FRIDAY Q&A: HIRING A NANNY, HOW MANY KIDS WE WANT, MY TOP THREE BABY ITEMS, AND MORE

Happy Friday! What a week. I hope you’re all hanging in there and can find some time for a little rest and relaxation this weekend. Will and I are going on a little surprise date I planned tomorrow night that I’ll share on my Instagram story if you care to see! Today I’m answering ten more of the questions you submitted on Instagram last week. I hope this series makes you feel like you know me a little better — it’s so helpful for me to see what you’re interested to know more about! Have a good one. xx

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1. Have you and Will talked about how many kids you both want? Do you both have siblings?

We talked about this early on in our relationship as I’m the oldest of four and Will is an only child. We would love to have four kids if we’re so lucky!

2. What do you do with your son during the day? I need ideas!

We finally hired a part-time nanny two weeks before Teddy’s first birthday and I had so many mixed feelings about it, but she has already been the greatest gift to our family. After months of feeling like I was neither a great mom nor a great blogger/small business owner, I finally admitted to myself that it was impossible to do both of those jobs well in the same overlapping hours each day. With Teddy taking shorter naps as he’s gotten older, something finally had to give! I still feel guilty admitting that I can’t do everything well at the same time (maybe more so because I’m self-employed and/or working from home?) but over the past month I’ve come to see what a blessing this will be for our family. Will and I can truly be present in the time we have with Teddy, which usually involves a long walk and breakfast in the morning and a visit to the beach or playground in the early evening before dinner, bath, and bedtime. Our nanny is here Monday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and gives Teddy her full attention which is so much better for him too! She keeps him busy at the park or the playground if it’s nice outside or in his playroom when it’s rainy. At this age Teddy loves reading books (as long as he gets to turn the pages himself!), cruising around the house, listening to music, “riding” his tricycle, and going on the swing in our backyard.

3. I think it’s so sweet your parents live with you! Was your husband always open to that?

It’s not something we ever talked about until we first saw this house and the unfinished space above the garage. We imagined finishing it out as some sort of office or gym but as my parents’ four years at A Better Chance were coming to an end and they started looking at houses in the area, we realized it would make the perfect in-law suite! Will and I first suggested it somewhat jokingly but over time we all realized it was actually a really great option. I thank Will all the time for letting my parents live with us and every time he reminds me that he doesn’t see it as a sacrifice at all — they are so helpful with cooking and playing with Teddy when they get home from work that it’s been a huge quality of life improvement for all of us!

4. What are your top three baby items?

The Nanit baby monitor, Uppababy Vista stroller (read my full review here), and Babybjorn infant carrier (need a new one as he’s just about outgrown this one — any recs?).

5. What has surprised you most about motherhood?

That it’s the deepest love I’ve ever known. Of course I love my husband, parents, siblings, etc., but having Teddy truly feels like having a piece of heart toddling around outside my body. I’m excited to have that perspective going into future pregnancies/deliveries — it seems impossible that I could love future babies as much as I love Teddy and yet I already know it to be true!

6. Do you have a favorite spot on Nantucket other than where your family’s house is?

So many! The chapel where we got married, the restaurant where we had our reception, Grandy’s house, and most of all the beach! You can see all my favorite places here.

7. Favorite TV show lately?

We recently binged all three seasons of Broadchurch and it was riveting from beginning to end. We’re now starting Homeland from the beginning — Will and I had watched the first three or four seasons a long time ago but my parents had never seen it and we knew they would love it and now all four of us are hooked! I typically needlepoint while I watch and it’s a nice wind-down routine after Teddy goes to sleep.

8. What advice would you give to your 20-year-old self?

You can read a letter I wrote to my 18-year-old self here!

9. What are you needlepointing these days?

I just finished three lighthouse ornaments from Erica Wilson (Brant Point, Great Point, and Sankaty) and now I’m working on a lightship basket canvas from Sara Fitz. I’m thinking I might try to finish it as the base to a lucite tray? Any ideas welcome!

10. How do you edit your photos on Instagram? Do you use a certain preset?

I use the VSCO app to edit photos on my phone and tend to favor the S3 preset. I also bought VSCO presets for Lightroom on my computer so I often use the same filter on my blog photos as well!