Date Night Outfit

Last weekend was Chris's birthday so we spent a lot of time celebrating. And thanks to my parents who babysat, we went out to dinner alone for the first time since Emilia was born. It was kind of great to wear something that didn't need to be breastfeeding-friendly! I contemplated wearing an old favorite but immediately became overwhelmed by indecision. Which of my dresses was the most deserving? I couldn't pick. I know that sounds a little nuts but ... that's where I am right now. haha

I opted for the above new-to-me number instead. I bought this MBMJ dress off ebay, thinking that the button panel would offer nursing access. Sadly, it doesn't go down low enough. But I like the dress anyway!

We went to Salt of the Earth which is one of our favorite spots in town. We had gone to brunch at Meat and Potatoes and Kaya the night before so it was a very decadent weekend.

Outfit details:
Marc by Marc Jacobs dress
Spanx tights
Marc by Marc Jacobs mouse flats
Marc Jacobs Mercer East West Tote
Kate Spade bangle; Michael Kors watch

Keep or return this Target dress?

As I was saying in my previous post, a big part of me longs for my carefree wardrobe/shopping past life. I love my new life with Emilia and aim to continue to breastfeed for at least her first year if not longer. But I am already growing tired of having to be so careful and strategic when it comes to dressing and shopping for clothes. When I was pregnant it was way easier to deter myself from buying clothing, not knowing where my figure would end up afterwards. But now I feel an itch to either wear my old favorites (most of which don't provide boob access and fit funny) or shop for new things. I know it should have been obvious but I am still surprised by how postpartum times are a whole new state of "in-between."

Breastfeeding on demand requires me to consider the logistics of how I will nurse in public on my terms: comfortably and modestly. In winter it is somewhat easy because I can rely on drapey layers to provide some coverage. Come summertime, I predict that lightweight shirt dresses are going to be key to my warm weather strategy. It was that assumption that led me to buy the above denim shirt dress from Target. The only problem is, the size that doesn't gap at the bust is a little blousey everywhere else. I am debating whether I should keep or return. I bought it knowing that I could take it home to experiment with styling options. I know that superfluous belt would last all of 15 minutes on a hot day.

Details:
Target shirt dress (long sleeve version here)
Nordstrom cardigan
MBMJ pumps
Anthro belt

I'll be back this weekend with a giveaway so stay tuned!

Shopping with a newborn

Last month, Chris and I ventured out of SWPA for the first time in a long time. We didn't go far and we didn't stay long but it felt wonderful to get out of town. I was eager to hit the stores that Pittsburgh doesn't have: Saks, Nordstrom Rack, Bloomingdales, Loehmann's, Barney's Coop. With giftcards burning holes in my pocket I couldn't wait to hit the sales. But shopping while traveling with a newborn for the first time was way more difficult than I ever imagined.

en route to Friendship Heights

Between taking turns holding her, changing her, feeding her, and keeping her happy there was little time left for browsing. When strapped for time, I'm usually a "head directly to the sale rack, do not linger around new arrivals as they are out of your price range," sort of shopper. But sale racks are often disorganized and crowded. And for the first time in my life that disorganization overwhelmed rather than enticed me. So I wound up nursing the baby in an out-of-the-way chair while Chris looked around. BTW, thank goodness for Nordstrom. Their "Women's Lounge" was an oasis of calm for my harried, frustrated, and otherwise disappointed self. I really couldn't focus even when Chris had the baby because I spent those minutes worrying about whether she was ok, if she wanted to eat, did she need to be changed, was she on the cusp of a meltdown, etc. At the end of the weekend, I returned home empty handed.

I am sure I will get the hang of this eventually, right? Until then, thank goodness for online shopping.

Self-image in the reflection of my daughter

As I continue to recover from pregnancy and birth, I find myself feeling surprisingly positive. My body has changed for sure. I accept that it (much like life) will never be the same in ways both positive and negative. That was a part of the deal struck when my partner and I decided to plan our family. But it's hard to be overly critical of a body that grew, birthed (albeit with interventions), and nourished my healthy baby girl. It's hard also to harbor the same mixed feelings about my physical appearance -- those ones that plagued me as an adolescent and early post-adolescent -- when everyone says that baby girl looks just like me. She has such a sweet, lovable, curious face. Her face  indeed resembles my own baby photos closely. I cringe at the thought of her being hard on herself about her looks as she matures. And when I think about the overly critical, appearance-obsessed world in which she will grow, I worry.

There was and still is something validating about the fact that my younger sister and I look so alike. Even though I can be hard on myself, I think she's gorgeous. And I feel the same way about my daughter. My heart breaks at the thought of her or my sister being so self-critical. So why should I be  hard on myself? It sets a bad example and it just doesn't add up! It also makes me wish I hadn't put my own parents through the ringer with my own adolescent self-criticism. The idea that Emilia might someday find fault with a visage that I find so beautiful is kind of devastating.

The outfit above was my trying out options for Valentine's Day. Although the wrap fits, I know it would look way better if I steamed it and put it on over tights. It's too cold to wear it sans tights anyway and even though I'm 10 weeks postpartum I still really like the added support from control top. Still, trying stuff on without Spanx helps me keep perspective on where my body is at the moment. 

Outfit details:
DVF Greer in spring shadows print
Bravado tank underneath
MBMJ pumps
RedEnvelope necklace (c/o)

Nursing friendly staples

Cardigans
Maternity Tops

The last few weeks of wrangling my newborn and getting the hang of this mom thing haven't left me with much spare time to dress up or be fussy. If I'm not being covered (albeit lovingly) in drool, I'm worried about spilling something on myself due to sleep deprivation-induced clumsiness. More than ever, I need my clothing to be functional and machine-washable.

For this reason, I've sought out comfortable, stylish layers to keep warm but maintain constant access to Emilia's source of nutrition. My drapey cardigans are getting a major workout because they offer warmth as well as additional privacy when I'm maneuvering her under the nursing cover. I've beefed up my nursing-friendly top wardrobe too. Gap put a bunch of nursing shirts on clearance (FYI, their nursing clothing is clustered with Maternity... my favorites are this cowl top and this crossover shirt) and at the advice of a dear new friend from my mom's group, I also picked up a few Bravado tanks. I was hesitant due to the retail but they really are worth the money. I'm not small busted by any stretch and the support these tanks offer put Target's Gillian O'Malley nursing tanks to shame. They are long enough and have fabric thick and sturdy to provide additional stomach support.

For fit reference, I find that Bravado nursing tanks run true to bra cup and band sizes. Though I've not had them for long enough to know how stretched out they will become or how they'll hold up with lots of use/wear, I am glad to have them around to try. I've felt much less exposed and all over the place since they've become a part of my wardrobe.