Our Whole30 Experience

My husband and I just completed our first Whole30! This was our first Whole30 and not knowing what we were doing I wanted to document as much as possible. I thought it would be nice to keep a journal for ourselves of our thoughts and feelings as we went along to see how our mindsets transformed throughout the 30 days.

Why Whole30?

Our cycle of eating over the past several months has generally gone like this: Sunday rolls around we get mostly healthy groceries and have healthy meals planned for the week. We want to get back to healthier eating, we have meals planned out, our fridge is stocked. As the week goes on we get tired and our meal plans go out the door as we get more tired. Friday rolls around, we are so ready to be done with the week and enjoy the weekend so we get takeout, order pizza, etc., Saturday and Sunday goes much of the same but then we feel guilty about the crappy foods we've been eating and we promise ourselves next week will be better. And on the cycle went..

Every single week we complained to each other about how we had a serious lack of energy and motivation. We needed a kick in the butt to get back into the healthy lifestyle we wanted to be in! We wanted to get out of the cycle of craving junk food 24/7, start to feel healthy again, and get more energy.

Pre-Whole30

A week (maybe two?) before we started our Whole30 I started reading the book. It's a really quick read and the second half of the book is all recipes so really you only have to read about half before you begin. A one week meal plan is provided in the book and we used that for the first week. The plan give you all the recipes you need for every meal and tells you exactly what to do each day for meal prep. That was exactly what we needed! Then, the day before we started we had a food funeral, made a grocery list, went shopping, and prepped what the book said needed to be prepped. And yes, we did go to Culver's one last time for a Concrete Mixer.

Week 1 (Days 1 - 7)

Honestly, the first week was easier for us that we anticipated. We had read in the book and heard from a few friends about the dreaded headaches/hungover feelings the first few days, but thankfully we did not experience any of that! So thoughts from this past week? So far, this has really helped us to rediscover our love for cooking. Because the Whole30 really gets down to the basics of food there isn't much work involved in cooking (at least for us!) and you get to be creative. The meal plan in the book was very simple, and easy to follow. We craved junk food every single day. But what was amazing to us was that we realized we were not craving it because we were hungry, we were craving it simple because our brains were craving it. Sugar addiction is a crazy and real thing! Another thing that surprised us was how full we were and how long we were full. Before the Whole30 we would eat a meal and end up being hungry 2 to 3 hours later and needing snacks in between meals. For the first time in a long time we went from meal to meal with no hunger in between. We were also surprised by a few recipes in the book we were previously hesitant on, that ended up being a hit!

Week 2 (Days 8 - 14)

There is only one week of a meal plan in the book because one of the points of Whole30 is to teach you how to cook and how to eat. We could have followed the same exact meal plan for week 2 but that would not be teaching us much and there were a few things from that past week we were tired of eating so we needed to change some flavors up! Still craving sugar every. single. day. Not in the sense that we want to give up and eat it, but our brains are constantly thinking about it. The cure? Go on Pinterest and look at a bunch of desserts ;) it helps a little anyway.

Week 3 (Days 15 - 21)

Whoa we are halfway there! Finally not craving #allunhealthythings constantly. It was seriously annoying when you were not even hungry and your brain is telling you it wants junk food. Josh suggested Culver’s for dinner on Monday as a joke and it honestly didn’t sound appealing whereas the past 2 weeks I still would have said, "no," but my brain would have been saying, "Ahhh I want it so bad!" We are getting into a groove of Whole30 approved cooking and have started talking about what our eating habits are going to look like post-Whole30 (more on that later). Near the end of this week I had a baby shower to go to. As much as the desserts did look delicious I wasn't tempted to have any and stuck to grapes and strawberries!

Week 4 (Days 22 - 28)

I feel like we pretty much found our stride. We have both successfully navigated social gatherings where we have had to say, "no, thank you" to things. While there are definitely some things we are still looking forward to once our 30 days is done we are also planning on continuing to eliminate some things we are currently not eating except for special occasions. We are still deciding what type of Reintroduction of our eliminated foods we are going to go with. The rest of these 30 days we’ll keep going at this! We’re so close to being done & yet I feel like we could keep going for another 30 days because we feel so wonderful not eating added sugar, processed foods, etc.

Week 5 (Days 29 - 30 and beyond)

Last two days! Oh my goodness here we go! We re-read through the Reintroductions portion of the Whole30 book today and honestly I think we are going to keep going for at least another 30 days. At first I thought I wanted to do the 10 day Reintroduction because I have a bridal shower I am hosting on what would be day 11. However, thinking through the Reintroduction I do not need any of the foods I would be reintroducing and I love how I feel right now and I want to keep up with my Whole30 progress. Having energy every day is so different than how we felt before!

