Sarah Lubetsky

Newborn Survival List

Published on May 7, 2015June 2, 2015 by Sarah LubetskyLeave a comment

Okay, so there are the obvious things – like diapers and wipes- and of course every baby needs clothes! This is my list of the specific items that helped us get through the first couple of weeks home with little Z. It’s crazy to think back on those first nights and days getting to know our daughter and leveling up from parenting level 1 to maybe level 10? I’m not sure, but this is one crazy, fun, tiring, and exciting adventure.

Pump– I received the Madela Pump In Style Advanced from my insurance and it is great. When my milk came in my LO had stopped latching well and the only relief from the engorgement was through the pump. I’m so glad I already had it on hand. I have found that I prefer pumping on only one side at a time. I do this because a) It gives me one free hand for the remote or to browse on my phone, and b) when I pump both sides at once it causes me to let down on both sides when I’m breast feeding, leading to a ton of wet shirts.

Nipple shield- (If your LO is having trouble latching) As mentioned above, baby Z had a hard time latching at first and it was really frustrating and saddening. I felt like we would lose out on so much bonding time and that it could put our nursing relationship at risk if she wasn’t able to nurse straight from the tap. What if my milk supply went down because she wasn’t nursing?? Once we picked up the nipple shields the day after my milk came in we were able to nurse on demand right from the breast again and I was so relieved. It did concern me a bit that Z might not learn to nurse without it, or that I would get caught out of the house without the shield and unable to feed her or soothe her. In the end all was fine because about 2 weeks later I gave nursing without the shield a try and little Z latched right on and has been nursing like a rock star ever since. Thank goodness!

Target Nursing Tanks- I’m basically living in these Gilligan & O’malley nursing tanks from target. They are just under $20 (depending on style), and they are super comfortable and convenient.

Infant Nail Scissors– Piyo Piyo nail scissors make trimming little teeny baby nails so much less scary. I have found it easy to clip her sharp little talons without clipping any skin off of her fingers (which was a fear of mine in caring for my little one). I found them on Amazon here.

Fisher-Price Snugga(insert animal of choice) Swing– This is a must. I can’t believe I almost didn’t get this. At 3 1/2 months this is still the main way I get a break to make lunch or go to the bathroom. Baby hangs out in this during dinner too so that I can sit at the table and be a grown up. She doesn’t stay in it for long, but long enough for the little breaks I need through out the day. They are pricey new, but readily available on mom to mom sites and Facebook groups. We got ours for $60 off of another family and in great condition.

Protein Snacks– We had a case of Kind bars and a pack of Nogii bars on hand for those first couple of weeks. Both of these are delicious protein snacks. The Kind bar is pretty high in fat though, and the NoGii is pretty in high sugar, so snack in moderation and try mixing it up with other healthy snacks. I liked having these on hand for when I needed something fast that I could grab one handed. I’ve been thinking about making some sort of homemade healthy protein balls (recipes abound on Pinterest), but I haven’t gotten it together to make them since Z was born. I wish now I had made and frozen a few batches beforehand.

Coconut water– My mom would mix 2/3 plain water and 1/3 coconut water for me to drink along with all our breastfeeding sessions (as well as in between). The mixture is pretty yummy and it helps keep me hydrated to support my milk supply. Costco sells cases of coconut water

Blue bed pads (or puppy pads)– Our little lady loves to “pee in the wild” as we like to call it. The moment you take that dirty diaper off she starts to go. Often it’s a forceful number 1… but sometimes it’s a wild number 2. Believe me, swapping out the blue pad is easier than changing the pad cover in the middle of the night. We have the Keekaroo peanut changing pad in her room so in there we don’t need the disposable pads (the Keekaroo just needs to be wiped down when there’s a leak), but in our room we just have a traditional changing pad with cloth cover.When you leave the hospital you can take home any unused blue bed pads you have in your room (I was able to take an almost full pack along with the other unused goods like the pads, sexy mesh undies, etc).

