Baby's First Christmas

With just under a month until Christmas, Charlotte got her first Christmas photos taken at the Target Portrait Studio. We are mailing them out as our Christmas cards this year, so be on the lookout for your first look at our beautiful girl. A sneak peek at her Christmas gown:

She also made her first wish list for Santa!

A few things she's hoping the fat man leaves under the tree for her....

1) Glad Dreams Coat Set - $100 -- http://www.babybeauandbelle.com/Glad-Dreams-Coat-Set-p/bbtb-110030.htm
This set comes with a coat, hat, hand-warming muff and storybook. My favorite part? The coat is embroidered with this: "Once within this dreamy coat, Danced a dainty lass. Remembering all the glad dreams, To her daughter, the coat will pass." This is the gift I plan on giving to Charlotte from mommy.

image courtesy of Baby Beau & Belle

2) Car Seat - $199 -- Eenflo Symphony LX All-in-One Car seat -- at Toys R Us: New mom's: Don't forget to register for the car seat they will need once they outgrow their infant seat like I did!

image courtesy Toys R Us


3) Praying Girl Musical Water Globe -- $24 - Things Remembered -- http://www.thingsremembered.com/product/Occasions/New-BabyBaby-Shower/Top-10-Baby-Gifts/Praying-Girl-Musical-Water-Globe/pc/101/c/2576/sc/3102/156925.uts?refineByCategoryId=3102

image courtesy of Things Remembered

4) Kitty Ruffled Bodysuit in Winter Leopard - sale $14.48 (Gymboree.com) and Snowy Day Fur Cardigan - sale ($16.48)

images courtesy Gymboree.com

5) White Floral Ribbon Tulle Dress - $59.99 - pinkprincess.com -- in preparation for her upcoming christening, a beautiful baptism gown!

Charlotte's Famous!

Charlotte recently made it big time - appearing on the Reuters sign in Times Square!

So proud of my peanut - she's a doll! I'm sure she put a smile on the faces of any New Yorker who happened to glance up that day.

Back to Work - Making the Transition

Charlotte turned 12 weeks and that meant three dreaded words: back to work! So last week I headed back to work full-time at my job as a manager at a global content wire service. I had been dreading this day since I had Charlotte, but knew it was necessary to go back. I asked my mommy friends for some advice on how to handle the transition and most of them said the same thing: stay busy.

That was easy to do with 12,817 emails to read on my first day back. I cried twice driving into work that first day, but knew she was in good hands. My mom had come up for the week to watch Charlotte. She doesn't head to daycare until December. This eased my worried mind quite a bit, knowing she was with grandma.

My advice to mom's out there who have to head back to work: ease into things. Talk to your boss and see if part-time is an option. If not, schedule a meeting with your boss on the first or second day back and talk about what you absolutely have to get done in the next week or two. I am lucky in that my boss is a great family guy who is very understanding - so this helps a lot to be able to talk to him about any and everything.

Be flexible: even if you have a schedule set in stone now, know that it will have to change a bit when you head back to work. Charlotte definitely knew something was up the morning I went back to work, she was fussier than usual. Stay patient and realize it's a big change for your baby too. Have dad help out as much as possible. Don't be afraid to tell your spouse that you need more help. I told Sam I'd need his help with 2 AM feedings and helping her get ready for bedtime more now that I'm back to work and he's stepped up quite a bit.

As for the lack of sleep while going back to work, I don't have much advice on that. I'm glad if I get 4-5 uninterrupted hours of sleep - and that's usually only 2-3 days a week. This past Sunday my mom and I decided to decorate the house for Christmas - get a jump start on it early since she was around to help. I put Charlotte down for a nap, and decided to plug the baby monitor in downstairs so we could hear her while we were decorating. As I plugged the baby monitor in and went about getting the decorations organized, I looked around and realized I had carried down the fan from my bedroom and plugged that in, NOT the baby monitor. This lack of sleep business can really do a number on you.

Talking helps. Speaking to my hairdresser (another new mommy to a 5 month old), my sister-in-law (mother of a soon-to-be 3 year old and a 6 month old), and a friend at work (mom of a soon-to-be 2 year old) you come across different tips and tricks. And even if they don't work for you, just having someone to empathize with and know what you're going through really helps.

For now I have to work full-time to support my family and while I enjoy my job I surely miss peanut while I'm at work. But it makes the time we spend together that much more precious to me. Oh, and I've also resorted to playing the lottery - I've got my fingers crossed!

The Story of Charlotte

I made this video the other night and I think it turned out well. I wanted to have something to show Charlotte when she's older that we loved her from the very beginning.

Charlotte video: http://youtu.be/30jaVeHcjWk

Enjoy!

5 Minute Makeup

Let's face it - many of us don't have a lot of time to do our makeup these days. Whether we're running late for work, trying to take care of a baby, or jetting to an outing, five minutes is all you probably have to do a quick makeup job. I'm here to show you how to create a pretty look in just 5 minutes!

