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Saturday, February 16, 2013

2 weeks later...






Baby Size- at birth 7.7 pounds 19 inches, currently 7.10 and not sure on height
Working out- I've taken Jack for a stroll around the block... trying not to rush it, still have some healing to do.
Weight gain- I gained 35 pounds with Jack, plus an additional 10 from IVF. I'm down 20 pounds but still have a ways to go! :) I know I have time, no rush.
Cravings- Oatmeal! oatmeal and more oatmeal.
Aches and Pains- My ribs no longer hurt! :) hurray! I actually feel pretty good- still hurts down there a little bit, but better then I anticipated.
Stretch Marks?- nope! I got lucky, no stretch marks. skin is firming up pretty well.
Nursery- we are hardly in there... Jack and I sleep in the living room and if he is really fussy and I don't sleep at all, I get Caleb to come in and watch Jack for a few hours... lots of nursing.
Sleeping-??? not so much. I'm lucky to get 5/6 hours in a day- sometimes more sometimes less. It is all worth it.
Dr. Appt- Jack did great, he is right on track.
Things I couldn't live without- 

I originally used the Medela gel pads for sore nips- but, I got an allergic reaction... So my lactation consultant had me switch to these and my allergic reaction has cleared up, plus they are sooo soft!
Photo


Not only does this sustain me all morning, it helps with milk production. I add fruit and nuts to the mix... delicious! Also, I have been making these oatmeal cookie bites from a recipe I found on pinterest... It is just bananas and oatmeal- that is it, I add dried cherries and walnuts and they are a great one handed bite to eat while breast feeding.

http://fullcircle.asu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/water_photo_shutterstock_17413012.jpg


WATER! I drink a huge glass every time I sit down to nurse. The nurses in the hospital thought I had so much milk/colostrum because I drank so much water.

Also you should checkout Postagram- It takes your Instragram photos and sends them as postcards to family members. It is my new favorite thing to do! :) so easy and inexpensive to get snail mail out!


Here some of my favorite Jack photos





Saturday, February 9, 2013

3.5 years, 39 weeks, 30 hours.

It has been 3.5 years of praying to get pregnant, 39 weeks of blissful pregnancy, 30 hours of tedious labor to finally meet our son Jack... There is nothing I could have done in all that time to prepare me for the amount of joy and love I felt the instant they placed my sweet boy on my chest.

3.5 years of infertility was one of the most painful things I have ever experienced. I felt so broken, ashamed and powerless. I prayed desperately for a baby, relying on God, my husband and friends for support and comfort. It was a difficult season for both Caleb and I... I wish I could say I handled it as well as Caleb did. He was steady and confident that God would give us a child.  He wouldn't give in to the waves of pain that would sweep over me like a tidal wave. My sweet friend Shavon spent hours listening to me cry and might bring me a bottle of wine and sit with me, even when I said I just wanted to be alone- she knew better. My friends and family helped carry the burden for me. Towards the end of the 3.5 years my prayers changed from wanting a child to wanting healing and hope again. Hope came on Valentines day last year when we received a call from a dear friend Janey and her daughter Chelsea. They wanted to help start a baby-raising fund for us to move forward with IVF. To our joy and delight they raised enough for us to begin the process. IVF is not for the faint of heart, but we were determined and hopeful that it would result in a baby, so we pushed on. Multiple shots a day, hormones going all cray cray, countless exams... and in the end, there it was... The positive pregnancy test.

39 weeks of joy. I so so so loved being pregnant. I mean, there is so much not to love about being pregnant and I felt that too. But, there was also years of prayer and hope for a baby. Everytime I looked in the mirror and saw my growing tummy I would get giddy. Sharing the news of our pregnancy with friends and family was so fun. There was tears of joy, relief, praise, restored hope and love. I get emotional thinking back on the moments. I have never felt so celebrated and loved.

Week by week I saw my husband become more doting and loving. He was constantly rubbing my feet and shoulders. He took over kitty litter duty- HE TOOK OVER KITTY LITTER DUTY. He doesn't even like our cat. He was already a tremendous husband- but he took it to a whole new level. Our pregnancy was such a sweet, intimate time together.

Jack was due February 7th, and we both thought he would probably arrive late. Both our mom's delivered us late and we figured it would be the same for Jack. You can imagine my surprise when my water broke on the 1st of February. I wasn't ready. I wanted another week or so with my husband. I started to panic a little bit, wondering if I would love having a baby in my arms as much as I loved having him in my tummy- sounds strange I know, but for so long I prayed and desired to get pregnant... I began to wonder if I would enjoy this baby as much as I thought I would. I began to fear that this baby might not look like us... I mean, they could have made an error in the petri dish and gave us another person's baby. What if I suck at being a mom? What if I can't nurse? What if I am awkward and don't know how to hold him and care for him?

We had a very long labor (I will write a post on that later) and in the end when they placed Jack on my chest. I knew he was ours. He is half Caleb and half me. My heart ripped open. In an instant all my fears were gone, and I loved this baby more then I could ever imagine. I instantly knew how to take care of him. God equipped me to care for our Jack, and I'm loving every minute of it. I love that he projectile pooped on me at 3am. I love that he can only be soothed by his mama or daddy. I love that he is sweet and mild tempered. I love his smell. I love not sleeping... because I get to spend time with my angel.

Infertility left a deep wound, pregnancy began to heal the wound and the minute I met my son the wounds turned into scars that left me with such gratitude and thankfulness for our son.

Mom and son

So content
Water broke- last tummy pic

HERE WE GO...

1st moment with my son.

Daddy and son

LOVE LOVE.

Sweetest boy

Tummy time of Gma Kimi's quilt.

Friday, February 1, 2013

Jack's Nursery

So, I went with a Mid Century Modern- Nautical themed nursery... without further ado... here are the pics...


Rocking chair from bel bambini... It reclines, I love it, Caleb loves it... Freaking Emma loves it. 
Curtains I made with fabric I had bought a long time ago that turned out to be more like Upholstery fabric, so I took a crack at curtains, I love them and love my husband for putting the curtain rod up- not his favorite.

 The dresser, we found at a thrift shop in Long Beach... I am in love with Mid-Century-Modern furniture, so when we found this beauty for $275 we pounced on it!  :)



 I found these globes at West Elm and filled them with sand and the most adorable little boats that were Christmas ornaments from Tuvalu.
 One of my favorite Kimi pics... She is in a sailboat looking so presh.
 This is a Seagull that my Grandpa Dick made... I've had it forever... pretty perfect.

 Book shelves installed by Caleb :) from IKEA, I think they were like $15 each, and I LOVE how they turned out!
 Love this crib by Babyletto. Sheets by Land of Nod. Bed skirt by Hilary! :) I used the same fabric that is on the changing pad cover- Joel Dewberry, Modern meadow. I wish I could say I used a pattern... But, I just winged it.
 Map is a nautical map of Puget Sound... Love the colors and love the nod to Washington!
Baby mobile I made out of paper- Pinterest project! :) I had so much fun making it, and it probably only cost me $10.

AND... The bag, from Pbarn kids... I am so happy with it. It's huge and not too girly so Caleb can carry it. I love it.