Burp cloths (Lots of them)- I thought maybe I’d need a couple. I was wrong. We needed a bunch! I received a big stack of homemade, super soft, adorable burp cloths from Brian’s boss and they have been SOOOOOOO helpful. Our little one is s spitter-upper and with a decent stack of burp cloths we don’t get stuck without a clean one between loads of laundry.

Muslin Swaddle blankets– SwaddleDesigns (sold at Target) or Aden & Anais (sold everywhere), whatever the brand, get yourself some for swaddling your little. We tried the halo sleep sacks too but baby Z seems to regulate her heat better in the muslin swaddle. Now that she’s older we are using the Swaddle me sacks a bit more since she is getting stronger and can pull her arms out of the muslin swaddle more easily, but they were so helpful early on.

Baby Footie pajamas (snap-up kind)– I thought I would like the zipper kind of sleep’n play outfits, but when it comes to those midnight diaper changes I prefer the ones with snaps. Here’s why- the zipper ones zip from the top down… meaning you have to completely open the sleeper up in order to pull their legs out and change the diaper. When the snap kind you can open just the bottom half, leaving their top half nice and warm and undisturbed. This is especially nice in the winter when the house is cool.

Car seat Canopy– There’s no better way to avoid a wandering stranger’s hands from touching your little one when you are out in public. I like to think of it as a protective shield letting people know I don’t want them in Baby Z’s face.

Winter baby items– If you are having a winter baby like us, there are a number of things that are great to have on hand. We have a JJ Cole Carseat cover (avoid anything that goes behind the baby in the seat for safety reasons), baby hats, GrowEgg for keeping track of the temperature, warm fuzzy blankets, layers for baby (including long sleeved onsies).

Amazing helpers– Thanks Brian and Mom- you two are the best ever. I’m pretty independent, but having Brian and my mother here for emotional and physical support was absolutely priceless. It’s amazing how often you end up nestled in with baby to your breast and then realize you need something from across the room. Thank you Brian and Mom!!!!

Daddy and Baby Z getting ready to come home for the first time.

Mommy-ing Up for the 2 month Check-Up

Published on May 5, 2015May 5, 2015 by Sarah LubetskyLeave a comment

Yesterday started with a muggy thunderstorm and ended with my little one pouting in my arms. We agreed before Ziva was born that we would be vaccinating her, even though all of the hullabaloo about vaccines had me a little nervous about how she would react. Even if her reaction was purely emotional distress (and nothing physical), I wasn’t looking forward to it.

Maybe it was my subconscious attempting to avoid the whole thing that led me to completely missing her original appointment on Friday, maybe it was just general new-mommy over tired forgetfulness, either way the mishap led to my having to take little Z to the doctor today without the emotional support of her daddy’s presence. I wanted us both there so that Ziva wouldn’t associate just me with a negative experience, or to somehow stop trusting me. In the end, I had to just mommy-up and take our little girl on my own.

We love our pediatrician and the first half of the appointment went smoothly as usual. Ziva was snoozing in my arms when the nurse came back in to give her 1 oral vaccine and 2 shots. She suckled on the oral vaccine dropper and seemed to take it down okay, even offering the nurse a few faint smiles as she started to stir awake. I even held on to a moment of hope that she might sleep right through the whole ordeal and we’d all walk away unscathed. Unfortunately, that hope was dashed as her whole body curled to the left as the shot entered her little chunky left thigh. I could see the look, a mixture of fear, surprise and betrayal, wash over her little face. She let out all of her breath and then paused, mouth agape and brows scrunched together as she gradually turned tomato red. Kissing and shushing and repeating (to us both, I think) “You’re okay, you’re okay, you’re okay,” I tried to calm her and get her to take a breath in.

