.Modern Wrap & Kennedy's Birth Story.

Baby Wrap c/o Modern Wrap {use code: KAYLA15 for 15% off}

This wrap is everything! It has made the last couple months much easier. Kennedy loves to be held so it makes it hard for me to get things done when it's just me! Modern Wrap to the rescue!! She cozy and close to mama. It makes both of us happy. I love it for around the house and when I'm out and about. It makes shopping that much easier :) If you're pregnant or have a little one, I suggest you get one in every color! 

I also thought it was about time I shared my birth story with you guys. It was such an amazing experience that was hard to put into words. It's a long one so you might want to grab a cup of coffee or tea :) 

The idea that I wouldn't know when and where I was going to go into labor was always exciting to me. I loved the thought that it was the ultimate surprise, and as prepared as we were, I had no control over her actual birth date. Towards the end of my pregnancy I would wake up and think "today could be the day!" With each passing day I would grow more anxious for her arrival. About a week and half before my due date, I had a normal check up with my doctor to see if I had progressed. I thought for sure she was going to tell me that I was at a 2 or 3, but sure enough baby girl was secure and cozy. We went ahead and scheduled an induction date for a week after her due date, just in case she decided to stay locked up tight.

April 29, 2015 was like any other day. Still no signs of labor and I was beyond uncomfortable! After a very laid back day spent going to breakfast with family and hanging around the pool, we were going to dinner because it was Tyler's sister's birthday. Everyone at dinner kept asking me when I thought the baby would be here and I truly thought we were going to have to wait until her induction date. I still hadn't experienced any early labor signs. No braxton hicks or bloody show! When we got home that night I had the urge to finish packing my hospital bag and make sure we had everything together in the diaper bag for Kennedy. I took a nice long bath and called it a night around 11:30.

April 30, 2015 I woke up with the intense urge to pee around 12:45 thinking nothing of it because this happened about 20 times every night! To my surprise, this was a little different than every other time. I had finally lost my mucus plug; I was so excited! This meant she would be on her way hopefully within the next couple days. I went back to bed with a huge smile on my face. It wasn't more than 15 minutes when I started having what I thought was mild contractions. Every time they came on, they felt even stronger. I was quite uncomfortable, but not wanting to wake Tyler since he had work in the morning I went in Kennedy's room to distract myself. After about 45 minutes of this I was growing more and more uncomfortable and decided to wake Tyler just in case. I told him he should get his stuff together just in case. Naturally, he thought I may be over reacting just a little and started to time my contractions. Before we knew it they were about 4-3 minutes apart. We gathered all our things, I did some quick dishes, and we were on our way.  I insisted that we stop, so I could get something to eat, because we knew how long it would be before I could eat again. Since it was about 2:00am there wasn’t many options. I had to settle with Jack in The Box. As we were waiting in the drive thru, my contractions were coming on harder and stronger leaving me silent for the duration of them. I was feeling them mostly in my hips and it was a pain like I had never felt.

Within 25 minutes we were checking in at the hospital. They put us in a room and we waited for the doctor to come check to see where we were at. The whole time in the back of my mind, I was so afraid that they were going to send us home. I knew that if I wasn’t at a 5, this was a very high possibility. After what seemed like forever and 8 contractions later the doctor was there and telling me I was at a 2. A whooping 2?! I felt embarrassed that I was in so much pain and only a 2. She gave us our options and strongly suggested that we walk around for the next 2 hours to hopefully move things along. Since it was still very early morning we took her up on that and started our trek around the hospital. At this point my contractions were about every 2-3 minutes and came on so strong stopping me in my tracks every single time. They were still exclusively in my hips. With every lap I would stop in the restroom to throw up and then keep on with our walk. I could not get comfortable at all. I tried sitting, curling up, standing and walking through them. Nothing was working! I was beyond defeated. The doctor mentioned that if I felt it was necessary we could get put in a room and I could get something for the pain. I want to tell you, that I never take pain medicine. It just doesn’t work well with my body, but at this point I was desperate for something to help me. On our last lap, I was in tears and told Tyler I couldn’t do this anymore. I wanted to take the doctor up on her offer. We went back to the room and sure enough, I was still a 2. They started processing me and we were on our way to a room for some relief. She warned that a lot of times the medicine slows things down and I may get sent home.

