3 Months

I really need to get on here more often. I miss blogging. It's nice to go back and remember what happened! And this little man turned three months on Friday. He will be 14 weeks tomorrow... ahh!

Ok, I know I am biased, but I have a cute kid. Look at those little toes!

Let's get to the update!

Height: No doctor's appointment, so I'm not really sure. I know he has to be almost 23, because 3 month pants are fitting him pretty perfectly length wise. 

Weight: Two weeks ago he weighed 10.5 pounds. He lost a little this month due to a bug, but I'm pretty sure he's at eleven now. I feel like he packed on the weight over night. 

Sleep: ::knock on wood:: We have a decent sleeper! He takes naps regularly throughout the day (have to watch for those sleep cues, or else we are screwed!) and at night he goes down about 9:30 and gives us a 5-6 hour stretch. He wakes up around 2 and then will fall back asleep until I wake him at five.

Eating: We are still exclusively breastfeeding! :) We ended up taking him to a CST therapist for some massage to help his jaw muscles relax. It worked wonders and I have no pain. He takes three 3 oz bottles when I am at work. Pumping has been interesting. Up until today three pumps was only getting me 10 oz. But today, after adding some brewer's yeast to my oatmeal (along with a ton of cinnamon and a dash of vanilla!) I pumped 9 oz at two pumps. 

Mommy: I feel much better, because I have him figured out. :) Plus sleep always helps. I am back at work and that helps to. I like having a routine, my job keeps me distracted throughout the day, and then I come home. We are super blessed to have my mom be able to watch him, which helps my feelings too. 

Daddy: J is an awesome dad! He loves to make Samuel smile and is willing to help me out with the nighttime prep for pumping the next day. He even made my lunch today!

Favorites: Samuel still loves his mobile, but he has become a big fan of anythng that lights up and plays music. It can calm him down like no other. He loves to look at books (I think it's all the colors) and he is a big fan of tummy time, especially when there's a mirror. He loves looking at himself in the mirror. Oh and he is a big fan of mommy and daddy. 

Dislikes: Being held under the arms for too long. He is also not a fan of constant stimulation at once. He likes to just observe first. 

New things: He can hold his head up while we are holding him. At tummy time, he can hold his head and chest up. He rolled for the first time from his tummy to his back on Sunday and did it twice today when I got home. He smiles at me when he first wakes up and will smile when he sees J or me. He coos and likes to babble at his turtle on his play gym. He has started to reach for some things, but currently his hands are usually in his mouth!

Oh and he met Santa!

I still have moments when I can't believe he is ours and I can't believe we are parents, but it really is such a blessing to see this little man grow up!

2 months!

Hello out there! I've been MIA because you know I've been taking care of a baby! A baby that I had two months ago... say what?

It is completely mind-blowing to think this little man has only been in our lives two months. Two long, exhausting, fun, and crazy months. I meant to do a one month update (it's still sitting in drafts, but oh well!)

Height: I have a feeling when we go to the doctor tomorrow, he is going to be 21.5 inches. His newborn pants are pretty short.

Weight: As of Saturday, he was nine pounds six ounces. Homeboy has gained over four pounds since he was born. :)

Sleep: He will give us a decent four hour stretch when we first put him down. I discovered that he needs to be swaddle TIGHTLY so I went out and bought some swaddleme swaddles. Even though I think my technique is pretty good, the Aden and Anais blankets just weren't cutting it anymore. He did awesome last night woke up at 1, then 3:30 then 7. :)

Eating: Man to say breastfeeding has been a journey is an understatement. He's been able to get my milk, but man was it hurting. Made me dread feeding him that first month. We kept taking him to a lactation consultant at the hospital who helped. I finally decided to go with my gut and get him checked for a tongue and lip tie (google it if you don't know what they are!). Went to Dr. Myers out in the middle of nowhere aka Middleburg. Turns out he had one of the most severe lip ties he had ever seen (and this man is a guru!) It's been better since, but we are still working on exercises that show him he doesn't need to bunch his tongue anymore.

Mommy: I've been doing much better. The first few weeks were no joke. I've started to figure out his cues for sleeping and differentiate between the reasons for his crankiness, so that's helped me. I'm sad because time is winding down until I go back to work. I'll be back in my classroom the Monday before Thanksgiving.

Daddy: To say J has been a wonderful dad is an understatement too! He has been wonderful. It's cheesy to say, but I definitely fell more in love with him seeing him with Samuel and how supportive he's been of me. We've bumped heads a few times, but this has actually made our relationship stronger. He gives him a bottle in the morning so I can sleep, and takes him in the middle of the night on weekends so I can rest too.

Favorites: Samuel loves being on his changing table, (once he's changed of course!) He loves looking at us and makes the best cooing sounds. He loves his mobile and fans. He finally enjoys being on his play mat and he's that rare baby that doesn't fuss that much during tummy time. He also loves being out and about, he's always happy when we are running errands.

