Thursday, December 30, 2010

Evan is 5 Months!

Another month has snuck by so quickly. My baby boy is growing too fast!

Dear Evando (Dad made up this silly name! Sounds like E-Von-Doe),

Wow bud, you are 5 months old. You are getting so strong and coordinated it blows my mind. Here are a few things you have been up to this month:

- Rolling over. Alot. This makes diaper changes a little more challenging. You go from back to tummy and tummy to back. I change you on the floor now so that you can be entertained by toys while I handle your britches and if I turn my back for a minute you have rolled off the blanket and are turned around. You are not afraid to let me know you are upset when I won't let you roll because I have put your diaper on!

- Using a new cry. It's not a cry really but more like a shouting protest. So now you have this cry, a really really upset cry, a hungry cry and a tired cry.

- Immunizations....oh my word. You did an amazing job getting the actually shots. You were so brave and strong. But. Then when we got home and for DAYS after, you were not yourself. The fussiness was out of this world. It scared me. You also didn't move your legs for the whole next day and it scared Dad so he kept tickling your toes to make sure you could move them. It hurt you to have your diaper changed or to be held because your legs were so sore. I felt awful for you. It broke my heart.

- Sitting up supported. You can sit when I am near to make sure you don't plop over and it's fun to watch you reach for toys. I put you in the middle of the bed with pillows all around you and you are sooo cute sitting there like a big boy.

- Jumping in the doorway jumper. You LOVE dancing in your jumper. You hang out while I get ready or fold laundry and we sing and dance together. The dogs will try to pass through the doorway and you have bounced into them or blocked their way a time two.

- Hair pulling....Oh my. One day we were in a nursing session and you reached up and played with my hair and I thought, "how sweet." Then, you had a hand full of my and pulled it hard. Your strength was unexpected!

You have been up to so much this month. Your smile and laughter make my heart soar.

You experienced another big first this month: Christmas! You got so many cool toys from Grandpa J and Mom and Dad and some $$ from Grandpa M (that we'll use to get a highchair!). You actually helped open your gifts! You love your soft blocks and laugh and learn puppy. You made this holiday so much more enjoyable than it has ever been. EVER. Your awesome sitter made you your first ornament and got you a Santa hat. Cute! After opening gifts we went to Grandpa M's house for Christmas dinner, took pictures and came home to watch Toy Story 3 and visited with your Grandma A.

Your Daddy and I had a week off from work and got to hang out with you. Even though there were a few rocky moments (I blame the shots) I still had a great time. It's awesome to see your face all day long.

Now, check out some pics from December:

(Did not want to sit still)

(Really mad at me)


(Cute sleeping baby)


(Sharing toys with Mollie)

(Helping Dad open presents)

(Love the eyebrow raise)

(Dancing in the jumper)

Well, on to month 6! I'm so lucky to be your mama. Thanks for being such a cool kid.

Love,

Mama

P.S Sorry my photos are awful. It's hard to photograph and moving baby! Plus...I'm not the best camera operator anyway...

Friday, December 24, 2010

Plans/Goals

1. I want to rename this blog. Yes, I will definitely be doing lots of talking about baby boy but I also want this to be a place I can come to discuss lots of things like cooking/baking, daily happenings that might be unrelated to baby, projects and just life in general. I am SURE Mr. Cutie will still be the main focus though. I need this to be almost a journal of sorts.

2. In 2 years from right now, I want to be a full time mama. 2 years is WAY to long but I think it's the right amount of time to be able to plan and save and get things in order. I refuse to miss any more of my child's life. I have been thinking about this constantly. It is consuming me. Like I have said before, I do not want to look back and regret this time. My kid will only be little once and I will sacrifice what ever I need to in order to have this experience. I want to be a part of his memory as a young child. Yes, obviously I need to provide food and shelter for my dude and I will through careful planning. I asked my employer for a part time option. Anything. To leave and hour earlier. To have every other Friday off. Something that would allow me more time with baby. The answer was no. I enjoy my job but I won't choose it over my kid, my family. The ideal situation is to work part time maybe 30 hours a week but now that that is not an option....I might as well jump all in to my roll as a mama. Maybe it's selfish. Maybe it's a drastic move. But it's the only thing EVER that I have been sure about (besides marrying my husband!) I am a goal oriented person. I work better and more efficiently when I have a clear purpose. Hopefully setting this time frame will make being at work right now a little easier and motivate me to SAVE EVERY PENNY.