As we were getting settled in, I kept telling myself don’t get your hopes up she may not come today. As they were hooking me up to an IV, about 4 nurses came into the room. They started asking me what seemed like a million questions. One of them said “looks like we are having a baby today!”. Immediately I started crying. I think a little bit of it was from being overwhelmed and the other part was because she was finally on her way! Once the medicine started doing it’s job, I felt like a new women. It calmed down in our room and we were able to call our parents and tell them the great news. My mom and Aunt were on their way down and we decided to get some rest. After a nice nap they came in to check on me again. I was at a 4. Thank goodness!! I was very happy that my body was doing it’s job and progressing. By the time my mom and aunt got there, my medicine had wore off. I had it in my birth plan to wait as long as possible to get my epidural, so I could walk the halls to move things along. I had the nurses unhook me and the four us started our little adventure around the labor and delivery floor. My contractions were back in all their glory and coming on very strong. Again they were exclusively in my hips and stopping me in my tracks! Everyone was excited and taking photos and videos, but I was trying my hardest not to cry. This went on and on for about an hour. We got settled in again and the doctor was on her way to check me. I was a 5! Slowly, but surely we were getting there. I had been in labor for about 10 hours at this point, so clearly it wasn’t moving as fast as I wanted. The doctor asked me why I was torturing myself and waiting for the epidural if I was going to get one in the long run. She explained to me that even though I was having contractions, they weren’t as strong as they’d like to see. Again, I felt like a baby, what did she mean they weren’t strong?! She told she wanted to start me on petocin to speed things up and my contractions were going to be about 20 times more intense. I took her advice and agreed to getting the epidural. Best decision I ever made! Once it was in and working I felt great. I was able to enjoy everything that was going on and get excited. It was funny because Tyler would watch the monitor and tell me I was having a huge contraction, but I felt great! The next couple hours went by fast. They were spent hanging out and visiting with my immediate family. They came in to check me around 5:00pm and I was at a 7. The doctor then broke my water and told me she’d be back in couple hours to check again. Around this time I started feeling the contractions in my right hip again!! It ended up that my epidural only was working on my left side. They tried multiple times to fix it. It would work for a little bit, but within 15 minutes I would feel everything again on the right. Since at this point I was at a 9, I didn’t want them to have to redo my epidural. I decided that I could power through it. It wasn’t unbearable, but it did distract me again. It did cause me to get extremely nauseous and I would throw up when I had a big contraction. This had been the longest day of my life! I really wanted to get some rest before I had to push. I drifted off to Tyler watching the NFL draft anxiously waiting for the Chargers to make their pick. About an hour later I woke up in a panic feeling like I needed to go to the bathroom right this minute!! I announced to everyone in the room that I needed help because I needed to get the restroom right now. My mom and Aunt told me that meant she was on her way and they called the doctor.

The doctor was in within minutes and sure enough I was at 10 plus 2. It was baby time!!

This is where everything kicked into high gear. About 5 nurses were in the room setting everything up. I said bye to all our family because I was only having Tyler and my mom in the room. We started pushing at 8:00pm on the dot. I pushed with all my might because I wanted her out! I remember being so thirsty the whole time. Since I was having issues with keeping water down, I had to wait to have anything. This was also motivation! When I look back on when I was pushing it was such a blur. I tuned everything out except for my mom and Tyler counting. They were the best cheerleaders. I felt so much pressure and the doctor announced that Kennedy had so much hair. Yes, all that heartburn was worth it! I pushed and pushed and at 9:00pm we heard that tiny little cry and they placed her on my chest. Through tears and kisses Tyler and I kept saying how cute she was. We spent the next two hours and everyday since loving on her. She truly is our little miracle girl and we are in absolute baby heaven.

XOXO, Kayla

.Striped Swing Dress.

