3 Months

I can't believe our little flower is 3 months old already. That we've spent 12 weekends with her... time goes by way too fast. I love watching her grow and change and learn new things and skills everyday. I never imagined I would be a stay at home mom. When thinking about my future, I always imagined I would work because I really do enjoy working and contributing to my family, but our plans for our lives aren't always what is meant to be.  I've had to adjust my point of view and realize that I am still contributing to my family, but in a very different way. I do feel truly blessed that I am able to spend my days with Eloise, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

At 3 months, Eloise is:
➳ Loving her hands. They are always in her mouth, moving, batting at toys, and pulling on my hair
➳ Almost rolling over
➳ Talking so much, she tells us all about her life
➳ Wearing 0-3 months but is already in some 3-6. She's really long so all clothes fit her funny.
➳ Keeping her head level when pulled to a sitting position
➳ Sleeping about 4-6 hours straight at night
➳ Not really napping during the day :)
➳ Holding her head up when we hold her or help her sit
➳ Noticing Lucy more and loves when we sing to her

I am taking her picture every month on my Great Grandma's rocking chair so we can watch her grow.

Christmas Card 2015

Now that our family has grown we thought we should spend some time and thought on our Christmas Card this year (and actually send one out consistently). We live in a really beautiful part of the desert and wanted to capture that in a photo to remember how lucky we are to live here.  A lot of people hate 29 palms and dread being stationed here, but we truly enjoy it. There isn't a lot to do here as far as shopping, eating and theme parks like there was on the coast, but Joshua Tree National Park is so beautiful and we seriously go every weekend with or without visitors. So of course, we took our christmas card picture there, and it was quite the adventure.

We got ourselves ready, picked a cute outfit for Eloise (you can't even see it in the picture) and drove into the park with Lucy in the back. It took a while of driving around to find the perfect spot, and once we did, I set the settings on the camera and set-up my tripod (we don't know many people here and decided to take the picture ourselves). As soon as we took Eloise out of her carseat she started screaming :). So, I fed her, and it was actually perfect timing with the lighting by the time she was done and ready.  We set the self timer to take bursts of 10 pictures each time and after about 100 pictures, we found 2-3 that could work. If you can imagine trying to get a dog and baby to both look decent for the camera... it isn't easy. 

I usually use Shutterfly for all my photo projects, but I decided to try out minted since the price was comparable. There are so many beautiful options for cards and it was really hard to choose.  I love how our Christmas Card turned out and will definitely be using them again!  

Merry Christmas! 

Xo

Friday Favs

[ I am thinking about doing a Friday blog feature with my favorite products for every day life... I'll see how this one goes and decide if I will continue. If you have any products that you love and can't live without, I would love to hear about them :). ]


This Friday I want to feature our favorite and most used items for Eloise-- so if you're a mama or pregnant this one is for you ;). Click the titles to get to the websites!

1.  Solly Baby Wrap
I was really hesitant when I first bought my wrap. Online reviews of wraps in general aren't mixed and I wasn't sure if I would be able to wrap the fabric and tie it correctly. A lot of people don't like the wrap style carriers because they are difficult to learn to put on, but I ordered one anyway and I am so happy that I did.  I bring my Solly Baby wrap everywhere, and it's super helpful that it folds into itself with the little pocket on the end! With the weather here, it's really important to me to have something light weight that I can easily carry Eloise in. Solly Baby's website has really helpful videos of how to use the wrap correctly. Plus they have the cutest colors and designs (can I have one of each please?).

2. Timi & Leslie Rachel Diaper Bag
This diaper bag has been perfect for us so far. When I was looking at different bags before buying one, my only goal was to find one that didn't look like a diaper bag :). I still wanted to feel put together while carrying around all of our things. I love that it's faux leather and can be wiped down easily, and it is super cute!

3. Covered Goods multi-use nursing cover
After a couple of weeks without this, I discovered it's a necessity to have if you are breastfeeding and want to leave the house. Covered goods is made out of super stretchy, comfortable, breathable fabric. Unlike the typical nursing covers that drape over your neck, this has 360 degree coverage, perfect for nursing in public and on the go. I love that it's multi-use too! I use it over Eloise's carseat if it's cold and windy and it keeps her covered. There are so many great colors and prints on their website, go check them out if you're a nursing mama.