3. Get organized. I want to turn this house upside down and dump out all the crap. I am on a mission. My memory has gone out the window and the notes I write on stickies disappear and I can't find ANYTHING. It's time to dump the crap and get organized. To begin, I have started making a home management binder. I read about this concept on Life as Mom and my Dad told me about it months ago and I think it's so simple and brilliant.

So, here's to finding a new name for the blog, working towards my goal to be a full time mama and to getting organized. Wish me luck.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Evan is 4 Months!

Once again I am really late with this post. E is now 4 1/2 months old! Life is just a constant stream of "to-do's". Here we go...

Dear E,

I didn't think it was possible, but each day you are even cuter than the last! I love your cheeks and all the rolls that you have developed. It's awesome. Month 4 was way cool. You actually had a belly laugh! It was so adorable. The best sound ever. You were congested this month and I had to clean your little nose with the big green monster of a bulb sucker and you thought it was hilarious! You also busted up laughing when I sat you on my belly and did crunches. You smile so much it makes my heart fly. You give these big open mouth grins that show off your gums, it's awesome!

You are growing so fast. You have grown out of a lot of your clothes. You wear 6-9 month clothes now. It's definitely closer to the 9 month because some of the 6 month onsies can't even button anymore. Mama went crazy in BRU and bought a bunch of clothes for winter but it's still 85 degrees....Oh well, we need another trip to BRU! You definitely had a big growth spurt this month. For a couple of days you were really cranky and fighting sleep one day then sleeping a lot the next day. At the sitter's, you went from drinking 3 bottles of 4 ounces each to 2-3 bottles of nearly 7 ounces each!! Along with that you love to eat your hands.

The sitter told me love to watch Sesame Street. When I stayed home to hang out with you one day, we watched Sesame Street and The Cat in the Hat and you LOVED it. You just stared, mesmerized by all the colors and funny characters.

We got a doorway jumper and it's fun to watch you figure out how to bounce around. You like to hang out in it while Mama folds clothes or gets ready in the morning. You also love to hang out with Dad and watch football. You actually watch tv, it's amazing.

You are getting really strong. You have to be in a good mood to do tummy time but when you do it you do pushups like crazy and you hold your head up high so you can see everything.

Check out these 4 month pics. You are so wiggly now that it's hard to snap a focused one!


Your hands are going wild here.

Staring right at me! Cute! Your hair is getting so light.

Trying to sit up, working out those abs.

Yahoo UofA! You can't fit in that onesie anymore...

Getting ready to take a bath and Dad snapped a photo.

I love hanging out with my favorite baby boy. The best part of every day is getting to be with you. I love when we dance, sing, read, play and snuggle. Month 4 was so much fun. I can see you soaking up everything you observe. I am so lucky to be your Mama.

Love,

Mama

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Yikes

Oh dear. I feel sooo out of balance. I feel like I am approaching my breaking point...working and being and mama and wife is wiping me out. I am so stressed and tired that it's affecting my milk supply and I am NOT happy. My poor guy has to be supplemented and I really do not want that. I only get 5ish hours of sleep at night because I have stay up late with chores and preparations for the next day then I have to wake up before everyone ( 4:30) so I can get ready for work and still have time to feed Evan before zooming off to work. I knew this would be hard and I know I am just writing this post to complain. I just didn't know how angry and sad I would feel that I can't direct my full attention to running a household. I NEVER thought this would be me. I always thought I would be very career minded but it has fallen to the least of my priorities and....I'm fine with that.

I wish that I could have a healthy dinner ready for my dear husband when he gets home from work but instead we eat out of boxes. I wish I could clip coupons and shop the sales to save our family money but instead I run through the store throwing what we need into the cart without price comparing because I just want to use the extra time to be with the baby I hardly get to see...I want to bake my family holiday treats and decorate the house and make the house cozy. I I want to exercise so I can have a good energy level to keep up with my baby when he becomes mobile. I want....I want.....

