A New Year in A New City

Well hello there, it’s been… a long while.

When I last posted, I was very pregnant, living in Brooklyn, and working in Midtown Manhattan, my office nestled between Rockefeller Center and Times Square. The heart of it all, really. When I hit pause, I thought that I would begin posting again within a couple months after our baby arrived while I was still on maternity leave from my job, writing dispatches about life as new mom and possibly my thoughts on baby gear. There was a lot that I didn’t anticipate.

In the throes of new parenthood (which I took to calling newborn land), Doug and I learned that we might be moving to follow a career opportunity for him. As the summer wore on and we found our stride and our confidence as parents to our darling son, “may be moving” turned into “likely moving” which snowballed into “definitely moving”. Moving as in leaving the city where we had made our home, first separately and then together, for solidly over a decade. It was a lot to process, a lot of change.

Leaving New York City (it sounds so dramatic when I put it like that) meant suddenly being much farther away from friendships decades in the making, from our people. That was, and honestly still is, tough. Our people were our support network as brand-new parents. They are the friends who brought over enough of our favorite braised-meat sandwiches to feed us for days (literally) when we were too sleep deprived to cook and who came to visit in those early weeks when just going down the block to get coffee felt like a mountain to climb.

Leaving New York City also meant that I would (and did) leave my job. I had been at the same firm for seven years when I left and it was bittersweet to say goodbye to the people I worked with and alongside. Given the timing, I didn’t get to properly say goodbye to many of my colleagues, which made the change feel surreal and a bit anticlimactic. That said, I’ve found that it’s often harder than one might think to get closure when leaving a job.

Leaving also meant moving for the second time in less than a year. When we moved into our apartment in Park Slope last April we thought that we would be there for at least two to three years and perhaps much longer than that. When we moved out just before Thanksgiving, we had been there less than nine months.

We had spent the early part of 2018 preparing for our move to Park Slope while we were both working long hours and I was pregnant. It was stressful to have done it once and I was daunted by the prospect of doing it again, only covering a much greater distance and with a baby. I needed to focus step by step, on whatever the next task was that I needed to do to make it all happen.

All of which, dear reader, is my long explanation of why it has been so long since I’ve posted to this blog. I needed time and space to adjust to becoming a mother, and then more time and space to adjust to the prospect and then the reality of leaving one city and moving to another, saying goodbye to beloved people and favorite places, while managing the practical, day-to-day realities of life with a baby.

So where does all of that bring us? To beginning a new year in a new city.

Chicago, to be exact. We arrived just after Thanksgiving, and we’re really excited to be here. Doug went to school in Chicago and spent a considerable amount of time here for work even prior to his current role. Moving to Chicago feels a bit like a Midwestern homecoming for me, since I grew up in Ohio. Chicago is a city that I’ve always appreciated and felt at ease in, and one where each time I visited I could see myself living here. I just never realized that I would actually have the opportunity! We’re enjoying this new adventure as a family and exploring the city together. I’m taking this time to think about my career in news way and figuring out my next professional direction. My hope is to find something that builds on my experience to date while taking it in a new and different direction. In the meantime, I’m cherishing the opportunity to be focused on caring for our son.

And where does that bring us regarding this blog, Skyline Blossoms? I still love writing and photography. I still enjoy creating this space and sharing things that I passionately recommend. My new goal is to post at least monthly and, at least for now, I’ll keep the posting schedule flexible rather than promising a certain day of each month. I’ll make sure to mention on Instagram and Facebook when I publish a new post. I expect that the subjects I post about will be more focused, as my free time is rarer and I value my time differently. This space is evolving, and I am so grateful that you choose to follow the journey.

photos by Sojourner Society. They are talented, lovely people and we loved working with them!

Hitting the Pause Button

I’m in the final weeks of pregnancy and have decided to start my “maternity leave” from the blog before the baby arrives. It was hard for me to make this decision, especially because I have so many ideas for posts that I’m itching to write and create. At the same time, I need to rest and I have various goals competing for my time in the final few weeks before Doug and I become parents. 

Life is always full and it seems that the older I get the more full it becomes, in so many wonderful ways. These days, my efforts go into my marriage, preparing to meet and welcome our child (and trying to make sure we and our home are ready for the transition), maintaining family relationships and friendships, work, taking care of myself (physically and emotionally), spending time with our dog, and pouring creative energy into this blog. I enjoy it all, and I want to feel like I’m doing each of those things well, although I don’t expect myself to hit all of those marks at the same time.    

