PRESCHOOL ADVENTURES WITH ATLAS

Our little adventurer, Atlas, took a giant leap into the world of learning, laughter, and new friendships by staring school this past week. A whole new chapter began and I'll admit it—I'm the one shedding a tear while he's too excited to notice.

From practicing using the potty to engaging in health and wellness activities, Atlas's day was filled with new experiences and discoveries. The daily reports share his adventures, from letter recognition to big movements imitating animals. It warms my heart to see him thriving in this new environment. I love the naptime reports, “Atlas seemed restless during naptime, opting to play with puppets instead.” Hey, who needs naps when there are puppets to play with, right?

Atlas didn't touch their gourmet offerings (typical!), but he happily demolished the snacks I packed. The teriyaki chicken? Yeah, that didn't even make it onto Atlas' radar. Snack game strong!

My fave is the crash course in preschool politeness. "Please pass the crayons, and thank you for the cookies.” Atlas is excited about his grand entrance into the world of preschool. Get this—he asked to go back the very next morning! That's our Atlas, always ready for the next adventure. By the end of the week, Atlas wasn't just attending preschool; he was building a tribe of tiny companions.

Happy he loves school! Enjoy some photo memories below!

XoXo

Britt

BABY PRODUCTS WE SWEAR BY (& ONES WE SWEAR AT TOO)

This blog is LONG over due! But the best part for you is maybe you're not due yet and you just discovered the post you have been searching for your whole pregnancy! With all the baby options out there how do you really know if it is right for you and your family? You dont, unless you try. Good thing we tried a bunch and have our faves and lames list to share!

I linked all the Amazon finds so you can be the Christmas Hero!

Should I get it? Why does every new parent have this? Why is it on everyone list? The answers to your deepest questions answered bellow. Also these products are in no favorable order.

YAYS

• Pack and Play. Why we love it? You need a place to play in a designated area while we are out somewhere or mom needs to do something and you cant get into anything so take some toys and chill in here for a bit. Also it doubles as a bed when we travel!

• Door Jumper- Why we love it? Have you seen Atlas’ quads? Those leg muscles! He didn’t get that way overnight. Practicing jumping and walking at the same time.

• Rocker- at first I was like why are all these expensive gliders and rockers in nurseries? Now I get it! We have a vintage rattan rocker that was in my nursery but it has become one of my favorite chairs and its so sweet to part of the bed time routine.

• Nuuk pacifiers & Doc Brown bottles - know you pacifies and know you bottles - aka know your nipples. Lol. Dont steer from them and when you are ready to size up or switch to sippy or straw, keep the same brand!

• Large Play Mat- Why we love it? It is a clean, soft, foldable play mat that we can unfold everyday for playtime. We can travel with us and it make mom feel safer about floortime play when you cant vacuum, mop and sweep 24/7.

• Touch and Feel Hard Books - Why we love them? They encourage interaction through the touch and feel panels and the hard pages are durable for our avid reader. He will read the same book 10 times a day flipping the pages, feeling the nooks and crannies.

• Kick & Play Piano Gym - You have seen every baby with it. The fisherprice animal piano is the bees knees. Starting week 1 with tummy time all the way through month 15 with the piano colors and numbers. It is used daily and we only had to change the batteries 1 time. What a winner!

• Sleep Sack- Atlas was a swaddle king. He loved it! Once he could get his arms out he kept himself up all night. We quickly got a sleep sack with velcro swaddle sides and could easily transition the arms out. Now we are in the Halo and haven’t looked back. We have a nap time one and a thicker night time one.

NAYS

• Tummy Time Mats- you just need 1- or none, lol. A blanket or mat will work just fine. We got caught up with fun ones to stare at but why?

• Mobile- its distracting and gets in the way of putting your little one in the crib. Why would you want to encourage play time where bed time is?

• Footed Pajamas - Atlas hated his feet confined. Any footed pajamas had to be cut for freedom. He is like his mom, he can’t sleep with socks on I guess.

• Push walker- these are so flimsy. Our muscle man was knocking his down using it to stand up. We had to go straight to a sit in walker for our guy.

If you have any you swear by, comment bellow. Hope this helps any new parents or event second timers wondering what to invest in. Happy Holidays and remember as long as there is love at attention your baby just needs you.