End Results/Final Thoughts

Josh: Has lost a total of 20 pounds. He has been way more diligent at working out than I have, doing 4-5 days weekly at 5 a.m. and I'm so proud! He is feeling ridiculously good (and looking amazingly good too, if I may add!) and was the one who helped me decide to skip the Reintroduction for now and go another 30 days. It took me so long to convince him to do the Whole30 I never expected this guy to be so in love with this way of eating. Hi Josh, if you're reading this I love you forever and I'm so thankful you decided to go on this journey with me! Anyway, I know there are plenty of non-scale victories he would share with you if you want to know!

Kayty: Lost a total of 11 pounds, and I am officially back to my pre-pregnancy weight! My biggest goals for the Whole30 were to have higher energy levels, become more consistent with working out, stop eating emotionally, stop using food as a reward, feel great emotionally and physically, recognize how certain foods effect how I feel, and feel comfortable in my clothes. Besides being consistent with exercising (Still working on that!) all these goals have been accomplished. I also have not had a migraine in the past 30 days, something I have been struggling with for the past 10+ years, and my skin is starting to be much more clear. I feel amazing in so many ways and have so much more energy now on a daily basis than before we started the Whole30.

So yes, we have decided to go for another 30 days! At the beginning, I never would have expected us to keep going past 30 days. It is so crazy to think back through those first few days and how much we craved sugar all the time. We were so convinced we would be wanting those foods even after the Whole30. We feel so much more confident saying, 'no' to things we don't want to eat instead of feeling socially obligated or eating just because we can.

Have you done Whole30 before? Would you be interested in knowing what we eat weekly that is Whole30 approved? Let me know in the comments!

x, Kayty

Noobie Box Play Review

If you know me, you know how much I love getting stuff in the mail. So, subscription boxes are super fun! Guaranteed happy mail monthly or seasonally? Yes, please! I stumbled across Noobie Box and they make boxes celebrating the life of your new baby, in 4 different milestones! Each box is dedicated to point in a baby's life when they are learning and exploring new things. Each new stage of Cora's life has been a blast, I keep thinking to myself, "This is the best age yet!" Watching her change daily, weekly, and monthly bring so much joy into our house! 

Noobie's Nest, Eat, Play, and One, all coincide with the milestones that occur around those ages. Each box contains at least 5 full size products & tips relating to baby's current stage. Each new stage of Cora's life has been a blast, I keep thinking to myself, "This is the best age yet!" Watching her change daily, weekly, and monthly bring so much joy into our house! Spread out to celebrate over the course of a baby's first 12 months these would make a great baby gift for mama's! You can either order the boxes individually or order all 4 boxes as a subscription.

 

Cora just turned 9 months old so she is in the age of the Noobie Play box. Noobie Play is designed for little ones 7+ months when everything is full of wonder and they are starting to become so curious! Our box had 5 products in it for engaging different senses.

Bow | Bumblelou // Onesie | Carter's // Jeans | BabyGap // Booties | BirdRock Baby

What's Inside Noobie Play?

First of all, we loved the outside of the box. It gives a little bit of detail about each of the 4 boxes and is beautifully designed. Inside the Noobie Play is a card giving more detail about the Noobie boxes plus a card on some tips on playing with baby which I found super helpful as reminders plus some things I had not thought of before!

The products we received were:
1) Wrist Rattles by Lamaze which has some fun sensory tags on the bugs plus different types of fabric for sensory development

2) Fabric book by Sassy with lots of colors and patters for baby to look at and a handy hanging hook to attach it to a carseat, high chair, etc.

3) Rattle Cones by KidO which were a super fun shape and concept. Most rattles you shake and baby just hears the noise, but with the cones baby shakes them, hears noise, and sees what is causing the noise.

4) Plush toy by SigiKid that rattles when you shake it and is the cutest little penguin. We really like to stick the hat in our mouth and chew on it. Bonus points for this toy being machine washable!

5) Butterfly Mirror by Plan Toys which Cora loves to look at herself in. The butterfly is made of wood and its wings of fabric and it also rattles when it is shaken . We have a few other Plan Toys products and they are all wonderful!

