Dear 2010,
I know we've had our differences (i.e. you've given me mountains of debt and a stretched out body) but I'm willing to overlook these things because you also have given me a beautiful and sweet and wonderful baby and I can't imagine loving ANYTHING more than him. Also, I've been able to tack a few new friends on to your credit, so thank you very much for them.
And thank you for giving me to opportunity to stay at home as much as I can so I can watch all of Greyson's growing. We're sooooo much more broke because of it but we can't have our cake and eat it too.... I guess. Weird saying.
Anyway, if this letter sounds like I'm going to be moving on with my life then it's a good letter, because I am. We've had some good times and some bad times, but mostly it comes down to we just can't live in the same decade together. We're so different. I'm looking at tomorrow and you can only focus on the last 12 months of our relationship. As of midnight tonight, I'm going forward.
It's been real.
Fondly,
Christal
Friday, December 31, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Hunny Days
The days of my sweet little immobile hunny are over - we have movement! He can roll around like no body's business. Actually he's inspired my New Year's resolution to keep my house clean... yikes. I have to at least tackle my floors daily since that's his domain and I'd like to keep the fur and dirt in his diaper to a minimum. But it's awesome. I love watching his new developments and remembering how 5 short months ago he was this teeny tiny thing who slept aaallll day.
Speaking of sleep, we went through the 4 Month Sleep Regression thing which SUCKED. I guess it's where babies start sleeping like adults and less like babies so their bodies don't really know how to handle it. Anyway, he was up every hour or so and it just seemed like he couldn't get comfortable. In and out of his crib he went all night. We tried sleeping together, holding his flailing arms, feeding, EVERYTHING and nothing would work. I'm happy (and hesitant) to say that we may have worked through it. For the last few nights he's been sleeping great so I hope that continues.
It's been awhile since I blogged last. We had Thanksgiving at our house and I cooked a great turkey (if I do say so myself) and green bean casserole, of course, and a ham and my family brought the rest. Greyson did so great with all the people around. He's finally accepting a little socializing!
Also my friend Beth and I did a bake sale at one of the holiday bazaars this year and that was fun! And again I can proudly say the Greyson did GREAT. The ladies next to us joked that I had drugged him to get him to behave. Which is SO NOT true. He's just a good boy. It was about 7 hours of bake-sale-ing and he didn't cry or fuss at all and took TWO 2-hour naps through it all. Yes, I'm bragging.
And we've introduced him to solids a little sooner than planned. He's been growing so great with just breast milk that my doctor had advised us to keep up with it until his 6 months appointment but I just couldn't help it! So we started with some mild stuff about 2 weeks ago when he turned 5 months. His favorite so far is smashed bananas, rice cereal, and sweet potatoes. We only do about half of the level 1 jars of food so it's not overwhelming, and we are still breastfeeding so that's his main source of nutrition. But we try to have a little bit of solids 2x a day.
Speaking of sleep, we went through the 4 Month Sleep Regression thing which SUCKED. I guess it's where babies start sleeping like adults and less like babies so their bodies don't really know how to handle it. Anyway, he was up every hour or so and it just seemed like he couldn't get comfortable. In and out of his crib he went all night. We tried sleeping together, holding his flailing arms, feeding, EVERYTHING and nothing would work. I'm happy (and hesitant) to say that we may have worked through it. For the last few nights he's been sleeping great so I hope that continues.
It's been awhile since I blogged last. We had Thanksgiving at our house and I cooked a great turkey (if I do say so myself) and green bean casserole, of course, and a ham and my family brought the rest. Greyson did so great with all the people around. He's finally accepting a little socializing!
Also my friend Beth and I did a bake sale at one of the holiday bazaars this year and that was fun! And again I can proudly say the Greyson did GREAT. The ladies next to us joked that I had drugged him to get him to behave. Which is SO NOT true. He's just a good boy. It was about 7 hours of bake-sale-ing and he didn't cry or fuss at all and took TWO 2-hour naps through it all. Yes, I'm bragging.
And we've introduced him to solids a little sooner than planned. He's been growing so great with just breast milk that my doctor had advised us to keep up with it until his 6 months appointment but I just couldn't help it! So we started with some mild stuff about 2 weeks ago when he turned 5 months. His favorite so far is smashed bananas, rice cereal, and sweet potatoes. We only do about half of the level 1 jars of food so it's not overwhelming, and we are still breastfeeding so that's his main source of nutrition. But we try to have a little bit of solids 2x a day.
Yes we're still wearing our Halloween onesie. Hey, it still fits!
Well, I think that about covers our news.
xoxoxo
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
My Professional Opinion on Various Country Music Stars
Driving home today I was listening to one of the local country stations (Holla! 102.1 KTRA!) when a Carrie Underwood song came on. Ugh. So I switched it to another country station: CARRIE UNDERWOOD AGAIN! So I tried KRSJ and there she was again! So I found a random station that had a commercial on. THAT'S how much I'm over Carrie Underwood; I would rather listen to a commercial than to her try to Undo It. I think what bugs me about her is that she does a couple seemingly bad-ass girl songs but in reality she's the sweetest girl probably ever. I mean the girl's a vegetarian to the point of crying. Now, I'm sure I would like her as a person if she was my neighbor (aside from making me cry with envy), but the girl's a poser, I'm afraid. I think she should try to be sweet OR tough.
But you CAN be both if you do it right. Like Miranda Lambert. I LOVE her. She can break your heart but can make you want to break someone's nose too. AND she's engaged to Blake Shelton which is probably my favorite male country star right now. As soon as he chopped off that mullet I noticed him. Somehow that thing was distracting. He was totally cute underneath that, but I just couldn't see it!
There's a few Taylor songs (do I even have to specify which Taylor I'm talking about?) that I like but for the most part she just sounds like she's talking and squawking.
I love Gary Allan. He's so brooding, and he's a little guy, but I really like him. There's just something about him. Makes me want to find him and show him there IS fun left in the world and plenty of love to be had!
Tim McGraw? Pass. He was fun back in the day, but he's trying too hard now. I might get struck down by the Country Gods for saying this, but George Straight is bugging me lately too. I like old school George, Garth, Toby, Alan, Brooks & Dunn. I'm not liking much of the new stuff by old artists. And by "old" I mean they've been around awhile, not that they're physically old. My favorite country is from the early 90s, and most new stuff just doesn't measure up to my twangy expectations.
Anyway, Carrie U started this. It's her fault. :)
But you CAN be both if you do it right. Like Miranda Lambert. I LOVE her. She can break your heart but can make you want to break someone's nose too. AND she's engaged to Blake Shelton which is probably my favorite male country star right now. As soon as he chopped off that mullet I noticed him. Somehow that thing was distracting. He was totally cute underneath that, but I just couldn't see it!
There's a few Taylor songs (do I even have to specify which Taylor I'm talking about?) that I like but for the most part she just sounds like she's talking and squawking.
I love Gary Allan. He's so brooding, and he's a little guy, but I really like him. There's just something about him. Makes me want to find him and show him there IS fun left in the world and plenty of love to be had!
Tim McGraw? Pass. He was fun back in the day, but he's trying too hard now. I might get struck down by the Country Gods for saying this, but George Straight is bugging me lately too. I like old school George, Garth, Toby, Alan, Brooks & Dunn. I'm not liking much of the new stuff by old artists. And by "old" I mean they've been around awhile, not that they're physically old. My favorite country is from the early 90s, and most new stuff just doesn't measure up to my twangy expectations.
Anyway, Carrie U started this. It's her fault. :)
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Your NEW Mary Kay Lady!
All right ladies, it's true! Sunday I signed up to try my hand as an Independent Beauty Consultant for Mary Kay!
Since before Greyson was born I've been thinking "How the heck am I going to make money without having to put my son in Daycare?" First I was going to try to stay home, then I was going to try to find something parttime, then I was going to do girlFriday (which, by the way I still think is an awesome idea, but it'd be too hard to cart around the baby and entertain him especially now that he's getting older), THEN I was going to go to school which I'd still like to do, but again I'd have to put Greyson into Daycare. So then I started looking into direct sales. i.e. Mary Kay, Av*n ;), Arbonne, etc.... And when you really compare them all, Mary Kay absolutely blows everyone else out of the water! As a Consultant you make 50% of everything you sell (which is unheard of in the direct selling world, that's a HUGE amount!), and you can be happy about what you're selling because its quality product. And besides the money (which is the main reason for working, yes?) it'll also be fun. You have little parties/get-togethers, and do facials, makeovers, recruit other ladies, make friends, and yep, make money! Sorry if I've already assumed the spokesperson role but I'm pretty excited about it. And the more I read into it, the better I think I'll be at it. I mean when I was working at Appaloosa Trading Co. I loved meeting all the customers who came it. When I was at the dental office I loved talking with the patients. And I'm good with my makeup, I have fun with it, and I take a lot of personal care in my skin. And it can be super part time, something you do on the side from your full time job, or full time - whatever I happen to have time for. Add it all together and it fits me perfectly!
So if you'd like to host a little party, I'd be more than happy to do a skin care class/makeover for it! It just gives me a chance to get my name out there, you know? And as a Hostess you can earn product rewards. Which is pretty sweet ;)
In other news, Greyson of course is getting huge! I weighed him with our home scale and according to that he's 15 lbs already! But he has a doctor's appointment next week so we'll see if that weight holds true. And I've been watching my friend Beth's baby (well, not so much "baby" as "tiny man") 2 days a week, so that's been really great for me. Kemper's fun and he prepares me for the inevitable! And we're trying to get my big bro to move out here from Vegas, so I hope that works! It'd be great to have some more fam-damily here :D. Let's see... my sister turned 17 - woohoo!! We're going to a potluck on Saturday. I have a TON of laundry to fold - I hate it. And dishes to do - I hate it. I want to see Love and Other Drugs, Tangled, Megamind, and Harry Potter 7 pt. 1. I think that's about all!
xoxox
P.S. If you're interested in the Mary Kay thing, let me know!
Since before Greyson was born I've been thinking "How the heck am I going to make money without having to put my son in Daycare?" First I was going to try to stay home, then I was going to try to find something parttime, then I was going to do girlFriday (which, by the way I still think is an awesome idea, but it'd be too hard to cart around the baby and entertain him especially now that he's getting older), THEN I was going to go to school which I'd still like to do, but again I'd have to put Greyson into Daycare. So then I started looking into direct sales. i.e. Mary Kay, Av*n ;), Arbonne, etc.... And when you really compare them all, Mary Kay absolutely blows everyone else out of the water! As a Consultant you make 50% of everything you sell (which is unheard of in the direct selling world, that's a HUGE amount!), and you can be happy about what you're selling because its quality product. And besides the money (which is the main reason for working, yes?) it'll also be fun. You have little parties/get-togethers, and do facials, makeovers, recruit other ladies, make friends, and yep, make money! Sorry if I've already assumed the spokesperson role but I'm pretty excited about it. And the more I read into it, the better I think I'll be at it. I mean when I was working at Appaloosa Trading Co. I loved meeting all the customers who came it. When I was at the dental office I loved talking with the patients. And I'm good with my makeup, I have fun with it, and I take a lot of personal care in my skin. And it can be super part time, something you do on the side from your full time job, or full time - whatever I happen to have time for. Add it all together and it fits me perfectly!
So if you'd like to host a little party, I'd be more than happy to do a skin care class/makeover for it! It just gives me a chance to get my name out there, you know? And as a Hostess you can earn product rewards. Which is pretty sweet ;)
In other news, Greyson of course is getting huge! I weighed him with our home scale and according to that he's 15 lbs already! But he has a doctor's appointment next week so we'll see if that weight holds true. And I've been watching my friend Beth's baby (well, not so much "baby" as "tiny man") 2 days a week, so that's been really great for me. Kemper's fun and he prepares me for the inevitable! And we're trying to get my big bro to move out here from Vegas, so I hope that works! It'd be great to have some more fam-damily here :D. Let's see... my sister turned 17 - woohoo!! We're going to a potluck on Saturday. I have a TON of laundry to fold - I hate it. And dishes to do - I hate it. I want to see Love and Other Drugs, Tangled, Megamind, and Harry Potter 7 pt. 1. I think that's about all!
xoxox
P.S. If you're interested in the Mary Kay thing, let me know!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Scared Girl = A Girl Turned On?
