tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12296127724736556692024-03-05T00:23:48.727-05:00ROSYRILLIROSYRILLI is a space for mommy-hood, suburban living, food, and every day's memorable moments. RosyRillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09916475974293556699noreply@blogger.comBlogger285125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229612772473655669.post-17513542558664855632015-12-04T10:45:00.000-05:002015-12-04T10:53:51.919-05:0012/30/14 Pregnancy tips<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman";">Post may contain affiliate links. Explanation </span><a href="http://www.rosyrilli.com/p/partner.html" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';" target="_blank">here</a><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman";">. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">IN HONOR OF MY LADY FRIENDS WHO ARE EXPECTING, I give you this:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am by no means an expert on pregnancy now that I've gone through it and come out the other side a mother but there were, in retrospect, a few things I think truly helped me avoid some of the more uncomfortable aspects associated with a burgeoning baby bump. I figured I'd share them here in case by chance they may help you or someone else you may know. Also, if I ever find myself in the bun baking business again, it probably isn't a bad idea to note what worked the first time around. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">First, drink lots and lots of water. I'm talking 3 liters of the good stuff...daily. The best advice my doctor gave me was to literally measure it out. Go buy yourself one of those liter size bottles of water and re-fill it 3 times a day. You'd be amazed at how much water it is but also how quickly you get used to drinking said amount of water. Besides the medical benefits of doing so, drinking such a significant amount really helped me avoid cankles and constipation. Towards the end of my pregnancy, I saw one of the nurses quite frequently during my weekly visits to the office, and I recall her telling me that she always knows which ladies aren't drinking enough by the size of their ankles. I can't make this stuff up.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Speaking of constipation, do NOT overdose on bread. Be mindful of how many carbs you're eating. For instance, cereal for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, a piece of bread and butter as a mid-afternoon snack and pasta for dinner (because who feels like actually cooking?) will <i>not</i> do wonders for the time you spend in the loo. If by chance you have a bad day (meaning you've practically overdosed on carbs), just make sure it's not followed by a string of very bad days. Maybe tomorrow have a salad for lunch instead of the sandwich? Or soup? Or try to, at the very least, make sure it's whole wheat. I made the mistake of buying a loaf of potato bread once and proceeded to go on a bread and butter binge for a few days. It was glorious tasting but also led to the one and only bout of extended time in the bathroom I experienced. I think I may have used the expression "birthed a bowling ball" afterwards. TMI? Okay, yes, that was probably a TMI moment. Anyway, you get the picture. I learned my lesson reaaaally quickly after that experience. Avoiding the terrible C also allowed me to avoid the even more terrible H you hear women complain about - hemorrhoids!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So that's water and food. Now let's talk poundage. I'll be real here and tell you that I gained 26 lbs over the course of my pregnancy, which is right on par with what my doctor's office recommended. Even more miraculously, I was able to avoid an emotional breakdown about weight gain. Everyone is different but what worked for me was weighing myself once a week. I didn't get too caught up with the numbers since they'll fluctuate a bit but it kept me in check. Another strategy? Keep an eye on the arms! Your midsection and thighs (and butt if you have a good one... I do not) will become useless indicators of weight gain the moment you find yourself pregnant because that area is busy doing all kinds of phenomenal things. Arms though, they're different. If you're gaining weight in your arms, you're gaining weight everywhere so it may be time to eat healthy for a few days. No one wants a fat arm. You know yourself better than anyone and for me this is just one of those areas I could spot in the mirror every morning pretty easily. If my daily splurge on ice cream started getting out of hand, I just made sure to eat a bit healthier for the next few days to keep things in check. Eating healthy is not the same as doing on a diet, mind you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ok, the other bit if I'm being honest, is that I didn't use pregnancy as an excuse to eat as unhealthy and as much as I wanted. Truth be told, the first three months I let myself eat <i>whatever</i> I could because nausea had pretty much stolen my appetite. I'm pretty sure I lived on an excess of sugar - all fruits and ice cream - because nothing else sounded remotely appetizing. Once that second trimester hit though and I started feeling more normal (it really does happen!), I tried to eat like I did pre-pregnancy with maybe a daily splurge thrown in for good measure. 300 extra calories a day is not that much people. And remember, whatever you eat is what the baby eats. I'm pretty sure baby would benefit more from a healthy, organic mix of foods than the stuff they serve at those drive-thru's. Not sure if I was just blessed or if it was due to all of my healthy eating habits, but I never dealt with heartburn. Now, no one said a splurge here and there is terrible, but let's not get carried away and eat gobs of grease and fat every day! Plus, who doesn't love hearing someone tell you how great you look? I'd much rather enjoy a pregnancy where I feel good about myself everyday than one where I feel like a beached whale. You still do have to get up and get dressed when you're pregnant.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Trying to avoid that emotional breakdown? You know the one, where you throw an adult tantrum because nothing in your wardrobe fits. Planning in advance helps. I made the mistake of buying a bunch of cute maternity tops pretty early on in my pregnancy but didn't actually get around to wearing them until I hit 5-6 months. There will be quite a window where you'll probably be able to get by wearing loose fitting shirts like flowy blouses. I never had one of those tear-filled "but nothing fits me anymore!" moments because I had taken the initiative to stock my closet with a few looser alternatives ahead of time. I think this was a lifesaver and probably spared my husband from quite a few eye roll moments. Also, if you're blessed enough to be able to fit into your regular jeans throughout your entire pregnancy, bravo! I still suggest you go out and try a pair of maternity jeans on because you really don't want to miss out on how heavenly comfortable those babies are!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A few last random thoughts - invest in shaving cream and new razor blades. It will help you avoid skin tags. They do happen and can happen ANYWHERE.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">You don't need to buy a $55 pregnancy pillow if you're okay barricading yourself in with regular pillows.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Your boobs are going to change. Sure, you've read that it happens but when it actually does, and you're all pumped full of those extra hormones, it may still freak you out a little. Just know that everyone experiences it. Try less mirror time until you've gotten used to your new ladies in waiting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">UPDATE: All of the above was written way back when I was still pregnant and waiting to welcome little Miss Evelyn Rose to the world. I would also add to this list, in retrospect...do your kegals mamas! There was an incident where I sort of, kind of, totally peed myself laughing a few days after the birth. Not a tinkle either. Full blown peed my pants. It was more funny than traumatizing but still, if I could go back in time, I would have done a few more kegals in my baby baking days. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hope this helps ladies! If you have any other pieces of advice, I'd love to hear them :) And in the end, just remember, it's all worth it!</span></span><br />
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RosyRillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09916475974293556699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229612772473655669.post-68550173249168663832015-06-20T11:50:00.000-04:002015-06-20T15:29:41.985-04:00Three super healthy, summer approved favorites: ToneItUp, The Honest Company & some coconut oil.<span style="font-size: x-small;">Post may contain affiliate links. Explanation <a href="http://www.rosyrilli.com/p/partner.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><br />
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I feel a little bit like I'm late to the party. Seriously. Am I the only one just learning about <a href="http://toneitup.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ToneItUp.com</a> now or are there others out there like me? One of my favorite bloggers, who does an amazing job of trying to work up a sweat daily (or at least, so she claims...since I mean, it <i>is</i> blogging and all) mentioned TIU a few times on Instagram. I hopped on over to the website and WOW, I'm in love. Well, to be honest, at first I wasn't. I'll totally admit that the first time I visited the website I thought it was really confusing and overwhelming. There's just SO much going on. To break it down, they provide <a href="http://toneitup.com/category/fitness/toneitup-weekly-schedule/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a weekly schedule</a> which includes both free workouts but also references their paid workouts in case you happened to have already shelled out the moolah for the DVDs they sell. They also have paid nutrition plans as well. I've just stuck to the free weekly workout schedules so far. The only items required for most of the free workouts is a yoga mat and dumbbells. There are a few that feature exercise balls or kettlebells (I just substitute my dumbbells) but I haven't quite gotten around to purchasing extra gear yet. The best part about the videos though is that they're almost always less than 20 minutes long! You're talking to someone who has never, ever exercised on a regular basis but I've been following along for 8+ weeks now and I feel GREAT. I swear even my complexion has improved with all of the extra blood circulation. If you're like me and are new to breaking a sweat (or glowing, as Karena and Katrina call it!), I would recommend that you follow along by just doing one workout video a day and then after a week or so, try going for a run. I promise you'll be amazed at how much easier it'll feel. You can see the results of all your work fairly quickly but it's the strength and endurance that will subtely sneak up and surprise you. Running always made me feel like I was dying in the past but after a few weeks of doing these videos, I can run 2+ miles with ease! I promise this isn't some gimmick either. I'm certainly not being paid to fawn over their website or products but am just super excited to share the information.<br />
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I'm pretty sure this is the healthiest I've ever been in my life. No lie. I've been aiming to do a few short workouts per week, mixing in a healthy dose of running and eating exceptionally healthy. I've been avoiding dairy (say goodbye to cheese, pizza and ice cream) for months now since it doesn't seem to agree well with the little one. I hope that's not TMI. Sorry folks! But anyway, between the healthy eating and exercising, I've been feeling pretty amazing lately. And then there's <a href="http://www.honest.com/refer_to/799549" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Honest Company</a>. I'm sure you've all seen the Facebook ads by now for a free trial of diapers or is that just constantly on my news feed? Well, well, well... did you also happen to know that they sell everyday items like sunscreen, toothpaste, and dish soap too?! I was inspired after reading <a href="http://www.forbes.com/fdc/welcome_mjx.shtml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Forbes article on Jessica Alba</a> to check out the company website. Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised to find that their products are quite reasonable AND they ship them right to your front door, which for a mama like myself, saves me a lot of time not having to tote a baby to the store. I'm super excited too because remember when I explained that one of the symptoms of MTHFR, which we believe caused my miscarriages, is my inability to absorb folic acid? Well, I'm not doctor here (that's my disclaimer), but from everything I've read online, it's best to consume l-methylfolate instead of folic acid. Basically, it's just a broken down form that we with MTHFR supposedly can actually absorb. It's super healthy, probably for everyone, and The Honest Company actually sells a prenatal with it included!<br />
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Lastly, I'm completely late to jump on the coconut oil bandwagon. I've seen its praise pop up from time to time and decided to finally pull the trigger. This is
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QV1PS4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000QV1PS4&linkCode=as2&tag=rosy00-20&linkId=FEUEGRO4MY6F35NM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the organic brand</a>
I bought but you can find it at pretty much any grocery store. I will never ever waste my money on lotion again. Try using the coconut oil instead! It's AMAZING and it feels so much better knowing that I'm not slathering my skin with chemicals. It'll give your skin a nice glossy look which is perfect for summer. I should mention the texture is actually kind of amazing as well. Below a certain temperature, the oil will be a solid. A few seconds after it hits your fingers though it'll melt into a liquid. Interestingly enough, if you leave your AC off for the weekend and return to your apartment, you may find the entire jar has turned liquid but it'll quickly turn back to solid once it cools. I found out by accident and from what I've read, it's completely okay to continue using it. Pretty interesting, right?<br />
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Anyway, those are my three super healthy, summer approved loves right now!<br />
<br />RosyRillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09916475974293556699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229612772473655669.post-32294513191726701202015-06-17T15:37:00.000-04:002015-06-17T21:08:44.358-04:00Evelyn Rose's nursery 2.0... a re-do!<span style="background-color: white; color: rgb(153, 153, 153) !important; font-family: Cambria, Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Post may contain affiliate links. Explanation</span> </span><a href="http://www.rosyrilli.com/p/partner.html" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Cambria, Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: rgb(153, 153, 153) !important; font-family: Cambria, Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; text-align: justify;">. </span><br>
