Some of you might remember me from 2020 when I started Jackson&Olivia. A lot has happened since then and Jackson&Olivia took a backseat to life with a new job + new baby. But I am here again, revamping. For those who have followed along, thank you. For those of you who are new, hi! and I am so glad you are here.
My name is Elizabeth and I am the founder of Jackson&Olivia. I live in Southern California with my husband, Ryan, our 10 month old son, Jackson, and our golden retriever, Gino (our CHO - chief happiness officer). I work as a Lifestyle Coordinator for a large HOA and love to plan events.
Anything neutral is my vibe. Being outside puts me at ease. I enjoy coffee, charcuterie boards, home décor, and being in the kitchen. I am a big foodie with Italian and Mexican being my favorite. My ideal weekend is spending the day at the beach and ending the night with a good glass of red wine with family and friends with a delicious meal.
From trying new recipes, to DIY projects, to rearranging the living room furniture (sorry Ryan!), Jackson&Olivia was a creative outlet. Starting with custom jute bags, with pillow cases and stationary added shortly after. With a baby on the move, this was hard to keep going along with a full time job.
Speaking of Jackson, he is my inspiration in everything I do. He might have came into the world close to a month early, but he has been a fighter ever since. He was born at 36 and 4 and had jaundice. After a few days in the hospital, mama and baby were good to go home. We were sleep deprived, adjusting to life at home with a newborn as a family of 3. We were so in love with our little bundle of joy.
On day 11, Jackson woke up projectile vomiting in the early morning. A call to our amazing pediatrician later and before we knew it, we were on our way back to the hospital. After a few tests, it was confirmed that he had pyloric stenosis - a condition in which the opening between the stomach and small intestine thickens. As it turned out, his had closed completely. After a day and night of hydration, he was ready for surgery.
As a new mom, this was absolutely terrifying. Watching the nurses roll our tiny baby away, I felt helpless. A couple hours later, the surgery went as planned and we were on the road to recovery. This surgery usually has a quick recovery. However, a nasty staph infection decided to partake in the festivities and Jackson was in the NICU for 16 days. As his weight dropped to the first percentile, we have been working a GI specialist at Children's Hospital since. Plenty of doctors follow ups and two more hospital stays later, Jackson is growing stronger each day.
Navigating baby constipation, GERD (reflux is no joke), and surgery recovery while fighting exhaustion has been the hardest thing I have done in my entire life. Motherhood has shown me the best and worst parts of myself. I have never been so in love, yet vulnerable at the same time. Been so scared yet so excited to watch him grow, smiled so much yet crying the most in my entire life, felt so much mama guilt and so proud simultaneously. But I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
This blog will showcase a little bit of everything from custom jute bags (now called J&O Originals), a few recipes here or there, products that have helped me day to day, and little tricks that I have learned. So come with me as we navigate this crazy, yet beautiful season of life.
xo, Elizabeth