What I Packed in My Hospital Bag

In the last weeks of my pregnancy, I read through many hospital bag checklists on websites, blogs, and online forums. I compared them to figure out the most common must-haves and then decided which of the other items I thought I might need or want.

Since these lists were a helpful starting point for me, I figured I'd share what I packed, what I actually used, and what I didn't use during my two-day hospital stay. If and when I go for my next time around, I'd probably bring most of this again.

What I brought and used:
Wallet with ID and insurance card
Cord blood donation documents
Contact solution and case
Face wash (might be helpful to bring facial wipes if you don't want to get out of bed)
Travel shampoo/conditioner/body wash
Hair bands and bobby pins
Make-up
Hairbrush
Hair dryer (they had one there, similar to a hotel one, but I liked using my own)
Phone charger
Bathrobe
Flip-flops
Shorts and tank top (wore these to the hospital)
Maternity yoga pants
Nursing top
Nursing bras
Nursing pads
Lanolin nipple cream
Snacks (!!!)
Treats for the L&D nurses (next time, I might bring something for the postpartum nurses too)

What I brought but didn't use:
Hospital pre-registration forms (in case they didn't get them when we faxed them over)
Glasses
Hair straightener
Socks
Nightgown with buttons down the front (easy access for nursing)
Nursing tank
Maxi dress
Underwear
Maxi pads
Towel
A couple of magazines

What I brought for baby and used:
Pacifier
Long-sleeve gown

What I brought for baby but didn't use:
Baby wipes
Nail file (for baby's nails)
Hat
Socks
Swaddle blankets (2)
Legwarmers
Mitts
Onesie
Pants
Long-sleeve top
Pajamas

Scott brought his laptop and camera with their chargers, as well as a bag of clothes and toiletries.

I packed all of those options for the baby because I wasn't sure what I'd want to use as a "going home" outfit. I chose the gown because it had little fold-over sleeves to keep Evelyn from scratching herself and it didn't rub her umbilical cord stump. During our stay, she just wore a long-sleeve top, diaper, receiving blanket, and hat, all provided by the hospital.

As for me, I wore loose shorts and a maternity tank top to the hospital and ended up wearing those shorts under my bathrobe the day after delivery. (Funny, I thought I'd wear a real outfit, not sweats/lounging clothes, to the hospital, but when it came time to go, I was not feeling like changing... I just wanted to get there!) Otherwise, I stayed in the hospital gown most of the time because I didn't want to get my clothes sweaty or stained (same reason I used the hospital's towels and mesh underwear). I wore the maternity yoga pants and a nursing top on the way home.

One more tip: Make sure your significant other can carry most of the bags/stuff on his own. We pulled up and valeted our car when we arrived, so we didn't have far to walk, but in the midst of contractions, I only wanted to carry our little bag of snacks and the treats for the nurses into the hospital (if I remember correctly... ha!). My stuff and the items for the baby were in two large tote bags, and Scott carried those, along with his own bag, so I was glad I didn't over-pack.

Hope this helps any of you expectant mamas out there! Moms -- anything you would add to the list?

Guest Post on Inspiration-Driven Life: What Having a Baby Taught Me About My Marriage

Sarah invited me to contribute to her Wedded Wednesdays guest series, in which bloggers share a glimpse of what marriage really looks like.

For me, my marriage is currently entering a new phase as we take on our roles as parents. We are five weeks in... and we're experiencing so many changes.

Hop over to Sarah's blog to find out what having a baby taught me about my marriage.

The Business with Intention Workshop at Home

This spring, I was honored to contribute to one of Jess Lively's "secret projects." She's created an amazing resource for entrepreneurs in their first year of business -- the Business with Intention Workshop at Home.

Let me tell you, the content provided in this Workshop at Home is incredible. The workbook, the videos, everything. Not only does Jess have great insights to share, but the other business owners she interviews also draw from their own experiences to give real, practical advice.

In my portion of the video, I share my top tips for creating content that reflects your brand and resonates with your ideal customer, whether it's on your website, within your newsletters and blog posts, or through any communication channel you use!

Doing a video interview was a new and exciting experience for me. I calmed the butterflies with a good amount of preparation and it ended up being a lot of fun! (It was also Evelyn's video debut as I was 26 weeks pregnant at the time of the shoot!)

If you are an entrepreneur or looking to start a business, I encourage you to check out the Business with Intention Workshop at Home!

A quick picture with Jess after filming.

