Baby #2, what shopping shall we do for you?

It's funny to look back and realize how completely unprepared we were when Oswin was born. She arrived ten days early, and we had yet to buy diapers, wipes, postpartum after care goods, a diaper pail...the list goes on. 

I remember in between contractions, watching Dan with his cup of freshly made espresso in the delivery room, using the hospital's wifi to order things we hadn't had the chance to yet. I remember going through my hospital bag during our almost six day hospital stay, (praise be to the Swiss health care system!), and seeing that I had in fact not packed appropriately for the baby. I blame this on french baby clothes sizing, which tend to be smaller than the equivalent American size by a good 3-6 months, and the belief that our child was going to be just gargantuan (a belief implanted in our brains by our doctor's reaction to our late pregnancy ultrasounds). A six month sweater sized Petit Beateau sweater, Ugg boots that only just fit Oswin this past fall...it was all just, wrong. 

 So what now? With #2 on the way this reflection has made me realize that despite not knowing anything, despite having no local support network, no one to bounce ideas off of, we were totally 100% fine. We made it work with what we had. I did however make a list of things I would do differently in my pre-baby shopping for our next go round, but there really isn't much extra we need in preparation for Nighttrain's arrival. (Don't worry, Nighttrain is just this baby's womb name, we've already got their actual name sorted.) In fact, if the baby arrived today, we would be more prepared than we were when Oswin first showed up on the scene.

 Curious about what we will be purchasing to help welcome Nighttrain into our little family? Well here is a list of some of my wish list items, because at this point, the only thing we really need is clothing in one particular size. That's it. That sure makes shopping a hell of a lot more fun, don't you think?

Pic via here. 

My heart will always skip a beat for Briar Handmade bonnets. I've been purchasing bonnets for Oswin from this lovely little company since very soon after they opened shop, and it's been fun and heart warming to see the success that has been achieved in a relatively short period of time. I'm not a huge fan of most hats for newborns, but these bonnets just make me so happy. Simple, well made, and work for both boys and girls in my opinion. These gender neutral and go with everything bonnets are definitely on our "buy for baby" list. 

Pic via here. 

We never did much in the way of swaddling, but we have a ton of swaddles. They've been indispensable to us for a variety of reasons that do not include swaddling, and we usually keep one on hand in the diaper bag during the colder months, as well as in the car. I've always been an Aden + Anais girl, but these poppy cotton muslin swaddles from Little Unicorn have really caught my eye. 

(The matching quilt isn't too shabby either.)  

Pic via here. 

In the Duggan household you can never, ever, EVER go wrong with a good buffalo plaid, especially in red. Nighttrain is due early September, when the temperatures will mostly still be scorching here in SwitzerFrance. These 100% cotton plaid bloomers from Billie Blooms will be the perfect transition from late summer heat to early fall cooling temperatures...because let's face it, I start dreaming of plaid by late July anyways.

Pic via here.

Humblehouse Handmade is another small, handmade, work at home mama shop that will always have my heart. Her work is amazing, and I can't help but swoon over someone who still includes handwritten notes and hand-stamped prints in their packages, all while running after three kiddos of her own. We've bought several of her Kismet dolls which Oswin loves, as well as donut rattles, but now that she has begun making pretzel crochet rattles, well, another order is in our near future. If there is one thing that neither Dan nor I can resist, it's a good soft pretzel...even if it happens to be blue or pink.

Pic via here.

I need this light for the nursery. I just need it. Wouldn't it look amazing in what will become the shared "Marie Antoinette Goes for a Hike in the Swiss Alps" themed nursery? 

Pic via here.

I'm not gonna lie, I'm a bit over graphic t-shirts and onesies. Aside from a few designs that either have personal meaning or a reminder of a special time, such as a CERN t-shirt or a touristy t-shirt from a family vacation, well, I'm just not into it. I've become far more drawn towards simple, traditional, well made clothing, for both myself and the kiddos (it's so weird to say that as a plural!), with a healthy dabbling of my bohemian-punk hybrid roots just to keep it amusing and confusing. Oswin was 50 cm at birth, which essentially meant she was a 1 month clothing sized babe at the start, and that happened to be the one size of clothing we avoided buying. Whoops. As we're in the market for one month sized clothes, I'll be looking for great deals at our go-to shop, Petit Bateau, but I'm also really interested in trying clothes from Gray Label. I'm really leaning towards white,grey, navy, muted pastels and the like for baby's first days/weeks, and they really fit the bill.  

