Naturally Family

10 Baby Names That Made Our List But We Won’t Be Using

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Naming our babies has to be one of the most stressful parts of pregnancy. Our first time around we were in the mindset that we needed to make a decision before they arrived and we quickly settled on Henri Frances if Edith was to be a boy. As for a girl we had three names and stressed about deciding on which we would use until 36 weeks when we finally decided to stop stressing and wait to meet our baby; I also was convinced Edith would be a boy and that we wouldn’t use any of the names anyway.  Well Edith was born and we immediately knew she would be Edith no question about it and the other two names were never considered again (in case you’re curious the other names were Evelyn and Everly.)

Edith Mary

Enter baby #2 and we were back at square one. We were over our two girls names we didn’t use and the playgroups were saturated with Henry/Henri’s so that name was out for us. So what did we do? We spent 9 months creating lists of names that were remote possibilities. We would each create a list, exchange the list and cross of any that we disliked and then merge or lists together. We then would return to the list ever few weeks to cross off and add names. We ultimately decided just to wait to meet our baby. I can’t remember what names made our list but I’ll tell you one that didn’t – Alder Grey. Yeah that’s right all that list making and we decided on a name that wasn’t even on our list. Actually a name that 18 months earlier Neil had given me a hard ‘NO’ on when I said that would be a nice name and then he of all people was the one to say “what about Alder?”

Alder Grey

Now onto baby #3. We once again were back at square one. We didn’t have any baby names that we were really into or holding on to from previous pregnancies (except for a few that were on my list only – I’ll share below). Our list this last time seemed to be miles long made up of any name that sparked even the slightest interest. We had a few that stood out a bit more than others – like Ingrid – but ultimately there were not many that really spoke to us. Again we decided to wait to meet baby and after she arrived and we spent time with her we knew Ingrid Rose was the perfect name for her. 

Ingrid Rose

Okay on to the real reason you are here all those names that made our list that we didn’t use. Okay maybe not all because who has time for that (if you do want to know message me) but here are our top 10….or rather my top 10 because at least two of these names are ones that made my individual list ever baby and Neil vetoed every time. 

  1. Olive 
  2. Wilder 
  3. Astrid 
  4. Hollis  
  5. Winnifred/Winnie 
  6. Basil – makes my list every time and Neil uses his veto every time.
  7. Laurel 
  8. Cecil 
  9. Stella – another that has been on the list every time and Neil again uses his power of the veto. Fun fact Stella and Basil is the names of my great-great maternal grandmother and her brother. 
  10. Frances 

As you can see we go for names that are older sounding, botanical and Scandinavian. As I write this I realize that that is exactly what we did as well – Edith (older), Alder (botanical) and Ingrid (Scandinavian). 

What names made your list that you won’t be using? What name(s) did your partner veto? I could write an entire post of the names that Neil vetoed (there were a ton). Ultimately I’m happy with all the names we picked and who knows maybe a few will end up being used for the future four pawed friends we plan to adopt. 

Run Edith Run!

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Neil had his second of three 5 dollar 5k‘s this past Sunday. At each of the 5k’s they have a kids fun run to kick off race morning and at the first 5 dollar 5k we just watched but this time Edith wanted to run. We woke up bright and early, got out the door 15 minutes later than planned (aka the new normal) and we headed to our old neighborhood for Neil’s 5k and Edith’s first race. We parked and as soon as she was out of her carseat she was ready to run.  Edith was raring to go so Neil headed to the starting line to check in while I tended to Alder. When I finally arrived to the starting line I saw this:

$55kedithstart

Seriously dying! I know she’s mine but come on how cute is she all done up with her Nike’s?

$55kedithsmiles $55kfinishline

As she arrived at the finish line E got a little distracted by my parents who were standing just at the end (as you can see above). I have to admit I teared up as E and Neil came into view and headed toward the finish line. I loved witnessing this moment and it just got me excited for the future.

$55khighfiveend

E had an absolute blast at her first race and she spent the remainder of the day talking about how she ran and how she wants to run again.  She is so excited for the next race in October and I couldn’t be more thrilled that she is so enthusiastic about running right now.

Check out more photos and a video over on Naturally Family.