A peek at the gorgeous set!

Three Elements You Need to Become a Better Writer

Well, I'm posting a quick note to share this month's newsletter theme.

Life with a newborn is a little crazy (okay, really crazy!). It's all about feeding, burping, changing diapers, changing onesies, doing laundry, swaddling, rocking... while trying to eat, shower, and sleep when we can. But gazing into our baby's eyes, watching her sleep, smelling that soft, sweet baby smell... those little things makes it worth it.

So to get straight to the point of this post... In this month's Create.Compose.Communicate newsletters, Sarah and I will be sharing three elements you need to cultivate to become a better writer (and some easy ways to do so!). And like the name of our newsletter, they all happen to begin with the letter C. Any guesses?

The first newsletter of the month arrives in inboxes tomorrow (Thursday) morning, so be sure to sign up now if you haven't already!

I hope to be back to posting in the near future -- lots to share!

It's a Girl!

Scott and I welcomed a daughter into the world on Wednesday, August 14 at 6:49 am. Evelyn Grace arrived on her due date, weighing 7 pounds 7 ounces and measuring 20 inches long.

We're so in love and treasuring every moment. There are many ups and downs as we adjust to parenthood, but it's such a blessing to have this sweet little girl in our lives!

Happy birthday!

Heading home from the hospital

A cute cookie bouquet from Scott's work

On Waiting

We're five days away from my due date, so the waiting game is on. I've been enjoying a low-key week of resting, reading, (a little) organizing, and seeing friends. (I even read a whole book in one day -- that's not going to happen again for a very long time!)

It's nice to have downtime before the baby arrives, but it's also a strange feeling... the anticipation, uncertainty, excitement.

Full nursery reveal is coming soon!

I think we're as ready as we'll ever be. So I'm trying to stay focused on the present and savor these quiet moments and not feel like I'm wasting time, not wish the time away. It's so hard to not count down days and wonder when things are going to happen, when my life is going to change so completely, when I'll get to see and hold this little being, this part of me, who has been growing and moving inside me for months now.

I'm restless at night, waking up again and again, having trouble falling back to sleep, eating a bowl of cereal and reading on the couch before going back to bed. I can feel my body making progress, preparing, and sometimes I wonder, is this it? Is today the day?

And while I'm excited for what's to come, I'm nervous too. Labor, delivery, taking care of a newborn. No one can predict how these will go. After nine months, it's very surreal too, to live out these moments that I've imagined and looked forward to and tried to picture, tried to wrap my mind around. But until the time comes, they are just my best guesses.

This is all a new experience, something I've never done and something that won't happen in the same way again. I feel ready and not ready. I'm waiting, praying, trusting, taking each moment as it comes.

Getting Crafty: DIY for Baby's Arrival

Woo! Last week felt like finals week around here. I was cranking out a bunch of client work with the goal of having a little downtime before the baby arrives. Mission accomplished!

I still have enough to keep me busy (to-do lists are never really complete) but I'm feeling less anxious on the work front. And with all the extra effort, it was my best month yet income-wise (let's forget about the fact that I won't be working for the next few weeks and go with it!).

In the midst of the writing and editing, I got some baby prep done, including a couple of crafty little projects. First up, I wanted to make a fun sign for the door to our condo unit to announce "it's a boy" or "it's a girl." It's an easy way to share the news with our neighbors and to decorate for our visitors.

But I didn't feel like spending a lot, and I had an idea in my mind of a simple, not-too-cheesy sign. Rather than order something, I decided to visit Michael's and get inspired. I picked up four sheets of scrapbook paper: pink, pink sparkle, blue, and blue sparkle. Total cost: about $4. After a little cutting and gluing, here's the result of my DIY efforts:

And for my second project... I'd heard about people bringing a treat for the hospital nurses when they go in to deliver their babies, which I thought was a nice gesture. My dad is a family physician and two of my sisters are studying to become nurses, so I know first-hand how hard those in health care work -- and they do a lot of things I wouldn't ever want to do, all to help people get and stay well. A little thank you goes a long way.

So I picked up an extra-large "Chinese takeout" box from Michael's and filled it with a bunch of full-sized candy bars (it would have taken a lot of fun-sized ones to fill the box and hey, who doesn't love a big ol' candy bar?). A piece of notepad paper and ribbon were all I needed to craft a note and finish it off. Total cost = about $20.

I reach 39 weeks tomorrow, so we're getting really close! Any day now...

38 weeks!