See, now I don't think that's true. You've heard the rumor: About the girl who goes on a scary movie date and is easily persuaded to give it up before the night is over. I don't think it's the being scared that triggers that in my fellow females, I think it's the being rescued. RESCUED Girl = A Girl Turned On. Just because we're Modern doesn't mean that we aren't damsels-in-distress. Have you EVER read a book where the woman is saved from life-snatching creature by dish-able guy and she just pecks him on the cheek and says "Thanks!" and trots off? No. Doesn't happen. It's being in the arms of your Protector and Savior that does it. So, guys, if you don't like scary movies but you like your woman, you just gotta have to learn to like the ghosts because girls like to be comforted by strong arms that could ward off the Scaries. Unless of course you happen to be the Creep, which probably won't ever happen because she wouldn't go out with you in the first place if you were.
Just with it being Halloween (almost) and all the scary movies that are on had me thinking. And I'm guilty of it too. Nothing like relief and the aftershock of adrenaline mixed with hormones to get you closer. The only type of scary I DON'T like is the gory stuff. I don't want to be grossed out. Suspense I can do, and supernatural stuff. But I don't want to have to watch someone eat brains or jump-rope with entrails. NO one wants to kiss after throwing up.
Just FYI!
Just with it being Halloween (almost) and all the scary movies that are on had me thinking. And I'm guilty of it too. Nothing like relief and the aftershock of adrenaline mixed with hormones to get you closer. The only type of scary I DON'T like is the gory stuff. I don't want to be grossed out. Suspense I can do, and supernatural stuff. But I don't want to have to watch someone eat brains or jump-rope with entrails. NO one wants to kiss after throwing up.
Just FYI!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Alright Amy, I'll do it!
So Amy posted a 50 Random Things list not long ago and requested her readers to do the same. So here it is! And if you're my friend and you have a blog, you should do it too. Especially if you're bored and/or procrastinating chores like me!
1) I've realized that I don't finish ANYTHING! I get all pumped up over something, start the process and lose steam. i.e. I'm supposed to clean the house today (personal goal) and I've only done the dishes.
2) I really really really want to get really really really good at sewing. I'd love to make clothes, blankets, stuffed animals, etc...
3) I can say in all modesty that I make great scrambled eggs.
4) I also know why IHOPs eggs are so yummy.
5) I scoop the finishing dollop out of butter, frosting, etc first
6) I rarely read anything besides fiction.
7) Rice Krispies Treats are about 10x better than any other dessert you could think of.
8) Some day I will have ducks and a potbelly pig (or a dwarf pig, have you seen those? They're SO cute.)
9) My son is cuter than you and he knows it. Right now he's cooing at laughing at his mirror self.
10) I subscribe to Country Living magazine which is a little embarrassing because recently they've enlarged the print and they have ads for incontinence and kitty litter.
11) I heart insurance commercials. They're the funniest!
12) I told Zack that someone once told me I would make a good flight attendant and he said "No." I think he thinks that flight attendants are all still slutty.... I think it'd be a cool job if you flew from somewhere cool to somewhere else that was cool.
13) My celebrity crushes do NOT include Edward OR Jacob.
14) They do however include Bear Grylls, Josh Duhamel, Mike Rowe, and Paul Walker.
15) I like daisies best. Simply pretty. And tough.
16) If I could be sure about my financial future I would have at LEAST 4 kids.
17) I would really like to move somewhere other than Durango. But if you read my blog at all you already knew that.
18) My favorite place in the world so far is Santa Barbara, CA.
19) I will do anything to not have to leave my son with a nanny or a sitter or a day care.
20) I'm guilty of watching Desperate Housewives.
21) I really should be cleaning the laundry room or doing the dishes or rearranging the bedroom right now. Oh well...
22) I AM twenty-two.... weird.
23) I used to be the most sensitive person I know and I don't know when that changed but I hardly ever cry. At least not when anyone's looking.
24) I have too much clutter. I'm constantly giving things to the thrift store yet my house doesn't seem any different.
25) The cashier at Walmart yesterday and I have the same exact birthday. I've only ever met one other person in my life with the same exact birthday as me. Weird how I will probably never see that person again and yet I remember them because of that.
26) I think you'd call my home decorating something along the lines of "Whatever-the-hell-I-think-I-like-right-now".
27) I technically have 4 brothers. I also have a sister.
28) I've realized that I AM creative, it's just a matter of laziness to create.
29) I hate the following chores the most: Cleaning the bathroom, doing the dishes, putting away laundry, and grating cheese.
30) The scary thing in my and Zack's relationship is that I'm the financially responsible one.
31) I am a good cook. I've never made anything inedible. Zack says there was one thing I made he didn't like but he can't remember what it was.
32) I've burned bridges that I wish I hadn't.
33) I wish I liked wine. It's supposed to be so good for you and it's a very strong a feminine thing to like. I know it's an acquired taste, so I'll try to acquire it.
34) I strive on chaos. I work best under pressure.
35) I hate the snow. And it's on its way.
36) One reason I didn't go to college is I can't justify paying for school when I can't settle on one thing that I'd like to do!
37) How come all the pretty and cheap houses are in BFE? Because no one wants to live there....
38) I really want and claw foot tub someday.
39) There's no way I'll ever allow a stuffed (as in used-to-be-alive) animal in my house.
40) We didn't get to go to the pumpkin patch this year. And I'm surprised at how much that disappoints me.
41) I wish I could believe in Church enough to go to it. Maybe I just haven't found the right one that speaks to me.
42) Again, there's too much crap in my house.
43) I'll be one of the first people to go up and talk to someone new but I also have terrible stage fright.
44) Zack and I plan on getting tattoos this Christmas.
45) I really would like a personal bookkeeper where I just give her all my money and she pays the bills with it and gives me what's left over. I need structure.
46) I wish I could live in the forties but I wouldn't want to give up modern feminine hygiene products. Have you seen what ladies used to have to do/where??
47) I so love Etsy.
48) If I could afford to go to school I would in a heartbeat. My only hesitation is having to leave Greyson in daycare.
49) I really want to raid my husband's Tshirts so I can cut them up for myself!
50) Right about this time last year I had just found out I was pregnant.
1) I've realized that I don't finish ANYTHING! I get all pumped up over something, start the process and lose steam. i.e. I'm supposed to clean the house today (personal goal) and I've only done the dishes.
2) I really really really want to get really really really good at sewing. I'd love to make clothes, blankets, stuffed animals, etc...
3) I can say in all modesty that I make great scrambled eggs.
4) I also know why IHOPs eggs are so yummy.
5) I scoop the finishing dollop out of butter, frosting, etc first
6) I rarely read anything besides fiction.
7) Rice Krispies Treats are about 10x better than any other dessert you could think of.
8) Some day I will have ducks and a potbelly pig (or a dwarf pig, have you seen those? They're SO cute.)
9) My son is cuter than you and he knows it. Right now he's cooing at laughing at his mirror self.
10) I subscribe to Country Living magazine which is a little embarrassing because recently they've enlarged the print and they have ads for incontinence and kitty litter.
11) I heart insurance commercials. They're the funniest!
12) I told Zack that someone once told me I would make a good flight attendant and he said "No." I think he thinks that flight attendants are all still slutty.... I think it'd be a cool job if you flew from somewhere cool to somewhere else that was cool.
13) My celebrity crushes do NOT include Edward OR Jacob.
14) They do however include Bear Grylls, Josh Duhamel, Mike Rowe, and Paul Walker.
15) I like daisies best. Simply pretty. And tough.
16) If I could be sure about my financial future I would have at LEAST 4 kids.
17) I would really like to move somewhere other than Durango. But if you read my blog at all you already knew that.
18) My favorite place in the world so far is Santa Barbara, CA.
19) I will do anything to not have to leave my son with a nanny or a sitter or a day care.
20) I'm guilty of watching Desperate Housewives.
21) I really should be cleaning the laundry room or doing the dishes or rearranging the bedroom right now. Oh well...
22) I AM twenty-two.... weird.
23) I used to be the most sensitive person I know and I don't know when that changed but I hardly ever cry. At least not when anyone's looking.
24) I have too much clutter. I'm constantly giving things to the thrift store yet my house doesn't seem any different.
25) The cashier at Walmart yesterday and I have the same exact birthday. I've only ever met one other person in my life with the same exact birthday as me. Weird how I will probably never see that person again and yet I remember them because of that.
26) I think you'd call my home decorating something along the lines of "Whatever-the-hell-I-think-I-like-right-now".
27) I technically have 4 brothers. I also have a sister.
28) I've realized that I AM creative, it's just a matter of laziness to create.
29) I hate the following chores the most: Cleaning the bathroom, doing the dishes, putting away laundry, and grating cheese.
30) The scary thing in my and Zack's relationship is that I'm the financially responsible one.
31) I am a good cook. I've never made anything inedible. Zack says there was one thing I made he didn't like but he can't remember what it was.
32) I've burned bridges that I wish I hadn't.
33) I wish I liked wine. It's supposed to be so good for you and it's a very strong a feminine thing to like. I know it's an acquired taste, so I'll try to acquire it.
34) I strive on chaos. I work best under pressure.
35) I hate the snow. And it's on its way.
36) One reason I didn't go to college is I can't justify paying for school when I can't settle on one thing that I'd like to do!
37) How come all the pretty and cheap houses are in BFE? Because no one wants to live there....
38) I really want and claw foot tub someday.
39) There's no way I'll ever allow a stuffed (as in used-to-be-alive) animal in my house.
40) We didn't get to go to the pumpkin patch this year. And I'm surprised at how much that disappoints me.
41) I wish I could believe in Church enough to go to it. Maybe I just haven't found the right one that speaks to me.
42) Again, there's too much crap in my house.
43) I'll be one of the first people to go up and talk to someone new but I also have terrible stage fright.
44) Zack and I plan on getting tattoos this Christmas.
45) I really would like a personal bookkeeper where I just give her all my money and she pays the bills with it and gives me what's left over. I need structure.
46) I wish I could live in the forties but I wouldn't want to give up modern feminine hygiene products. Have you seen what ladies used to have to do/where??
47) I so love Etsy.
48) If I could afford to go to school I would in a heartbeat. My only hesitation is having to leave Greyson in daycare.
49) I really want to raid my husband's Tshirts so I can cut them up for myself!
50) Right about this time last year I had just found out I was pregnant.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
My Creative Block
So all this late night nursing gives me time to think. But the difference between late night thinking and normal day time thinking is you're half asleep at night, which allows you to think in a different way. Sort of misted over and yet clearer all at the same time. Anyway, during said event I figured out my creative block. I've always been creative, yet everything I do ends up too safe. Like I'd never make anything too bold or wacky because of the looks I'd know I'd recieve. And THAT'S my block. I DO care what other people think. WTH? How'd that happen? But if there's ever a time to stop caring about how people view me it's now because of all the great people I have in my life, and these people just might give me funny looks but they won't change their perception of me. I'm not saying I'm going to go all crazy. I'm just saying that Yes I will wear what I want and Yes I will make a neon quilt if I feel like it. So there.
Now, you'll excuse me, I have a couple hard boiled eggs to eat.
Now, you'll excuse me, I have a couple hard boiled eggs to eat.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Here's the problem...
Alright All, I've been watching House Hunters like crazy and it's so much fun because it gets me motivated to some day own a home of our own. I know we have a few steps to go to get there, but it'll happen. We don't have any rich relatives to help us, or any type of savings or trust funds from being a kid. Neither of us has been to college (more about that later), but both of us are hard workers, and we have to build up/fix our credit. BUT it can happen and it is happening. Anyway, here's the problem living in Durango. THIS is the type of house you can buy here for $150,000....
Totally disappointing. Now, Durango is BEAUTIFUL. Huge mountains (duh, Rockies...), super blue sky, gorgeous seasons (Winter's a little TOO long for me, though), and it's a decent sized town. And THAT'S why it's so expensive to live here. THAT'S why you have to live in a trailer or an apartment if you aren't uber rich. Also, Durango is at least 500 miles from ANYWHERE so if you're going to live here of course your going to pay the cost because you have to, because all around us is either desolate desert or desolate forest.
