Dominic's Newborn Session by Lauren Jolly Photography

I am THRILLED to be sharing Dom's newborn by my good friend Lauren Jolly Photography with you today! Lauren and I met through a local photography group when Alex and I moved to Winston about a year ago and she quickly became a wonderful friend! Lauren and her husband Vaughan and their sweet son Finn attend Emmanuel now and it has been such a joy to get to know Lauren and her family. Lauren is a very talented newborn/birth film photographer and I was overjoyed to have her capture such a special time in our lives! Here are some of my favorites:

Dominic's Nursery Reveal

I had SO much fun putting Dom's nursery together! Seriously, it is probably the most put together room in our house right now. :) I created this board on Pinterest as I brainstormed ideas. My goal was a gender-neutral nursery and so I went with a gray color scheme with pops of blue and turquoise. I really wanted a gender neutral nursery that I can use again, Lord willing, when we have more children.

My goal was to get this photographed before Dom arrived but he came a little earlier than expected so I just got the chance to take pictures. :) I ended up taking them while wearing Dom on me in the Solly Baby Wrap because he currently insists on being held 24/7. #newbornlife :) Scroll through the whole post to see pictures and you'll find sources for everything at the end!

Sources: 
Bible Verse Signs: Joyfully Said Signs; Animal Wall Prints: Homegoods; White Dresser & Blue Nightstand: Vintage; Crib: Given to us and painted with Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint; Mobile: Target; Pillows: Homegoods & IKEA; Stuffed Animal in Crib: Pottery Barn Kids; Crib Sheet: Target; Rug: Rugs USA; Pouf & fur rug: Homegoods; Glider: Craigslist (originally purchased from Wayfair); Shelf: IKEA; Letterboard: Amazon; Shoes: Target; Changing Pad Cover: Target; Storage Bin: Target; Curtain rods: Target; Curtains: Target; Sheep book ends: Amazon; Bookshelves: IKEA

Dominic Fisher DiPrima's Birth Story

Dominic's birth story: 

It's hard to believe I'm already sharing Dom's birth story! He wasn't due until October 27th so I fully expected to still be pregnant with him at this point (my mom was two weeks late with me and I just assumed my baby would come late too!). I love reading birth stories and so I wanted to share Dom's story for those of you who are interested!

Towards the end of my pregnancy, Dom was measuring small and, more specifically, his abdomen was in the third percentile. The abdomen being so small in comparison to the rest of his body can be a sign that the baby is no longer getting all the nutrients he needs from the placenta. My doctor thought he was likely just a small baby because I'm so small, but he felt like it would be safest to induce me early at 38 weeks in case there was any problem with the placenta. I was pretty disappointed because I really wanted to go into labor naturally and I've heard a lot of stories about how being induced early can be a very long process because your body isn't ready for labor yet and it can be a lot more painful because you're given picotin which causes sudden and strong contractions to hit you instead of the natural build up of contractions you get in normal labor. Even my doctor told me to be prepared that it would likely be at least a 24 hour process. I was also disappointed because I knew I'd be confined to the hospital bed since they would have to monitor me continuously instead of walking around, getting on the exercise ball, etc. like I had planned to do to work through contractions. But I knew that God was in control and ultimately, I wanted whatever the doctors thought would be best for Dominic!

One of the nice things about being induced was that we had a week's notice! Granted, I had NOT expected Dom to come 2 weeks early so the week before I was going to be induced was definitely a major crunch time to try and finish things out with my job and get everything prepared for him to arrive. The night before I was going to be induced, Alex and I went out to dinner and had Pad Thai (which seemed like a fitting meal to have before the birth of our son since we also had Thai food on our first date together!). I woke up on Monday morning, 10/16, nervous and SUPER excited to meet our baby boy! Alex made me a hearty breakfast of pumpkin waffles and bacon and we finished packing our things to head to the hospital. After we got to the hospital we waited around for a few hours and finally around 1:30pm that day they gave me a drug called cytotec to begin the inducement. Because I was only 1cm dilated they couldn't start picotin until I dilated further. The doctor told me they'd give me doses of cytotec every 4 hours and that it could be 12 hours before I started having any contractions. My friend Andrea and my sister-in-law Sam and Erin all planned to be at the delivery with Alex and so I told all of them that they should hold off coming and likely nothing would be happening until late Monday night or Tuesday.