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So although I love my nursery, I'm definitely cringing inwardly at sharing these photos because the quality is so poor. Nice opening right? Ha!<br>
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As a quick recap, my <a href="http://www.rosyrilli.com/2015/03/project-nursery-new-etsy-shop.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">original nursery</a> had to be torn down approximately 2 months after my baby girl was born due to our relocation. I was definitely eager and oh so excited to put her room back together again once we unpacked but knew in my heart that I wanted to tweak a few things. First. since the moving company's packaging job was less than stellar of my original flower mobile, it broke into about five separate pieces (insert tear drop). It was such a focal point for the last nursery that I knew I wanted to remake it...and then I got a bit carried away and made a handful more! The one featured in the photos below is actually currently for sale on my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/rosyrilli" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">RosyRilli etsy shop</a> if you're interested ;)<br>
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Next, it was obvious that I needed to replace my soft, pretty curtains of yester-nursery with some new blackout versions. Evelyn's current room has a rather large window which makes it bright and beautiful (and awful to try and photograph with an iphone!). All of that bright light makes it kind of miserable trying to put a young babe down for a nap in the middle of the day. I tried HomeGoods, which was my go to for all other apartment curtains, but wasn't impressed with the quality of their stock. After some extensive online research, I ultimately chose the
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0026SEF3W/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0026SEF3W&linkCode=as2&tag=rosy00-20&linkId=5A3FZO4VBANMOI6H" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Best Home Fashion's brand</a> because they received such positive reviews. It's deceptively difficult to find lighter colored blackout curtains that will actually do the trick and, I must say, this brand's didn't disappoint!<br>
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During my shower, I received a cute bird cage shaped wrought iron hanging piece (what would you even call this???) and decided to use it to display some of the details of our daughter's birth. A pocket watch to show the time, a cloth measuring tape to reflect her height and a cute calendar month page to display the birth date. As a quick side story: I had originally purchased 2014's calendar seeing as our baby girl was due in December but when I went over my due date and realized she was going to be a 2015 baby, I immediately reached out to the <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/shannonpix" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ShannonPix etsy shop</a> I had purchased the 2014 version from to see if I could buy the new year. Shannon was such a doll and sent me the month of January for free of charge! Her photography is absolutely stunning (unlike my own, as clearly displayed below) and I highly recommend her shop for anyone looking for adorable calendars. Ok, so back to this hanging piece. A little section of our Christmas tree from the season Evelyn was born in is also pinned up, as well as her birth announcements from <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=457887&U=1122401&M=17025&urllink=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Minted.com</a>. Still haven't quite figured out a way to portray weight in a unique way though so if anyone has any cute ideas, let me know!<br>
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Hmm... so what else? Well, let's see. I still use my original changing pad cover from Carousel Designs but also use the one featured below from the same company. It's the <a href="http://www.babybedding.com/rose-pink-damask-changing-pad-cover" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rose Pink Damask</a> pattern if anyone's interested. <div><br></div><div>After the birth, when my parents came to visit us, my dad brought the original scale his parent's used to weigh him as a baby! It was too precious to pass up so I decided to use it in the nursery. It's now a placeholder for Evelyn Rose's stuffed animals. It matches perfectly with the whole soft and vintage vibe. Oh, and my childhood dollhouse has made its grand entrance into her room as well. How funny is it that the only piece of furniture I still have for it is a tiny crib that looks like a small replica of the one I ended up purchasing for Evelyn Rose!<br>
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I'm aware, by the way, that I've been terrible lately at posting photos on here of my sweet baby girl. I've been a little obsessed lately with instagram and find it so much easier and faster to upload them there. If you'd like to follow along, my name is rosyrilli... surprise surprise!<br>
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<br></div>RosyRillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09916475974293556699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229612772473655669.post-19446995000086142792015-06-10T14:02:00.000-04:002015-06-10T14:02:20.393-04:00The many faces of Evelyn Rose at 5 months old.<span style="font-size: x-small;">Post may contain affiliate links. Explanation </span><a href="http://www.rosyrilli.com/p/partner.html" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: small;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-size: x-small;">. </span><br />
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Is it that time yet again? My, my. Sweet baby girl has hit yet another milestone. She giggles. She sleeps longer stretches at night. She's begun to quietly entertain herself playing with toys. She bounces like a little maniac in the
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WJLKQM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000WJLKQM&linkCode=as2&tag=rosy00-20&linkId=47OLKQKASVETWT5G">door jumper</a> Mema let us borrow. She's had her first tast of
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ER3FD8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000ER3FD8&linkCode=as2&tag=rosy00-20&linkId=7PZMM4Z4FFKIAG65">rice cereal (organic!)</a>.
She's been to the ocean, to the lake and across state lines. She's my partner in crime, day in and day out. She's got her own little determined personality and I'll never tire of staring into those big brown eyes of hers or tickling that little round belly. Oh, Evelyn Rose, how I do so adore you!<br />
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My 5 month photo favorite:</div>
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And some floor shots because... well, why not?! :)</div>
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Tell me this does not look like a baby bouffant!!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRrVBn-cV4mAYv5gFtY4ys8zMSQwbVyP-dAbfKwj4lVqpQ4m4chy93Z5Flm4lprA0XOX5OHKM670CfN5EkP4igZGkOfqdZl7fGXiHHlbX3wsSY7Swu_wAurbf_Pt7hn13XlxzbOzlj_c/s1600/IMG_2496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ROSYRILLI.COM Evelyn Rose at 5 months old" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRrVBn-cV4mAYv5gFtY4ys8zMSQwbVyP-dAbfKwj4lVqpQ4m4chy93Z5Flm4lprA0XOX5OHKM670CfN5EkP4igZGkOfqdZl7fGXiHHlbX3wsSY7Swu_wAurbf_Pt7hn13XlxzbOzlj_c/s1600/IMG_2496.JPG" title="ROSYRILLI.COM Evelyn Rose at 5 months old" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDXzBy2qGzc7YJ1sGqlhFcZQXJo5DVwMM3OLhDK8PjYpq_eooUMegHFv1XzlipkDtGdLSXZkojUmYuLr2jIUa3pcyLvat1w1HmOH4WDd2c6W7SSoQKJQZWxZV0M6GtJL66u0rLdM3t7oE/s1600/IMG_2522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ROSYRILLI.COM Evelyn Rose at 5 months old" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDXzBy2qGzc7YJ1sGqlhFcZQXJo5DVwMM3OLhDK8PjYpq_eooUMegHFv1XzlipkDtGdLSXZkojUmYuLr2jIUa3pcyLvat1w1HmOH4WDd2c6W7SSoQKJQZWxZV0M6GtJL66u0rLdM3t7oE/s1600/IMG_2522.JPG" title="ROSYRILLI.COM Evelyn Rose at 5 months old" /></a></div>
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Onesie: <a href="http://www.carters.com/carters-baby-girl-bodysuits/V_111A552.html?dwvar_V__111A552_color=Color&dwvar_V__111A552_size=12M#q=3-Pack%2BBodysuit&prefn1=brand&prefv1=carters&start=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Carter's</a> (comes in white, mint and teal...so cute!)<br />
Bow: <a href="http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=52156386&cagpspn=plab_19961911&camp=PLAPPCG-_-PID19961911:BRUS&eESource=CAPLA_DF:52156386:TRUS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Carter's</a><br />
What can I say, I'm a sucker for their adorable clothing :)<br />
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P.S. I did NOT forget about the nursery. Pinky swear it's coming up shortly.<br />
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<br />RosyRillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09916475974293556699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229612772473655669.post-76482842026080759652015-06-04T15:09:00.000-04:002015-06-10T12:58:36.439-04:00What selling half of your belongings looks like: A tour.<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Post may contain affiliate links. Explanation <a href="http://www.rosyrilli.com/p/partner.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.rosyrilli.com/2015/04/doing-with-less.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">After we sold two storage units full of our belongings through Craigslist and many more items at our yardsale</a>, we were left with only about half of what we started with, if that, and a pretty sizable pile of cash. It was all pretty exciting actually and I toyed with the idea of investing the entirety of our profits but ultimately decided to spend a portion on making our new place feel like home. We have no intentions of moving for at least two years and I wanted to ensure that our new residence felt cozy instead of temporary. My first priority was to utilize what we already owned as much as possible. If I was going to purchase new items, I made sure to do it with a lot of forethought and intention. Only items I absolutely loved were able to enter our place and I made sure that anything bought would have the longevity to function in future residence too.<br />
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I'm not going to pretend here that I'm a fancy interior designer, own a camera worthy of taking magazine-like photos or have done anything particularly phenomenal with our place but I do love how it all turned out. I'm excited to share the end results! In all honesty, there are still many items I long to buy - an empty wall which would just look <i>so good</i> with some new wall art or a pretty rug beneath our kitchen table - however, I try to remind myself that there's a big difference between wanting and needing. But anyway, enough chatter! Let's get to those photos :)<br />
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Let's take a little walk down memory lane, shall we? Showcased below are a few photos to highlight how our place looked when the movers unloaded most of the boxes from our house in Ohio to our apartment in New Jersey. Keep in mind, you can't tell from the pictures what our closets looked like or the fact that a lot of boxes were waiting to be moved over from our storage units. When I say we were drowning in our possessions, I mean literally, we were being drowned and dwarfred by all of our things. The overwhelming number of belongings made me <u>miserable</u> in our new place even and caused a frantic dash to try and unload and sort everything, which isn't always so easy with a baby so young! It was truly eye opening to see just how much we had lazily held onto for all of those years. I've since vowed NEVER to put us in that situation again.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OqCfxoPF24XSIAQcCyKpnC_epOgxqmd_1tInOhrZ6XuuzJnutDApmnOL1j7Gff35x8Xbm76iROpxO8Hwjza68wfa54mlGFGp62Iq0H7niTO_Ahl_0vnBvHTdFtXAlsocBACAY64MuNE/s1600/IMG_0427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ROSYRILLI.COM Apartment tour" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OqCfxoPF24XSIAQcCyKpnC_epOgxqmd_1tInOhrZ6XuuzJnutDApmnOL1j7Gff35x8Xbm76iROpxO8Hwjza68wfa54mlGFGp62Iq0H7niTO_Ahl_0vnBvHTdFtXAlsocBACAY64MuNE/s1600/IMG_0427.JPG" title="ROSYRILLI.COM Apartment tour" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQHlGr0Yocm_xdsW1_wkcJ-FThawwtrymT-oigdsrJTYra4ATyZ40hQqVFNMbLla8bEB0Dey_pFl5S53WDd-Fu1kYp3rTzhq3zygPFYH3aWpWEifeJzVh-pPDkwxdNFKPOFJwx4CGi_E/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25286%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ROSYRILLI.COM Apartment tour" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQHlGr0Yocm_xdsW1_wkcJ-FThawwtrymT-oigdsrJTYra4ATyZ40hQqVFNMbLla8bEB0Dey_pFl5S53WDd-Fu1kYp3rTzhq3zygPFYH3aWpWEifeJzVh-pPDkwxdNFKPOFJwx4CGi_E/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25286%2529.jpg" title="ROSYRILLI.COM Apartment tour" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnU7b38YBh1gTIyz6qkYfKsFFbCuqc_ZTunSsVYYiccC7dIo9BvsuhYjvik-fqt0F4yU-N_PMJM5x122_e3XuRdfi_MDk_a9SPRV0YtOfZG85jSQM3lGD7Gpn8j8GaOftHmsA1UZhTKgM/s1600/FullSizeRender_1+%25286%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ROSYRILLI.COM Apartment tour" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnU7b38YBh1gTIyz6qkYfKsFFbCuqc_ZTunSsVYYiccC7dIo9BvsuhYjvik-fqt0F4yU-N_PMJM5x122_e3XuRdfi_MDk_a9SPRV0YtOfZG85jSQM3lGD7Gpn8j8GaOftHmsA1UZhTKgM/s1600/FullSizeRender_1+%25286%2529.jpg" title="ROSYRILLI.COM Apartment tour" /></a></div>
When it was just boxes stacked high in each room and the closets, it actually wasn't too terrible. The real nightmare occurred once we started unpacking those boxes. You can see the evolution of our family room below to get a better idea. Keep in mind, this is pretty much the entire living area in our place, with the exception of our small bedrooms. Yikes!<br />
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<b>The Living Area</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxm9yhMpRvA6NdwtdDfec-crhLVkUEObtkaBQejXFL7G9fO5CvDsJ-STtnIKiLi4180yDhX8U9v7LYGly_lN7W1HWd5ljOAV3qpAUvrTIpGytAMFH4yWCattXP0NxYnvxdKHlJbdkhUMI/s1600/FullSizeRender_2+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ROSYRILLI.COM Apartment tour" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxm9yhMpRvA6NdwtdDfec-crhLVkUEObtkaBQejXFL7G9fO5CvDsJ-STtnIKiLi4180yDhX8U9v7LYGly_lN7W1HWd5ljOAV3qpAUvrTIpGytAMFH4yWCattXP0NxYnvxdKHlJbdkhUMI/s1600/FullSizeRender_2+%25284%2529.jpg" title="ROSYRILLI.COM Apartment tour" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKLQkHtXgXpLAsQsS4CTTMKAlQ57P2jNmtXeK4zLltzb1dLK6KEZMfJsRpqtMuB-eHpmrRWO_55AMKYmBKOwi48z4vq0dlkc26E5C8RUXx5a8ffg-E_vDTSOx77wIeB_B7a71rbOp_-rs/s1600/FullSizeRender_2+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ROSYRILLI.COM Apartment tour" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKLQkHtXgXpLAsQsS4CTTMKAlQ57P2jNmtXeK4zLltzb1dLK6KEZMfJsRpqtMuB-eHpmrRWO_55AMKYmBKOwi48z4vq0dlkc26E5C8RUXx5a8ffg-E_vDTSOx77wIeB_B7a71rbOp_-rs/s1600/FullSizeRender_2+%25283%2529.jpg" title="ROSYRILLI.COM Apartment tour" /></a></div>
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And the living area today. Insert sigh of relief.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4kqRi5NP7m_-M73vNy7AterClf0PI7YHjvykE604TPDHmKZpacUS1WdkykC_WkpmZ7u2lK5FlfIuX3OkOiz2d5QXIwudvWBu_Ri7OS7qgZcypF7Ngg7FlQHneaWiJZzlex61ThjnKak/s1600/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ROSYRILLI.COM Apartment tour" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4kqRi5NP7m_-M73vNy7AterClf0PI7YHjvykE604TPDHmKZpacUS1WdkykC_WkpmZ7u2lK5FlfIuX3OkOiz2d5QXIwudvWBu_Ri7OS7qgZcypF7Ngg7FlQHneaWiJZzlex61ThjnKak/s1600/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" title="ROSYRILLI.COM Apartment tour" /></a></div>