Pic via here. 

It's definitely not something we need, but I certainly wouldn't kick this adorable overall set out of Nighttrain's closet.

Pic via here.

I've been drooling over Little Wife Powerhouse's Swiss Cross quilts for what has probably been years now, and I'm determined to snag one or two this year for the kiddos. As we don't know if we're having a boy or a girl, I love the neutrality of the Cru quilt, and think it will fit in nicely with the color scheme and theme that is already existent in the nursery.

Pic via here.

When it comes to baby shoes, yes, they're all adorable because they are oh so teeny tiny, but practical? Well we've only found one brand that meets both requirements so far: Freshly Picked Moccasins. These are the only shoes we've tried on Oswin that are easy for us to get on her feet, and nearly impossible for her to figure out how to take them off. They are comfy, they are cozy, they are adorable, and now that we're at the stage where we're taking on the playground like a little wild dragon, we've found that they can take a beating as well. They clean easily, they wear well, and we are repeat customers. So obviously a pair of their crib moccs are on my list for the new babe. 

Pic via here. 

You all know I'd be remiss to not mention our number one brand when it comes to baby carriers: Sakura Bloom. Babywearing is something that we are really passionate about, for it has been not only a really meaningful experience for us with Oswin, but it has also, on numerous occasions, saved our sanity. Whether it's traveling across an ocean, deftly maneuvering through crowds in Geneva, perusing our weekly French market, or simply comforting a little girl with a massive case of the crankies, Sakura Bloom ring slings have been our go to. I cannot imagine that it will be any different once the number of children in our home doubles. I'm loving the Black Currant linen chambray, Caramel linen chambray, and Maize Classic Linen for fall, but I'm sitting on pins and needles to see what beauties they come out with for this coming season. (Fingers crossed for a nice pumpkin-y orange silk!)

How about you? What were some of your go-to buys for your second babe? I'd love to hear them!

A la prochaine friends...

Honey 

Sidenote: This is NOT a sponsored post. I have not received any compensation for the above. These are all goods I really dig, and thought you might too. All opinions are my own. 

Giveaway: Sakura Bloom Ring Sling

We've reason to celebrate here at I'm an Outlaw, Not a Hero, and that reason is our upcoming 5 year Blog-a-versary! That's right friends, on the 25th of January we will have been on this little slice of the interwebs for a big five years, and what better time to announce our very first giveaway?

You guys may remember that last year both Dan and I were picked to be Sling Diarists for the Sakura Bloom Sling Diaries. It was a big time honor and we were really excited to be part of such an inspiring project with some really cool babywearing parents. I had followed along with the Sling Diaries long before Oswin was even a twinkle in our collective eyes, so to be chosen to be a part of it was a dream come true. We wrote on six different themes of parenting over a six month period and took pictures to accompany our entries, both of which we will always treasure. Sakura Bloom has been really good to us over the past year, not only through their amazing product that we swear by (I didn't even bring a stroller to the US for this two-week trip!), but also through their generosity and the community of babywearing parents that they have helped bring together through social media. Now they've given us the chance to be good to you too. We're giving away a Classic Linen ring sling in the color known as Acadia (seen in the picture below), courtesy of Sakura Bloom, to one lucky reader! 

Classic Linen Ring Sling from Sakura Bloom in Acadia.

Pic via here. 

The great thing about these slings is that you don't need to purchase various sizes as your child grows. Newborn to 25 lbs, they've got you covered with one universal sling. No inserts needed. No only using it until six months and having to buy a larger style. It's one piece of babywearing equipment, that is quite stylish, and can easily be rolled up into a diaper bag, used as a scarf, nursing cover, etc. Great for moms, dads, grandparents, babysitters, essentially anyone who is caring for a child. 

Not a parent? Have a friend who is expecting? Try to win it for them! Or enter and try to win it for your local babywearing lending library and help introduce someone new to the wonderful world of babywearing. 

This giveaway will close at 11:59 PM on Friday, January 23, 2015, at which time the winner will be randomly chosen. Bon chance! 