Lately // What’s Been Going On // Naturally Family

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As most of you know a few years ago Neil and I started a family blog to document our journey into parenthood and beyond. Since then I have devoted most of my post on RWT to health, fitness and food and my post on Naturally Family to parenting and glimpses into our family life. For new readers Naturally Family might be a completely new thing and for older readers this may be a reintroduction.  Below are a few of the most recent Naturally Family posts for you to enjoy:

Duck Walk

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Weekend Snapshots: Bubbles, Paparazzi and More

WeekendSnapshots-Photos

Diaper Bag Dilemma

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Review // bumpBox

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Preparing for Baby #2 with Orbit Baby

Orbit Baby- Infant Snaps

 

 

 

 

Catching Up With Naturally Family

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Happy Halloween!  I have had a busy week but I wanted to stop in and let you know about some really great posts that are up on Naturally Family .  First off for those of you who are new to RWT Naturally Family is a blog that both my husband, Neil, and I created just before E arrived.  We feature baby updates, new parent topics and lifestyle posts.  Last week we featured a few really good posts that I think might interest some of you and one tasty recipe that you all should make.

Baby Gear 0-3 Months: Clothes, Sleeping, Nursery & Diapering: I thought I might do a follow up to my Most Used Registry Items post over on the Ergo Baby Blog. In this post I go beyond the registry and talk about the things that we felt we really needed, the items that we liked but were necessities (take it or leave it) and the things that were unnecessary for us. Since I have so much to say this is going to be (at least) a two part post.  In this first post we will discuss clothes, sleeping, the nursery and diapering.

Breastfeeding In Public: A reader commented a few weeks back regarding a post on breastfeeding in public:

You don’t have to answer this or write a post on it if you don’t feel comfortable but just wondering… how do you feel about breastfeeding in public. I stopped breastfeeding when my baby was about 1 month old…

The other day in our play group we got to talking about nursing in public. For some women it was no big deal, others tried to avoid it if possible and then others commented that their spouses were the uncomfortable ones.

 

 

Chocolate Coconut Lactation Oatmeal Cookies: Our pediatrician suggested that I eat oats daily to help increase my milk supply. As much as I enjoy a bowl of oatmeal some days it’s just not what I’m in the mood for so I have been working on new recipes that include oats.  These cookies are delicious and although I call them lactation cookies there is no need to be breastfeeding to enjoy them!

Naturally Family Best of September

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Edith: Two Months- I really can’t believe that Edith is now two months old. She is no longer a little newborn baby and she is growing like a weed.  It’s amazing how each week she becomes more interactive. She is starting to coo and babble and is all smiles now. Keep reading…
 

 

i miss sleep.: Over the past week there has been a huge change in Edie’s sleeping and it is hitting us hard over here. Edith has been pretty consistent with her sleeping patterns since day one. Around 80% of the time we spend 30-90 minutes getting her to sleep and then she sleeps 4-5 hours, nurses, sleeps 1.5-3 hours, nurses, 1.5-2.5 hours, nurses, lounges and sleeps 30 minutes -1.5 hours. Keep reading…

 

 

 

Creating a Pregnancy Book: I knew from the beginning that I wanted to document my entire pregnancy with photos and weekly blog posts.  I started to take photos around week twelve and write weekly blog posts around week 14 and by week 30 I decided I really wanted to create a pregnancy photobook. Keep reading…

 

Life As A Mom With A 5 Week Old

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For my own entertainment I decided to take a record of all the things I did as a work-at-home/stay-at-home mom in a 24 hour period.  I also used this as an opportunity to write a post for Naturally Family from Edie’s perspective. I had no idea until I got started how many things I try and cram into one day now.  Long gone are the lazy days I am constantly trying to fit in time for housework, preparing meals, blogging and freelance work while first and foremost taking care of Edie’s needs.

So here is a day starting at 7pm on Sunday and going until 7pm on Monday.

  • 7:00p Nurse Edie and then let Neil take over with burping and putting her to bed.
  • 7:30-9:15p Neil and I watched an episode of Suits while I pumped and enjoyed a second piece of chocolate before heading off  to bed. I was exhausted so when I went to bed I left myself really fall asleep while Neil listened in on the monitor since he had to be up late for work.

  • 11:28p Since I passed out cold and Neil woke me up to nurse Edie and then Neil graciously took over and burped and bounced her so that I could get a little more sleep since he was already up anyways. 
  • 3:25a Edie woke me up ready for another nursing session and so we nursed.
  • 4:00a After a big burp and a fart Edie fell back asleep and so did I.
  • 6:30a Edie and I got up, well Edie woke me up, and we headed to the nursery for a diaper change and hen I put Edie in her crib to hang out while I made and photographed Neil’s lunch.