The second shot in her right thigh only made it worse. She took a short little hiccup of a breath in before pausing again in a dramatic pre-wailing expression. When she finally sucked in her breath she began to wail and shudder with big alligator tears. It was completely heart breaking. All I wanted to do was cry along with her… but I didn’t want to upset her any further by making her feel insecure so I managed to keep it together. I wrapped her up in my arms and bounced, shushed and kissed her. Aaaaaannd, she threw up all down my shirt launching herself into an even more dramatic fit of tears and sorrow.

Once we were both cleaned up she nestled into my bust taking shuddering little breaths as she nursed away. Occasionally she would look up at me with her intense dark blue gaze. With all the drama and concern of a first time mommy, I couldn’t help but read betrayal in her gaze. As she nursed I reassured us both that this was necessary and done with only the best of intentions. Eventually she seemed to come around and we packed ourselves up and headed home.

Despite tears and a little spit-up (which is part of our daily norm), Ziva handled the whole appointment and the shots very well. Actually, I think we both made it out the other side intact and I feel just a little more confident that I can handle the appointment on my own again next time. I guess it was worth mommy-ing up and doing this one on our own.

Now, the time after is another story. After waking up from her nap Ziva went back and forth between sleeping and wailing. As hard as this is to deal with (my heart is breaking for her little body going through whatever discomfort she’s going through), but I have to believe this is a temporary discomfort for a long term gain. Hopefully we truly are protecting her and doing what is right. I don’t believe in the vaccines=Autism allegations at all, but I am very careful about what I put into her and my body and this is a calculated decision we made to protect her and others in the herd from sickness. Thankfully, with just one dose of infant Tylenol she seemed to feel better and woke up this morning completely herself.

Please refrain from judging comments or attacks. Every family makes the decision for what they believe is best for their children and we have decided that vaccinating our child is necessary and for the greater good.

Story Behind the Name

Published on April 24, 2015May 11, 2015 by Sarah LubetskyLeave a comment

I’ve always had a love for names. Since I was eight years old I kept a running list of names that I liked. I wanted to be prepared for the day when I would need to choose. Over the years the list was shaped by the different influences in my life. By the time we were expecting Ziva I had a robust list of boys names that I loved and only a few girls names that I liked. Here is the story of how we chose our little one’s name:

Ziva (Pronounced Zee-vah): I was set on a couple of names since the beginning of my pregnancy and assumed we would choose one of them once our little one arrived. My husband, on the other hand, was not quite sold on the ones I had chosen. We discovered a Jewish baby naming app from Kveller.com and went through each name, from A-to-Z, reading them out loud to each other. When we got to the last name, Ziva, it just spoke to us. We experienced a loss with her first pregnancy about a month before we became pregnant with our Ziva. In Hebrew, Ziva means glow, brilliance, or light, and she is the ray of light and hope that came into our lives so soon after the loss. We waited until she arrived to be sure that she look like a Ziva. It fits her perfectly. She’s a calm, alert, and happy baby. So far we love calling her “Z” or “ZiZi” for short.

Pearl: Named for my paternal grandmother, Grandma Pearl was a character and a force of nature. She and I were very close and I always knew I wanted to name a daughter for her. Our little Ziva Pearl was born with strawberry blonde, reddish hair just like my grandma used to dye hers. It was meant to be! Ziva’s Hebrew name is Ziva Margalit (Margalit is Hebrew for Pearl), which I absolutely love.

On March 21st, Ziva’s 1 month birthday and Rosh Chodesh (the beginning of the month in the Hebrew calendar), we had a naming ceremony for her at the synagogue Brian grew up going to. During the Shabbat services, Brian and I were called to the bima for an aliyah and then the Rabbi blessed Ziva and we shared with the congregation the meaning behind the names we chose for her. Afterwards, Brian’s mother hosted a luncheon in the social hall for our guests. Though we were exhausted and happily delirious from our first month of parenting, it was a meaningful and love-filled day surrounded by friends and family as we welcomed Ziva into the covenant of our faith.