And hey, thanks for sticking around and listening to me ramble on for the last five years. I have so much love for all of you!

A la prochaine friends...

Here's how to enter: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sakura Bloom Sling Diaries: Bliss

As many of you may recall, Dan and I have each been chosen to be sling diarists for the Sakura Bloom Sling Diaries Volume V: All the Love. This is the fifth of six posts that I will be sharing here on the blog (you can find my first post here, second post here, third post here, and fourth post here), and Dan will be sharing his over on Instagram a little later on. (You can find his past posts by searching #danslingdiary over on Instagram.) Today's post is all about the theme of bliss. I can't believe it's my next to last one! Where has the time gone?! Thank you all, new readers and old alike, for following along on this fun journey with us. 

My sweet little Oswin,

As I sit here, drinking my coffee while you nap, I think back to all the things that your Papa and I have done over the last five years of living along the French-Swiss border, the area that as you know, we like to affectionately call SwitzerFrance. And what stands out to me about this month's theme of bliss, is that my most blissful moments while living here have been the ones that were a bit left of center. The everyday, the seemingly mundane, or the times where things went seemingly wrong, and yet we were able to make things happen, despite consequences or circumstances. Europe has been good to us, but living on one paycheck means that you sometimes have to get creative when it comes to living and traveling just outside of one of the most expensive countries in the world, Switzerland.

Oswin, before you were born, Mama and Papa didn't have a car. Well, that's not entirely true, but it took us almost three years to be able to afford one. That can get tricky when you live at the foot of a mountain. When you get older we will tell you stories of when we used to walk uphill, both ways, 2 miles in each direction, in the snow, just to get baguettes, milk and eggs, and it will be completely true. We will tell you of the time Mama rode her bike 11 miles to bring home a large potted fig tree in her bike basket. We will tell you of our first year in SwitzerFrance, the year that Papa carried our Christmas tree on his shoulder well over a mile in the freezing cold. And the large slices of lumber that he carried home on his shoulder from the aforementioned 2 mile uphill each way in the snow walk, just to make us a Christmas tree stand, using a really cheap saw. There are so many stories like this Oswin, of a time before you were born, of a time before we had four wheels and a clutch. And though these stories may seem silly to some, they bring me so much joy and nostalgia. We were propelled by our ideas, and didn't want to miss out on life because we couldn't yet afford a car.

The truth of the matter is that we loved those walks, and those bike rides. Not everyone has to (or gets to, as I often told myself back then) walk 4 miles for food: to be in the fresh air, to have that connection to what they're eating by bringing it back through (sometimes) blood, (always) sweat, and (sometimes) tears. And though it might have been easier to borrow someone's car to drive to the Christmas tree market, and buy a pre-made stand for that tree, it was a lovely, albeit cold, walk back to our house. The stars were out, we could see our breath as we walked and talked, and when we came home we put on Christmas movies, poured ourselves glasses of wine, and proceeded to make our own salt dough ornaments (in case you're wondering, that explains our Star Wars and yoga businessman ornaments, as those were the only cookie cutters we had). We found our bliss by taking chances, and making things happen, even if it was difficult at times.

Now I know that living that life at this point in time isn't feasible, at least not everyday. But you and I, we do that shopping trip every once in awhile. It's nice, it's quiet, it's empowering, it's exhausting, and it reminds me of a time when we could take 3 hours and 4 miles to pick up our daily bread. But more often than not, we go for a hike on the mountain behind us, look for birds, check out trees and wild shrubs. Sometimes we go a little further away to do that, like on the day we took these pictures while hiking on Mont Blanc, in Chamonix, France. We had an unexpected glitch on that day's plans: you were apparently too young to take the telepherique up to a higher point on the mountain, called Plan de l'Aiguille du Midi (2317 m.). We could have hiked with you up to that point, but we started too late, and we'd lose the race against the sun. So instead we spent a little time hiking, and then, for the first time ever, walked around the city. We had an amazing day, both unexpected and exploratory. Who knew there was more to do in Chamonix besides hiking? Not this family, apparently. We strolled the streets, sat at a cafe and had some frites, you made friends with everyone who happened to look in your direction, and I swooned at all the shop windows. Sometimes it's the unexpected glitches that give us our most memorable and blissful days, and this was one that I won't ever forget.