Dislikes: Being cold. When we had that freak cold snap, diaper changes and clothing changes became a pain. He hates the stretches I have to do for his tongue tie recovery. But other than that, I can't think of too many dislikes!

New things: He's able to coo like no one's business! We've seen a couple smiles here and there and he's holding his head up pretty well during tummy time. He follows me which is really sweet.

I am excited to see what the next few months continue to bring us! Being a mom isn't easy, but it's definitely been worth it.

So I had a baby...

Introducing Samuel Oliver!

He was born on August 28, 2014 at 12:14 a.m. He weighed 5 llbs 3 oz and measured 18 inches long. Here's his birth story... (it's kind of long, because you need some background info)

Around week 32, my blood pressure started to creep up at the doctor's office. It would go down to normal after spending time sitting down in the exam room, so my doctors weren't too concerned. I continued to eat a ton of protein.Oh and I should probably mention that my baby had a marginal cord insertion, when the cord inserts on the edge of the placenta. I'd been having growth scans to check his growth because low birthweight can be caused by this.

At my 35 week check up, BP was high again, so they checked again. The doctor (I have four) decided to send me to the hospital to be monitored. They hooked me up. Baby was good, BP came down and they sent me home.The following week, at baby's growth scan his blood flow in his cord was highish so they checked my BP and it was normal.

At my 37 week appointment, my BP shot up to 156/103, the highest it's ever been. They rechecked it, and once again off to L and D i went. This time, it went down, but not enough, so they had me do a 24 hour protein test. My doctors took me out of work at this time too.

The next day, I turned it in and went to my work to check on things for my sub. I didn't hear anything for a few hours, so I thought we were in the clear. Not so fast! My doctor calls me to let me know I had protein in my urine and that since baby was 37 weeks, our best bet was to induce the next day. I was diagnosed with preeclampsia.

SO the next day. J and I trekked to the hospital. They checked me and I was dilated so at 8 a.m. they started me on the lowest dose of pitocin. They only increased it in increments. They were really manageable. My nurse even allowed me to move around at first, but then they would lose baby's heartbeat. I ended up sitting in a chair for a good portion of these contractions. The nurse seemed impressed at how I was handling the pain. Honestly, they felt no worse than my menstrual cramps. 

My doctor came in to check me out. I was dilated 3 cm, so they decided to break my water. (This was the worst part so far!) I labored with Pitocin/water breaking contractions for almost an hour. They were AWFUL. I literally felt like someone was just twisting my insides over and over.  Jimmy did an amazing job trying to keep me as calm as possible. But I finally had to ask for some medication. My nurse told me that I did great, and that if I had gone into labor naturally, I probably wouldn't have needed any medication.

The anesthesiologist came in to do my epidural. Didn't feel a thing but the pinch of numbing. Right side numbed right away... left side... not so much! He had to do it over again. Let's just say that my back killed me for the next few days. 

After that labor progressed really well. At 9, I as 9 cm. They were really hopeful he'd be here in an hour, because he was so small. But I had a cervical lip (nurse was impressed I knew what that meant and that I knew positions to use :)) because baby was OP (i.e. face up). Seemed everytime he pressed down on my cervix, his face made it not want to dilate. 

Here's where I get hazy. Doctor kept trying to maneuver baby to rotate, I remember the contraction monitor not working, so I had to tell them when I was having a contraction. (Which let me tell you, not so easy when you are completely num Finally it was time to push. HIs heartrate kept dropping and then coming back. Doctor asked if she could use a vaccuum, because she really wanted to deliver him vaginally. We did BRAINS and agreed. After some tough pushes, Samuel was born at 12:14 a.m.

He scored 8 and 9 on his Apgar. He weighed 5 lbs 3 oz, which was exciting because it meant he could stay with us. He was perfect!

I on the other hand, was not. My BP had gone all over the place, so they placed me on a magnesium drip. I was finally able to move around the next day at 2 (and eat real food too!!!) My nurse came in right at 2 (bless her!) and my parents showed up right after with my Subway sandwich and a Cherry Coke. 

My birth didn't go as I wanted it to, but at the end of the day, I was healthy and baby was healthy. And that's all that matters isn't it? 

31 Weeks!

Yea, so I've slacked just a wee bit on these updates. I can't say I haven't had the time, because I have. Just been doing other things I suppose!

How far along are you? 31 weeks

How I'm feeling: Typical third trimester complaints... back hurts, feet get swollen if I'm not chugging water constantly. 

Total weight gain:  I hit 23 pounds this week. I have an appointment tomorrow, so we'll see if I'm doing alright. I think I am, because I haven't even hit the low end of the range my OBs want me at. 

How big is baby? A pineapple! Mind blowing. 

Boy or girl?: boy!!! :) Samuel Oliver

Maternity clothes: Believe it or not this is a non-maternity shirt. Target Merona T's for the win! I can still wear my non-maternity shorts with the belly band. So it's still a good mix of maternity and non. I might go buy some leggings here soon, especially for back to school time. 