Sam decided to just be there from the beginning so after I got the cytotec Alex, Sam, and I played a few rounds of Skip Bo to keep my mind off the waiting! I started getting contractions within an hour or two of getting the drug but I figured they were probably not anything to get excited about and that I'd be experiencing those for a long time before I dilated much. By the time 5:30pm rolled around and it was time to get my second dose, the contractions had picked up a lot and they were still bearable but they were feeling a lot more intense then I was expecting for that early on. I asked the doctor to check me and I was SO nervous he was going to say I had barely progressed at all. To my shock, he said that I was already at a 3.5 or 4!!!! My plan was to make it at least to 3 or 4 before getting the epidural because I knew once they gave me Pictotin the contractions would get really intense. Well to my surprise again, the doctor said the cytotec basically induced me into "natural" labor and I wouldn't even need the Picotin. I guess Dom was ready to come out and meet us and he just needed a little boost! I was still managing the contractions but I decided to go ahead and order the epidural since I knew it would take some time to get to me. Boy am I glad I did because in the 30 minutes before the anesthesiologist got to my room, my contractions got much worse and it was so hard not being able to move around at all! Those were the most intense 30 minutes of labor when I experienced the most pain. 

I was SO happy when the anesthesiologist got there and the epidural was no big deal! It took less than 10 minutes and I only felt a small amount of pressure. After getting the epidural, I felt amazing! I couldn't believe that it took the pain away and yet I still had some feeling in my feet and could feel pressure. After a few minutes, I started feeling a lot of pain again on my left side. I thought "Oh no, it didn't take on my left side and I'm going to feel everything!" The anesthesiologist told me to tell them if I started feeling pain so we called them back in and they added another dose of medicine to my epidural and then I felt great! The doctor checked me again and Alex said (half jokingly because I'd only been in labor about 5 hours), "Alright doctor, tell us she's at a 6!" My doctor turned around and said, "How does a 7 sound?!....now an 8!" I could NOT believe it. Shortly after that, I thought I started feeling some pressure and the urge to push. We called the nurse in and had her check me again and she said I was at a 10!!!! She said the doctor had actually left the hospital for 15 minutes to grab dinner so she said I'd have to hold it or they'd find someone else to deliver me. Um...what?! I think they were just all shocked HOW quickly Dom was ready to come out. So I literally laid there for 20 minutes trying not to push. I kept telling my friend Andrea that I was afraid he was just going to come out (I kept thinking of all those stories you hear of women delivering in cars, etc.). Once the doctor got there I started pushing. That was an incredible experience knowing that with each push, I was getting one step closer to meeting my baby! I pushed with each contraction for about 15 minutes and then Dom's head came out and the rest of his body quickly followed! He arrived at 8:45pm on 10/16/17! I wish I could say my first thought was happy but my immediate first thought was, "he's so small and purple...is he ok?!?!" They had to take right away (not out of the room just over to the side) to check him because he was so small. Thankfully he was fine and they gave him right back to me. I started crying and couldn't believe this beautiful baby boy was mine!!!

I got to hold him for about an hour and then they weighed him and told me he was 5lbs 2oz and 19" long. That was also a surprise because I was expecting him to be at least 5.5 or 6lbs because at my last ultrasound they had told me he was 5.5lbs. Labor honestly was an amazing experience and one I'll cherish forever! I know God definitely blessed me with an easy labor and I am so thankful! I'm still in awe of how God's intricate design for bringing life into the world and that I carried this beautiful baby inside of me for 9 months!

Dominic's Name Meaning:

We decided to name our son Dominic Fisher DiPrima. We like Dominic because of how Italian it is and that it goes well with DiPrima. We also like the nicknames you get from it like "Dom" and "Nico." "Dominic" also has a great meaning, it is a Latin name that means "Belonging to God." Dom's middle name is "Fisher" after Alex's mentor and long-time pastor, Pastor Fisher. Pastor Fisher married Alex's parents, he married us, he's been Alex's pastor most of his life, and he has poured his life into Alex's and been a huge part of the man and pastor Alex is today. We couldn't think of a better namesake than Pastor Fisher and I pray that Dom grows up to become a godly man like him.

Thankfully Sam took some pictures of the birth on my camera and she did an AMAZING job! I think she may have a future in birth photography! Here's a few of my favorites ( and stay tuned for more posts soon on Dom's nursery and his newborn pictures):

My Baby Registry List

I have probably spent WAY too much time researching what to put on our baby registry, but I have enjoyed it! Based on a Facebook poll, lots of Pinterest articles, asking friends, and blogs, I have come up with my baby registry list. I'm certainly no expert since I haven't even had a baby yet, but I wanted to share some of my research with you because I found it SO helpful when I was first trying to figure everything out.  I will also do an updated post once we've had Baby DiPrima to share what my favorite registry items ended up being, what I could have gone without, and what I wish I had gotten. I know every baby is unique and so a list that works perfectly for one mom won't necessarily work perfectly for me. I look forward to learning and figure out exactly what my baby likes!