The Smell of Dirt

Published on April 17, 2015April 17, 2015 by Sarah LubetskyLeave a comment

Who’d have thought that one of the things I’d miss the most when I left California was the smell of dirt. Moist dirt under the leaves of a forest floor, warm dirt in the hot sun. There are so many memories linked to the smell of the soil in California that I long for… especially during the long winter months of Michigan.

Today we ventured out for a walk in the warm sunshine. The wind finally died down today, and we went for a long walk through the winding neighborhood across from our place.

Walking alongside a wooded area the breeze picked up the smell of the warm earth and dry leaves and it took me straight to my happy place.

It feels so good to be back outdoors. Turns out our neighborhood is a pretty nice one with winding paths through parks and green ways between quaint suburban streets. Since I was limited to seated activities most of last summer we really didn’t get to explore much. I can’t wait to keep taking baby Z out to explore and play as she grows! I’ve counted 4 playgrounds within a short walk from our place. Z will have plenty of options once she is old enough! For now she is exhausted from napping in the stroller-

Happy spring!

My Pregnancy Survival List

Published on April 14, 2015 by Sarah LubetskyLeave a comment

Here we are, 7 weeks postpartum! How did we get here so fast? When I wrote this up I was starting what I thought would be the last week of my pregnancy… it turned out I had less than 2 days to go! So, here are the things that got me through my 39 weeks and 2 days (most item names are links)-

Preggie Pop Drops: In the first trimester I had these little suckers on me at all times. I had metal-cottonmouth along with nausea a lot in the first trimester, and the cottonmouth persisted throughout. These sour candy suckers are great for managing the dryness and nausea. Other sour candies do the job, but these were particularly great.

Glass water bottles: I drink a lot of water. I mean a whole lot. I’m a pretty thirsty girl regularly, and with a constant dry mouth I’ve been drinking even more. I have always carried around water bottles and once I found out I was pregnant again I decided to commit to only drinking out of glass bottles to avoid exposing the fetus to too much BPA. I’m sure I wasn’t able to totally eliminate it, but every little effort helps (I hope). I havea couple glass bottles, some cheaper than others. The one linked here is a good one though I don’t have this exact bottle.

Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Stretch Oil: From what I’ve read stretch marks are mostly genetic and aren’t stopped with topical lotions or oils…. but who cares? This stuff smells good and moisturized my skin so the stretching itched a lot less. I tried BioOil and didn’t like the smell as much. Maybe the natural stretch oil did work, I only have a few on the bottom side of my big ol’ belly (postpartum update- those few look a lot worse once the baby is out… I’m not sure if these strechies could have been stopped but at least the oil felt nice).

Boden Maternity Leggings: I received a pair of these in a big bag of hand-me-down maternity clothes and it was love at first touch. These leggings are SOOO soft, comfortable, and stretchy. There are no tight seems. I’ve had a hard time with any tightness pressing on my tummy and these have been the number 1 most comfortable thing I can wear (other leggings I had bought on Zullily became too uncomfortable in the last months and I had to stop wearing them). I recently bought another pair to rotate in, as well as a smaller pair for postpartum lounging (which have been amazingly comfortable as I still can’t fit my regular pants).

Old Navy Maternity Rib-Knit Jersey Tanks: So comfy! I wore these to bed, lounging on the weekends, and under a cardigan at work. absolutely my most comfy maternity shirt.

Maternity pillow and extra pillows: I have two different pregnancy pillows (I bought myself the Boppy Pregnancy Pillow, and my sister gave me the Bean pillow as a gift). I like them both, but if I was to buy again I would look for one that goes around both sides of my body (Like the Leachco one shown below). I switch sides throughout the night and without a pillow on each side it became difficult to maneuver. Eventually I switched back to just a regular pillow between my knees to make the roll-over a little easier.

