“Uhh, sorry I missed Christmas, guys. But I’m here for the big game!” Do not let this video fool you. It is actually a trick of the camera and birthing him required quite a bit more work than this. This is smoke and mirrors, entertainment!
Welcome, Baby Cal! Born 1/6/23 five days past his due date and 11 days past any other kid I’ve had, (and posterior, no thank you!) throwing curves from Day One! He’s 8lb 5oz and a tall 22.5 in of mellow kiddo so far.
His formal name is Caladin Jon. We both liked Cal but couldn’t land on a traditional formal version, so we borrowed this one from the hero one of my husband’s favorite novels, “The Way of Kings,” which also happens to be the audiobook our 1-yr-old uses as her white noise, so it gets a lot of rotation and has a lot of meaning in this family. Jon is my dad and brother’s name! Both names are unconventional and/or with unconventional spellings, sorry kid, but we think Cal will save him from a lifetime of spelling corrections. 😂 If not, builds character!
Whole family is doing well, husband was an indispensable coach again this time for a tougher, longer birth, and the big sisters are adjusting to this strange creature called a brother. More pics to come!
One week home, one college football national championship ❤️🏈🖤, zero good pics of all 4 kids together. 🤷🏻♀️ Everyone is still hanging in there! Cal has met his grandparents and a whole zoo of cousins. He is a calm baby and a solid sleeper so far and his mother thanks him for it. 💙 Thanks to Steve and then my parents and now his parents helping us out, and my sweet Mama friends for sending food, all letting me hang out in bed with a newborn, read mysteries, and get rest!
One week home, one college football national championship ❤️🏈🖤, zero good pics of all 4 kids together. 🤷🏻♀️ Everyone is still hanging in there! Cal has met his grandparents and a whole zoo of cousins. He is a calm baby and a solid sleeper so far and his mother thanks him for it. 💙 Thanks to Steve and then my parents and now his parents helping us out, and my sweet Mama friends for sending food, all letting me hang out in bed with a newborn, read mysteries, and get rest!
One week home, one college football national championship ❤️🏈🖤, zero good pics of all 4 kids together. 🤷🏻♀️ Everyone is still hanging in there! Cal has met his grandparents and a whole zoo of cousins. He is a calm baby and a solid sleeper so far and his mother thanks him for it. 💙 Thanks to Steve and then my parents and now his parents helping us out, and my sweet Mama friends for sending food, all letting me hang out in bed with a newborn, read mysteries, and get rest!
One week home, one college football national championship ❤️🏈🖤, zero good pics of all 4 kids together. 🤷🏻♀️ Everyone is still hanging in there! Cal has met his grandparents and a whole zoo of cousins. He is a calm baby and a solid sleeper so far and his mother thanks him for it. 💙 Thanks to Steve and then my parents and now his parents helping us out, and my sweet Mama friends for sending food, all letting me hang out in bed with a newborn, read mysteries, and get rest!
One week home, one college football national championship ❤️🏈🖤, zero good pics of all 4 kids together. 🤷🏻♀️ Everyone is still hanging in there! Cal has met his grandparents and a whole zoo of cousins. He is a calm baby and a solid sleeper so far and his mother thanks him for it. 💙 Thanks to Steve and then my parents and now his parents helping us out, and my sweet Mama friends for sending food, all letting me hang out in bed with a newborn, read mysteries, and get rest!
One week home, one college football national championship ❤️🏈🖤, zero good pics of all 4 kids together. 🤷🏻♀️ Everyone is still hanging in there! Cal has met his grandparents and a whole zoo of cousins. He is a calm baby and a solid sleeper so far and his mother thanks him for it. 💙 Thanks to Steve and then my parents and now his parents helping us out, and my sweet Mama friends for sending food, all letting me hang out in bed with a newborn, read mysteries, and get rest!
A pleasure to be able to disagree with my old friend Juan in person once again, and not just bc he insisted we take a pic showing off the guns (which are not yet in peak condition, but my heavy toddler and baby are helping!), but that didn’t hurt. Thanks to @shannonbream for having me! She is the totalest of total pros on @foxnewssunday. Swipe for a normal photo if that’s your thing. Someone on Twitter suggested I spend some of my money on sleeves for my dresses. To that I say NEVER. 💪🏼
When it’s probably the last Christmas party you’re making it to this year, you take your two big kids and your green disco ball baby out too late and eat too many cookies @ksoltisanderson’s house!
I assume this the only time in my life when a maternity unitard, a green sequin tank top, an oversized 80s blazer with shoulder pads and these “Hot Tub Time Machine” ski lodge boots will be exactly the correct vibe, and I’m thankful I found my moment. Now, I’m wearing sweatpants for the rest of the year. ❤️🎄💚
Someone asked, so blazer = Goodwill, unitard = @nuuly, boots = thrift store, green top = BCBG outlet in the Year of our Lord 2003.
When it’s probably the last Christmas party you’re making it to this year, you take your two big kids and your green disco ball baby out too late and eat too many cookies @ksoltisanderson’s house!
I assume this the only time in my life when a maternity unitard, a green sequin tank top, an oversized 80s blazer with shoulder pads and these “Hot Tub Time Machine” ski lodge boots will be exactly the correct vibe, and I’m thankful I found my moment. Now, I’m wearing sweatpants for the rest of the year. ❤️🎄💚
Someone asked, so blazer = Goodwill, unitard = @nuuly, boots = thrift store, green top = BCBG outlet in the Year of our Lord 2003.
