Anything Charlottesville

Tamworth and the Mt. Washington Valley have a rich history and have been a mecca for outdoor enthusiast for centuries. In Tamworth, by 1928 tourism had taken over as the primary industry and Grover Cleveland had purchased a summer home in Tamworth. Francis Cleveland, Grover’s son, who had recently graduated from Harvard, founded the “Barnstormers” Summer Theater in the barn. The theater is now the oldest “Actors Equity” house in the U.S.

The Bretton Woods Convention July 22, 1944 – which created the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (as a customs lawyer this holds a special place in my heart)  – was signed in the “Gold Room” at the Mt. Washington Hotel.  The hotel is one of the remainnig Grand Hotels of a bygone era, and offers historical tours of the hotel, and the Gold Room.  You may even see chipmunks sitting in the chairs of world leaders when you go!   For a great historical reference, read: How Capitalism Saved America: The Untold History of Our Country, from the Pilgrims to the Present
Mt. Washington Valley provides a historical experience for kids.  The Kidcations article highlights some of the historical and educational opportunities available in the valley.

There are numerous histories of the area, White Mountains school of painters, genealogy and more available.

Sources: HowDoIGo.asia, White Mountain Travel Guide (2017), Grover Cleveland Biography (2001)…

On Friday Claire attended her first field trip. Her class headed up to Carter Mountain Orchard for some apple-picking fun. Julia and I joined them, and Julia was so excited to see her big sister. There were a lot of kids there; I guess its a popular day for field trips. We saw buses not just from Charlottesville and Albemarle County, but also Fluvanna, Louisa and even Goochland.

Claire picked out her cute little flannel and fall-colored corker bows to wear. I loved how cute she was! It was Julia’s first visit to Carter Mountain where she could enjoy the cider and donuts. Little pumpkin was a wee babe when we went last year

1. This year she seemed to be making up for lost time because she guzzled her cider and scarfed down her donut, plus half of Claire’s. Other children in the class, who were quite taken with their little visitor, offered her pieces of their donuts. I had to physically remove her from their presence so she’d stop gobbling them down. I get it, kid; those donuts are ambrosia. But they’re also deep fat fried and coated in sugar, so let’s give your infant arteries a rest.

The kids got to attend “apple school” where they learned about apple trees through the seasons and the harvesting of apples. Afterward, they were each given a bag and got to pick their very own apples. The kids had a great time; even Julia got in on the apple-picking action. I hadn’t realized Carter Mountain had done away with the wagons, so I ended up hauling Julia – who has gotten pretty heavy I realized – up and down the mountain. It’s okay; I needed to burn that donut off. It was a great way to spend the midmorning, and I know Julia was delighted to spend time with her big sister during school hours. We’re going to Carter Mountain this weekend for our 5th annual apple picking excursion. So excited!…

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I’ve mentioned a few times that there are quite a few things the hospital will provide you. Honestly, it’s been my experience that you could walk into a hospital and give birth and be completely taken care of for your entire stay as long as you have a car seat and the clothes on your back for when you leave. But I digress, here are things that most hospitals will provide for you:

• Nursing pads and lanolin
• Sanitizer, and tons of it
• If you need a pump a lactation consultant can help you with that. If you use an electric pump while in the hospital they’ll give you the pump kit to go with it, or they’ll give you a manual pump.
• Postpartum recovery items for the war zone that was once your vagina (if you have a c-section they’ll definitely provide you with all of the items necessary for the car of your incisions)
• Hospital gown
• Formula if you need or want it
• Diapers and wipes for baby
• Those cute little button tees (they’re great for squirmy newborns and new parents), hats and blankets for baby
• Baby toiletries like diaper cream and lotion
• Bulb aspirator (toss it when you leave, those things don’t ventilate well and get very gross very quick)
• Pacifier if you want one

So there you have it, all of my wisdom from three births. I hope this is helpful and you can learn from my (silly) mistakes! What other things would you suggest people bring/leave behind when headed to the hospital?…

There’s not much cuter than a newborn in a white onesie. I love Carter’s bodysuits because they’re well made and soft and just feel more substantial than cheaper ones. I brought booties, hats, mittens and socks along with us to keep baby warm and comfy.

Hygiene Items for Baby

I love The Honest Company and their lotion, diaper cream and sanitizer are not only better for baby but also smell lovely.

Going Home Outfit

I’ve had two winter babies and now a summer baby, and it was definitely far easier to dress the summer baby. When it comes to what your newborn wears home you can rely on a simple of rule of thumb:

When it’s cold: dress baby in the same layers you’re wearing, plus one more.
When it’s hot: dress baby in the same layers you’re wearing.

Additional note: the plus one when it’s cold can be a blanket, which I suggest using when you’re leaving the hospital as you’ll probably only spend a few minutes outside and the rest of the time in a warm car traveling home. You don’t want baby to get too overheated. Also, when it’s hot keep a thin blanket with you to cover baby if they seem to be getting too cool.

If you plan to cloth diaper you should throw a few of those in as well!…

Hygiene Bag

A medium sized bag packed with travel-size toiletries. I was given the Philosophy welcome baby gift set and it was great! Don’t forget your toothbrush/toothpaste and deodorant!

Makeup Bag

In a small bag I brought some essential makeup items – BB cream, mascara, lip balm, blush, and roll-on perfume. Makeup may be the last thing from your mind during labor, but afterwards it’s the little things that help make you feel human again.

Things to Wear Under My Gown

A nursing sleep bra is a must even if you don’t intend to nurse; they’re very comfortable and supportive without being restrictive, and your breasts are going to need that. For the first day or so afterwards you’ll probably be wearing those mesh disposable undies that are capable of holding the gigantic pads and ice packs and other glorious things that nurture your ladybits in place, but personally I like to get back into cotton underwear at least a day before heading home. Go full coverage here and opt for a pack of inexpensive ones you won’t mind tossing afterwards. Slippers are great to have to keep your feet warm and to slip on if you want to go for a walk around the halls.

Things to Wear Home

I’m sure some women are back into their pre-maternity jeans right after delivery, but I’m also pretty sure that unicorns exist somewhere². I packed a loose tee, nursing bra, maxi skirt, and flats. Flowing, comfortable and nothing to pinch or squeeze my puffy post-baby body.

Wallet

Make sure you have your wallet with your photo ID, insurance cards, and any other pertinent information.

Electronics

I’ve never gone into spontaneous labor, but I can tell you when it comes to inductions there’s a lot of hurry up and wait. If you’re delivering at a hospital that doesn’t have wireless fetal monitoring (which is the best thing ever and really all hospitals should have it) you could be stuck laying in a hospital bed for hours. Your laptop, tablet or e-reader can save your sanity while you wait for the action to start. Your phone is good to have on hand to keep up with friends and relatives and to make calls and send pictures once your baby has arrived. Don’t forget chargers for all of your electronics and extra SD cards, just in case.
Really all dad needs is an overnight bag. Some changes of clothes, pyjamas, slippers and his hygiene products. Andrew brought his laptop, phone and camera to keep everyone updated and take pictures. Dad will also need his wallet with his photo ID, and it helps to have some bills and change for the vending machines.

The hospital provides a lot of these things (more on that in a moment), but I brought them along because I prefer certain products and to use when we were headed home.

Blankets

You’ll most likely have dozens of those pink-and-blue striped blankets in your hospital room, but I personally …