I suppose everybody wishes something was different about their life. I believe that life is what you make it. You choose to allow certain things to be in your life or not, you choose the things you do or don't do. I need to step up and take control of my life and make it what I want it to be. I do not want to look back regret how I spent my time.

Thanks for listening blog.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Evan is 3 Months!

Ok so I am really late with this post....but I don't want to skip it even though he will be 4 months shortly.

Evan,

You are 3 months and I can hardly believe how fast the time has gone by. You were 3 months on your first holiday, Halloween. We dressed you up like a little cow and you were adorable!

We took you around to all the neighbors and they oood and ahhd over you. No candy for you this year though. This month you really liked to play in your jumparoo and splash in the tub. You smile at everyone and it melts my heart every time.

Your great Grandpa and your great Aunt Tammy from STL came to visit you for the first time. We went to the zoo and mama wasn't thinking and didn't bring a camera.... you really enjoyed hanging out in the moby wrap and watching all the animals and trees. We also went to a nature reserve where you did a bit of hiking. You really like to be outside and moving.

You have been drooling A LOT lately and I saw you discover your hands which are now your favorite toy. You love to chew on your hands and I have to keep a bib on you so you don't soak your clothes in drool. When you found out you had hands you brought them together in front of you and just stared at them for a while then began to eat them. You are growing out of your clothes faster than I can buy them! You officially wear 6-9 month clothes! Your hair is getting lighter and your eyes are changing from blue to brown. Check out your 3 month pics, you are wearing your fancy new clothes from great Aunt Tammy.




I have had so much with you. You are awake more during the day so we can play and go on outings where you get to see more and experience more. Sleeping through the night has really been nice for everyone and sometimes when Dad goes in to get you in the morning, you are just smiling and cooing away. Month 3 has been so exciting with all your growth and development. Your smiles and laughs are the best things in life. I love when we play before your bath each night. We read books, lay on your tummies, look at our reflections in the mirror and sing songs and dance. It's certainly my MOST favorite part of each day.

Love,

Mama

Catch Up

My goodness it's been too long since I have posted. I am really late on Evan's 3 month post (he's coming up on 4 months already!). This is just a quick catch up on the going-on in the last few weeks.

I went back to work on November 1st and I HATE it. Not the work or the people but the being away from my baby aspect. I am still having a difficult time with it. Each morning I kiss his little face and walk out with tears in my eyes. All day I think about him and scroll the pics on my phone. It makes it really hard to concentrate at work and I find myself not caring.....I just wanna be with my son. I never could have imagined how hard this would be. I only see my baby for a couple hours at night and 40 minutes in the morning. I LOVE my weekends and try not do anything but hang out with Evan. Along with going back to work comes exhaustion and absolutely no time for any sort of workout or dog walking or blog posting. I actually took a vacation day today because I couldn't take it anymore.

Evan had a hard time adjusting to the new routine and gave the sitter a hard time the first week. The first 2 days he was upset with me and wouldn't look at me or smile.....he is doing better now though. Tomorrow he will be 16 weeks! I'l' detail his growth and development in his 3 month post. Here are a few pics until then.


Monday, October 18, 2010

Moments

As my maternity leave comes to an end (only 2 weeks left...) I find myself getting teary eyed (and even full blown sobbing) at the thought of leaving my sweet baby boy for 8 or more hours a day. I never realized how hard this would be. We have spent everyday together learning about each other and me finding ways to entertain him. He's been my sidekick and I have enjoyed every minute of it. I knew this magical time would end but it just came so fast....

Everyday we do tummy time, play, sing, dance, read, nap and explore. Naps with my little dude are so relaxing. I sometimes just stare at him while he sleeps. He puts his little arm around me and snuggles in close. I'll miss our naps. I'll miss our play time. I'll miss our moments together that bring me such joy. I'll miss him.

