I breastfed Sully for over two years, and during that entire time, I didn't own one nursing friendly top, except for a couple of pyjama tops. I literally wore a camisole underneath my shirt every single day so that I could breastfeed whenever and wherever I needed to without baring my stomach. It's not that nursing friendly tops weren't available, I just couldn't find any that I particularly liked or didn't break the bank. For me, one of the greater challenges of breastfeeding for so long was what to wear. Layering isn't always ideal, especially in the summer months. If only I had known of Bun Maternity back then!
When I discovered Bun Maternity, it was like all my breastfeeding fashion issues had been solved! I'm so happy to collaborate with them in spreading the word on their cute and comfy nursing tops, which include tank tops, t-shirts, ponchos, hoodies and even dresses! All of their products are 100% made in the USA and made of USA made fabrics. But Bun Maternity is more than just nursing apparel. By providing nursing tops that help woman to feel more comfortable breastfeeding in the open, they are supporting breastfeeding and a woman's right to nurse her baby anywhere and anytime.
Their tops come in a wide variety of colours and are really soft. Since I've practically been living in the tops they sent me, I've washed them numerous times already and they've held up well. I requested darker/neutral colours as that's what I tend to gravitate towards in my closet, and since my "signature" look is pretty much leggings/skinny jeans, a tank/-t-shirt and a cardigan, these items fit right in.
Even though it's winter in my part of the world, I still wear tank tops around the house a lot of the time. This Charcoal Ribbed Snap Nursing Top is awesome because it's stretchy, but doesn't stretch out and when the snaps are done up, you can't even tell that this is a nursing top, which means you could easily continue wearing it long after you are done nursing. There are snaps on both sides, and when you unsnap it, there's a panel underneath which keeps you covered while giving you access to nurse.
The second top I've been wearing all the time is this Softie Nursing Tee. I love the double V detail as opposed to the usual style of nursing tops you tend to see around (where you can tell the top part of the shirt lifts up for nursing). With this top, it's like a reversed version of that - the panel that lifts up so you can easily nurse, tucks into the shirt.
But I've saved the best (or at least my favourite) for last. The hoodie. Seriously, they had me at hoodie. If there's one article of clothing I love more than the cardigan, it's the hoodie, and this Cozy Nursing Hoodie is amazing. It's so soft, it's stretchy and it washes really well. I'd be lying if I said I didn't wear it almost every single day. The snap shoulder allows you to discreetly breastfeed, which means you don't have to layer and you don't have to take the hoodie off or pull it up in order to nurse comfortably. There's a panel that covers your breasts when the snap part is undone. This sweatshirt is what breastfeeding dreams are made of.
When I was 36 weeks pregnant, we had an outdoor maternity/family photo shoot with the lovely and talented Delle from T07 Photography. To be honest, I wasn't going to have maternity photos done. I felt like we didn't need to spend the money, and I wasn't loving how my body looked during this pregnancy. This is not to say that I wasn't loving what my body was doing - growing a human being that is - I just wasn't as comfortable seeing myself in pictures that late in my pregnancy. I also didn't think we'd find a photographer last minute, since I literally waited until last minute to contact one.
Obviously I had a change of heart and I decided that I would regret not having professional photos taken of my last pregnancy. We also haven't had any family photos done since Sully was born (other than the few for our last pregnancy announcement), so I knew I wanted a photoshoot that captured both since these photos would document our last days as a family of three.
I had been following Delle on Instagram for a while by then, and a few of my friends had also worked with her, so I was confident that her style of photography matched what I was looking for. Thankfully, she was able to squeeze us in during the busy month of December!
Delle met us at Edworthy Park on a very chilly, albeit sunny, Saturday morning to take these photos for us. Delle is a dream to work with - so patient, kind and calm. Sully, on the other hand, was not, but she never once let it faze her and I have to give her major credit for capturing some of my favourite photos of Sully to date, given how uncooperative he was being. Also, did I mention it was cold out? Too cold to take Sully's coat off to show off his adorable outfit, but what can you do? I still love the photos.
Happy February, friends! Intros are hard sometimes and I've been staring at this blank screen for far too long now, so let's just jump into it today, shall we? As most of you know, I had a baby at the end of December, but in case you were wondering, here's some other things I've been currently up to!
Thinking About: How glad I am that January is over. Not that I'm wishing for time to pass even faster than it already is, but January always feels like the darkest, coldest, slowest month of the year and I'm always glad when it's over. It's also the longest period we go with Jim not having an extra day off or a holiday day off, and I like any extra time we get at home with him. On the other hand though, January passed in the blink of an eye this year, mostly thanks to a certain little baby that is now a part of our life. We've been pretty much housebound most of January as I heal from my c-section, but even so, the weeks have passed quickly.
Reading: I read four books in January (go me!) and I'm glad that I'm finding the time to still make reading a part of my daily life. Some days are more challenging than others, and often I find myself staying up too late in order to get a few chapters in, but I guess some habits never die. I don't usually plan ahead for the month in regards to what books I'm going to read (I read based on what strikes my fancy at the time), but when my hold at the library for It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover finally came in, Faithful by Alice Hoffman happened to be sitting on the display shelf when I walked in. That book has been on my radar for a while now, so I scooped it up and then also grabbed The Lost Husband by Katherine Center since that book was also on the shelf at my local branch. Long story short, I'm looking forward to reading all three of these books! I'm just not sure which one to start with...
Listening to: I'm LOVING this song by Ed Sheeran right now:
Watching: Still working my way through Gilmore Girls (I'm halfway through season 3) and just about to finish up Season 12 of Grey's Anatomy. I will never tire of that show, I'm sure. When my mom was here for a few weeks, we started watching The Crown on Netflix (got through half the episodes) and I'm really loving it. I haven't gone back to finish it because I'm hoping my mom will be back this month and we can finish it together. Jim and I also watched the first episode of Riverdale last week and liked it more than we thought we would (I was a die hard Archie comics fan growing up!). It's got great potential and I'm looking forward to the next episode (they're releasing one episode every Thursday).
Eating: I'm working hard at being organized and meal planning since I can't exactly run out for groceries whenever I want right now and it makes me ridiculously happy when our meals are planned for the week and we aren't wasting groceries. Anyway, if you're a chicken fan, you need to try these two recipes: baked chicken breasts and whole chicken in the slow cooker. Both turned out fantastic! The baked chicken breasts one is awesome for having some extra chicken to throw into a salad for lunch during the week. And the slow cooker whole chicken - let's just say I don't think I'll ever be buying a cooked roast chicken from the grocery store anymore.
Wearing: Ha. Whatever is comfortable right now. Which means I'm still rocking maternity clothes since I don't like anything rubbing near my incision right now.
Looking Forward To: My sister visiting in less than two weeks! She hasn't met Emmy yet, so she'll be flying out to visit us for a week. I can't wait to see her (it's been far too long), and I'm also looking forward to having the adult company for the week.
Also, my little boy will be turning 3 this month! I've been putting it off, but I need to get on planning his birthday party! And now that he's older, I'm hoping we can do some Valentine's Day related crafts and/or baking.
Over to you! What are you reading right now? Are you watching Riverdale? Thoughts?