I’ll be popping in with new posts once we get settled in with Baby Brown and as time and my creative energy (and sleep deprivation) permit. Any new posts will still go up on Tuesdays, but at least until we find a new normal, I won’t be posting every week. I’ll be sure to share any new posts via Instagram and Facebook so you know when to find them. As I have said before, thank you for reading. I am so grateful that you choose to read Skyline Blossoms. It really means a lot to me! 

Maternity Capsule Wardrobe

Let's talk maternity clothes. It can be hard, but not impossible, to find clothing that works with my pregnant belly and still feels similar to things that I would choose to wear if I weren't pregnant. Moreover, it can be challenging to find something that accommodates the growing bump, especially since something that fits and flatters at one stage may not work well (or at all) two weeks later. This has been especially true as I've gotten farther into the third trimester. 

To further complicate things, it's tough to spend money on things that you'll only wear for a limited period of time and there are very, very few retailers that carry maternity clothing in store. You essentially have to go to a maternity specialty store or order online (sometimes in multiple sizes or styles) and expect to return things. To navigate this, I've invested in a few versatile basics that I hope to be able to wear for any subsequent pregnancy, and then I pair them with jackets, blazers, and eye-catching accessories from my "regular" (aka non-pregnancy) wardrobe.

To round out my workwear (my office is business casual), I got a subscription to Le Tote. I signed up for their Maternity Tote and I get four items of clothing at a time. This has been really helpful to provide varied and get access to items that I don't need to purchase and therefore don't want to spend the money on. It's also been helpful to accommodate the growing bump. My favorite Le Tote top from late in my second trimester doesn't work quite as well now, but I felt so great wearing it at the time. And as luck, and a bit of experimentation, would have it, I've found new third trimester favorites to fill the void. 

The six pieces in this capsule wardrobe are the items of clothing I wear all the time and feel that I've gotten the most value out of for the money. They're better basics, so beyond t-shirts, and tank tops, and maternity leggings, although I'm certainly wearing plenty of those too. You'll notice that there's a lot of black - more than I typically wear - but I haven't really found a way around that. I lighten up with open layers. Going clockwise and starting from the top left: 

Hatch Collection Bateau Top - I heavily debated this purchase because of the price but this top is easily my favorite item of maternity clothing. I wear it all the time (at least once a week, often twice) and I always feel great in it. It's perfect for a spring and summer pregnancy, and I would wear it into fall too. It comes in two other colors and, like Hatch's entire line, is intended for wear after pregnancy too (check out the cool slider feature to compare and contrast). I plan to wear mine home from the hospital. 

Storq T-Shirt Dress - I have a very similar dress (seen here) that I purchased from a different brand as part of a maternity essentials kit. To be honest, I didn't love the rest of the kit (quality, fit and usefulness has been only so so), which is why I'm recommending this option from Storq instead. You'll notice that Storq pops up repeatedly on this very short list, which is why I feel comfortable recommending their version of this dress. Great for date nights, beach walks, around town in the city, running errands - this is the ultimate dress it up / dress it down item of maternity clothing. Wearing my black t-shirt dress with my leather biker jacket makes me feel like a cool mom-to-be.

Hatch Cecilia Blouse - Hatch makes beautiful, feminine clothing that is a refreshing change from a sea of empire waists (not knocking them - I wear them a fair bit these days) and terrible prints. Their clothing is pricey, but this blouse is a workhorse in my closet, going to work and out to dinner on at least a weekly basis. It also comes in another color, but mauve pinks don't do me any favors (I'm too fair with pink undertones) so I stuck to black. 

Paige Verdugo Skinny Jeans - A word of advice: when you're pregnant, treat yourself to one nice pair of jeans. If you can wear them day to day, splurge on more than one pair. I recommend a dark wash skinny jean, because they're so flattering and balance out the more billowy, voluminous tops that are often part of pregnancy (see above). Being able to put on a pair of jeans that I feel great in makes me feel like pregnancy style isn't an oxymoron. A note on fit / shopping: before I bought maternity jeans, I didn't think that side panel jeans (as opposed to over-the-belly styles) wouldn't work with my athletic build. I was wrong. Also, I'm well into my third trimester and have no problem wearing these (some reviews said that they wouldn't work all through pregnancy). I will say that buying maternity denim, like buying regular denim, requires some trial and error. This is one item where I had to order multiple sizes and styles to figure out what works best. 