I try and do an outing each day and we've been everywhere. I took Evan to Petsmart and showed him the birds and fish and he just stared and stared. I took him by the Hallmark window to show him the Halloween decorations. He really enjoys lights. I'll miss the moments where he is so intrigued by something that he just stares and makes little "o's" with his mouth.

I know we will spend time together on the weekends but I have just been so spoiled with getting to be with him all day every day. I went shopping for work clothes last weekend and John hung out with Evan. I felt so sad. I have separation anxiety I guess.....See I know Evan will be fine and well taken care of. I know he will have fun meeting new people and watching the other babies but....it's me who will have the problems. I don't want to miss anything and I feel like I'll be missing a huge chunk of Evan's baby stages and milestones.

This week we are doing a test run, pretending like I am going to work. So, waking up like I would (5am) and getting dressed and preparing Evan for the day. WOW, this is hard. I am also trying not to take any naps since I won't be taking naps at work. Needless to say, I am exhausted. This is going to be tough.

I will cherish the moments that Evan and I have shared during these few months. He is growing so fast. We have learned so much about each other and he has taught me things about myself as well. I am lucky to be his mama.


Saturday, October 2, 2010

Evan is 2 Months!



Wow, my baby boy is 2 months. He has already changed so much since we first brought him home. This month was definitely better than the first month. I am excited that my boy is growing and learning about the world but the older he gets the closer I get to returning to work which I am NOT excited about. My eyes fill with tears every time I think about that dreadful day when my baby boy and I will part. I'll try not to think about it so that I can soak up every moment with Evan.

Dear Evan,

What an exciting month we had! We have fallen into a routine and you have been kind enough to grant us the gift of sleep. Each night we take a bath, Dad gives you a bottle (you are eating a whopping 5 ounces of formula at bedtime) and we rock you to sleep. If I get to rock you to sleep, I sing softly to you and try to soak up all of your yummy baby smells. We supplement with formula at night because it has proven to help you sleep for longer stretches. We only do one bottle at bedtime, the rest of the time we nurse which we are now pros at.

You have been getting better at tummy time! You hang out for a few minutes on your tummy, lifting your head, turning your head from side to side and kicking your legs while I cheer you on. I can tell you really wanna get crawling. You also recognize me and look for me when someone else is holding you. You bat at the toys that hang over your bouncy chair and show your excitement by kicking your legs and waving your arms. You've also started having conversations with us by cooing and the sound is so sweet. You began studying faces more intently. When your uncle Mike is near, you stare at his face for a long time.

The best part about month 2 is your smile! You smile every day now and it melts my heart and brings tears of joy. I snapped a picture of you smiling , complete with a little drool, during our 2 month photo shoot and it is the BEST:

Aww

You still have your days when your grumpy and you wake up grumpy but we are having more fun. We have been going on at least one outing per day. You don't like your car seat very much because you don't like to be restrained but once you calm down you seem to enjoy the ride. Also, you don't prefer mama to shop, you just want to see new things and keep moving.

Take a look at our 2 month old photo shoot:

In his new diaper cover.

Oh my heart is melting! Evan is smiling at Dad.

So serious.

Distracted by Mollie.

First pair of shoes! I had to get him converse.

Well, that wraps up month 2. We are surviving, feeling rested and having some fun. You are an awesome side kick, dude. I am so excited for month 3!

I love you with all my heart,

Mama

Friday, September 17, 2010

My Life As a Mama- The Early Weeks

I'm excited to finally write this post. I actually have some energy and our little one went to sleep at 9:30 which means I get some free time!

The first few days home from the hospital were an emotional roller coaster for me. I admit I had the baby blues. I was so happy to have Evan home with us to begin settling into our new life as a family and our new roles. I would cry with tears of happiness just staring at my little guy. Then the next minute I would start sobbing because I suddenly felt like I wasn't capable of being responsible for another person or that I couldn't handle the immense pressure of this new responsibility. I felt overwhelmed. I would cry a couple times a day and sometimes they were gut wrenching sobs that I couldn't control. It was obvious that I was having trouble settling into my new role as Evan's mama. Luckily John was able to take 2 weeks off from work to help.

