Thankful Hearts

     It has been an eventful year for us with lots of reasons to be thankful. Two things definitely come to mind when reflecting back over the months, the first being the birth of our sweet Hattie Eleanor. I was perfectly content with two kids. We were passed the baby stage and quickly passing the toddler stage. We had a girl and a boy, it seemed just right. We talked about adding another member to our little fam but I kept finding reasons to put it off. After a lot of going back and forth I eventually started to feel like if I found out I was pregnant, I wouldn't be distraught about it. That quickly turned into a strong desire for another child. I am so glad that we listened to our hearts because this baby has been such a blessing. She has brought us all closer together and really has completed our family. Her sweet demeanor and little old soul is like pure sunshine every single day. We needed her and she is a constant reminder to me that His plan is perfect.
     Another major game changer was of course Hudson's ears and the prayerful decision to go ahead with cochlear implants. We were terrified about making this choice wondering if it was something we would later regret, or what if something went terribly wrong and he would never be able to hear anything at all ever again? It took a really long time for us to feel confident that this would be best for him and I can't even tell you how how much of a blessing these little devices have already been. We have noticed a big difference and it will only get better from here.
     Today and every day I am thankful for family and friends and the love and support they've shown our family. God is good and we love you all.
 

Activation from Greg Nielsen on Vimeo.

Finn + Emma Play Gym

We've been working with a really great shop full of the very best baby gear, Amélie & Max. We were excited to try out the Finn + Emma play gym for our Hattie girl and I get pretty happy when appealing design meets functional + fun. Hattie LOVES her new toy and we LOVE that it doesn't look tacky in our living space. win win! 

Now, here's the best part...you can win one of your very own Finn + Emma play gyms ($135USD Value) on Pinterest. These would make such a cute christmas gift for a sweet babe that you love a WHOLE lot. To enter simply:

1. Follow Amélie & Max and Finn + Emma on Pinterest

2. Re-pin the picture below 

2. Re-pin your favourite Finn + Emma products from the shop

Best of luck!! 

Xx Nikki

DockATot

I'm just going to go ahead and tell you that I have decided the DockATot is my favorite baby product of all time. I wish I had it with my first two. Our main use for it is sleeping at night. We started out with our Hattie girl sleeping in the middle of us with the DockATot in our bed. She slept well in it from day one, and there was no risk of one of us rolling over on her or pulling blankets up too high in our sleep. We all got better sleep because of it and we were sold right away. What a blessing. After a couple of months, we transitioned Hattie into a bassinet in our room, and we just put the DockATot right in her bassinet so there wasn't much of a difference for her. The transition to a crib one day will be so easy on her because of this. She naps well in it and we bring it with us when we travel too. It has truly been a life savor. I highly recommend this product.

Review: Nuna Mixx stroller + Pipa

Before Miss Hattie arrived, we knew we would need new baby gear. The Nuna Mixx stroller + Pipa car seat is what we decided on and I cannot say enough good things about these products. We have been using them for 2 months and they have truly been a dream. The Nuna Pipa Car Seat (sold separately from the Nuna Mixx Stroller) was a blessing because of its sleek, slim design. We drove a Wagon for the beginning of our 3 kid journey and we could comfortably fit the Pipa Car Seat with the base in between the two big kids with booster seats, which was huge for us. There is an extra shade that pulls down and attaches by magnet and that has been handy. The Nuna Pipa looks great, is comfortable for my sweet babe and is easy to use + easy to attach to the Nuna Mixx Stroller, which we also have big love for. The Nuna Mixx Stroller can be used three ways as shown below:

As a travel system with the Nuna Pipa, Rear facing +  forward facing. The seat reclines nicely, is super simple to change out and the stroller can be folded with or without it attached. I'm impressed with how compact it can get for not being a really small stroller. The storage compartment underneath is HUGE which is great for over-packers like me and there is even an extra zip pocket inside. This stroller has honestly been amazing. It is good looking, smooth and has completely exceeded  our expectations. We Love Nuna!