4. Moon Valley Organics Baby Bum Balm  & Rosebud Salve

Moon Valley Organics is a Seattle based company that provides organic, all natural, all sustainable products for everyday use. I have a lot of their products (go browse their website, seriously everything is amazing) and found that the Baby Bum Balm was quickly a favorite in our house. It smells great, moisturizes without being oily and doesn't irritate Eloise's skin. I use it all over her skin, not just her bum :). My favorite part is that is has less than 10 ingredients and I can pronounce them all.

"We grow our 100% USDA certified organic, sustainably farmed herbs using permaculture practices. They are carefully dried, processed and packaged on site. What we can’t grow we source from local organic farms and suppliers who support fair trade and (RAN) Rainforest Action Network."

AND their customer service is amazing, you can really tell that they care about their products and customers. I recently ordered another tube of the baby bum balm and it got lost in the mail. Just a quick email to them and I had a replacement balm within 3 days.

>>>

The rosebud salve is my most favorite product ever. I use it on my lips, cuticles, dry skin and I just found out it's great at treating diaper rashes. I never leave the house without it. It smells great and lasts forever!

5. Alexandra Rose Handmade Oversized Burp Cloths


I'll be honest...I originally bought one of these burp cloth sets because of the cute designs and thought I would find a use for them, but I quickly discovered that it's one of our most used items for Eloise. We use them all the time and I'm so glad we have 3 (sometimes I feel like we need more!). The cloths are beautiful and handmade and really great quality. We've washed them so many times and they still look brand new. We use them mostly when Eloise is on the couch for tummy time, playing in her crib and her changing pad in case of a mess, but they are great for anything!

6. KB cute Swaddle 
Another favorite handmade item-- the floral swaddle from Etsy shop KB cute Designs. We used this as Eloise's coming home outfit and took her first day home pictures in this blanket, so it holds a special place in our hearts. The material is so so soft and stretchy and is slightly heavier than most of our other swaddles making it great for colder nights. We use this blanket all the time and it seems like it gets softer with each wash. Plus we love everything floral and Eloise is always bundled in this blanket. Her Etsy shop has much more than swaddle blankets, too. Go shop!

If you have any baby related items that you can't live without, I would love to hear from you :)

Happy Friday!

Camille

Due Date

Yesterday was Eloise's due date; October 13th I was going to become a mama. Instead, September 24th my world was changed for the better.

Despite everything we have gone through medically to welcome her into our world, I am so happy she came into our lives when she did. We have enjoyed the past 3 weeks bonding with her and can't wait to watch her grow. We've had so much help and support-- we really can't thank everybody enough. From the cooking and cleaning to holding Eloise while we shower and rest, we truly appreciate it.

Eloise is developing her little personality already and is changing so much everyday.

△ Loves walks. We've been walking with her since the first week home
△Hates her arms swaddled. She needs them out all the time and by her face. We learned the hard way with trial and error when she was fussing all night.
△Loves being carried in her ring sling and wrap. I enjoy using both for different reasons but my Solly Wrap is my favorite.
△Loves baths, thankfully. & we hope it stays that way.
△Loves looking at Lucy but hates when she kisses her ;)
△Loves when Nick reads books to her

Welcome to the World, Eloise

We are so happy to announce that little Eloise Rose Burley was born on September 24, 2015 at 9:30pm. She was 6lbs 9oz and 20 inches long. We want to thank everybody who was praying for us. I really do believe that some miracles happened and that's the reason we have a healthy baby girl at home with us today.

I won't go into too much detail of her birth story, but it was the longest, most emotional and scary 5 days in the hospital for me and Nick. We are so lucky my mom and sister were able to fly out last minute to take care of Lucy and our home. We couldn't have done it without the support, especially with an unexpected long hospital visit.

I was admitted Tuesday to be induced and was released Sunday afternoon. I was stuck in the hospital bed from Tuesday morning until Friday afternoon due to my preeclampsia, with restrictions on food and fluids. Walking around Friday and my pancake for breakfast was the best thing ever. :)

On top of us worrying about Eloise's right kidney and the possible issues with her being born at 37 weeks, I also developed a fever during delivery and was treated for a possible infection in my amniotic fluid. By the time we were released, Eloise peed (such great news for her kidney), she was feeding great, didn't show signs of respiratory issues, and after being treated 24 hours through an IV for the infection in my fluid, her blood tests all came back clear. We still have to see a specialist for her kidney within the next couple of weeks, but avoiding surgery right away was such a relief for us. The doctors did find a small heart murmur after Eloise was born, and we had an EKG done yesterday. Thankfully, everything looked good enough for us to wait a couple of weeks to see a cardiologist for next steps.