Feeding- I am breastfeeding E so there is that added dependency that I had trouble with as well. In the early weeks, E wanted to nurse almost constantly. Let me tell you, the books, magazine articles and other breastfeeding mom's made it sound so simple to do....it is NOT that easy. It was SO painful the first 2 weeks that I thought I couldn't make it. I would scream because my nipples were so sensitive. At first we had a bad latch and that caused one nipple to be cracked and bruised. Each time I had to nurse I would cry from the pain. This was really important for me to do and felt like I was failing. I wanted to provide Evan with the best possible start to life that I could. After all the research I did, I knew this was the healthiest thing to feed him and I knew I wanted that special bond that forms through breastfeeding. So, I forged on. Each time I nursed I would say, "Nope I can't do this anymore, that's it, I'm done." One side hurt so badly I avoided nursing on it and ended getting engorged which brought with it a fever, headache and aches all over, like the flu. The only way to fix was to nurse on that side. It was excruciating. Yet, I kept going, with the support of my mom and John. E and I eventually got the hang of it, I toughened up and it didn't hurt as bad.

Sleep- I'm sorry, what does that mean? Is that english? Now, I knew I wouldn't be getting much sleep, but what I didn't know was what that would do to me. John and I both felt like zombies. We both had dark circles around our eyes and just looked run down. The sleep deprivation made me have even worse mood swings. It made me feel dizzy, helpless and hopeless. I had a hard time keeping track of the days. Evan would sleep during the day off and on and would scream, and I do mean scream, ALL night long. If he did sleep, it was for a short time and would only be on our chests, no where else. Eventually he slept in his bouncy chair. He would not and will not have anything to do with his bassinet. Because John took 2 weeks off from work, we were handling the situation together which, I think, helped me hang on to the last shred of my sanity. BUT when John went back to work it was just me dealing with it and it made me crazy. We have come a long way now. We have a bed time routine, supplement with formula twice at night (so he sleeps for a few hours straight rather than one hour), and mom and dad have their sanity back. He is also sleeping in his crib! People told me to sleep when Evan sleeps.

This is the face we saw most during those "dark days."

Sadly, I was wondering when I was going to start enjoying the experience. I felt awful feeling that way but it was SOOO hard for me those first few weeks (I call them the "dark days"). I am proud and relieved to report that we have moved beyond the "dark days" and we are enjoying being a family and watching our baby grow and change. He gives me smiles that melt my heart and they help to erase the terrible time I had the first month. I can't stop staring at him!

This isn't a smile, but he's not crying and I love that.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Labor and Delivery

I am sooo tired but I really want to record my memory of my labor and delivery of Evan.

WARNING/CAUTION: I am going to be honest so if you are close to me and don't want to know personal details of the event or you have a week stomach, skip this post. It's really not that bad but I just want to warn those who don't wish to know the gory details of birthing.

Friday, July 30th was a typical day. John had the day off of work so we took care of some chores and errands. I was feeling good but I was having contractions. Later that night John and I were eating dinner and watching "The Wire" (really good show by the way). I noticed that the contractions were not going away and they seemed to be more consistent than I was use to. Around 10ish, we started to time the contractions just for fun. They were consistently 7 minutes a part and they were stronger than I was use to with the braxton hicks contractions. We watched 3 episodes of "The Wire" and went to bed around 1 am. The contractions were still continuing and still strong. We didn't take it seriously so we just went to bed. Not but 10 minutes after laying down my water broke. I felt a gush of warm fluid soaking me and the bed. Immediately I said, "John my water broke!" He had fallen asleep quickly and I startled him. He jumped out of bed and says, "Really?!" We turned the lights on and I felt the reality of the event hit me. I felt dizzy, overwhelmed, excited and scared. I knew that I would soon bring a baby into the world. My heart was beating hard, I was shaking and I felt like I couldn't breathe even though I was trying my best to stay calm. John and I stumbled around trying to find the book that described what to do if your water breaks. We called the hospital to ask them for instructions (How long could I labor at home? Could we wait until morning to go to the hospital?). Since my water had broken, they said we needed to come to the hospital but not in a frantic rush. So, I got in the shower to clean up, we gathered a few last items for our hospital bags and loaded everything up in the truck. The whole time I was thinking, "Oh my, this is really happening. The next time we come home, we will have a baby with us."