Hattie Eleanor Nielsen

Our Birth Story

Everything about this delivery was much like the other two but with a little twist at the end of this one just to spice things up. I was scheduled to be induced at 39 weeks. July 11th (7/11!!) was the date and we were pleased about the fact that I would have her a week early and also that our darling girl would get free slurpees from 7eleven on her birthday every year for life. win win. I was set to go in at 7:00am so the night before, Emmy and Hudson stayed at Greg's parents house while Husband and I went on a date. Thai food of course. The next morning we were off the the hospital bright and early. We got all checked in and settled in our room and then my nurse brought in her nurse-in-training who has clearly never done an IV before and thought it would be a good day to practice. Had I have been fully aware of the situation, I'm not sure that I would have given nurse-in-training my blessing to poke my wrist with an oversized needle for the first time. Live and learn...and ask questions when needles are involved. They started Pitocin and the contractions began. I like to tell myself that I'm super tough, but in reality I'm a bit of a pansy which is always a bit of a disappointment to rediscover every time I birth a small human and have the epidural option at my fingertips. Gimme all the drugs! Once I had that epidural it was smooth sailing! I really love being able to nap while in labor. Based on my previous experiences, I banked on having a baby by dinner time or at LEAST by the time the bachelorette came on. Nope. This girl took her sweet time...but so did my doctor. He didn't show up to break my water until 6:30ish and that got things moving along at a slightly more reasonable pace. As 11:00pm was creeping up on us and we were wondering if we would even have a free slurpee baby, the entire left side of my body started showing signs of discomfort, which quickly turned into intense pain. My WORST nightmare...the epidural was wearing off at a terrible awful time. Im pretty sure I panicked a little and demanded that the anesthesiologist return really quickly with his magical potions. He did. And then he told me it would take 15-20 minutes to kick in. Little did he realize that until this very moment I had never felt real labor pain and I didn't ever plan to. This "15-20 minute" talk was ruining my life. The real cherry on top was that crazy pressure I felt just seconds after he left. I didn't tell anyone at first because I knew exactly what that meant. I knew I was at a 10 and I sure as hell was NOT about to push this small human out without being numb. I started shaking, the pain kept getting worse and i suddenly wanted the child out of me so I let everyone in on the situation. My sweet nurse checked and sure enough it was baby time. She ran to call my doctor, but this baby wasn't about to hang tight. Sweet nurse returned and I informed her that this baby was coming despite my honest attempt to wait it out. She grabbed a doc from the hall and they returned just in time to catch her. At 11:04pm our sweet Hattie Eleanor arrived. 8lbs 1oz 20 inches and oh so sweet. Our hearts were full and our family finally felt complete. We all have so much love for this sweet girl. God is good.

Floral Robe: Pink Blush Maternity 
Floral hat + blanket: KB cute designs 
Personalized Milk+cookies sack: The Lavish Leo

what's in my hospital bag?

Does anyone else L O V E going to the hospital to have a baby? I thoroughly enjoy my time there. you get to relax...assuming you say YES to all the drugs...take naps, be waited on and then eventually snuggle a newborn for hours without interruption while being served food that in normal circumstances would taste terrible, but given the "you've only had ice chips for the last who knows how many hours" situation, the food seems gourmet. Its like a mini vacation. I've been trying to get my hospital bag put together over the last week. JUST in case miracles happen and I get to have this baby slightly early. I'm definitely not holding my breath, but one can dream. I wanted to highlight a bunch of goodies that I'm excited about including this time around. The cute tiny things make me so giddy these days.

My duffle bag from Kipling USA + my diaper bag from Seaport Stitches

Realistically, a newborn doesn't get clothed immediately and those hospital blankets aren't the cutest ever, so I'm bringing along this Modern Burlap organic cotton swaddle blanket + a matching blanket/beanie set from KB Cute Designs because hello? pictures.

Both Emmerson + Hudson had cozy little blankets to snuggle right away, So I was excited when  sweet friends gifted us with this darling one from Nordstrom for our precious girl.

As cute as those Hospital gowns are, It's nice to have something a little more human to change into. I'm really happy about this Pink Blush Maternity robe, a great alternative to the gown while still completely skin to skin contact + nursing friendly. 

Real clothing will eventually be required, and I made it a point to pack something with extreme stretch quality, as well as support while still keeping nursing in mind. Blanqi items changed my life while pregnant and I will continue to wear them as my bod (hopefully) morphs back to normal. 

Extra teeny tiny hats from our favorites over at Beau Hudson

Apparently everyone has to get dressed eventually and so we will need a cute and very tiny sleeper most likely. This one is from Carter's.

Going home is a big event and I've always had fun picking out an outfit. I keep soft and comfy in mind. Well, this is one of 4 options...perhaps I'll decide before i leave, otherwise we will experience a severe case of over packing, which is typical for me. Onesie: Hugo Loves Tiki Bloomers: Bobo Choses from Baby Go Green Bow/headband: The Petite Harper Moccs: Freshly Picked

I am all about safe organic products for delicate new skin and I can't say it enough, the Sweet Pea scent from Wash with Water is beyond. I use it on my bigger kids and I cannot wait to smell it on a fresh newborn. 

Last but not least, I've had two paci loving babies before this, so I'm coming prepared. Dying over these Loved by Sophia Claire braided leather paci clips to avoid being dropped on those good ol' hospital floors + NaturSutten Pacifiers.

   Of course I'm also including Mama essentials, charger, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, lotion, shampoo/conditioner (all travel sized), hairbrush, makeup...and probably even a blow dryer, straightener and curling iron because I'm the queen of overpacking like that.

   My husband also has a list. His camera. And I doubt he will bring much more than that. its clear who has the easier job during this whole process. :)