Pause Pages: Our First Flight, Secure Attachment, Voice Notes, and 8-Month Update

a monthly care package of thoughts, faves, and little joys — plus some prompts for a little mom self-care woven into your day.

Welcome to the monthly roundup! Think of this as a little care package of all the things I’ve been loving, thinking about, and obsessing over lately — books, baby stuff, articles, and random life joys that deserve a shoutout. It’s also a time to pause, reflect, and nurture yourself — a little mom self-care woven into your day.

April Intention: explore, adventure, and don’t worry about the unknowns

This month, I’m leaning into the adventure of it all. We have a birthday party every weekend this month, and it’s been such a blast celebrating many first birthdays with Kiwi’s womb mates. We’re also gearing up for our first flight at the end of the month, and while it’s just a few hours, I’m excited to see how Keira handles it. I’m not so much nervous about flying — mostly just worried about her getting sick, especially since she hasn’t been sick yet. But I know I’ve just got to trust that it will all be okay. We’re always out and about, had family staying with us recently, and Keira’s been surrounded by lots of love from family and other kids — so far, so good. This trip will be another opportunity for us to explore and experience something new as a family.

In addition to the flight, we’re also booking our flights to Korea this fall, which is starting to feel very real. April is going to be a full month, and what I’m truly trying to embrace this month is just having fun — getting out there, exploring new things with Keira, and not letting the fear of the unknown hold us back. This season is all about the joy of new experiences, and I want to be fully present for all the little moments.

💭 Prompts to Ponder:

• What’s something new you’d love to try this month, and how can you make it happen?

• How can you release the fear of “what if” and embrace the excitement of “what’s next”?

• What’s one way you can make room for more fun and adventure this month, even in the small moments?

P.S. If you have any mom tips for traveling with an infant, send ‘em my way!!

Reflection: 8 months into motherhood

• We’ve got a crawler! Gone are the days I can just set her on the floor and take a quick pee — she’s across the room in seconds.

• Sleep has been pretty decent, with a couple of random nights when she was wired for two hours at 1am.

• Who knew that mama sneezing would unlock full belly laughs from Kiwi? Music to my ears.

• Baby girl doesn’t cry that often, but she definitely screams. It’s funny how vocal she is — she’s got a lot to say and is very expressive.

• Since Kiwi was one month old, we’ve learned about her alter ego, Janet. Janet is Kiwi’s middle-aged woman persona. It’s all in the funny faces she makes that feel way beyond her years! At 8 months, we’re getting a lot of Janet, especially when she’s tired but not quite ready to sleep. She won’t make much eye contact, but if you smile at her, she’ll give you a half-smirk/side-eye combo.

• Solids Update!! ✨ Keira is finallllly showing more interest in eating. After spending a week with her 3-year-old cousin, she seemed to change overnight! She looked at her cousin in awe, and it was so cool to see her wanting to try the things she was trying. Kids really have the magic touch with babies! Now she is enthusiastically eating the foods I make her instead of looking like I’m torturing her. And I wish I were being dramatic…

• Changing diapers is SUCH A MESS. 😅 If she’s not crawling away and trying to yeet herself off the changing table, she’s flip-flopping around until she eventually pees on herself… these are the things they don’t warn you about.

🧠 Mom Brain Moment: Do you ever just glitch while speaking to someone? Like the words coming out of my mouth did not form a sentence, and I had to start over. I felt like a malfunctioning robot that needed a software update. It’s a lil embarrassing (especially if it’s a stranger), ngl!!

Life Lately: things worth sharing

1. I’m a loyal Owala gal… I’ve always loved their water bottles over all the others. The colors are so pretty, and they just launched their new Freesip Tumbler which is the best of both worlds! If you don’t see the color you want, check out Target… they have a pretty decent selection. It’s easy to carry around, but now has a lid so it can roll around the floor of my car lol (it does fit in a cup holder). Mama’s gotta stay hydrated!! I try to refill it at least twice a day.

2. Baby swing, for the win! Easily one of our favorite unnecessary purchases. Etsy has the most adorable and special baby finds, and this swing is no exception. We may have installed it in the most impractical area of the house (hello, highly trafficked hallway entrance), but the baby giggles we get every time she swings are so worth it. The vendor I found is amazing — beautifully made, and it shipped way faster than I expected. It’s one of those purchases that just brings so much joy to the everyday.

3. This month, I’m diving into Raising Securely Attached Kids by Eli Harwood, and it’s been sooo aligned with how I hope to show up as a parent. The way it breaks down the importance of attachment and offers practical advice on nurturing secure bonds with our little ones is incredibly insightful. This one’s a must-read, imo!

4. Shoutout to fellow Substacker

   Jules
   (another Jules!). I thoroughly enjoyed reading her latest article about “Breaking the Scroll”. For anyone wanting to spend less time on their phone — you’re not alone. It’s a tough cycle to break, but as a mom, I’m determined to be as intentional as possible with my time. Definitely worth checking out if you’re feeling the impact of mindless scrolling.

5. I started recording daily-ish voice memos on my phone since I’ve been having a hard time remembering to write in Keira’s baby book. It’s just so much easier and more accessible for me right now. I was inspired by my friend

   Chelsey Scaffidi
   , who JUST launched her new book The Mother Year. She started by sending herself daily voice notes, which sparked the idea for her book. It’s a great way to document memories and feelings without the pressure of writing everything down perfectly.

Bonus: This is the cutest on-the-go diaper changing mat & bag! I bought one for our trip to KY next month, and it’s so pretty!!

✨ Got any topic requests or questions? Let me know in the comments!

See you next month, mamas!