Storq Pencil Skirt - I'm honestly not sure what I would do without this skirt. That's not an exaggeration - I can't imagine getting dressed for work without this in my closet. It's flattering, it's so comfortable, and it has held up well with me wearing it all. the. time. (I wonder if my coworkers have noticed that I'm frequently wearing the same skirt? Guessing no, but not actually worried about it.) This image of the skirt basically sums up my maternity style goals. 

Ingrid & Isabel Ruched Tank Dress - If you look for maternity clothes, you'll see this dress all over and with good reason. It comes in tons of colors (I'm partial to navy, but you do you) and isn't terribly expensive. You can see it on me here, and I've worn this dress to work with a blazer or cardigan over it plus to a baby shower in our honor. 

Honorable Mention (Not Pictured): Storq Slim Pant - These pants are great and so stylish. I've worn them traveling (pregnancy-friendly plane outfit!) plus in daily life, and I'll probably wear them home from the hospital. The only reason they didn't make the list is that after getting tons of wear during my second trimester, they started to feel uncomfortably tight at the waistband during this point in my third trimester. In fairness, I was on the cusp between a small and a medium but went with the small because I wanted a slimmer fit, so this is likely my own doing.

A Quick Intermission

My post last week brought home for me that I need a to give myself break. I love creating content for this blog and find it really energizing, even when I'm busy, which is why I keep up a weekly posting schedule. With everything on the go right now, I realized that I need to hit pause even if just for this week. I look forward to bringing back a full post next week.

In the meantime, I wish you a wonderful week and send you love on Mother's Day, for however you may be celebrating the occasion or remembering your dear ones.  

My Thoughts on Pregnancy, So Far

Hello from the third trimester! It's hard to believe that I'm this far along in my pregnancy. It's been a steady journey to get here and yet there are many moments that it still feels surreal. We'll be welcoming a baby in a few (very) short months and I'm trying lo let that sink in. 

I've chosen not to share frequent health or pregnancy status updates along the way, either on this blog or on social media. Pregnancy is personal and individual and there's so much about it that is out of our control. My decision not to share more partly comes from recognizing that my experience is inherently different from how other women may experience pregnancy. I'm happy to talk about the challenges I've encountered and the decisions I've made along the way but I'm not convinced that giving stage-by-stage updates would be helpful to other women reading my story. Pregnancy isn't always glamorous but I feel overwhelming fortunate that I still have felt like myself throughout this journey, albeit with a growing belly. 

The last two months have been a blur. Other than our baby moon getaway, we spent most of March preparing to move and we've now been in our new home for just less than a month. Doug was on the West Coast the weekend after the move, we headed to New England for a friend's wedding the weekend after that, and we had both of our families in town this past weekend to celebrate the baby's impending arrival. Meanwhile, we've been spending what little free time we have (mainly latish nights after work) trying to settle into the new apartment and simultaneously prepare for Baby Brown. So like I said, a blur.

People keep asking me if the nursery is ready and then look shocked, and unsure of how to respond, when I confidently and cheerfully respond "No!" Until this past weekend, when my parents and sister spent an entire day helping us tackle various projects, the nursery was stacked with boxes that were largely unrelated to our child. We've made lots of progress, but it's not nearly done. I'm relying on the advice I've received that early on, newborns don't actually need very much. We'll make sure that we have the basics on hand, but I'm completely comfortable that this kid may arrive before there is paint on the walls or a beautiful photograph hung above the crib. Or, for that matter, before we even have a crib. (Not to worry - the baby will sleep in a bassinet initially.)

Looking ahead, I'm trying to make the most of the time we have before Baby Brown arrives to get organized in ways that will support Doug and I once our lives our blissfully upended by a newborn. I'm daydreaming about stocking the freezer, getting our pantry basics locked down, and setting up recurring orders for household basics. Whatever I can do to streamline our lives in preparation for inevitable chaos. If you have any advice on what you do to make life run more smoothly, whether or not you have kids, I’d love to hear it!

I'm also hopeful that I'll make time to bake something satisfying. It's been a minute since I've posted a recipe! Amidst all of this, it's finally, hopefully, tentatively spring in New York City. And I'm looking ahead to everything that is coming our way.