FIRST MOTHER'S DAY & FATHER'S DAY

Happy (belated) Mother’s Day and (present) Father’s Day to all you moms, dad and mother/father-like figures! Jose and I talk all the time about how lucky we are to have an incredibly smart, healthy, brave, strong and handsome young man. He is five and a half months now and growing every day!

My first Mother’s Day was everything I could have imagined. Slow, full of snuggles and with a memory I can cherish forever. Jose made a delicious breakfast, we read books and crafted a hand print keepsake. My flowers bloomed all week and I dressed him in as many “Mommy’s little …” onesies that he could fit into. It was perfect.

For Father’s Day it was much the same. Staying in, making memories in the pool, delicious food, fun presents and plenty of Atlas laughs. My favorite part was recreating this photo of Jose and his father when he was nearly 6 month’s old. Do you see the resemblance?

We also finally released a new episode of the Finding Arizona Podcast Vlog! We share some amazing Atlas firsts and its a chance to see more the behind the scenes of us living our lives as a family of three now. Make sure you subscribe so you can catch all the new episodes.

Atlas, you’re such a sweet little man and there’s nothing better than getting to spend all day with you. You give my life so much meaning and I am so lucky you chose me to be your mom!

XoXo
Mama Britt

ATLAS' FIVE FAVORITE FINDS MAY 2021

ANOTHER Atlas Five Favorites?!? He is our world and we love sharing what he’s digging. Were learning so many things everyday along with him. I just learned right now I need to get better about sharing more in between the favorites. BUT in the words of Roman Reigns “Let’s not waste anymore time.”

ATLAS’ FIVE

1. THE LIBRARY- In the post COVID new normal world we are looking for places to go with baby A. Once the libraries opened up it was a chance to get back to a favorite place, introduce the world of wonders to Atlas and BONUS read some new stories not on our bookshelf. We have had a blow out, a feeding and a cry fest in the library already- they love us. Some of our Phoenix Library Branches are open and with a reservation you can visit with up to 5 people for 45 minutes. Call or look online before hand here, or not in Phoenix? Check your local library for policies.

2. TEETHER TOYS- We haven’t broke skin yet, but his hands are always in his mouth and when they aren’t, drool is falling out. We have invested in a munch mitt from Malarkey as well as freezable pacifiers. He likes variety and we like that the products are so innovative.

3. DOORWAY JUMPER- Little man has been kicking his feet since he was inside me. Now that his perfectly round head is stable on his shoulders we are ready to stabilize the legs. Target.com has this great Doorway Jumper featuring a plush seat and textured toys. Atlas loves it! It only fits on 1 doorway in our house though considering its a historic Phoenix home.

4. DIAPER RASH CREAM– It doesn’t come up often but with summer time and swim time here we want to make sure our Atlas is comfortable and clean. The diaper rash cream from Natureplex has been a miracle cream. Overnight it goes from red to normal. I love that is has aloe and soothes as it heals.

5. SHARK BAIT- Pool time is here and Admiral Atlas is hitting the high seas. Amazon to the rescue again with a safe floatie for his age and weight. He sits forward and is strapped in four ways. Other than the water being a little chilly he kicks his feet and enjoys the swim swam. This is just the beginning of our little fish.

ATLAS' FIVE FAVORITE FINDS APRIL 2021

WOW… the last time we did a FIVE FAVORITE FINDS POST I was pregnant and didn’t know it. Check out the post from last year. COVID had just swept the country, we were struggling to find the new normals and Jose and I were about to receive news that would ultimately change our lives. Now that our little bundle of joy is here we want to start sharing his 5 favorite things. As he grows so quickly so will his interests, talents and activities. Welcome to Atlas’ world.

ATLAS’ FIVE

1. MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE - We already have begun watching children’s programs and filling our YouTube watchlist with all the hits. Of course, the top of the popular list is Mickey! Atlas loves Mickey. From his Hot Dog Dance to his Mousekatools Atlas is mesmerized. Of course we celebrated May the Fourth at the Acevedo household. We look forward to the day we can go to the Happiest Place on Earth and make even more Mikey memories.

