Monday, June 27, 2011

My guide to pregnancy!

For whatever reason, I seam to be to go-to-girl when it come to pregnancy....
I am not sure if it is because I vomit love for baby breeding...
because I am a nurse, and people assume that you know all aspects of nursing...
or because I have been through it twice...

I'm honestly not sure.

Either way-- I do love it, and enjoy talking with my friends about their experiences.
I get super-excited for them, and they know it!

I thought I would make a list of my guide to pregnancy since I have so many friends pregnant right now!
Take it or leave it....
but hopefully it makes you smile!

  • Enjoy it.  All of it.  Even the roughest of days.  The prize at the end is totally worth it!
  • More people will want to give you advice now, than ever before in your life.  Don't let it piss you off, because this is only the beginning.  They know what you should do with your newborn... with your toddler... and I think its fair to assume, we will be given advice when they are teenagers too, and maybe adults?!  Listen, because some of it will be useful-- and you will realize that some of your best tricks came from other moms (not books) but don't take too much to heart... it is your baby in the end and you have to do what work best for you.
  • Go buy the book "Belly Laughs".  Now.  It is crude, but hilarious!  You will thank me!
  • Realize that your timing and God's timing are two completely different things...  I was not ready for baby #2 when we found out we were pregnant with Beckham... actually we were probably in one of the lowest points of our marriage.  But God's timing was perfect, and Beckham is perfect.  Oh, and our marriage-- not perfect-- but great again.
  • Drink water.  Every time something is wrong with you (constipation, headache, contractions) you are going to be told to drink more water.  This would piss me off in Maddox's pregnancy... I already felt like I was going to float away-- and you are telling me more?! but I realized it was true with Beckham.
  • When you have an idea that is off the beating path... own it.  You think me, a pediatric nurse, who chooses to split up her children's vaccines isn't taboo??  I caught a lot of slack from fellow nurses and physicians... I use to cry about it and try and not talk about it to keep from catching slack... now I own it!  These are my kids.  
  • Buy all the books, read all the websites, subscribe to "Pregnancy and Newborn", go buy maternity clothes before you are even showing... engulf yourself in it.  Love it.  Pregnancy is a wonderful time of your life... and you only get to do it a handful of times.  (Unless your last name is Duggar-- then you get to do it until your uterus falls apart)
  • Don't be that whiny pregnant girl.  Nobody likes her.  Realize that millions of women for thousands of years have done what you are doing now.  Though your symptoms may seem severe, and like you are the only person who has had them this bad, we've all been through it, someone had them worse, you will live.  
  • Get regular pedicures.  It'll make the stretch marks, acne, swollen ankles, constipation and hormonal attacks disappear!
  • Don't eat Taco Bueno's beans.  During both pregnancies, I thought I was having a heart attack after a Mexi dips and chips.  Just throwing that out there.
  • Ignore mean people.  Of course there are possibilities of bad things happening... as there are with flying, walking and brushing your teeth.  But why some people feel the need to tell you the craziest story that they have ever heard while you are pregnant is still beyond me.  Ignore them.  They're mean.
  • Indulge your cravings.... I heard once that it was your body telling you what it needs.  Apparently mine needed powdered donuts, cherry pop tarts and snow cones!
  • Cry.  Sometimes it helps.
  • Work out, if you want to... I sure as heck didn't.  :)
  • Love that belly that you are growing.  Rub it before it even pooches out, take picture a it grows...  Try and not feel "fat", and believe people when they tell you that you are "glowing and beautiful."
  • Take your prenatals... even if they make you sick.  That's pertinent stuff I tell you.
  • Trust your husband when he tells you everything is going to be alright.  Lean on him when you feel like the world is falling apart, confide in him when you think you can't take another ounce of stress, and celebrate with him when you reach certain milestones.
  • Learn to say no now.  You will need that word in your near future.
  • Talk and sing to your baby... I have no idea if it does anything or not.  But bonding is always a good thing.