Dress, ℅ Impressions Online Boutique // Sandals, Nordstrom // Sunnies, Anthropologie // Purse, Tory Burch // Necklace, J.Crew {old, loving this version even more & on sale!}

Recently, one of my favorite boutiques, Impressions Online, launched their very own clothing line-Merrit. I got the pleasure of a having a sneak peek and playing dress up with a couple of their items. Well, I fell in love with everything! The collection includes lots of leopard, a gorgeous flowy turquoise top, and this swing dress. I have worn this dress to death since I received it. Every time I wear it, I get so many compliments and questions about how they can get their own! This dress is one of those pieces I truly believe every girl should have in their closet. You can't go wrong with stripes and the fact that it has pockets just makes my heart happy. It looks cute with sandals, but throw on a necklace or five and a pair of booties and you have the cutest little outfit for a night out with your guy or girlfriends!

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! On Saturday we took Kennedy swimming for her second time. She loved it! She's such a water baby. It's the cutest :)

XOXO, Kayla

P.S. The bows that Kennedy wears almost every single day are on sale with free shipping right now! They come in a ton of colors. You can shop them here.

.Baby Must Have Items.

Today Kennedy is 11 weeks old! At this point, I have a good idea what products we absolutely love and make our life so much easier! When I registered for the items we wanted and bought I did a lot of research. I wanted to make sure that we ended up with things that we would actually use. For the most part, we have loved everything! There was only one major item that ended up going back. I wanted to share these items with you in case you're registering or just curious what we are loving. I've always enjoyed hearing what works for other mamas. I tried to narrow it down to items I seriously couldn't live without. These are without a doubt my "must have" items. If our house was on fire, these are what I would grab :) 

{Medela Freestyle Breast Pump} 

When I found out I was pregnant, I knew without a doubt that I wanted to breast feed. I wanted to make sure Kennedy was getting all the nutrition she needed to grow up and be healthy. I read books about it and we even took a class that my hospital offered. I felt that I was prepared and it was going to be easy. Women have been doing it for years, it would be easy, right?! Wrong...haha! Little did I know, the most natural thing would also be the hardest thing I ever did. Kennedy is what you call "a snacker". She wouldn't latch properly and would hang out for what seemed like forever!! I wanted to stick with it and even went to a lactation consultant. It just wasn't happening. It was frustrating for both her and I. Knowing that I still wanted her to have my milk, I made the decision to pump exclusively and give her my milk in a bottle. This was an easy decision, but has not been an easy task. I am SOOOO glad I decided to go with the freestyle pump. It is on the pricey side, but allows me to be hands free and I can move around the house. I get a lot done while I am pumping. Since it is something I do about 8 times a day, I would say the pump pays for it self!! 

{Dr. Brown's Bottles} 

Kennedy had really bad gas that started around 2 weeks and lasted until about her 7th week. It ended up being a dairy issue. After I eliminated dairy {yes, I haven't had cheese in 2 months!!} it got a lot better. It also has to do with these bottles! These bottles are "natural flow" and have a device in them that helps so they don't get gas (Tyler likes to call it "bottle bong technology" LOL). I think these are the reason why she doesn't get that much gas anymore! No gas = more sleep :)

{Nursing Pads}

I had to throw this in because just tonight I was at the grocery store and my milk came in. I didn't have my pads in my bra and guess what happened?! Yeah, I got two wet spots on my shirt. Not a cute look! Thank god for long hair!! haha. I carry these in the diaper bag just for this reason! If you're breast feeding don't leave home without them! 

{Mam Pacifiers}

When Kennedy was first born we didn't give her a pacifier. When nursing didn't work out and we switched to pumping exclusively, we decided to give them a try since we didn't have to worry about nipple confusion anymore. We started with the soothe ones, but they always fell out and that kind of defeats the purpose. I had heard a lot of great things about these because they are more natural and don't curl up like some do. We have about 8 of these so we are never without them. She really loves having one in the car or when she's in her stroller. I like it because I can get more shopping done! 

{Wipeable Changing Pad}

We have the changing pad that goes on top of the dresser. I originally got the cutest, softest minky pink cover. My thought was "oh this will be so soft on her little rear end". What I wasn't thinking about was that she would pee and poop on it. We learned this the hard way. Luckily, I had also got one from Target {here} that is just as cute and the middle is a wipeable plastic. It's the best and most practical because I promise you, at some point your little one is going to go on the changing table!