So far Cora's favorite has been the book. It has peek-a-boo's on each page to reveal an animal and she loves to lift the flaps and hear mama say, "Boo!" I like to keep this one in our diaper bag since it a nice compact and quiet toy. The plush penguin from SigiKid has been deemed the diaper changing toy. We're in the wiggly giggly diaper changing age now & this little guy is perfect to keep her attention for minute or two. Plus, it's machine washable so if it lands in something it is easily cleaned!

Everything inside our box has been super fun for Cora and there were some awesome brands included both that we already love and some we had not heard of but now know more about!

I was a little disappointed that all the toys were rattles which seems like toys for much younger children than the recommended age of this box (7+ mo). I would love to see some different forms of toys switched out in the box & a little more diversity, whether it is a ball, a teether, stacking toy, toys for crawlers, bath toy, etc.

Overall, Noobie is a super fun year-long subscription or one time purchase. Buying Noobie boxes for a friend (or yourself!) is a great gift idea!

x, Kayty

Thank you Noobie for sending us your Noobie Play box to review. All opinions are 100% our own.

6 Ingredient Energy Bites

You guys, I had no idea y’all would be so interested in this recipe! I’ve been making them since Cora was a few months old as a snack to have when I’m pumping at work and also as a healthy alternative for something filling to grab quick when I need a boost instead of granola bars.

6 Ingredient Energy Bites

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup ground flaxseeds
2 cups coconut, shredded
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup honey

Optional:
1 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips // I either like to top each one with just a single chocolate chip or you could skip them all together

Combine oats, flaxseed, and coconut in a mixing bowl and then mix in the peanut butter and honey.
Refridgerate this mixture for one hour.
Remove and roll into ping pong sized balls.
Place in airtight container and store in refrigerator.

Easy peasy to make up during nap time for you mama's out there!

Kayty

Transitioning Cora to Her Own Room

Truth be told, I never thought I would be a mom who had my baby sleeping in our room through her 6 month birthday, but alas I think all us mamas end up doing things we never thought we would! Before Cora was born, I thought she would be sleeping in her own room, in her crib right from the beginning. I didn't want to have to deal with transitioning and didn't think I would be able to sleep with her little baby noises.

So, we brought our baby home from the hospital and went to lay her down for a nap in her crib so we could catch some sleep also, I freaked out. My little six pound baby in a room all by herself?!? Of course since we didn't think she would be sleeping in our room, we had no bassinet or anything besides a crib to let her sleep in. Super daddy Josh spent the next two hours taking apart the crib and moving it into our bedroom. We bought a bassinet two days later to help her transition from womb to the outside world, and since around three weeks old she's been sleeping only in her crib with the occasional mama's lap nap when nothing else worked.

Over the past six months, we've asked each other multiple times if we were ready to move her out of our room, but each time the answer was 'no, not yet.' Honestly, we didn't want to move her out because we liked being able to see her in her crib easily, we also liked having her close, and also we knew the risk of SIDS decreased by having baby sleep in the same room as you. Cora's 6 month birthday fell a few days before Christmas and we did not want to have to move everything around around Christmas so we ended up moving her around 6.5 months.

We also decided to change the room we had set up to be her room (yes, we're crazy, we know!) and switch what was our guest room into her room, and vice versa. We figured in the long run we'd have Cora be in the bigger bedroom when future kids come along and a guest bedroom really doesn't need to be large.

Cora's been sleeping in her own room for a little over a week now and things are going amazingly well. She's been doing 8 to 9 hour straight stretches and 12 hour nights total, which hasn't happened since 4 month sleep regression started. This mama feels like a whole new person after going back to getting up every 3 hours the past 2 months. Would she have been sleeping as good if we had moved her sooner? Would the transition have been harder if she hadn't been sleeping in her crib already?Who knows! Ultimately, I'm glad we kept her in our room as long as we did, I think I would have been more worried way more about her in her own room before 6 months because of SIDS. I do peek my head in her room every night before I go to bed to make sure she's still on her back and doing well, but it's been a great transition for both all of us.

We are still working on getting things hung up in her room but I can just imagine our little babe growing up in this room!

How long did you keep your baby sleeping in your room or what are you planning on doing when your baby arrives? Tell me below, I love knowing what works for other families!

Kayty

3 to 6 Month Favorite Toys

Cora is officially sitting on her own (with a few tumbles here and there, Boppy pillow to the rescue!) so I feel like we are on to our next stage of toys. How fun! While it has been fun to lay on the ground and play with her when she is on her back and tummy I have so been looking forward to the sit and play stage!

