Just a quick note to share some happy news: we’ve recently welcomed a new member to our family.
On Friday the 14th at 5:57 pm, Clara Kenley Petersik arrived weighing 7 lbs 10 oz and measuring 20.5 inches long. We’re completely smitten with her. Clara and Burger have already formed a sweet bond — he seems convinced it’s his job to stand guard by her side at all times.
Clara’s name carries family meaning. She was named after John’s grandmother on his dad’s side. Her middle name, Kenley, honors my dad (Ken) and incorporates John’s mom’s maiden name, Kelley, along with a nod to my great aunt Lee. We love that a name can hold so much family history and feel like another cozy room in our home that tells a story.
We’re all home from the hospital and settling into life at Casa Petersik. After a four-day hospital stay, we were so ready to be back in our own space — there’s nothing like being away from home to make you appreciate it. Clara’s delivery included a sudden and serious complication: a placental abruption with an umbilical cord prolapse required an emergency C-section, and an incredible team of doctors and nurses acted immediately to make sure she was safe. While that was a terrifying few moments, we are so grateful for the swift care she received and for the fact that she is now healthy and thriving.
Now that we’re home, Clara is already settling into her surroundings and seems content. We feel unbelievably lucky and full of gratitude. Your warm wishes and support throughout this journey to parenthood have meant the world to us — thank you for following along and sharing in our excitement.
As we navigate these first weeks, we’ll be turning our attention to how our house adapts to a little person. We plan to share practical, real-life solutions for organizing and creating storage, thoughtful ideas for simplifying daily life, and the DIY projects that help us transform spaces on a budget. Expect honest updates about what works (and what doesn’t), as well as easy room makeovers, smart storage hacks, and simple systems that make life with a newborn more manageable.
We’ll also keep posting our usual home content alongside family updates, so you’ll still see house tours, before-and-after projects, and step-by-step DIY tutorials. Balancing baby life with projects will be an adventure, and we look forward to documenting how our routines evolve as we learn and grow together.
Thank you again for all the love and kind messages. They’ve meant so much during a time that’s been joyful and, at times, a little overwhelming. We’re excited to share this new chapter with you and to offer inspiration for creating a comfortable, functional, and welcoming home for a growing family.
For now, we’re taking things one day at a time, soaking in the newborn snuggles, and returning to the blog with fresh energy. We have an exciting house tour coming up, so stay tuned for that.
Psst — We’ll also be announcing the random winner of the big baby pool (and a $100 West Elm gift card) tomorrow, so stick around.