First of all, I decided to register at Amazon and Target. I really debated about Amazon because I was nervous people would want to go into a physical store. But so far that hasn't seemed to be much of a problem (except maybe for a few older relatives!) and it has been much easier for out of town friends and family! And these days with Amazon Prime, it seems like many people prefer to shop online rather than go into a store anyway. I registered for most things at Amazon because they are usually less expensive on Amazon and Amazon has the largest selection. I also love Amazon's registry benefits which include a one time 15% completion discount and a $100 diapers and wipes credit if $1000 is spent from your registry. Another cool thing about Amazon's registry is that you can add items from other websites (so I was able to list a few items from Etsy, Land of Nod, etc.). The other place I decided to register was Target. I ended up double registering for some things in case people prefer to purchase them in person rather than on Amazon. I really debated back and forth between Target and Babies R'Us but I landed on Target because Target is convenient for most everyone and because they have really cute nursery items, bedding, clothes, etc. I also like that Target has a one time 15% registry completion discount. The downside of Target is that they don't have a huge in store selection but I did my best to try and select as many items available in stores as possible.

If you'd like to see my full registry, you can find them online at Amazon and Target.

Without further ado, here's some of my top registry items:

Travel:

City Select Stroller: This was one of the items I did the most research about. After talking with several friends and reading lots and lots of reviews, I decided the City Select Stroller sounded like the best fit for our family. I love the City Select Stroller because it has 16 different configurations and you can attach an infant car seat, buy the second seat to turn it into a double stroller, etc. The options are endless and it really seems like a great fit for a growing family. I felt that, while in the short term this is more money than a lot of strollers, it will hopefully save us money in the long term because, Lord willing if we have other children, we shouldn't have to buy a separate double stroller. If you'd like a less expensive option or don't feel you need one that can later be converted to a double, I've heard great things about the Baby Jogger City Mini GT.

Chicco Keyfit Car Seat: I also did a ton of research about the car seat! I ended up choosing the Chicco Keyfit because it has great reviews, I have several friends who love it, and I've heard it's lightweight and easy to use. There's an adapter you can purchase with the City Select stroller to add this car seat to it.

Skip Hop Diaper Bag: I heard from many people to consider getting a backpack diaper bag so I can have my hands free. I absolutely LOVE how chic this bag is and I can't wait to use! 

Ergo Baby Carrier: A friend ended up giving me her Ergo Baby carrier and I can't wait to use it! I've heard this is an amazing carrier and is great when you're baby gets a little older.

Solly Baby Wrap: I think the Solly Baby Wraps are GORGEOUS and I love the idea of keeping my baby close to me when he's very little. I've heard these wraps are great for young babies before you want to put them in the ergo.

4moms Breeze Playard: This was an item I debated a ton about. It's definitely a splurge and I know there are certainly other great and much less expensive playards out there. I had actually originally registered for a less expensive Graco pack n'play and changed my mind but if we don't end up getting it, I know there's other great options! One of my good friends shared with me that she thinks it's worth investing in some of the key baby items you'll use over and over again because they'll last longer, be more user friendly, and hopefully help us get through multiple children. This playard has amazing reviews and I love that it is simply, looks minimalistic, is safe for newborns and toddlers, and, most importantly, it's supposed to pack up in a "breeze!" The playard is something I imagine we'll use a lot, potentially in the beginning as a bassinet and then later for travelling, taking naps away from home, etc. 

Gear and Toys:

Fisher Price Rock'n'play: This is one of those items I heard over and over again that we MUST have. I plan to put baby DiPrima in the Rock'n'play during the first several weeks and keep him in our room. I know I will also use it a ton for naps and as a place to put him down when I need my hands free. One friend gave me good advice to be sure I get one that plugs into an electrical outlet so I'm not having to change the batteries out all the time.

4moms Mamaroo:  I've heard amazing things about the Mamaroo and I love that it is compact, nice looking, and is both a swing and bouncer in one. Whenever possible, I'm trying to cut down on the number of things we get and get items that double up for multiple purposes. I love that this has multiple settings and can be connected to music through your iPhone!

Skip Hop Playmat: I love Skip Hop items and loved the simple look of this playmat! 

Sophie La Giraffe: I've heard over and over again that this is often baby's favorite toy and is great for teething. I also love how adorable it is!