  • Accept that you are going to have crazy days.  I went after Lance's neck like a rabid raccoon once.  I think he was changing outfits for the 16th time making us late, yet again, for an OB visit... it honestly doesn't matter why, I went nuts.
  • Love your OB or change.  You and this chick (or man) will get to know each other really well.  I kind of think that only people you adore should get to enter this end of your body.
  • Rest.  Those days are soon to be over.  And if you think 1st trimester tired-ness is rough, third trimester tiredness gives it a run for its money... but neither compare to baby-hates-sleep tired-ness.
  • Ask as many question a you would like... it is a scary time, you deserved to be well informed.
  • Write things down.  Your memory slips after they get here... and after the second one it is shot! I literally asked Lance how to spell Beckham's name one night about 3:00am.  Woke. Him. Up. because I could not remember if it ended in an 'n' or a 'm'. Serious.
  • Don't do anything drastic to your hair.  With your own scissors.  That came with your kitchen knife set.  Trust me.
  • Don't smoke.  Not only because its bad for your baby... but also because it is so 1994, and you are way cooler than that!
  • Don't buy nice furniture now... it will look like crap within 2 years. [Wise words from my mom]
  • Let people help you... they don't offer as much with the second one, so take advantage now!
  • Buy diapers now... I promise you will not get too many.
  • Make lists of baby names... but don't share them until you are 100% sure.  Someone will hate it... someone will steal it... and if you are any bit unsure or un-confident, your parade will be rained upon.
  • Decorate your nursery early... (unless you are me and we are talking about baby 2) bed rest or early arrivals can jack a beautiful dream-room in a hurry!
  • Make a birthing plan and feel free to change it accordingly.  I had a mirror.  I needed a mirror.  I had an epidural.  I needed an epidural.  I thought I wanted music and massage; I really wanted quiet and to not be touched.
  • If you choose to have your baby at home.  Or in a bathtub... or at a tiny hospital without a NICU... I will try and keep my lips sealed, but just know I will be a worried mess. (as if your pregnancy is about me!)
  • Ask for prayer.  I was such a mess Maddox's whole pregnancy, that I had a complete stranger pray over my belly at church.  My friend Holly prayed with me over the phone the night before my induction, and my friend Candace offered to come over at midnight shortly after he was born.  With Beckham, I asked a handful of women to pray for me the last week or so, and if you remember, my sister sent out a prayer request during my difficult part of labor.  Prayer works.
  • When choosing a carseat, pick one that push-buttons off of the car bracket-things.  The alligator clips are a beating.  Or just buy an extra base.  I was too cheap to spend another $60.
  • Baby wearing is cool.  Or at least I try and make it.  My baby k'tan was one of my best purchases yet.
  • Take care of yourself.  Know your limits.  Pregnancy is work alone on your body, without your added agenda.
  • Take yours and your husband's NB picture to the hospital (if you have them) to compare.
  • Don't drink Gatorade when your ankles are as big as your thighs and you are told to increase your fluids... hello--  Gatorade is like 90% salt... it only makes the problem worse!  And steer clear of Chinese food-- for the same reason.  The day after a Golden Moon outing is the only time I swelled during Beckham's pregnancy.
  • Take prenatal pictures.  And schedule your baby's newborn shots before they are a week old.  They are still very sleepy and will stay where you pose them.  (per Candi)
  • My friend Holly says to steer clear of prenatal massage... My friend Amanda loved hers, but would like to remind you to shave your legs first.  I never got one so I have no opinion.
  • If you don't get the sex of the baby you had hoped for, it is okay to be sad.  (Even my OB was with her 2nd) It doesn't make you a monster, it just means that you are real and honest.  Cry for a day or two and then you will get over it and be unable to imagine yourself with the opposite sex.  I know this.  I am as real as they come.
  • If you plan to nurse; stock up on nursing tanks, low cut shirts (or button ups), breast pads, SOOTHIES (greatest thing ever), and buy a nipple shield just in case.  I think the lily padz are worth the money. Invest in a good pump.  I have a Medela and I love it.
  • Be careful complaining about your pregnancy-- there are millions of women who would die to have a hard pregnancy.  Or a pregnancy at all.
  • I think the stretch mark lotions are a load of crap... I hate lotion so I didn't use any and I made it out clear... but just to be safe, use them.  I'd hate to be wrong on this one!