Even though we are now out of this stage of play I want to document what were our favorites for future babes but also for you who might be wondering what to register for or for ideas of what to do with your baby now that they are starting to be come more alert and active!

1 | TinyLove Playmat // A hand-me-down find from a garage sale ($8) and by far Cora's favorite play area until she learned to sit. We did tummy and back time for hours under this. What we loved about this playmat is it did come with a few toy options but we could interchange some favorites.

2 | Swing // Another garage sale find ($3!) and a must have for any parent in my opinion. We love our Graco swing because it is so easily moved so we moved it by our dinner table, into our bedroom to fold laundry, outside a for grill out. I know there are lots of high tech, lots of options swings out there but ours simple 6 speed one is about as high tech as you need, and we only used 2 speeds :)

3 | Sassy rings // Transform almost any toy into a hanging toy. We used these all the time to clip things onto our swing, the playmat, etc. Just beware, you really don't need a million, less than 10 should be enough!

4 | Lamaze Freddy the Firefly // Still one of her favorites to reach for. Freddy has lots of textures to touch and is super crinkly which we love to listen to. We basically brought this thing with us everywhere and hung it on her playmat and carseat often. Really any crinkly, hanging toy is perfect!

5 | Winkle or Oball rattle // Anything those little fingers can get a hold of to practice grasping. We love the Winkle because it is softer and great for mouths and easy to clean all over, but the Oball rattles are a great second option, is a little lighter weight, but not very mouth friendly as it is a circle, still lots of little holes for fingers to find!

6 | Bounce seat // This was great from day one!  We used our bounce seat to read books and hang out while making dinner, but we honestly used it most often for if I had to pump and Dad wasn't home. I'd set the seat up right by my chair & bounce Cora and talk to her while I pumped and it worked great for the 15-20 minutes I needed. You can tell from the picture above how much she's grown!

Tell me what is on your favorite list for this age group or if you are a mama-to-be tell me what's on your wish list!

Kayty

Mama's Breastfeeding Essentials

There is a lot of work that goes into breastfeeding. It is such a beautiful and rewarding thing though! It took me about 8 to 12 weeks to feel really comfortable with breastfeeding, but now it does not seem as overwhelming as it used to. I honestly thought about giving it up so so so many times in those first few weeks. Breastfeeding is tough at first, but as you and baby learn, and baby grows things get easier and you will both figure out what works for you.

Breastfeeding Essentials

1 | Breastfeeding pillow // No matter what kind you get, you are going to need some kind of pillow to help prop baby. We use a Boppy pillow, I don't love it, but it gets the job done, and we can use it for other things like propping baby and will be able to use it in the future for tummy time.

3 | Lil' buds // Useful beyond breast care, but amazing relief for symptoms related clogged ducts and mastitis. All you have to do is stick them in the microwave (my preference!) or refrigerator. We have the lavender ones & I would definitely recommend them, it makes them extra soothing. Pictured is the Classic Aqua Net

4 | Jumbo water bottle // The first couple weeks I was so thirsty. Almost every feeding I had Josh fill up my 32 oz. jug the hospital provided. Even now almost 4 months later it is still my go to cup!

5 | Grab & go snacks // Babies seem to want to eat right around meal time! So, having handy snacks are useful until you can grab a few bites of your meal. We really like making energy bites, cheese and cracker plates, and having plenty fresh fruits and veggies cut up and ready to eat.

8 | Ottoman // We all need to put our feet up a little bit! I love having an ottoman to put my feet on while feeding our sweet girl, especially when it is 2 a.m.

9 | Coconut oil // The early breastfeeding pain is legitimate. Coconut oil is something most of us keep around the house (I used it on my belly all the time while pregnant.) and is an easy and safe nipple salve. If you're looking to buy one, I recommend Earth Mama Angel Baby Nipple Butter

10 | Nursing bra // There are a million and one nursing bras out there. My advice is try on a bunch and figure out what works for you. Also, invest in a few sleep bras, because they are wonderful and I love that you just pull the cup to the side.

2 | Breast pump // Definitely a must if you want to be able to give your babe a bottle when you are away and also if you are going to go back to work. You can read all about the breast pumps I tried here if you're looking for one.

6 | Pump bag and reusable pump parts bag // Going along with #2, you are going to need something to tote your pump around in. The absolute BEST pump bags out there are Sarah Wells bags. I'm eyeing one up for Christmas so I can stop carrySarah Wells also makes a bag calling 3 bags to work everyday. Sarah Wells also makes the Pumparoo which all pumping mamas need to have. It is a breast pump parts bag which is reusable. Stop using Zip-loc bags & get this instead, you'll save money in the long run! Pictured is the Pumparoo in limited edition Floral.