This is the pillow I wish I'd had. — This is the pillow I wish I’d had.

Massage tools: In our birth class we got a chance to practice back massages on each other to see what might help with back pain during labor. They passed around a bag of massage tools to try out and I fell in love with the roller ball tool. I hope it makes it back into the labor bag, because we’ve been using it all the time! It’s great for allowing Brian to apply extra pressure to my lower back without wearing out his fingers. We also go a wooden massage tool that is great for the total back and shoulders. I recommend trying out massage tools that might work for you during pregnancy and labor. It’s worth it. (Postpartum update- I don’t think we used them much during the actual labor, but it was SO worth having them during the pregnancy for my aches and pain).

Prenatal massage: I feel a little silly that it took me until week 39 to go in for a massage. I let my anxiety about triggering labor get the better of me and waited until I was full-term to get rubbed down. I am seriously wishing I had tried it earlier because it was amazing. My body has felt so foreign to me as it’s grown and changed. Being touched and feeling comfortable in my body on the table was AMAZING. I was totally comfortable in the side laying position and if I don’t have baby by next weekend I’m going to try to go again. For local ladies- Brian got me a gift certificate to Balance Massage and Spa (in Dixboro on Plymouth road) and it was great. I had Jerry and I definitely recommend him. (Postpartum update- I did go into labor the next day (with some early labor starting that night), but I don’t think it was related).

Prenatal chiropractic adjustments: I wish I could say I got adjustments throughout the whole pregnancy but after we moved to Ann Arbor, and then when winter set in, it became really difficult to drive back to Royal Oak to see my chiropractor. I did go a few times throughout though, and I think the adjustments really helped with my back and hip pains. I had a relatively easy labor as well, and it could be partially due to having good alignment. My chiropractic office has three docs that are all do prenatal and pediatric chiropractic work. (Postpartum update- I can’t wait to go postpartum since the breastfeeding is killing my back).

Ziva Pearl Has Arrived!

Published on March 27, 2015 by Sarah Lubetsky2 Comments

Introducing our brand new beautiful little girl, Ziva Pearl!

Born at 6:25 pm on February 21st, all 7 lbs 5oz of her entered our lives and swept us off our feet. It’s been a wild month of getting to know each other, visiting with family, and huffing as much baby smell as possible. I plan on sharing our full birth story soon. It was an incredible, empowering experience and I’m still a little amazed that it happened! We feel so lucky that it went as well as it did, and even luckier to have little Ziva finally in our arms.

Take Each Day

Published on January 10, 2015January 10, 2015 by Sarah Lubetsky1 Comment

There is just SO MUCH ANTICIPATION during the pregnancy journey.

When will we get pregnant?
When can I test? Is it too early?

When will I start to really show? I just look bloated!

Are we going to make it to 12 weeks?
Can we find out the gender yet?

It’s going to take FOREVER to get to the 3rd trimester.

Oh my goodness, how will I ever wait 7 more weeks?

Wait, ONLY 7 more weeks? How will we ever be ready?

It’s a constant dialogue with myself, overly excited and impatient mixed with a little fear of what each new step and milestone might bring. During our first pregnancy I could barely contain myself. My impatience constantly got the better of me and I was counting down the days till we would be 12 weeks and could tell everyone. I sometimes would wish we could jump to November and meet the little one right away.

After we lost the first and discovered we were pregnant again, I decided that this time I would try harder to be present in each and every day. To appreciate each moment in the journey, not wishing for it to pass more quickly, or longing for the end — or even the next week. It’s been tough, but amazingly it has also helped the time fly by. Each time I find myself longing for the next milestone, I quickly remember that I’d rather enjoy today. The next step isn’t promised, and today is where I am.

That may sound a bit morbid, but it actually has been a beautiful and helpful way to experience things… Particularly when I’m uncomfortable.

