Dear Zianne, I look at you and see myself at four years old. Light blonde hair, large vocabulary, very social, always twirling in a dress or reading a book. The resemblance, both in looks and personality, is uncanny. Our similarities drive me crazy yet stir deep sympathy and adoration in my heart. I sigh with exasperation as I beg you to wear leggings rather than a sundress on a chilly fall day. But then I crack a smile, because I despised wearing pants throughout my youth. I don't think I wore jeans until sixth grade. Every day after school, I would put on my fanciest dress and prance through the neighborhood pretending to be a princess, a teacher, or an orphan adopted into a rich family. Now you are the one with constant outfit changes, running into the living room with a different ensemble every five minutes. Long dresses, short dresses, skirts over dresses, tutus galore. But never pants, unless they are worn under a dress, of course. Your demeanor is so much like mine. I declared you an extravert when you were four months of age, and I was not wrong. You are highly social, confident, a lover of conversation. I told you the other day I admire your willingness to try out big words. You had just told me something was "educational," although it came out sounding more like "vocational." You tell me when something is "hilarious" or that you are "disappointed." You are barely four, but sometimes you sound like a ten year-old. I love the things we have in common, but I also want to celebrate the ways we are different. You are sillier than me. I think you get it from your dad. You love school like me, but you aren't quite as studious. You rush through your tracing without precision and your letters fly all over the page. You would rather paint than write. I've never seen anyone who loves art as much as you. You might be more outgoing than I was at your age. You are never bashful. Always assured. You know what you want and you seek out friendships. Sometimes you'll even seek out friendships for me. At dinner, you'll tell me, "I met a lady for you, mom. I think you should be friends with her." You are always eager to get out the house and explore public places - the gym, the library, a restaurant. I was more content to stay home as a child, but you want to go, go, go. You are a beautiful mix of your dad and me, and yet unique and vibrant in your own right. It's a joy to watch you grow and learn. I look forward to another of year of seeing you blossom. I think it's time to surrender to the outfit changes and simply delight in watching you leap and dance and twirl your way through life. Love you always, Mom ... Read more
Saturday Snippets
If you want to think upon what is lovely and noble, check out Good Black News... Some needed exhortation for pregnancy and childbirth talk... I've been spending extended time in the Psalms lately, and this Journaling Psalter looks rad (you can also buy it here with Prime)... I don't think I've bought new jeans since before Zianne was born. These are always an excellent fit for a great price... Another new Bible I would love to have on my shelf... I don't love StitchFix, but this profile of its founder Katrina Lake is super interesting... In honor of the Reformation this week, a short but informative biography of John Calvin... To help you process and pray about race in the Christian church... a podcast episode / a response to that podcast / an article extending the conversation I've been learning this lesson for three years now: every good mom dies... College students don't understand the First Amendment... Crazy survival story from the Sonoma wildfires... Just pick up your Bible... The great marriage killer - some conviction about anger... ... Read more
Le Tote Maternity: Is it worth it? (An honest, unsponsored review)
Over the past few months, I've been packing up maternity clothes and all those silly newborn items you use for just a few weeks but store in your garage for years. I'm looking at you - nursing tanks, boppy pillow, tiny swaddles, and burp cloths. I'm starting to feel like my non-pregnant self again, mostly sleeping at night and simply needing to lose 15 pounds (easy, right?). I recently reactivated my subscription to Le Tote, where I rent my clothes instead of buying them (see my past review here). During the final trimester of pregnancy, I used Le Tote's maternity subscription to keep the bump looking cute without buying even more maternity clothes I would later have to stash in a storage bin or pawn off on a pregnant friend. Before I wipe all the maternity items from my closet on Le Tote, I thought I would share a quick review of their maternity subscription. This is NOT sponsored by Le Tote. I just want to fill you in on how you can feel cute during week 39 of pregnancy without spending all your money in the Target maternity section. When I was pregnant with Zianne, I had fun buying some cute maternity dresses and tank tops to get my large body through the brutal Phoenix summer. I also had a friend loan me all her maternity clothes. I thought she was being generous, but it turns out she was just being crafty. She was in the middle of moving and lending her maternity clothes meant one less box to pack up and store. After I had Zianne, I realized it's actually not that fun to own maternity clothes, because you only wear them for three to six months, and then you have to figure out where to keep them. They are necessary, but highly impractical. Side note: I know some women solve this problem by wearing flowy, non-maternity items throughout pregnancy that can still be worn after the baby arrives. While I like the idea, I often notice that non-maternity clothes make pregnant women look frumpy and extra large, especially in photographs. I prefer to wear real maternity clothes, at least in the final months of pregnancy. They are more comfortable, since they are designed for the uniquely-shaped body of a pregnant woman, and they extenuate the bump, while allowing the thinner parts of my body to still be seen. Even though I've only had spring and summer babies, I have found that even the difference of a few months between my due dates has meant fairly different wardrobe needs during pregnancy. Zianne was born on the last day of a typical 110+ degree Phoenix summer. I was not teaching and could float in my pool in a bikini every afternoon. Eisley, however, was born in April in California, which means my bump was significantly popping by Christmastime. I was teaching full-time, so I needed professional, yet comfortable clothing for mildly cold weather. My Old Navy maternity tanks that I lived in with Zianne would not suffice. Enter Le Tote. I switched over to their maternity package when I was around 30 weeks, and I lived in their gorgeous dresses for the rest of my pregnancy. I had pretty bad varicose veins with Eisley, so I was desperate to keep my legs covered, but didn't want to buy more maxi dresses. Instead, I borrowed Le Tote's dresses and kept my legs hidden in style. Le Tote Maxi Dress Le Tote Maxi Dress Le Tote Tunic Top I loved this dress so much, I added it to two separate totes! (I also loved this black mermaid dress, this striped midi dress, and this striped maxi dress.) If I were pregnant right now, these would be my favorite pieces for fall: Tops: Ruffle sleeve / High-low textured / Embroidered yoke Bell sleeve dress / High shine leggings / Cross front sweater To sum it up: I loved using Le Tote Maternity during my 3rd trimester. I own a solid foundation of maternity pieces, but it was great to use Le Tote to fill in some gaps as far as professional clothing, spring styles, and long items to keep my legs covered. I also rented a few nursing items after Eisley was born, but then I put my account on hold for the summer while I was fluctuating sizes and off work for a few months. I love that you can freeze your Le Tote account at any time for as long as you want. I actually extended my freeze for an extra month or two, when I realized I didn't really have a need for Le Tote until school started up again. But now that fall has arrived, I am using my Le Tote subscription again and I love it. The downside is that the maternity option is expensive. It costs about $10 more per month than the regular subscription. I thought it was worth it, especially since I only used it for about ten weeks and then paused my account for a number of months, but cost may be a hinderance to some people. I truly wish Le Tote would drop their prices a little bit... If you are interested in signing up for Le Tote, you can use this referral link for one free tote. This post is NOT at all sponsored by Le Tote; I just really love their service and wanted to highlight their maternity option. ... Read more
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