You make me brave
No fear can hinder now the love that made a way // 
No fear can hinder now the promises you made //
​You make me brave //

this song by Bethel Music inspired my 2017 word of the year. b r a v e.

i've been struggling on whether or not to post this. no, i didn't reach my goal of being at my pre-pregnancy weight. that's not why i was hesitant to post. i was hesitant to share that i am still 2 pounds away & the reaction i would receive. before you roll your eyes & think "just 2 pounds", just a little insight: it takes me three weeks to lose 2 pounds. that's 30 miles of running, 105 meal preps & 15 hours of weightlifting. amazing how much effort it takes to lose 2 pounds. it isn't easy but it's possible. i hope this comes across as encouraging & that we don't take a pound of progress for granted. now with that said, i am so pleased with my 12 week transformation with imago fitness (curious about my transformation before pregnancy? click here!) cheers to healthy habits & continuing to pursue the best version of ourselves.

THE BAG // we have three diaper bags. yes, three. one traditional over-the-shoulder bag, one matching backpack, & one "manly" backpack for daddy ;) i guess its always good to have options, ha! however, once i bought myself the diaper bag backpack, my life forever changed. hands-free is the way to be. i would definitely recommend a backpack. the honest company has a very sleek design & good pocket space. the only downside for me was that everyone has it. i was at an outdoor birthday party, and three moms placed their identical honest backpack on the ground. i decided to purchase one that wasn't as popular & at a good price (info below).

THE ORGANIC GOODS // having to explain to my persian family what an organic diaper is is probably the hardest/funniest thing. whether this is just a trend or not, i really do like the diapers & wipes we use. i'm not, though, very brand loyal. i bounce between honest, seventh generation & babyganics. all of which have been fine & eliott has not reacted negatively to any of them. but, we tend to purchase honest diapers, seventh generation wipes & baby organics bath/skin products.

THE EXTRAS // the convenience of having a camera & video camera on our phones is amazing. however, i also carry my instax mini polaroid in my bag. i've been using these specific photos for eliott's baby book so i never know when i'll need it. i also purchased these mini carabiners for my wallet & keys. i hook them inside my backpack and hook the keychain on my wallet & keys so they are never lost. LIFE. SAVER. lastly, s'well bottles are all the rage right now. the modern design is so appealing. i purchased a s'ip one to keep hot water for times i need to use formula. i've tested how long it'll keep the water steaming, & i am happy to announce i've gone 5 hours & it was still steaming. WIN. & its black & so minimal in design. DOUBLE WIN.

below is my full list of items i store in my bag at all times. this caters to eliott's age range (up to 4 months). this seems like a long list but i get the to-go versions of most products to help with space...