Now that we are in the final months there are moments that I can’t help but wish for the hip stretching and lower back pain to just go away. I think about how much I wish we could be at due day already so that I could have my little one in my arms…. but I’m always brought back to remembering how grateful I am that I’m able to have these experiences. I still have fears about whether we’ll really ever get to meet her. I would rather be uncomfortable now and wait for the right time, than wish the time away and take it for granted.

Today I am 33 weeks and 2 days. Sure, I immediately started counting down the days until she will be big enough for a safe full term delivery… but then I stop myself. These last 7 weeks are going to be some of the hardest to get through patiently, but they are important. With patience we WILL get through them one way or another. Now more than ever I need to remember to stay present in each day, to not look forward to next week, never being satisfied with how far we ARE.

The more I focus on today, each day, the faster the journey to Feb 26th will be.

3 Pregnant Short Girl Problems

Published on January 6, 2015January 6, 2015 by Sarah Lubetsky1 Comment

1) We aren’t getting taller, just wider. We still need short/ankle length pants! If you think finding regular pants in the right length is hard in normal pants, good luck with preggo pants!

2) Realizing how often I lean on my tummy to reach things… like the faucet in the kitchen. It just seems to get further away each week. Not to mention that I now wipe the counter with the underside of my belly in the bathroom when I reach for the soap!

3) There’s not much room to grow in this itty bitty frame. Hello quickly expanding waistline (and everything-else-line).

Sometimes it can be funny having a basketball under your shirt, and I’m sure some of these are things that even our long legged friends experience during their pregnancies. I’ll admit, as tough as some things are, I’m enjoying the journey as we get closer to D-day (delivery day).

Zac Brown Band New Year’s Eve 2014

Published on January 4, 2015 by Sarah Lubetsky1 Comment

Happy 2015!

I hope you enjoyed ringing in the new year with people you love (or at least enjoy)! At 8 months pregnant, we decided on a low-key, low pressure evening this year. I could have gone for good movies on the couch, but we’ve been doing a lot of that lately, so I thought the man could use a night out. Not looking for a fancy deal, we had dinner at Oak City Grille in Royal Oak before heading over to our friends house to party in the new year. We had a reservation for 8pm and about half way through dinner the live music started on the stage over the bar. All-in-all it was a fun, festive environment. The food was decent, and it was nice to get out of the house. Once at the party I found a nice comfy post in the corner, put my feet up, cup of water in hand, and eased my way into 2015 in style.

Last Year

But last year, last year we celebrated just a little bigger. We had been TTC for a few months already, and were really hopeful that New Year 2014 would be our last as a family of 3 (including Brinkley dog of course). I figured that once we have kids it will be harder to justify expensive concert tickets, so I went all-in and bought 2 general admission floor tickets to the Zac Brown Band at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.

It was a frigid night, and we nearly froze our buns waiting in line to enter the arena with our light coats. I was worried we wouldn’t have a good view if we got there too late (since it was general admission), so once inside we had to wait some more for things to get going. Man was it worth it.

Close-up view from the general admission pit. Not too bad! Image by Ready Set Sarah

We ended up just left of the peninsula sticking out of the stage. Brian was concerned it would be too loud if we got too close, so we found a good view a little ways out. Man, did it turn out to be perfect. The band made it out to the end of the stage many times throughout the show, and it was a great view of the main part of the stage.

Up close and personal with Zac Brown. Image by Ready Set Sarah

Surprisingly, the Canadians in the crowd were the really rowdy ones! We had some trouble with pushy drunkards, but not nearly as much as would have suspected for a new year’s eve show. It was a great atmosphere, and a really great show. There are just some bands that are even better live, and this is one of them. These guys are true musicians. There are so many different instruments on the stage, the sound is incredible (Brian hardly needed his protective ear plugs, they kept the sound level at a good point), and the play list is really well put together. They didn’t play my favorite song, Free, but they played a number from what was their newer albums, and we found a few new favorites to love.

