Postpartum Style: Fall Essentials

I'm wearing: Cardigan from Octer || Plaid Tunic from The Red Closet Shop || Blanqi Supportwear Leggings || Chelsea Boots from Vionic

Shopping for nurse friendly clothing is so dang difficult! Much more difficult than shopping when pregnant in my opinion. When you're pregnant it's all about showing off the cute bump and I feel like a lot of regular clothes work as long as they fit (;

After Adrien was born I thought I would be in my post pregnancy clothes right away. Boy was I wrong! This weight wants to stay on and my bottomless pit of a stomach isn't helping either (; However, I can honestly say although it has been a little difficult that I accept my soft tummy and this extra weight. This weight didn't come on overnight and I won't lose it right away either. There's no reason to not love me as I am and every pound I gained was worth it for our little Adrien.

Instead of feeling sorry or bad about my postpartum body and not fitting into most of my favorite pre-pregnancy pieces, I have been doing a little shopping! I refuse to wear sweats and basketball shorts everyday until my old jeans/skirts fit! Not that there is anything wrong with that I just feel much better and get more accomplished personally when I "get ready" for the day.

These are a few of my favorite new mama fall wardrobe essentials:

Cardigans- Now that the weather is cooling down it's cardigan/jacket season! I personally prefer oversized cardigans since they double up as blankets when nursing little ones outside! They can even be used as a nursing cover if you feel the need to cover up (: I love this burnt orange cardigan I purchased through Octer! It covers the booty which is essential for me when wearing leggings as pants. I also love that it has pockets!!

Nurse Friendly Tops- When putting together an outfit for the day it's critical that I have easy access to my boobs for nursing! This top from The Red Closet Shop is a nursing mama's dream top! 

Button up + Tunic Fit + Flowy = Perfect Postpartum Top

I also love the vibrant colors! This top screams fall with the rich hues of oranges, reds, and browns. Oh and did I mention it's super affordable?! Only $21.99 and I got an additional 30% off my order using the discount code SURPRISE30 bringing it down to a little over $15.. such a steal!

Support Leggings- These support leggings from Blanqi are worth every penny! My tummy this time around feels extremely soft, so soft that I question whether I will ever have a waistline again (ha)! These leggings keep me nice and tucked in and help boost my confidence. I also love that they are breathable yet thick enough so your underwear doesn't show through. These leggings are also seamless and comfortable to wear all day! 

Comfortable Shoes- I can't go out and about running errands in heels/uncomfortable shoes. Any mama's out there that can.. kudos to you! These vionic booties have been my go-to's as of late! Quick and easy to put on and by far the most comfortable boots I own. You can read about the supportive technology they use in their shoes here.

A Good Night's Sleep: Tuft and Needle/Cariloha Review

Look how tiny Adrien is in these photos!!

He was only 3 weeks old when we took these and I swear he has now doubled in size *crying*

During the end of my pregnancy it was very hard for me to find a comfortable position in bed. We were still bed sharing with Zaden at the time and he hogged a good portion of our queen size mattress. I remember being very hot, restless, and cramped! I knew it was time we needed to upgrade to a king.

Tuft & Needle came to the rescue by gifting us this glorious king size mattress! The mattress arrived shortly after my baby shower but due to an unexpected flood in our basement and Adrien being born the week after it sat boxed in our living room. When we came back from the hospital I told Daryl the first thing we need to do is un-box our mattress and try it out! Hospital beds are the absolute worst and my back was killing me! 

We were a bit skeptical about the quality of the mattress since it's vacuumed sealed and in an unbelievably small box for a king size bed! We simply cut the plastic off and watched our new mattress expand before our eyes. Within seconds it was ready for testing and boy did it feel heavenly!

This mattress is so affordable (only $750 for a KING) + comfortable! A high quality mattress is definitely something everyone should invest in and I love that Tuft & Needle has high quality mattresses available at such great prices!

