New Mom Thoughts

I'm the mother of a beautiful little boy 

That thought hits me sporadically throughout our busy days of eating, sleeping and diaper changing.

Thank God he is an easy baby. He sleeps well and eats well and I'm so thankful I'm able to breast feed.

But...

The crying thing is real, by the way, hormones are an evil, crazy thing. However, this parenting thing is scary and overwhelming. He relies on us for everything. Not to freak out anyone who is considering procreating. I'm assured the crying stops and eventually the hormones even back out, allowing me to return to some state of normalcy. I have credible sources- other moms. Some thoughts - many confessed to my husband during a crying spell

1. The overwhelming feeling to protect him from everything 

2. How frightened I am that he will get sick or hurt in anyway 

3. How lost I would be without my husband and his ability to deal with my crazy better than I can

4. What would I do if I lost one of them- don't watch sad movies or this will be hard to get out of your head

5. The difficulty of the demands of breastfeeding - I know why women don't breastfeed now

6. Trying to decipher a cry and understand the baby 

7.  I can't believe what we made, a perfect, beautiful little person- a miracle 

8. How lucky I am to have a husband and friends and family who love and support me and this tiny being. 

9. I just want to be the best mom, wife and friend I can be

10. How crazy it is to love two people so much... More than you ever knew - I mean, my boobs grew but my heart definitely did too. I feel like the Grinch on Christmas Day! 

I'm here to remind myself and anyone else that needs it, to take one day at a time. Cherish each moment of your life and those in it. Don't worry about the future. Live for today... God tells us tomorrow isn't promised so there's reason enough to listen. 

To all the new and veteran mommas... Keep up the good work. You're the perfect mom for your kids. Trust that. 

Now... Back to loving on my sweet new baby. Oh and changing his diaper :) 

The Big Nursery Reveal

The moment all (maybe not all, but some) of you have been waiting for... Baby G's nursery reveal!!!

Fully equipped with diapers, diaper station, toy storage, dog gate, growth chart, bookshelf, couch for mom and dad, play rug and convertible crib! 

We wanted it to be something he could grow with, not something we would have to change in a year. It's sophisticated, slightly nautical and most importantly - a nice balance of baby and chic. Cool greys and deep blues with hints of red... it's a pretty peaceful space. The best part is, we had a lot of this furniture already. The big purchases were the storage unit and crib. I redid the dresser, it was mine growing up, and we had the couch! My dad built the bookshelf - very thankful for that. Our favorite part is probably the rug. We make everyone who comes over take off their shoes to feel how incredibly soft it is. I imagine lots of play time on that carpet!

All we need now is the baby!!! 

Enjoy!  (Special thanks to G for taking the pictures... he is proud!)

Adventures in Pregnancy - Week 35

So at 35 weeks pregnant, I'm realizing everyday that, for many things, it may be my last for a while.

I know I have 5 weeks to go and thankfully I'm not bed ridden or immobile by any means but this is what I mean... Several times I have caught myself thinking, "The next time I do this we will have a baby" LIKE...
- My last hair appointment
- Our first and probably my last time to go sailing for a while (but maybe not!)
- Scheduling the dog's last groomer appointment for later this month
- Our last baseball game
- Our last outing to a certain restaurant
- Etc...

Then there is the list of things planned that I realize are AFTER baby arrives and I think, "When the time comes for said event, the baby will be here!"
- The oil change on my car....exciting
- Halloween
- Holidays and planning where we will be
- The neighborhood fishing tournament
- Work projects
- Etc.

But still, 5 weeks seems like such a long time. So I look forward to little milestones to help pass the time like, the next doctor appointment, when my parents will be able to visit next, an event we are going to with my in-laws, work meetings/events.

This was a successful Labor Day weekend. This time 2 years ago I was in Corpus Christi. I met a lot of G's friends that weekend, went to a concert at concrete street, and spent Sunday at the ski canals where G announced to everyone that I was his "girl". This time 1 year ago we were married and had just purchased our new mattress and bed frame. How thankful I am for that bed frame!!! I sleep so well because we can raise it up like a hospital bed! This year the weekend was rainy but today was nice. We went for our first sailboat ride on my FIL's sailboat. We also spent the weekend running errands, putting together baby G's crib, and finally we hung things on our bedroom walls. My how times have changed... but my how much sweeter these moments are becoming. Thankfully there was no actual "labor" happening this Labor Day.