When it got to just before midnight, they projected the New York City ball-drop countdown on the big screen, and the whole arena counted in the New Year together. This was followed by a flurry of red, white and blue confetti from the rafters. Seriously, one of my favorite New Year’s Eve countdown moments ever.

Black light skeleton encore. Image by Ready Set Sarah

For the encore, the guys came out in mechanic’s suites painted as skeletons. It looked pretty awesome in the black lights. I wish I could recall more about the line-up, but the songs they chose for the encore went perfectly with the scene.

Ringing in the New Year with the Zac Brown Band at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. Image by Ready Set Sarah

If you ever have the chance to see the Zac Brown Band, I would definitely recommend you do. Brian isn’t a country music fan and was really skeptical about how much he would enjoy the evening. A few songs in and he was sold. We had an amazing New Year’s Eve, and made memories that helped get us through the year to come.

A Look Back at 2014

Published on December 31, 2014 by Sarah Lubetsky4 Comments

It’s been a long year…. full of good, full of change, and full of learning experiences. The turbulent weather seemed to match the tone of life. Unpredictable, overwhelming, exciting and scary. Life has sped up so much these last few years, with big shifts in my life coming faster and faster. Looking back reminds me how much we really did and how many really good times we had, amid the chaos of lose and change.

January:

I’m not huge on parties, so when it came to planning our New Year’s Eve I knew I wanted to do something special but different. We decided to make dinner at home together, then head Downtown to the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit to ring in the new year with the Zac Brown Band. With so many instruments and high quality musicians on stage, how can you go wrong? I would definitely put this at the top of my favorite live shows list. It was an intimate and thrilling way to count down to 2014.

Last winter was cold. I don’t have to remind you about our fantastically freezing Polar Vortex. There was something exciting about how extreme the weather was, and how life just had to slow down and shift to accommodate it. With that said, I’m glad we aren’t pushing through negative degree weather and heavy snow this year! I’m not as sure on my feet with a basketball belly under my coat, you know what I mean?

February:

By February we had settled in to the deep snow and cozy days inside (binge watching shows on Netflix, snacking and cuddling our pup of course). My mom comes to town every February, which I always love and look forward to. We decided to take her on an adventure this year and drive up north to Traverse City for a few days to show her our favorite parts of the state. Little did we know, I was already expecting for the first time….

Mom's Visit Feb 2014 — Mom’s Visit Feb 2014

March:

I loved my work, but was ready for a change. In March I got a new start at a smaller digital company in Ann Arbor and dove in to the new work. It was scary starting a new job, with an hour commute, right as I found out I was pregnant, but I knew it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. Brian, the loving husband he is, knew that I was ready to get back to Ann Arbor (one step closer to a feeling of home), and we started our plans to move.

April:

After the long cold months of winter, we were eager to head home to California in April. Excited that we would be 12 weeks along while we were there, we made plans to announce the pregnancy in person to my friends and family. It was to be a trip full of celebrations and love with my sister’s baby shower and my best friend’s bachelorette. There was so much joy in the first half of the trip… only to be balanced by the heartbreaking end of our trip and our first pregnancy.

May:

We returned to Michigan after the miscarriage and went into hibernation. I can’t imagine a better team I’d rather have by my side than Brian and Brinkley. May was a blur… an adjustment to life without the little baby in my belly. Learning to see life through a new lens.

Our little family... minus the one we were expecting. — Our little family… minus the one we were expecting.

June:

As fast as loss can come on and sweep the rug right out from under you, love and abundance can swoop right back in and fill the dark spaces lifting you right back up. In early June we were shocked and elated to learn we are once again expecting a sweet little baby. My best friend got married, and though it was a planned elopement and I wasn’t able to attend in person, I was overjoyed for her and her new husband. To top it all off, the end of June brought the arrival of sweet, sweet little Stella Ray. My sister gave us one of the best gifts we could ever receive and we’ve spent the rest of 2014 just loving on her and watching this adorable little bundle of happiness grow!