But everyday bliss isn't just about making lemonade out of lemons, it's about who you're drinking the lemonade with. When you're with the people you love most in the world, even the most mundane acts, or the unplanned glitches, can turn into moments of pure gold. One of my favorite memories of living abroad has been when Papa and I road tripped to Pisa, Italy for a physics workshop. It was January, and like all of our road trips to Italy, we would have to go through the Mont Blanc tunnel. As we approached the line to go through the tunnel, we were told there was an avalanche warning, and that we would have to wait until the officials gave the all clear to continue forward. We were stranded, with a whole lot of angry skiers, in our cars, in a whole lot of snow. So what did we do? We had an avalanche picnic! Baguettes, cheese dip, berries and espressso in a thermos, while listening to the radio and occasionally getting out of the car to stretch our legs and throw the occasional snow ball at each other. Yes it slowed up our travel plans. Yes it was a little scary. Yes it was really early in the morning and cold, but because I was with my bestie, your Papa, I couldn't care less. A glitch in our plans turned into a fun hour of hanging out and appreciating not only the majestic scope that is Mont Blanc and the French Alps, but also appreciating the fierceness that is Mother Nature.

The avalanche warning wasn't the only glitch in our plans for that ten day trip. There was a small earthquake while we were in Pisa. There was an Italian train strike, which forced us to cancel our Florence portion of the trip. This was a bummer, but it led us to actually signing up to go to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which we wouldn't have had the opportunity to do otherwise. It also forced me out of my comfort zone to take one of the last trains before the strike formally began to Lucca, a small medieval town about 45 minutes away, to explore solo. There was also a freak blizzard that hit the Mediterranean while we were heading to our last stop on the trip, a monastery turned spa in Monchiero Alto, where we somehow made it through a foot of snow with our old-and-lacking-snow-tires-or-chains-car. We were snowed in and forced to spend an extra night. (That was a great glitch.) What I'm trying to say, Oswin, is that the bumps are what make life interesting, and that trip, that ten days of all plans falling through and drinking a whole lot of lemonade (or in this case, Limoncino), turned into one of the most memorable, most blissful trips/times/ten day periods of my life. That will always remain one of the greatest times I've ever had, ever. There were scary moments, there were uncomfortable moments, there were moments when we just looked at each other and said "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!" And it was the best. Road trip bliss, with my best friend in the whole wide world. Plans are meant to fall through, and the true test is what you do with that adventure as a result. We found the bliss in our logistical disaster, and we did it together.

I hope that you learn to turn the glitches into gold my dear. Because life is what you make of it, and if you make it blissful, it will be. Every moment won't be bliss, but if we keep trying, we can find the fun in most things. Food shopping without a car, carrying Christmas trees over a mile along a mountain, making the best of a freak blizzard or train strike: all have bliss hidden in those moments if you choose to see them. Find the happiness in the bumps in the road or the avalanche warnings, whichever the case may be. Appreciate all that your body can do, everyday. Appreciate the food you're putting into your body for fuel. Appreciate your health, which I can't stress enough. The mere fact of waking up and finding that you are healthy is bliss enough in itself to make the day go well, please don't ever forget that. Find the happiness in every act, because it's there, it really is. Even in walking four miles uphill both ways in the snow for groceries. You just have to look hard enough. And I hope that one day you'll find a partner in crime to appreciate those moments with. But just know that Papa and I will always be here to have an avalanche picnic with you, whenever you want, all you have to do is ask.

We'll even bring the lemonade.

Love,

Mama

Sling pictured: Essential Silk Sling in Shadow Tart, by Sakura Bloom

Sakura Bloom Sling Diaries: Vision

As many of you may recall, Dan and I have each been chosen to be sling diarists for the Sakura Bloom Sling Diaries Volume V: All the Love. This is the fourth of six posts that I will be sharing here on the blog (you can find my first post here, second post here, and third post here), and Dan will be sharing his over on Instagram a little later on. Today's post is all about the theme of vision. Thank you all, new readers and old alike, for following along on this journey with us.