{4Moms Mamaroo in Silver Plush}

This is one of things you see all over social media and you wonder if it's worth the hype. For us it has been worth it! When we first brought Kennedy home from the hospital, she would only sleep in this the first couple nights. She went through a brief period where she stopped liking it, but now she's all about it again. Since it's just her and I during the day most days, it's the only way I can get anything done. It travels around the house with us. I even take it the bathroom while I take a shower. We have glass doors so it's perfect! I would highly recommend this over any swing on the market! 

{Fisher Price Snugapup Rock n' Play}

This should be the first thing on my list. This thing was sent straight from heaven!! I'm not kidding, without this little magical bassinet, I would have straight up lost my damn mind. I was close guys. For the first 16 days of Kennedy's life, we did not have this device and she didn't sleep. We spent over $200 on a very popular bassinet that I'm sure you have seen while making your registry. Man oh man did she HATE that thing!! It was the number one thing I was worried about having before she made her arrival and the one thing we took back. She has never been a fan of laying flat on her back. The Rock n Play is at an angle and very snuggly. She loves it! She sleeps in it right next to our bed, and we take everywhere we go if we are going to be there for an extended period of time. It folds up and is very light so it makes traveling really easy. Needless to say I am going to be very sad when she grows out of it and we have to make the transition into her crib! 

{Swaddle Blankets}

After we did our 2 hour bonding period with Kennedy right after she was born they weighed her, checked her vitals and then wrapped her up like the cutest little California burrito you ever did see! The first thing she did was bust her hands out of it. No matter how tight we made that swaddle her little hands were up by her face within the first minute. I brought a lot of mittens with me to the hospital so that was fine. We would just do a hands free swaddle and she seemed to love it. From the moment we got home from the hospital that all changed. She decided that being swaddled sucked and she wanted her whole body to be free. That was fine with me because I never did quite master the art of swaddling, Tyler on the other hand was a pro! So now you're probably wondering why I have swaddle blankets on this list, haha. We have a ton of them, this brand being my favorite because they are the softest after a couple washes. They're so lightweight and honestly the perfect summer blanket. We always have one with us when we leave the house. There's a ton of uses for them from using them as a nursing cover or throwing over the car seat so strangers can't look or touch :) {PS this brand also makes these bibs that I use on the daily}

{Baby Wrap}

Baby wearing is my jam! Kennedy isn't huge on me putting her down unless it's in her mamaroo or sitting up in her boppy facing me. Those options are great when we are at home, but we are out and about it makes it very difficult. Enter, Modern Wrap! The first time I tried my wrap was on the 4th of July at a BBQ and I was the happiest mama around. I was able to wear her most of the day and had two free hands to eat delicious food and drink delicious drinks!! It was such a game changer. I only wish I would have started using it earlier on. I also die for the spotted print! 

{Petunia Pickle Bottom Diaper Bag}

I've wrote about this before, but picking a diaper bag was so hard for me. I'm not a fan of all the dorky patterns that are on the market. I wanted something sleek, chic, and one that Tyler could carry without feeling like he had my purse. I'm so glad that I went with this one. My favorite part is that it has the fold out changing pad. That way when I'm out running errands I have somewhere clean to lay her down.

{Zip Up Pjs}

This was a discovering we made very early on. We got a lot of the footie pjs, which I'm sure if you're having a baby or expecting a little one, you already have a lot of these too. I'm telling you, the ones with the zip front are where it's at! When you're changing a diaper at 2am you'll agree with me, I promise! You're not going to want to mess around with all the buttons when you are half asleep! I really like the Carter's brand and Old Navy has cute ones online.

{Nylon/One Size Fits All Headbands}

As soon as I found out we were having a girl I started ordering bows and headbands. It wasn't until she was here that I figured out which were my favorite. I love, love the one size fits all that are made with the nylon band. They don't leave a mark or squeeze her head. Beauty should not be pain for little peanuts. I'm really crushing on all the designs that Little Kate Designs has to offer. Her leather and gold bows are the cutest and don't break the bank! 