2. HUMIDIFIER- Atlas has his mom and dad’s respiratory system. Thank goodness for his humidifier. His room is turned into the Pirates of the Caribbean ride to keep him less congested while he sleeps and we frequently crank up a hot shower and create a steamy room for him to spend a few minutes in when you can hear him struggling to breathe out his nose. We are open to suggestions because living in Arizona we just can’t not turn on the air conditioner and it’s always a “dry heat.”

3. OTTEROO - This is one of those products you see advertised everywhere once you have a baby. Because we have a pool we wanted Atlas to continue to enjoy the swim. While the pool is heating up we practice indoor in the meantime. After bath time we will fill up the tub and pop on the Otteroo. ATLAS LOVES IT! he swims, kicks off, and even tries to flip around. I can’t wait to get this kid in the pool!

4. BABY BREZZA– Once I came to terms that i wasn’t going to be Atlas’ primary milt supplier I invested in a Baby Brezza Formula Pro. It is the Keurig for Baby Formula. It has paid for it self over and over during the middle of the night quick, quiet and get back to sleep feeds and the middle of the day fussy, hurry up, I need milk now feeds. Highly recommend for newborn parents.

5. KICK N PLAY- While in my belly Atlas kicked all the time! Outside the womb he still loves to move his legs. I saw on other mom’s insta stories the Fisher Price Kick N Play Piano Gym and said, “Atlas needs that.” We now know every lyric to the soundtrack and we are now even transitioning it to a finger piano with tummy time.

WORKING MOM BLOG

Last week I had a hard day. I cried leaving for work. I transitioned back to work after 8 weeks of maternity leave. Because Jose is able to work from home I am blessed to have a sense of security when I leave for work everyday. I make it most days no tears, but the end of the week it gets harder. Last Friday and Saturday I was too hard on myself- thinking because I couldn’t calm him, he had forgotten all about me. But, last Thursday was different.

I usually stay pretty busy at work and keep my mind occupied. I am grateful Jose is working from home and caring for Atlas and his development. He FaceTimes me at lunch and I try and wrap up at reasonable time to be home to feed the animals and the baby. But, last Thursday was different. At 4pm I learned I had to run an errand across town. I called Jose and the disappointment on his voice broke my heart. He understood I had to take care of a work situation, but I had never felt so torn. I was being pulled to be a great employee and a great mom and great wife at the same time.

Two hours later and less than a mile from my house I get a call from my boss. He shares positive feedback and encourages me to keep heading in the right direction and I will continue to do great things.

I showered that night realizing I can’t be everything all the time- a working mom is finding that balance, knowing I can’t always be there next now, but I’ll be there forever.

To any moms and dads out there working, caring and loving for your tiny humans- great job! We are doing amazing and we can do it! Cheers to doing it all again tomorrow.

XoXo Britt

AM I ENOUGH

I am constantly asking myself this question especially now, as a mother, raising my baby boy. Being my first child I want to do everything perfectly and give him the world for being my world. This especially holds true when it comes to breastfeeding him.

While being pregnant I was constantly questioned if I would be breastfeeding and I replied, “Yes.” Once he was born he had no issues latching and even after a visit from the lactation specialist, we were assured everything would go smoothly.

But then the opposite happened. The pain I felt every time he latched made me dread feeding time and I was always curious in the back of my mind if he was getting enough. It’s hard to measure coming straight from the nipple and his obsessive crying was new to us to figure out.

I tried pumping for the first time at 3 weeks and only got 2 oz from both breasts. I started taking more lactation supplements from vitamin drinks to oat pancakes. My favorite were the no bake energy bars and the waffles. You can enjoy even if you’re not looking to increase your milk supply. I’m not sure it helped, but it sure was delicious. I was also thankful for local company Majka to make the best smoothies and still get all my nutrients.

He took to a bottle so quickly. Our favorite is Nuk for pacifiers and bottles- such a smooth transition from the nipple! I was pumping every 2-3 hours to keep up with the growing boy, but was getting frustrated. Am I enough?

I started supplementing after 6 weeks of just breast milk. I needed to take care of myself in order to take care of my little guy. Now, I am pumping every 4-6 hours now and producing 4 oz which is great for his age and to have with formula feedings daily too.