7 | Bottles // Every baby is different and I know some mamas have to try 5 kinds before they find one baby likes, but we like the Avent Natural bottles. We had about 3 smaller 4 oz. bottles and now have 6 larger 9 oz. bottles. This number works well for us!

And of course even almost four months in things get messy so just laugh when you get spit up all over you or your little one has a blow out in the middle of feeding!

Sheard Suppers Vol. 1

Before our baby came, we knew how important meal planning was. On weeks we meal planned we felt prepared, more relaxed, and had more time in the evenings after work. Weeks we didn't meal plan felt frazzled. Several weeks before our due date we prepared many freezer meals to keep us well fed when baby arrived. Even though we had these freezer meals it was hard to remember to get them out to thaw in those early sleepless days and nights so we were still left hanging! I think one of the biggest things I wish we would have asked for is help with meals for the first couple weeks.

Now, we're back to regularly scheduled meal planning and it is even more needed when you have babies than when you do not! Meal planning usually happens on Friday or Saturday then we shop and prep on Sunday. I know there are other mamas out there who feel the overwhelm of planning what your family is going to eat so I'll be sharing our favorite recipes here when I can! Our meals are no where near perfect, we are full believers in balance!

Sheard Suppers Vol. 1

Black Bean Quesadillas

Refrigerator Hash | Essentially we get smoked sausage, and saute it with whatever vegetables are left in the refrigerator at the end of the week. Examples include: green pepper, onion, sweet potato, broccoli. Season with salt and pepper or get creative and use a seasoning blend.

Creamy White Chicken Chili

Pad Thai

Blackened Tilapia | We keep a large Tupperware of the seasoning in our cupboard and always have Tilapia in the freezer for a quick meal option

Grilled Chicken with Zucchini & Skillet Potatoes

What are you eating this week?

Kayty

Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

Pumping Mama! A Breast Pump Review

Three pumps, many weeks, and a whole lot of milk! Over the past seven weeks I have tried three different breast pumps. Why three different pumps? When I started researching breast pumps before little C was born, I wanted to know the difference between Medela and Spectra. While researching, I found reviews of the pumps separately, but none where anyone compared them side by side. So, I decided to do my own comparison to help other mamas who were in the same boat I was!

Obviously, I included Medela and Spectra, and then we were offered an Ameda to review so we decided to toss that into the comparison as well! The pumps I used were the Ameda Finesse, the Spectra S2, and the Medela Pump In Style Advanced. Over these weeks I've used one pump at a time. Also, I e-mailed the companies various times with questions to be sure my comparison was as accurate as possible! If you have questions that are not answered here please comment, I'd love to help!

Side note: It can take your body up to 3 weeks to adjust to a new pump so if you are switching and getting lower volumes, give your body time to adjust before thinking the pump 'doesn't work as well!'

This post contains a TON of information so hang in there friend! I've given a brief review as well as listed the pros and cons of each pump.

Breast Pump Comparison & Review

Spectra S2

This pump is wonderful. I still haven't found a reason to not love this pump. Number one reason I love this pump: It is a closed system. From KellyMom, "A closed system pump has a barrier between the milk collection kit and the pump mechanism to prevent contamination by bacteria/mold/viruses/etc. An open system pump has no such barrier." The Spectra has a digital screen so you can easily see how long you have been pumping which is really handy if you don't have a clock, your phone, or its 1:30 in the morning and you don't know when you started. The screen also displays your vacuum, speed, AND it saves the settings you had it on last for both letdown and expression mode. This way you never have to adjust dials or buttons unless you want to. The pump starts in expression mode so you have to press the letdown button when you power it on. The only thing I found frustrating about the pump, was the bottles leak sometimes if you do not screw the lid on tight enough. Instead of using those, I just started pumping into the bottles Cora drinks from, which was easier in the long run.

Spectra S2 Pros

Duckbill valve is one single piece, no losing those little white things like with Medela
Everything is dishwasher safe
Closed system
Separate vacuum/speed options--super nice for unclogging ducts!
Nightlight with two settings
Digital screen displays
Timer so you know how long you've been pumping
Auto shut off after 30 min
2 year warranty since many moms pump longer than one year
Rechargeable battery model option (S1)--I have not found that I would need this option yet

Spectra S2 Cons

It is recommended to not use microwave sterilizer bags
Bottles that come with are difficult to get a good seal on, so they leak sometimes, I just pump into the bottles our baby drinks from to solve this issue.