  • Test drive strollers before you buy one.  We did.  The Gracco was no comparison to the Chicco, pushing... but the Graccos came in much cuter fabrics.  I am glad I went with Lance's advice and bought the better pusher... there's nothing worse than a jacked up stroller.
  • When you get about 38-41 weeks, and you don't think you can stand another day of pregnancy... Have sex.  Ask Beckham.  Although nothing worked with Maddox-- walking, running, mexican food or romping... that child loved my uterus.  
    • Babies cry.  Usually because they are hungry or dirty or tired... but sometimes for no reason at all.  It doesn't mean you are a bad mom.
    • You will lose your patience at some point, and find yourself in tears.  You might even cuss in your newborn's face one time... you are not alone.  Its easier the second time.
    • Get ready to hear the phrases, "who do you think he looks like?" and "are you going to have any more?" right away...  It won't even matter that you still can't wipe with toilet paper-- someone is planning your next one!
    • The first 6 weeks are hell... jut try and survive.  It get easier after that.
    • Make your husband to your dirty work... if you don't want visitors, that's your right.  Don't let people bully themselves over.
    • "Sleep when your baby sleeps" is the dumbest saying ever.  I was too scared when Maddox was an infant and am too busy with a 2 year old this time to ever understand that saying.
    • You control your baby... don't let him control you.  With both of our kids, we kept moving.  Keep the carseat covered and politely tell people not to touch them but try and not change your normal routine of life.  Let them adapt to you, an yall will end up meeting somewhere in the middle.   
    • If you want to breast feed, I am here to help.  I had a rough start this go around, but I truly enjoy it.  Don't let people make you feel weird for enjoying it, it is incredibly natural.  If you choose to bottle feed, your baby will still be brilliant, don't let the nipple-nazis judge you and make you feel inadequate.
    • Hold him, and ignore the "you are spoiling him" comments.  I do not believe tiny babies are really capable of manipulation... and if they are, who cares-- this time passes so fast.  
    • Cereal does not really make your baby sleep through the night.  People will try and get you to feed it to your minute-old baby, for this reason.  Its honestly more of a motor skill than anything else... that is why your pediatrician is going to tell you not to put it in their bottle.
    • Try and still make date nights with your husband.  I declined all offers after Maddox was born and am begging for offers this go around!
    • "This too shall pass".  Write it down somewhere, you will need this phrase.
    • Skip the pee-pee tee-pees... cute but worthless.
    • Invest in a good camera.  And an Iphone.  Back up all of your pictures on an external hard drive.  I do at the end of every month. 
    • Enforce your mommy rules... You will hear: "I've done this before" and "I raised 57 kids" or "you turned out alright, didn't you?"... remind them that it pissed them off too when they were told how to raise their kids. 
    • Breastfeeding cravings are worse than pregnancy cravings.  Indulge.  Breastfeeding is like cardio for your body.  Dieting will cheat your milk in a hurry.
    • Be ready to laugh, like you have never laughed before.
    • And cry, like you never have either.
    • And be baffled that you could love something so small, so incredibly big.  That tiny things like a first-time, questionable smile; can change your entire week.  For the first time in your life you would absolutely die for something, without asking a question why.  
    • You will understand proud in its most raw form, and unconditional love like I promise you never have experienced before.  You created a person... and he needs you to survive.  He craves your smell, the sound of your voice calms him above any other, and he is most comfortable in your arms.  It is amazing!
    • You will have a new love for your husband, because he is now the father of your baby.  It is different from the 'I do' love.  And you will never be able to erase the memory of him falling in love with your baby the same way you did when the stick showed a positive.  Instant.
    • Write this stuff down... like I did here with Maddox and I guess here with Beckham.  Three years from now, you will read it and will be thrown right back into that time frame.  Same emotions instantly take over.
    • Get ready... you are entering the greatest chapter of your life.
    • You know I'm excited!  ;)