Infant Optics Baby Monitor: I originally registered for the Motorola monitor (which I've heard very good things about!) but switched to this monitor because of all the amazing reviews on Amazon. I like that this one pans and tilts and, unlike the motorola monitor, you can add different lenses (wide angle, zoom, etc.) if needed. I've also heard the battery life is much better than motorola and other options out there.

Hatch Baby Rest: This just seems like the coolest little gadget to me! It is a sound machine and night light that can be controlled remotely from your phone. You can use it as a soft light for nighttime feedings, brighter lighter for when it's ok to wake, etc. You can also change the color of the light, sounds, and volume to help establish healthy sleep routines.

Dock-A-Tot: Again, this is certainly not a necessity, but I have heard AMAZING things about the dock-a-tot. You can use it for co-sleeping (which I don't plan to do but like that I would have the option), as well as a lounger and you can put it in the crib to create a more cozy "womb-like" environment. 

Feeding and Diapering: 

Skip Hop High Chair: I told you I love the Skip Hop brand! ;) I absolutely LOVED the look of this high chair and if it's going to have to sit in my kitchen for several years, I'd like to not hate the way it looks. While it's beautiful, it also has good reviews, seems very easy to clean, and can be converted to a toddler booster seat. We have an island where we eat a lot of our meals so I plan to pull this up to the island. In addition, a friend also gave me this type of seat that I plan to strap into our dining room table chair and also to use for travel.

Milk Snob: I think this is so cute and I love that it can be used as a nursing cover or as a car seat cover!

My Brest Friend Pillow: I've heard from a ton of people that they prefer this to the boppy for breast feeding. It sounds like it provides great support.

Medela Pump in Style: After hearing many great things, this is the pump I ended up getting! I got the pump for free from my health insurance so be sure to check with your insurance! I didn't get the accessories so I registered for a cooler, car charger, and battery charger as well because I'm going to have to pump while shooting weddings.

Tommee Tippee & Dr. Brown's Bottles: I've heard so many different things about so many bottles and I know it's one of those things we're just going to have to try out and see what baby DiPrima like the best! These are the 2 I have consistently heard good things about for breast feeding moms because they both release milk slowly. I have heard the Tommee Tippee bottles are easier to clean! 

Baby Beaba: This isn't a must have but it would be nice to have! I'd like to make my own baby food and I LOVE that this both steams food (even meat!) and purees it. I'm all about anything that's going to cut down on time in the kitchen and make my life easier!

Aden & Anais Burpies: I also love everything Aden & Anais! I've heard these burpies are amazing and they are so cute and can also be used as bibs! 

Dekor Diaper Genie: I like the look of this diaper genie and I like that it can take regular trash bags. I've also heard great things about the Ubbi diaper pail but I decided it wasn't worth it to me to splurge on the genie since I'm not sure if we'll end up wanting one (I have a feeling we will but I've also heard from others they prefered just to put diapers in the outside trash can right away).

Postpartum Nursing Essentials: I wrote a blog already on some of the postpartum clothing items I've wanted so I won't go into all of that. But scroll on the widget below to see lots of other suggestions for postpartum nursing essentials like these camis, these bras, nursing pads, steam bags (for quickly sterilizing pump parts in the microwave), etc.
       

Safety & Bath:

Humidifier: I love the look of this humidifier and I definitely think it will come in handy fighting off sickness! I felt that this was especially important to get since we'll be having a baby just as winter and flu season are beginning.

NoseFrida: I've heard this is a must have to get rid of baby boogers (it still weirds me out that you do that by sucking on it buuuut I guess that's #momlife). I've heard it's very important because babies get boogers and colds so easily and they really need to have clear nasal passages to breastfeed well. Also, thankfully, this doesn't actually get their boogers anywhere near your moth. ;)

Eurobath: This has great reviews and I've heard it's an amazing baby bath! I love that it's large and can be used from 0-24 months

Baby Care Kit: This kit includes all the essentials you need to do things like trim nails, dispense medicine, comb hair etc. 

Rectal Thermometer: It sounds sad but I've read that in the beginning it's best to use a rectal thermometer because that will give you the most accurate reading of the baby's temperature. 

Miscellaneous:

Now for a final, few miscellaneous things! I didn't register for many clothes, blankets, diapers, or books because I was told that people would automatically get those things. So far that has been true! However, there were some miscellaneous things that I wanted to be sure to get:

Zip-front Play N'Sleepers: I've heard from several people to be sure to have a lot of footed play n'sleepers that ZIP up (no snap up ones). That makes total sense to me because in the middle of the night, I know the last thing I'm going to want to do is snap up PJs.