Ameda Finesse

I was impressed with the way this pump presented, but not with actually using it. The pump has separate vacuum and speed options for customization which is ideal for getting your pumping as close to baby's sucking as possible. This pump is also a closed system (see definition from KellyMom above). This pump is fairly quiet when turned up to full vacuum; however, the power of the vacuum is hugely lacking and no matter what I tried during my times using this pump it was not efficient enough in emptying my milk fully. It was also difficult to remember where I had the separate vacuum and speed dials for letdown and expression so I was always adjusting the dials to get it 'just right.' Overall, this pump was not as friendly to use as the other pumps because of the dials, but the information provided with the pump was great.

Ameda Finesse Pros

Everything you need comes sterilized, so you don't need to sterilize before using
Comes with a guide for measuring nipples to get accurate breast shield size
Guide explains the difference between letdown and expression
Pump itself is very compact
Can easily be put into a pump bag you like
Comes with hand pump
Closed system
2 year warranty since many moms pump longer than one year
Separate vacuum and speed options
Decently quiet

Ameda Finesse Cons

Have to adjust speed and vacuum dials each each time you switch between letdown and expressing milk.
Hard to remember exactly where you had dials each time
Noise is annoying to listen to

Medela Pump In Style Advanced

All the moms I know have a Medela, and most of them have said they really like it, so I thought it was going to be a pretty great pump! But I was actually rather disappointed in the pump for many reasons. This pump is not a closed system so the setup of the pump does not prevent contamination of breastmilk (see image here). The Medela pump is also extremely loud. Every time I start using this pump, which is usually at 1:30 in the morning both my dogs come running because they aren't sure about the noise! There were a few nice things about the pump, including that it comes with a bag, and it switches to expression mode manually. The breast shields are designed to pump into narrow neck bottles like the popular Dr. Brown's so you could probably pump right into them. We use Avent bottles which are wide mouth and there is a conversion kit available if you want to pump into wide neck bottles. Overall, this pump was not as customizable as the other pumps and highly disappointing since it is an open system.

Medela Pump In Style Advanced Pros

Can be taken out and used in any bag
Automatically starts in stimulation (let-down) mode
Automatically changes to expression mode after 2 minutes or you can hit a button to manually change to expression mode
Comes with battery pack so you can pump anywhere (batteries not included :))
Comes with cooler bag and ice pack
1 year warranty
Comes with a carrier bag (not as nice as a Sarah Wells bag though, not much can fit inside)

Medela Pump In Style Advanced Cons

Not a closed system
No separate vacuum/speed options, not as customizable
No auto off
Hard to see inside bag when pumping to see where dial is set at
Those little white pieces get lost all the time
I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have about any of the pumps! Feel free to comment below with your questions or e-mail me at simplysheard@gmail.com!
What kind of pump do you use? If you are a mom-to-be what kind of pump do you want? Share below!

[Disclaimer] I did receive two of these pumps in exchange for a fair and truthful review; however, all opinions are 100% my own! Thanks to the weeSpring Parent Panel for providing me with one of the breast pumps!

Our Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes

I don't really create my own recipes. It's very rare that it happens, even more rare that a creation turns out! Anyway, I'm really good at trying other people's recipes though, and comparing different recipes is even more fun. There are thousand of 'Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie' recipes around. The truth? Everyone has a different opinion of what makes a perfect chocolate chip cookie. I'm in the field of crispy on the outside, chewy in the middle.

In the weeks before our little one was born we made chocolate chip cookies a lot. They are a comfort food staple around here and it was always a nice surprise when someone would bring us dinner AND chocolate chip cookies. Chocolate and cookies warm the soul of a sleep deprived mama.

These are the links for our go-to chocolate chip cookies, listed in no particular order:

1 | My Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie by The Girl Who Ate Everything

2 | Coconut Oatmeal Cookie by Lil' Luna -- we add chocolate chips to this one

3 | Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies by Stuck on Sweet

4 | Milk Bar's Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies by Foodie Crush

Do you have a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe? Share with us below, we'd LOVE to try it & let you know what we think!