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Okay, I know you're wondering about that bright orange side table. Don't even try to deny it. I'll admit it was a total painting <i>fail</i>. I lovingly refer to him as Tic Tac and I have grand plans for him to undergo a new face lift soon. Perhaps a brand new coat of some yellow paint? We're just going to go with the orange for now and pretend it fits.</div>
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Are you also wondering yet where all the baby gear is hiding in our place? I've been very diligent about keeping things minimal but here's a little peak at some of our baby girl's play things in a small corner below. </div>
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We decided that instead of purchasing a new chair, which undoubtedly would have cost us hundreds of dollars, that we'd just buy a new slip cover for the old IKEA furniture we owned. I picked out one of the cheapest ones from the store and it only ran us $29.99. With the new color, it feels a little bit like we have a new chair anyway! The only other purchases for our living area included the curtains and a curtain rod, after a failed attempt at re-using an old curtain rod we already had from earlier. The area is definitely simple but fresh and cheerful. Have I mentioned yet that I LOVE my table setting? <a href="http://www.rosyrilli.com/2015/05/how-to-simple-table-setting-with-diy.html" target="_blank">Yes, I believe I did </a>:) But seriously, you can see how having fresh flowers and utilizing the china really adds a lot to this small area. </div>
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<b>The Kitchen</b><br />
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Organization became a lot more crucial than decorating because the bones of this kitchen are lovely to begin with - granite and new cabinets. My process involved placing everything we owned out on the counter-tops before putting anything away. This way, I could see where the excess was hiding. Just how many mixing bowls, measuring spoons or utensils does one really need? Today, some of those cabinets are actually empty which feels like a huge accomplishment.</div>
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<img alt="ROSYRILLI.COM Apartment tour" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ5XrfdaPXbQmx8ycgCKBHhABsIIy3DBLjELl2oW0ZTx02THEwHHKInhxDnX_mghLtGe09_MhrMMaPyLiik61YymdPEdiNz2FGL1hO8gajoMmM_kprOxRrjBadEuNcVd6AiIlNcQvpHQQ/s1600/FullSizeRender_3+%25284%2529.jpg" title="ROSYRILLI.COM Apartment tour" /></div>
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<b>The Master Bedroom</b></div>
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The room I ended up spending the largest chunk of money on was our master bedroom. When we first moved to Ohio, we packed up two cars full of everything we could fit and drove to a short-term apartment while the rest of our belongings stayed in Pennsylvania. We were trying to sell our house back then and thought it would have a better chance staged with our furniture. One of the first purchases we had to make once we arrived in Ohio was a bed and matching set of box springs. We splurged on a king which meant that we didn't have a frame or headboard to match it. The next item we purchased was a sofa from Arhaus, featured above, which I will love forever and ever even if my husband was less than thrilled with my decision at the time. That's a story for another day. So basically what I'm saying is that for our master bedroom, we never actually purchased a bed frame or headboard. That's right. For the past three years, we've been living like college students with our bed on the floor. I've always focused on decorating the living areas first in all of the places we've lived which is where most of the time is spent.but that has left our bedroom a bit neglected, as clearly seen below.<br />
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Having turned 30, I decided it was high time to be a grown up and buy a bed or, at the very least, to invest in a headboard. I did a lot of searching both on Craigslist and online at furniture stores but either the price tag had me cringing or I wasn't in love with the style. That is, until for a little over $500 with free shipping, I ended up finding a bed (NOT just the headboard!) from <a href="https://www.jossandmain.com/invite/4d28b8" rel="" target="_blank">Joss & Main</a> that I loved! Can we say AMAZING?! To accompany the bed, I was considering splurging on some beautiful belgian linens from West Elm or Restoration Hardware because they're so beautiful and cozy looking. I knew in my heart of hearts though that bedding is something I end up having to replace somewhat frequently (does anyone else have a sweaty husband too?) and so it probably wasn't a practical financial decision. I was able to locate a more wallet friendly option for both the <a href="http://goto.target.com/c/162706/81938/2092?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.target.com%2Fp%2Fthreshold-seersucker-duvet-cover-set%2F-%2FA-14146722%23prodSlot%3D_1_13" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">duvet cover</a>, <a href="http://goto.target.com/c/162706/81938/2092?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.target.com%2Fp%2Fthreshold-performance-sheet-set-pattern%2F-%2FA-14140506%23prodSlot%3Dmedium_1_1%26term%3Dthreshold%2Bblue%2Bsheets%3Fclkid%3DWY9TV%253A23AWGYR8nQuvQJEUoGUkVSpW3mNzfbyM0%26lnm%3D81938%26afid%3DCadie%2BRogers%26ref%3Dtgt_adv_xasd0002" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sheets</a> and <a href="http://goto.target.com/c/162706/81938/2092?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.target.com%2Fp%2Fthreshold-stacked-ball-lamp-base-mercury-glass%2F-%2FA-15639508%23prodSlot%3Dmedium_1_39%26term%3Dtable%2Blamps" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">table lamps</a> (score!) at Target instead. And then came the dilemma over pillows. I couldn't swallow the ridiculously high prices for new pillow shams. Both the sheet set and duvet cover came with king size pillow cases so I decided to utilize what I already had and just purchased two sets of king pillow inserts. For the two standard size pillows we were already using, I discovered a Crate and Barrel outlet near our new place and snatched up those grey and white pillow covers for under $9! HomeGoods saved the day when it came to curtains (both only around $30 per set) and for the throw pillow in the center of the bed. It's all quite simple but it reminds me of an elegant and clean hotel room, not too feminine or masculine, which is just what I wanted.<br />
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<b>The Bathrooms</b></div>
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There aren't any before photos available but suffice it to say that they were the ordinary, boring bathrooms which are standard in almost all new construction and apartment complexes. We kept both bathrooms white, clean and simple. Purchases? I'm a huge fan of Minted.com for art prints and it was definitely love at first sight when I first laid eyes on the <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?u=1122401&b=120126&m=17025&afftrack=&urllink=www%2Eminted%2Ecom%2Fproduct%2Fwall%2Dart%2Dprints%2FMIN%2DEY1%2DGNA%2Ftangerine" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tangerines print</a>. Besides that, we used what we had. Do I sound like a broken record yet? </div>
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To re-cap, a few quick comparisons...</div>
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I know what you're thinking. What about the nursery!? Evelyn's nursery deserves an entire post on its own, mostly just because it's my favorite room. Sit tight. Details coming.<br />
<br />RosyRillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09916475974293556699noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229612772473655669.post-75879889609942886892015-05-27T23:02:00.002-04:002015-06-10T13:06:58.037-04:00How to: A simple table setting with DIY napkins.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Post may contain affiliate links. Explanation </span><a href="http://www.rosyrilli.com/p/partner.html" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: small;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-size: x-small;">. </span></div>
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Remember when I told you about <a href="http://www.rosyrilli.com/2015/04/doing-with-less.html" target="_blank">my idea to use our wedding china as our everyday tableware</a>? Well, for the past few weeks we've been doing just that, alongside a few extra additions to the table setting, and I couldn't be happier with the results. For such a small change, it really makes quite an impact on our small apartment.<br />
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Months ago, I was inspired by none other than the amazing Minted.com which provided <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?u=1122401&b=120126&m=17025&afftrack=&urllink=www%2Eminted%2Ecom%2Fjulep%2F2014%2F04%2F18%2Fwatercolor%2Dlinen%2Dprintable%2F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a tutorial for bright and beautiful watercolor linens</a>. An added bonus? Last Thanksgiving, my mom just happened to gift me with a few plain white linen napkins (I believe they were from Walmart?) so literally the only purchase I needed to make to complete this DIY were the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006B8FS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00006B8FS&linkCode=as2&tag=rosy00-20&linkId=3SAMQM33E42KPHJL">Avery T-shirt Transfers</a>.<br />
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For the rest of our table setting, I was able to utilize items we already owned: our
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017WNHVE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0017WNHVE&linkCode=as2&tag=rosy00-20&linkId=5WZV7GGVHX6WI5ST">Noritake Platinum Wave china</a>, some <a href="http://www.potterybarn.com/products/antique-silver-coasters/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pottery Barn antique finish drink coasters</a>, candles, a few sets of silverware and our everyday glasses. Using some of the money we made from selling our unwanted/unused items, I purchased four new <a href="http://www.potterybarn.com/products/nubby-place-mats/?pkey=call-linens&" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pottery Barn place mats</a> I saw and loved. Loved being the key word here. I now make it my practice to purchase only those items which I know I'll use fairly regularly and that I'll want to keep around for years to come. Oh, and those beautiful flowers donning our table? Those were a super sweet gift from my in-laws for Mother's Day. That pretty vase will definitely be used again, although probably with flowers from our local grocery store instead of a florist.<br />
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Next week, a small tour of our new apartment. For all of those curious, the nursery HAS indeed been decorated once again!<br />
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RosyRillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09916475974293556699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229612772473655669.post-15514205051174775042015-05-21T18:14:00.000-04:002015-06-10T12:59:38.134-04:00Why I let my little girl sleep in bed with me.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Before there were fancy noise machines and before there were electric gliders, women sung sweet lullabies to their babes and rocked them softly to sleep in their arms. There were no alternatives. I'm pretty positive that today's common conveniences have allowed me the luxury of sleep which may or may not have been possible were it not for such advances in technology so I won't poo poo it all too much. I do wonder at times, however, whether I'm missing out on some of the more precious moments were I to do it the old fashioned way.<br />
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It has dawned on me recently that in my over-eagerness to ensure that my little one will nap in her crib and fall asleep on her own (which I've read is of upmost importance at this age), that I might somehow be missing something critical. It's only a matter of time before this cute wriggly baby of mine figures out how to lift her tiny body off the ground and start crawling away from me.<br />
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It's always so easy to look back at a period in one's life and reminisce fondly, isn't it? "Oh, remember when baby girl was such a little thing! Oh, how I miss those days." I can already hear myself saying it a year from now. Truth is, it takes effort to be intentionally present and enjoy it <i>all</i> some days, especially if baby girl won't nap, there's a laundry list of to-do's and dinner hasn't yet been prepared for my husband who's about to walk in the door <i>any</i> minute now. If I'm honest, there are days when I view her as the distraction. It's those days that I'm attempting to function like I did pre-baby and it's an undeniably flawed way of thinking. The whole reason I'm even home to begin with is so that I can spend time with this beautiful daughter of mine.<br />
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I want to make sure I'm soaking in every last morsel that I can while it still lasts. Babyhood is much shorter than toddlerhood after all. So if life calls for a nap in the middle of the day while the toilets remain unscrubbed, spaghetti is served for dinner yet again and we don't leave the apartment all day, than so be it. Yesterday when my little girl had an upset tummy, instead of just plopping her in the swing with some white noise, I decided to lay with her in bed and pat her back softly until she fell asleep in my arms. We laid that way for three hours, her and I, cuddled together. I wouldn't trade it for the world. Those moments will be the memories I cherish in a few years when she's running around on the playground, not how clean my apartment was or the meals I served for dinner. That time together, with not a care in the world, is where my heart belongs.<br />
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<br />RosyRillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09916475974293556699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229612772473655669.post-25426421711783006122015-05-19T11:18:00.000-04:002015-06-10T12:59:50.713-04:00Newborn photos & Minted birth announcements.<span style="font-size: x-small;">Post may contain affiliate links. Explanation </span><a href="http://www.rosyrilli.com/p/partner.html" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: small;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-size: x-small;">. </span><br />
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After our little petunia was born, I knew from the beginning that I wanted to use <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=457887&U=1122401&M=17025&urllink=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Minted.com for my birth announcements</a>. Their designs are so precious that it made choosing just one quite exhausting!<br />
