6 Best baby Shower Gifts for New Moms

You would think that because I’m a mom with a child already I would know a certain amount of “what to do” when having a new baby but after nine years, I went completely blank when it came down to purchasing items for our new baby. 

Due to the pandemic, my husband and I decided to purchase all the essential items for our baby considering that the shower that was planned, was scheduled for two weeks into the lock down and could no longer be possible. From cribs to bassinets, swings, pampers and diapers. We googled every essential list for newborns and purchased everything on the list. Baby Jordan had more than he needed and he hadn’t even graced the world with his presence. 

As with everything else happening during the pandemic, JT did not arrive as scheduled. A day after being released from the hospital, as I sat down in our living room enjoying the sounds of rain outside, a knock on the door revealed a long line of friends and family, signs and posters, showering both baby and I with gifts and surprises with a drive by shower. After the shower of love, I looked at all the gifts we received and my first thought was, we really do not need all of these items; but boy was I wrong. 

Beyond the basics needs for baby, I received some of the most thought out gifts just for me and my sanity during this time, here were a few of my favorite gifts for showering mom after childbirth: 

1. Postpartum Starter Kit
   I have this one friend who always gives the most creative gifts. It’s always like the care package you never knew you needed. This postpartum kit was not something I wanted but what I actually NEEDED. After a natural delivery with no medication, coming home with baby was a bit painful not to mention the leaking from every possible place on my body. Thankfully this kit provided breast pads for my leaky boobs, nipple cream, jumbo pads for the downpour down there, and specialty pad popsicles that were frozen and included a magical concoction of aloe, witch-hazel and Jojoba oil which provided healing down below.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Food
   If you’ve ever given birth, you know that the days after for some strange reason you are super hungry! Gifting a new mom with food parcels and items to alleviate her having to figure out food for her and family is an ideal gift! From gift cards to restaurants or even delivery services, you can not go wrong with food. 
   
   
3. Wine
   Maybe it’s me, maybe the thought of alcohol doesn’t have the same meaning for you, but when a close friend of mine asked me to give her a few of my favorite wines because she was putting together a “welcome back to the real world” gift for me, I cried tears of joy. No I haven’t had any to drink as yet because I am breastfeeding, but knowing it’s there and can be accessed at any time brings me comfort. 
   
   
4. A Lactation Box
   If you know mom to be will be breastfeeding her newborn, create a lactation box to aid in the smooth transition of breastfeeding. I got Mothers Milk Tea, Fenugreek and breast pumps with specific instructions on when to take them, how often and what to expect. This definitely relieved a lot of the stress I was feeling getting into breastfeeding as I hadn’t done it with my first child. 
   
   
   
   
   
5. New Baby Photo Session
   As if keeping your newborn, alive, fed and happy isn’t enough, there’s the pressure of capturing moments at every point of the baby’s life. With my first baby, the only pictures I have are those I took with my cellphone. Being gifted a traditional photo shoot for the family with newborn is a very special gift that takes the headache away from mommy having to figure it out. 
   
   
6. Gift Cards 
   Can you ever go wrong with a gift card?!?! From a pamper day at the spa, to baby store shopping and wholesale outlets for stocking up on pampers and wipes, gift cards are always a great idea. PS. I absolutely can not wait to use the ones we received!! 
   
   

With every new child, comes a lot of stuff for baby, make mom’s life a little bit easier by showering her with items that she will not only needed but she would also appreciate! 

Balancing Work Life & Mom life Amidst Quarantine

Last Friday, as apart of the Mother's Day message from my daughter's school, the administrative team dropped hints that in September (the new school year) chances are, homeschooling would continue. To take it even further, they gave us new resources that we would be using effective today, in preparation for our "new normal". After reading the communication, cuss words followed. Don't get me wrong, I love my daughter and the homeschooling because of COVID has not been THAT bad, but do I want to continue into the new school year, heck no! 

