Happy Friday slideshow!

The long awaited slideshow of Owen's itty bitty baby pictures.  He was 6 days old.  We had only been home from the hospital for 2 days.  What a whirlwind of craziness and how quickly the time has passed now that he is 9 weeks old. 

 

I look at these pictures and still can't believe this little miracle is ours.  I thank God everyday for bringing this little Ninja into our lives.  I truly can't imagine our lives being any more complete. 

 

Happy Friday.  Enjoy. 

 

Curve balls...

Life is full of them, right? 

Tonight my heart breaks for my dear friend Molly and her husband Jason.  Tonight I am angry for them and the curve balls they have been dealt.  Too many curve balls.  It's total bullshit. 

If you have a moment please send them lots of love, prayers, juju or anything to ease the roller coaster of emotions they are both going through now. 

Here is the link to their story-  STILL.

We love you Molly and Jason.

 

 

2 month birthday & shots....

Owen's 2 month Birthday was Sunday.  His 2 month shots were Monday.  This made it not so much of happy birthday! 

So, lets start with the good stuff. Our boy is still a long, lean, healthy Ninja machine. He weighs 11 pounds and is 23.5 inches long. He is also very strong for his age (neck and legs). We got the ok from Dr. Bryan to start running with him in the BOB on the well paved paths around our house. This is great news for Joe. It is news I sort of dread because quite frankly I loathe running. I am going to try it on though. One day a week is going to be my new personal goal. You heard it here. This means I will be held accountable for doing so. 

Moving right along to the worst part of O's doctor appointment, yes, the shots.  I reached out to a few friends to see how their kid(s) handled them and did some online research.  I wanted to go in prepared (or at least feeling "prepared").   Hands down one thing everyone said that was spot on was it was far more worse on them than the babes because of their reaction. 

Even though he took it like a total Ninja we have never seem his face turn such a shade of angry/painful red.  The tears were instant and the scream was on the lower side volume wise- yet so painfully sad.  One shot in each leg and one orally.  Now here is my question.  It is 2013 and with all the amazing technology we have not come up with a way to make these vaccinations all oral drops??

PS- While the Spider Man band aids were cute, they didn't help at the same time.  ;)  Here is the only shot I could get of his sweet little legs and band aids (yes the tops of his legs were swollen until yesterday).

He calmed down really quickly and home we went to eat and get him some sleep.  We thought we were in the clear until about 7pm that night.  This is when shit hit the fan.  He was in so much pain.  Nothing we did helped.  If we barely even grazed his little legs it was painful.  Our hearts (and ears- ha ha) broke.  I contemplated giving him some infant Tylenol, but I know it can be damaging to their developing liver and digestive system.  We worked through it the old fashion way.  Around 4am he seemed to finally get into his first sound sleep.  Phew.  At 7am there wasn't much improvement.  The day got both better and then worse and continued into the evening and carried into the next day.  Some screams and some smiles.  We bought some Camilia which is an all natural product that soothes any aches and pains without potentially hurting any body parts.  I believe it has helped a little, but we have only used it a couple times.

So, here is my take bullet point style to Mom's that will be going through 2 month shots:

• It sucks-  there is no other way to slice it
• You may cry.  Whether it is from seeing your little one in pain or your broken ear drums after hours of crying on and off- it is ok and completely normal.
• Letting them snuggle into you between screams is a must. 
• Careful of their little legs, they really do hurt after the shots.
• If you have the luxury of being with them the entire 2 days after their shots, please be with them.
• Whether you are a Tylenol or Camilia person, have whatever you pick on hand (see, I don't judge).
• If you like wine, have some on hand- ha!
• Shots are not bad.  They just get a bad rap!  ;) 

Here is what O has to say about shots.... In his words:  "Caca"

 

OH, that's what that is supposed to feel like...

Today for the first time in 9 months I was able to feel almost all my hand and arm.  Oddly enough the only thing I cannot feel still are my finger tips.  I will take it though.  It is a crazy cool feeling to have feeling back. 

Those little things we have day to day that we take for granted until they are gone.  So, I wanted to take this time to say there is a light at the end of this 'pregnancy induced carpal tunnel' and it looks bright!  Whoot! 

I am still incredibly tired.  This is not because my little ninja is a bad sleeper at all.  As a matter of fact he is a great little sleeper.  It is not because my husband does not help out, because he does more than most men.  It is just as simple as I haven't caught up.  I spent my entire pregnancy NOT being able to sleep.  Then once he got here I could sleep.  It was just a different sleep.  I can't sleep when he makes his cute little noises.  Though I know he is fine when he squeaks about while sleeping, it still sends you right out of bed to make sure everything is ok.  Some Mom's say you don't ever really get sleep in the same way ever again.....   I can see how this would be a true statement.

