made my own version of an easy Eggplant Parm. (even my 20 month old loved it!!)

2 large eggplants (sliced to make 18 slices, 6 stacks of 3)

3 egg whites

1 pkg of your favorite croutons (or bread crumbs/panko)

1tsp dried basil

1 jar of Classico Sweet Basil Marinara sauce (or any other marinara)

2 cups shredded Mozzarella 

1/2 cup grated parmesan

5-6 fresh basil leaves, chopped 

Cut eggplant in 1/4-1/2 inch slices and lightly sprinkle with salt. Set on a cookie sheet lined with paper towel and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes to absorb extra moisture.  While you wait, grind croutons with dried basil in a food processor (I use a Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus).  Prepare 2 bowls... one with the egg whites, one with the crouton crumbs.  Discard paper towel, and dip each eggplant slice first in the egg, then in the crumbs.  Place on cookie sheet and bake 6 minutes per side in a 350 degree F oven. 

In a glass baking pan, pour 1/3 of the marinara on the bottom.  Place 6 eggplant slices on the sauce.  Sprinkle with mozza & parmesan, then more marinara sauce.  Repeat eggplant, cheeses, more sauce.. my recipe made 6 stacks of 3 eggplant slices (2 x 3 in the dish). Top with cheese and fresh chopped basil leaves.  

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil, and continue to bake for 15 more minutes, until cheese is nicely browned. 

Serve with salad and your favorite bread.. enjoy!

I *loved* it, and I'm putting this in my recipe box. We'll see if it gets any labor going... ;) I'm so anxious to meet our new little one! Happy monday! I'm off to have some pineapple for dessert. ha!

xo holly

think spring.

We're in the middle of winter but I can't help thinking about spring... I'm looking forward to spring so much!  The weather, the clothes, the not-being-pregnant-and-fitting-my-swollen-feet-into-my-clogs... ;)

One style that I'm looking forward to sporting is floral/colored jeans & clogs.  I styled some examples above. Jeans from Aritzia, Anthropologie. Clogs from Ugglebo.  I think clogs are so charming, and a fun pair of skinnies is a great way to show them off! 

FYI: Ugglebo Clogs is having an amazing sale right now! Click here to see the styles they have for 50% off (until January 31). 

xo holly

Sponsor Call

February is a month of love, and I would love to have new sponsors too! :) February is going to be great (I won't be pregnant anymore, instead I'll have a new baby to show you!) and I want to do some fun Valentine DIYs.  I'd love to help promote your Etsy/Shop/Blog. I've loved taking sponsors, and meeting so many great people! It's been a real pleasure, and I'm thankful for the continued support. 

E-mail me (holly.neufeld@gmail.com) to reserve your spot for February! XO

(more details here.) *only small ad spaces left for Feb. 

dress up.

As girls, we all love to play dress up, am I right?  That's one of the reasons I love looking at the looks from the Red Carpet.  It's fun to see who wore what.  I didn't actually watch the Golden Globes last night, because I had more important things to do (like watch Beauty & Beast 3D at the theatre!), but I definitely browsed the Red Carpet looks first thing this morning.  I like to just look at the arrivals photo album, rather than any "fashion police" or "best/worst dressed" albums so I can choose my favorite looks unbiased. Here's my top two looks, featuring two trends that I love right now, and would wear myself...

#1 Claire Danes: Black & White with a bit of classy edginess (the back of this dress is amazing!)

#2 Jessica Biel: Nude lace, so light and feminine. (This would make for incredible wedding gown.)

Who was your favorite?

xo holly

Maternity Style Weekly - 38 weeks

Dress: ASOS Maternity, Cardigan: Old Navy, Clutch: Red Velvet, Tights: Missoni for Target, Shoes: Blowfish, Garbo Link Bracelet: Stella & Dot, Earrings: Moorea Seal

Bow: Modcloth (hairclip)

A cute trick with peter pan collars is you can clip a hair bow to it and instantly change the look. 

38 weeks, folks! When I saw this dress on ASOS.com I had to have it. The collar is so sweet, and I love the fabric.  I'm ashamed to say that today was the first day I actually wore it... here's the deal, it's bright. I'm a neutral loving girl, and don't wear bright colors that often.  If you've been pregnant before, you understand that when you're in the third trimester, and 37 lbs heavier than normal, you'd rather wear black.... not bright coral! I told myself to suck it up and just wear it anyways. I think the grey cardi and brown tights sort of mellow it out.  It's fun.. I even wore lipstick to match! (MAC Vegas Volt)

On the pregnancy side of things... I had false labor last week, and the occasional bout of contractions each day since then, so I think things are getting ready.  The Dr. seems to believe that things may get underway mid next week. We'll see if she's right!  I guess we better pick a name...

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend! The snow is falling here..
xo holly
ps: Check out Carly's blog for The Beauty Project... a great post where lots of ladies share the things that make us beautiful!