OUR NEW NORMAL

We’ve been parents for a whole year! Let’s celebrate! Okay, now I’m tired. 

It is hard to remember what life was like before Atlas. Not just an extra person in our house, but the joy that he brings every day is another level. Sleeping eating, showers, shitting everything revolves around Atlas; he is our world. This is our new norm and we wouldn’t trade it for the world- we already did.

We are full-time working parents balancing taking care of a tiny human and it’s not easy. Kudos to all those working parents out there! Leaving for work is not a relief by any means. I may go from singing “Purple monkey in a bubble gum tree,” to having real adult conversations, but that also means my husband is putting in work around the house with the baby and sacrificing his career in the moment too. Then we switch. 

Can I vent a for second on how the world doesn’t show you what parenthood is like. The movies, reality shows. social media they’re showing you the sunshine the rainbows the butterflies. The nanny takes the child while it has a diaper blowout. Their meal planner is prepping all of their food to make sure they keep up with their nutrition to properly pump 6 ounces on schedule. Day care is taking the kid with dozens of others. It’s been 365 days and I haven’t had a manicure or a pedicure, but I did have a haircut (just one)! And as much as I tell myself every single day I need to take care of myself to take care of him I still don’t do it this. It is my new norm.

i’m hungry .

I’m tired .

I’m on the verge of tears .

But I would not trade any of it for my perfect family of three

I feel a frustration towards myself . The harder part is admitting something is wrong and admitting you’re feeling signs of depression. It is an overwhelming feeling to admit. It’s not all the time, but it manifests itself in different ways. And my kid is pretty good, so like what?  I know the fruits of my labor reflect his life, but I have less patience for bullshit. I am here to prepare my son for this world and what ever the new normal becomes in the future.

Do you know someone going through this? What can you do to support or help? Instead of asking them what can I do for you- just do it! Send them dinner or something sweet because we all know the last thing we do is make sure we eat and buy ourselves the flowers.

9 MONTHS IN, 9 MONTH'S OUT

I cannot believe it’s been 9 months since this tiny human joined our world! Now that Atlas has been in this world as long as she was in me, I thought I would talk a little bit about my experience as a new mom and the nine things I have learned along the way.

1. I am stronger than I think- mentally and physically at handling pain, sleepless nights and days, maintaining a good headspace, etc. I thought I had been challenged in the past, but a newborn will put you to the test.

2. I need to take care of myself so I can take care of my family. Our breastfeeding ended early and I lost baby weight quickly, but not healthy way. Skipping meals or “intermittent fasting” is the contributing factor, but I need to rethink. I need to consider not only what I’m feeding myself and my family, but also the amount of water I need to be drinking. My esthetician said I can solve a lot of my skin issues by just drinking more water. Noted.

3. I can’t be the world’s best mom and world’s best boss at the same time - it’s a give and take. I have to make sacrifices and show Atlas we are contributing positively to the world around us. But, I also have to say “No,” at work, create boundaries, and get home at a reasonable time.

4. Don’t make plans- Atlas rules everything. Stick to his routine: Wake, bottles, feeds, naps, play time, etc. Whatever else you can fit in is a bonus. We do projects and house cleaning during naps and make sure to get outside and take Winter on her walk the same time every morning.

5. Be a great partner, wife and mother everyday. I hate to label myself and put what I do in a box, but once we had Atlas mom mode kicked in and I almost forgot to be a wife, partner, daughter, friend, etc. I wear a lot of hats and want to show Atlas he can too!

6. This shit is hard. We read the books, took the classes, got the advice, but whew! Shout out to all the parents out there- you are the real MVP’s!

7. His smile is worth everything. The hardest day, the tired nights, the stressful work meetings, it all goes away when I see Atlas smile.

8. Take all the pictures! At first I just wanted to take them of Atlas, but making sure we are in them too is just as imports. It doesn’t matter if we don’t “look good” because booking back at the photos we don’t say, “wow my hair,” we say, “look how cute Atlas is." Videos too! Check out our Youtube page to watch our Vlogs. We have more coming soon!

9. Being your mom is more beautiful than any dream I could have ever imagined and this dream just started. I love you Atlas J.

