BABY BEAR FIRST BIRTHDAY
Last week our baby bear turned ONE. He’s my last baby and even though his entire life has been lived in a pandemic, I still wanted to celebrate him in style.
We’re still in a bit of a social lockdown here so we were not able to have any of our friends over but a few family members who provide childcare came over to celebrate sweet baby Leo.
The MASSIVE balloon garland was created by the incredible Tonye who owns I Dream in Decor. She blew us away with the garland she made! I told her I wanted neutrals with brown and sent her a photo for inspo and she blew it out of the water. The colours were PERFECT and it looks like a waterfall. If you’re local to Victoria, BC, hire her for your party or event!
The adorable bear cake was made by my friend Rachel of Rachel Cakes. She did our wedding cake, first anniversary cake, first birthday cakes for Luca + London and my baby shower cake for London so naturally we had to hire her to make Leo’s! We had to go for the flavour, ‘The Liira’!! It was actually the flavour she created for our wedding cake and it’s AMAZING.
As happy as I was to celebrate our boy, a part of me was saddened. I couldn’t help thinking back to Luca’s + London’s first birthday…we had celebrated with tons of family, friends and little baby friends and Leo wouldn’t get that. Pandemic babies (+ parents of babies) have missed out on SO much. My heart truly goes out to first time mamas who raised their baby during the pandemic, you guys are amazing!
Happy birthday sweet Leo bear!!! We love you so much.
OUTFIT DETAILS:
My Dress is from Jackson Rowe. Use code LIIRA10 to save 10%
BABY LEO'S BIRTH STORY- GIVING BIRTH AT THE START OF COVID-19
On March 16th, 2020 the world was shutting down. Schools were closed, playgrounds were being taped off, people were being sent home from work, stores were closing, the world was FREAKING OUT
... and I was having baby Leo.
What a wild ride it was.
Here’s the short story:
Leo John Liira was born on March 16th 2020 at 11:29am, weighing 6lbs 14oz and 19 inches long.
Scroll down for the long version ;)
This pregnancy was by far the hardest of my three pregnancies. I had awful nausea 24/7 July-October. My body ached more than it had before and then in January my left leg started swelling and aching and by the time I was sent in for an ultrasound, I couldn’t even walk…I was diagnosed with a DVT. My blood was clotted all the way from my groin to my ankle. I immediately started blood thinners (a shot into my love handles every single day!)..and the recovery from that was worse than labour! I was on pain killers for weeks and had to use a cane to walk.
My low risk pregnancy was now high risk and the birth had to be perfectly-ish planned out.
I met with a Maternal Fetal Medicine OB and an anesthesiologist at 38 weeks and they were going to make a plan with my hematologist once they got my leg ultrasound back. Those last few weeks I had SO many appointments because there were so many elements/people involved.
The tricky thing about the birth would be timing my blood thinner injections. Once injected, they lasted for 24 hours and then I would inject the next one. Ideally you don’t want to have blood thinner in you when you’re giving birth, because there can be complications if you needed an epidural (which I MOST CERTAINLY WANTED ONE) or an emergency section.
My only birth plan was to be able to get an epidural, ha. My body responds wonderfully to them and I praise God for the amazing person that invented them. As I said before, you cannot get an epidural if you still had blood thinner in your system. So I did NOT want to go into labour naturally. Normally I’d be doing allllll the things to go into labour but this time, I just wanted to be medically induced.
When the MFM doctor checked me, I was only at 1cm so his plan was for me to take my blood thinner at 8am on Sunday, March 15th and then go to the hospital that evening to be induced with the balloon catheter. This induction method is a mechanical one and it slowly opens you till you’re at 3cm and then it falls out. Also, sorry if this is TMI but what do you expect, if you’re reading a birth story??
Let’s just say I WAS NOT EXCITED ABOUT THIS PLAN. I thought it would be super uncomfortable, and most likely, we’d have to drive back to the hospital in the middle of the night. So I prayed hard that I would be at 3cm before that appointment ha.