  • 7:15a Edie was getting a little bored in her crib so I moved her to the living room and placed her in the swing.
  • 7:35a I made myself a bowl of cheezy polenta and then moved Edie to the bouncy chair to hang out while I ate breakfast.
  • 8:00a After finishing my breakfast Edie and I had another nursing session and I checked in on blogs while I nursed.
  • 8:25a I put Edie on our bed while Neil and I got ready for the day.
  • 8:30a I changed Edie’s diaper and got her in her car seat and we headed out to stop at the bank and then drop Neil off at work.
  • 9:10a Finally drop Neil off at work and head to the market (for my first shopping adventure alone withe E) but *of course* as soon as we pull out of his work parking lot the “feed me siren” goes off and stays on until we arrive at the market.
  • 9:25a I nurse E in the front seat of the car while checking my e-mail on my phone.
  • 9:45a E is full so I put her back in her car seat, get out the stroller and we finally get into the market to pick up a few items.
  • 10:15a We head home and E falls asleep in the car
  • 10:40a Arrive home and I change E’s  diaper and then put her down for a nap while I put grocery away, eat, write blog post, start working on recipe
  • 12:15p E is up and ready to eat and then have her diaper change which is what Neil and I like to call a “poopsplosion” which results in an outfit change for E.
  • 12:55p E and I snuggle on the couch and she eventually falls asleep on me.  I take a little time to enjoy her on me but then move her to the Boppy so I can get some work done and pump again.

  • 1:50p E is up and in need of a diaper change (or two) and a nursing session.  I nurse her while checking and following up on e-mails.
  • 2:30p I strap E into her swing and I get in a quick workout from my FitPregnancy magazine.

  • 3:00p E and I hang out on her  quilt and “read” her Look, Look book for awhile.

  • 3:15p It’s time for E to have a diaper change and for her to nurse once again.  I nurse her and then start to think about what I need to do for my recipe for dinner.
  • 3:50p I strap E into the swing once again so I can work on my new (2nd time around) recipe for dinner. E naps while I cook.
  • 5:05p E wakes up and it’s time for a diaper change and a nursing session; I follow up on some e-mails while nursing.
  • 5:40p E starts fussing right on cue (around 6pm is when she starts fussing most every night) and I bounce her and calm her down enough so that I can put her in her swing while Neil and I eat dinner.

  • 5:50p Neil cuddles with E and then bounces her and tries to get her to go to bed while I answer e-mails
  • 6:40p I attempt to nurse but E isn’t having it so we swaddle her and Neil goes back to bouncing and I go back to my e-mails.
  • 7:00p Neil attempts to get Edie down but no luck so we take turns bouncing and soothing her and she eventually goes down around 10ish. Then I wake up and repeat.

Head over to Naturally Family and read A Day In The Life of a 5 Month Old

{Pregnancy Update} 36 Weeks

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How far along are you: 36 Weeks!

How big is the baby:

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She’s shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she’s in a head-down position. But if she isn’t, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an “external cephalic version,” which is a fancy way of saying she’ll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly. (source)

Baby’s Gender: We both think it’s a girl. <—change

Baby’s Name: We have a name for a boy or a girl.  Choosing a boys name was easy for us and was decided upon months ago but the girls name has been a little more challenging but we finally decided on one.

Weight Gained: 25 lbs ish?

Clothes: Mostly just wearing dresses as they are the most comfortable.

How are you feeling: I am feeling pretty good.  I actually over did it a little this past weekend because I was feeling so great. Sunday we went for a long walk, swimming, to the market, to a museum and to get a snack which left me a little worried because baby wasn’t moving around as much. I ended up calling the midwives to panic that there was reduced fetal movement but was reassured that if I had felt s/he move at least three times in the last hour things should be fine and that because I was so active that was why the baby wasn’t moving as much.  Apparently my walking, swimming, etc is similar to rocking the baby so they felt pretty content to just relax.  Monday morning I woke up to lots of movement and this baby has been crazy active since.

What do you miss: I miss the desire to eat normally- I am getting to the point where I am having slight food aversions or just no desire to eat (don’t worry I have had no problem eating just lack of desire).  I miss running more and more but I think it’s because I know that soon I will be able to get back to it so there is combination of missing and anxiousness.

Symptoms: ,

Cravings: Green Lemonade (greens, apples and/or carrots and lemon). Blueberries. Amy’s refried black beans.

How are you sleeping: Sleeping has been a little more challenging, lately my hips have been bothering me and I’m finding that I am sore in my pelvis now too.

Workouts: This week I went swimming twice, to prenatal yoga and on a few walks.  Let me tell you I should have started swimming earlier, it is amazing during pregnancy.

Things I’m looking forward to: Finishing my last two weeks of work. Getting this house in order for the babies arrival. Touring the birth center.

In other news:

We launch Naturally Family!

If you haven’t stop over to our family blog, Naturally Family, then head over now and Meet The Family.  We have been discussing this weeks pregnancy ups and downs, our baby bucket list, my labor and deliver fears, what we learned in birthing class, a recap of our babymoon, 10 must-dos before labor and a so much more.

You can also check us out on  Facebook and Twitter.