MONSTER FOODIE

Atlas is finally experiencing the deliciousness along with the nutritiousness of food. One of the many reasons to live in my opinion. BUT with the millions of advice out there on how to raise your child all I can say is this is our choice of food introductory the with the guidance of the community and our pediatrician. We are all about purées and trying all the delicious gummy all natural things first.

First, was the basics like avocados, apple, bananas, sweet potatoes and squash. Then we found Sprouts the grocer has a variety of little squeeze purées made with only natural real easy to pronounce and recognizable ingredients. No matter what variety we get, and we like to stick to a vegetable base: peas carrots chickpeas beets squash, Atlas loves them all. Lastly, I started getting creative at home for flavors and proteins. The other night I boiled some chicken, used the broth to boil some mushrooms ,added some blueberries, threw that in the magic bullet and Atlas could not stop eating it up.

We also love breakfast around here. Atlas does too! From a yogurt parfait, baby oatmeal, and all the fruits. Again, from Sprouts natural raw live active cultured yogurt, some frozen strawberries or blueberries, and the three ingredient oatmeal. We also like to mixing things to our oatmeal like spices such as cinnamon and nut butters like peanuts and almond.

As busy parents we do enjoy the convenience of the Sprouts squeeze packets and will continue to use those. They retail at our local grocer $5 dollars for three pouches and last 24 hours once you open them. Atlas will finish one in a day: one meal one day and then in 24 hours he’ll finish the rest.

Let me know if you have any amazing recipes ,quick tips or tricks. We’re learning together and it’s so much fun! Enjoy the adorable foodie photos.

XoXo Mama Britt

WORKING MOM BLOG

Last week I had a hard day. I cried leaving for work. I transitioned back to work after 8 weeks of maternity leave. Because Jose is able to work from home I am blessed to have a sense of security when I leave for work everyday. I make it most days no tears, but the end of the week it gets harder. Last Friday and Saturday I was too hard on myself- thinking because I couldn’t calm him, he had forgotten all about me. But, last Thursday was different.

I usually stay pretty busy at work and keep my mind occupied. I am grateful Jose is working from home and caring for Atlas and his development. He FaceTimes me at lunch and I try and wrap up at reasonable time to be home to feed the animals and the baby. But, last Thursday was different. At 4pm I learned I had to run an errand across town. I called Jose and the disappointment on his voice broke my heart. He understood I had to take care of a work situation, but I had never felt so torn. I was being pulled to be a great employee and a great mom and great wife at the same time.

Two hours later and less than a mile from my house I get a call from my boss. He shares positive feedback and encourages me to keep heading in the right direction and I will continue to do great things.

I showered that night realizing I can’t be everything all the time- a working mom is finding that balance, knowing I can’t always be there next now, but I’ll be there forever.

To any moms and dads out there working, caring and loving for your tiny humans- great job! We are doing amazing and we can do it! Cheers to doing it all again tomorrow.

XoXo Britt

AM I ENOUGH

I am constantly asking myself this question especially now, as a mother, raising my baby boy. Being my first child I want to do everything perfectly and give him the world for being my world. This especially holds true when it comes to breastfeeding him.

While being pregnant I was constantly questioned if I would be breastfeeding and I replied, “Yes.” Once he was born he had no issues latching and even after a visit from the lactation specialist, we were assured everything would go smoothly.

But then the opposite happened. The pain I felt every time he latched made me dread feeding time and I was always curious in the back of my mind if he was getting enough. It’s hard to measure coming straight from the nipple and his obsessive crying was new to us to figure out.

I tried pumping for the first time at 3 weeks and only got 2 oz from both breasts. I started taking more lactation supplements from vitamin drinks to oat pancakes. My favorite were the no bake energy bars and the waffles. You can enjoy even if you’re not looking to increase your milk supply. I’m not sure it helped, but it sure was delicious. I was also thankful for local company Majka to make the best smoothies and still get all my nutrients.

He took to a bottle so quickly. Our favorite is Nuk for pacifiers and bottles- such a smooth transition from the nipple! I was pumping every 2-3 hours to keep up with the growing boy, but was getting frustrated. Am I enough?

I started supplementing after 6 weeks of just breast milk. I needed to take care of myself in order to take care of my little guy. Now, I am pumping every 4-6 hours now and producing 4 oz which is great for his age and to have with formula feedings daily too.