When I got to the hospital late that afternoon, it was a GHOST TOWN. Things in the world were really scary and it seemed like people were holding their babies in. Normally VGH Labour + Delivery is a bustling place but that evening it was dead and even the nurses commented on that!
I met my doctor there and she checked me and I was at 2cm but she got the ob to check again and miraculously I was at 3cm!!! PRAISE, thank you Jesus. We got to go home and they said they would call me the next morning. My only instruction was to not take my blood thinner the next day.
I had two prayer requests for this birth.
Not have to get the balloon catheter (which God already answered!)
Be able to get an epidural (I just had to make it till 8am!)
Oh and of course, for Leo to be healthy and strong!
So that night I went to bed nice and early around 9pm. Hospital bag was packed, grandma was on standby for when we needed to leave and I was so ready and excited to meet my little man, my last baby.
But it wouldn’t be a birth for me if I wasn’t up most of the night before, ha. (I was up all night the night before both Luca’s birth and London’s birth!!) I woke around 2am with contractions. I really should have just taken tylenol and tried to sleep but I didn’t even think about it. It’s so long ago, but I remember reading and trying to sleep and timing the contractions and praying I’d make it to the epidural ha.
I woke up James around 5 and he made us some breakfast. I remember not eating too much and the contractions getting stronger. We called his mum and she came over just before 6.
We got to the hospital around 6:30am and it was STILL a ghost town. I think there was maybe 1 other birth over night…just insane. We got settled into a room and got the BEST nurse. Oh my goodness, I could go on and on about the amazing nurses at VGH. Every one we had was so kind and so boss.
I think they checked me around 7ish and I was at 4cm. Contractions weren’t crazy strong but they were starting to ramp up. I remember watching the clock praying I’d make it to 8am, and thank you Jesus, I did!
The anesthesiologist came around 8:15, got the epidural going and then just after that they started me on oxytocin. LOVE THAT EPIDURAL LIFE. I tried to sleep and rest a bit more because I knew I needed to save my energy for pushing.
My doctor came and saw me at 9 and saw that I was progressing at a good rate. I honestly can’t remember if she broke my water or not. I think she did but I need to check with her at Leo’s next appointment because it’s killing me that I forget ha.
She then went back to her office to see some patients and planned on coming back a few hours later. Everything seemed chill for awhile and James went and got some food for him and snacks for post labour for me (bring snacks to the hospital!! Post birth, you’ll be STARVING!)
But by 11am things started getting CRAZY. The nurse checked me just before then and I was at 6cm but I started progressing verrrry quickly. By 11:10 I was feeling the urge to push. They checked me again and I was almost at 10!!! They called my doctor to come back ASAP. I remember thinking, oh my goodness, my doctor isn’t going to make it here in time. I tried my best to resist the urge to push but ahh that was so hard.
The nurses kept me so calm and I knew they would be able to deliver Leo but my doctor ran in around 11:25ish? She scrubbed in, put her gown on and 4 minutes later, Leo was born at 11:29am! He came out in two pushes ha.
He was the most beautiful baby just like his brother and sister. He was my smallest babe at 6lbs 14oz which I think is why he was so easy to push out ha. He had light hair and blue eyes and ahhh it felt like heaven to hold him.
We had already been through so much, and finally I got to hold this little pandemic baby in my arms and kiss his little fingers and toes.
It was a crazy time. I remember not kissing his mouth for a week because no one knew if they had gotten covid when everything was still open. I was an anxious mess in the hospital and had to stay an extra night and day because Leo was jaundice. I could have taken him home but then I would have to go back to the hospital to get his blood tested and I would rather just put him in the bilirubin blanket and get those jaundice levels down.
No visitors were allowed in the hospital and James slept at home at night with the big kids. It was a quiet time in the hospital and I remember overhearing nurses talk about building an isolation wing for covid moms and babies, it was WILD. We were all expecting this huge surge of covid and thank goodness it wasn’t crazy in our city.
But even in that crazy time, when anxious thoughts tried to take over, I felt peace. I felt God near me, I felt His presence in that hospital room, I felt his protection over Leo and I. I played a lot of worship music and read scripture cards that I had made the week before and I knew a lot of people were praying for us.