Ok, back to House Hunters....
House Hunters is awesome because they show you different places of the country and also gives you a glimpse of what you can get for your money in those areas. Now, keep in mind that I've never been East of Colorado, so I don't know what I'm talking about. But this morning I was watching one where a family was relocating from Georgia to Nashville, TN, and I personally am offended that Durango can get away with selling run-down trailers when you can live in a beautiful area for less. Example: THIS is what $150,000 can get you in the Nashville area...
These houses also aren't EVEN $150,000! They're all around $100,000. LAME! They're totally cute! Not huge (I've NEVER wanted a huge house, too much work, and not at all intimate. I'd rather it be super cool and perfect and too big.) But they are all 2 or 3 bedrooms, with 2+ baths. I'm so over Durango.Really the only reason I'm still here is my mom, and Zack. Now, Zack I might be able to convince to move somewhere. I think his main reason for not wanting to move is he's already so established here. Everyone knows him, I think he's sort of afraid to be the new kid. But my mom is a different story. She's a self-proclaimed matriarch. She'd be so mad if we moved. Especially now that we have Greyson. But what am I supposed to do, live somewhere I'm not really into for the rest of my life because it's where my mom is? People grow up and move away from home. My mom moved away from her mom when we moved here. God forbid that I'm 40 before I get the guts to move away from my mom. That's another 20 years of mediocre-ness. I'm not into it. I want to GO. I guess I need to make myself a motivation board or something so I don't lose this steam. That's my problem too. I get all amped up about something (i.e. girlFriday, school, different projects) and then I lose my steam. I don't lose interest in it, I just get lazy. I have to work on that. Maybe we need to save as much money as possible for the next 2 years and see where we are. Maybe I need to by hypnotized to NOT spend money. I'm terrible with "things". I love "things". And that's a problem. In fact I need to get rid of a lot of my "things". I'm selling some stuff on ebay as we speak actually. Ok enough of my tangent. Point is, Durango's ripping us off and I won't stand for it anymore. We're paying in rent what we would be paying on a house payment somewhere else. Sucks. I want out.
So I need ideas! Where would you move if you could move anywhere???
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Original Mrs. M.
Ok, just a short post to say I changed my blog address from o-livejuice to originalmrsm.blogspot.com. Note: the header change, too!
P.S. Look what else I found I can do!
P.S.S. You have to make these cookies! TheGirlWhoAteEverything.blogspot.com
And they come out as pretty as they are yummy!
P.S. Look what else I found I can do!
P.S.S. You have to make these cookies! TheGirlWhoAteEverything.blogspot.com
And they come out as pretty as they are yummy!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Halloween!
So I know it's a little early for a Happy Halloween button but I can't help it! I'm excited! We didn't do Halloween last year because our big "go-out-and-drink" plans couldn't happen because I had just found out we were pregnant! Which is totally ok. But it just means I'm twice as excited for this year AND we have a little someone to dress up! Zack thought I was crazy for wanting to get Greyson a costume since he won't remember it. But let's face it ladies, the first couple years of holidays are for us mommas, right? It's an excuse to make the cutest babies ever even more cute and take tons of pictures. Anyway this year I think the plan is to hang out with our friends and their kiddo... I think I already wrote what Greyson was going to be - Dale Jr.... Not my first choice in costume but we already have the outfit and I have a coordinating outfit too. Plus were so BROKE it's not even funny. I still have girl Friday in the works but I'm also on the lookout for something part-time where I can bring the baby. There was an ad in the paper yesterday about a nanny but they haven't called me back yet :( and today there's an ad that I should call on. Wish me luck!
And have you noticed I went crazy on my blog?? I never knew you could add blinkies and buttons to blogs, honestly I never knew what they were. And thanks to Amy for finally writing/updating her blog for giving me the idea! So now that it's all revamped I'm into blogging again. It's amazing what a fresh coat of paint can inspire. I learned about photobucket and about the character map < that's how I made the little swirly things in my blog header. You just go to the "Search" area on your computer and type in character map and it pulls up all sorts of symbols!
Speaking of "fresh coats of paint", we're swapping Greyson's room with the computer room. The computer room was the bigger room and we thought we had more stuff than Greyson but we were wrong. This kid's stuff has taken over the house and he can't even crawl yet! So anyway we're giving him the bigger room. I'm excited to re-organize and re-arrange everything. We actually probably won't paint it though. Who knows how long we'll live here? I wish we owned a home... My personal goal is to own some type of a home before Greyson's 10.... Ten years suddenly doesn't seem like that much time.
P.S. If you read my blog, please follow it! :( I only have 3 technical followers but I know there's more than that who read this. Because I have a stat counter... ;) Oh and if Valen reads this, I'm surprised you don't have a blog! You're an awesome writer and I know you have stuff to say. And Danielle, does Tony have a blog? He could have one where he can debut his photography! All you people who are reading this you need a blog too so I can follow it!! ♥
And have you noticed I went crazy on my blog?? I never knew you could add blinkies and buttons to blogs, honestly I never knew what they were. And thanks to Amy for finally writing/updating her blog for giving me the idea! So now that it's all revamped I'm into blogging again. It's amazing what a fresh coat of paint can inspire. I learned about photobucket and about the character map < that's how I made the little swirly things in my blog header. You just go to the "Search" area on your computer and type in character map and it pulls up all sorts of symbols!
Speaking of "fresh coats of paint", we're swapping Greyson's room with the computer room. The computer room was the bigger room and we thought we had more stuff than Greyson but we were wrong. This kid's stuff has taken over the house and he can't even crawl yet! So anyway we're giving him the bigger room. I'm excited to re-organize and re-arrange everything. We actually probably won't paint it though. Who knows how long we'll live here? I wish we owned a home... My personal goal is to own some type of a home before Greyson's 10.... Ten years suddenly doesn't seem like that much time.
P.S. If you read my blog, please follow it! :( I only have 3 technical followers but I know there's more than that who read this. Because I have a stat counter... ;) Oh and if Valen reads this, I'm surprised you don't have a blog! You're an awesome writer and I know you have stuff to say. And Danielle, does Tony have a blog? He could have one where he can debut his photography! All you people who are reading this you need a blog too so I can follow it!! ♥
Saturday, September 11, 2010
I know we all "remember" but try to REMEMBER
So gosh I guess it's been 9 years since all of this. I still ws living in Valley Center, CA and I was in 8th grade. I don't even think my alarm had gone off to wake up for school yet and my mom comes bursting in my room in all her tact and softness and says "A plane just crashed into the World Trade Centers!" I didn't even know what a "World Trade Center" was. Then a few minutes later she comes in and says "Another plane just crashed into the other one!" or something like that. She was hearing it on the radio. Then I remember watching CNN in Mr. Marx's class. Not many of the teachers would turn on CNN for us, but Mr. Marx was our history teacher and he thought it was important for us to see it, and I'm glad he let us.
It's totally weird that my son won't remember this. Maybe it's how our moms and dads and grandmas and grandpas feel about us not being able to remember Pearl Harbor. I know what happened, but I'll never feel the way they felt, and I'm sure the same will go for my son. And you never know how much something affected you until it's thrown in your face again. I'm a perfect example.What did little, 14 year old me living in perfect VC care about thousands of people thousands of miles away?
Well if I didn't care then, I sure care now. I just send out loving thoughts to everyone today and especially people who were directly affected by this very sad and moving day. That is to say everyone.
Edit: I've just been watching some more 9/11 videos. And could you imagine not being able to run fast enough? Like in dreams when you just can't make your legs move like you want them to?
Friday, September 10, 2010
Obsessed the movie... and with TV
Have you seen that movie? Obsessed with Ali Larter and Beyonce? It wasn't that great of a movie, but had a Crush feeling to it. Anyway, it was just on Starz and Ali Larter plays this crazy woman who has delusions of being with another man who happens to be Beyonce's husband. I don't know about you but if I was put in that situation where some crazy woman was trying to invade upon my family, I would totally go Beyonce on her and crush her with my chandelier. Beyonce kicked butt there at the end.
Speaking of tough female characters to idolize, what about Gemma and Tara from Sons of Anarchy?
Oh and this season hits home for me especially because Jax Teller's baby got kidnapped last season and their trying to find him this season, and I'm super curious as to what Tara and Gemma is going to do to help, because when it comes to my son I know I would do anything to keep him safe. And I wonder if Jax's ex-wife will ever get back in the picture. That might be interesting drama. She may have left for the 2nd season so she could play the italian mom on Desperate Housewives last year, so maybe she'll be back in Sons this year.
Anyway, just had to share some spur-of-the-moment thoughts...
Love!
I don't know if I could ever be THAT tough but I still think they're cool. Sons sort of re-romanticizes the whole being in love with a bad boy thing. It makes being a part of a gun-running, felony-laced, hard-core-partying, murdering, band of hooligans who have more groups of enemies then they can count on all their toes and fingers combined seem awesomely romantic. Even safe, secure, little ol' me might be tempted to hop on a motorcyle with a gruffion if such a gang existed. But they do lead a very serious life. I think the only time I saw Tara and Gemma have fun was when the shot up the porn star's car. Does anyone else watch this show? It's Season 3 right now and honestly I probably wouldn't've started watching if it wasn't for Zack, but dammit he's got me into it too. It's a pretty good show, they do a good job. But hey, it's Hollywood babe.
Here's a trailer for Sons...
Oh and this season hits home for me especially because Jax Teller's baby got kidnapped last season and their trying to find him this season, and I'm super curious as to what Tara and Gemma is going to do to help, because when it comes to my son I know I would do anything to keep him safe. And I wonder if Jax's ex-wife will ever get back in the picture. That might be interesting drama. She may have left for the 2nd season so she could play the italian mom on Desperate Housewives last year, so maybe she'll be back in Sons this year.
Anyway, just had to share some spur-of-the-moment thoughts...
Love!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
How Did I Get So Lucky?
Month THREE is well under way with being a mom. Greyson is almost 10 weeks old already, and he's just awesome. He sleeps most of the night - only getting up 2x to eat and/or for a change. He rarely cries - only when he's hungry or wants to change position. AND he's super cute! I can't get over it! He also looks like a complete boy. I say this as a mom and as a by-stander with absolute modesty: He's a good lookin' kid. Even with a trail of spit-up down his shirt....
We went to Phoenix about 2 weeks ago and it was Greyson's first plane ride, and he did great! He slept the whole flight there and even though he was awake on the flight home he only fussed once when he was hungry which was easily remedied. After all, aside from all the love what's a new mom if not a wonderfully warm and squishy and more importantly portable vending machine? But the trip was great, Greyson got to meet his AZ Grandparents who loved him and the rest of the AZ family. Almost all the little cousins were there (we missed our cousin from Utah, Henry) and a bunch of other family from Zack's Stepmom Pam. It was her surprise birthday weekend and it was so cool to meet and re-meet the lot of them! We have SEVEN little boys in the family. How cool! Including one who was also born earlier this year, Reid. I'm hoping he and Greyson will be good friends.
Also I've been trying my hand at being a SAHM (stay at home mom) and taking care of Greyson is easy, it's housework that sucks. But I get to spend every second with My Lil Hunny and I'm so grateful. Money's been tight, to say the least. For example we are paying this month's rent in installments (thanks to wonderful landlords). But if all goes as planned I will be working come October. I'm getting a business up and running called girlFriday, Durango. For those of you who don't know what a Girl Friday is, it's a "female assistant with a wide range of duties, a right-hand woman". So basically I'm going to go to different offices and do all their Etc-type work. Like filing, cleaning, errands, data-entry, and whatever else they need me to. The only catch is I'm bringing Greyson with me. Hopefully I'll get a few consistent gigs (that's all I need really). And who knows? Maybe this will just explode with interest and I can hire people. It's perfect for moms with kids they don't want to/can't afford to put into Day Care. Day Care sucks and it's super expensive. I believe it's good for older toddlers though to get socialized but it sucks for moms. So maybe in the future it could be an option, but right now it's totally not in the cards. I'll do what I have to to keep Greyson home/with me. So anyway, if you know of anyone who needs a little help, even if it's a one-time thing, let me know! ;)
Big news! I can fit into my old jeans!! It's so awesome! But I still feel chubby in my face :( but it could be my hair... I'm trying to grow it out but it's at a really odd length. If my Dad is reading this, Yes, I know there's only one way to remedy chubbiness.