Tuft & Needle offers a 100 sleep trial. If you don't love your mattress they will refund you your money and donate the mattress to a nearby charity! According to their site, it takes about two weeks to break in but I honestly didn't think it needed to be broken in, in my opinion it was very comfortable from the start. 

This mattress is very supportive and not stiff whatsoever. I'm very impressed with how soft, comfortable, and perfect this mattress truly is. I can't see myself going with another mattress brand ever again! If you are in the market for a new mattress Tuft & Needle is the only way to go (;

No mattress is complete without amazing sheets. When it comes to sheets I'm very picky and particular about what I prefer. I don't like sheets made out of cotton, in my opinion those are the worst. I sweat easily and like my sheets feeling cool and refreshing and these Resort Bamboo sheets from Cariloha are THE BEST! The sateen finish and thermal regulating technology really make all the difference. 

Evy's Tree Style: The Sophie in Vintage Floral

Mama is wearing: The Sophie in Vintage Floral
Adrien is wearing: Terra Bandana Bib + Freshly Picked Moccs in Birch

How cute is little Adrien in these photos? I can't get enough of my serious little guy!

Now that fall is in full force it's time to pull out all of my favorite cardigans from Evy's Tree. I absolutely love this company, they make the BEST cardigans/outerwear around! When Evy's Tree announced their Sophie in Vintage Floral I knew I had to have it! The Sophie fit is perfect for postpartum mama's since it's nice and flowy around the belly (;

What particularly stands out to me is the gorgeous floral print. I'm a sucker for all things floral and have never owned a floral cardigan. Some other features I love are... the oversized hood, deep pockets, fun lace and the ruffles! Head on over to their site and order now, you won't regret it!

Adrien's Birth Video

Picture by Kandice Breinholt (more coming soon along with official birth story!!)

I received Adrien's birth video earlier this week and have been anxiously waiting to share! I decided today would be the perfect day since Adrien is officially 2 months old. Watching this video brings happy tears and all the feelings! This was such an incredible day and I'm so happy we decided to hire a professional to record it all!

Emily is absolutely amazing, I went into labor on Labor Day weekend and it turns out Emily was vacationing in Southern Utah! When I met with her the week prior I mentioned I didn't think he would come earlier than 39 weeks so she wasn't technically on call until my 38 week mark. As soon as she got service and realized I was in labor, she cut her vacation short and drove all the way up to the hospital. Emily made it just in time to cover my active laboring in the hospital and went above and beyond. If you guys are looking for a videographer she's your girl!

Anyway I will leave you with this beautiful video ♥

Mama and Son Style: Maternity Shoot + Giveaway

Pictures taken at 36 weeks by the incredibly talented Kandice Breinholt

Floral Robe c/o Pink Blush Maternity

Finally getting around to sharing several of my favorite images from our maternity session with Kandice Breinholt! I'm absolutely in love with each and every image so narrowing it down was so dang difficult! She captured everything so beautifully as always! I'm so excited to create a photo book out of these to remember this special time in my life. These images were taken just a week before Adrien joined our family and I'm so happy I got photos towards the final days of pregnancy.

The floral robe I'm wearing in the last few images is from Pink Blush Maternity! I still live in this robe in the mornings. It's so beautiful and perfect for skin to skin time with Adrien! I have teamed up with Pink Blush/Pink Blush Maternity to giveaway a robe of winner's choice!

To enter, simply fill out the rafflecopter widget below so I can keep track of your entries. The more entries you complete the better chance you have of winning. Giveaway is open to ALL Dearest Lou readers thru November 9th at 11:59PM EST. If your twitter, facebook, or instagram profile is on P R I V A T E please set your settings to P U B L I C on November 10, 2016 since I will be verifying the random winners entries at that time, private profiles will not be eligible of winning. Winner will be announced here on or after November 10th and contacted via email shortly after. a Rafflecopter giveaway

**Previous Giveaway (SoYoung Diaper Bag) winner announced here!