Yes, Katiedoodle (and I) have been keeping a little secret … but one that’s now … impossible … to hide. Yes: Kate and her husband Jim are preparing to welcome their first child into their family. Kate’s due date is now just weeks away.
And in the wake of this WONDERFUL news, there’s blog-news too: Kate’s last day working for Retro Renovation is this Friday. After that, she’ll be at home with the new weebit full-time — although she tells me that, time permitting, she hopes to be able to continue working with me on a freelance basis now and then. No pressure, though, Kate! I am SO HAPPY for you — my last ‘assignment’ for you is to: Enjoy every millisecond of this life-changing new chapter in your life! That said, I will miss working with you daily so madly and deeply — it’s been four years of a working partnership — and friendship — that for me, has been good as it could possibly get!
(Note, dear readers, you’ll continue to see Kate’s byline, because there are a stash of stories she’s completed still in the pipeline for publication. And how will I proceed? For now, I will go back to being a solo blogger and see how that goes.)
Kate’s friend Nicole Johnson, a photographer from the Pittsburgh area, visited Kate and Jim recently, and took these precious photos.
Is the baby a girl or a boy, you ask? It’s a girl! Come back tomorrow to see how Kate has prepared the nursery. You can be sure it’s retro and colorful and delightful as can be!
And, all this week: We’ll be spotlighting Kate’s four years of contributions to the blog. What a talented and hard-working and creative Managing Editor she has been! She’s an amazing artist and decorator and graphic designer! And, while I’m the one who’s constantly tossing ideas all over the place, she’s super-organized and keeps me focused. I am sooooooo crying in my Mai Tai to see her go… but soooooooo happy for the reason so!
Donna says
Kate, what great news! You and Jim will now enter the most rewarding time of your lives!
Remember, don’t panic! Babies are a handful at first, but they grow up unbelievably fast. Enjoy the small and subtle changes that every day will bring. I hope to see you back here someday!
Gretchen in Greenwood says
Question: Will there be a 1:12 scale crib in the Betsy McCall dollhouse? 😉 and, congratulations to you and Jim, Kate– keep in touch with us here in the Retro family. I know you’ll be awesome parents because you have had so much practice with Leo!
tammyCA says
Aw, happy for you & your hubby! Will miss you here on the blog but hopefully you’ll still be able to contribute more retro fun stuff like the crafting & diy..your dollhouse will be cherished by your daughter. As for advice, well I’m sure you’ll do just fine because of who you are & being raised right. Oh, and the diaper genie is way over-rated & gag worthy..I got rid of it quick & the dirty diapers went in the trash outside & far away. ????
Kate says
Thanks Tammy! We are actually cloth diapering, so no diaper genie for us! 🙂
Thomas Welles says
Since you are cloth diapering (like we did), we found one really useful item that we used for that is the Bum Genius Sprayer. It is a well constructed sprayer that connects to the toilet supply hose. We got one as a gift and probably would not have spent the money on one, as they are a little pricey at $65-70. Very few items stand out as being truly useful, and this is definitely one of the top ones.
Kate says
I did get a diaper sprayer Thomas — have to hook it up this weekend. Everyone I know who cloth diapers says you have to have one. 🙂
lynda says
Oh my, how wonderful for you and your family. I remember a good friend told me this quote from John Wilmot: “Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children and no theories.” In my friend’s case, she had married a man with six small children, so she really thought the quote applied to her. You will find out soon that you will learn far more from your child than you will ever teach her. You will think that you are in control, but you will finally realize that you have only been on a wonderful adventure ride the entire time. One more little piece of advice, don’t say you would never let your kid do something, because you just might have to eat every word you ever uttered. I know with your hard work and creative side, you will be a great mom. Best wishes to you. I feel like you need a present from me or something! Please keep us posted. My daughters are now raised and we now have grandchildren. We wouldn’t have changed a thing about the adventure we seem to still be on!
Retroski says
Oh, Kate, this is wonderful news and I’m sure you’re over the moon. So happy for you guys! Lil girls are sweet! (I have 2)
You’re getting oodles of advice so here’s the big thing: there’s no one right or wrong way to raise a kid…you know this baby, so do what is healthy, safe and works for you.
I did one baby-rearing practice that is so retro it’s timeless…babywearing.
There are slings and backpack-type carriers like the Ergo, but it really saved my life because wearing the baby kept get happy and helped me to keep house. See babywearing international [dot] org.
And, sleeping through the night is overrated. If your kid sleeps, great, if not, you’ll survive! One girl didn’t sleep through until 18 months. The other did at 3. They are the “longest, shortest” years.
And on those days when you’re sooo tired and motherhood is hard, remember this: what you’re doing matters. It really does.
Be blessed!
Retroski says
I mean, wearing the baby kept her happy, and mama too.
Kate says
We have some baby wearing options ready to go! Lots of my friends who have small children swear by them. When we were putting together our list of things to get for baby, my husband Jim insisted we get a baby carrier so he could wear the baby too. He is really excited for that, which I think is adorable. 🙂
Retroski says
Sweet! We swear by it too. And that’s great your guy wants to wear the baby too. Yay for cloth diapering, too. Economical, retro and cute. (I do that too)
Tikimama says
Congratulations Kate and Jim! I’ll miss your special touches to the RR blog.
Everyone is giving good advice so far, so I’ll just share this tidbit: no matter who is giving the advice, or how well-intended it might be, feel confident in your (the two of you) ability to know what is right for your family. You are going to get some doozies along the way, sometimes from complete strangers. Trust in yourselves and your love for your baby! (And you don’t *actually* have to love *every* minute! Those 2 am feedings, diaper-changings, etc are hard to love! LOL)
Tikimama says
Oh, how funny! The last two commenters and I were all thinking along the same lines!
Karin says
Congratulations Kate and Jim! You both look so happy.
Thomas Welles says
Congratulations! My advice to you, is to not take any unasked for advice, from anyone…
Well, let me clarify that. There is welcome advice, which is usually of a practical nature (is that baby bowl, diaper pail, bottle, etc… actually useful or just another piece of baby paraphernalia that you’ll end up spending money on and sticking in a drawer, or some such bit of knowledge); And then there’s unwelcome advice, which is unasked for, usually invasive and questions your parenting strategy or decisions. Each child is unique and what worked for one parent/child does not necessarily work for another.
I hope the best for you, your baby and your husband. Good luck, and enjoy your time together.
Mary Elizabeth says
Congratulations, Kate and Jim! Some advice from a mother of three, aunt to twins, and grandmother of seven.
(1) Get a young teenage girl from your neighborhood or friendship groups and train her as a mother’s helper. Pay her the current babysitting rate in your area. Have her come to your house after school and show her how to care for the baby while you are at home. In a year’s time, you’ll have a regular babysitter when you need to leave the little one for several hours.
(2) Don’t hesitate to ask other relatives to give you a break in the first months. Rest a lot. Get at least one afternoon a week off to do whatever you like to do.
(3) If the baby has colic, it isn’t your fault. she will eventually outgrow it. My colicky baby is now 44, and she shows no signs of colic, although she still gets allergic eczema from time to time. 🙂
(4) Keep a safe but not sterile environment. Don’t over-obsess about cleanliness. I gave up boiling my first crawling baby’s juice bottles when she started catching crickets and eating them before I could get to her.
(5) Finally advice from other mothers and grandmothers is precious, but rely on your own instincts. Your baby will be a unique person, and not everything that works with other babies will work for her. Life with a baby is a lot like dancing with a new partner. You need to learn one another’s rhythms.
Kate says
Thanks Mary Elizabeth. I’ve already had an enterprising young neighbor girl on the next street over approach me when we were out walking the dog to give me her card. Apparently she is a very experienced baby sitter and mother’s helper. Plus, we’ve known her and her family for the last 6 years since we moved into the neighborhood, so she is a good option to have right around the corner!
Arron says
Advice??? Well as a parent of three remember two things, you will never really sleep again and family first. They grow up way to quick enjoy being a family, enjoy watching your new bundle of joy as they begin this adventure called life. Did I mention sleep? Yeah sleep no longer exists, but its all well worth it.
Cheers
Arron