And I'm struggling with a Halloween costume for Greyson. I want us to be related somethings. Like my original idea was he was going to be Gingy from Shrek and I'd be Fiona, but I can't find a gingerbread man outfit for the life of me and am having an even harder time finding warm fabric to make his costume. So I've quit on that idea. Then I thought maybe he could be Dale Jr and I could be his pit crew (I have a racergirl costume that I never wore, but I will have to modify it since I'd be walking around with my baby - it might be a little too.... "cute" for a mommy). Somebody gave him a Dale Jr outfit as a babygift. 
Though admittedly we still don't know who it was! We can't figure it out! It just showed up one day with no note or anything or return address (it was delivered right from the company, so who knows...). So if it was you, come forward! I'd love to Thank You for it!
I think Greyson's going to be a righty! He's discovered that he can suck on his fists when his pacifier is MIA and he only sucks on his right one. We thought he might be a lefty since Zack and his mom both were leftys. I guess he still could be but right now all signs point to Right. He's also full of smiles, but they're super hard to catch on camera because the second he sees the camera he gets all serious and focused on what-the-heck-is-mom-pointing-at-me.
But it's so fun to see him smile reactively. He's < > this close to laughing. I can't wait!
Well I guess that's all my news. Which is pretty good for not writing in 2 months. I'll try to be better at it.
Love!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Zackery Greyson is here! A Birth Story...
Our new son, Greyson is finally here. He was born at 40 weeks and 5 days on July 3rd, at 11:12pm. He weighed 7lbs, 15oz and was 20 inches long.
I started having contractions at 2:45am on July 1st and were about 10-15 minutes apart and a minute long. Everyone told me they'd be unmistakable, and they were right. It was kind of like cramping right in between my hips from bone to bone, and my tummy would tighten up harder than it ever did with the Braxton Hicks. It was like all of a sudden there was a huge boulder in my stomach. Though these first contractions were tolerable, I still couldn't sleep through because I was so excited that I was finally having them! So I stayed awake timing them. I didn't tell Zack right away (who was sleeping blissfully unaware) because I wanted him to get some sleep because I was going to need him. But about an hour or two after timing them he woke up by chance and I told him, and then his nerves kicked in and he couldn't sleep either. So we turned on a movie to pass the rest of the night.
Needless to say I didn't go to work, and Zack stayed home until about 9am, and when my contractions were still only about 10-15min apart (the hospital wants them to be 3-5 minutes apart), he went to work. My mom and sister came over and kept me company all day, and my mom took me on a walk which got my contractions to speed up while walking but as soon as we got back home they slowed back down to 10 minutes. They were getting stronger and more painful, but still technically too slow for us to go to the birth center. Finally they sped up to 7 min apart and we went to the hospital around 9pm and they hooked me all up and timed them and checked me. I was only 1cm which was no change from a my doctor's visit a few days before, and my contractions weren't getting any closer together. They called the on call doctor (mine was still out of town) and he told them to tell us to go home since he thought we'd be more comfortable there. I was so frustrated! I hadn't had any sleep since early that morning, and I knew I wouldn't get any sleep tonight, PLUS they were really starting to hurt! And I think that if my own doctor was there he would've come in and induced me since we were going on 24hrs with constant painful contractions. I think the on call doc just didn't want to step on any toes by inducing his partner's patient. So we go home and wait out the night. Zack slept but not me. I tried to sleep in between contractions, but it's really hard to do when you wake up every 7-15 minutes!
So Saturday the 3rd rolls around, I'm cranky, hurting, tired and discouraged. Zack's home with me and we're both trying to catch up on sleep, but really no go for me. These damn contractions were really starting to hurt but since they were still so "far" apart, I put off going to the Birth Center. Finally, at 3pm when I couldn't stand another one without some relief, we went to the hospital. I was so sure they were going to send us back home. No way was I going to be lucky enough to have my baby today, let alone ever (seriously that's how I felt. Like it would never happen). So they hook me up, check me, and I'm at least dilated to 2 1/2cm AND we find out OUR doctor is home! They called him and he told us to take a walk for about an hour and a half and see if that speeds up the contractions or makes me progress any further. An hour and a half later we come back, get hooked back up, and my doctor comes in and I'm at 5 1/2 cm and if he really wanted to he could probably stretch me to 7cm!! He then tells me that we're just going to break my water and get things moving. "But wait!" I say, "Can I get the epidural?" So I get the epidural before he breaks my water and y'all, it was seriously the most awesome thing ever. After 36 hours of contractions, it was bliss not to feel them any more. And it was also the oddest thing too. I thought my whole lower half would be numb to the touch and everything, but I could still move my legs deliberately, feel when someone was touching me, but the only thing I couldn't feel was the pain! I literally had to touch my belly to feel it harden under my hands to know that I had a contraction. The staff was all, "Did you feel that? That was a big one!" Nope, didn't feel it. One minor, minor complication I had was the epidural lowered my blood pressure to about 80/40 or something crazy like that, so they had to give me a shot of ephedrine or epinephrine (I don't know, guess I don't know my drugs) which brought it back to normal. Oh and they gave me a horrible tasting antacid that made me throw up. Anyway.... I tried to sleep, and honestly now I can't remember if I did. But my doctor came back about 2 hours later and checks me again, and I'm a 7, then again a couple hours later and I'm a 9. My mom still laughs at me that I'm on the phone with my grandma talking to her like nothing's happening. She says she'll never recommend a natural med-free birth again. She was amazed by the epidural. So was I!
So about and hour later (or something), Doc comes back and says I'm 9 1/2cm and lets have a baby. He suits up, manually slips the remaining cervix over the baby's head, and we start pushing with each contraction. The first half hour or 45 min were still relatively pain free, then once the baby started getting closer to exiting I could feel it, though it wasn't unbearable. And about that time I got that Urge to Push that so many moms talk about. I just couldn't help it! Sort of like a gag reflex but in reverse? And that's when the baby moved towards us the most. In total I pushed for about an hour and 15 minutes. He was born healthy, a good size and totally adorable. Once he was out they placed him immediately on my tummy and I remember just sort of petting him, vernix-covered and bloody and all. I also remember I didn't say much. I was just so tired, relieved, and happy that I didn't have to say anything. They took him away when I was ready and gave him to Zack for a few minutes. I hope he doesn't mind me sharing that he got emotional the second he was born and he was so in love too. I've got some great first pictures of him and Greyson that the nurse took. Then they weighed him, measured him, gave him a once over and gave him back to me. He was awesome.
My mom and sister came in (during delivery it was me, Doc, the nurse, and Zack. Perfect.) and visited. I think I tried to breastfeed then (again, some of this is foggy, I'm sure partly because the epidural, and partly because I was running on about 6 hours total sleep for the last 48 hours). And let me tell you, it hurt! The kid's got some pull! lol... but it was still great, and great to know that we wouldn't have a problem there.
They kept us the whole next day and night for monitoring, and even though I was there in hospital pain-free, I still didn't sleep much. I just wanted to hold him. And the staff kept having to come in and monitor our vitals, etc.
We got to come home on Monday the 5th, and spent our first day together as a family.
This whole time I never cried except in frustration from the pain. But I think it was Tuesday night when I was looking at my new son and just broke down. I just couldn't believe how much I love him. And it's a completely different kind of love that I've never felt before. He's perfect, he's sweet, he's soft, he's adorable. I cry thinking about him. All of a sudden I'm scared for him to grow! It almost makes me sad that he's already 5 days old. I want to keep him how he is forever, and yet I'm so excited for his future. I know that regardless of his choices he'll be a good soul. I can see it in him. Today he locked eyes with me for a few minutes and that was amazing. It might be silly to think it, but I think he's started to recognize me as family. And I think he recognizes the smell or feel of my skin because when I hold him to it he immediately starts rooting around for a boob, lol... Zack and I pulled out our own infant pictures to compare him to and I think he has Zack head and body, but my eyes, nose, and lips. At the moment his eyes are dark blue, and I'm excited to see if they'll stay blue like Zack's or turn hazel like mine. My ego wants them to turn hazel but I think they'd be so beautiful being the same blue as Zack's. His temperament so far is great, and he's a good sleeper. The first night home was rough, the 2nd was better, and last night was awesome. We went to sleep around 10:30pm, he woke up for boob and a change at 1:30am, and again at 3:30am. And then this morning I actually woke him up at 8am because I knew he needed to be changed and we were going on 5 hours without eating. I probably would've left him asleep if he didn't have a dirty diaper, but I desperately was to avoid diaper rash, especially now while his circumcision is healing. We're going to try a little sponge bath tomorrow, and I'm nervous for it! It'll be fine, but I know he won't like it.
Anyway, I could talk all day about our last few days, but I won't. In short, we're all in love (even the dogs.)
I started having contractions at 2:45am on July 1st and were about 10-15 minutes apart and a minute long. Everyone told me they'd be unmistakable, and they were right. It was kind of like cramping right in between my hips from bone to bone, and my tummy would tighten up harder than it ever did with the Braxton Hicks. It was like all of a sudden there was a huge boulder in my stomach. Though these first contractions were tolerable, I still couldn't sleep through because I was so excited that I was finally having them! So I stayed awake timing them. I didn't tell Zack right away (who was sleeping blissfully unaware) because I wanted him to get some sleep because I was going to need him. But about an hour or two after timing them he woke up by chance and I told him, and then his nerves kicked in and he couldn't sleep either. So we turned on a movie to pass the rest of the night.
Needless to say I didn't go to work, and Zack stayed home until about 9am, and when my contractions were still only about 10-15min apart (the hospital wants them to be 3-5 minutes apart), he went to work. My mom and sister came over and kept me company all day, and my mom took me on a walk which got my contractions to speed up while walking but as soon as we got back home they slowed back down to 10 minutes. They were getting stronger and more painful, but still technically too slow for us to go to the birth center. Finally they sped up to 7 min apart and we went to the hospital around 9pm and they hooked me all up and timed them and checked me. I was only 1cm which was no change from a my doctor's visit a few days before, and my contractions weren't getting any closer together. They called the on call doctor (mine was still out of town) and he told them to tell us to go home since he thought we'd be more comfortable there. I was so frustrated! I hadn't had any sleep since early that morning, and I knew I wouldn't get any sleep tonight, PLUS they were really starting to hurt! And I think that if my own doctor was there he would've come in and induced me since we were going on 24hrs with constant painful contractions. I think the on call doc just didn't want to step on any toes by inducing his partner's patient. So we go home and wait out the night. Zack slept but not me. I tried to sleep in between contractions, but it's really hard to do when you wake up every 7-15 minutes!
So Saturday the 3rd rolls around, I'm cranky, hurting, tired and discouraged. Zack's home with me and we're both trying to catch up on sleep, but really no go for me. These damn contractions were really starting to hurt but since they were still so "far" apart, I put off going to the Birth Center. Finally, at 3pm when I couldn't stand another one without some relief, we went to the hospital. I was so sure they were going to send us back home. No way was I going to be lucky enough to have my baby today, let alone ever (seriously that's how I felt. Like it would never happen). So they hook me up, check me, and I'm at least dilated to 2 1/2cm AND we find out OUR doctor is home! They called him and he told us to take a walk for about an hour and a half and see if that speeds up the contractions or makes me progress any further. An hour and a half later we come back, get hooked back up, and my doctor comes in and I'm at 5 1/2 cm and if he really wanted to he could probably stretch me to 7cm!! He then tells me that we're just going to break my water and get things moving. "But wait!" I say, "Can I get the epidural?" So I get the epidural before he breaks my water and y'all, it was seriously the most awesome thing ever. After 36 hours of contractions, it was bliss not to feel them any more. And it was also the oddest thing too. I thought my whole lower half would be numb to the touch and everything, but I could still move my legs deliberately, feel when someone was touching me, but the only thing I couldn't feel was the pain! I literally had to touch my belly to feel it harden under my hands to know that I had a contraction. The staff was all, "Did you feel that? That was a big one!" Nope, didn't feel it. One minor, minor complication I had was the epidural lowered my blood pressure to about 80/40 or something crazy like that, so they had to give me a shot of ephedrine or epinephrine (I don't know, guess I don't know my drugs) which brought it back to normal. Oh and they gave me a horrible tasting antacid that made me throw up. Anyway.... I tried to sleep, and honestly now I can't remember if I did. But my doctor came back about 2 hours later and checks me again, and I'm a 7, then again a couple hours later and I'm a 9. My mom still laughs at me that I'm on the phone with my grandma talking to her like nothing's happening. She says she'll never recommend a natural med-free birth again. She was amazed by the epidural. So was I!