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But first, we had to get our little 8 day old babe in front of the camera. And that's where lovely Alicia from <a href="http://www.aliciabphotography.com/blog/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alicia B Photography</a> came into play. And let me tell you, Evelyn Rose really made her WORK. I have a new appreciation for all of those teeny tiny sleeping baby photos. Our little girl proved quite fussy and refused to keep her peepers closed. After very long moments of Alicia slowly and lightly trying to move her into positions, she'd startle awake and start wailing, forcing the start of the process all over again. Putting her on her back in baskets? Oh, forget about it! Out of about five cute baskets, we got her to stay put in one. Our little sweet pea, to this day, is very particular and needs at least a day to adjust to new surroundings. I guess certain personality traits don't always fade.<br />
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Out of all the adorable photos which Alicia took, only one could come out the true winner for our birth announcements. This was by far my favorite:<br />
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I loved the way the announcements turned out and made sure to keep one as a keepsake for Evelyn Rose's baby book. Excuse the quality. Clearly not that of a professional photographer...<br />
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And here are the others. How funny to see just how much her eyes and face have changed since those early days.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqfco_zjU0y1P7Ra5cykxFkLEZL0yS5jAu7FC8wGivjMaBU7_0l66oHPWpYoObJ-RptN3ZvPuQ3JKiKSauRERgA-GHcYihC8-XdmYBan8aTtTkX-vjd2x2v_eu0SgJfm1bl0hJxYZa_w/s1600/FINALS-0008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ROSYRILLI.COM Newborn photos" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqfco_zjU0y1P7Ra5cykxFkLEZL0yS5jAu7FC8wGivjMaBU7_0l66oHPWpYoObJ-RptN3ZvPuQ3JKiKSauRERgA-GHcYihC8-XdmYBan8aTtTkX-vjd2x2v_eu0SgJfm1bl0hJxYZa_w/s1600/FINALS-0008.jpg" title="ROSYRILLI.COM Newborn photos" /></a>Those little sucked in, pursed lips! </div>
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And that little itty bitty body!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzBwOU1elMyjPTjCOHTkKusi2p-jcEnehhe5wBtbraFGZZzpEaLqJTCRtNsjvrfve4FC6ItJ5iUqlra6N8wbxva_VIE7O71wd16pcuTe2ZAmm4qCaohTD5q3F4RVtODrw-8vjndSoVvc/s1600/FINALS-0019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ROSYRILLI.COM Newborn photos" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzBwOU1elMyjPTjCOHTkKusi2p-jcEnehhe5wBtbraFGZZzpEaLqJTCRtNsjvrfve4FC6ItJ5iUqlra6N8wbxva_VIE7O71wd16pcuTe2ZAmm4qCaohTD5q3F4RVtODrw-8vjndSoVvc/s1600/FINALS-0019.jpg" title="ROSYRILLI.COM Newborn photos" /></a>That frown. Oh, that frown.</div>
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And that lazy smile :)</div>
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And now, one from yesterday below. Quite a difference, eh? So exciting to see what changes the future holds!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1LZAYiIeCYeulc1uG11KK1nH4cevcNDaGQtsmh1A_gEZzeofyDIjsAZHVQPcGrGR7mxA9P-CPITFgKY42yAGr8Bg7HFIrqATaHdPN-Dk0-JRiinfYjfGNhoNdBqZysRZAtb3KrOzw8Q/s1600/IMG_1776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ROSYRILLI.COM Evelyn Rose at 4 months." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1LZAYiIeCYeulc1uG11KK1nH4cevcNDaGQtsmh1A_gEZzeofyDIjsAZHVQPcGrGR7mxA9P-CPITFgKY42yAGr8Bg7HFIrqATaHdPN-Dk0-JRiinfYjfGNhoNdBqZysRZAtb3KrOzw8Q/s1600/IMG_1776.JPG" title="ROSYRILLI.COM Evelyn Rose at 4 months." /></a></div>
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RosyRillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09916475974293556699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229612772473655669.post-43596185152291403092015-05-18T19:20:00.000-04:002015-06-10T13:00:03.449-04:00A few tidbits from the first few months with Evelyn Rose. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Post may contain affiliate links. Explanation </span><a href="http://www.rosyrilli.com/p/partner.html" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: small;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-size: x-small;">. </span></div>
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Sorry for this weird spacing. I don't have the energy or time (mostly time) to figure out what's going on with this odd little bit on my blog. This here post is going to be the mother of all blog posts. Hah! Pun intended :p See, it's getting rather tiresome trying to go back and forth between the past and the present so I'm just going to fast forward here a bit. Below are some things I wrote about months ago but still haven't quite gotten the time to share.. until now.</div>
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Originally written 3/5/15. MY EVERYDAY AT 3 MONTHS.<br />
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We're in a state of transition. Homeless, never again to return to our house in Ohio where Evelyn Rose was first brought home from the hospital or where I spent months decorating her nursery. Not quite yet moved into a new residence in New Jersey. Hopping from one grandparents' home to the other. Evelyn Rose is officially two months old today. Two months feels a bit closer to two years at times but I think it may just be the drastic contrast in my life pre- and post-baby. It feels like entire lifetimes ago that I was pregnant. Speaking of pregnancy, I flipped through some photographs from me and my pregnant days and it's incredible how fast the memory fades. Was I really that pregnant? Was my belly really that big?<br />
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I sometimes feel as though my heart is only big enough for Evelyn Rose. I was so engrossed, my heart so heavy with longing for a family, that now I sometimes wonder whether I'll ever want a second child. Life feels so complete with her in our everyday. I can't imagine a time when she won't be enough. Will that itch for another baby ever come creeping in again? Maybe it's also the fact that my body's still healing from the birth or that the newborn phase can be difficult and I'm just so <i>in</i> it right now. Maybe she'll grow out of our late night feedings, the cute random smiles or her ability to take wonder at the world from her spot in the swing. Maybe then I'll find myself longing yet again to feel life growing from within. For now though, Evelyn Rose is my everything.<br />
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Her twinkling smiles. Her bath time in the sink. The way she'll fall asleep in my arms. Her bottom lip quiver. The frantic head bobs as she tries to take in the world around her. Those coos. That belly and those chubby big toes. The way she needs me in a way that no one else can satisfy. She is my everything, everyday.<br />
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Originally written 2/10/15. FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.</div>
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OH EM GEE. I just got our little miss to fall asleep ON HER OWN, without a paci, in her bouncer/glider!!! This is the most victorious moment EVER. Oh the ridiculous things that mamma bears get excited about.. but seriously, if you only knew how my little teddy bear hates being put down in anything (boppy, play mat, bassinet etc.) even now at 5 weeks, you'd more fully comprehend how momentous this moment really is for my freedom.<br />
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Ps. The magic trick? Put that swing on full speed with some white noise. I was previously mistaken in my assumption that our little delicate flower wouldn't want to feel like she was in a race car. Ha!<br />
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Originally written 2/5/15. ONE MONTH RECAP.</div>
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Tears. Did you know that when babies are first born, their cries are tearless? I know. Such an odd thing that I never even noticed had it not been a friend who mentioned it. Baby girl is starting to shed tears now when she cries and is it cruel to admit that I think it's the cutest thing ever? Who can resist that pouty little mouth and those big watery eyes!<br />
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It's sort of insanely beautiful how much has changed from that first day we brought her home. The changes in her behavior have been so slight from day to day that I almost wouldn't notice them, except that I do because each day somehow gets that much easier. I remember when she was just a wee little thing (okay, she still is) and would immediately cry and scream if she was laid on her back or even titled backwards. We slept for an entire week together on my family room couch (don't start.. I know this is the absolute worst thing to do with a newborn), just her and I and the twinkling lights from our Christmas tree that I didn't have the heart to take down. Now baby girl sleeps in her bassinett besides our bed most of the evening with no issues and has even let me (gasp!) lay her on her play mat without wailing up a storm. We've gotten in the groove of things, late night feedings in the dim light of her nursery, diaper changes that don't involve crying, small butterfly smiles that I catch every so often. How she gazes at the top of your head and will follow you with her eyes if you move. Those little strong fists that she gets going up and down in her moments of frustration and the quiet sighs she makes when she's content. That little round belly that I just can't get enough of and her long hair that seems to be getting lighter by the day.<br />
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Being a new mommy is hard in a way that is difficult to explain if you've never gone through it yourself and rewarding in a way that you could never even imagine.<br />
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Originally written 1/28/15. THREE WEEKS.<br />
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I caved. I caved last night and gave my adorable, fussy little girl a pacifier. It was pure heaven. Poor little thing has a bit of an irritable tummy (I can literally hear those gas bubbles gurgling) so a lot of times she's fussy if her belly's bothering her. The pacifier seemed to...well, pacify her. It was pure heaven and allowed this mama an extra hour (or two!) of sleep.<br />
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With that being said, I feel like a fully functioning adult today. I've had my moments over the past three weeks but they've been mostly short lived. It makes me kind of sad. I so badly want to soak in every moment of this experience. I picked up one of baby girl's diapers today, newborn size, and had a flashback to trying to conceive. Oh, how I'd pick up those tiny diapers and long so badly for a baby. Nowadays, I grab those same diapers without even acknowledging their size, my focus instead being on changing Evelyn as quickly as possible and with as little tears (ok, she doesn't actually shed tears yet.. I know, weird!) as possible.<br />
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I'm scared that in this whole life altering adjustment, that I'm missing it. There are so many hurdles in the beginning -getting your body back to normal, trying to find time to feed yourself, figuring out how to sooth a crying baby at 4am - that it's sometimes easy to miss the good stuff. I had such high expectations. I had a pinterest board full of cute photos I wanted to take. I had cute headbands I wanted to dress her in. I had visions of what this would be like and yet, she's already 3 weeks old and I still haven't found the energy or time to do them!<br />
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I think this might just be parenthood though. There's nothing perfect about it. There's just trying the best that you can and enjoying the process as much as possible.<br />
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So, they may not seem like a lot, but here are our accomplishments of the day: Our very first walk in the stroller. Hubs is away for a job interview so baby girl and I went it alone. It's so gorgeous and sunny that I couldn't resist that vitamin D. It was a short lived walk due to the cold temperatures but it felt great to get outside. We followed it up by going on our first errand together. Seems like no big deal but after weeks of anxiety inducing hormones surging through my body, it felt great to do something so normal and without the nervous worrying that seems to have hovered over me for the first two weeks.<br />
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And up next...some newborn photos. Stay tuned!<br />
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RosyRillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09916475974293556699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229612772473655669.post-31112216417422986842015-05-15T13:31:00.002-04:002015-06-10T13:00:14.803-04:00This past weekend: a reflection on my first Mother's Day.<span style="font-size: x-small;">Post may contain affiliate links. Explanation </span><a href="http://www.rosyrilli.com/p/partner.html" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: small;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-size: x-small;">. </span><br />
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I know what you're thinking. Why hasn't she posted anything about Mother's Day yet?!<br />
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There are a few reasons really that I haven't mentioned it until now. Let me start by saying that it's not for lack of appreciating the weekend. Evelyn Rose <i>finally</i> met my maternal grandmother, which was long overdue. I visited my childhood home to spend the weekend with my immediate family, sans any husbands or boyfriends, the five of us (plus one, if we're counting my newest addition) which hasn't happened in I-don't-even-remember how long. I had an amazing few days filled with family backyard garden party luncheons, making my first cake from scratch (a delicious three layers of lemon and blueberry with cream cheese frosting), lovely flowers sent from my NJ family and catching up with a childhood friend. All in all, everything went extraordinary. What I didn't do? Feel pressure to stop said activities so that I could blog about every moment of what I was experiencing. I also couldn't quite bring myself to mimic all of the other mamas out there who chose to post endearing love letters to their offspring. Mother's Day in the past (and present still, sadly, for many) stung my heart and was an all too painful reminder of my inability to accomplish what I so desperately wanted: a family. Those time worn emotions from years of infertility don't just disappear forever when you finally achieve your dreams of motherhood. I think I'll always carry with me a lurking sensitivity to the pain of others out there still trying to accomplish what I too so desperately wanted at one point.<br />
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With all of that being said, I will also admit that Miss Evelyn Rose has had an exhausting week. Late nights and fussy days don't readily make a mama bear who has the time or energy to sort through and edit photos for other's enjoyment. Nevertheless, I will leave you with a small handful here that I didn't share elsewhere.<br />
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RosyRillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09916475974293556699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229612772473655669.post-20350602798416144212015-05-05T12:31:00.000-04:002015-06-10T13:00:27.318-04:00My darling 4 month old.<span style="font-size: x-small;">Post may contain affiliate links. Explanation </span><a href="http://www.rosyrilli.com/p/partner.html" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: small;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-size: x-small;">. </span><br />