We headed to this hospital around 2:30 a.m. I checked in at the front desk and I was appalled that they made me stand there in pain to fill out something and show ID etc. It was cruel and awful (I had pre-registered because I thought that would help me avoid this....guess not). They got us set up with our wrist bands and sent us to triage so they could make sure I was really in labor.....

Again, I was appalled because the nurse had to ask me like 100 questions before beginning the exam. So, in some pretty awful pain, I answered the questions. They wanted me to change into the hospital gown but I didn't want to. I hate hospitals and being in my own clothes helped me feel more comfortable. I had to leave a urine sample and then I was examined. Turns out my water hadn't completely broken. When the nurse did the internal exam she ended up breaking the rest and I was surprised at how much water came rushing out of me! I pictured an ocean of water, I swear. She had to see how far I was dilated and it was excruciating! I think I actually let out a scream. I felt bad because John was holding my hand and probably feeling awful because of the pain this nurse was causing me! It was cruel. I think I was only 2 cm dilated, but I was definitely in labor.

In the triage area at 2:30 a.m.

Eventually I was moved from triage to a labor and delivery room. Poor John looked sooo tired and I was exhausted. I had been taking daily naps but had missed the Friday one, bad move. I didn't want to get into the bed because I had read a lot about how counterproductive it is for labor. BUT I was sooo tired, so I got into the bed. They placed the IV which was painful because she had to redo it twice....and then it was pinching and hurting my hand. Then we met our nurse. She was AWESOME. I was so afraid we would end up with a mean nurse but we sure got lucky. Turns out she actually lives on our street! Small world. She was so kind and encouraging and didn't force me to do anything I didn't want to. She reset my IV and made it more comfortable and helped me try out the birthing ball. I was sad to see her go at the end of her shift at 7am but we got lucky all day, the nurses were great.

So, by 8 am I was thinking about pain meds. I was in some pretty bad pain. I don't know why I didn't just get the epidural at that time, I kept waiting. I would say, "Lets do it at 8:30," then 8:30 would pass and I'd push the time out further even though the contractions were bringing tears to my eyes. Finally I caved (I'm not really sure what I was trying to prove, maybe to show myself what I could endure?) and got the epidural around 10ish. This was an AWFUL AWFUL experience. I'm pretty sure it's not that bad for most people but my experience was just wrong. The doc comes in to place the catheter in my back which was painful. Then, he had to do a test dose to see how I reacted to the medication. John was standing in front of me supporting me while I sat on the edge of the bed. As I got the test dose, John says I turned white. The doc said to let him know if I had any ringing in my ears and I did. I felt weird in a bad way. It was like I wasn't in my body, like I was dreaming and had no energy to hold myself up anymore. The nurse was talking to me and I could barely hear her let alone answer her. It was scary. After a couple minutes I came out of it and recovered. Later, they explained that the medication had been put into my blood which is not correct so they adjusted the catheter to fix the problem. Once the epidural kicked in it was nice to have relief from the pain. I was so exhausted. I was able to doze off a little but the excitement of the whole situation made it hard to settle down. John stayed awake the entire time. I was in labor for 24 hours total. He's certainly a trooper.

Then....the epi started to work on only my right side which means I felt contractions on the left side. Oh. Boy. They were really painful. I kept pushing the little button that gives you a boost of meds but it wasn't helping. My in-laws had come to check on us and visit for a bit and I could not concentrate. By this time I was at a 6. So, the doc came back to fix it. He had to RE-DO the epi.....This was scary and painful again....I swear I am traumatized now. After he finished, the meds started working again and everything was fine, BUT...I started to slow in progress. It took half the day to go from 6cm to 7 cm. They had the pitocin going but that wasn't helping things along. I was getting nervous because I did not want to have a C-section. Because my water broke, they like you to deliver within 24 hours. I was also shaking a lot which is a side effect of the epi. I was having trouble getting the shaking under control and it started to scare me. Luckily John calmed me down by talking to me and helping me focus.