So about and hour later (or something), Doc comes back and says I'm 9 1/2cm and lets have a baby. He suits up, manually slips the remaining cervix over the baby's head, and we start pushing with each contraction. The first half hour or 45 min were still relatively pain free, then once the baby started getting closer to exiting I could feel it, though it wasn't unbearable. And about that time I got that Urge to Push that so many moms talk about. I just couldn't help it! Sort of like a gag reflex but in reverse? And that's when the baby moved towards us the most. In total I pushed for about an hour and 15 minutes. He was born healthy, a good size and totally adorable. Once he was out they placed him immediately on my tummy and I remember just sort of petting him, vernix-covered and bloody and all. I also remember I didn't say much. I was just so tired, relieved, and happy that I didn't have to say anything. They took him away when I was ready and gave him to Zack for a few minutes. I hope he doesn't mind me sharing that he got emotional the second he was born and he was so in love too. I've got some great first pictures of him and Greyson that the nurse took. Then they weighed him, measured him, gave him a once over and gave him back to me. He was awesome.
My mom and sister came in (during delivery it was me, Doc, the nurse, and Zack. Perfect.) and visited. I think I tried to breastfeed then (again, some of this is foggy, I'm sure partly because the epidural, and partly because I was running on about 6 hours total sleep for the last 48 hours). And let me tell you, it hurt! The kid's got some pull! lol... but it was still great, and great to know that we wouldn't have a problem there.
They kept us the whole next day and night for monitoring, and even though I was there in hospital pain-free, I still didn't sleep much. I just wanted to hold him. And the staff kept having to come in and monitor our vitals, etc.
We got to come home on Monday the 5th, and spent our first day together as a family.
This whole time I never cried except in frustration from the pain. But I think it was Tuesday night when I was looking at my new son and just broke down. I just couldn't believe how much I love him. And it's a completely different kind of love that I've never felt before. He's perfect, he's sweet, he's soft, he's adorable. I cry thinking about him. All of a sudden I'm scared for him to grow! It almost makes me sad that he's already 5 days old. I want to keep him how he is forever, and yet I'm so excited for his future. I know that regardless of his choices he'll be a good soul. I can see it in him. Today he locked eyes with me for a few minutes and that was amazing. It might be silly to think it, but I think he's started to recognize me as family. And I think he recognizes the smell or feel of my skin because when I hold him to it he immediately starts rooting around for a boob, lol... Zack and I pulled out our own infant pictures to compare him to and I think he has Zack head and body, but my eyes, nose, and lips. At the moment his eyes are dark blue, and I'm excited to see if they'll stay blue like Zack's or turn hazel like mine. My ego wants them to turn hazel but I think they'd be so beautiful being the same blue as Zack's. His temperament so far is great, and he's a good sleeper. The first night home was rough, the 2nd was better, and last night was awesome. We went to sleep around 10:30pm, he woke up for boob and a change at 1:30am, and again at 3:30am. And then this morning I actually woke him up at 8am because I knew he needed to be changed and we were going on 5 hours without eating. I probably would've left him asleep if he didn't have a dirty diaper, but I desperately was to avoid diaper rash, especially now while his circumcision is healing. We're going to try a little sponge bath tomorrow, and I'm nervous for it! It'll be fine, but I know he won't like it.
Anyway, I could talk all day about our last few days, but I won't. In short, we're all in love (even the dogs.)
Monday, June 28, 2010
Last Post Before I'm a Mom! *GASP!*
Well, at least I hope it's the last post!
We'll be 40 weeks tomorrow and I'm getting soooo anxious to meet our son (still sort of weird saying that!) I can't remember if I mentioned it in my last post but we decided on a name: Zackery Greyson, and we'll call him Greyson! I'm excited to see who he looks like. I hope he has Zack's hair. I was born bald but Zack had the cutest fuzz :).
Of course, like all baby stories, thigns haven't gone quite as planned. My doctor, whom I've had since the beginning, told me in April that'd he'd be gone some time in June, but come to find out he meant he'd be gone for weeks 39 and 40 :(. I was pretty bummed about it at first, but really I'm ok with it. I had my first appointment with his back up doctor last Wednesday and I like him. He has "lady hands" lol, which I take to mean he's gentle. At least I hope so! Plus, I know for the most part you should care who your nurses are in the hospital, because they're the ones who'll be checking on you and hanging aroudn most often. BUT if Greyson decides to lead me on even further and doesn't come until next week, I'm pretty sure my original doctor will be back!
So as of last week, I had no cervical progress from the week prior. I was still 1cm and 70% effaced. Which is better the totally closed up and long still, but I had hoped to be a little more dilated. I know technically it doesn't mean anything really; a woman can walk around being 4cm for weeks before her baby comes and on the flip side a woman can be totally closed up until labor starts. But still, it's nice to know something's been happening. I've been having lots and lots of Braxton Hicks contractions. They aren't painful but they're pretty much constant now. And I've had more pressure since the baby's getting lower. Today's been the first day when I've thought that labor could be close. I just feel sort of "off", and my back's been achy and sort of crampy all day. I don't know. It could just be me wanting to see something that's not there yet. I do have another doctor's appointment set for Wednesday and am going to ask them their policies on induction. After all this time I guess I always figured I'd deliver early so induction was never something I really thought about. I can go 41 weeks but I'll be so mad if I have to go 42+! PLUS my Dad and Snoopy in on the 8th and will be here for 5 days. I'll be so sad if they come all the way out here and there's no baby to show them! Fortunately, I don't think that'll happen, but it's always a possibility.
All of the older moms in my life (well and I know a few younger moms, too) have been telling me that I have to nest first before the baby will come. They are all telling me that they scrubbed their kitchen floor like maniacs the day before they delivered. And they say it won't matter how clean the house is before that happens or how tired, etc, that'll I'll still do it. I just don't know! I feel like I've been nesting pretty much nonstop for the last couple weeks! I tell them I'm a sporatic nester. You know, I'll tackle one odd-ball project at a time. And what's more, is I've KEPT things clean, lol.... Those of you who know me well know that I'm pretty disorganized (though I CAN tell you where everything is!). I just can't see myself driving home from work (yep, still working) with an insatiable urge to scrub my ceiling. But maybe it'll hit me, and everyone can tell me they told me so. I also think that I might not get hit with the extra burst of energy since I've been working, then coming home and cleaning a little something and making dinner and then going to be only to wake up at 5am the next morning. Who knows?
I don't mean to sound like a super-mom-woman, that title I still reserve for my sister-in-law Amy, who worked HARD up until delivery of her last baby and then went back to work as soon as her job would let her. No. Last week I worked half-days and am planning on doing the same this week. I'm just so tired lately that I need a nap in the afternoon! Plus we hired a new lady to take over my spot so there's not a lot for me to do. I have to talk to Zack about it still, but I think this might be my last week there anyway (if I make it all week). And if Greyson still isn't here by next Thursday I'm not going to work since my dad will be here.
As for what we're planning on doing after the baby? I'm taking at least 3 months off from working, and then hopefully will find something part time (again, my mom might have a job for me where I could bring the baby, or there's another doctor's office in town who's expressed interest in hiring me, OR I know my current office would take me back, OR I'll try and find something in the evening so Zack can watch the baby while I'm out). I refuse to pay for DayCare though. Maybe I'll be eating my words, but we'll see. The only option I see where I would pay daycare is if I worked at this other office in town, since they only work Tues, Weds, Thurs, and Zack has Weds off anyway, so I'd only have to find something on Tues and Thurs. I need to make friends with more local mommies so we can swap kids when we have to work! I need to find a cool mommy group.... (*ahem Beth!* lol, we seriously need to get that going....)
My mom calls me at least 2x a day now, just to check how I'm feeling, and sometimes I'll call her an extra time. My poor mom has an unfounded fear that we're going to forget to call her when we go into labor. Seriously, what girl who has a decent relationship with their mom is going to forget to call her? We need our mommies when we become mommies! And she has this other fear that she won't hear the phone ring or something, so she's also given me the neighbor's phone numbers, just in case. lol....
Let's see, what else? I can't reach my toes anymore to paint them, so I've been splurging and getting pedicures. That's so nice! It'll probably be the last time for let's see, about 18 years? :D. Oh and I've bought a Cinch *sheepishly hides her face*. It was a little expensive, but all the other post pregnancy belly binders I looked at you had to buy a couple of sizes once your tummy starts shrinking, and this one is adjustable, so I thought it's worth it. And if it doesn't work, I'll sell it on ebay. TONS of girls buy these, I know for a fact. But if it DOES work, you best believe I'll be posting postpartum pictures of my belly.
To wrap up, we're all nervous, excited, anxious, ready, NOT ready, worried, happy, and just SO ready to meet this little person we've been thinking about for the last 9 months.
We'll be 40 weeks tomorrow and I'm getting soooo anxious to meet our son (still sort of weird saying that!) I can't remember if I mentioned it in my last post but we decided on a name: Zackery Greyson, and we'll call him Greyson! I'm excited to see who he looks like. I hope he has Zack's hair. I was born bald but Zack had the cutest fuzz :).
Of course, like all baby stories, thigns haven't gone quite as planned. My doctor, whom I've had since the beginning, told me in April that'd he'd be gone some time in June, but come to find out he meant he'd be gone for weeks 39 and 40 :(. I was pretty bummed about it at first, but really I'm ok with it. I had my first appointment with his back up doctor last Wednesday and I like him. He has "lady hands" lol, which I take to mean he's gentle. At least I hope so! Plus, I know for the most part you should care who your nurses are in the hospital, because they're the ones who'll be checking on you and hanging aroudn most often. BUT if Greyson decides to lead me on even further and doesn't come until next week, I'm pretty sure my original doctor will be back!
So as of last week, I had no cervical progress from the week prior. I was still 1cm and 70% effaced. Which is better the totally closed up and long still, but I had hoped to be a little more dilated. I know technically it doesn't mean anything really; a woman can walk around being 4cm for weeks before her baby comes and on the flip side a woman can be totally closed up until labor starts. But still, it's nice to know something's been happening. I've been having lots and lots of Braxton Hicks contractions. They aren't painful but they're pretty much constant now. And I've had more pressure since the baby's getting lower. Today's been the first day when I've thought that labor could be close. I just feel sort of "off", and my back's been achy and sort of crampy all day. I don't know. It could just be me wanting to see something that's not there yet. I do have another doctor's appointment set for Wednesday and am going to ask them their policies on induction. After all this time I guess I always figured I'd deliver early so induction was never something I really thought about. I can go 41 weeks but I'll be so mad if I have to go 42+! PLUS my Dad and Snoopy in on the 8th and will be here for 5 days. I'll be so sad if they come all the way out here and there's no baby to show them! Fortunately, I don't think that'll happen, but it's always a possibility.
All of the older moms in my life (well and I know a few younger moms, too) have been telling me that I have to nest first before the baby will come. They are all telling me that they scrubbed their kitchen floor like maniacs the day before they delivered. And they say it won't matter how clean the house is before that happens or how tired, etc, that'll I'll still do it. I just don't know! I feel like I've been nesting pretty much nonstop for the last couple weeks! I tell them I'm a sporatic nester. You know, I'll tackle one odd-ball project at a time. And what's more, is I've KEPT things clean, lol.... Those of you who know me well know that I'm pretty disorganized (though I CAN tell you where everything is!). I just can't see myself driving home from work (yep, still working) with an insatiable urge to scrub my ceiling. But maybe it'll hit me, and everyone can tell me they told me so. I also think that I might not get hit with the extra burst of energy since I've been working, then coming home and cleaning a little something and making dinner and then going to be only to wake up at 5am the next morning. Who knows?