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Dearest friends and family,<br />
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I promised to dedicate and fill this space with photographs of sweet Miss Evelyn Rose and today I plan to deliver! In honor of her four month birthday, a mini photo shoot took place in the early light of this morning. Here, I shall share with you, too, those darling little cheeks...both the grumpy and the smiley!<br />
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If there was a thought bubble above this next photo, it would most definitely read, "Are YOU talking to ME?!?"</div>
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And a few more because, well... I just couldn't help myself :)</div>
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My drooly baby:</div>
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RosyRillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09916475974293556699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229612772473655669.post-64298669828140883322015-05-01T08:13:00.001-04:002015-06-10T13:00:37.632-04:00What to do when your 3 month old has a mullet. <span style="font-size: x-small;">Post may contain affiliate links. Explanation </span><a href="http://www.rosyrilli.com/p/partner.html" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: small;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-size: x-small;">. </span><br />
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Baby bath time in our home is almost always followed by some sink sitting time with the blow dryer for our little one. That hair! I never in a million years imagined my child would have such great lengths, especially given that my own hair grows at such a snail's pace. I'm pretty much inept at hair styles. Never was I one for braids, fancy updo's or anything of the sort so this is all unfamiliar territory to me.<br />
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On lazy afternoons, much like today, when I've proclaimed it a Stay-In-Our-PJ's kind of day, we both go au-naturale with our manes. She'll be four months old shortly though and I'm slowly accepting that with those long locks, I've got to seriously step up my hair game. We started out slow, with blow dryer + side swooped bow clip, however, I quickly realized that although long, her hair isn't quite thick enough to hold a bow on its own. Next came the ever-popular one small tuft of hair, standing up tall, with
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TUBPP5K/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00TUBPP5K&linkCode=as2&tag=rosy00-20&linkId=TX3GTK2JXLISUAEK">tiny hair elastics</a>
and a <a href="http://www.toysrus.com/buy/hair-accessories/koala-kids-girls-6-pack-assorted-loop-velcro-brand-closure-hair-accessories-52147446" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bow</a>. Since then, we've experimented with the pigtails.<br />
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I think I may have just found our winner. Not only do the double duo adequately hide the mullet, but it also gives her the illusion of bangs since her hair's short in the front and long in the back. It's a win win! </div>
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Stay-In-Our-PJ's day, seen below:</div>
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Some more shots of our messy hair day photos, which I'm required to share, because c'mon... do baby smiles get any cuter!? Also, seen here: The Mullet, in all of its glory.</div>
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Next up, may I introduce our first attempt at pigtails! </div>
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Ps. No, that is not a nose piercing on my daughter. She somehow manages to nick her tiny face even after I've trimmed those fingernails of hers!</div>
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RosyRillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09916475974293556699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229612772473655669.post-58230701245016396322015-04-30T15:41:00.004-04:002015-06-10T13:00:48.391-04:00Flashback: Maternity photos<span style="font-size: x-small;">Post may contain affiliate links. Explanation </span><a href="http://www.rosyrilli.com/p/partner.html" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: small;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-size: x-small;">. </span><br />
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I totally fell in love with my maternity photographs and can't thank <a href="http://www.aliciabphotography.com/blog/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alicia B Photography</a> enough for her overwhelming generosity. We had decided early on to splurge for newborn photos (promise to share soon!) should the pregnancy be successful, especially since I'm notorious, according to hubs, for my lack of camera skills (meaning I'm terrible at remembering to actually <i>take</i> the photos). So anyway, as I was saying... we had decided to purchase newborn photographs and I had chosen Alicia from the start, both because of her proximity to our home at the time (literally less than 5 minutes down the road!) and because I loved her stunning work. At first, we weren't quite sure whether or not to spring for maternity photos. I also wasn't sure, early on, whether I would be feeling confident enough to <i>want</i> maternity photos that far along into my pregnancy. Who wants to buy a bunch of pictures that they themselves don't believe they look good in?!? So anyway, we (mostly I) teetered for awhile. I played with the idea and eventually decided, especially once I felt more confident that the pregnancy was going smoothly, that we wanted to move forward with the maternity photos.<br />
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When I contacted Alicia, she suggested a local Christmas tree farm and actually offered to provide the mini-maternity shoot complimentary! We had previously informed her of my history when we first met to discuss the newborn photography, since I had lots of anxiety-driven questions regarding varying outcomes should the pregnancy not last and questions pertaining to NICU's in case there was an issue with the birth. We were so beyond thankful that she was able to capture such beautiful moments, even given the windy conditions (no thanks to my hair!) which we will forever cherish as memory of such an exciting period of time in our lives. I'm already looking forward to pulling out these photographs next holiday season!<br />
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RosyRillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09916475974293556699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229612772473655669.post-59782412177648384122015-04-20T15:00:00.000-04:002015-06-10T13:01:06.513-04:00A body conscious confession.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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If I'm honest, I've never been able to fully enjoy myself sitting at the beach on a hot summer's day. Sure, when I first get there, I'll plop down my chair in the sand, gaze at the beautiful ocean, breathe in that salty ocean air and soak in the sunshine with a huge sense of pleasure but, inevitably, my gaze begins to wander. I don't think I'm unique in this experience. Before I know it, I'm people watching and eyeing up passers-by beneath the protection of my shades. It doesn't take long before some toned body goes running by on the water's edge and I'm reminded, yet again, of my non-existent exercise routine. I may be thin but I'm not toned. Someone who eats healthy can be skinny but to be toned you need to actually work your muscles. If you avoid exercise, as I almost always have, it's as if you'll always feel that slight sense of disconnect and discontent with your own body. It's a subtle non-spoken guilt that comes out to play only when you finally reveal your skin to the sunshine. No matter how many times I try to feel confident sitting on the beach, I generally walk away from the day feeling disheartened and agitated with no one to blame but myself.<br />
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Now sure, one could argue that I need to work on my self-esteem. I think we could all probably use more of the good stuff while we're being honest but I believe this discontent of mine might run a little deeper than that. I watched my body do amazing things during pregnancy, expanding and changing in ways I only imagined in my dreams to be possible. I know I'm physically capable of more than I'm giving myself credit for and I <i>want</i> to be healthier. I want to work hard and sweat, without getting irritated in the process. I want to be a good role model for my daughter and not just value thinness, as this society so often does, but to value health. To use my body and not shy away from sports or other physical activities because I feel inferior. I want my daughter instead to both be and feel strong.<br />
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I'm trying. I think that's all that matters at the moment. It isn't easy with a young child to find time but there will be many more beach days now that we live less than an hour from the shore. I really want to enjoy those days with the sand between my toes, without the guilt, for her sake and mine. She's worth it.<br />
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<br />RosyRillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09916475974293556699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229612772473655669.post-55480257717552368772015-04-17T15:50:00.002-04:002015-06-10T13:03:51.845-04:00When life gets you down.<div style="text-align: center;">
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It's nothing that a bit of <span style="font-size: large;">bright flowers</span>, fresh cut<span style="font-size: large;"> melon</span> and a <span style="font-size: large;"><i>healthy dose of appreciation</i></span> can't cure.<br />
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Warmly,</div>
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RosyRillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09916475974293556699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229612772473655669.post-40879822593475136132015-04-13T20:44:00.000-04:002015-06-10T13:04:09.115-04:00A long distance gender reveal.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Post may contain affiliate links. Explanation </span><a href="http://www.rosyrilli.com/p/partner.html" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: small;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-size: x-small;">. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguUxl4NtkPKLFWJkuFYv6XjSK9GxknUY6FW22v68jbEyt7eMezpwEd0_s1zDPLNSVje4_8ZalR11Ze_mDQveOEJlls4BAlfAZxpw4DSN1Xh0KtQvVW6koLKor5qxGfV-PG8xERUXxBr2M/s1600/FullSizeRender+(1)a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ROSYRILLI.COM Gender reveal cards" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguUxl4NtkPKLFWJkuFYv6XjSK9GxknUY6FW22v68jbEyt7eMezpwEd0_s1zDPLNSVje4_8ZalR11Ze_mDQveOEJlls4BAlfAZxpw4DSN1Xh0KtQvVW6koLKor5qxGfV-PG8xERUXxBr2M/s1600/FullSizeRender+(1)a.jpg" title="ROSYRILLI.COM Gender reveal cards" /></a></div>
So remember when <a href="http://www.rosyrilli.com/2015/04/flashback-telling-friends-and-family.html" target="_blank">I mentioned that I was pretty hesitant and totally awkward about announcing my pregnancy</a>? Well I like to think that I made up for it with our gender reveal. Being so far away from family and friends at first completely bummed me out. It was obvious that there wasn't going to be a small, intimate get-together with family to share the exciting news with colored cake cutting or balloons floating out of boxes. Basically, the vast majority of cute ways that couples typically make gender reveal announcements was completely out of the question for us. But then, I had a total light bulb moment and knew with certainty how I was going to announce our news in a unique and special way.<br />
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When I went for the ultrasound at 20 weeks, I was prepared for either scenario but Hubby and I were pretty convinced that the sonogram would confirm I was carrying a boy, I think in part because of what the various psychics had predicted over the years (<a href="http://www.rosyrilli.com/2012/10/fortunate-forecasts.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.rosyrilli.com/2011/12/intuition.html" target="_blank">here</a>). We were taken by such surprise and total shock, in a <i>OMG, can you believe it?!</i> kind of way, when we were told that our growing miracle was instead a girl.<br />
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Immediately following our appointment, I hopped in my car and proceeded to complete my crafty DIY announcement (I had pre-planned a few days in advance) so that I could send them in the mail that same day. Mail, I had decided early on, was pretty much the only viable option unless I wanted to announce it virtually on Skype or Facetime. I made sure to tell family member's to keep an eye on their mailboxes, which I like to think added to the excitement and anticipation of our news. And then I pretty much sat back and awaited every one's response which was almost as exciting as receiving the news in the first place!<br />
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So, exactly what did I send? I had put together gender-neutral cards which stated, "Dear {insert name(s)}, What do you think... Boy or Girl!?" On the card itself, was an envelope stamped with our due date and a small white tag tied with colorful twine and adorned with a baby pin. I stamped the tag with "?!?" and when the recipients pulled the tag, out came another small envelope hidden from within. Inside this envelope I had poured teeny tiny colored beads (pink, in this instance but I had purchased both ahead of time) and a card stamped with the message "It's a... GIRL!" I truly enjoyed making them, as each one was varied slightly from the next and no two were exactly alike. There were different colored cards, envelopes, ribbons, notes etc. We sent the first round of announcements to family and then I spent the following few evening's creating a multitude of additional announcements to mail to extended family and friends.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4IvF8nqjV2jRfCQSc4jRtOTuSDnPoX-0UAy7agD5Ey643ncG6WfQPoKro-AT5tp7XoFiTMfFeDyBbshnqCMn9G127R6b_v67N_8uouSusv5GBfmP0TcjmGIIQX0JwsUSWCNeqXFLaUt0/s1600/2014-11-08+10.38.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ROSYRILLI.COM Gender reveal cards" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4IvF8nqjV2jRfCQSc4jRtOTuSDnPoX-0UAy7agD5Ey643ncG6WfQPoKro-AT5tp7XoFiTMfFeDyBbshnqCMn9G127R6b_v67N_8uouSusv5GBfmP0TcjmGIIQX0JwsUSWCNeqXFLaUt0/s1600/2014-11-08+10.38.46.jpg" title="ROSYRILLI.COM Gender reveal cards" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhPeNv8VZly9yZFYv_hoyAYMQMQtfXkrlebplkjYmxRc_R4eMLHu4daGEVhOsuuXj3OBFdIIJ3YubPC33LSVNSdaMMf8q9-S02Pyuht2jwZyEQjaChxZIbCbeqdE8q9QdgPdZlrqtz0Mk/s1600/2014-11-08+10.36.37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ROSYRILLI.COM Gender reveal cards" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhPeNv8VZly9yZFYv_hoyAYMQMQtfXkrlebplkjYmxRc_R4eMLHu4daGEVhOsuuXj3OBFdIIJ3YubPC33LSVNSdaMMf8q9-S02Pyuht2jwZyEQjaChxZIbCbeqdE8q9QdgPdZlrqtz0Mk/s1600/2014-11-08+10.36.37.jpg" title="ROSYRILLI.COM Gender reveal cards" /></a></div>
