Whether you’re a stay-at-home parent like me or you’re at home with your child on a snow day and weekends, New York winters can be very challenging with a toddler! Between below freezing temps and epic blizzards like the bomb cyclone, finding ways to keep your little one stimulated (and let’s be honest - ways to keep yourself sane) are not so easy. We still have 2.5 more months left of the season and I have a feeling we haven’t seen the worst of it! The other day, I asked for suggestions on Instagram and I was blown away by the number of comments and messages with incredible recommendations. They were so great that I thought I’d share some of my favorites today! Here are my top 3 tips for surviving winter with your toddler.

In case you couldn’t tell, I take birthdays pretty seriously and wanted Adina’s first birthday to be extra special. We had plans to take family photos in mid-October with Faryl Loew, who did my maternity photos and Adina’s newborn photos. Since it was just a couple of weeks before Adina’s birthday, we decided to add some birthday-inspiration to the shoot and do a cake-smash! It was so much fun!

Adina is official one year old! I still can’t believe it! We had a hot air balloon themed first birthday party for her and it was wonderful, whimsical, and so memorable. Since Adina is the first grandchild (and great-grandchild, niece etc.) on both sides, we knew that many of our friends and family members would want to celebrate this milestone with us. We were so moved to have guests join us from NJ, Boston, Western MA, and even Chicago for Adina’s special day. It was amazing to feel all the love for our sweet girl and she had the best time partying with all of her friends and family!

This month FLEW by, and I can’t believe Adina is going to be one in a month! How did this happen? How do I have an almost one-year-old? What is it even like being a mom to a toddler? I just love watching her grow and seeing her personality develop more and more each day. Below are some milestones and memories from the past month:

Over the weekend, Adina turned 10 months old. In two months, she is going to be one! She is becoming such a big girl and her personality is shining through more than ever! She laughs along with conversations now, like she’s a part of them, and is just generally more of a human being! I stare at her most days, amazed that a person can physically be as cute as she is. How is she real?!! Keep reading to see some of my favorite moments and memories from the past month!

While I was pregnant, I knew I wanted to have professional newborn photos taken once Adina was born. After researching different newborn photographers, I came across Faryl Loew Photography and instantly knew I wanted to work with her. Faryl specializes in newborn and family photography but she also does maternity photography. Although I hadn’t planned to have professional photos taken while I was pregnant, once I saw Faryl’s work, I thought this would be a really cool way to capture this special time!

I know I say this every month, but this month was my favorite with Adina Lila! She’s turning into such a little person - it just amazes me how quickly babies grow! Everyday with her is my favorite (insert barf emoji here!) but below are some of my top favorite memories from this past month:

Adina turns 7 months old today and I can’t believe it! That means she closer to being a one year old than she is to a newborn! This girl needs to slow down because I am not ready for it! No, but really, we are loving watching her grow - she is getting more and more fun with age. Here’s an update about life with our growing gal at 7 months:

I hope all you mamas out there had a lovely Mother’s Day yesterday! It was a special one for me, since it was my first as a mom! I woke up to Adina’s big smile and some sweet texts and cards from friends. Michael made me challah French toast for breakfast - my favorite! Then we drove to NJ for lunch at my grandma’s house with my whole family.

Oh my goodness! I can hardly believe I’m writing Adina’s 6 Month Update! How is my little baby half a year old?! Time is flying too fast! She is full of personality and I love how more and more of her personality comes through each day. While on one hand, it seems like this little peanut was just born, it also feels like so long ago. As excited as I am for all the major milestones ahead, I hope it doesn’t go by quite as fast. I really want to cherish every moment with our sweet girl! Here’s a little update about life with our favorite little gal at 6 months: