Thankful for the Mom Moments
Making special memories this holiday season
The holidays are upon us, and it feels like everything is intensified this year. Among the decorating, gifting, and gathering, there’s the self-inflicted pressure of wanting to make everything Pinterest perfect for baby’s first holiday. With all the TikToks suggesting how to position your baby under the tree for the perfect pose, it’s easy to forget that the true memories of the season come from the unexpected moments that make time stop and light up the dark winter days.
We get to watch little faces stare in wonder at lit up ornaments and scrunch up their noses when you try to fit a Santa hat on their head. We get to pore over websites trying to find the perfect first gift, but the ultimate thrill comes from writing To Baby, From Mom and Dad for the first time. There’s nothing material about them, but these are the memories that make me so grateful to be a mom and will dance in my mind forever. Memories such as:
The tiny ear imprint after a contact nap
Getting nap-trapped
The fallen sock on the rug
Baby mittens
Gummy smiles
The tiny sigh after a satisfying burp
Post-swaddle stretches
The tiny open mouth during a deep sleep
Five pudgy fingers curling around my thumb
I hope you can remember that this holiday season if you find yourself stressing over trying to capture the perfect picture for the family card. Baby’s first holiday isn’t about making everything perfect for them. It’s about slowing down, enjoying your time with your little one and finding joy in the way things are.
Happy Holidays!
I will be taking a break to enjoy baby’s first holiday season and will be back in the new year. I want to say a heartfelt THANK YOU to all of you who’ve subscribed so far. This has been a wonderful creative outlet and I hope my experience as a new mom provides you with some comfort and solidarity as you go through yours. A small favor to ask: please pass this on to your mom friends so we can continue to build the community.
Chrissy
A weekly roundup of personal tips and helpful finds
Elf on the Shelf is the Absolute Worst: Loved this delightful, brutally honest piece from Rachel Varina on why she won’t be elfing this season and why in the long-term, it may not be best for our kids. (Betches)
The Messy House Era is In: Just in time for school break, it’s now OK to forego the pressure of gendered social norms and let your house reflect your real life. Even Marie Kondo says you can let the house go when you have kids. (The Cut)
Baby Book: Night Night, Dino-Snores. I’m a sucker for dinosaurs and bedtime stories and this touch and feel book is a wonderful combination of both. There’s also the added bonus of learning new dinosaur names. Diplodocus anyone?
Cook: It’s December, you’ve done so much this year. Stay in, order a pizza, and end the night with some hot chocolate after baby goes to bed. If you’re looking for inspiration, Bon Appetit ran a blind taste test to rank the best store-bought hot chocolate, or you can concoct your own via the recipe pictured below.
Courtesy of Cooking Classy
What Mom Really Wants This Year:
I can’t guarantee you’ll sleep through the night this month, but I can guarantee your days will feel a little bit more luxurious with one of these gifts. This short list below is of my favorite things that have made my days as a new mom a little bit better. Treat yourself (or get treated) for doing a great job this year.
L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream: The postpartum hormones left my skin extra dry this winter and this balm has been a total save.
Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Soap: Having this small luxury in my guest bathroom makes me feel at least somewhat put-together when visitors arrive.
Yeti 10oz Lowball coffee cup: Keeps coffee hot all day and doubles as a wine glass after 5pm.
Silkie Hair Scrunchies: Since my hair became my son’s favorite toy, I can no longer keep it down so these mulberry silk hair ties make my ponytail feel fun.
Fuzzy slippers: These slippers keep my feet toasty and come with a grippy sole so I don’t have to worry about slipping while carrying baby.
Ginger Peach Tea from Republic of Tea: This tea has the perfect combination of caffeine and flavor to perk me up any time of day. You get 50 in each box, so these will last you awhile.
This week’s win comes to us from Angela M:
We just started solids last month, and while we have to convince our daughter to take most new foods, she gobbled up scrambled eggs with no questions asked!
Each week we’ll feature a mom win from one of our readers. If you have a win you’d like to share, please leave a comment below and we will feature you in an upcoming issue.
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