Wednesday, May 25, 2016

My Summer MUST HAVE: Freshly Picked Moccs





Chloe pretty much LIVES in her Freshly Picked moccs. She's 11 months old now, and takes off her socks if i put them on her, so I love that these actually stay on. They are buttery smooth and can we please talk about how cute they are? I've always been on the practical side of things. I never understood why a baby would need more than one pair of shoes. I have to say.. i've changed my ways, haha! 


Freshly Picked has recently released some extra adorable colors, and now I need a few more for our stash. The quality can't be beat and they last for a really long time, size wise, which I love. Chloe is pictured here, wearing FP's, " Bubblegum Licorice." The whimsical pink is perfect, but the black and white stripes on the heel, are what send them over the top for me. We get compliments everywhere we go! 
I really love that I can see her footprints forming on the bottom of our older pairs and I'm keeping her first pair (so tiny!) as an heirloom, to display in her room.

You guys. If you've been on the fence about purchasing a pair. NOW is the time!! Memorial day sale is on starting TODAY! Run... don't walk, before your favorites sell out. Everything in the shop is 25% off --- this doesn't happen often! Time to stock up. 

RIGHT NOW, I have teamed up with Freshly Picked and am hosting a giveaway for one lucky winner on my Instagram. Come find me @norwegianmum to enter!! Giveaway runs until June 1, 2016 at midnight PST. Good Luck!!!!

















Monday, November 9, 2015

New Obsession: My Review of Freshly Picked Moccs!



Ever since I became a mom in 2010, i've been a baby product and fashion guru. Maybe self proclaimed, but all of my friends and i are always chatting about what works, and what's cute. I always joke that my kids are dressed better than I am, but it's just so fun!! 

Now that I have my third baby, i've definitely had the chance to try out a lot of what's out there, and let me tell you.. Freshly Picked Moccs are right at the top of my list of must-haves. I first saw these beautifully crafted leather moccasins on Instagram. They come in an array of colors and patterns, and go with just about any outfit you can imagine, from onesies and leggings, to dresses- both casual and fancy. My first encounter with them up close was at Nordstrom. I was about 7 months pregnant and it was love at first sight. 
Buttery soft, beautifully textured, and too cute for words. 

Fast forward to my littlest babe, Chloe...and they are even cuter on. Hard to tell you what my favorite part is, but the honest to goodness truth? They STAY ON. My first two babes were constantly pulling off their socks or shoes and exposing their little toes during chilly winter stroller walks, or even losing them. I also tried other popular soft sole shoes, but they had suede bottoms, that really just didn't hold up. I love that Chloe's first pair of shoes are FP moccs. As much as I want to slow down time, I can't wait to see her little toe prints on the bottoms of the soles. A total heirloom. :)



A lot of mama's ask me about these moccs. What's so special, and why the hefty price tag? $60 can seem like a lot to shell out for such little feet but I have a couple of thoughts on this. First, they stay on and you won't have to purchase several pairs of shoes to replace the lost ones. Second, stay tuned for sales a couple times a year. You can score them for around $45 if you keep a lookout. Third, they are beautiful, and well made, in the USA. The quality can't be beat.
This company is an absolute delight to deal with and their product speaks for itself. And finally, they last for a long time. They are so soft and have the perfect amount of stretch to them. I did some research, reading, and talking to other mamas, and felt I should go with a size 3. Chloe is 4 1/2 months old and wears these great, but with lots of growing room. She can even wear a pair of socks with them, although they keep her feet warm on their own. She should be able to wear these beyond a year, and i'm already imagining her toddling around in a cute romper or summer dress. So if you're debating on a size, and can only get one pair.. get a 3!!





If you have a babe of your own, or want a great gift for an expecting mother or even a little one up to size 9 (in moccasins), then you will not regret this purchase! Cute, comfy, and super stylish. Chloe gets compliments wherever we go. Check out freshlypicked.com to see all of their moccs, crib moccs, hard soled shoes (sz 7-13) apparel, and even accessories.  My wish list includes the 'leopard as a neutral' moccs and 'The Next Step' shoes in platinum for my 3 year old.




I am now a Freshly Picked customer for life. Check them out! 