How to do the 5 minute face:

First, start with freshly washed skin. Before drying your hair, apply face lotion. I use ProActiv's Green Tea lotion (does not contain Benzoyl Peroxide or Salicylic Acid - products to avoid when pregnant/nursing). Let that soak into skin while drying your hair. Once hair is dry, apply a primer - trust me, this is the trick that will keep your makeup on your face all night long. Skipping it is quite detrimental! Any primer will do, I use Victoria's Secret or Smashbox (just make sure it's an oil-free version). If you want to skip the face lotion step - use a hydrating primer. Next, mix in your hands two-thirds tinted moisturizer - I use Stila's Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer Oil-Free in Light ($34 at Sephora.com) - (or use foundation if you need more coverage) with one-third of Victoria's Secret PRO Radiant Face Illuminator ($15 at victoriassecret.com.) Let the primer set for 30 seconds.

image courtesy of Sephora.com

image courtesy of VS Beauty

Mixing these two products together creates a flawless, glowing complexion. Dust your entire face with powder to set, including your eyelids. Finish your face with blush on the apples of your cheeks - I love Nars' Orgasm blush even though it's a bit pricey, it's the prettiest blush I've used to date. In the summer I use the blush/bronzer duo ($29 for the blush, or $41 for the duo).

image courtesy of Sephora.com

For a quick eye - always, always, always do your brows - they highlight your entire face more than anything! I like Clinique's brow pencil in soft blonde. Remember to blend and don't go too far beyond your natural brow shape. For eye shadow, I use a quick shimmer shadow - Clinique's Strawberry Fudge duo. Next, apply black eye liner on top and bottom (for daytime I use brown or grey on the bottom, or nothing). I like Urban Decay's pencil liners the best.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero - image courtesy of Sephora.com

Finish with a coat of mascara, and a pinky lip gloss. As for mascara, just buy what works for your eyes. I've wasted so much money on mascara over the years it's insane. Right now I'm using L'Oreal's Voluminous, but even that is a little chunky for me. If you have a mascara that you just LOVE, please share it in the comments below!

And that's it for the 5 minute face. If you have an extra 60 seconds you can always add a highlighter to your brow bone and the upper cheeks (I like Benefit's High Beam - $26) and another coat of mascara, but this is a look that will set you right for the entire evening.

image courtesy of Sephora.com

Are there any makeup tips or tricks that you've learned to create a fast look?

Fall Festivities and Road Trip with the little One!

A couple of weeks ago Sam and I took Charlotte to her first fall festival at Mapleside Farms. It was the perfect afternoon - mid 70's and sunny. The venue had hayrides, a bounce area, and a huge slide for kids to play on. I can't wait to take her back when she's big enough to enjoy it all. She enjoyed getting pushed around in her stroller and posing for pictures for now!

The fam at Mapleside Farms

A week later it was off to Pennsylvania to pick up grandma Birdy for our trek to Washington, DC to visit Auntie S (my sister, Samantha). Auntie S didn't get a chance to hold Charlotte in the hospital so she was very eager to do so now that Charlotte was 7 weeks old at this point. Packing for a trip with a baby was a job in and of itself. You need every imaginable item: diapers, wipes, creams, lotions, wash, onesies, sleepers, pack 'n play, sheets, music maker, play mat, boppy, bottles, bottle warmer/cooler, burp cloths, and the list goes on! The car was packed before we got to PA, but luckily Bird didn't pack too much - although we did have to cart a pumpkin all the way down to Washington, DC for Miss S!

Auntie S with Char Tiger

Grandma, Auntie S and mom with the peanut

Charlotte was great in the car on the ride from Cleveland to PA. PA to DC was a little harrier, but 8 hours in a car was driving ME nuts, so I can't imagine it was fun for a 7 week old baby. We had to stop twice to feed her - and one time I had to nurse her in the back parking lot at Sheetz - not ideal, but that is why it's good to travel with blankets and a boppy!

When we arrived in DC Thursday night around 7 pm, it took awhile to unpack the car filled with babyland goods. Then S and I went and picked up Chinese and we had a lovely laid back evening at S's that night.

The next day we had our first playdate with Jenn and Caleb - he was born ten days before Charlotte!

Jenn and Caleb, and Bird and Charlotte

Jenn and I exchanged tips and tricks and it was nice to chat with a fellow new mommy!

That night we went out to dinner at Clyde's - my first test as a mom with a baby in a restaurant! I definitely got a few glances when I walked into Clyde's carrying a car seat, but most people were just saying how cute she was. I am pleased to say that Charlotte got an A++ on her dinner behavior - sleeping most of the time and sucking quietly on her pacifier the rest. Whooo!

The next day we took her into Georgetown for her first girls shopping adventure. Navigating the busy streets of Georgetown with a stroller wasn't as difficult as I had thought, and S and I took turns steering Charlotte into the stores. We even saw some Penn Stater's canning and had to stop and give them some cash and do a few WE ARE cheers with them! (S attended Penn State).

Later we had to stop for lunch midway through our shopping, and Bird gave Char a bottle in the restaurant. She once again was a great baby! Downside - the restaurant didn't have a place to change her, but S and I managed to do it in the bathroom. What kind of restaurant doesn't have a changing table these days!? Crazy to me.

Bird feeding Charlotte

That night we just laid low and hung out and watched TV. Our friend Alberto stopped by and got to see Charlotte awake for approximately 30 seconds before she fell asleep again - our shopping trip definitely wore her out!

Saying goodbye to S the next day was quite sad - but we'll get to see her again in a couple weeks - hooray!