FRIDAY Q&A: NANTUCKET IN THE OFF-SEASON, PROS AND CONS OF LIVING IN CONNECTICUT, ENTERTAINING TEDDY WHEN HE’S AWAKE, AND MORE

Happy Friday! It was a long week over here thanks to a sore throat and a cough that wouldn’t quit. I’m hoping I start to feel better this weekend! One highlight of the week was having our new dining table delivered. It’s made of natural stone so I had a local company come out to seal it yesterday so we don’t have to panic about spills and stains. It is absolutely gorgeous in person and now I’m on the lookout for new dining chairs (as we plan to move our existing chairs into the breakfast nook we’re building as part of our upcoming kitchen renovation!). I hope you all have a great one!

1. Would you have been up for an international babymoon around week 28? I’m trying to decide!

Congratulations! I would have, but it of course depends on your pregnancy and comfort level. I was feeling pretty great at 28 weeks (though still taking Diclegis for hyperemesis). We moved into our new house at 30 weeks and spent the next six weeks painting and unpacking so the second trimester and beginning of the third trimester were kind of a sweet spot for me! We did go to Australia when I was 10 weeks pregnant and newly diagnosed with hyperemesis and while I’m so happy we took such a big trip before babies, it would have been a lot easier if we’d waited a couple months to tackle that trip when I was less tired and had the nausea/vomiting more under control. 

2. If you had morning sickness, what helped?

I was on prescription Diclegis for hyperemesis gravidarum (severe nausea and vomiting) starting at nine weeks all the way through the day I gave birth. I lost eight pounds during my first trimester so I was grateful to find something that got the vomiting under control for the most part. If you’re dealing with regular morning sickness (still no fun!), I got some relief from these raspberry hard candies and sniffing peppermint oil. 

3. Do you ever go to Nantucket in the off-season? I’d want to take advantage of that cute house!

Some years we’ll go up in November the weekend after Thanksgiving, in December for Christmas Stroll, or in April for Daffodil Weekend, but I’d love to spend more time there in the fall months when the leaves are changing! Winter there is even harsher than it is in Connecticut and it’s a pain to turn the water on, get the heat going, etc. for one weekend. We all get a ton of use out of the house from May to September! 

4. How did you drop the middle-of-the-night feeding for Teddy? I have a two-month-old and need some help!

I wish I had better advice but it just kind of happened! He slept until 7 a.m. for the first time at eleven weeks and has been sleeping until 7 or 7:30 pretty consistently since then (he’s sixteen weeks today!). So maybe it will just click into place as your little one gets closer to 3-4 months? We’re not religious about a schedule for Teddy as it’s important for Will to get to see him whenever he gets home from work, but you can see a general outline of our days in this post. 

5. How do you like living in Connecticut? Pros and cons?

I’m a little biased having grown up here but I think it’s the perfect place to raise a family! A few pros are proximity to my family, proximity to both the beach and the city, beautiful architecture, four seasons, and great schools. The only cons I can think of are cost of living and long winters!

6. Would you ever move somewhere else in CT? I’m a CT girl too!

We lived in Greenwich before moving to Darien (where I grew up) and plan to be here for the long haul. I would love to do more exploring within the state though! 

7. What are your best tips for staying productive while working from home?

I’m kind of going back to the drawing board to figure out how to be productive working from home with a baby, but in general I’m a big fan of time batching and the pomodoro technique. It’s probably time I write an updated post on working from home (maybe once I feel like I have things more under control? If I ever do?! Ha!) but you can read a few working from home tips in this post!

8. Which baby clothing brands do you like best for Teddy?

My favorite onesies are from Kissy Kissy and Ralph Lauren. I also love these monogrammed bibs I ordered on Etsy! 

9. What do you do to entertain Teddy while he’s awake? I need new ideas!

It’s hard! He used to be ready to pass out after 20 minutes of playtime and now he can easily go an hour to an hour and a half. We spend a lot of time on his playmat doing tummy time while he’s looking in the mirror and on his back batting at the jinglebell. We try to get him interested in these maracas and these rings to help him learn to grasp but some days he’s more focused than others. We received this light bar (which says animals and colors in English, French, and Spanish!) and this music box as Christmas presents and he loves both of them. If we’re not on his mat, he loves “standing” and bouncing on our laps. I can’t wait for him to be big enough to use this jumper — hopefully soon because my arms get tired being his personal trampoline! ? And when in doubt, we’ll read a book in his nursery or put music on my phone and do laps around the house.

10. Which stroller and car seat do you use?

We have the Uppababy Vista stroller and Uppababy Mesa carseat. I love, love, LOVE the stroller — we don’t have amazing sidewalks in our neighborhood and it’s a dream for cruising over uneven terrain. The thing is a tank! I like that it comes with a bassinet attachment, works with our car seat without adapters, and has great storage. The Mesa car seat is a little heavy to lug around on my own, but it does make me feel safe if (God forbid) we were ever to get in an accident with Teddy in the car. I need to look into a good travel stroller option as we start booking weekend trips for the year — leaning towards this one that can fit in the overhead bin on a plane but any recs welcome!