        Saturday, June 25, 2011

        I went missing...

        from blogger.


        Obsessed with Pinterest.

        I can't even blog because I am spending any spare time I come across, digging into this site....

        If you haven't checked it out yet, do.
        You will not be let down.

        I told Lance that I think I started a movement with my friends!
        I know so many people have joined due to my non-stop gushing.
        Even people who claim to hate me are following the movement...  ;)
        This is like Woodstock!

        If you are finding yourself cleaning in ninja mode, letting a few loads of laundry go, and allowing one more cartoon on Nick Jr just to see what else you can pin before you shut things down,
        know you aren't alone.
        The site is like crack.

        It's part of the movement!  ;)


        Now if only I could get back into my home...
        and find the time, material, money and talent to put together all of these AMAZING ideas!

        Dear Nana... 
        (the craftiest person I know)
        I need your help!
        :)

        Anywho...
        that's about all I have to say--
        but I can share some pictures from the week!
        ...and a few Maddox-isms.
        Last night, in the car, Maddox had used a few words like: interesting, incredible, unbelievable, and ridiculous... (all part of his every-day vocabulary these days) and Lance said, "Maddox, are you the smartest 2 year old alive?"... In which he matter-of-factly responded, "Well Dad, I'll be 3 in Julwy."
        He has told me this past week that I "make his heart come true".
        That he is "going to make me a princess and buy me a palace."
        He asked me to get him a Popsicle and was certain I wouldn't have any problems with the task, since I am "strong and brave."
        He asked my mom if he "broke her heart yesterday?"
        He keeps us rolling!
        He has found a love for "purple mush" from Sonic.[grape slush]
        He said if we were a family of animals, Lance would be a crocodile, Beckham a mouse, and me... an elephant.  Yep.  An elephant.
        He told Lance to "drop it" when he was harping on him to put the seat down when he pottied.
        And has found himself in time-out a few times for his new use of the word "no" and "because I don't want to."
        He loves to tell us about his dreams in the morning... which are usually about his Gigi and I have a sneaky suspicion they are usually just a way of telling us what he wants to do for the day!
        I do know he was dreaming the other night about "planets" and the "solar system"... because he talks in his sleep a lot... and I heard a lot about those two.
        His daddy talks in his sleep too.  
        [This past week he was yelping out in pain, cussing and saying he was being stabbed by a wal-mart grocery cart]
        And so does his Gigi.
        [her's would need their own post all-together!]

        Beckham on the other hand is just doing what he does best:
        grinning, eating, pooping, and not-sleeping.
        He's sure cute, and loooooooves his mommy.

        I love them both so.

        Sunday, June 19, 2011

        "I love my daddy..."









        Lance, 
        There is not one thing I would change about you as a daddy...

        You've held our babies sick,
        been peed on, pooped on,
        changed a jillion diapers...
        missed a million hours of sleep...
        And encouraged me through the hardest days of parenting.

        You have cried a thousand tears...
        laughed a zillion laughs...
        and showed our boys how to respect and be a husband one day.

        You are patient, encouraging, silly, loving...
        Goofy, young-spirited, honest and committed.

        You understand that the days are long but the years are short;
        therefor you savor every joy that parenthood offers.

        Like me, you are scared to death of this big of a love.
        But unlike me, you are faithful and don't bask in the fears.

        You instill values and manners in our boys, 
        and know that discipline equates to love.

        You don't believe there has ever been enough play...
        or sports watched...
        or jokes played...
        hugs given...
        kisses stolen...
        or "I love you"s said.

        Every day that I think you couldn't be any better at this daddy thing...
        you prove me wrong again.

        You are one of a kind, Lance.
        And you are adored.

        Of all of the millions of mistakes I have made in my life,
        choosing you to be my co-parent was not one of them.

        You are our rock,
        And you are a mold for a dad.

        I know that is all the absolute truth,
        because the four little baby eyes that look up to you and worship your existence...
        prove me right again and again.

        Thanks for being you...
        (even when you drives me crazy!)

        Happy Father's Day, to the best daddy I know.
        Love,
        Holly.

        getting better

        Maddox woke up with a matted right eye Tuesday after his nap.
        We had never had conjunctivitis... so this was a first for him.

        Otherwise he was well-- so we hoped it would pass.