I will keep this system as I transition back to work and face the next dilemma of being enough presently in the parent category as I return to the office. I need to remember I am enough and will teach Atlas that he is always enough as well. Grow strong my love. 

XoXo 

Britt 

P.S. These AMAZING newborn photos were taken by Sally Whetten Photography! Check her out here!

MY NEW VALENTINE

My valentine this year was 4 week old Atlas J Acevedo. Born on January 13 at 11:31 am at 6 pounds 1 ounce and 21 inches long this little man quickly stole my heart. He came into our world 10 days before his due date and when we announced his name in the delivery room I said, “Atlas: because you’re my world.”

His arrival started Tuesday at work. Around 2 pm I started feeling cramps / contractions and didn’t know if this was the “false labor” I had learned about. He felt very low and I started timing the contractions around 4pm. I could still walk, talk and breathe so I pushed through the rest of my work day. At home, a shower felt great even though the pain was intensifying. We recorded our scheduled podcast that night, had dinner and went to bed. My goal was to make it through the pain till the morning, when I had my 38 week appointment with my midwife. But a little after midnight I saw some spotting and quickly woke Jose to tell him it’s time. We through together an overnight bag and some snacks then drove to the hospital.

At 1:30 am I was in observation getting my vitals checked with a nurse. We thought I would be told it’s not time and be sent on our way, but instead I was 6 centimeters dilated and was being admitted to a delivery room.

The pain was real and by this time I was more than ready for my epidural. One of my fears of labor was receiving this because I am not a fan of needles and although I couldn’t see it the pain was felt and I screamed. Minutes later I could feel the coolness rushing through my spine and numbness to my legs. The next frightening thing for me was the urinary catheter. Mentally I was dreading this pain too, but I didn’t feel a thing. Suddenly the baby’s heart rate was dropping and we had to stop the contractions for his safety. A shot later we were back in a safe zone and ready to get the contractions started again. Now we play the waiting game.

My water never broke on it’s own and my midwife waited till I was 9 centimeters before breaking it. I never saw my mucus plug, but I was told there was quite a “bloody show” while I was dilating. At 10:30 am my midwife said she just finished a 3 hour delivery and it would soon be time for our birthday party.

I was determined to not make this a 3 hour push session. At 11:06 am I began my first one. Jose was right there counting and patting my head with a cool rag. I grabbed the back of my legs and with each contraction I pushed with all my might. Between the nurse, midwife, Jose and classical music I had the best support for delivery. Twenty five minutes later I gave my last push and out came our precious baby boy.

I was in tears- the baby wasn’t even crying. I was in love and when they placed him skin to skin and I looked into his big eyes I was flushed with a wave of new emotions. Jose cut his cord and after they weighed him he was back in my arms where I never wanted to let go.

We checked off all the boxes in the hospital to be able to go home and after another night stay we were on our way back home as a family of three - not 2.

The first month has been a challenge. You read all the books, watch all the videos and take all the advice to prepare for baby, but nothing but real world experience will teach us. We’re balancing breast feeding and bottle feeding and making sure little guy is getting enough to grow strong. We’re practicing sleeping in the crib alone, or in the bassinet in our room, or if it comes down to it, in mom or dads arms. We’re developing skills from tummy time, reading out loud and constant interaction. Every second we’re in love and can stare at him forever.

Our journey has just begun as parents and we are excited for every minute of it. Everyday is Valentine’s Day with Atlas.

XoXo

Britt.

NUSERY REVEAL

The highly anticipated nursery reveal is here! Baby Acevedo surrounded by baby animals and a hint of what his name is is somewhere in the room. A little old and little new and lots of love makes up this beautiful room. Fresh white painted walls and a fun zebra print accent wall feels fresh and bright as soon as you walk in. Its a room you want to spend all day in and hopefully he will love it too.

I fell in love with a crib from Buy Buy Baby and watched it sit in a box for over a month. We had to first change out the fan. We wanted to turn the light on separate from the fan and found a perfectly chic one on Amazon. We waited for my helpful parents to come out to install the fan and put together the crib, but didn’t know they would also be bringing in my new favorite furniture piece. While in the Navy, my dad picked up a stunning rattan rocking chair that was used in my nursery as a baby and many moons later I will be rocking my baby in it. We had a few Ikea pieces for storage and thanks to the wonderful community of offer up, we got a changing table for next to nothing.