I'm pretty nervous about going into labor, no lie. I know I was made to do this and I was blessed and called to be little man's momma...but delivering a child is pretty frightening for someone who has never done it before. Also when everyone's experiences are SO incredibly different, it's hard to know what to anticipate. We are both incredibly excited, though. Every day closer to 10/8/14 is another potential Labor Day for us!

Happy Labor Day (I can't believe it's already September!)

Adventures in Pregnancy - Week 32

I cannot believe time has gone by so quickly. Last post we were just starting our baby classes and now they are over!

We got to do the 3D ultrasound at 31 weeks and I am SO happy we did. It was so cool to see little man and honestly we left there feeling even more connected to him than we have the entire pregnancy. It was funny because he was asleep and the lady kept pushing on him to wake him up. I felt kind of bad for the little man, he kept turning away and covering his little face, but I wanted to see him so I didn't mind the poking and prodding! The best thing about doing the ultra sound is now we actually know what is where. His head is down towards my right hip and his legs are usually curled up in the middle, near my belly button. He is getting SO big!

Things up to now have been pretty uneventful. Last week we took a family trip up to northern Michigan. When I say northern, I mean, just as far up as you can go without hearing people speaking french.

G and I took advantage of the trip and stayed a few nights on Mackinac Island - google it and I'll post a few pics below. It's beautiful. We had a great time on our mini-"babymoon".

It was also really nice to visit family I hadn't seen in a while and G got to meet some of them for the first time. It wasn't a luxurious trip by any means, more like nation lampoons family vacay, but it was definitely a good time! The trip back, not so much. Flights were messed up and we are still missing luggage... no bueno!

As far as being preggers:
Just this week I've experienced the foot in the rib sensation and major, MAJOR movements. No one ever told me that the kid would move around as much as he does, either. I still am sleeping OK the majority of nights. His movement is mainly during the day, thankfully. But the whole "flutter" thing is out the window. There are no more flutters, only large waves of movement when he stretches out (feet up toward my ribs) or pushes up with his arms (creating a major bulge coming out my right side or a nudge to my pelvis) or curls his legs up (causing a lump to the left of my belly button). All very strange but all very cool at the same time. I MIGHT actually miss him being inside once he decides to make his debut!

Other than weight gain, nothing too exciting. And that's not at all exciting, though it is necessary!

Next week we are looking forward to a baby shower at my work and at my mother - in - law's house.

The only thing we will need after that is the crib that is still on back order. I'm not worried at all (haha, yea right!).

Any who... You know things are getting close when there are car maintenance dates and event dates on your radar that occur after your due date and you think, "Oh, baby G will be here by then!" #readyornot

Until next time!

Adventures in Pregnancy - Week 28

Adventures in Pregnancy - Week 28

We recently started going to “baby class” which is really a combo of Lamaze, early child care, and breastfeeding. We have both learned a lot of neat things, some I’m wondering if I would rather have not known – ignorance is bliss, after all. But, I know we are doing the right thing by taking these classes and preparing for the moment that will change our lives forever.

Fun fact – did you know the baby’s skull is made up of plates (like the world) that are made to shift during their final decent through the birth canal. Pretty neato! That is why, just because someone is smaller in the hip area, the baby can still manage to make their way through!

This past weekend we had our first baby shower! A little early but we aren't really the type to wait around, if you couldn't tell, but also because the months leading up to Baby G’s arrival are pretty busy. Since this one was in my hometown, it was better to do it earlier than later. What a huge blessing to be showered by so many we love and who already love our little mini!!!  I'll have to post pictures later :) 

Things I am digging –

-          - I still don’t know about the whole third trimester thing…if I am in it or not. I’m comfortable with how big my baby bump is at this point. I’m honestly deathly afraid of it getting much bigger, although I know it is inevitable.

-         -  We finally decided on a church day care! We are so thankful to have found something that works for us, even though we are still waiting on getting “accepted”. Prayers it all works out!

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Things I’m not digging –

-          - I can feel the extra weight I've gained. It definitely slows you down and makes you huff and puff a little more!

We scheduled a 3D ultrasound on the day of my birthday, July 30^th! Can’t wait to spend some time checking out the little guy. Hopefully he cooperates and we get some good pictures out of our session.