I don't mean to sound like a super-mom-woman, that title I still reserve for my sister-in-law Amy, who worked HARD up until delivery of her last baby and then went back to work as soon as her job would let her. No. Last week I worked half-days and am planning on doing the same this week. I'm just so tired lately that I need a nap in the afternoon! Plus we hired a new lady to take over my spot so there's not a lot for me to do. I have to talk to Zack about it still, but I think this might be my last week there anyway (if I make it all week). And if Greyson still isn't here by next Thursday I'm not going to work since my dad will be here.
As for what we're planning on doing after the baby? I'm taking at least 3 months off from working, and then hopefully will find something part time (again, my mom might have a job for me where I could bring the baby, or there's another doctor's office in town who's expressed interest in hiring me, OR I know my current office would take me back, OR I'll try and find something in the evening so Zack can watch the baby while I'm out). I refuse to pay for DayCare though. Maybe I'll be eating my words, but we'll see. The only option I see where I would pay daycare is if I worked at this other office in town, since they only work Tues, Weds, Thurs, and Zack has Weds off anyway, so I'd only have to find something on Tues and Thurs. I need to make friends with more local mommies so we can swap kids when we have to work! I need to find a cool mommy group.... (*ahem Beth!* lol, we seriously need to get that going....)
My mom calls me at least 2x a day now, just to check how I'm feeling, and sometimes I'll call her an extra time. My poor mom has an unfounded fear that we're going to forget to call her when we go into labor. Seriously, what girl who has a decent relationship with their mom is going to forget to call her? We need our mommies when we become mommies! And she has this other fear that she won't hear the phone ring or something, so she's also given me the neighbor's phone numbers, just in case. lol....
Let's see, what else? I can't reach my toes anymore to paint them, so I've been splurging and getting pedicures. That's so nice! It'll probably be the last time for let's see, about 18 years? :D. Oh and I've bought a Cinch *sheepishly hides her face*. It was a little expensive, but all the other post pregnancy belly binders I looked at you had to buy a couple of sizes once your tummy starts shrinking, and this one is adjustable, so I thought it's worth it. And if it doesn't work, I'll sell it on ebay. TONS of girls buy these, I know for a fact. But if it DOES work, you best believe I'll be posting postpartum pictures of my belly.
To wrap up, we're all nervous, excited, anxious, ready, NOT ready, worried, happy, and just SO ready to meet this little person we've been thinking about for the last 9 months.
Friday, May 14, 2010
33 Weeks! Holy Cow!
So I had another Doctor's appointment on Tuesday and everything's still going smoothly.
The baby's head is now "in position" (head down) which means these last few weeks what I thought was his head at the top of my belly has actually been his little bottom/feet/knees! And Dr. Lavengood showed me how and where to feel his head and that was so cool; his head definitely feels different than his bottom.
I've gained a total of 26lbs so far, and I feel good with that. I have 7 weeks left so I'm thinking I'll gain a total of 35ish? That's what I'm hoping anyway. BUT my Doctor did say that he thinks maybe I'm eating too much salt... which I'm not sure if I've been eating saltier foods! I hadn't noticed any change in my eating habits since I'd seen him a month ago. He's thinking maybe that's what it is since I gained 7lbs but my belly growth hasn't changed. I guess I've gotten slightly puffy within the last couple weeks (I'm wearing a subsitute wedding ring because my real one is tight on me!) So bottom line is I have to watch my salt intake :(. Other than that everything's normal.
I asked him about the vernix (the white sort of cheesey coating that covers the baby's skin when they're born). I had to ask him what do we do with that because my mom said that rubbing in the vernix makes the baby not peel, whereas when you wipe it off they'll peel. Well Doc said that the reason babies peel is because when they were in the womb their skin is made for life in a moist environment, and when they come out the shed that skin and get the dry environment skin. Interesting. Thought I'd share!
Zack and I have also decided that it's just going to be me and him in the delivery room (and the Doctor and his nurses.) Originally I had wanted my mom in there and my sister but I'm glad Zack suggested it just be us. It'll be a lot more personal and special (not to sound too cliche.)
And my work put an ad in the paper today for my replacement :(. I know they'd love to keep me but I still want longer than 6 weeks of maternity leave (that's all they'll give me) and if we can live off of one income I'd love to do that. So it's really only fair to step down. I knew they were placing an ad this week but it's still weird. It's like "What, you don't like me enough to wait for me to come back indefinitely??" lol.... I'm still working up until my due date though and hopefully they can hire someone before June so I can train her and then not worry about going into labor.
Oh and Zack and I signed up for childbirth classes. I'm actually kind of excited. I hope we make it the whole 4 weeks since we don't start until June 1st and the last class is exactly a week before my due date. And yesterday I had my first "you'll never make it to forty weeks" comment! She thinks I'll only go 38weeks which I really hope I got longer because my doctor is supposed to be gone for week in June (though I'm not exactly sure when yet.) I know his back-up doctor is awesome but I'd really prefer my own.
Anyway, I'll post a new picture soon.... Maybe tonight since we're going to dinner and I'll be all cleaned up. :)
The baby's head is now "in position" (head down) which means these last few weeks what I thought was his head at the top of my belly has actually been his little bottom/feet/knees! And Dr. Lavengood showed me how and where to feel his head and that was so cool; his head definitely feels different than his bottom.
I've gained a total of 26lbs so far, and I feel good with that. I have 7 weeks left so I'm thinking I'll gain a total of 35ish? That's what I'm hoping anyway. BUT my Doctor did say that he thinks maybe I'm eating too much salt... which I'm not sure if I've been eating saltier foods! I hadn't noticed any change in my eating habits since I'd seen him a month ago. He's thinking maybe that's what it is since I gained 7lbs but my belly growth hasn't changed. I guess I've gotten slightly puffy within the last couple weeks (I'm wearing a subsitute wedding ring because my real one is tight on me!) So bottom line is I have to watch my salt intake :(. Other than that everything's normal.
I asked him about the vernix (the white sort of cheesey coating that covers the baby's skin when they're born). I had to ask him what do we do with that because my mom said that rubbing in the vernix makes the baby not peel, whereas when you wipe it off they'll peel. Well Doc said that the reason babies peel is because when they were in the womb their skin is made for life in a moist environment, and when they come out the shed that skin and get the dry environment skin. Interesting. Thought I'd share!
Zack and I have also decided that it's just going to be me and him in the delivery room (and the Doctor and his nurses.) Originally I had wanted my mom in there and my sister but I'm glad Zack suggested it just be us. It'll be a lot more personal and special (not to sound too cliche.)
And my work put an ad in the paper today for my replacement :(. I know they'd love to keep me but I still want longer than 6 weeks of maternity leave (that's all they'll give me) and if we can live off of one income I'd love to do that. So it's really only fair to step down. I knew they were placing an ad this week but it's still weird. It's like "What, you don't like me enough to wait for me to come back indefinitely??" lol.... I'm still working up until my due date though and hopefully they can hire someone before June so I can train her and then not worry about going into labor.
Oh and Zack and I signed up for childbirth classes. I'm actually kind of excited. I hope we make it the whole 4 weeks since we don't start until June 1st and the last class is exactly a week before my due date. And yesterday I had my first "you'll never make it to forty weeks" comment! She thinks I'll only go 38weeks which I really hope I got longer because my doctor is supposed to be gone for week in June (though I'm not exactly sure when yet.) I know his back-up doctor is awesome but I'd really prefer my own.
Anyway, I'll post a new picture soon.... Maybe tonight since we're going to dinner and I'll be all cleaned up. :)
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Stretch Marks are Sexy, and You Ain't Never Seen a Penguin Move Like This...
Also titled: Things Mommies Tell Themselves
Since about February I'd been slathering on the Cocoa Butter all over my tummy. I know scientifically no creams or oils or butter really help, and that if you're destined for stretch marks then you can't do anything about it. But hey, a girl's gotta try, right? Well it seems to have worked! I have NO stretch marks whatsoever on my tummy *knock on wood*!
However...
I DO have stretch marks on my butt, thighs, and boobs!! And I won't apologize for TMI---I'm pregnant, EVERYTHING is TMI. I'd like to think that there are people out there with perfect images and perceptions of me, and if there truly was I know I just ruined it for them. I should've pretty much been bathing in Cocoa Butter since my half way mark! Ugh, I hope they fade. Some girls say that they do. Maybe after the baby I can go tan them away? It'd be the first shot of Vitamin D my stems have seen in about a year though, so we'll see how they absorb the sunlight....
And thanks to my enlarging uterus, I've developed sciatica!! So now I'm a waddlepotamus. My hip kills me all day long but it's worse in the mornings when I get out of bed. I've ordered prenatal pilates and prenatal yoga DVDs but they're not here yet. But you best believe the minute they're here I'll be rolling on the floor trying to stretch my stretched-out-yet-compressed-all-the-same body.
As of my last appointment in April (about 3 weeks ago) I had gained a total of 19 lbs, and I bet I've gained at least another 8 (I don't have scale at home, so tune in on the 11th to see the new weight gain). And yes, I feel lucky most of it is in my belly, but I know I've gained it elsewhere i.e. my face, arms, and legs. But for a pregnant chick, I think I'm doing fine. But I still don't like myself in pictures and if I do it's only because I look less chubby.
Amidst all this, I have solidified my excitement about this little baby. My future hooligan. He's going to be adorable and great, and a troublemaker and I'm happy for that! We're not much closer deciding on a name but really we haven't talked about it much in the last couple of weeks, but it's been brought up again a few times lately. We also have the crib set up and his room is on a roll, but not quite finished. But the good news is if he was born today he'd have a bed to come home to.
Oh and one of my newest friends has become one of my best friends and she threw me a baby shower about 2 weeks ago and it was so much fun! She posted a little story and some pictures about it on her blog. And to top it all off one of my best friends Britney came all the way from Montana to see me!We still need a few more outfits and a couple sleepers, and just a couple of nicknack things that are nice to have. The biggest thing still is the travel system we still need to get. I'm thinking of taking a trip to Farmington (Beth if you're reading this, want to go?) towards the end of May to get it.
Slowly but surely Operation: Ready or Not is taking shape!
Since about February I'd been slathering on the Cocoa Butter all over my tummy. I know scientifically no creams or oils or butter really help, and that if you're destined for stretch marks then you can't do anything about it. But hey, a girl's gotta try, right? Well it seems to have worked! I have NO stretch marks whatsoever on my tummy *knock on wood*!
However...
I DO have stretch marks on my butt, thighs, and boobs!! And I won't apologize for TMI---I'm pregnant, EVERYTHING is TMI. I'd like to think that there are people out there with perfect images and perceptions of me, and if there truly was I know I just ruined it for them. I should've pretty much been bathing in Cocoa Butter since my half way mark! Ugh, I hope they fade. Some girls say that they do. Maybe after the baby I can go tan them away? It'd be the first shot of Vitamin D my stems have seen in about a year though, so we'll see how they absorb the sunlight....
And thanks to my enlarging uterus, I've developed sciatica!! So now I'm a waddlepotamus. My hip kills me all day long but it's worse in the mornings when I get out of bed. I've ordered prenatal pilates and prenatal yoga DVDs but they're not here yet. But you best believe the minute they're here I'll be rolling on the floor trying to stretch my stretched-out-yet-compressed-all-the-same body.
As of my last appointment in April (about 3 weeks ago) I had gained a total of 19 lbs, and I bet I've gained at least another 8 (I don't have scale at home, so tune in on the 11th to see the new weight gain). And yes, I feel lucky most of it is in my belly, but I know I've gained it elsewhere i.e. my face, arms, and legs. But for a pregnant chick, I think I'm doing fine. But I still don't like myself in pictures and if I do it's only because I look less chubby.
