Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m a blogger/writer living in the Midwest with my two dogs, husband and 8-month-old baby, Bee. I love cheese, limited edition prints and cocktail rings.

What does a typical day look like for you?
I could give you a brief rundown, but I shared a pretty specific schedule here recently, and it’s still fairly exact!

What is your favorite thing about motherhood?
I feel like becoming a mother forces you to transcend your current situation. I mean, you’re kind of thrown into this utterly uncomfortable situation of postpartum healing and leaking milk and dirty diapers and endless tears, and then you wake up and realize that your newborn is a baby (and then a toddler, and then a child, and then a teenager…!) and you’ve made it through some really hard times together – and that you’re a better person for it. You’re kind of forced to no longer think about yourself as a singular unit, because you’re now part of someone else’s story. (I think, too, there’s a deep urgency to make that story into something beautiful, which makes you rethink the role you’re currently playing, you know?)

What has been the hardest part about motherhood?
Oh man – there have been so many hard days. Sometimes I feel like I’m walking around with a blindfold, terrified that I’m leading my child into harm’s way without even realizing it. There’s a lot of learning I still feel I want/need to do, but at the end of the day, motherhood is one big exercise in having faith: faith in yourself as a parent, your family as a rock and your child as an individual.

What is your favorite part of the day with your little one?
The morning! Our mornings are mother/daughter time, as my husband is a night-owl and sleeps in while I take over. We eat breakfast together and then have playtime as we listen to Billy Joel and stack blocks and practice walking (much too soon! Eek!). The sun is bright, the house is quiet and my phone is silenced. I cherish these mornings so very much.

How do you “do it all”?
Oh dear, I certainly don’t! I wrote a post on balance recently here, but I simply try to prioritize what’s most important to me in that moment. I’ve sacrificed the things that are less important to me (cooking, entertaining, decorating) for the things that are most important to me right now (time with my husband, feeling fulfilled with my work, caring for my daughter). This is just a season where I’ve been focusing more on myself and my family, and I think we all go through seasons where priorities shift and change and sift until there’s room for more experiences. For now, we’re just staying afloat! I’ll also say that my husband is an enormous help, spending time with Bee while I sneak in some uninterrupted work time. It’s such a blessing to have that time to truly focus.

What are your top 3 products for babies/toddlers?
Hmm, I don’t know about toddlers, but the best things for us (so far!) have been Bee’s Snug chair, Aden+Anais swaddle blankets and Polarn O Pyret’s footie pajamas.

What are your top 3 products for you?
My French press wins for sure. Next two would be my friend Martha’s scarves and perhaps my Whitney English day designer.

If you had 1 hour of free time (kid free and the chores are done) how would you spend it?
Oh, gracious; that sounds lovely. I’d sneak away for a leisurely lunch with my husband. Or curl up with a great book and a hot bath. It’s a toss-up.

Show us a glimpse of your favorite spot inside your home.
I love our sunroom in the summertime – it’s perfectly breezy and calm: instagram.com/p/K8jrBdv1ya

Any advice for other moms?
Oh, I’m no good at giving advice, but what helped me most was when someone shared their official parenting mantra: “This too shall pass.” It rings true for both the good times and the bad, and I’ve always found some perspective in that simple phrase.

- Thanks Erin for sharing your thoughts on mommyhood! You can follow Erin at Design for Mankind, Design for Minikind, and twitter.

mama

1. Striped Day Dress by Saturday/Sunday
2. Nouta Wedge by Jessica Simpson
3. Skinny Mini Bow Bangle by Kate Spade

baby

4. Pleated Sparkle Tank & Bloomers by Baby Gap
5. T-strap bow sandal by Baby Gap
6. Toy Camera by Little Sapling Toys

Earlier this week Shayne and I both took the day away from our work to go out and enjoy some much needed sunshine. As soon as Isley was done with her nap we hit the road and headed to the marina and sat by the water. Isley fell in love with a piece of grass and the breeze hitting her face. It was a gorgeous sunny day in the lower 80s. Today, as I glance out the window while typing this, it’s a sad, rainy, gloomy day. I had to look back on these photos and remember that in just a few days this rain will be gone and the sun will be shining.

This is going to sound a little nutty. For months I’ve been weirdly sad about something. That something is that we forgot to take a family photo of the three of us at the hospital when Isley was born. I know you’re thinking that she’s nine months old now and why would that still bother you? I know I can’t go back and have a redo. I guess it was also the fact that in the last nine months we have only a handful of pictures with the three of us.

Anyway, I guess Shayne got tired of hearing me whine about not having many family photos. Thanks to him and our handy tripod and remote I finally have a few pictures with this sweet little family of mine that I love.

p.s. If you’re currently pregnant, don’t forget to take a picture of the three of you after the baby is born:)

Anyone who knows me knows that I love a garland! I have a garland for every occasion (except for Izzie’s upcoming 1st birthday). So, while searching around etsy, I found these garlands from Steph Loves Ben. This shop is filled with handmade pretties like felt flowers, cake toppers and glitter garlands. Now if I could only choose just one!

Here are a few things Isley is doing this month:

Has two bottom teeth
Fastest army crawler in town
Says “dada” and “da” all of the time
Tried toast and loves yogurt
Moved up to 6-9 and 6-12 month clothing
Has so much personality
Has the funniest laugh but mommy and daddy are the only people that have ever heard it. She gets too shy to do it in front of others.
Takes two naps a day
Weighs 15lbs 15ozs and 27.2″ tall
Sometimes very wary of strangers or family members she doesn’t see everyday
Other times she flirts and smiles with strangers at the store
Always wants mama

Happy 9 months sweet girl! Looking forward to what next month has in store for us.