SwaddleMe Swaddlers: As you'll notice, I registered for several different kinds of swaddles. I've heard from many people that I'll learn which kind I prefer and I may prefer to use different swaddles at different stages in baby's development. I've also heard you can never have too many swaddles or blankets! I've heard these swaddlers are amazing because they just velcro!

Aden + Anais Swaddles: I've heard so many great things about these and about how soft they are, how well they hold up, and that they can be used to swaddle, used as blankets, and used as nursing covers.

Halo Sleepsack: I believe this is the type of swaddle hospitals recommend and I've also heard from several that it's what their baby liked best! I also like that it just zips up.

Wubbanub Paci: I think these are so cute and I've heard from so many how much their kids love these! 

Waterproof liners: I registered for waterproof liners for our changing pad, crib, king mattress (in case my water breaks or we do any co-sleeping), and waterproof playard sheets. #wewillstaydry

Dreft Stain Remover: I've heard this is the best stain remover for babies and I know we'll be needing a LOT of stain remover and detergent in the next year!

Baby Book: I think this book is DARLING and I love how minimal and clean the design is! I also love that it is handmade by one woman who owns her own business.

Phew, so there you have it! There's all the major things I registered for! I hope you found this helpful if you're a soon to be mom or perhaps a mom having another child who wants to stay updated on the newest products out there. Do you have any favorite things you registered for or received that I missed? Do you have some of the items I listed? What do you think about them? I'd love to hear all about your thoughts!

P.S. If you're in a different season of life and currently creating a wedding registry, I created a post a while back on 8 Wedding Registry Essentials!

29 Week Pregnancy Update & Maternity Leave

It's hard to believe I'm already in my third trimester! I wanted to share a pregnancy update with you today and also fill you in on my maternity leave plans:

How have you been feeling?
Overall, I've been feeling great! I'm so thankful this has been an easy pregnancy so far! Baby DiPrima is definitely an active baby and seems to like to kick me HARD every night as I'm trying to fall asleep. :) I've started to notice a little more pregnancy insomnia and some nights I've had a really hard time sleeping (probably also because of the kicking!). I've also started to get a little more back pain. But overall I feel good and baby DiPrima has been growing at a healthy rate and looks healthy at every doctors appointment. Also, I recently passed my glucose test so that was a big relief!!!

When will you take maternity leave?
I will not photograph any more sessions after October 7th. I will still respond to emails, phone calls, etc. for a few more weeks and then I will officially be on maternity leave October 23-January 1. During maternity leave I will still book 2018 & 2019 weddings and sessions, but otherwise I will be largely unavailable. If you are a current client or hope to be a future client, I ask that you please get in touch with me before the end of October! Also, if you're hoping to do a fall session, spots are filling up very quickly and I suggest you get in contact with me to book ASAP. I also have more information on fall mini sessions being offered here.

Dress: Mossimo (similar here, here, and here); Necklace: Kendra Scott; Shoes: Tahari (available in black here and perforated here)

What things did you love during your second trimester?
My sister-in-law let me borrow her maternity pillow and that has been AMAZING! I think it has helped some with the back pain because putting a pillow in between your legs when you sleep on your side helps to align your spine. I have also been living in these  and these elastic non-maternity linen shorts (and here is the pants version!), this dress, and I've been loving these long camis. I love that I'll be able to use many of these items even after the baby comes! I haven't done as much reading as I wanted to, but I've enjoying this book that my friend Lauren gave me. I'm hoping to read Baby Wise soon too...please let me know if you have any other suggestions!

Shop some of my favorites by clicking on the images below:

Do you have a name picked out yet?
We get asked this question quite frequently and the answer is no. :) We have about three names we're debating between but we still need to make a final decision. It feels like such a big decision to make!

What are you most excited about during your third trimester?
Baby showers! I finally finished my baby registries at Amazon and Target and that felt like quite a feat! There are so many opinions and options and so I tried to do a ton of research and ask my mom friends and I think I have hopefully made good decisions, at least about the big things like car seat and stroller! My friends have been so kind to offer to throw me showers in Clemson, Winston-Salem, and Mebane and I'm really excited to have a reunion with so many close friends and to celebrate Baby DiPrima! I'm also excited to finish getting the nursery set up. Right now we have the room painted, curtains hung, and I bought a vintage dresser/changing table. We still need to set up the crib (I'm thinking about painting it...anyone have any suggestions on that?!) and decorate. 

Also, I'm beginning to think about postpartum clothes. I want to stock up on comfy pajamas, nursing bras and camis, cozy sweaters, loose and flowy tops, and nursing friendly outfits. You can see what's on my wish list (or a few of these items I have recently purchased!) here: