L.A. Vacation Family Photos

During our California trip, we stayed in a charming rental home in Los Angeles with the loveliest enclosed patios full of succulents and citrus trees. My dear friend Amy of Reams Photo paid us a visit from San Diego and did an impromptu family photo shoot for us one afternoon because the setting and light were just too pretty to pass up. I love how she captured this moment in time for our family. These are a few of my favorites.

Family Photos at Joshua Tree

During our California vacation, we stayed at Joshua Tree National Park for one night. I'd come across these beautiful family photos a while back, so I wanted to take some of our own during our brief stay. Despite the hot sun, a rattlesnake sighting (eep!), and Harrison getting a face full of sand, we managed to capture a few sweet moments. It seemed fitting to share them today since I'll be enjoying my first Mother's Day this weekend. I'm so happy to be a part of our fun, little family. Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful women out there!

I Bought It, I Like It: Diaper Bag

When I was choosing a diaper bag, I wanted to keep things simple, sophisticated and make sure I picked something my husband wouldn't be embarrassed to carry. I ended up going with this faux leather option by Canadian brand Matt & Nat, and I've been so happy with it. You can carry it by the handles or the strap, and there are internal dividers and zippers to keep things organized. I especially love the accessibility of the outside pockets for my phone and keys. It meets all my mama pack rat needs, but it's stylish enough that I can see myself using it beyond the baby stage. The tan shade mine came in is no longer available, but Land of Nod is releasing the same style bag in black, navy, clay and natural later this month.

This series highlights items I've purchased with my own money that I think you would like too.

Three Months

Harrison is three months old today so I thought I'd share a bit about him and our life as of late. It feels like just yesterday that we brought him home, and at the same time, I can't remember what life was like before him. Amidst the blur of feedings, diapers and every baby-related Google search you can imagine, I'm finding such joy in motherhood. Harrison is smiling a lot now and getting noisier, and it never gets old. If we're lucky, we can get a grunty little laugh out of him, which usually requires us making fools of ourselves.

We're slowly working towards getting him on a schedule. Naps are unpredictable at this point, but at night he'll sleep from about 11pm to 5:30am, which I'm enormously grateful for. He's been sleeping in a bassinet in our room, but I think he's about ready for the transition to the crib. We're all about swaddling as flailing arms are the thing that consistently wakes him. And since he Houdinis his way out of them, the double swaddle has become our go-to method.

He loves his car seat and has proven to be a great traveler with a 17-hour car ride to Savannah and a flight from Austin to Seattle. We haven't snuck him into any Oscar-nominated movies, but Jonah and I have taken advantage of this portable infant stage. Early dinners at restaurants and coffee outings on the weekends are our primary entertainment these days. Harrison generally sleeps while we sit and stare at him or look at pictures of him on our phones. We're pretty much head over heels around here.

Where to Stay: House vs. Hotel

I've always loved a good hotel. A pool, room service, tiny shampoos, they're all part of the joy of vacation for me, but more and more, I find myself drawn to vacation rental homes. Over the holidays, we took a quick trip to Portland and stayed in an adorable 2-bedroom bungalow we found on Airbnb. It was so nice to have extra space, especially with the baby and all his stuff in tow. A full kitchen, washer and dryer and multiple trash cans (to keep the dirty diapers away) were all important amenities I hadn't even thought about. Plus, if you're traveling with family or friends, a house quickly becomes the more affordable option. Where do you prefer to stay when traveling?

Happiest Holidays

Hope you're enjoying the holiday season and taking it easy! We had a long visit with Jonah's family in Seattle complete with lots of good eating, catching up with friends and family and some quality grandparent time for Harrison. We're back in Austin now and are keeping things low-key for New Year's. I can't believe 2014 is coming to a close. This was one of the most eventful, challenging, wonderful years of my life. I'm feeling very grateful for all the blessings 2014 brought with it, but one in particular stands out. Harrison, Jonah and I wish you a very Happy New Year!

Lately

Harrison turned 1 month old yesterday. I really love spending my days with this sweet boy. I'm just head over heels for him. And even though I feel like an outing to Target is a crowning achievement, I'm gradually beginning to find my footing in motherhood. I took this photo of Jonah and Harrison a couple weeks ago. Harrison looks so tiny, I can't even take it. This is basically what our life looks like lately, catching up on sleep whenever possible and snuggling with baby boy. Thanks for bearing with me and the intermittent blogging. I hope to have a semblance of a schedule in the very near future, and I'm excited for some holiday posts, gift guides, Christmas sweets, all my favorite stuff.

This weekend, we're packing up the car and driving to Savannah to spend Thanksgiving week with my family. I'm pretty sure we're crazy to drive 17 hours with an infant and a dog, but I'll let you know just how crazy once we get there. Anyway, I'm really excited about introducing Harrison to his great-grandmothers ... and also for sweet potato casserole.

Meet Harrison James!

Pardon the blog silence. Harrison James Broulette arrived on Monday, October 20, at 11:18 am, and I've been in a blissful, exciting, sleepy whirlwind ever since. Everything went smoothly with the birth, my parents provided a ton of support, and Jonah and I are just obsessed with our little miracle. Thanks for all the well wishes on instagram. If you want to be bombarded with more baby pictures, feel free to follow me at natalieaerin.

Before Baby Arrives

I'm anxious to meet our little guy this month (and be rid of my achey back and swollen feet), but I also keep wishing we had more time. I'd love to stock the freezer full of soups and stews, I'd love to get some more art up on the walls, and I feel like there's a stack of books I still need to read. But at the end of the day, all I want to do is eat dinner on the couch and watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix. I'm sure parenthood is one of those things you're never fully prepared for. It's about adapting and taking one day at a time, which is a tall order for a lifelong planner. But if there's one major lesson God's been teaching me over the course of my pregnancy, it's that I'm not in control, but I can find joy wherever I'm at. I'm guessing motherhood will give me years and years to put that into practice.

Have a wonderful weekend! As always, thanks for stopping by here.

Shopping for Baby

I nearly titled this post: Do Babies Really Need All This Stuff? or Shopping for Baby: Send Help! I've started the process of researching and registering for baby gear. There's a whole world of car seats and carriers that I know nothing about and sifting through online product reviews is like a form of self-inflicted punishment. Plus, everyone seems to have a different opinion about what's best. When I feel overwhelmed, I find myself drawn to more manageable decisions like choosing clothes and room decor. Like how cute is this hot air balloon mobile? I think I'll buy it. See how easy that was.

Any must-have suggestions or advice from you mamas and good shoppers out there?

It's a Boy!

Last week, we learned that we're expecting a baby boy! I totally understand wanting to keep it a surprise, but finding out if it was a boy or girl has made it easier for me to wrap my head around this whole parenthood thing. Now I can imagine a little guy in our lives. Jonah's already talking about teaching him to love soccer, and I've been shopping for tiny t-shirts. We feel so joyful and excited, and I can't wait to meet this fella!

Motherhood

I just wanted to say thank you for all the sweet comments this week about our upcoming addition. It was nice to finally share the news and the outpouring of kindness made me even more excited about becoming someone's mama. I hope you get to spend this weekend celebrating the women you love. Happy Mother's Day!

A Very Happy Announcement

I thought it was about time to share our big life news around here. Jonah and I are expecting our first child! I'm four months along now, so the baby is due in October -- just a few days before my birthday. It's turned into a year of major life changes for us, but we couldn't be more excited. As we keep saying: everything all at once! We feel so blessed and are happy to be expectin' a little Texan!