For those that didn't receive a personalized card in the mail, we made sure to share our exciting news on social media with the below photo of us painting the nursery walls sample colors of pink and a caption that read, "<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Definitely didn't think we'd be painting the walls these colors! Little lady really surprised us!" </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzVRsWYEvEVeWmStN3hIh_VXD8uAkLt-34L_m6KbWhTfesUNv3GyDb_jJWiqidIwFXepc7PwvoHwfAiqoZHpPERNKh_-IQuQOiUjARJUocTuiUsDwxD9MbRnM-_y03NKHIP3sWwuR1a4/s1600/2014-08-15+12.02.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ROSYRILLI.COM Gender reveal on social media" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzVRsWYEvEVeWmStN3hIh_VXD8uAkLt-34L_m6KbWhTfesUNv3GyDb_jJWiqidIwFXepc7PwvoHwfAiqoZHpPERNKh_-IQuQOiUjARJUocTuiUsDwxD9MbRnM-_y03NKHIP3sWwuR1a4/s1600/2014-08-15+12.02.11.jpg" title="ROSYRILLI.COM Gender reveal on social media" /></a></div>
All in all, I was totally smitten with the way both announcements came out. We were able to cultivate a level of excitement even from a distance. And better yet, we now have one of the announcements framed in her nursery as an everlasting keepsake of that amazing moment in my pregnancy.<br />
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RosyRillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09916475974293556699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229612772473655669.post-83310355897511419022015-04-12T22:35:00.001-04:002015-06-10T13:04:19.662-04:00My pregnancy with Evelyn Rose.<span style="font-size: x-small;">Post may contain affiliate links. Explanation </span><a href="http://www.rosyrilli.com/p/partner.html" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: small;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-size: x-small;">. </span><br />
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Hubby and I took advantage of this perfect 68 degree April Sunday by visiting a local park near our new apartment (we even did a little jogging with the stroller and baby!) and it was quintessentially the most beautiful weekend afternoon. While there, we passed a rather pregnant mama-to-be and I had to ask hubby, "did I really ever look like that!?" It was only 3 months ago that I was carrying our little sweet pea and yet amnesia seems to have already taken place. Perhaps it was because I had such an amazing pregnancy (after those first three months anyway) or perhaps it was because you don't see yourself nearly as easily as you see others.<br />
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As I mentioned previously, I found it somewhat difficult to fully embrace sharing my pregnancy photos for fear of jinxing my own happiness at the time but that didn't stop me from taking them. However late it may be, I'd like to take a moment to share a few of them now. Some people are into fruit. Some people wear the same outfit in each photo. I decided to take a photo in the nursery every few weeks. It was a special way to document the progression of both my belly bump and the evolution of the room itself. If you missed it, I shared the completed nursery <a href="http://www.rosyrilli.com/2015/03/project-nursery-new-etsy-shop.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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And so, here are a few of my pregnancy bump pictures, although admittedly not the best quality. Better late than never, right?!</div>
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RosyRillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09916475974293556699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229612772473655669.post-81896084626630055972015-04-10T11:51:00.002-04:002015-06-10T13:04:34.201-04:00Minimalism clarified.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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I gave a little self deprecating chuckle after re-reading last night's post. I promise I'm not just some rich white girl getting rid of her designer handbags and praising herself for her all-mighty efforts.<br />
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As way of explanation, I should list as a disclaimer for all of my post's nowadays that most of my ramblings now take place way past my bedtime, when I actually am able to steal a free moment to myself. I'm ferociously tapping away at the keyboard or even, like now, on my phone, in between feedings. There's a lot of shifty eyed and panicky looks at the clock while I try to mentally convince myself that writing is more important than sleep or all of the other never-ending items on my to-do list that have gone yet another day unchecked. There's not a whole lot of re-reading and redrafting going on these days, in other words, which is why I think my last post may have come across just... wrong.<br />
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In my haste and over excitement to explain the purging of our possessions, I failed to detail the scenario fully. For instance, those three bags of clothing...some of it, strike through, MOST of it was from high school and college days. Or items that just plain don't fit anymore. Items I had held onto way past their expiration dates. And when I talk about getting rid of excess, it includes the normal everyday things like having 30 different types of pens lying around miscellaneous places, stacks of old manuals and magazines or free hotel samples. Junk drawers and junk closets in every room. Things which I think we're all culprits of if we're being honest. It's deciding we don't <i>really</i> need that storage bench and bookshelf from my childhood bedroom because all they do is store non-essentials. Or the fact that multiple bins of sentimental memories..like 2+ baby bins, a high school bin, a college bin, a wedding bin and a bachelorette party bin, might just be excessive. And guys, I didn't even have a big bachelorette party! <i>Where does this stuff keep coming from?!</i> We have so many photographs that I still can't quite figure out how and where to store them. Is there really anything positive that comes from hanging onto old pictures of ex-boyfriends or <i>that many photos </i>of my underage drinking years? Who exactly am I going to show them off to? Surely not my daughter. And if I myself cringe looking at them, well then, maybe it's time. Same with old diaries. Stacks upon stacks of embarrassing stories that benefit no on and stir up some really rough emotions that were better left forgotten. Gone. Christmas decorations? Makeup samples? Office supplies? Old craft supplies? An overflowing linen closet? Electric chargers we're not even sure of to what anymore? AC window units we've been holding onto since our time in Philadelphia, "just in case"? These are all of the things we're purging our lives of today. All of these average, everyday items that if you're not careful start to build up, not even always as a result of excessive spending but just time itself.<br />
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So yes, I fully admit that some of it's due to our own sloppy over-indulgence but a lot of it too has been gifts received over the years or just everyday accumulations that we're just now starting to question. Reading
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1607747308/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1607747308&linkCode=as2&tag=rosy00-20&linkId=56MF2TN4O7NNO2VP">The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing</a>
was really instrumental in making me question what new things we want to bring into our lives and <i>why</i>. It's astonishing to realize just how little we need. And maybe experiences ought to be more important than things. And if there are going to be things, as undoubtedly there always are, than shouldn't we be surrounding ourselves with only those which we love?<br />
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This is most certainly, 100% certified, a first world problem but one which I'd prefer not to repeat if I can help it. Let there please be less boxes to pack (and unpack) next time.<br />
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RosyRillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09916475974293556699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229612772473655669.post-440630773204258762015-04-09T23:04:00.003-04:002015-06-10T13:04:52.788-04:00Doing with less.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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I'm bursting at the seams excited to finally be able to share our new intentional way of {attempting to} live with less. As you well know by now, we've recently moved from Ohio to NJ and with that we downgraded from a considerably sized 4 bedroom home to a somewhat tiny (but perfectly sized) 2 bedroom apartment. But oh my gosh you guys, we've literally been imprisoned by our possessions. This experience has been so completely eye opening to the over-abundance in our lives. Not only has our apartment been stacked high with boxes, but we also have two additional storage units, brimming with <i>stuff</i>. Stuff that's been toted from state to state, basement and garage to storage unit and back again. So much stuff that we've at times forgotten what it is we're even toting around. It's obscene and so ridiculously unnecessary.<br />
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I've been leaning towards minimalism for awhile now. During my last trimester of pregnancy, I actually stuck to a wardrobe capsule, inspired primarily by <a href="http://www.un-fancy.com/capsule-wardrobe-101/what-is-a-capsule-wardrobe-anyway/" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">the Unfancy blog</span></a>. For those of you unfamiliar, it involves intentionally limiting the number of clothes you use for a set period of time. By strategically narrowing your options down to something like 27 items (including shoes and purses!), it allows you to fret less over your choices, forces you to be more creative and is especially kind to your wallet. Most importantly though, it allows you to focus on more critical aspects of life. Back during my pregnancy, I tried to take a more simple approach with all things baby related as well, even after the showers. Instead of having a bassinet, bouncer and swing, for example, I found this amazing
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OOKQ7LS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00OOKQ7LS&linkCode=as2&tag=rosy00-20&linkId=OMYQ64ZFFCOIKWZC">Graco 2 in 1 Glider Elite Swing (Brompton)</a>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span>which combined all three. I also made sure to return any non-necessities received during showers (sorry!) and hoard the store credit instead...which has been an amazing tactic for those times when I'm in need of more diapers or things I hadn't anticipated needing. </div>
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In a world of consumerism, it's all too easy to fall prey to the allure of wanting. I'm certainly not perfect and have definitely decided this is a skill set which needs to be honed and polished. In an attempt to keep my motivation for this lifestyle fresh, I've been receiving essays from <a href="http://www.theminimalists.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Minimalists website</a> and reading
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1607747308/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1607747308&linkCode=as2&tag=rosy00-20&linkId=IALGGH5JDY5H3JSZ">this absolutely life-changing book</a>. I kept seeing the book cover pop up all across the inter-webs and out of curiosity, went ahead and purchased a copy for myself. I'll admit, parts of it are a little different but it really made me think. For instance, why did I bother to register for china when we got married if we're just going to have it sit in boxes all but once or twice a year? So I made a somewhat drastic decision and decided recently that we'd start using our china <b>every day</b>. I love it. It feels fancy and luxurious and fabulous all at the same time. Why not?! So I may chip or break a plate but surely I would have rather actually used this amazing dinnerware than to have it sit gathering dust, right?</div>
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And a somewhat amazing thing I picked up on from when we were living in our short-term housing? Picture this: You walk into an apartment but it feels more like a hotel. Lacking is the clutter and knick-knacks. Instead, the living room includes a fully set table. The kitchen is stocked only with the necessities. The bathrooms are sparse but for the fresh white linens. It's serene and calming and I loved it. So much so that I've vowed to keep our dining room table fully set at all times. Another takeaway? It is totally unnecessary to have SIXTEEN sets of silverware, which is what we've had up until now. Sure, we never ran out of spoons but I also dreaded unloading the dishwasher. With less <i>stuff</i> cluttering the kitchen drawers, it makes using cooking utensils a little less aggravating.</div>
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And lastly, let's go there. The big one. Clothing. Has anyone else used <a href="http://www.thredup.com/r/I3EXMR" target="_blank">thredUP</a>? I've always donated my clothing en masse to Goodwill but some of the nicer items I've recently sold to this online consignment shop retailer instead. I've requested not one but THREE clean-out bags (they send them to you free with a pre-paid return shipping label). Anything they don't take, they donate anyway so it's a win win in my book. It's also an awesome place to buy discounted brand name clothing, which is nice since my wallet's a bit slim these days, with me not working and all. Ps. They're offering a $10 shopping credit if you click the link above and check them out. Not too shabby!</div>
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All in all, this has come at the perfect time. The wardrobe capsule experiment, the book on tidying, the naturally sparse short-term housing arrangement. All signs were pointing towards it being time for us to clean house. We've been unpacking and re-packing boxes now for over a week straight and are still making our way through the storage units. In addition to our craigslist selling frenzy, we've also got a pretty significant (based on the sheer number of boxes lining our place) yard sale coming up in late April. I've now sent in multiple bags full of clothing to thredUP and am clearing our new place of any and all clutter. It feels so GOOD. We're finding homes for the things we've accumulated but either don't love or haven't used and are watching as our cash flow increases in the process. </div>
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Am I a total weirdo for wanting it to feel like we live in a clutter-free, luxurious hotel? Maybe. But if the fresh flowers on my fully set table and a simple wardrobe made up of only items I absolutely love is what makes me happy, well then...sign me up!</div>