Honestly, I think that we haven't been doing too bad. All homework assignments are being turned in (whether late or not) and I am keeping my composure every day. Even if it means sending her to her room to watch Netflix, while I take a much needed break. Again, surviving, but definitely not prepared to continue for an even more extended period. Between homeschooling my 8-year old daughter, trying to come up with out-of-the-box solutions for me to remain valuable to my company, preparing for the arrival of my son (yup 4 weeks to show time) all while trying to keep my new marriage together (my husband's love language is quality time ), sis was not prepared for this to be my new norm. 

On Saturday, I spent most of the day trying to figure out homeschooling options in The Bahamas, to the point where I were I became obsessed. I realized that perhaps I was overreacting a bit and took a step back. Sunday morning, my awesome little family woke me up to lots of love. From breakfast in bed, to a clean kitchen and washed clothes, both of them got up super early to make sure my day was made. I had two naps for the day and the weather made it a perfect, stay in bed and cuddle experience (thank you May showers). They truly put my mind at ease. 

                          Today, I am in a better frame of mind: as they say, a Sunday well spent, brings a week of content!

Let's face it, we all have our moments where we feel like we are not doing enough. That was my moment, but now I am back. I was reminded by my husband of all the amazing things I have been able to complete for the house, on my job and even creatively, despite being on lock-down. As he said "this may have been your most productive season yet". So here are a few tips for how I have been able to balance and manage work life/ mom life and wife life during this season: 

1. Be Realistic: Realistically, I can not do it all. I don't even try anymore at this point. I know what need to be done, I set up a task list based on priorities and I complete what I can when I can, leaving anything extra for the next day. There was a time in my life when I would be defeated if I didn't complete a task on my list for that specific day. Now I am comfortable knowing I am not super human and I can not do everything in a day, even if I tried. 
   
   
2. Communicate Often: As simple as this may seem, this has made all the difference in my success as home-school teacher, employee, wife and parent. At the start of every new week, I send a weekly recap to my boss reporting on what has been done, outcomes and results and what I intend to complete for the upcoming week. She loves this, because rather than hunting me down and wondering if I am working, I give her the confidence that I am not at home catching up on trash T.V. all week long (although some days I am). I communicate with my daughter's teacher daily. From sending feedback on the new apps that the school is using, to asking questions about the assignments, I do not let days pass without connecting with her. I communicate with my daughter what her assignments are for the week and we discuss the best ways to tackle them. Finally, I communicate with my husband all day every day. My hubs really has become my best friend. He is my safe space. I share my frustrations with him and my joyous moments, the wins and the L's and it really creates a sense of comfort  that I appreciate. 
   
   
3. Set Boundaries: At the beginning of all of this, I was getting work calls all hours of the day. People assume because we are not in office, it means that they can call and send emails at anytime and get immediate responses. Nope! Just as there are boundaries in the real world, there are boundaries in quarantine. I can not tell you how many video calls I have denied, like seriously, what happened to regular voice calls?! Setting boundaries can be difficult but in the long run are the best way to maintain your sanity. 
   
   
4. Know when to switch roles: Remember you are playing the role of teacher, mother and wife, but it is key to know when to turn off roles and pick them back up. The first two weeks of quarantine, I was so focused on my daughter doing school work and not falling behind that I drilled her daily. She was frustrated, I was frustrated and ultimately the entire family was frustrated. Our evening dinners were not as animated as they usually are and we often went to sleep exhausted. For me, knowing when to turn off teacher mode and get into loving parent and wife mode was key. 
   
   
5. Have Fun: Yesterday, in my daughter's Mothers Day speech, she said to me, she wished I could home school her for the rest of her life because these past weeks have been the best. She said she likes her teacher, the work is hard but I help her through it and the lunch lady (me) has been on point. HAHAHA  Fun is now an element that we include in every day learning, from baking to swimming, to picking flowers and even building tents around the house, including fun and excitement in our days allows her to release extra energy and not become overwhelmed with what is happening around her. 