Next came accessories. I found this amazing site with the cutest baby animal wall decor and a rug for a great price. It is called TYC Home; check it out here. It does ship from China - so be prepared to wait weeks to months for your order. Speaking of waiting weeks for orders, a few things came from Wish like our prints. I joined this amazing facebook community, started by Lauren Garcia, called What Baby Likes. It is not just for locals but nationwide mamas. Ask to join here if you are a mom in need of assistance from advice to accessories. A few deals from Goodwill completed the decor, like this amazing palm tree I scored for 5 bucks and a vintage trunk were utilizing as a toy chest.

Now it is time to fill it with all the baby necessities: diapers, wipes, health and beauty and of course sheets for the crib. We finalized our baby registry with only the essentials and looking forward to see what else our baby lion gets blessed with. You can view it here. He is loved so much and isn’t even out in the world; I cant wait to show him his space and spend sleepless nights in there reading to him, rocking him, and staring at his handsome face.

Any moms have any advice on what we are missing, please be sure to let us know. Everyday is a learning experience and as much as we are reading the baby books and observing from others we definitely appreciate all the outside suggestions on what is essential. With 8 weeks to go we are in the final count down!

XoXo Britt

BABY MOON + 1ST YEAR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY TRIP

Jose and I were set to celebrate our first year wedding anniversary, but I am also 26 weeks pregnant. So we decided to take a baby moon and a wedding anniversary trip at the same time. For those that don’t know- a baby moon is a trip where new parents take a vacay together to enjoy their time together before the baby comes. We did however take our fur baby, Winter and we were so glad we did. 

During the pandemic we didn't want to travel too far, or require a location that we would have to get on a plane, so I pitched the Central Coast of California. It is where I went to college and where time “SLO”s down. San Luis Obispo and the surrounding area is filled with breathtaking beaches, vineyards, green landscape and of course amazing beef. 

We started off in Pismo Beach, then up to San Luis Obispo and finally ended up in Morro Bay. I’ll be sharing where we stayed, what we did and most importantly what we ate. You have to visit this gorgeous area and be sure to check out some of the recommendations we have. Can’t wait to go back in another 10 years, but with our growing family. 

PISMO BEACH

Where to Stay

We picked the Ocean Palms Motel. It is pet friendly and walking distance to the beach, shops and restaurants. They have beautiful, spacious rooms, a comfortable bed and upon arrival the room was sanitized. They have a pool, but we spent most of the time at the beach. Its a 2-3 block walk to anything.

What to do? 

The beach is right there! Tourists were lining up early for parking spots on the same street of our hotel, but we were lucky enough to just be able to walk . A lot has changed in the last 10 years I was there. The pier is filled with outdoor entertainments from jungle gyms, a slide, cornhole, and plenty of outdoor tables for seating. Restaurants and bars popped up and beautiful street art fills the alleyways. There are plenty of photo ops and a huge stretch of beach to be able to enjoy, but still keep socially distanced. 

Where to eat? 

Splash Cafe- where else would you dine when in Pismo? I don’t eat seafood, but I do eat clam chowda. Crowds line up day and night for this award winning dish and it didn't disappoint. Joe got the fish and chips and loved every crunch. Plenty of places feature oysters on the half shell - which are caught locally in the area. For breakfast though, you have to check out Surfside Donuts. The menu changes daily with specialty donuts like animal cookies, maple bacon and cookies cream. Don't forget the fritters- so delicious. There will be a line and they do sell out so line up early. 

SAN LUIS OBISPO

Where to Stay

This college town sIts inland from the touristy beaches and is a short drive from Pismo to the South or Morro to the North. We chose to stay at the beach and travel to SLO- Most of the hotels in the area accommodate prospective students or parents of attending students. If you want a special stay, the Madonna Inn is a short drive from SLO and has amazing decor and themed rooms. They are not pet friendly so we opted for an AirBnb a little north of SLO and instead just spent the day exploring the downtown area and campus.

What to do? 