Kayty

Cora's Birth Story

Our June 9 due date came, went, and we originally scheduled to be induced on June 14, Flag Day, Josh pointed out. Then I got anxious that we were inducing too soon. I was nervous about all the risks of being induced, the complications that might result from being induced, about the baby not being ready, and my body not being ready. I truly believed my body would go into labor when it was time to do, yet I knew God was in control and wanted to trust Him, so we rescheduled for June 19 giving baby an extra ten days. My goal throughout pregnancy had been to deliver this baby naturally if I could, but if I needed pain meds, or a c-section, or whatever that I would not feel bad, or guilty, or shameful, or less of a woman for not having a natural birth. All I really wanted was a healthy baby and a healthy mama.

Those ten days we hoped and prayed that labor would start naturally. We did what we could to encourage baby to come. We walked about 3 miles every day, I kept doing my 100 squats every few day. But, we also enjoyed our last times as just husband and wife, we went to the lake, got donuts, whatever we wanted to relish those moments. As I had been the whole pregnancy, I prayed daily that God would be glorified in this baby's birth no matter the story of how it was birthed; yet I was still anxious about having to be induced.

The night before our induction we got all the bags together, set an alarm & went to sleep. Around 1 a.m. on June 19 I started having contractions every 10 minutes. Our induction was scheduled for 6:30a.m. I couldn't believe it was actually happening and I waited an hour or so before I told Josh because I didn't want them to go away, like telling him had any impact on that actually, ha! After telling Josh we called the birth center to let them know and ask when we were supposed to come in. They said to come in at 6:30a.m. since we had the induction scheduled & talk to the doctor, see how things were progressing and go from there. The rest of the night I tried to sleep but that was a little difficult as I was excited and thanking God for answering our prayers. At 6a.m. we showered, I always feel way better on a day I shower so even though we had a huge workout ahead of us, I felt more at peace having showered. We grabbed all our gear, I told the pups next time I came home I'd have a brother or sister for them & headed out the door.

At the hospital, after doing a check, I was 2 cm & 75% effaced, they gave us the option of starting induction or going home for 4 hours, then re-evaluating. Opting for the least invasive option & still wanting to do everything without medication we headed home. I kept praying the contractions would keep coming. They weren't painful at all but I did take deep breaths through them as needed to help my body continue relaxing and expand. We went for another walk then I walked around the house. I did more squats. I ate a little food, drank plenty water & kept praying. Towards the end of the 4 hours the contractions started to space out with 20 minutes in between it seemed which was the opposite of what we were wanting to happen. I laid down to try to relax some and around 12:30p.m. we headed out the door again & this time they admitted us when we arrived. We called my mom because she was my org support person I was planning to have in the room. My sister in law works in the birth center and was going to be working in a few hours and we were hoping she would be able to be there for the birth too!

After another check I was 2.5 cm & 80% effaced...small progress but progress nonetheless! They gave us the option of starting Pitocin, breaking my water then doing Pitocin if needed, or doing half a tab of Cytotec, after we inquired about this option. I opted for breaking my water which they did around 1:30pm. After starting to monitor my contractions they were actually coming every 7 minutes so apparently I just couldn't feel all of them. We were able to walk around the hospital as much as we wanted, every half hour or so we went back to be monitored for a bit. During one of our walks we saw a rainbow, a beautiful reminder that God is faithful and keeps his promises. We continued walking the halls as long as possible but then the contractions became so uncomfortable it was uncomfortable to walk longer distances so we stayed in the room. As the contractions started to get stronger I decided to try the yoga ball but sitting down was not comfortable so I kept standing, doing minor walking around the room, and breathing through each contraction. 

The nurse suggested trying the tub to help which I wasn't wild about since I don't like baths to begin with but I said I would try the shower. Hello amazing! This made contractions closer together. It's such a weird phenomenon being in pain, knowing the pain is going to and needs to continue to get worse. After a while in the shower I was so tired so I decided to try the tub so I could sit down. Being in the tub was nice, the contractions didn't come as often but they seemed much much stronger and were terribly painful. I started to feel really warm, like too warm I decided to get out. At 8pm our doctor came in and said he wanted me to be at 5 cm by 10p.m. otherwise he would want to start Pitocin. I was at 4cm at this point. I knew I had to get to 5cm, so this became my goal, whatever it was gonna take to get there so we didn't have to do Pitocin, which was one of my biggest fears. 