 

As far as the rest of my body, healing and returning back to (a new) "normal"-  all systems are go.  I feel good.  Sometimes I have new pains that pop up, but they never really alarm me as I expect that to go on for awhile.  I don't think we ever stop to realize how much happens to your body when you are pregnant.  Stuff gets weird.  Things move to places you never thought imaginable and things appear you never thought possible.  Alas.  All things now imaginable and possible. 

 

For example-  I am currently dealing with an outbreak on my arms that is a result of hormones leaving my body.  I have written only briefly about it before, but yes, it is still with me and not much better.  Next step dermatologist and yes, it is gross. 

 

I will save you the detail of things like my belly button that was once quite a cute innie, then an outtie, then no belly button to now.  Now that's some weird stuff. 

 

I am happy to be back to working out mildly.  I hope to ramp that up in the next couple weeks. 

 

I feel very lucky I did not get any stretch marks.  My incision is healing nicely and it is way to early to tell if it will be a big scar or not.  As I have said before, either way- I don't care.  O was all worth it. 

 

One of my fellow coworkers said today, "wouldn't you think after going through all the months of being pregnant, enduring the havoc on your body and birthing that once the baby was out we would have been given the gift of having our bodies magically return to their original state (if not better) for all our our sacrifice"....  I liked her style big time on this one. 

Cheers to stuff getting weird, body healing and returning to whatever the "new" shape may be! 

And maybe, just maybe I can come back like my lady Pink.  Oh hubba hubba girl! 

 

 

Updates!

Phew! It has been very busy in our household since my last post.  Here are some of the happenings:  O is almost 2 months old!  Can you believe it?  I can't. 

Last week was packed with lots of fun and some more firsts for O.  Here are the deets:

He got to meet his Auntie from KC. She came and stayed the weekend with us. The weather was delish so we were able to meet up with friends (both humans and dogs) for a fun stroller ride around town and dinner. In normal O fashion, he rocked it and partied like a rock star.  As you can see he insisted on wearing his cool gray jeans, sweet shirt and owl hat!  ;)

 

He took his first car ride with yours truly (YIKES).  We literally went one mile.  It was a very stressful one mile for me.  Brace yourself to laugh at me though....  I hope you find it as funny as all my coworkers and friends did....  Mind you, I asked Joe before he left town to show me again how to properly work the stroller and car seat. 

I went downstairs to remove the car seat from the stroller.  I couldn't get it.  I worked on it for quite a bit.  I made a call to Joe and left him a voicemail.  In the meantime I figured it out.  SUCCESS!  I was able to say, "oh nevermind I got it" when he called back. 

From there I put O in the car seat and made sure he was safe and secure then off we went to the car, climbed in snapped him in and off we went!  SUCCESS!  We made it!  Phew.  I then climbed in the back seat to take his car seat off the base.  I tried one button, then another, then another.  That thing would NOT budge.  So then (as my child probably secretly laughed at me) I tried a few other things, I was probably at it for a solid 10 minutes.  Ok, maybe 5, but it felt like 25.  FAIL.  I couldnt call Joe again, because he had already boarded his plane.  I finally broke down and called my friend (she has 2 little girls), all I said was "help", then paused (I mean how embarrassing, right??) I took a big gulp and went on to say, "I am here, but I can't get the car seat out of the car".  Of course she laughed at me (who wouldn't - I was laughing at myself).  She saved the day and showed me the ONE f-ing button I didn't push.  Le sigh. 

O took his first shower too! He thought it was super badass!

We continue to dance, sing and read a lot!  He loves it.

 

 

So much more to come.  Stay tuned! 

Oh, Hi Core and Judgement!!

Hello CORE!
Yesterday was my first yoga class since January 3rd.  It felt so good to be back.  I felt revived and peaceful.  The class was lovely and I cannot wait to get our schedules aligned with lots of yoga and other fun work outs!  I feel much better than what I thought I would (my body).  Not too terribly sore, but my core is definitely still there and in need of some serious love (I accept this challenge). 

Now, let me tell you what wasn't so lovely.  Rather alarming and gross.  I have bumps all over my arms (this is caused from the remaining hormones leaving my body), my legs and arms are super jiggly and one of my boobs is bigger and saggier than the other.  While I realize it is going to take some work to pull it all back together, I was rather grossed out yesterday.  As I have mentioned before having a baby is not the most glamorous process! 

Hello Judgement! 
Here is some unsolicited advice from me to those of you that will be having a baby soon or in the future.  Brace yourself for judgement from others.  Prepare yourself by holding strong to what you and your significant other have agreed upon and stand behind those ideas.  I am saddened by the amount of judgement I see and have experienced since having O. 