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RosyRillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09916475974293556699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229612772473655669.post-43232502414490315642015-04-08T21:45:00.003-04:002015-06-10T13:05:04.825-04:00A cute 3 month old baby and new mom jeans.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64OPgCTQkP86gScVIt1r4RlVR2V51LdUZfqSae8edVQjsEyKBYdwC50OqDgOwOfGL8l_IkRwfA0Vf8KJ0eNzFoEGZUju5EAo5nCgSlCr3Qg3Jrs1LSK86W5fpeauWB_Dewbil0JWoD54/s640/blogger-image--1772386611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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Ahhhhh. There is just SO much I want to share and clearly not enough hours in the day to do it. It's not helping that there's a huge pile up of past details from my pregnancy. I haven't even gotten a chance to show-off my my favorite maternity outfits, share how we decided to photograph the growing baby bump or the creative way we decided to share our gender reveal. And then of course there's little Miss Evelyn's photos from birth through 3 months. Oh, and did I happen to mention the whole new level of crazy our lives have taken on since moving to New Jersey? My poor Etsy shop is on a seemingly eternal vacation mode as I scramble to get these days under some semblance of control. I PROMISE that eventually I will catch up to our new lives. </div>
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So, in a last ditch effort to avoid getting too far behind....let's chat about the present. It shouldn't go unnoticed that this weekend our rapidly growing baby girl turned three months old and on Easter no less! So much has changed in those three months that it feels simultaneously like an eternity since she was born but somehow also like a blink of an eye. How does that even happen!? So anyway, here's a few snapshots from Sunday, albeit blurry ones since it was prior to my phone upgrade. Hey, some is better than none right?! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6AzSijZT2kGi9ZuntgOJyes1cRtRALxHz-juu4uiT4ZFKYEI5N_IS2aMlPLMWCHA4l-fVmqhyphenhyphenvim67kEaBU0To0ehtDbh5bsJ055FgH-4n_QdXY27WG5BJ3tJY3VaL9oGwpkaALmVFs/s1600/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ROSYRILLI.COM Evelyn Rose turns 3 months old" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6AzSijZT2kGi9ZuntgOJyes1cRtRALxHz-juu4uiT4ZFKYEI5N_IS2aMlPLMWCHA4l-fVmqhyphenhyphenvim67kEaBU0To0ehtDbh5bsJ055FgH-4n_QdXY27WG5BJ3tJY3VaL9oGwpkaALmVFs/s1600/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" title="ROSYRILLI.COM Evelyn Rose turns 3 months old" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlT0zm-dnZaPsVL53aMjgBvp4rym9HhEI8P6gLFByYu_2_klOipRWFafQdTDmvbmpm92OfmiYOqB4qp-JpjzrTl7te1_efxb9Oy1W3TaQT4WK2TR6lgC8rZDJVsCJa5WKecPghj60TTA/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ROSYRILLI.COM Evelyn Rose turns 3 months old" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlT0zm-dnZaPsVL53aMjgBvp4rym9HhEI8P6gLFByYu_2_klOipRWFafQdTDmvbmpm92OfmiYOqB4qp-JpjzrTl7te1_efxb9Oy1W3TaQT4WK2TR6lgC8rZDJVsCJa5WKecPghj60TTA/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" title="ROSYRILLI.COM Evelyn Rose turns 3 months old" /></a></div>
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And that brings me to today. Being with baby has definitely made shopping of any kind more difficult. I now cringe at the thought of going to places without shopping carts and I so easily get exasperated trying to make returns of any sort. Grocery shopping with her is possible but only for the essentials because her car seat alone essentially eats up a good 90% of the cart. There's really no such thing as a quick pop in anywhere. Every single time, there's lugging of her car seat and then the stroller and then back into the car and then the whole "pleaaaase don't cry" attempts being made while the shopping is actually occurring. So anyway, this is just basically a big long excuse for why I was still wearing maternity jeans up until yesterday. Taking on the mall and shopping just wasn't falling too high on my to-do list. Most things, like Evelyn's new Mamas and Papas snug floor seat below (love it!) can be easily ordered online. Unfortunately, jeans and a computer screen don't mix all too well, especially given that my body has changed just enough since pregnancy to make sizing a bit of a mystery. So yeah, we bought jeans today. Regular, normal person jeans. From Loft in fact and at 50% off! Boy did I forget how much I love me a good sale. Can I get a woot-woot!?<br />
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Baby headband: <span style="color: #3d85c6;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ElluraSage?section_id=10589664&ref=shopsection_leftnav_1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">EllureSage</a> </span>on etsy<br />
Jeans: <a href="http://www.loft.com/modern-skinny-jeans-in-destructed-blue-nova-wash/361916?colorExplode=false&skuId=17986472&catid=cat500038&productPageType=fullPriceProducts&defaultColor=4331" target="_blank">Loft</a><br />
Baby seat:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007PYCXT0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007PYCXT0&linkCode=as2&tag=rosy00-20&linkId=WB5C6LZCFKSGQR4S">Mamas & Papas Baby Snug (Teal)</a>
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Warmly,</div>
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RosyRillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09916475974293556699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229612772473655669.post-40445445494665440012015-04-06T02:31:00.002-04:002015-06-10T13:05:18.157-04:00Flashback: Telling friends and family.<span style="font-size: x-small;">Post may contain affiliate links. Explanation </span><a href="http://www.rosyrilli.com/p/partner.html" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: small;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-size: x-small;">. </span><br />
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From the day I first found out that our third IUI attempt was successful, I couldn't help myself but to start brainstorming a unique way to inform Mr. Hubs of the gleeful news. I waited until the doctor's office confirmed things were progressing as they should be, in addition to my own multiple pee stick comparisons, and then promptly created the below little gem of a handmade bookmark. I wrapped it up neatly with a bow, along with a book for Daddy-to-be. I think at the time I used newspaper because I didn't have anything else appropriate on hand but, looking back, it's kind of sweet to see that it was right around Easter time as well!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0738210277/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0738210277&linkCode=as2&tag=rosy00-20&linkId=WFF2QK5UDFP6QMBC" id="static_txt_preview" style="background-color: white; color: #996633; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" target="_blank">The Guy's Guide to Surviving Pregnancy, Childbirth and the First Year of Fatherhood</a> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(affiliate link)</span></td></tr>
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So while I was over the moon excited to share our news with my husband (thinking about it even now makes me grin from ear to ear), I was a bit more hesitant to announce anything to many of our friends and family. It was tough. Unexpectedly tough in fact. After years of struggling with infertility and loss, here I was, <i>finally</i> pregnant again, bursting with joy, wanting to scream it from the rooftops but also paralyzed by the fear of jinxing myself. Which was just silly, I know (and knew even then), especially considering that after both miscarriages it was the very people whom I had told which ended up being the greatest condolence in those days and weeks following. But alas, the heart wants what it wants. I actually waited until I was a full 16 weeks pregnant to start slowly, and rather awkwardly, sharing the news with the majority of my relatives, co-workers, and close friends. All of the attention and hoopla just felt uncomfortable, especially given that this wasn't my first time at the rodeo and all.<br />
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So, my advice to those who find themselves in a suddenly similar, all too thrilling scenario? Even if you're getting pressure from others to spread the news like rapid fire, time is okay. There's no rush. People will be just as excited to find out that you're pregnant when you're 4 months pregnant as they would be to find out at 3 months. Only you can decide when you feel comfortable to make a public announcement...and that extends to social media as well. I personally couldn't bare the thought of posting an ultrasound photo on Facebook, not only because I lived in fear of being forced to later take it down, but also because I knew how difficult it was for me during those infertile years to see other people's photos. So I never did. Basically, this decision is yours and no one else's.<br />
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Okay, well unless it's your significant other who decides to spill the beans :)<br />
<br />RosyRillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09916475974293556699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229612772473655669.post-28102691573529503162015-03-31T09:22:00.000-04:002015-06-10T13:05:34.947-04:00A special post: What successful pregnancy finally looks like.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Guys (and probably more gals), I am so ridiculously, over-the-top, unbelievably happy to be able to FINALLY share with you our sweet baby girl Evelyn Rose! She is literally the center of my universe and my heart could not be more full.<br />
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Like any new parent, there are days that are difficult and frustrating and all of those things that parents warn you about before you have children. Finally sharing all of those old, heart wrenching, secretly written, blog posts about the journey that finally led us to this beautiful baby really helps keep everything in perspective. It has really allowed me to fully appreciate, and want to cry tears of joy, at just how far we've come. I hope for any of you who may also be similarly suffering, whether it's openly or in silence, that our story of struggle has given you a shred of hope. Just because you feel despair today certainly does not mean that you will tomorrow.<br />
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Okay, so the details... since I stopped blogging and ended the story short. And ps. I really did stop blogging. There were no blog posts written, even in secret, from that point forward, which was sooo difficult at times. Especially once I got pregnant. I wanted to write all about it, to document every moment of every day, but for fear of jinxing myself, withheld. So anyway, here goes...<br />
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First of all, let me state right upfront for those of you who don't believe in psychics, guess which month I found out I was expecting? That's right...April! We had gone ahead with the 2 planned rounds of IUI and unfortunately still found my womb empty. I'm not sure what hubs and I would have done after the 2nd unsuccessful attempt if my family hadn't literally come in and saved the day. On an ordinary day like all others, in the mail, I received a touching poem about family from my own mom, dad and sisters, along with a check written from each of them, for a sum total which allowed us to move forward with a third IUI attempt. It was such an amazing and thoughtful contribution, made so much more beautiful by the fact that it was this third attempt which brought us Evelyn Rose. My heart swells just thinking about it. If that isn't God's love at work, I don't know what is.<br />
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On a lighter note, my sister likes to now joke that she owns 1/4 of my daughter. (insert laughter)<br />
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On a weirder note, in April, an omen from God showed up at our front door in the form of Parent's magazine. Don't believe me? I thought it such a good luck charm at the time, that I actually photographed it, seen here for your viewing pleasure!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg966MU5NpvhEpmzqWHI6_Ny12g6OSFS5oo9UNL0F0lcPYK93iM-6Uw5uQ7843BnvI5nFrjr_2r9ZEyEgLnfokFSwqOmsdQ7eHGqnQuGpm3JX0G2ggVR7jYbOgw6oAVCepPXZTcYQwPBjk/s1600/Parents+magazine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg966MU5NpvhEpmzqWHI6_Ny12g6OSFS5oo9UNL0F0lcPYK93iM-6Uw5uQ7843BnvI5nFrjr_2r9ZEyEgLnfokFSwqOmsdQ7eHGqnQuGpm3JX0G2ggVR7jYbOgw6oAVCepPXZTcYQwPBjk/s1600/Parents+magazine.jpg" /></a></div>
There were some noticeable differences with our third attempt, perhaps worth mentioning to those also trying IUI. First and foremost, since this was, to the best of our knowledge, our last go at IUI, I decided to go all in. I called off "sick" from work that morning so that after the office visit I could go home and do nothing but lie on the couch all day, which is exactly what I did. Was it this that made the difference? I don't know but it's the only time I tried this tactic. Speaking of the office visit, it just felt right. If the first IUI attempt was nerve-wracking, the second disheartening (the office was jam packed and the lady next to me was older and on her last IUI attempt), than the third time was perfect. I had the first appointment at the office. I was the first patient in the door. The morning felt serene and calm and everything you want when you're trying to make a baby. Ok.. and this is where it gets a little bizarre.<br />
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At the time, perusing online forums to read about other people's IUI experiences wasn't entirely foreign to me. On one, a girl had mentioned that her doctor had difficulty inserting the catheter (sorry, TMI?) and that ended up being her successful month. So, back to me.. guess what happened that third try? Yep, me and my "curvy cervix" as my doctor liked to joke, gave him lots of issues that morning and resulted in him having to try to get it right multiple times. But hey, it worked! You know me and my signs... :)<br />
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Lastly, hubs and I abstained from, uh-hem...the deed, after the IUI. Previous months we'd made sure to supplement with our own natural methods but I decided to switch things up as much as possible for our last attempt.<br />
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Perhaps it was just the odds of happening or all of the above.. the overwhelming feeling of support from my family, the serene morning, my extra curvy cervix (right timing?), lying vertical for an entire day, or the absence of certain extra-curricular activities... but either way, God blessed us with Miss Evelyn Rose that month and I will be forever grateful.<br />
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And so.. here begins my blog transformation from trying-to-conceive to what-is (oh, and with it a whole bunch more photos!).<br />
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As a side note: Please bare with me for a little here if my posts are a bit more sporadic. We currently have our belongings in three separate areas (or 4) if you count two storage units, short term housing and our new apartment. Unfortunately sorting out life may be a bit more demanding than updating blog posts, especially since we only have internet currently at one location. I will do my best to get on a more regular schedule once things have settled down a bit! Thanks in advance for your patience!<br />
<br />RosyRillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09916475974293556699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229612772473655669.post-70924120644545035262015-03-29T01:18:00.004-04:002015-03-29T01:23:53.458-04:00Au revoir, originally written February 21st, 2014.<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-align: justify;">See the disclaimer</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-align: justify;"> </span><a href="http://www.rosyrilli.com/2015/01/backtracking.html" style="background-color: white; color: #cbb62e; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e543c; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-align: justify;">.</span></span><br />