I hope that this list helps you and some of our favorites become yours as well! Thanks for reading! 

XOXO, Kayla 

.Kennedy Grace, 2 Months.

Two whole months with our little angel {as of the 30th}! My, my how fast time has passed. I should have known since my pregnancy went by in a blink of an eye. It's such a funny thing because a piece of me wants her to stay tiny and cuddle with her all day everyday, but then on the other hand it so neat watching her change before our eyes!! She really does change every single day. I want to start a series on here where I document her month by month till she's one so I don't forget anything!!

This month was a blast. Overall I feel like we are all really vibing and getting into a rythmn. Kennedy is such a happy baby! Except for when she's hungry then she looses it, haha. Girlfriend gives a whole new definition to hangry :) She's so easy going and is great when we are out and about. We just had her at dinner tonight and she was just hanging out with all of us. We feel so blessed! This month she started giving us real smiles. They are the best and really melt my heart every time she flashes those gums at me! My absolute favorite is every morning when I go to get her out of her bassinet I talk to her and she gives me a giant smile! She also became so alert this month. She makes eye contact and will follow you when you walk away or move to the other side of the room.

{Weight/Length/Clothing Size}

11 pounds 11 ounces & 22 inches.
She had her well baby check up on the 30th so we got to find out her exact stats. I thought she weighed 12 pounds so I wasn't far off. Around the middle of the month she grew out of all of her newborn clothes. I sadly had to pack it all up!! I was holding up her onsies and it really was blowing my mind that she was that tiny last month. She was 6 pounds 14 ounces when we brought her home!! She's wearing 0-3 & 3 months now. A couple of her 0-3 month onsies seem like their days are numbered haha. I have noticed though that it really depends on the brand! She is wearing size 1 diapers and I am loving pampers swaddlers and hating huggies :)

{Sleep}

We made so much progress in the sleep department this month. Thank goodness! I feel like I was a zombie the first 6 weeks of her life. She really wasn't sleeping more than 1 1/2 hours at a time and took 30 minute cat naps. Now we about 3 1/2 to 4 hours at night. When she wakes up I feed her, change her diaper then she's back down right away. It's amazing! She even gave us one night where she only woke up once and it was in the early morning. You truly have no idea how precious sleep is until it's gone. My Keurig became my bestie!!

{Features: Hair, Eyes}

I'm sure you have noticed that this girl was born with SO much hair!! I love it because I can put bows in it :) She really hasn't lost any of it, just a tiny bit on the sides. It has lightened up quite a bit in the last month. Her eyes also seem to lighten on a daily basis. They are super blue and really just gorgeous!

{Monthly Milestones}

She is getting so good at tummy time and can really hold her head up now. She is such a strong girl!! She also scoots so much and made it half way across her mat while we were doing tummy time the other night. Her new favorite is when we help her stand. She loves to just stand there and look around at everything! She's also talking to us now. She grunts {a lot} and is cooing. I totally have full on converstations with her lol! Another exciting first was when we took her in the pool for the first time. It was pretty quick, but she loved it!!

{Eating}

This girl loves to eat so much I feel like it should have its own catergory! She is exclusively being fed breast milk. I pump and she takes it in a bottle. We only use the Dr. Brown bottles because of gas issues. The first month of Kennedy's life she had such bad gas and was constantly in pain. I had to give up dairy and now she barely has any issues!! It's rare that she has gas. Praise the lord. I would never eat cheese again if it meant she wasn't in pain.

{Kennedy Loves}...

Cuddling with Mommy & Daddy
Bath time, I really think this may be her favorite thing! She could hang out for hours splashing around.
Her binky, but only when she's tired or in her car seat
Music time with Mommy
Tummy time, this may be her least favorite, but she's really starting to like it
Looking at Daddy when he's wearing his glasses
When we talk to her in funny voices or when we make weird/funny noises
Getting her clothes changed
Going for rides in the car or going on walks
Going shopping with Mommy
Her mamaroo {she usually falls asleep at least once a day in it}
Her rock n play, this is the only way she'll sleep!
When we help her stand, this is really her new favorite!