My sweet little Oswin,

I could sit here and say that I have visions for your future; that you'll go to a good university, followed by an esteemed graduate school, become a doctor or scientist, meet someone who makes you laugh, and start a family. I could say that I see you taking a gap year, travelling around Europe, followed by teaching English in Argentina, and finally helping the needy in a tiny village somewhere off the grid. I could say that I envision you making all of your food from scratch, and organic, of course, for all of your life (including that gap year). That you'll never try a cigarette, that you'll listen to Johnny Cash, that you'll never be mean to another human or animal, that you'll always choose to root for Philadelphia sports teams...

...I might as well also envision that you'll find the cure for cancer, while you're at it. 

(It'll probably be during that gap year. I would envision that gap year being a very productive one for you.)

Being that you're just a wee babe, just approaching your very first birthday, it feels silly to think those things. As parents, we want what is best for our children. We mean well, in everything we try to teach our children, with every experience we provide for them, with every lesson learned. But what if, instead of trying to shape their futures for them, and lead them down a specific path, we become more interested in helping them envision their own future, towards their own personal happiness?

Which leads me to my real and truthful vision for your future Oswin: I want you to be happy. 

Whatever that is for you.

Maybe you want to cure cancer, on a gap year in Europe, while cooking all of your organic meals from scratch. But maybe that's not what you want at all. Perhaps the life you choose will not involve travelling, or graduate school, or jamming out to quality tunes by Johnny Cash. Maybe you will end up rooting for New York sports teams...

...I have to put my foot down on that last part, as there is only so much a Mama's heart can take.

I hope that we can help you in your quest for happiness, to find what you are truly passionate about in life, and support you. Whatever that is. I feel that our job is to expose you to a lot of different things, such as travel, cooking, gardening, the great outdoors, reading, music, and see where those take you. Sometimes activities you loved one minute can be flights of fancy, but sometimes those flights of fancy can lead you to the real deal, to what you could see yourself doing for the rest of your life. I hope we can find that balance, of giving you your space to explore and thrive, while being there to support you along the way. 

Your vision and your future are yours and yours alone, Oswin. You are the only one that has to live in it, and find happiness within it. Once you figure that part out, all else will fall into place. And if doesn't, you're always welcome to change your mind and start over. It may be different than what Papa and I would have done, or thought would make you happy, but that's the beauty of life: that one little person, created by two people, can have their own thoughts, ideas and opinions. Use your intelligence, use your inspirations, and use your inner (and outer) voice to create the most joyous and love filled life that you can possibly envision...and then live it. But just know that Papa and I will be there every step of the way, and we can't wait to see what life you create for yourself. 

Just please please pretty please don't become a Yankees fan. 

Love,

Mama 

Sling pictured: Essential Silk Sling in Shadow Tart, by Sakura Bloom

Sakura Bloom Sling Diaries: Surprise

As many of you may recall, Dan and I have each been chosen to be sling diarists for the Sakura Bloom Sling Diaries Volume V: All the Love. This is the third of six posts that I will be sharing here on the blog (you can find my first post here, and second post here), and Dan will be sharing his over on Instagram a little later on. Today's post will center around the theme of surprise. Thank you all, new readers and old alike, for following along on this journey with us.

My sweet little Oswin,

We went on a little hike the other day Oswin. A hike on the trail just behind our house, that leads us up to the cow pastures on the Jura Mountains. We said hello to the horses in one field, walked over stones, and took in all the silence of nature. We counted butterflies, light blue ones especially, and watched the grasshoppers in action. The wind was blowing gently, blowing the wild grass and brightly colored wild flowers of the mountain, and we stopped to notice the wild blackberries that were growing. Mama may have picked a few to snack on. We picked a few wildflowers and waved them around in the air. We even found something new and unexpected, a wild pear tree. All our years of living here and I have never noticed that wild pear tree. 

We walked up and up, not too far as you were getting sleepy, but enough to heal Mama's mountain-lust. We walked up to the one open field with the one dead tree in the middle of it. We checked on the birch trees and then just stood there, breathing in the mountain. With our back to the mountain we could look out over Geneva and the lake, as well as see the not far off Swiss vineyards and neighboring french towns. We waved to Jet d'Eau, which could be clearly seen from where we stood.

Something pulled us up onto the mountain that day little Oswin, and as cliche as it may sound, when the mountains call you must go.

