We've been home from the hospital for almost 3 weeks now and we're slowly but surely falling into a daily routine--I wake up early with the baby and let Rob sleep in a bit since he stays up with her when I go to bed, I nurse her in the nursery and if possible we go back to sleep for a while in the bedroom before heading out to the living room for more nursing for her, a latte for me, and a few episodes of The Crown.

Ender sleeps in his crate and usually wants to come out at 8:00, so I let him out and he runs around the yard for a while, then comes in for breakfast and we all cuddle on the couch. Sophie usually falls asleep again and I know I could probably take a mid-morning nap or get some work done, but I always end up holding her instead. Once Rob is up we usually make some breakfast, watch more shows (we're currently loving Difficult People on Hulu), and eventually get outside for a walk with the pup and Sophie in the stroller.

The days are long but they fly by at the same time, and every Tuesday I can't believe our baby is another week older. As the hours become days and the days become weeks, I've discovered a handful of things I either didn't know I needed or didn't know I would depend on so much once we got home from the hospital--and here they are:

• This nursing bra is the comfiest and specially designed to wear while you sleep. I bought one but need at least 3 or 4 more.
• I bought this witch hazel to make padsicles for when I got home from the hospital, but it turned out to have alcohol in it so I decided against it. Now I'm using it as intended--as a toner on my face--and totally loving it. They do have an alcohol-free formula if you're looking for one.
• These 4-ounce baby bottles have been a life saver. Sophie is cluster feeding and my boobs are having a hard time keeping up, so I've been pumping and letting Rob feed her a bottle once or twice a day. It's made a huge difference. I always knew I wanted to pump so he could feed her, I just didn't know we'd be doing it so soon. Either way, I'm happy I had them ready to go.
• I got some of this stuff in a Birchbox and used it the other day after I washed my hair. It's so amazing and my hair feels incredible, which is saying a lot since I've just been wearing it up in a top knot most days. I don't usually buy full sizes of stuff I sample but I might be purchasing a bigger bottle soon.
• We thought it'd be fun to buy a nice espresso machine so we could make lattes while Rob is on paternity leave, but I had no idea how much joy this crazy thing would bring to my life. I really look forward to making my coffee every morning, which is important when you've only gotten 4 hours of sleep.
• Nipple cream. Enough said, right? I like that there's nothing weird in this one. I've also been using this luxurious hand cream at night because it smells amazing and my hands are super dry from washing them way more than usual.

If you have any to add, I'd love to hear them!

This post contains affiliate links.

Happy Wednesday! My mom got here on Friday and it's been so nice having her here to help us out with keeping the house clean and the laundry under control (plus she's gotten lots of Sophie snuggles in while I've been able to take a few naps).

Life is looking so different already, so I thought I'd share a list of what I've been up to lately:

• Going to bed as early as possible--Rob takes Sophie from about 9 PM until she wakes up screaming to be fed between midnight and 1 AM, which means I get 3 uninterrupted hours of sleep before we're up every few hours with her. I never thought I'd be so thankful for such a tiny amount of shut-eye, but I really am.
• Making lattes every morning, sometimes as early as 5:30 AM. Sophie and I are morning people, what can I say? (Although I think at this point she's both a morning person and a night owl.)
• Not walking Ender as much as I thought we would--I'm having some really terrible back and hip pain which is making getting around a real challenge. The past few days I've been spending as much time on the couch as I can.
• Feeling ridiculously thankful for Rob's incredible family benefits and lengthy paternity leave.
• Becoming really good friends with my breast pump--I had no idea making bottles would be so satisfying (especially because it means Rob can feed the baby while I snooze a little longer).
• Cruising through a few new-to-me shows on Netflix in the middle of the night: Friends from College and The Big Family Cooking Showdown.
• So. Much. Laundry.

That's it for now! What have you been up to lately? Hope things are going well for all of you out in the real world! 

This post is sponsored by La Crema Winery.

For as long as I can remember, my mom has made some of the best holiday cookies--these delicious shortbread cookies dipped in chocolate and dusted with nuts (she always used a half-moon cookie cutter that I absolutely loved as a kid); some walnut balls dusted in powdered sugar; and, last but certainly not least, some simple but oh-so-delicious biscotti.

I'm super excited to be partnering with La Crema Winery again--I shared the recipe for those first two cookies I just mentioned on their blog right here! And you can keep reading for the biscotti:

Mom's Holiday Biscotti

Ingredients:

• Half a stick of butter
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon anise seeds
• 1 teaspoon anise extract
• 1 cup of chopped nuts (optional)

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, cream together the eggs and sugar. Add melted butter and mix to combine. 
2. Add the sifted flour and baking powder and mix gently to combine--batter will be thick. Add the anise seeds and extract as well as the chopped nuts if you want them. Use your hands to combine batter and pat it into a nice ball of dough.
3. Cover the bowl and transfer to freezer for about half an hour, or until it's less runny and easier to handle.
4. Preheat oven to 350. Roll the dough into two "ropes" the length of the cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven, cut diagonally, loosen gently with the spatula, and return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes. Serve warm with coffee, tea, or a glass of wine--it is the holidays, after all.

Make sure to stop by the La Crema blog today to get the rest of our holiday cookie recipes!