I will keep this system as I transition back to work and face the next dilemma of being enough presently in the parent category as I return to the office. I need to remember I am enough and will teach Atlas that he is always enough as well. Grow strong my love. 

XoXo 

Britt 

P.S. These AMAZING newborn photos were taken by Sally Whetten Photography! Check her out here!

MY NEW VALENTINE

My valentine this year was 4 week old Atlas J Acevedo. Born on January 13 at 11:31 am at 6 pounds 1 ounce and 21 inches long this little man quickly stole my heart. He came into our world 10 days before his due date and when we announced his name in the delivery room I said, “Atlas: because you’re my world.”

His arrival started Tuesday at work. Around 2 pm I started feeling cramps / contractions and didn’t know if this was the “false labor” I had learned about. He felt very low and I started timing the contractions around 4pm. I could still walk, talk and breathe so I pushed through the rest of my work day. At home, a shower felt great even though the pain was intensifying. We recorded our scheduled podcast that night, had dinner and went to bed. My goal was to make it through the pain till the morning, when I had my 38 week appointment with my midwife. But a little after midnight I saw some spotting and quickly woke Jose to tell him it’s time. We through together an overnight bag and some snacks then drove to the hospital.

At 1:30 am I was in observation getting my vitals checked with a nurse. We thought I would be told it’s not time and be sent on our way, but instead I was 6 centimeters dilated and was being admitted to a delivery room.

The pain was real and by this time I was more than ready for my epidural. One of my fears of labor was receiving this because I am not a fan of needles and although I couldn’t see it the pain was felt and I screamed. Minutes later I could feel the coolness rushing through my spine and numbness to my legs. The next frightening thing for me was the urinary catheter. Mentally I was dreading this pain too, but I didn’t feel a thing. Suddenly the baby’s heart rate was dropping and we had to stop the contractions for his safety. A shot later we were back in a safe zone and ready to get the contractions started again. Now we play the waiting game.

My water never broke on it’s own and my midwife waited till I was 9 centimeters before breaking it. I never saw my mucus plug, but I was told there was quite a “bloody show” while I was dilating. At 10:30 am my midwife said she just finished a 3 hour delivery and it would soon be time for our birthday party.

I was determined to not make this a 3 hour push session. At 11:06 am I began my first one. Jose was right there counting and patting my head with a cool rag. I grabbed the back of my legs and with each contraction I pushed with all my might. Between the nurse, midwife, Jose and classical music I had the best support for delivery. Twenty five minutes later I gave my last push and out came our precious baby boy.

I was in tears- the baby wasn’t even crying. I was in love and when they placed him skin to skin and I looked into his big eyes I was flushed with a wave of new emotions. Jose cut his cord and after they weighed him he was back in my arms where I never wanted to let go.

We checked off all the boxes in the hospital to be able to go home and after another night stay we were on our way back home as a family of three - not 2.

The first month has been a challenge. You read all the books, watch all the videos and take all the advice to prepare for baby, but nothing but real world experience will teach us. We’re balancing breast feeding and bottle feeding and making sure little guy is getting enough to grow strong. We’re practicing sleeping in the crib alone, or in the bassinet in our room, or if it comes down to it, in mom or dads arms. We’re developing skills from tummy time, reading out loud and constant interaction. Every second we’re in love and can stare at him forever.

Our journey has just begun as parents and we are excited for every minute of it. Everyday is Valentine’s Day with Atlas.

XoXo

Britt.

BABY A'S BABY SHOWER

We were blessed with a beautiful baby shower for baby A. Our family took the reins in organizing and designing a wonderful baby animal themed, COVID safe, baby shower. I can’t speak on the deets of prepping it, but I can boast about the outcome- it was one of the best baby showers and not just saying that because it was ours. Here are 3 things that made it fantastic- and of course great photos to share.

1. The People- our gust list was kept to a minimum and also the RSVP list was slim, understandably we are experiencing a pandemic and social gatherings are not encouraged. We appreciated everyone who did show from friends to family. Masks were required, hand sanitizer was abundant and tables were comfortably spaced out. I even loved the “sweethearts table” that was created for Joe and I to sit at and feel like a King and Queen. I was grateful for my best friend who traveled from San Diego and of course my parents to be apart of the day. Especially thankful for Joe’s fam who worked so hard on every detail and the amazing venue- Francesca’s Place.