Wedding Rings: I'm down to just wearing my wedding band. Which stinks, because my anniversary gift was a matching wedding band to complete my set. It's just not worth fighting to take them off!

Sleep: Can't tell you the last time I've slept through the night. I take a nap every day though and that helps give me energy. 

Best moment this week: Seeing the nursery come together! I'll try and post pictures when we're done.

Worst moment: Crazy lady throwing her coffee at my car at Publix?? Plus there are moments when I'm unsure how much I feel him and that freaks me out. 

Movement: I think he has a pattern, but it's hard to tell. He kicks up a storm after I eat or drink a lot. Cool but weird to see my belly ripple!

Food cravings: Nothing. Blows your mind right? If I see something I want, then I ask for it. Like an ice cream bar. But once I get it, I'm good. No need to go out and buy more ice cream bars!

Food aversions: Still veggies. Trying to sneak them into various meals. 

Miss anything?: A good old Coke. and a deli sandwich that's not heated. I already told J that my post delivery meal needs to be a Subway Black Forest Ham and Turkey on Honey Wheat with a Cherry Coke. :)

Belly button in or out:  Belly button is still in. Amazingly. 

What I am thankful for: J. He's just been so incredibly supportive. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!

What I'm looking forward to: My shower is on Saturday. Can't wait to see what my mom and her bff have planned!

9 weeks until we meet little guy! I cannot wait. :)

One year...

So I can't sleep. Pretty common ailment among pregnant women, especially in the third trimester. I figured I'd do something while I am awake, so why not write about today?

One year ago, this happened:

ONE YEAR AGO. It's so mind-blowing to me when I think about that. At this time, one year ago, I couldn't sleep either. I was too darn excited to get the day going. Wondering how everything would fall into place. Hoping that my wedding would be everything I wanted it to be.

So many people tell you things might not happen how you want it to... but for J and I we got exactly what we wanted. A celebration of us and the best party ever!

Now I suppose here's where I tell you how crazy this year has been, how hard, and what I've learned. And all of that is true. The year flew by, we had some tough moments, and I've learned a lot about myself and J. But it's been 100% worth it. I'm forever grateful and feel so damn lucky to call J my husband. (and cue the tears, thanks pregnancy hormones!) In about two months, I know I am going to be feeling lucky that he's our little boy's dad.

So here's to celebrating today and looking forward to many, many more anniversaries together!

Life update!

Man it's been awhile since I've written here! No particular reason, just haven't been around a computer enough to type something up. Let's update shall we?

J, my family and I (minus my brother) took a trip to Puerto Rico! By far my favorite trip there yet. My family is a group of the most caring people and made sure we had a blast!

That would be J and I in front of one of the waterfalls in the rainforest. We saw lots of fun things and ate a ton of yummy food!

Pregnancy is going well. I will be 30 weeks on Monday... say what?? That would mean ten weeks until the big day. This pregnancy has really flown by. We've been taking Bradley birth classes, which have eased my fears of childbirth a ton. It's been nice to get to know other couples too.

I'm at the point of my pregnancy where I will be seeing my doctors every two weeks. We took a hospital tour and I think we made a great choice in having the delivery at The Family Birth Place at St Vincent's Southside. We have another growth scan next week, and maybe we will be able to get another shot of baby boy's cute face!

Oh and did I mention he has a name?

I've also been working on a few things for the nursery. I saw these art prints at Pottery Barn Kids, but they were sold out of most of them and kind of pricey:

So I decided to make my own:

I think they came out great! Plus WAY cheaper and a lot more fun to do.

Our house is coming along too. We have a contractor coming out to do our backsplash for our kitchen and another to finish up the drywall in the dining room. My project next week is to order photos and prints for our gallery wall in the living room. Oh and find a rug too!

So that's life in a nutshell. I hope everyone has a fabulous Fourth of July!!!

Five on a Friday!

Three posts in one week??? Say what???? Go me!

This week was so darn SLOW. Seriously, I woke up everyday complaining that it wasn't Friday. And now Friday is finally here. Let's go it shall we??

1. THREE DAY WEEKEND! YES! Now while it will be INCREDIBLY difficult to go back to school on Tuesday, I need a break. I need to just get away and relax. J and I are continuing our tradition and heading up to his parents' place outside of Savannah. Even if all we do is lounge around and play board games, it will still be great!

2. I wish I had a screen capture, but it was really so GREAT to catch up with a few of my high school friends. It's exciting to see how great our lives turned out and how at heart we are still the little nerds we were in high school.

3.

10 SCHOOL DAYS LEFT! I really did love my class this year, but I'm ready to say bye-bye to them. 

4. 

J and I went to rookie mini camp last weekend. 6200 fans showed up! For a ROOKIE MINI CAMP! I can't wait for football season to start, even if it means I'll be watching most of the games during the season with my little one in a Jaguars onesie. :)

5. Did I mention three day weekend??? :)

Do you have any plans this weekend? How was your week?

Linking up with Lauren