The shower had seemed to move the contractions along, it didn't feel THAT amazing but I knew it was making contractions come closer together, which was getting us to the goal, so I got back in the shower and stayed there for about 3 hours. At this point of being in the shower I was exhausted. I remember telling Josh after being in there for a little while I wanted to be done but he kept helping me through each contractions. He stood outside the shower and would hold my hand as I rocked through each contraction in the shower. My mom would read some of the birth affirmations I had written down on cards. He asked me once if I thought I needed to do something for the pain but I told him no. When he asked me I knew I could handle it, I was just exhausted & wanted to be done. At 10p.m. they checked & I was at 5cm! I was so happy and thankful that meant no Pitocin. From then on we just continued to get through each contraction. Josh helped me through almost every contraction, my mom stepped in for a few when Josh was getting a drink of water when one would start. Being in bed was terrible for contractions, every position I tried and had looked up in preparation for labor was terrible, so I stood for all of them and rocked from side to side while Josh held my hands and matched my breathing.

Close to 8cm I felt lots of pressure & wanted to push but they told me I couldn't yet and to keep 'pushing' through each contraction. The contractions were coming super close together & the pain never really went away before it started rising again with another contraction. This was one of the hardest things since I was never sure if I was going to get a break in between contractions. At 12:30a.m. they called our doctor and told him my progress. At 12:50p.m. I knew it was time to push . Our nurse checked my dilation my mom went out to get the nurse and she checked you standing up while I tried to go to the bathroom that's when she felt the head and she had stuck only like a pinky's length of her finger in. Though I totally did not hear her say any of this because I was in the zone. She said that I should go back to the bed and that she would check me again and then she had the other nurse on duty did the recheck. 

At this point the nurses asked each other who wanted to deliver the baby because our doctor wasn't there yet, (he hadn't thought we would go so fast being a first time mom). Again, I didn't hear them saying this, when you're in the zone your in the zone! So, they told me I could start pushing. Pushing was difficult & painful but totally a different pain and difficulty than contractions. I pushed for about 10 minutes, a total of 4 long slow pushes & Cora was born at 1:05a.m. Feeling every inch of her being birthed and come out was totally amazing, one I hope to never forget. My favorite part of having absolutely no drugs was being able to feel everything. Even with the pain, being able to feel everything, being able to feel in control was wonderful. She came out, Josh announced it was a girl (we waited to find out baby's gender until then), they placed her on my chest, and the doctor walked in the door! He got to deliver the placenta so at least he got to do one of the two, and Josh got to cut the cord.

Woofda! God is so SO good! Almost daily I think back to how everything went and I am so thankful how God blessed us with this beautiful baby and this incredible story!

Share your birth story with me below, I love reading them!

P.S. They say you typically follow what happened to your mom with your first baby. I was my mom's first baby, born 13 days late. Fun part is, she also went into labor with me the morning she was scheduled to be induced :)

Lalabu Soothe Shirt

When Cora was born she was only six pounds! So we had to wait a few weeks until we could use our Lalabu Soothe Shirt since it should not be used for babies under seven pounds. Then we found out the day after we used it for the first time she is NINE pounds now! Looks like we could have used it a week or so ago little one, but oh well! She loved it all the same!

The Lalabu Soothe Shirt is essentially a tank top with a kangaroo pouch. It can be used for babies seven to fifteen pounds so it's more designed for the newborn days than other baby wearing things. In those early days and weeks something simple is perfect, complicated is not what you need at all with a new baby!

Everyone I show it too is like, "Woah, way cool!" I had put this shirt on our registry because I thought it was such a neat idea, and so much more simpler than traditional baby wearing. We have a regular cloth baby wearing "sling" too which we love and use often, but what makes this product wonderful is you are already wearing everything you need to wear baby since it is a shirt. Also, you don't have to learn how to tie anything so it is a great place to start with baby wearing. Plus it has a nursing bra built in so you are all set to feed baby when the time comes.

We were gifted it for Christmas from my mother-in-law and it has sat in the nursery closet until now! I figured a trip to the lake was the perfect opportunity to try out this tank. I'm pretty sure this was our first decently large outing where we were gone for several hours, and we totally survived & had fun! We brought the stroller along in case she didn't want to be worn, but she was a happy camper in her perch. Walking along the paths was perfect with C in tow! She just hung out, took in all the scenery and took a little snooze for a bit as well!

They ALSO make a Dad version of the Soothe Shirt, I keep trying to tell Josh he would love it, but he's not so sure. Maybe someday I'll convince him! I also feel like I should point out Lalabu also makes leggings now, which look amazing for postpartum comfort I haven't had the chance to try them yet, but if I do I'll keep ya posted on if we love them as much as the shirt.

What are your favorite baby wearing things? Share below!

Kayty

P.S. We tried to self-timer a cute family photo...