The hours seemed to fly by. John and I just sat there. We were too tired to play any games or watch movies or anything. 7pm rolled around and the nurse that lives on our street was back! I was so glad because she had this nurturing way about her and I knew she would help John and I get through the delivery in one piece. She checked me and I was at a 9.5!!

By 7:30 I started pushing. John holding one leg and the nurse holding the other. The lights were dim and it felt very calm and relaxed. The actual pushing hurt the top of my abdominal muscles...I should have worked those out because that was what hurt the most! After maybe 40 minutes of pushing I was skeptical. Was I really doing anything? Because I couldn't feel anything down stairs, I felt like I was simply holding my breath and flexing my abs. The nurse and John both said I was making good progress and they could see Evan's head. I was thinking, "Yeah right. You guys are just saying that to make me feel better." I continued to push and felt tired yet exhilarated at the same time.

By 9:00 ish the nurse got the doctor because we were getting close. Unfortunately, my doc wasn't on call but her colleague was there and she did and excellent job. At 9:16 our little guy was born. I heard him cry and it was such a beautiful sound. He was placed on my belly and I was instantly in love. He was so perfect. I just stared and cried and talked to him. He looked right into my eyes. I looked at John who stared at us with a huge loving smile. They stitched me up but I didn't even notice. I had 2nd degree tears which scared me but it could have been worse.

They cleaned Evan up and performed their tests while John took pictures and stared at his new little dude. What an amazing experience. It was scary, exciting, tiring and exhilarating all at the same time. I couldn't believe he was ours to love and care for forever. This was our family. I couldn't stop crying and smiling.

They took our baby boy to the nursery to have his bath and more tests. I was sad to see him go...I wish they would do that stuff in the room.

Evan, just after delivery.

Evan, getting to know Dad.

I was allowed to rest for a bit and enjoy my strawberry Eegee (like a slushy). After a while the nurse needed to be sure I could pass urine so they told me to slowly get up and she and another nurse would help me walk to the bathroom. Of course, I think I can just get up like I normally would....I didn't take my time sitting up or walking. I go to the bathroom and everything is just peachy....until I stand up and immediately faint. I wake up to that nasty smelling stuff they stick in front of your nose..yuck. Clearly I needed to listen to the medical staff and take it slow.

Eventually we were moved to another room for rest and recovery. They also brought Evan back to us and we all crashed for the night. Poor John had to sleep on this sad chair that kept folding up on him. He made it work though.

Evan and I, exhausted.

Evan and Dad, exhausted.

What an adventure it all was. What an adventure it all is. Of course, I think our baby boy is the most handsome baby ever. I am so lucky to be his Mama. I'll never forget this day.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Evan is 1 Month Old!

Time has gone by so fast but so slow at the same time. I can't believe our little guy is already a month old! He has changed so much since we first brought him home. I snapped a couple of pics:

Evan was a good little subject. I like his robot onesie.

I think he looks like a little old man here.

Dear Evan,

This was our first month together with you outside my belly. This month you have challenged your mom and dad and forced us to experience sleep deprivation but we are so excited that you are here. I know things started out a little rough for all of us but each day gets better. I want to thank you for letting us sleep at night starting in your 4th week, we really appreciate it and can be a better mom and dad to you now that we are getting some sleep. It's neat getting to watch you grow and change with each day. You can hold your head up for a couple seconds and you are now so aware of your surroundings. I love to watch you study objects and faces. It's been fun getting to know each other. You grunt and growl and grimace a lot when you are hungry or grumpy. Your dad and I often laugh when you get crabby because of your funny noises. You have recently started making different noises that are so sweet. I also think I saw you smile. I think you dream a lot, too, because you make all kinds of faces when you sleep. I can't stop watching you. When we do tummy time you can turn your head towards my voice. You are getting so strong so fast. I can't wait to see what your 2nd month brings us!

I love you,

Mama


Wednesday, August 4, 2010

He's Here- Teaser

Evan arrived Saturday, July 31st at 9:16 PM!
7 lbs 2 oz
18.5 inches long

We love him to pieces!!