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Chloe is 1 month old!

Chloe Grace is 1 month old! Talk about the fastest month of my life! The first week or two was full of doctor appointments to make sure she was gaining enough weight since she was early and got down to 6 lb 7 oz. Once my milk came in, she continued to gain and has been doing great! They were concerned about possible jaundice at one point as well, but that went away before anything needed to be done. I was glad when she didn't have to be poked anymore and we got to be home!
She is still super sweet, and pretty easy honestly. Maybe because I'm super used to sleep deprivation at this point, and maybe because my other kids still require more attention. ;-) She spends most of her time sleeping. Thank God for babywearing or i'm not sure I'd survive! She smiles a lot in her sleep, and isn't a very fussy gal, thankfully! She's the spitting image of Rowan as a baby and both he and Isla are crazy about her. I just want her to stay little forever. Some more photos of her first month here with us!
not a fan of her first bath!


Fathers Day!






 Papa and Uncle David here from NZ

 4th of July!



Chloe's Birth Story

After a one year hiatus, I've decided I want to try and get back on the blogging bandwagon. I really love being able to use this blog to look back. Especially at the updates on my babies. Their monthly milestones, and of course...my birth stories. I probably won't be too active, with 3 kids in tow.... but I'll try my best to put something up every once in awhile. So, here's Chloe's birth story!