This little girl keeps scaring us with these medical concerns, but keeps proving to us that she is a strong fighter. Please keep our family in your prayers for good news with her heart murmur and kidney. We really appreciate all the support and love so far; we truly are blessed.

Update on Eloise

9/11 UPDATE: After my 3rd round of testing, I was officially diagnosed with Preeclampsia. We are taking it day by day right now, and Eloise could be joining us at anytime. Please continue to pray for both of our health through this delivery! Thank you!

I have really been going back and forth on weather or not I wanted to blog about what's going on medically with me and Eloise. Some of you know whats going on, but the hardest part about writing this is we have minimal information and so many unanswered questions; information we won't know until she's born.

I have high blood pressure when I'm at the doctor's office and I've had it since I can remember. I get nervous and get anxiety and the numbers show it. Since day one of pregnancy, my OBGYN had me buy an at home blood pressure cuff and monitor my blood pressure daily. At home, everything is great! After I passed 20 weeks, the worry of developing Pre Eclampsia came up and I was tested for it (blood work and urine test). Thankfully, everything came back normal. During this time we moved to 29 palms and I was "doctor-less" because we switched our insurance and it had a delay. I drove back to Laguna Niguel for 2 more appointments and then was finally seen on base the beginning of August. Because of my record of high blood pressure, the new doctor wanted to re-test for Pre Eclampsia to rule it out again. And again.... all the tests came back normal. 

My new doctor on base wanted to monitor me closely because my blood pressure numbers do get so high. I have weekly NSTs (non-stress tests) and a few growth ultrasounds scheduled to ensure Eloise is growing properly and isn't stressed. High blood pressure can affect the placenta and cause the baby to be too small, so the ultrasounds are scheduled to check on the baby's progress.

At our first growth ultrasound, every parent's fear happened to me. The tech was really quiet and was looking in a specific area for a long time. I know that techs can't tell you anything without a doctor in a room, so I just laid there panicking quietly. I couldn't tell what she was looking at, but was praying it wasn't her heart or something life threatening. She told me that she needed to go get the doctor and that she would be able to tell me more about what's going on. They said Eloise is growing perfectly, that she was 5 pounds already, but they were concerned about her right kidney. They showed me the fluid around it, the enlarged urethra (the tube that connects to the bladder) and then showed me the left side as a comparison of what's normal. But that's all I knew. I called Nick and went to see my midwife for a little more information. All we were told was it could be nothing and work itself out before birth, or it could be a blockage or reflux in the kidney and urethra and would need surgery to fix it. But they set us up to see a specialist in palm springs to do further testing.

We had an appointment with a maternal fetal medicine specialist, but right now we still don't know much about whats going on. The specialist didn't seem confident that Eloise's kidney would correct itself before birth (but we can pray for miracles!). He gave us a high percentage for surgery after birth, but we don't know what that looks like or when that would happen. We do know that she will have two tests right when she's born to tell us more information-- to see if it's a blockage or reflux or just a slower functioning kidney. Right now, our next step is to meet with a pediatrician that specializes in this condition to make a plan for Eloise after birth. 

If you read through this, all we are asking is for positive thoughts and prayers for our little Eloise. We promise to keep an update as we find more. We struggled about putting this information out there because we know so little and are unable to answer questions. We don't want to worry anybody because this isn't life threatening, but we do want to keep our family and friends in the loop. 

It seems like plans change every week, so we are really learning to be patient and trust the decisions made around us. We are so thankful that this is a kidney we are dealing with and we know that little Eloise is going to be okay no matter what. 

Etsy

So I really went out of my comfort zone this week.

I opened an Etsy shop for my hand lettering prints.

 I'm just starting this hobby, and I'm not hoping to make money off of this-- I just wanted to share my work with other people and it actually forces me to practice. Please let me know if you have any ideas for quotes and I will make a print!

>> Etsy Shop: Lu&Lo Prints

ps. the shop name is inspired by: Lu for Lucy and Lo for Eloise :)

Lately

A lot has happened in the last month... so I'll give you a quick update! 

We have been spending a lot of time exploring Joshua Tree National Park. Each time we go, we find new things and it's more beautiful than the last. It's our favorite thing to do on weekends. There's something about being in the middle of nowhere with no cell service that I love; it forces us to relax, live in the moment, and focus on each other.