{Kennedy Does NOT Love}....

Being hungry!!
Being in her car seat if she's not moving
laying flat on her back...getting better at this
Gas Medicine {But her face she makes when she gets it is adorable!}

I could go on and on about her for hours! I really don't want to forget a single thing. She truly is the best thing that has ever happened to us. She's our little piece of heaven :)

XOXO, Kayla

.Blue & White With A Side Of Red.

Dress, ℅ Ella & Scott // Belt, Target // Sunnies, Karen Walker // Sandals, Forever 21 {linked up a similar style}// Necklace, Tom Design Shop // Bracelets, J.Crew {budget friendly option}, ℅ InPink Style // Nails, Essie 'Lollipop' {favorite red of all time!}

On Kennedy: Headband, Free Babes // Mocs, Knottytots // Romper, Juicy Couture {love this one!}

The Fourth of July may be behind us, but I felt like keeping the color scheme going. I've always been a huge fan of white & blue together. There's something so classic about that combo, especially in the summer. I knew this dress would be cute, but I fell madly in love when I finally got my hands on it! The fit is my favorite. If I could wear a dress like this everyday, believe me I would! I decided to belt it for a more fitted look, but it's equally as cute without. They also carry the cutest top in this same print. I think I need that as well!! 

My little lady decided she wanted to show everyone her #ootd!! How cute is she?! I really wish they made her Mocs in my size! I'd totally rock them.  She's so on trend with her pineapples. I think we have a future blogger on our hands :) 

On another note, I need your help!! I desperately need a tan. Im so pasty, its borderline embarrassing! Especially since I'm always with Tyler and he's naturally so tan. I'm starting to feel like Casper the friendly ghost. I'm not willing to fake tan and I really don't have time to get a spray tan every week. I want to get a great cream or spray that I can do at home. Does anyone have any suggestions?! I would love to know!! 

XOXO, Kayla

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.Peachy Perfect Maxi.

Dress, c/o Pink Blush // Vest, Forever 21 {similar & super cute!} // Sunnies, Karen Walker // Necklace, ℅ Urbanite {crushing on this necklace} // Bracelets, J.Crew {more budget friendly version} //Purse, Tory Burch // Lips, MAC gloss 'Snob'

Hello, Friends and Happy Friday! I hope you have the day off and are prepping for a wonderful 4th of July weekend. This holiday weekend is going to be extra special since we have our little firecracker to celebrate with. I bought her red, white, and blue bathing suit back when I was 6 months pregnant. I'm so excited to finally see it on her :) 

Last but most definitely not least, I'm sharing with you this peachy perfect maxi from Pink Blush. I'm always on the look out for a cute maxi when I'm shopping or browsing online. Maxi dresses are a girls best friend because they're as comfortable as your favorite yoga pants, but fancy enough to wear on a date or to the office!! I knew this maxi would be a fun addition to my wardrobe because it's so different from all my other maxis. I'm normally a pink girl, but I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try peach. It's a color I wouldn't normally gravitate towards, but I am so glad I did! I think it's a fair statement to say I'm peach obsessed now! 

XOXO, Kayla 

.Mint Floral.

Dress, ℅ Pink Blush {loving this one & this maxi!} // Necklaces, J.Crew{old, obsessed with this necklace & this one..only $20!} & ℅ Urbanite {Under $15} // Sunnies, Ray-Ban // Bracelets, J.Crew, Brina Box // Sandals, Just Fab {dying for these!}

Today I'm back with my second look from Pink Blush. I don't want to play favorites, but this dress has stolen my heart! The mint, vibrant floral print and super flattering cut…oh my, it doesn't get much better than this! I also love that it has sleeves because I feel it gives it a more elegant vibe, but they are sheer enough that you won't get hot in the summer sun. With wedding season upon us, this would make the perfect little outfit for an outdoor or beach wedding! 

The dress is sold out at the moment, but get on the waiting list because they are always restocking popular items! I also linked up two dresses from their site and that I'm really loving. The maxi is gorgeous and would be amazing for a summer date night.

XOXO, Kayla