Starting off in downtown, you can park anywhere and explore the streets. Shopping is plenty- from mom and pop shops ( sadly, a lot are now closed down from the pandemic) to your well-known brand stores you can find everything you need within 3 blocks. The food is great and restaurants, for the most part, have accommodated to outdoor seating. Tucked behind the streets you can find the San Luis Obispo Creek which is very peaceful and gives you a break from the “city life.” Don’t forget about Bubblegum Alley. Tucked away in the heart of downtown, decades of gum is stuck to the walls of a narrow alleyway. It is nostalgic for those that have attended school in the area and a sight to see for tourists. 

Next, we explored the college campus. Cal Poly got some major upgrades since I attended. Beautiful buildings, fancy student living and dining centers and new roadblocks to accommodate pedestrians. We explored Orfalea College of Business, where I spent many days and nights and then north of the campus took a hike to the Architectural Graveyard. This hidden gem is a nice long hike through Poly Canyon. You reach a large field filled with horses and amazing lifesize structures built by students them selves. We got some incredible drone shots and hiked back. The downtown streets, campus and the Poly Canyon hike was all dog friendly and wore us, and Winter out. 

Where to eat? 

For breakfast I highly recommend Louisa’s Place. We didn't go this time, but from what I remember and smelled as I passed by it is an incredible home cooked breakfast and brunch. The line was around the block for tables, but well worth the wait. We build up an appetite for Firestone Grill- the best tri-tip sandwiches in the area. The burgers and chicken tenders are good too, but when in Rome… We also opted in for some onion rings and they were delicious. Half for now and half for the later- the meat is so tender and juicy and the BBQ sauce is the perfect combo of sweet and tangy. I would also recommend Woodstock Pizza if you have a craving for pizza or are accommodating a large party. Also, if you didn't get to go to Pismo for chowda, there is another Splash Cafe location in SLO where you can get your fix. 

MORRO BAY

Where to Stay 

AirBnbs are the way to go. You get the privacy and amenities of your own place, plenty of parking and you can accommodate small to large travelers. Check in and communication was easy with the app to our host and the place was beautiful, spacious, well decorated and had a comfortable bed and couch. We did have to drive to get to the beach, but it was under 3 miles. 

What to do?

To the south is the marina featuring the famous Morro Bay Rock. To the north you can find miles of sandy beaches including where Winter had her most fun, a dog beach. This off-leash beach allowed her to chase waves and birds, run in the sand, and interact with other four legged friends like her. The fog was heavy and dense most of the trip and when I was hoping it was would burn off by morning, it actually stayed and cooled down the whole trip. One morning we took a drive to Montano De Oro- a state park featuring sand dunes, beaches and plenty of hiking and biking trails. We saw tons of wildlife - turkeys, deer, horse and cattle. Aside from more amazing drone shots, we took some spectacular maternity photos that we can treasure forever. 

Where to eat?

For breakfast/brunch we found this amazing place- Carla’s Country Kitchen. Call ahead to get your name on the list to cut back on the wait time. They have plenty of outdoor seating to accommodate parties of all sizes and are dog friendly. Their food was to die for. Delicious scrambles, hash and home fries was what we indulged in, but their pancakes, waffles and muffins looked just as good too. We are definitely returning back here on our next trip. For dinner we wanted to try a local pizza favorite- Pizza Port. We ordered to go and enjoyed a fire in our AirBnb, but the restaurant was beachy and stylish and accommodated outdoor seating too. The cheese was fresh mozzarella and you could taste it came from some happy cows. 

BONUS- STOP IN SOLVANG

The drive home allowed us to pass through one of my other favorite little towns- Solvang. Known for its Danish-style architecture, this amazing town features some great food and sightseeing. We stopped for breakfast at Mortensen’s Danish Bakery and had a cream cheese and chocolate almond danish. So buttery, light and flavorful- it was the best danish I have ever had. The entire city is also pet friendly with plenty of water bowls and treats given out by many business owners. After driving a few blocks to take in the architecture, it was back on the 101 to head home. 

I know this was a lengthy breakdown, and I still probably missed out on a few details, but we at least have these amazing photos and memories to look back on and share with our baby boy to come. He was there with us from the 8 hour car drive to the 8 hours of carb eating. I know he is going to love the beach, like his mom and his furry big sister. I can’t wait for family vacations just like I was blessed to take with my family growing up and the photos and stories that will come from them.

Once the Vlog is done, I will post it here.

Thanks for following along.

XoXo

Britt