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February 21, 2014</span><br />
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So, all of those things the psychic said that were too sensitive in nature that I was unwilling to share earlier. Well, for your viewing pleasure.. here they are!</span><br />
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She said again that she saw us having 2-3 children. It was the first question I asked, eager to confirm if she still saw kids in our future. Later in the conversation, she said she saw 2 and that 3 would be a strain (just like she did over a year and a half ago!).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm supposed to give up pulling out clothing from the washer. Wet towels etc. NOT good for my uterus. She said, starting Feb. 27th (such a funny an exact date!), hubs is supposed to start doing all of the laundry. He was THRILLED to hear that one!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">No exercising. Not even the treadmill, because according to Valerie, I'm at such a high risk of miscarrying. I promptly cancelled my gym membership <em>yesterday</em>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">She said to prop my rear end on a pillow after the good deed, and wait 15 minutes. I stupidly have been laying on my stomach thinking it would help with the whole forward tilted uterus bit. But oh no. I got quite the scolding from Valerie on that one. Everything falls out that way! HAHAHA (Ladies, you can appreciate that sentiment!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm supposed to ask my doctor about acid reflux, because I'm still suffering from it and she said it's not good for the sperm. And she said to drink a glass of milk as soon as I feel it coming on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">She mentioned my miscarriage was a baby girl, which is what she told me last time I spoke to her too. Two girls maybe? But she mentioned that my father in law is in heaven holding them and that not all babies are meant to come down here. Some go back to heaven.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hubby will apparently make a very good father. No surprise there!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">At first she said that I would be pregnant again on or before August. Later in the conversation (much to my glee) she said that April looks like a very strong month. I vote for April!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">She agreed that IUI was a good idea and mentioned that I have a very good, determined doctor.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Stressed again, no heavy lifting! And she said to meditate by picturing my belly getting bigger and bigger. Positive thinking! And to leave the door open to the room I've picked out for the nursery in our house. Both things I already do.. which is quite impressive she picked up on!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When I tried asking her more about our move (to a supposedly warmer area), she said that we'll chat about that later, after we have a child. That kind of makes me think we'll have the baby in Cincinnati, yes? That makes me VERY happy indeed :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And then she told me to stop blogging. That a blog full of dead babies in NOT channeling positive energy into my life. She was quite adamant about this one. And I guess, in hindsight, it kind of makes sense. As much as this forum has been a great tool to vent, to document and to dissect, it also represents my struggle, the long road we've had to travel, and some very painful memories, all piled up into one neat place. So, unfortunately I think this is goodbye. For now. I still hope to one day reveal all of these innermost thoughts and experiences of mine to the world. But hopefully the next baby post I write will include a picture of our adorable, giggly, pudgy, healthy baby.<br />
Au revoir everyone!</span><br />
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RosyRillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09916475974293556699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229612772473655669.post-12496861084463311892015-03-26T10:24:00.001-04:002015-03-29T01:20:02.401-04:00An emotional update, originally written February 17th, 2014.<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-align: justify;">See the disclaimer</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-align: justify;"> </span><a href="http://www.rosyrilli.com/2015/01/backtracking.html" style="background-color: white; color: #cbb62e; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e543c; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-align: justify;">.</span></span><br />
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Monday February 17, 2014</span><br />
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Sometimes I cringe writing the date. There was a time when I thought the year wouldn't be necessary, but alas, here we are...in 2014.</span><br />
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So, a gut check on how things have been going. I'd say, overall, it's going pretty well all things considered. I am, of course, thinking about the possibility of being pregnant about every 2 <strike>minutes</strike> seconds. I have over analyzed the fact that my face feels drier this month and my boobs haven't sprouted to herculean sizes yet like they usually do this close to the start of my period. Or the slight bouts of anxiety I've had at night. All potentially good signs. Maybe.</span><br />
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I've never had typical pregnancy signs in the past that cued me into the possibility of being pregnant. The first time around, way back when I was a newbie, it was the lack of PMS symptoms that made me test the night before my period was due. It was such a "Huh. That's weird. I don't even feel like I'm about to start!" moment. I bought a test and didn't even wait until morning. Just took it right then and there in the middle of the afternoon after drinking a fair amount of water not that much earlier. And guess what? It didn't matter. That test was glaringly, surprisingly, positive. The only pregnancy signs I started to notice came a week or so later. Feeling nauseous (but never actually having to go through with the act), dandruff and dry skin, heavy and hot sleep, nightmares and being uncomfortable in my regular bed. </span><br />
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The second time around, as I'm sure you've read by now, was a little more comical. There was dropping the test and the faint positive. But even before that, I had noticed the dandruff again. I had one night where I woke up in the middle of the night with heart pounding and the worst anxiety I've felt in a very, very long time. The following day, I went to a football game and drank some wine. The hangover was awfullllll and didn't match at all with the quantity of consumption. I remember getting excited. I was feeling a little off. This was a good sign. Next, my boobs went from completely normal to extremely painful overnight and I started getting headaches and having heartburn. And then the positive. Before the miscarriage, the only clue I had that it was coming were some slight cramps I felt after taking a 2.5 mile walk. A week later, I woke up one morning to my face slick with oil, like I usually experience the week before my period. A few days later, it was an obvious no go. </span><br />
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I'm very proud of the fact that this month I've successfully avoided taking my temperature. I officially know, only down to a window of 4 days, that I ovulated because of a morning temperature I took <em>last</em> Monday. So I've survived a whole week. I'm closing in on the finish line. It's within arm's reach.</span><br />
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My chat with Valerie the psychic is happening tomorrow night. Originally, I anticipated wanting to take a test tomorrow morning so I would know before our conversation what the result of my IUI was this month. What's the point in asking a whole bunch of questions about getting pregnant if I already am? Or, conversely, if I <em>don't</em> take the test, will I be crushed when I read into her answers about getting pregnant in the future and surmise that it didn't happen this month. Would I rather a test tell me that I'm not pregnant or a psychic?</span><br />
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Ultimately, I've decided not to test. I know myself well enough to know that I won't trust the results even if I do. There's no way I can say with certainty how many days past ovulation I am, other than to assume the latest possible scenario. That would mean I would only be 8dpo today and testing at 9dpo is pretty unreliable. In a desperate attempt to hold on to hope, I would likely just convince myself a test later in the week would give me the result I want to see. So basically, I might as well save my money. </span><br />
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Well actually, if you must know, the money has already been spent. There's a three pack of tests sitting in my bathroom as we speak. I don't possess <em>that</em> much control. Ha.</span><br />
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So, the question then becomes, how long will I be able to hold out? I've been feeling an uncharacteristic urge to hold off as long as possible. I kind of like this hope thing. Why rush to dash all of my dreams? Is it sad that I've begun to analyze which day I will be able to handle the disappointment best?</span><br />
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If I test Friday and it's negative, it's at least still Friday. I can indulge my feelings of sadness in a bottle of wine guilt free. </span><br />
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But if I test Thursday and it's <em>positive</em>, that gives me enough time to call the pharmacy and pick up my prescriptions by Friday. As soon as I find out I'm pregnant, I have to start daily injections of a blood thinner and progesterone to try and avoid another miscarriage. If I have to wait, I know there will be a lot of anxiety that I'm putting everything at risk. </span><br />
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The getting pregnant part is only half the battle after all. The real batter starts once I see those two lines. </span><br />
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If this post reads as negative, know that in actuality I'm feeling pretty positive about everything. Well, tentatively positive. I still feel stupid writing a post like this knowing that there's a very good chance that I'm not pregnant. Let's hope that doesn't happen.</span><br />
<br />RosyRillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09916475974293556699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229612772473655669.post-83241701106462063302015-03-25T15:03:00.001-04:002015-03-29T01:20:59.900-04:00Closeted fantasies, originally written February 12th, 2014.<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-align: justify;">See the disclaimer</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e543c; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-align: justify;"> </span><a href="http://www.rosyrilli.com/2015/01/backtracking.html" style="background-color: white; color: #cbb62e; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e543c; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-align: justify;">.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">February 12, 2014</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqBCw-XvL73XlUdPZLBGAECPSy4Z4BqkhLpC91IddgnrEfaLHXtzCK72FrY2NUwbgRSl8_aVyA62Nj5Q2W-5mA8xU28e5YNNI9MH98QXqpgqrHNYCIW2S8X4dglWf19qBf1E7IakSOgCs/s640/blogger-image--1722402045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><img alt="ROSYRILLI.COM Closeted fantasies" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqBCw-XvL73XlUdPZLBGAECPSy4Z4BqkhLpC91IddgnrEfaLHXtzCK72FrY2NUwbgRSl8_aVyA62Nj5Q2W-5mA8xU28e5YNNI9MH98QXqpgqrHNYCIW2S8X4dglWf19qBf1E7IakSOgCs/s640/blogger-image--1722402045.jpg" title="ROSYRILLI.COM Closeted fantasies" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have a secret stash. I'm pretty positive I'm not the only one either. Should you find yourself in a similar situation as I (aka, not "falling pregnant" overnight), I highly suggest the closeted baby room. Literally, the baby room in a closet. In my defense, I've been pregnant twice now, brief stints that they were, and <em>most</em> purchases were made in a flurry during those times. Most.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I may have mentioned it before (who can keep track with all of these baby posts piling up in hiding for so long!?), but when I was young, I remember wanting to start a baby bin. I thought it would be brilliant to start stockpiling clothing, pacifiers, baby bottles etc. so that one day, when motherhood was upon me, I would be fully prepared. Basically, I was an aspiring hoarder. Luckily, those thoughts stayed swirling in my mind and no purchases were ever made. BPA free didn't even exist back then, right?</span><br />
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So that brings me to today. Or yesterday, to be more specific. I found myself uncharacteristically nonchalant about this whole baby making business. I know my hormones enough to realize that such an easy, breezy blah feeling is only a short hop, skip and jump away from feeling very, very low. Blame it on the progesterone. It gets me every month so that by the time Auntie arrives, I'm as Negative Nancy as it gets. </span><br />
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In an attempt to combat the blues, I sprung for this little gem:</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXMYwgf7xF3zsNXUvXaq_9_FOlh_qe8m_YwvfdrGTFAoqgg-4ieJHwL3kK9uySkod04wucKDJkt4RV0tJf18pTW8EaljBqXtFwMuuXfY39hhmtoiymrBBqrfkQzzhNXSteUnB6oyJPQE/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><img alt="ROSYRILLI.COM Closeted fantasies" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXMYwgf7xF3zsNXUvXaq_9_FOlh_qe8m_YwvfdrGTFAoqgg-4ieJHwL3kK9uySkod04wucKDJkt4RV0tJf18pTW8EaljBqXtFwMuuXfY39hhmtoiymrBBqrfkQzzhNXSteUnB6oyJPQE/s1600/Capture.PNG" title="ROSYRILLI.COM Closeted fantasies" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Serena & Lily, Hanna Anderson Chevron Bodysuit in Sprout found <a href="http://www.serenaandlily.com/Sale/Sale-Baby/Hanna-Andersson-Chevron-Bodysuit-Sprout" rel="" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</span></td></tr>
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I know. I know. Am I just torturing myself more? Will this just depress me further if our IUI was unsuccessful? I'm not sure. Probably. But for right now, I still want to grasp that little bit of excitement that comes with the experience of trying something new. Maybe THIS will finally be the answer. And as I told a friend yesterday, whether it's this month or some random month two years from now, I know in my heart of hearts that it'll happen. I will make usage of this colorful onesie!</span><br />
<br />RosyRillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09916475974293556699noreply@blogger.com0