        Tuesday during the night, he wet the bed (something he NEVER does)
        and was running 101 fever.

        I canceled my lunch date and shopping trip with my friends for Wednesday--
        just in case we were contagious.

        He never acted sick at all... but the eye goup would come and go;
        as would the fever.
        Once, when the fever was up, he did tell me his forehead hurt... but that was it.

        I worked Thursday night,
        and Lance called me to tell me he had another accident during his nap and his fever was up to 103.9.
        He complained of his tee-tee hurting and his legs hurting and his throat hurting.
        All separately and unrelated to the other symptoms.

        I took home a UA strip because even though UTIs are extremely rare in boy-- it can happen.
        And these accidents were throwing me for a loop.

        Urine looked good (except ketones)
        but fever spiked to 105.1 that night.

        We made an appointment for Friday morning with Dr Hayward.

        Good mommy [nurse] never looked inside his throat...
        it was terrible.
        (in hindsight he was talking funny, but I thought it was post-nasal drip and part of the matted eye) 


        His strep test was negative, so he was diagnosed with conjunctivitis and viral pharyngitis.
        Meaning, besides some eye drops-- this will just have to run it course.

        Lance and I cancelled our plans for Friday night.
        (our first date since Beckham)
        And decided it was best to nurse our sick boy back to health.

        Maddox got a balloon at lunch and refused to let go of it until he fell asleep and it was cut off of his wrist.
        His hand had to be cramping because he wouldn't rely on the knot around his wrist, he held on to that string for over 8 hours for fear it would fly away.

        He has not ran a fever since yesterday morning of 102 and I am hoping it stays that way.
        He is still talking as if there is cotton in his throat but promises it doesn't hurt.
        He will not take Advil without me and my mom sneaking it into his juice...
        but he is drinking a lot and staying hydrated. 

        Beckham is still happy a a clam and we are praying that his big brother doesn't share his yucky virus with him.
        So far so good.


        [I am on call for my first time since having Beckham, today...
        I have a Father's day post I have been working on and am praying call doesn't beat me down so I can get it finished and posted!]

        Tuesday, June 14, 2011

        Obsession

        I can't stop thinking...
        [Maybe you prefer to call it obsessing...]

        It's just whatever...

        Here's what my brain has been up to while the rest of the world sleeps!


        *Maddox's birthday is like a minute away.
        Typically I have been working on it for months...
        Ideas going crazy...

        Like the first bash (pre-blogging days):
        And the 2nd birthday.

        This time, however, I am ridiculously behind.
        I've got nothing.
        Nothing.
        Are you reading this?
        I.Have.Not.Done.A.Thing.

        It will be fireman.
        [mainly because we already have "props"]
        It will be on the 9th...
        there will be a slide and water...

        But I have not ordered/ made invitations...
        cake...
        favors...
        details...

        *I'm spending hours on Etsy.
        looking for birthday ideas...
        which turns into kid stuff..
        then house ideas...
        Like this sign I need for the play room.
        from TheWheatField



        *Playroom?
        I have decided we are going to put the boys together and use the old office as a playroom once we get back in our home.
        Originally I wanted to put the boys in the bigger room and use Maddox's old room as the playroom, but Lance talked me out of it.

        Beckham will just use Maddox's old crib bedding (since it matches the walls) and I on-purposely bought Maddox's twin bedding to match also, so he could use his throw pillows that came with his bedding.
        This means I don't get to do my serene baby room with the scripture on the wall...
        But I get to decorate nonetheless.

        So now I find myself on blogs finding cool playroom ideas [that we could never do] like this.
        Researching paint schemes.
        Organizing bins.
        And roaming Ikea for ideas and storage on a dime.
        Oh my gosh there's so much cuteness out there!


        *Re-decorating.
        Thinking about all the things I am going to change when I get back to Haslet has got me giddy.
        I dream of the flips I can make-- old into new, like this guy. 
        [But realizing that's completely unrealistic.]