2. The Games- these baby shower games were outside the norm and entertained everyone. We had guess how many animal cookies are in the jar, Bingo, charades, and my favorite guess the items that spell out “Baby Shower.” The stage had bags with a letter on the front spelling out B-A-B-Y-S-H-O-W-E-R. Who ever guessed the most correct products, won! The activities entertained young, old, male and female and some of the answers had us all laughing.

3. The timing- with our due date at the end of January, thinking of planning a shower was far fetched. Holidays, new year, pandemic- we didn’t know if anyone would show or when would be the right time. The beginning of January ended up being perfect. We received some amazing gifts from our registry and this gave us a weekend to finish up the baby’s room and analyze any last minute things we would need before baby A’s arrival. Little did we know, 4 days later he would be joining us. What perfect timing.

Yes, baby A is here and we can’t wait to share more details on his Birthday, Traditional Hopi Naming Ceremony and many more memories of our little one- oh and his name too!

XoXo Britt

HOLIDAY BAKING CHAMPIONSHIP

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas; Santa brought you what you wanted and you ate all the delicious things. I’ve been holding my Christmas present for the last 9 months now so I definitely indulged this holiday on all things delicious. I wanted to share my 3 favorite eats from the season. Just because it’s not December 25th doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them all year long too.

Caprese Wreath: I saw this recipe on the Food Network’s The Kitchen and my Italian heart melted. Deliciousness mixes with art- I knew i had to make for our Christmas Eve dinner. The ingredients were easy to source and didn’t require a trip to a fancy Italian market. The baking time was quick. But most importantly, the finish was scrumptious. You can find the recipe here. I recommend getting a baguette the day of, use Costco’s Pesto sauce and top each piece with fresh basil. Don’t fill up on these apps too much - it was hard to make sure I left room for actual dinner. In fact, I’m craving this dish right now.

Stephanie’s Sugar Cookies: Jose and I have been watching Christmas Cookie Challenge and Holiday Baking Championship like our lives depended on it. We were so inspired by the techniques and flair that we decided to have our own bake-off. One Saturday morning we woke up and watched a quick Youtube video on icing and felt most inspired by this recipe by Stephanie from the This Is Bingham Blog. Not only were her cookies perfect, but her tips on royal icing was mind blowing. After a quick trip to Hobby Lobby for Merengue Powder and food colors we spent the afternoon at Jose’s parent’s house putting our skills to work. We look forward to practicing it again and again for all the holidays: Valentine’s Day, Easter, summertime, fall events and more.

Cranberry Orange Muffins: I got a Costco size bag of cranberries for a mocktail recipe and found myself wondering what to do with the remaining 6 cups of cranberries. I didn’t use them all yet, but I did whip up a double batch of Cranberry Orange Muffins. The key to these muffins is the first 5 min you bake on a higher heat, the, the remaining 13 min you turn the temp down. Also, not mentioned the the recipe, is sprinkling them with powdered sugar on top- this help sweeten up the tartness from the cranberries and looks like it came out of a magazine. You can get the recipe for the muffins here.

If you had any recipes you tried this year and loved, please share them. I love getting in the the kitchen and trying out new things. I am so happy my third trimester was not like my first- I am craving all the delicious foods, inspired to cook everyday and I know my baby and husband are enjoying it too. I should start paying it forward and sharing my dishes more so when the baby comes I get homemade dishes right back to us for the nights we can’t find the time to even warm up a hotpocket.

XoXo

Britt

THANKSGIVING IN SAN DIEGO

Okay, before you go judging my Thanksgiving travel plans, know that I tested negative before and after, practiced social distancing, wore a mask in public and packed tons of hand sanitizer. Now we can get to sharing the love- which is much needed in this pandemic. I had not been home since January of 2020, my baby bump and puppy needed vitamin SEA, and I had to check on my 90 year old grandpa’s sharpness. All of it, plus seeing my new baby second cousin was well worth it. We ate good, looked good and relaxed good- it was a much needed recharge before heading into December.