The life of an expat is not a simple one my dear, you leave pieces of your heart in so many lands with so many friends, and sometimes it is hard to feel whole. Nowhere and everywhere feels like home, and while making your home in one land you yearn for that of another. On a typical day I am simultaneously homesick for the city and the sea, but yet can't imagine ever saying good-bye to "our" mountains. The Jura have stolen our collective hearts, and I'm sad for each day that we don't spend a portion of time exploring it's elevations and woods. Around every rock lies something new - a newly flowering plant, a chamois, an overgrown trail that we decide to try, a wild fruit plant. There are not many things in life anymore that can truly surprise us as nature can. 

When Papa and I were waiting for you to make your grand appearance into this world, we wanted to be surprised, by everything. We wanted the blissful chaos of taking an unknown and sometimes scary-as-hell-trail on the Jura. That kind of trail that typically leaves me telling Papa, "we have to turn back," and then upon looking behind me realizing that is not possible. We wanted you to show us the way to go, because like nature, if you try to control an unknown entity too much, it will show you just how little control you actually have. We didn't want to find out if you were a boy or girl until we saw you for the very first time. We didn't want to read any of the "What to Expect" books or the like, we wanted to, for better or for worse, figure you out on our own. We knew your name, but we were keeping that to ourselves, because sometimes surprises are fun to hold close to your chest. But for two people who like to make lists and have all of our bases covered, we were really flying pretty fancy free when it came to your arrival and early days. We wouldn't have had it any other way. You're going to be showing us the way for the rest of our lives, why not start with your birth. I knew things could go wrong, so we didn't have a set birth plan. We trusted you, and we trusted our doctor. We worked with surprise to allow you to do your thing and give us the most beautiful little bundle of joy in an almost 8 pound package that we could have ever hoped for.

Flowing free like the wind, letting the waves take you, letting the universe work in its own mysterious ways...allowing yourself to be flexible in this life will take you to wondrous places you may have never dreamt. Keep your eyes on your dreams, but know that there is not just one trail to the top of the mountain. One of the best hikes that Papa and I ever took was on a trail that it seemed no one had been through in awhile. The trail markers were there, but it became increasingly overgrown as we went higher and higher. As we neared the road, we were essentially scaling a wall. I didn't think we would make it. I was scared and cursing that trail marker for lulling us into a "safe" path, which seemed anything but. As Papa grabbed my hand and pulled me up onto the road, I realized that we had made it, and we had done something awesome, and different, something I had not thought we'd have done that day while drinking our morning coffee. Papa took my pocket knife and carved our initials into a tree. The silence of nature on this trail was deafening and beautiful, something we had not expected. A welcome surprise following our ascent. We found a cabin we had never seen before, and had lunch overlooking a field of wild daffodils...all things we would never have found had we taken our normal route to the top. 

All of the surprises in this life will not be wonderful and tree-lined though my dear. People will disappoint you. I hate to say it, but they will. People whom you thought were your friends, almost like family, will let you down, and it will hurt. Sometimes family will let you down. These are those gut wrenching surprises that will knock you off your feet that we wish we could protect you from, but we can't. And we shouldn't. Because through this process you'll learn who it's worth to give your time and energies to, and who it's just not meant to be with. Blood doesn't give someone the right to treat you any less than you deserve, nor does being a kindred spirit in a far-away land. But don't become jaded like your mama. Try not to take it to heart too much. Some people are meant to stay, and some are meant to go, and that's ok. That's good. Learning whom to let into your life and who to keep out can actually be one of the most life-affirming surprises of all. Surround yourself with positive people, because life is too short to be spent with people who are shitty to you. Learn from the sour surprises while you cherish the sweet ones.

The other day we went on a hike Oswin. We went further up than I had planned. Mama needed it. And then, somewhere off in the distance, we heard cow bells. This is normally a calming sound to me, but being with you on the mountain meant that we were in their territory, in their pasture, and it scared me a bit. Cows are a lot bigger once you're on the same side of the fence, as are their sharp and pointy Alpine horns. I couldn't see them, but I could hear them as we picked up the pace heading down the mountain. We had enough surprises for one little hike. After all, little adventurers need their naps, and their mamas need coffee. We'll say hi to the cows another day.

Love,

Mama

Sling pictured: Essential Linen Baby Sling in Twilight-Marine by Sakura Bloom