Amidst all this, I have solidified my excitement about this little baby. My future hooligan. He's going to be adorable and great, and a troublemaker and I'm happy for that! We're not much closer deciding on a name but really we haven't talked about it much in the last couple of weeks, but it's been brought up again a few times lately. We also have the crib set up and his room is on a roll, but not quite finished. But the good news is if he was born today he'd have a bed to come home to.
Oh and one of my newest friends has become one of my best friends and she threw me a baby shower about 2 weeks ago and it was so much fun! She posted a little story and some pictures about it on her blog. And to top it all off one of my best friends Britney came all the way from Montana to see me!We still need a few more outfits and a couple sleepers, and just a couple of nicknack things that are nice to have. The biggest thing still is the travel system we still need to get. I'm thinking of taking a trip to Farmington (Beth if you're reading this, want to go?) towards the end of May to get it.
Slowly but surely Operation: Ready or Not is taking shape!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
27 Weeks
I bought this body suit a week or so ago as a "Coming Home" outfit and it finally came today! I'm so excited about it I have to share it! It's from BabyGap...
Other than that I don't have much news. I'm apart of a Birth Club on BabyCenter.com and a couple of those girls have had their babies prematurely, and one of them was born at 28 weeks, which is what our baby will be next week. And I'm happy to say that baby is doing great though he still needs a lot of medical attention. But the girl posts pictures of him when she can and updates us all and it's amazing for me to think that my baby probably doesn't look much different than hers! It's really, really neat to be able to see real pictures of real babies, though I know it's not a good situation for the baby and their parents. I'm just amazed at life, I guess.
The coolest thing lately is the baby's movements are more deliberate and less spastic, so when he moves it's slower and I can actually press against my belly and feel him back! It's the neatest thing. I don't really know what body part it is I'm touching but they feel like feet or elbows or knees. I'm pretty sure though his head is pointed down like in our last ultrasound and his hands and feet are still on my left with his back on my right like in the ultrasound. Mostly because I only seem to feel him move on my left.
So next week I will officially be starting my 7th month and third and final trimester, which I'm super excited for. And no, I don't think about the labor and delivery part much. But I know I can do it. April starts on Thursday which I'm excited for but also nervous about because I know April is going to FLY by! I have something happening every single weekend in April, so April will be over by tomorrow. And everything's still pretty easy. I can still sleep, though if the baby gets all hyper right before bed it takes awhile because he's jumping around. Usually though he seems to operate on my schedule. I haven't gotten up to eat in the middle of the night and usually only make one bathroom trip at night. I guess that might change soon though; I get bigger every second.
Anyway, if anything new happens, I will post again!
Oh and Zack and I both are still leaning towards Zackery Lane as his name! :)
I also made him a little knitted beanie. I know it will be almost July when he comes home but I still made one. And it really wasn't that hard! I'm proud of myself!
The coolest thing lately is the baby's movements are more deliberate and less spastic, so when he moves it's slower and I can actually press against my belly and feel him back! It's the neatest thing. I don't really know what body part it is I'm touching but they feel like feet or elbows or knees. I'm pretty sure though his head is pointed down like in our last ultrasound and his hands and feet are still on my left with his back on my right like in the ultrasound. Mostly because I only seem to feel him move on my left.
So next week I will officially be starting my 7th month and third and final trimester, which I'm super excited for. And no, I don't think about the labor and delivery part much. But I know I can do it. April starts on Thursday which I'm excited for but also nervous about because I know April is going to FLY by! I have something happening every single weekend in April, so April will be over by tomorrow. And everything's still pretty easy. I can still sleep, though if the baby gets all hyper right before bed it takes awhile because he's jumping around. Usually though he seems to operate on my schedule. I haven't gotten up to eat in the middle of the night and usually only make one bathroom trip at night. I guess that might change soon though; I get bigger every second.
Anyway, if anything new happens, I will post again!
Oh and Zack and I both are still leaning towards Zackery Lane as his name! :)
Monday, March 22, 2010
March 22nd, 2010
We had our 2nd ultrasound today! I thought the only reason we were doing it was because last time they couldn't get a good picture of Baby Zack's heart because he wouldn't cooperate. But my doctor told me also they wanted to make sure the placenta's moved up and away from the cervix (which it did). Sometimes the placenta will stay too close or cover the cervix which isn't good because then the baby can't come out the natural way, meaning I'd need a C-Section which I so don't want. Anyway, baby's heart looks good and the placenta's nice and far away. I guess I'll know for sure at my next doctor's appointment that everything went ok since the ultrasound tech can't technically diagnose anything, but she seemed pretty confident! My doctor's office measured me due June 29th, and at my first ultrasound they measured the baby due July 2nd and this time she measured him due July 3rd, so we're all pretty much right on track! It'd be so fun if he was born on the 4th of July, or if he's born on July 5th he'll have the same birthday as his Aunt Amy (I think)! Either way, I'm happy for a summer baby; better weather for birthday parties!
I've gained 14 lbs total as of last Monday which I think is good, and Baby weighs 1 lb, 11oz as of today. As far as how I'm feeling I feel pretty great! I do get more heartburn if I eat or drink something sweet (I don't know if it's true but Wive's Tales say that means the baby will have hair? We'll see!) He moves around all the time and it's so fun to watch my belly bump and jump and roll. Sleeping is still pretty easy, but I've had to find new positions to sleep in. I used to sleep on my belly a lot but can't do that anymore! Also I'm not supposed to sleep on my back because the baby and the uterus could crush arteries and organs = no bueno. So I'm constantly rolling from side to side or propping my self up against Zack so I'm sort of on my back but sort of not. Oh and my skin is finally calming down from its freak-out earlier in the pregnancy which I'm grateful for, and no stretch-marks have shown themselves yet.
Oh and names! Zack and I finally have a list of names that we both like. For now I'm just calling him Baby Zack but again we'll call him by his middle name once he have one chosen. We like Brooks, Lane, Rylan(d), and.... oh crap I forgot the others.... Hmmm, there's 2 more. Oh well, I'll have to find my list at home. Lane and Brooks are my favorites right now, anyway! But I'm guessing this baby won't have a final name until he's born, which is ok.
And you may have already seen these on Facebook but here's his newest portraits!
I've gained 14 lbs total as of last Monday which I think is good, and Baby weighs 1 lb, 11oz as of today. As far as how I'm feeling I feel pretty great! I do get more heartburn if I eat or drink something sweet (I don't know if it's true but Wive's Tales say that means the baby will have hair? We'll see!) He moves around all the time and it's so fun to watch my belly bump and jump and roll. Sleeping is still pretty easy, but I've had to find new positions to sleep in. I used to sleep on my belly a lot but can't do that anymore! Also I'm not supposed to sleep on my back because the baby and the uterus could crush arteries and organs = no bueno. So I'm constantly rolling from side to side or propping my self up against Zack so I'm sort of on my back but sort of not. Oh and my skin is finally calming down from its freak-out earlier in the pregnancy which I'm grateful for, and no stretch-marks have shown themselves yet.
Oh and names! Zack and I finally have a list of names that we both like. For now I'm just calling him Baby Zack but again we'll call him by his middle name once he have one chosen. We like Brooks, Lane, Rylan(d), and.... oh crap I forgot the others.... Hmmm, there's 2 more. Oh well, I'll have to find my list at home. Lane and Brooks are my favorites right now, anyway! But I'm guessing this baby won't have a final name until he's born, which is ok.
And you may have already seen these on Facebook but here's his newest portraits!
smiling!
profile
foot
This means it's a boy! :)
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Baby Names
So Zack and I are having a hard time with this little boy's name. It will for sure be Zackery "blank" Maxedon and we'll call him by his middle name, but we can't agree on one!! So here's my list. What do you think? Please let me know! When Zack has a list I will combine them or put his up here and see what happens...
Zackery Blake
Zackery Isaac
Zackery Cash
Zackery Brooks
Zackery Bennett
Zackery Calvin
Zackery Breandan
Zackery Courter
Zackery Kyle
Zackery Adam
Zackery Cole
Zackery Ryder
Zackery Silas
Zackery Carter
Help!..................................................................................................................................................
Zackery Blake
Zackery Isaac
Zackery Cash
Zackery Brooks
Zackery Bennett
Zackery Calvin
Zackery Breandan
Zackery Courter
Zackery Kyle
Zackery Adam
Zackery Cole
Zackery Ryder
Zackery Silas
Zackery Carter
Help!..................................................................................................................................................
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Baby, Baby, Baby...
So I'm sorry everything I write about is Baby Stuff, but it's all I really have going on! I mean, what other event could overshadow creating a human to care for? And I'm super excited, so there. :)
My friend Beth (who's become a really, really, super great friend) and I went to the Humane Society Thrift Store yesterday to look for stuff for the baby shower. (Beth has awesomely taken on the Baby Shower Hostess title. I couldn't be more grateful or more excited to have her do it. Like I said, she's pretty cool! Plus she's letting me be a little involved which is a lot of fun for me because it's giving me something to do towards the baby since I can't really get a nursery going yet because we are probably moving very soon, so I can't get stuff set up.) So we're doing a Mad Hatter/Alice in Wonderland/Tea Party themed shower so we went to the thrift store to find tea cups and silverware and other stuff that could be used as favors or decorations or whatever. It was so much fun! I'm not sure I've ever had that much fun at a thrift store before. Maybe it was because she let me talk a lot....
But we're going to go check out the Apple Orchard Inn tomorrow afternoon in hopes that it might be a good place to hold the shower. The owner said she'd let us use her living room if we wanted. Plus I think we should look at the cottages around the property. It's not expensive and it looks pretty. But I've never seen it in person, so we'll see. But if anyone has any other ideas for locations to hold a small party, let me know!
And we went and looked at another rental today. "Eh" is all I have to say. Part of me wants it just because it's a solid place, but the other more logical part of me has overpowered my need to move. This place was very small, is kind of too far from town, would need a little bit of work, and plus we don't have to move this very second. So we're going to keep looking. And we upped our price range so that should open a lot of doors. I really want to look into Three Springs. That'd be perfect! Not to mention we'd literally be right next door the hospital. I could probably walk there when I go into labor! Well, depending on the intensity of the labor, I guess.
Oh! And Zack's stepmom bought him and his dad NASCAR tickets for Zack's birthday weekend (the weekend of April 10th) in Phoenix! It was kind of a secrety while she and I got everything set up so Zack wouldn't be a pill, but it's done and he seems excited! I'm excited to go on a little trip. Zack and I have actually never been anywhere together. Well once to Pagosa, but that's nothing. So we're going to rent a car, and bring some cash, and get a hotel for a night or two and make a mini-vacation out of it. My friend Erin has agreed to house sit and dogsit for us which I'm thankful for, and I got Zack the OK for time off from work. So, we're going!
My tummy's getting bigger every week, which you think you expect until it starts happening. But it's been really cool. And the baby's bones are hardening and he's getting stronger so it feels like I can fell specific body parts (though I can't tell which ones) are moving around. That's been fun. And it's weird to look at your belly and watch it ripple and move without you physically doing it. Someone else is! I wonder how much weight I've gained? At my last appointment (I think I was 20 weeks, currently am almost 23 weeks) I had only gained 6 lbs total, and I was just starting to "pop out". But since then my tummy's really starting to look pregnant. If I had to guess, I'd say that I've gained at least an additional 5ish lbs since then. Guess I should invest in a scale!
I guess that's everything. :)
My friend Beth (who's become a really, really, super great friend) and I went to the Humane Society Thrift Store yesterday to look for stuff for the baby shower. (Beth has awesomely taken on the Baby Shower Hostess title. I couldn't be more grateful or more excited to have her do it. Like I said, she's pretty cool! Plus she's letting me be a little involved which is a lot of fun for me because it's giving me something to do towards the baby since I can't really get a nursery going yet because we are probably moving very soon, so I can't get stuff set up.) So we're doing a Mad Hatter/Alice in Wonderland/Tea Party themed shower so we went to the thrift store to find tea cups and silverware and other stuff that could be used as favors or decorations or whatever. It was so much fun! I'm not sure I've ever had that much fun at a thrift store before. Maybe it was because she let me talk a lot....