First, lets talk food. Thanksgiving was delicious. I can almost guarantee my turkey was better than yours. My parents used this recipe which included brining and smoking. The sides were simple and perfect and the deserts were decadent. I brought green olive cheese balls and dark chocolate peppermint cremes. Very few leftovers of turkey which meant not as many after Thanksgiving turkey sammies, but I was the fullest I had ever been- a baby + stuffing = stuffed.

We brought our adorable puppy with us- Winter and took her to 3 different beaches. She loves the beach. She chases the birds, loves the sand in her paws and wades in the water. It was our first time going to OB Dog Beach and the combo of the bay and ocean was breath taking. There were plenty of other dogs for her to interact with and the mini tide pools were so fun for her to jump around. Next, Coronado Dog Beach brought a large stretch of ocean and plenty of birds to chase. Finally, our backyard, Imperial Beach, made us keep her on a leash, but with it being so close we had to take her there.

Finally, there was plenty of relaxing. We got our matching Christmas PJ’s early and stayed lounging all day in them. We watched a few movies- Free Birds (didn’t finish because stream was having issues), Doolittle (the new one with RDJ was so good) and Get Santa (British Christmas movie wouldn’t recommend). We also binged holiday baking shows and put us in the mood for baking sweets back home. In San Diego it feels like time slows down- no clock watching and no where to be, but with the ones you love.

Before we hit the road we wanted to take our holiday card photos on the beach. Each year we send out holiday cards sharing our highlights from the year- from adding a puppy, tying the knot to now expecting a little one. We saved a few fave photos on social media and had my dad play photog. We showed him angle, subject, frame and said we will stand here you point and click. They turned out amazing and I cant wait to get them in the mail and on the fridges our our loved ones to see.

Now that we are back home, more restrictions are in place, and I approach the 9th month of pregnancy, Christmas will be spent in Phoenix. We have started decorating for Santa and discussing the traditions we hope to start with our little one in the future. I hope you all had a safe and happy Thanksgiving and plan for your Christmas to be the same. Happy Holidays and I will chat with you all soon.

XoXo

Britt

NUSERY REVEAL

The highly anticipated nursery reveal is here! Baby Acevedo surrounded by baby animals and a hint of what his name is is somewhere in the room. A little old and little new and lots of love makes up this beautiful room. Fresh white painted walls and a fun zebra print accent wall feels fresh and bright as soon as you walk in. Its a room you want to spend all day in and hopefully he will love it too.

I fell in love with a crib from Buy Buy Baby and watched it sit in a box for over a month. We had to first change out the fan. We wanted to turn the light on separate from the fan and found a perfectly chic one on Amazon. We waited for my helpful parents to come out to install the fan and put together the crib, but didn’t know they would also be bringing in my new favorite furniture piece. While in the Navy, my dad picked up a stunning rattan rocking chair that was used in my nursery as a baby and many moons later I will be rocking my baby in it. We had a few Ikea pieces for storage and thanks to the wonderful community of offer up, we got a changing table for next to nothing.

Next came accessories. I found this amazing site with the cutest baby animal wall decor and a rug for a great price. It is called TYC Home; check it out here. It does ship from China - so be prepared to wait weeks to months for your order. Speaking of waiting weeks for orders, a few things came from Wish like our prints. I joined this amazing facebook community, started by Lauren Garcia, called What Baby Likes. It is not just for locals but nationwide mamas. Ask to join here if you are a mom in need of assistance from advice to accessories. A few deals from Goodwill completed the decor, like this amazing palm tree I scored for 5 bucks and a vintage trunk were utilizing as a toy chest.

Now it is time to fill it with all the baby necessities: diapers, wipes, health and beauty and of course sheets for the crib. We finalized our baby registry with only the essentials and looking forward to see what else our baby lion gets blessed with. You can view it here. He is loved so much and isn’t even out in the world; I cant wait to show him his space and spend sleepless nights in there reading to him, rocking him, and staring at his handsome face.

Any moms have any advice on what we are missing, please be sure to let us know. Everyday is a learning experience and as much as we are reading the baby books and observing from others we definitely appreciate all the outside suggestions on what is essential. With 8 weeks to go we are in the final count down!

XoXo Britt