At the end of the day, our kids will not remember COVID-19 and its economic impact on the world as we know it, what they will remember is how they felt during this time and the things we did to keep them going. Work life is tough, throwing homeschooling on top of it and entertainment can seem impossible, but with some planning and adjustments I guarantee you it gets better. 

My Best Day As Mom

If you are a mom, like me, I am sure you have difficult days. However, somewhere beyond the horizon, there are the occasional great days where you fall asleep with a smile on your face. Then there are the incredible days when you feel so accomplished, you've checked off everything from your to-do list, you've completed homework with time for fun and you've made dinner with dessert. Although rare, best days are indeed possible with a little planning!

Here are 5 Ways I have learnt to make every day the Best Day Ever as a Mom:

1. Planning - I can not stress the importance of planning enough. Not only does it decreases the amount of time spent in chaos, but it also eliminates the chances of random things happening and throwing your entire day off. Typically, I pack my daughter's backpack and lunch bag the night before ensuring that in the event we wake up late the following morning, there isn't much to do. Along with packing bags, if I am not able to get my daughter's hair braided on the weekend, I try to have this done at night as well. Which brings me to my next point.
   
2. Get Help - I remember when I found out that I was pregnant, everyone said I needed to learn how to braid hair ( this along with many other things I NEEDED to learn). Then I said to myself, why stress myself doing everything, when there are people who are skilled to perform these functions. Braid hair, I call the hair braider. Clean the house, I call the housekeeper. I have come to the realization that I do not need to do everything and sometimes it is okay to hire the help you need to alleviate the burden.
   
3. Stop and Enjoy the Moments- There was a time when I would be with my daughter on an outing distracted by sending emails or answering work phone calls. It got so bad that she would ask me a question and in my distraction I just answered whatever I thought "fit". One day my daughter called me out on my actions saying "mommy, stop pretending that you are listening to me because what you are saying makes no sense". It was in that moment that I promised myself to stop and enjoy every moment when with family, especially with my daughter.
   
   

   

   Work It Baby Work It

4. Dance Always! - Even in completing the above, good days are not guaranteed. For me, the difficulty of knowing that I have planned and done my best and the day still ends crappy is pretty daunting. However, I have learnt that sometimes it is better to let go. Perfection is never the goal of life and it certainly isn't the goal of motherhood. Understanding that things won't always go your way is key. Dance. Let your hair down and be proud of what you have accomplished!
   
5. Remember that no matter your effort, there is a pair of eyes looking up at you thinking that you are the greatest mom ever and could never be more proud! Nothing gets me like when my daughter tells me that she loves me, for no reason at all; but there is a special fuzzy feeling when my daughter prays and tells God "thank you for giving me the best mom ever". No amount of preparation or planning can prepare me for those moments and its then that I am reminded that my best is more than enough!

Until Next Time Mama Bees,

Kee

Birthing Something New

I have started a blog before, for those of you who followed me in the past, I am sure you remember Anni's Bubble. That blog for me was an outlet. As a new mom, I was faced with the challenge and responsibility of taking care of a human which I knew nothing of. Anni's Bubble allowed me to connect with so many women and mothers around the world and I felt like there was a true sense of community, despite the distance. Side Bar: One of those women started her blog around the same time as I did (but actually remained consistent) and today she is one of New Orleans top bloggers and interior designers; shout out Whitney Jones!

Whitney Jones

Back to why we are here :). Blogging has evolved so much over the last five years but the original purpose of connecting and creating a platform of community is still there. This is the exact reason why I decided to get back on the horse. As a mother, grad student, employee and side hustler extraordinaire life is a roller coaster and that's on the good days. This blog will be my voice to express myself in these various roles and share my passion with a community of like-minded women who can engage, encourage and inspire. 

Kee The Mama Bee

My biggest mistake in life thus far is thinking that motherhood was something that restricted me from doing amazing things. It is time to change the narrative and make motherhood work because it is possible to have a great life as a mom, girl boss and all around super woman!! 

Until Next Time Mama Bees,

Kee