When faced with said judgement always remind yourself you are doing what is best for your child.  You are loving them like crazy.  You are making sure all their needs are met.  You are looking out for and protecting them with great fury.  For me I know no matter what-  I KNOW with 100% certainty whether people agree with how we choose to raise O that they could never call us bad parents. 

Now, if you are a crack pipe smoker, beater, loser- that is a whole other blog post and your type sickens me to no end. 

Please keep in mind- this is not to say I have not received a shit ton (yes a shit ton) of support as well.  I couldn't get through each day without the support I have of my amazing friends, family and husband.  They are truly the pieces that hold this all together.  As one of my friends said the other day, "it really does take a village to raise a child"....  It is so incredibly true. 

Last but not least this little dude is almost 7 weeks old!  He is smiling and growing so much each day.  We are currently trying on a new routine/schedule and so far it is working out very nicely.  I plan to post about this method after a couple weeks of using it, so hold tight! 

This is how I woke up the other morning.  It makes the lack of sleep, ringing ears and unbrushed teeth all worth it. 
Le sigh.  My loves.  My cup runneth over.

C Section information

I have had quite a few people ask about what to expect with a c section and what to take to the hospital so I am dedicating this post to that- from MY perspective.  Keep in mind, every persons body is different and we all have different experiences!  I am keeping this one as short and to the point as possible, only highlighting what I found to be most important or things I wish I would have known prior to going through this surgery. 

Must haves for your hospital bag (these are just a few you will  not find on most websites that have great lists of things to pack):
-Granny panties: 
That's right!  Go get yourself some hot ass panties and add to the hotness by upping the size by one.  I chose the Gap brand and bought a couple pair at my size 9 months pregnant and a few pairs a size up.  I was really happy I had both to choose from.

-Comfy PJ bottoms and loose fitting tops: 
Self explanatory.  Having these will motivate you to get up and change out of that awkward hospital gown.  Trust me, it feels great.

-Face cleansing wipes:
I am so happy I threw these in!  It was nice to have them to wipe my face and feel a little normal until I was able to get up and shower.

-Music!  Whether it be your itouch, ipod etc.  It is so nice to have. 

Important things for after your c section:
-GET UP AND STAND OR WALK AS SOON AS YOU CAN:
I cannot stress this enough (and everyone who told me to do so - THANK YOU, it was spot on).  I am completely convinced this helped with my healing.  Let me also tell you it hurts like a mother f***** the first few times and quite frankly for awhile after that, but each day I promise it gets better and better.  If walking seems way out of the question the first time you try with your nurse (they will let you know when it is time so don't try doing it on your own) just work on standing up and sitting back down.  Oh and I cannot forget, also take it easy and don't push yourself too hard.

-Take the meds!
Another simple thing that is so important.  Your doctor has given you pain meds, stool softeners and gas x for a reason!  Take them as prescribed!  I am one that is very sensitive to pain meds many times they cause vomiting (which would be awful to experience after a c section), so after a couple days I decided to tell the nurses I was fine and didn't need the pain meds.  She kindly told me to be careful with doing so, but listened to me.  Win win, right?  Not so much.  I found myself in some serious pain within only a couple hours.  So, what I am trying to say AGAIN is take it as they have prescribed.  Once you are home and moving you can play around with how you want to take pain meds.  I found ibuprofen did the job just fine.  Last but not least, take the stool softener and gas pills.  I promise you will regret it if not. 

-Use the pads provided!
Depending on your hospital, pads are normally provided.  USE THEM.  And take some home!  Also make sure you have plenty of your own supply at home too!  My bleeding was minimal, but I did have quite a bit of bleeding and oozing from the incision site so they would place a pad long ways across my incision so the staples wouldn't catch on the hot mesh panties or granny panties I was wearing.

-Drink all fluids carefully!
This may seem funny, but if you get fluids down the wrong pipe and start coughing or choking I cannot begin to tell you the amount of pain (even on meds) you will experience from the incision site.  This happened to me (even after a friend warned me- I was trying to be careful- HA) it was the worst pain I have ever felt hands down.  I would imagine the same pain would also result if you don't take your stool softener and try to poo, sneeze or vomit.  I will also tell you it hurts to laugh, but not as bad as explained above.  Just be sure to put pressure on the incision site with your hand or pillow when you laugh, cough, sneeze etc.

-Take a shower as soon as your doctor says you can.  It feels great! 

-Last but not least, if you are healing quickly be mindful not to overdue it.  I am guilty of this and wish I would have taken a little more down time.

As always, if you have any other questions please send them to me.  I am more than happy to answer questions based off my experience.  C sections can be very scary and I would like to make them seem not so scary.  Now that I have been through the process I wouldn't have it any other way (don't judge)  ;)