Baby J Archives - Our Bill Pickle

My six most surprising maternity leave expenses

November 11, 2021

Even though I knew maternity leave would be hard on our budget, that has not stopped me from being surprised by some of the maternity leave expenses we incurred.

I knew maternity leave would be hard on our budget, but that has not stopped me from being surprised by some of the maternity leave expenses we incurred.

Almost eight months in, I’m relieved things have started to slow down in terms of our spending and hopeful it will remain that way.

But those first few months?

Yikes, my dudes.

In keeping with my philosophy of keeping it real in this space, here’s a look at some of the expenses that surprised me during my maternity leave so far.

Baby must-haves: 0-6 months

October 14, 2021

When it comes to baby gear, everyone has different opinions about what's essential. These are my 12 baby must-haves.

It’s been more than six months since my husband and I brought our child home, so it seems like as good a time as any to put together my first baby must-haves list.

In preparing to welcome our first child, I spent a lot of time talking to friends and checking out lists online to determine what we would need for those early days of parenting.

It did not take long to realize when it comes to baby gear, everyone has opinions about what’s essential and what’s not.

And that now includes yours truly.

This list includes 12* items I found most useful for baby during the first six months — and a shorter list of things that have helped me adjust to life as a mom.

*Note: one of the items on this list was recently recalled. I’ve removed the purchase link and I’m including a link to the recall notice. I left it on the list because it was useful for us at the time but I would not necessarily recommend purchasing it in light of the recall.

Note: this post includes affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This comes at no additional cost to you. I only share links for products I use and love. Thank you for your support.

Where I’ve been (and where I’m heading) – a life update

September 2, 2021

A lot has changed over the last six months at Our Bill Pickle. This life update talks about where I've been (and where I'm going).

How does one even begin writing a life update covering a six-month span where their life completely changed?

Hello. It’s been a while — certainly longer than I intended.

When I hit publish on my last post, I did not anticipate it would take me so long to get back to this space. If you go by that date, it’s been more like five months, but most of that post was written in advance. Realistically, it’s been closer to six months since I actually sat down to write.

That’s wild to me considering I kept a pretty consistent twice-weekly schedule for almost two years.

But a lot has changed. Life today looks very different than it did at the beginning of 2021.

And while I am hopeful things will be a little less chaotic coming into the end of the year, some of the events are going to continue impacting my life and this blog.

Here’s a glimpse at where I’ve been and where I’m heading.