The bilirubin blanket was a Godsend. It got his levels down and then the next day I nursed him as much as I could, topped him with formula and put him in the sun as much as possible. Thank goodness, that all worked and his levels went down! (come to think of it, he was my least orange looking baby ha)
When we left, it felt like I was being released from prison. Breathing fresh air outside was such a relief. I just wanted to get home, be with my other babies and hide away from the world…..and I got that for many, many months ha. But looking back, I’m so thankful for that extra bonding time with my three treasures.
It’s wild to think that Leo’s entire life has been lived in a pandemic. He has only been to church a few times, has only met a few other babies and hasn’t even been to a play gym BUT he’s been cuddled and prayed for and sung over and loved. He’s been so so loved and really, isn’t that all that babies really need?
Leo John Liira, you are such a gift to me. Thank you for giving me the privilege of being your mama.
Advent Calendar Ideas
Hello December! Are you guys into advent calendars? For years I just went for the classic Lindt ones but once I had kids, I wanted to jazz things up a bit. We bought a reusable calendar at Homesense and we fill it with chocolate for the kids and a note. On the note is a fun activity or an act of kindness!
I had a few people on instagram ask me for our ideas so I compiled the list and will attach it here!
Happy December everyone!
MAGIC LINEN REVIEW
Full Disclosure: Magic Linen gifted me linens in exchange for a review.
As always, all opinions expressed are my own! Thanks so much for supporting this space.
Guys, I have BIG news. Well, it may seem very small news to you but it is big for me. This year I started making my bed EVERY SINGLE DAY with throw pillows too. I spent most of my 34 years NOT making my bed everyday and only have the pillows we sleep on but something switched this year and I just HAVE to make my bed every single day, throw pillows and all. And honestly, it brings me so much joy at the end of a long day to come into my room with a beautifully made bed….petty, I know, but it’s the little things.
So when Magic Linen contacted me to review their linen sheets, I jumped at the chance. I had heard many great things about linen sheets but I had never tried them out myself…and I’m so glad because SPOILER ALERT, they’re AMAZING.
Firstly, they have so many stunning colours to choose from. It was honestly so hard!!
We went with classic white sheets for our bed and the duvet cover in natural with a pom pom edge which adds a fun touch! The cinnamon colour is stunning as well, definitely on my wish list!!
Now onto how they feel…so every time I get something new for our bed, my husband can get a bit skeptical. We both had never slept with linen sheets so it was a new thing for us. When James first felt them with his hand, he said they felt a bit scratchy but once you got into bed it was like OH MY GOODNESS, these are HEAVENLY. Both of us LOVE them so much. They are cozy yet cool yet keep you warm….what is this magic!! Our sleeping has improved and we both said we’ll only do linen sheets from now on!
Luca has the Charcoal Grid duvet cover and it fits perfectly with any decor! He also is obsessed. When I woke him up after his first sleep with it, he said “I’m so cozy mama!”
They also have beautiful pieces for the kitchen. I just love this tea towel set!
Let me know if you have any questions about the linens!
xo, Laura
CHEWY PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
And just like that, it’s fall!! If you know me, you know that I LOVE FALL. PSL’s, pumpkin patches, hocus pocus, trick or treating, give me allll the fall things…and now the joy of creating all the fall memories with my kiddos while they’re little and everything is magical.
I also LOVE fall baking and have actually posted quite a few fall recipes!
The other night I was craving a pumpkin cookie but I didn’t want a fluffy one, I wanted a thin and chewy one and you guys, this one is all that and a bag of chips! (any 90’s kids remember that saying :p )
Here you go, and just warning, they are ridiculously delicious. We ate 4 DOZEN of these over the weekend…whoops!
CHEWY PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Makes just over 2 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup room temp butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup + 1tbsp pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350.
Mix butter + sugars (I use my kitchenaid for this).
Add vanilla + pumpkin puree to mixture.
Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl then add into wet ingredients.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Scoop about tbsp size ball on to cookie sheet and bake 12-14 mins at 350.
Cool before removing from pan and add some sea salt to the top if you like that salty/sweet combo!
Enjoy!!!