But we're going to go check out the Apple Orchard Inn tomorrow afternoon in hopes that it might be a good place to hold the shower. The owner said she'd let us use her living room if we wanted. Plus I think we should look at the cottages around the property. It's not expensive and it looks pretty. But I've never seen it in person, so we'll see. But if anyone has any other ideas for locations to hold a small party, let me know!
And we went and looked at another rental today. "Eh" is all I have to say. Part of me wants it just because it's a solid place, but the other more logical part of me has overpowered my need to move. This place was very small, is kind of too far from town, would need a little bit of work, and plus we don't have to move this very second. So we're going to keep looking. And we upped our price range so that should open a lot of doors. I really want to look into Three Springs. That'd be perfect! Not to mention we'd literally be right next door the hospital. I could probably walk there when I go into labor! Well, depending on the intensity of the labor, I guess.
Oh! And Zack's stepmom bought him and his dad NASCAR tickets for Zack's birthday weekend (the weekend of April 10th) in Phoenix! It was kind of a secrety while she and I got everything set up so Zack wouldn't be a pill, but it's done and he seems excited! I'm excited to go on a little trip. Zack and I have actually never been anywhere together. Well once to Pagosa, but that's nothing. So we're going to rent a car, and bring some cash, and get a hotel for a night or two and make a mini-vacation out of it. My friend Erin has agreed to house sit and dogsit for us which I'm thankful for, and I got Zack the OK for time off from work. So, we're going!
My tummy's getting bigger every week, which you think you expect until it starts happening. But it's been really cool. And the baby's bones are hardening and he's getting stronger so it feels like I can fell specific body parts (though I can't tell which ones) are moving around. That's been fun. And it's weird to look at your belly and watch it ripple and move without you physically doing it. Someone else is! I wonder how much weight I've gained? At my last appointment (I think I was 20 weeks, currently am almost 23 weeks) I had only gained 6 lbs total, and I was just starting to "pop out". But since then my tummy's really starting to look pregnant. If I had to guess, I'd say that I've gained at least an additional 5ish lbs since then. Guess I should invest in a scale!
I guess that's everything. :)
Friday, February 12, 2010
20 Weeks: Halfway there!
So now that I've finally got a belly and and can feel the baby move a lot every day, the fact that I'm preagnant is slowly sinking in and occasionally accompanied by panic! Mostly I'm positive, but I do get nervous sometimes when I think about things financially. My husband really wants to buy this place that we're in and is sort of pushing me into it, and I'm stubbornly planting my feet. There's no way this is a good idea right now. Maybe next year or the year after, but this year has enough change going as it is. In 4 more months we will have a little son, I will probably have to change jobs so that I can work part time. I also want more than my alotted 6 weeks maternity leave; I want at least 3 months. Plus if I have to go back to work full time, I need to find a sitter or a daycare or something, but I think that's lame because you're basically working to pay for daycare. I know for a fact we'd be fine on Zack's salary alone but he doesn't believe me. What I actually think it is, is he doesn't want to surrender his whole paycheck. But I understand that he doesn't really get what it's going to mean to him to be a dad, I know that will hit him when he can hold the baby. And after that he might be more understanding, I hope. Don't get me wrong! He's totally excited to be a dad, and really very sweet about it. I just don't think it's really a reality for him yet. I have a feeling it will hit him like a ton of bricks. So out of all my possible ways to worry about the baby, it's only money that scares me. And we can't take money with us when we go, right? So, essentially, I have no worries. :)
As for names for the baby, I'm at a loss! I LOVED Zackery Cash Maxedon and we'd call him Cash, but for some reason Zack started not to like it, and it's important to me that we both like the name. But whatever we decide, it will be Zackery "Something" Maxedon and we will call him by his middle name. Other names that I really like are Blake, Brooks, Courter, Calvin, and Coy (Coy has a special meaning to me because since the day I've been able to feel him move the best thing I've been able to use to describe the feeling was a Koi fish!) Zack said he kind of likes Courter and he's the one who suggested naming him Coy after I told him about Koi fish, but he's more picky than I am about a name. I would really like a name picked out within the next month though, so hopefully one will stick. Even though I know that sometimes after you see the baby you may name him something else.
I've been able to feel the baby move though from the outside for about a week! That was so exciting. And everytime he gets squirmy I put Zack's hand on my belly and the little punk stops moving. I swear he thinks it's funny ;). But one time Zack did feel him a little bit but I really want Zack to be able to feel a good kick.
My belly's getting bigger every week and last week my friend Beth and I went to Farmington and I bought 2 pairs of maternity jeans which are AWESOME. It's like wearing PJs to work. I also got a couple maternity tops which I will start wearing in a couple weeks when I'm a little bigger. I can still wear most of my pre-pregnancy tops right now.
Other thing not preganncy related: I'm super excited about the movie Shutter Island which I'm going to see next weekend with my friend Erin. It looks super suspenseful. Also I'm really excited for Alice in Wonderland which comes out on the 5th and I HAVE to go see it. I've been waiting since the summer for it!
Zack's parents bought a house in Phoenix, AZ so they will be moved down there by the end of March. It's kind of a bummer that they won't be here when the baby's born but they aren't too far. Too bad they didn't buy a house somewhere cool. There's no way I will move to Phoenix. It embodies the 2 things I always said I didn't like: the desert and the city. Plus if I'm going to move away (as in out of Durango) it will be somewhere I want to go, not just any old place. Luckily Zack feels the same way about Phoenix so we don't have to worry about that. Honestly if he said he really wanted to move there too, I might bend. But I don't even have to think about that.
I really wanted to try to do a mini-vacation with Zack before the baby comes but I'm not sure that's going to happen. Maybe in the fall or winter will be a better time. I wonder if our baby will be travel-friendly? Guess we'll see! But I've been trying to focus on places that I may be willing to move to. Like the East Coast (like North or South Carolina) or Texas (Austin, San Antonio). Visiting somewhere is a must before you move there. So a few more years of visiting and maybe we'll move somewhere. Maybe.
As for names for the baby, I'm at a loss! I LOVED Zackery Cash Maxedon and we'd call him Cash, but for some reason Zack started not to like it, and it's important to me that we both like the name. But whatever we decide, it will be Zackery "Something" Maxedon and we will call him by his middle name. Other names that I really like are Blake, Brooks, Courter, Calvin, and Coy (Coy has a special meaning to me because since the day I've been able to feel him move the best thing I've been able to use to describe the feeling was a Koi fish!) Zack said he kind of likes Courter and he's the one who suggested naming him Coy after I told him about Koi fish, but he's more picky than I am about a name. I would really like a name picked out within the next month though, so hopefully one will stick. Even though I know that sometimes after you see the baby you may name him something else.
I've been able to feel the baby move though from the outside for about a week! That was so exciting. And everytime he gets squirmy I put Zack's hand on my belly and the little punk stops moving. I swear he thinks it's funny ;). But one time Zack did feel him a little bit but I really want Zack to be able to feel a good kick.
My belly's getting bigger every week and last week my friend Beth and I went to Farmington and I bought 2 pairs of maternity jeans which are AWESOME. It's like wearing PJs to work. I also got a couple maternity tops which I will start wearing in a couple weeks when I'm a little bigger. I can still wear most of my pre-pregnancy tops right now.
Other thing not preganncy related: I'm super excited about the movie Shutter Island which I'm going to see next weekend with my friend Erin. It looks super suspenseful. Also I'm really excited for Alice in Wonderland which comes out on the 5th and I HAVE to go see it. I've been waiting since the summer for it!
Zack's parents bought a house in Phoenix, AZ so they will be moved down there by the end of March. It's kind of a bummer that they won't be here when the baby's born but they aren't too far. Too bad they didn't buy a house somewhere cool. There's no way I will move to Phoenix. It embodies the 2 things I always said I didn't like: the desert and the city. Plus if I'm going to move away (as in out of Durango) it will be somewhere I want to go, not just any old place. Luckily Zack feels the same way about Phoenix so we don't have to worry about that. Honestly if he said he really wanted to move there too, I might bend. But I don't even have to think about that.
I really wanted to try to do a mini-vacation with Zack before the baby comes but I'm not sure that's going to happen. Maybe in the fall or winter will be a better time. I wonder if our baby will be travel-friendly? Guess we'll see! But I've been trying to focus on places that I may be willing to move to. Like the East Coast (like North or South Carolina) or Texas (Austin, San Antonio). Visiting somewhere is a must before you move there. So a few more years of visiting and maybe we'll move somewhere. Maybe.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Thank Heaven for Little Boys....
So Zack and I (and my mom) went to our ultrasound yesterday afternoon and found we were having a little boy! I tell ya, this family can make boys! I went the first couple of months thinking that we were having a little girl, and then about 4 weeks ago everything was telling me it was a boy. I kept having dreams that I had a little boy, my lack of the aweful pregnancy symptoms (a wive's tale, I know) was telling me boy, only gaining weight in front (another myth) was telling me boy. Then Saturday night I had a dream that Zack and the neighbor went to the ultrasound without me (I know, I know) and they told me it was a boy.
We got to the hospital and I had to pee soooooo bad. They tell you to arrive on a "very full bladder" and then when I got there, the ultrasound tech told me I was an overachiever. I was so full that my bladder was pushing my stomach out farther than it is and it was actually hurting my belly button because it was so stretched! So she looked at what she needed to see with my bladder full and then let me use the bathroom. I don't think I've ever been happier to see a toilet in my life! Then she measured the baby's head and spine, looked at a couple of places that could help identify Down's Syndrome (nothing showed up, thank goodness) and then went to look at the baby's goods. She's like "Oh yeah, it's a boy. You can tell because if they're playing with themselves, it's always a boy!" She was pretty funny. I liked her. I think at first no matter what they tell you the sex is, you're always going to be shocked. It took a minute to sink in. But I don't think I could or would be anymore excited for anything other than a little boy. I'm so in love already! He was squirming and kicking and covering his face, and he's got his Mama's lips. This boy has some kissers on him! But everything looked great: two arms, two legs, and a head! AND she wants us to come back in about a month just so she can try to get a certain shot of his heart that she couldn't get because he wasn't cooperating. And I'm really excited to get another ultrasound so I can see him again. I was preparing myself for just this one and that's it until the birth.
And I'm finally getting a Baby Bump! Personally I think it's still in a weird stage on me but here's a picture anyway. P.S. Please excuse my "Deer in the Headlights" look; I don't know why I have that face on!
We got to the hospital and I had to pee soooooo bad. They tell you to arrive on a "very full bladder" and then when I got there, the ultrasound tech told me I was an overachiever. I was so full that my bladder was pushing my stomach out farther than it is and it was actually hurting my belly button because it was so stretched! So she looked at what she needed to see with my bladder full and then let me use the bathroom. I don't think I've ever been happier to see a toilet in my life! Then she measured the baby's head and spine, looked at a couple of places that could help identify Down's Syndrome (nothing showed up, thank goodness) and then went to look at the baby's goods. She's like "Oh yeah, it's a boy. You can tell because if they're playing with themselves, it's always a boy!" She was pretty funny. I liked her. I think at first no matter what they tell you the sex is, you're always going to be shocked. It took a minute to sink in. But I don't think I could or would be anymore excited for anything other than a little boy. I'm so in love already! He was squirming and kicking and covering his face, and he's got his Mama's lips. This boy has some kissers on him! But everything looked great: two arms, two legs, and a head! AND she wants us to come back in about a month just so she can try to get a certain shot of his heart that she couldn't get because he wasn't cooperating. And I'm really excited to get another ultrasound so I can see him again. I was preparing myself for just this one and that's it until the birth.
And I'm finally getting a Baby Bump! Personally I think it's still in a weird stage on me but here's a picture anyway. P.S. Please excuse my "Deer in the Headlights" look; I don't know why I have that face on!
So this is me at 19 weeks! One of the girls on the baby forum I'm on said I'm carrying high? Does it look that way to you? I don't know these things. All these other girls on that website already look undeniably pregnant, whereas I think I still look like maybe I've been eating too much.
As for the baby's name, it will be Zackery "something" Maxedon, and we'll call him by his middle name. We just have to figure that out first. :) I think we're getting close to deciding....
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