Join us on our adventure as new parents.
Yesterday kicked off Black Maternal Health Week. Black women in America are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. This is on top of the fact that women in America are dying at a higher rate from pregnancy-related causes than in any other developed nation. Black Maternal Health Week is a reminder that so many families experience pain, neglect, and loss during what should be…
You guys, we started another YouTube Channel called Liam’s Train Time! It’s a family-friendly channel for you and your kids. It’s focused on all things toy trains (and some of his other toys). Liam loves his Thomas and Friends track layouts. He loves building them with me, and I love building them with him. We have so much fun together. Sometimes, we just build layouts and clean them up! That’s…
We are a family who celebrates everything. The first time using the potty. The first time sleeping in your own bed all night. The first time sleeping in your own bed consistently at night. Your first art project. Fatima and I want our kids to be proud of themselves; to find that inner motivation to keep going. When Liam brought home his first art project from school, we hung it…
I love breastfeeding but hate pumping. What many women don’t talk about is that often when you decide to breastfeed you also decide to pump. Pumping allowed me to relieve the engorgement when my milk first came in and having a breast pump is necessary for me to return to work. Eventually, I will want to be social again and have a night out with friends. Pumping will allow me…
Supersized episode! We share our son’s birth story and give you an idea of how our life has changed with two kids.…
Dear Blair, Although you’re almost four months old, it feels like you’ve been here for forever. The day you arrived feels like yesterday, and at the same time, a decade ago. We wanted to remember the day’s events, so here’s your birth story as told by your parents. Your brother was born three weeks early. Your father always thought you’d follow a similar timeline, but your mother knew you would…
When Liam was born we put together a list of our favorite products for newborns and infants. Four years later and another kid, we’re refreshing the list with new takes on our favorite products and including some new products! Lilies and Loafers has affiliate relationships, so we may get a small share of revenue from your purchases. Items are sold by the retailer, not by Lilies and Loafers. Blair is…
One of the bigger toys we gave to Liam is his play kitchen. It’s a cute model from Ikea; very Scandinavian and simple. He loves to make us food and especially loves to make me coffee in the morning. French vanilla, with milk and ice (although sometimes he surprises me with a dash of protein powder and corn). The setup is very simple and I love that the stove lights…
Black Breastfeeding Week was created because of: The higher mortality rates for black babies. High rates of diet-related diseases in black children. Unique cultural barriers among black women. Lack of diversity and representation in the lactation field. Desert-like conditions in black communities. Those are just a few of the many reasons. Click here for more information on the movement. I’ve always known I wanted to be a mom. I loved…
Merry Christmas from our family to yours! 2018 has been a whirlwind and we can’t believe we get to celebrate our first Christmas with our son. As our family changes, so will our traditions. Luckily he doesn’t really know what’s going on yet, so we have at least another year to figure out our family’s traditions for the holidays. Like doing an annual family Christmas card. What we do know…
Every December, we scramble to find a cute or ugly Christmas sweater for a holiday party. It usually ends in a last-minute purchase with one we aren’t thrilled about. Since ugly sweaters became trendy, prices have gotten out of control. Last year, I searched for Mrs. Weasley sweaters. I was looking for something we could monogram with our initials (like in the film) not just an ‘H’ nor ‘R’. The…
Liam is nosy. If it moves, makes noise, stands still, is colorful, lacking color, or not visible to the naked eye, he stares at it. He even has conversations with things around the house, like our shiny doorknobs and the corners of any room. Once his sight began to expand and his focus developed, we knew we needed to give him a mobile to focus his attention. However, every mobile…
We cannot believe it’s been three months since Liam arrived. It has been a wild ride. When we put our registry together, we thought we had everything. However once Liam arrived, he showed us what he liked, didn’t like, and needed. With three months under our belts, we put together a list of baby essentials. Please note: not everything is listed below, so use the link at the end for a full…
We purchased the Doona at a discounted rate in exchange for this review and subsequent posts on Instagram. All the planning we were doing throughout Fatima’s pregnancy involved how to make our lives easier for when our LO (little one) was born. We needed to maximize the storage potential in our apartment, find products that were dual purpose, and only get what we needed. As all parents know, that all goes out the…
I love my maternity photos. If Brian didn’t push me to do this shoot, I don’t know if I would have these photos to look back at. I wanted to return the favor and give Brian a photo shoot with Liam. We planned on a simple newborn photo shoot anyways, so it was easy to get this together. Tips for a Newborn Photo Shoot Best time for a newborn photo shoot…
Dear Liam, The hours leading up to your arrival felt like they happened years ago. But just a few weeks ago, we welcomed you to the world. We wanted to remember the day’s events, so here’s your birth story as told by your parents. We planned on meeting you on June 3. But it seems you wanted to meet us sooner. What a wonderful Mother’s Day surprise! Here is your…