We also discovered the farmers market and a new coffee shop. We love Ma Rouge and now love the Natural Sisters Cafe. Sorry Starbucks: when you're 35 minutes away, sometimes we need other options ;)

I flew to Washington for a week for my baby shower and to visit family. My sisters and moms planned my shower, and it was so perfect and beautiful. Rachael had somebody come do my makeup and we were so blessed with all the things we need for little Eloise.

And we officially have 9 weeks left until we meet little Eloise Rose. We are so excited and anxious to get to know her and grow with her as a family of 3.

31 weeks:

Size of Baby: coconut

Maternity Clothes: yes!

Stretch Marks: Not yet :)

Cravings this week: Sprite and peanut butter

Sleep: I wake up every 2 hours and can't get comfortable

Movement: She moves all the time! I can feel her everywhere now

Belly Button: In

Wedding Rings: off 

Due Date: October 13

Nursery

We finally picked a name for our little girl coming in October.

Eloise Rose

I love it because it's a name that you don't hear often, like mine. I love that when I introduce myself to people the common response is "Oh I never hear that name! It's beautiful!" Hopefully Eloise doesn't grow in popularity too much.
We decided that if we don't call her Eloise, we will call her Ellie or Lo. I'm not a huge fan of nick names, so I really want to try to get her used to her full name and use it too. We will see :)

Since I haven't been working, I've spent a lot of time trying to put together her nursery. As much as I love pink and frillies on baby clothes, I wanted her nursery to be a little different, something that is easily transitioned to a room she will like when she gets older. I chose coral, gold, mint and grey as colors to decorate with. One of my favorite things in the world is Etsy and supporting small businesses that take pride in their work. I also found a lot of things in our house to re-use in the nursery. Her room isn't finished yet, but I wanted to share the progress we have made so far.

Putting it all together: (I'm tagging all of the shops, feel free to click the links!)
>> CRIB: The crib is from Babies R Us, a gift from my mom.
>> CRIB SHEET: The crib sheet is from a shop on Etsy, IvieBaby. I didn't like any of the sheets at the baby stores and wanted something unique with a fun pattern. She has the cutest patterns, so it was really hard to choose. I love it! I have some of her changing pad covers and bobby pillow covers on my registry, too. Go check her out!
>> CRIB SKIRT: I love arrows, and since her room has a little tribal theme, I decided to go with an arrow bed skirt. I chose white and grey in case I get a different crib sheet at any point. I think it matches with almost everything! Another Etsy shop-- Designs By Christy.
>> CHAIR:  The rocking chair has been in my family for a long time. It was my Great Grandma's, who passed it down to my Grandma Charlotte. Grandma Charlotte moved into a smaller condo a few years ago, and gave it to me. I remember growing up with that chair, seeing it in her and my Grandpa's home. I have pictures of me sitting in it when I was a baby, so it was really special that she gave it to me to use. I am so excited to use it with Baby Eloise now, and keep passing it in our family.
>> SIDE TABLE: I actually bought this table from the good will while we were living in Virginia. I fixed it up, sanded it and painted it blue for our room. Since then, we have changed our room decorations and it didn't match anymore. I bought some coral paint, spent a day painting it and now it's in the nursery!
>> DECOR ON TABLE: We used the little grey Moccasins for our announcement picture. They are from Freshly Picked. I look at their page daily and dream about having all the Moccasins. So cute! The book on the table is a journal from Anthropology, my all time favorite store. I thought we could use it to write down memories, milestones and little notes for her-- the things that don't fit in the baby book. Everything else on the table was random decorations from our house that fit better in the nursery.
>> MOBILE: I was so excited when I found this. I think it pulls the room together perfectly, and it's handmade! It's made out of delicate ribbons and lace and I couldn't help myself when I saw that the lace is a rose pattern. It's perfect. It's from a shop on Etsy called White Tail Road. She makes beautiful mobiles and dreamcatchers. Please go check her out!
>> WALL: The frames were old frames I kept from our wedding. I painted them with same color as the side table and kept two black and white to accent her name and the crib skirt. The deer head is from Hobby Lobby; it used to be in our guest room but it matched the nursery theme better.

If you have any questions about the room, I am happy to answer. I really enjoy putting designs and themes together. I will post the finished room when it's done :).
If you have an etsy shop that you want featured, please email me! camille.burley@gmail.com. I would love to take a look at your shop!