        Photography.
        To fill my walls.
        [and actually of my kids this time, rather than only my precious nieces and nephews]


        Dreaming about a completely different feel.
        Which isn't anything new!
        Since Lance has seen me do this several times before!
         [I could never get a tattoo, because I change my bedspread too often to be stuck with something for life]

        *Spray paint.
        And the things I want to attack.
        Picture frames...
        Table and chairs...
        What else???

        *Pinterest.
        New love.
        Petri dish of ideas.
        Obsessed.

        Thank me [or hate me] later...


        *And follow her.
        Whom I found on the site above.
        I will do some of this once we get back home.
        Amazing.
        I will also re-order from Town & Country, because I forget how easy it is to make dinner, when I am prepared to do so. 
        No excuses.
        I need that cookbook she talks about in her blog.
        In a bad way.


        *Ray Lamontagne
        ummm, ummm, um.

        Thank you Kaleb.


        *My hair.
        Long, short.
        Dark or blonde?
        Lance said he likes it dark--
        My SIL likes it short...
        I promised myself I would keep it long...
        I want change.
        I could do the whole feather thing... which I do think its cute-cute.
        But it looks like a peacock exploded in our local walmart,
        And I like to beat to my own drum.


        *Time alone.
        In quiet.
        Maybe a date with my husband.

        Or maybe with no one at all.
        I crave silence.

        And to finish (or better yet, start) my books.


        and so the list goes on....

        Monday, June 13, 2011

        Happy Birthday Pop!

        We spent Saturday at my Aunt and Uncle's Lake house [that they recently bought and are renovating], to celebrate Pop's birthday. 

        They only go out there on the weekends, but little by little, it becoming something very cool.
        My cousin, Amber's little girl [Kyleigh] is almost exactly a year older than Maddox-- 
        and together they played well.

        Well enough, I guess-- 
        until someone needed a nap!
        My brother and Randi stopped by after buying him a new jeep [their babies were with Randi's mom] 
        and then we all went out for a cruise.


         The lake is super-low (like I went over a 2' spot in the middle of the lake-- panicked-- and refused to drive the boat anymore.)

        We tried finding my Nana's old lake house, [where we have a million memories together as kiddos]-- 
        but we weren't very successful.


        What was successful, was the nap Maddox took on the boat!
        [and the 7 consecutive hours of sleep Beckham did that night]

        We cruised around until almost 9:00 at night...
        Came back to eat a little cake...
         And called it a night!


        Friday, June 10, 2011

        10 on 10 [June]

        10 on 10
        Take one photo an hour for ten hours on the tenth day of the month and then post the photos on your blog - capture a snapshot of the ordinary beauty of a simple day in your life!

        Here goes. 

        The boys went to bed at 11:30 last night.
        Beckham snacked once during the night for maybe 10 minutes...
        and then slept until 8:30am.

        Snuggle boys.

        Breakfast.
        Maddox ate all but one piece of my toast.
        [Plus his 4.  Really 2, since they are cut in 1/2]
        My coffee went cold... and eventually down the sink.
        My yogurt and fiber buds were good.
         And my date was a ham!

        Special delivery!
        Lance's 30th gift finally came in.
        [better late than never, right?!]

        Nap time for Beckham.
        [the tummy sleeping would have rocked my world with Maddox...
        I only let him do it when he naps so I can supervise.
        He sleeps so much better this way.]

        Playing with his trucks...
        The big ones lined up.
        Mator and McQueen in hand.

        Lunch for me and Boo.
        And then play time in the front yard.
        This is where Beckham gets his lunch.
        [I thought I'd spare you the boob pic!] ;)

        Inside to cool off...
        and find birthday invitations on Etsy.
        [I am not making them this year.]
        One month from today, my baby turns three.

        Back outside to fly his Toy Story kite.
        Which didn't last long because "it made him nervous."
        I completely understand, since I felt the same way about balloons as a child.
        A novelty idea, but the fear of it flying away or popping was more than I could handle.
        I guess he feels the same way about kites!
        Quirk #874

        Chill'n.
        Like a villain.
        Happy... in the swing.  
        I enjoy the rare occurrence.

        Dinner by 5:30
        [cream cheese and green chili, chicken enchiladas]
        and a happy husband home to enjoy them with.