When it’s probably the last Christmas party you’re making it to this year, you take your two big kids and your green disco ball baby out too late and eat too many cookies @ksoltisanderson’s house!
I assume this the only time in my life when a maternity unitard, a green sequin tank top, an oversized 80s blazer with shoulder pads and these “Hot Tub Time Machine” ski lodge boots will be exactly the correct vibe, and I’m thankful I found my moment. Now, I’m wearing sweatpants for the rest of the year. ❤️🎄💚
Someone asked, so blazer = Goodwill, unitard = @nuuly, boots = thrift store, green top = BCBG outlet in the Year of our Lord 2003.
I went to Chicago by myself. I wore heels and spoke at the Chicago Humanities Festival and walked around the city in a coat I’m very glad I brought and finished most of a book and visited a Gilded Age mansion and ate pizza and saw my best-selling author friend @kattimpf make jokes about her trauma on stage with @guypbenson and then we had beers! 😂 It was great!
I’m STILL pregnant, so why don’t you get ready with me? This is actually the go bag my stuff is in (very utilitarian husband grabbed it for my pile of stuff after I gathered it) and I should really put it in a backpack or something. I respect this mom’s game though I will never emulate it. For the record, I’m not even 40 wks yet, but all my other kids were early, so I’m spoiled. This one is hanging in there. Also, for the record, in this bag, I have comfy clothes, slippers, and my own face wash and lotion since it’s nice to pamper yourself a little in that first post-baby shower. I also rented a knit matching set from @nuuly, so I might even attempt some style on my way home. #thirdtrimester #pregnancyreels
Truth.
STILL PREGNANT. So, let’s do content! Here are some of my favorite things from this pregnancy.
@breatheright strips: I use these every pregnancy bc my nose does not work at night. There’s a lavender-scented version that is 🤌🏼. If your nose is stuffy with the pregnancy rhinitis, put these on your Amazon Subscribe and Save. Only downside: my iPhone doesn’t recognize my face with them on.
@profemilyoster’s “Expecting Better.” I LOVE this book. It’s about the only book about pregnancy I recommend to my friends. I got it when I was pregnant with my second, and it was such a refreshing approach to pregnancy. Oh, yes, I WOULD like data and information with which to make my own risk calculations like I do as a grown-up in every other area of my life! Yay for that instead of demands for tee-totaling everything for sorta vaguely stated risks that seem to change every few years. I wanted salmon rolls all the time with No. 2. She was fine and I didn’t need to worry about it. Get this book and some peace of mind. Such a gift to pregnant ladies.
@goodwillintl: I mean, where else am I gonna get this awesome reindeer shirt that I have worn all holiday season and is now begging for mercy bc I am too big for it? New clothes, less money.
@freepeople @nuuly: Giant, wide-leg pants with elastic waists that I can rent. These are in style for everyone! Perfect for pregos.
#pregnancy #thirdtrimester #over40weeks
Podcasting with, like, half my brain and a whole extra human. Podcast link in bio!
The impossible due date to-do item. BUT I DID IT. 💅🏻 #thirdtrimester #pregnancy #fourthkid
So much for my financial planning.
Little guy getting bigger, and has a matching jogger set, obvi.
Who among us has not become overwhelmed by the wealth of choices @barnesandnoble? We had to put a timer on picking something out with her gift certificate. 😂 📚💙
My first hair tutorial: Christmas tree braid! 🎄 I did learn this on YouTube, so I will search my 79K tabs and search history to try to find the originator and credit her. But here’s a short explainer. Maybe too short? This is new to me!
I may do a separate video of a Dutch braid on its own, since that’s what I always use bc I think it’s the secret to looking like a better braider than you are. It’s just an inside-out French braid, but gives you that 3D effect that is somehow much more impressive. Ooh, am I starting an Internet controversy with this take? I’d love to learn that there’s a really zealous group of French braid partisans online who will COME FOR ME.
Also, agreed we need a better nickname for “ponytail holder?” We have a shortened version of EVERYTHING, but not this incredibly common thing we all use every day? Even “elastic” is three syllables. Now, “scrunchie.” That’s the vibe we’re looking for, but specifically for hair ties. Anyway, try it out and ask questions in comments. I may have sacrificed some explanation for brevity. We found that this style held all day at school with very little change. I didn’t even spray it and only used Bobby pins to secure the ribbon around the hair ties at the end.
Dancing in there! #pregnancy #37weeks #worldcup
“You better not pretend you’re in a Wes Anderson film when you do your Manion WOD.”
It’s been a big week! Had a great time at the @travismanionfoundation Spartan Leadership Summit with our staff and so many veteran mentors. Couldn’t resist Wes-Anderson-ing it a little, although I’m still kicking myself because I missed filming the most Wes Anderson moment ever when those workers were meticulously placing the cute little lettering on the Carriage House. I was running a lap of my #ManionWOD and he had gotten off the scaffolding by the time I got there. 🤦🏻♀️ And if you’re keeping count, that is my second Manion WOD this week, this one speed walking with a baby. Big apologies to my quads and hamstrings. Thanks to everyone who showed up and who always show up to share all your skills and experience every day with youth and your communities all over the country! #ifnotmethenwho
