CHAPTER 7: Stephanie Butnick

As a mom, nothing has made me happier than seeing how my older daughter Edith has embraced her baby sister. We welcomed Sadie last summer, and almost immediately the two became obsessed with each other.

They are exactly four years and one week apart, and considering all the ups and downs in between, it ended up being the most perfect age gap for us. Edith helps with bottles and bibs and entertainment, and Sadie gazes adoringly at her big sister.

They share a room, which I love, but it’s turned bedtime into a somewhat complicated dance. We read Time for Bed to Sadie, turn out the lights, and put her down in her crib by the door. Edith then gets a bit of big-girl time with one of us in the living room, where we read a chapter book or she does some drawing, and then it’s time to wash up and go to bed.

For a while that meant traversing a pitch-black room where anywhere you turned, the world’s noisiest toy was just underfoot. We found the Little Lights Rainbow Lamp, which offered the perfect soft glow by Edith’s bed—and has a remote control that saves me night after night. It’s an easy, sweet way to make bedtime special.

Our dining table was another place in need of a big-girl glow-up, as all of Edith’s old stuff has been repurposed for Sadie. I love these Recette x RobynBlair Coral Toile Placemats, which look so chic and suction nicely to the table.

The Recette Plates and Bowl Set were another amazing addition and have created an adorably elevated dining experience, even just for Cheerios. 

It’s the little touches that have helped keep things looking good (and staying functional!) in our apartment as we grow into life as a family of 4.