Making a house into a home

We are completely moved in our house, but some of the rooms aren't ready to be photographed yet :). When Nick and I got married, we put together a long list of things to purchase, mainly furniture and decorations, and made it a point to save for items we love and cross them off our list once we bought them. When we moved to Virginia, we had nothing except our clothes and wedding gifts. We had literally no furniture. We slept on a blow up mattress for at least 4 months and ate dinner on the floor. So after 4 years of planning, shopping and saving, we finally have our "home" put together. With moving around so much, we always have a small box of decorations that sits in the garage because not every item works in every house.

Luckily, we have the same taste in home decorating and we have loved making this house our home.

Soon, I will be posting a detailed post about the baby room, where everything is from and the name reveal-- so keep checking back!

Don't mind Lucy ;)

2 walk in closets and a normal closet- dream come true

Moving/ 24 Weeks

We are finally all settled in our new home and somehow surviving the desert heat (over 100 everyday!). We took a trip to Joshua Tree National Park already and love it! I can't wait until the temperature cools down enough to go explore the park by foot, not just by vehicle. I will write a post about all the vintage, rustic and unique places we have explored so far, but this area isn't as bad as I kept hearing about. I love shopping local and supporting individuals who are living their dream, and we are so lucky to do that here in the desert. We went antiquing the other day, found a cute coffee shop and nice restaurants. If you make the best of it and have a good attitude, you can find hidden gems and fun things to do in twentynine palms.

Joshua Tree National Park

24 weeks:

Size of Baby: Cantaloupe

Maternity Clothes: only shirts so far!

Stretch Marks: No

Cravings this week: Sprite/carbonated water, cereal and fruit

Sleep: Still uncomfortable, the heat is making it worse

Movement: I feel her all the time!! Nick finally felt her this week too :)

Belly Button: In

Due Date: October 13

Favorite Product: Mama's Belly Butter

I know stretch marks are unavoidable and hereditary, but I love this product for many reasons. I haven't seen any stretch marks yet :). I tried Palmer's and didn't like the scent. I use coconut oil sometimes, but it is a little too greasy for using it 2x a day. I use Mama's Belly Butter every morning and every night. It moisturizes, relieves itchiness and smells great! It is made with all organic ingredients, so it may seem a little pricy, but I've had my 4oz jar for 3 months and still have some left.  Plus, buying products that are all natural are worth the cost. I have sensitive skin so I was a little hesitant to try this out, but it's been great. I am so glad that I bought it because now I'm obsessed. Click HERE for the Empire Squid shop on etsy. If you're not growing a human, they have many other products, too!

20 weeks- half way there!

We are visiting family in WA for a couple of weeks. We drove and brought Lucy with us :). It was a long drive with a lot of stops, but we made it. I can't imagine doing another cross country move right now (2 days was enough), so I am really glad we are only moving a couple hours away to 29 palms. We have been spoiled with baby clothes and attention from our families! 20 weeks came so fast and I'm still feeling really good.

20 weeks:

Size of Baby: Banana

Maternity Clothes: only shirts so far!

Stretch Marks: No

Cravings this week: Sprite/carbonated water and taco time

Sleep: I'm getting more uncomfortable at night and it's been difficult to fall asleep

Movement: I can feel her at night a lot! We can't feel her from the outside yet

Belly Button: In

Due Date: October 13

Two New Feet!

First, I want to apologize for the lack of attention with our blog in the past 2 years. But, I'm back! and it's true, we are expecting a little girl in October 2015! We could not be more excited, and we have already been spoiled by friends and family. So far, I have had the easiest pregnancy. I never had morning sickness and me and the baby have been healthy at every appointment. :) My plan is to update the blog every week to document the rest of my pregnancy.

18 Weeks

Size of Baby: Sweet Potato

Maternity Clothes: only shirts so far!

Stretch Marks: No

Cravings this week: Cereal

Sleep: getting good sleep at night and no naps during the day anymore

Movement: I can feel small flutters occasionally

Belly Button: In

This is our announcement picture :)

We are also moving to twentynine palms in June! Though it's sad to leave the area we are living in now, we have learned to embrace the military lifestyle and find the good in every place we are stationed. We will be living less than 5 minutes from the entrance of Joshua Tree National Park in a cute, 3 bedroom HOUSE, with a back yard! And it's only a 2 hour drive, so saying "goodbye" to the amazing friends we have made here won't be as hard knowing we will only be a short trip away.