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More updates to come in the next few days.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Clutch Purse Sewing and Baby Updates

Lets do baby/pregnancy updates first.
At my weekly doctor appointment we found that my blood pressure is high...lovely. I knew something was up because for the last week I've felt my racing at times or that it's hard to breathe (similar to an anxiety attack). So when the nurse took my bp and took it again the be sure and goes, "Hmm" I start to worry. I think I am a professional worrier. I worry about everything from the known to the unknown. Of course, immediately I start to think of the worst possible things....So the nurse has me lie on my left side for a little while and then comes back to check my bp again. It got a little better but still high. I was ordered to take it easy and rest. They pushed my next weekly appointment up a few days because they want to check my bp again and order labs to check for preeclampsia if my bp remains high. I am still dilated only 1 cm (bummer) but I kinda knew since the contractions haven't been as strong or frequent as the last few weeks. The doc estimates baby to be currently 7.5 lbs! No weight gain for me this week which is good but surprising to me since my eating habits haven't changed. I am getting more uncomfortable each day. The humidity has set in due to the monsoons, so even if the temps cool off from the storms that roll in each day, the humidity makes me feel awful. Sleep is difficult and the leg cramps are just mean. Oh well, it could always be worse! I hope E gets here soon! Officially we are down to 8 days, wow! I can't wait to meet him.

Our neighbor brought over baby gifts and my Dad sent us a huge mountain of clothes/towels/blankets etc! We are ready to get this show on the road and the anticipation is killing me! I feel like I am waiting in line for a really exciting roller coaster ride and the line is barely moving...

This week I began my maternity leave from work and hoped with all my heart that my little guy would arrive...no such luck. So, I cleaned and rested and did a sewing project (which probably didn't help my bp since I got frustrated with it!) It has been nice being able to take naps and stay on top of household chores etc. I even have time to fit in some yoga which always makes me feel great.

Now, onto the clutch sewing project!
I follow Noodlehead (for any crafters out there, there is an awesome blog) and I found this tutorial for a clutch purse so I decided to give it a whirl. I am a very very novice sewer and I have never done anything like this. I had a little trouble which means I got upset at myself, contemplated throwing it into a fire but then decided to take it apart and start again when I had regained my patience. After my temper tantrum, I started over and had a much better result. Have a look!



Yes, there are things that are wrong with it (like the band on the front is totally not straight), but hey, this is my first one and it is still functional so I'm excited. It's a clutch purse with 2 card holders on the inside. The whole project only cost me $7 and I still have enough fabric to make another, I just need another zipper. Plus it'd be nice not to haul around a purse along with the diaper bag. I can just toss this in the diaper bag or stroller and be on my way. I am definitely going to try more of the Noodlehead blog tutorials!





Sunday, July 25, 2010

Maternity Photo Shoot

Today John and I went to Agua Caliente and did a photo shoot! I had a lot of fun hanging out and capturing this last part of the pregnancy journey. Thanks to A for the site suggestion. I think it's one of the only places in town that has grass!

Thank you to my wonderful husband for enduring the awful heat and humidity to capture these memories. Thank you for your creativity and talent in taking and editing these images!

Here are a few images from the shoot, the rest can be seen at the link that follows.


Check the rest out here: http://gallery.me.com/jmearmstrong#100051

So, I am now in my 39th week and ready to get this show on the road. We are ready and anxious to meet our little dude. I had my weekly doctor's appointment on Wednesday and found that I am 1 cm dilated! I know that means next to nothing but hey, it's 1 cm I don't have to worry about, only 9 more to go! Tomorrow is my last day at work until November. I want to have a little time to rest up, complete some projects at home, get a little more organized and just have a little mini vacation. I think it will help me accomplish some things on my to-do lists and reduce the stress of feeling overwhelmed. I might even sneak in a sewing project of a cute little clutch, we'll see.

I think it is crazy that the baby is due in August and 10 years ago in August, John and I started dating. 10 years ago I never could have imagined that I'd be married to the man of my dreams and my best friend and starting our family. I feel so lucky and so HAPPY!

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