I'm sitting here next to my sweet little Chloe, now one month old. Hard to believe it's my official "due date." I had Rowan at 38 weeks and Isla at 37 weeks so I was pretty confident she'd come early too. I had even told a few friends I had a feeling she'd come at 36 weeks. This was by far my most uncomfortable pregnancy. I was swollen like crazy and my belly measured 41 weeks at my 35 week appointment. I had been sent for an extra ultrasound at 34 weeks and was told she was in the 98th percentile and that I had A LOT of fluid. 21 centimeters when the norm is usually 10-20. I was at the point where just walking around was miserable and I wasn't sure how I'd go much longer. My mom had come 5 days before to help me and to be here when I went into labor.
 I spent 9 months worried sick about this labor. I worried about the pain after two other unmedicated births. I worried about another super fast and intense labor. I worried I wouldn't make it to the hospital in time and that id deliver in the car. and I worried a lot about how Rowan and Isla (more, Isla) would cope when we left them for the first time ever, overnight. I had so much anxiety over it all and you know what? God took care of EVERY. SINGLE. DETAIL. So much so that I really just can't believe it.
The day before she was born, Russ' dad and brother arrived from New Zealand. I had been cleaning like crazy. My mom and I took the kids to the park and then to QFC. I baked a lasagna, and I just completely overdid everything. I was swollen and tired and joked that his family was going to put me into labor. They came over that evening and we had a really nice time. At the end of the night we concluded that they would come back the following morning at 9:30 and we would head to the lake to cool off. We never had that chance!
Because Russ' fam was here, he took Saturday off, which was a huge blessing. IF he didn't do that, I would have had Chloe in the car. We also discussed sending my mom home for the weekend because Russ would be there and I was really only 36 weeks. I couldn't imagine she'd come exactly 36 weeks on the dot. Russ put his foot down and said no. He said he didn't want to risk me going into labor. Thank God for his discernment!
Saturday morning Isla and I woke up about 6. I came out to the kitchen to get her some milk and cereal and turn a cartoon on. Shortly after, my mom woke up for the day. Russ and Rowan were still asleep. I sat down on the couch for a bit and all of a sudden felt a pop and a gush.. It was like a rubber band snapping, the same sensation I had when my water broke with Isla. My water broke all three times and contractions started right after. Kind of funny that it's happened that way every time, especially since it's so uncommon to have your water break on it's own. I yelled for my mom and told her my water broke. It felt super surreal. An ENTIRE month early?! My contractions started immediately at every 1-2 minutes. Thankfully I had already packed my bags so I quickly ran to gather a few more things while my mom went to wake Russ up. He called the hospital to tell them and to let them know I have a history of fast births. They asked to speak with me and said they'd be waiting and to head on in. At this point Isla started crying and yelling, " Don't go!!!" She was holding onto my leg and although I was in a lot of pain already, I was trying to comfort her, while holding back tears. She had had a tough time recently and I had been trying to prep her a few weeks leading up to my labor, to be without me at night. My mom had to pick her up and Russ and I quickly left after kissing both babes goodbye. We drove up the quiet highway and I started to get super anxious. I told Russ I wasn't sure I could do it again and that maybe I really wanted an epidural this time. He said we should just see how it goes and to check how dilated I was when we got there before making any decisions. I agreed. When I was in labor with Isla I was already at an 8 when we arrived at the birth center. We parked outside the hospital and Russ put the hazard lights on and quickly walked me inside. The security officer didn't even make us check in or show him our IDs. He could see I was in serious pain and just let us through. We took the elevator up to triage and my contractions continued to pick up in time and intensity. The triage nurses were great and only asked me a couple of questions as I was right in the middle of painful contractions. They actually didn't officially admit me until after Chloe was born. They brought me back to a bed and hooked me up to the monitor. I was introduced to my labor and delivery nurse who I loved! Such a better experience than when I was in the hospital with Rowan. All of the ladies back there were so sweet and helpful. I got my IV for fluids and then got checked. I was only 4 cm. I couldn't believe it. I told them through tears that I wanted an epidural. I felt guilty but I just wanted a peaceful experience and I was worried  be in that amount of pain over the next few hours. they all assured me it would be okay and that if that's what I wanted, that's what I should do. They called the anesthesiologist and asked her to meet us in my labor room. I walked there but started having contractions less than 30 seconds apart. I think I knew deep down, that I wouldn't have the chance to get an epidural, but it gave me some peace  to think I might be able to end the pain soon. I asked the anesthesiologist how long it would take to get the epidural. She told me 15 minutes. I couldn't imagine another 15 minutes just to get it in, let alone facing contractions every 30 seconds while curled up in a ball on the bed. She said they could do a spinal and my midwife agreed it would be a better option. I sat on the bed and had a few VERY intense contractions. The anesthesiologist never found a spot she was confident with and Russ was finally like, " Someone needs to check her before this happens." I'm SO glad he said that. She checked me only 20 minutes after I had been at a 4, and I was already 9.5 cm. I was SO glad, and so scared because I knew this was really happening. I told the lady to get out of the way, and I was ready to push. I pushed twice in the most barbaric, TV-like moment you could imagine. Russ said it was amazing, haha! When Russ saw her head he had tears in his eyes and said " She's almost here babe!" He's never cried in any of my births, and just isn't the crying type at all. It really motivated me to get her out quick!! She came out and I was SO relieved, and SO happy she was here. They immediately placed her on my chest. I wanted to wait until the cord stopped pulsing to cut it and she was screaming her little lungs out. As Russ cut it, I was able to snuggle her better and she calmed right down. I soon felt another contraction and pushed the placenta out. I had a second degree tear and was overall in shock that it all happened so fast (again) but I was just ecstatic. 2 1/2 hours total. Water broke at 6:30 AM and she was born at 9:01. I'm really happy it didn't workout to get the epidural because even though I was scared of the pain, a med free birth Is what I desired.

 Chloe Grace Dray. 7 lb. 1 oz. 19 inches long. Pretty big for 36 weeks! She is perfect and beautiful and sweet as can be. She is the missing piece to the puzzle in our family. Seeing my kids all together is the greatest blessing I could ever imagine!
 
 




 














 

Monday, June 16, 2014

Jesus Saves Bro!

When I saw these shirts circulating, I Just had to get one for Ro! I decided to take the kids to the park last week and take a little impromptu photo shoot. We also found a park I’ve been meaning to check out with these HUGE slides on the side of the hills. So fun and scary. I definitely didn’t think Rowan would do it on his own but he didn’t skip a beat. Isla is usually my little dare devil but the poor girl had tears in her eyes…until she went down on my lap and requested a repeat performance.

DSC_0012DSC_0010 DSC_0033  DSC_0027    DSC_0046“ I need Mama!”

DSC_0050DSC_0058These are my kids in a nutshell. I take them to a playground and all they want to do is play in the dirt. They did this FOREVER. DSC_0069 .3 DSC_0092 DSC_0101 DSC_0103