July:

Ann Arbor here we come!! July 1st we moved into our new Ann Arbor apartment. It’s been a tough transition, but a good one. There are things we miss about life in Royal Oak, but there are many things we love about Ann Arbor too (including the many summertime festivities that we were able to take part in, like Sonic Lunch, Art Fair, and Summer Fest).

We celebrated our first anniversary on July 21st with a trip back up north, you guessed it, to Traverse City! What can I say? We love it up there. We had big plans to spend a few days in Traverse City and then to head to Mackinac City to take the ferry over to Mackinac Island for our romantic anniversary. That plan was thwarted by another pregnancy scare and a day in the ER. So, instead of gallivanting around a historic island, we took it easy and spent the rest of the weekend with good friends, healing and waiting to see if we would get to keep our little one. Thank G-d for good friends and for things turning out alright.

Year 1 of marriage in the books. I can't wait to see how our lives have changed by the end of year 2. — Year 1 of marriage in the books. I can’t wait to see how our lives have changed by the end of year 2.

August-September:

We headed back to California again for my cousins beautiful Santa Barbara wedding. We spent a week taking in the sunshine and loving on little Stella Ray, and another week making the rounds with family and friends in the Bay Area. It was a great trip slightly tainted by our nerves, but we made it home all in one piece, the bun still baking in my oven. Whew.

October:

I LOVE MICHIGAN FALL. I know, what comes after isn’t so hot (pun intended), but I can’t help but love everything about the crisp, sunny days of fall. My college roommate, Anne, came to visit us and we showed her some of the best fall has to offer. After asking around we decided to go apple picking at Spicer’s Orchard in Fenton. The drive wasn’t bad from Ann Arbor, and it was a great experience! We will definitely be heading back next year. The tractor ride through the orchard, bright blue sky, delicious apples, cider and donuts are all part of what makes fall here so special. We would definitely recommend Spicer’s for families looking for a day of fall fun. We can’t wait to go back with little ones someday.

Apple picking at Spicer's Orchard, Fall 2014 — Apple picking at Spicer’s Orchard, Fall 2014

November:

The gorgeous days of fall football and apple picking quickly shift to grey skies… thank goodness for warm family holidays like Thanksgiving to help get us through. We haven’t had much snow this year, but we got plenty during our interstate drive from Michigan to New Jersey for Thanksgiving weekend. Brian is a master driver, and I’m glad he is cause I would have been a whimpering fool if I had to drive!

We spent the weekend with my cousins in New Jersey, playing with her little ones and reminiscing about our extended family. We even got in a day in Manhattan to check out the 9/11 Memorial Museum. I love exploring with Brian, but I don’t recommend traveling when you are pregnant. Maybe it’s just me, but long drives and long days trekking through cities are better enjoyed without worrying about pregnancy troubles (like swollen feet and fatigue). I know many women are able to go hard during pregnancy, but for me it felt like a little too much action. Still, we had a great time. 🙂

Snowy drive to New Jersey for Thanksgiving

December:

My dad came to visit! I love spending time with my dad. He’s great to adventure with and he has a gung ho attitude when it comes to projects. We spent the weekend hanging out, clearing out the baby’s room/closet and working to prep the nursery for when the little one (hopefully!) arrives. There is nothing better than time with family, and we have had so much of it this year, despite long distances and tough times. It’s really been a journey. I feel like I’ve grown and changed more than ever this year (easy to say when you’ve been pregnant most of the year, but I mean it figuratively as well).

We truly can’t wait to see what 2015 brings. Hopefully it’s tons and tons of happy times and snuggles with our sweet baby girl. Cheers to the new year!

Baby Girl Lubetsky arriving February 2015! Cheers to the New Year! — Baby Girl Lubetsky arriving February 2015!

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Happy 2015!

Last Year

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