New Mommy Must Haves

Now that I have been a mommy for almost 12 weeks, I am in no way an expert, but I have definitely found what works for me and Miss Macy Jane. It took a while to get in the swing of things, but now that we have a system down I think we are doing great!

Before we get to my Top Ten Must Haves... Let's take a moment and ohh and ahh over this angel

Ok, now my Top Ten Must Haves thus far are:

1. A night light
This has really been an important part of our night time routine. When Macy was in my room her bassinet sat right beside my bed and on the wall next to us was a night light. It provided just enough light for me to see her in the middle of night and feed her with out having to turn on a lamp and wake up my husband. When I moved her to her room I took the night light with us and it has been just as helpful. It is plugged in next to the chair I feed her in. That way I don't have to turn on a brighter light that would wake either of us up more than we have to.

The best 5 bucks you will spend

2. My Boppy
It is a lifesaver when it comes to proper positioning while feeding, allowing me to have both hands free (to usually play on phone). Once I am done feeding her I can rest her in it too, allowing her head to still be up with a full belly. Now that her neck is stronger I can sit her in the middle and let her work on her core strength, and we also do tummy time on it. (She prefers that much more than tummy time on a flat surface)

3. Gas Drops
We have been giving Macy gas drops since the day we brought her home. We don't give them with every feeding but definitely before bed each night. Poor little girl can wake her self up in tears with gas, so giving her the gas drops are a must!

(I usually buy the Target brand to save some $$)

4. Pacis and Paci Clips
Macy's favorite accessory (besides her bows, of course) are her cute paci clips. I ordered these from Etsy months before I had her, and I'm so glad I did! It is easier to just clip one on her if we need it, and if not then that's ok too. It is always good to be prepared!

5. Her Activity Gym
Ever since she was about 2 weeks old I have been able to lay her on her mat and get things done. With in the last month she is really starting to interact with it much more. It is so fun to watch her look at herself in the mirror, bat and kick at all of her friends, and grab hold of the little rings. She spends time on this after each feeding during her wake time if we are home. She can entertain herself on this thing for about 30 minutes.

Hanging out with my friends

6. Our Baby Trend stroller
A travel system is a must! It is so convenient to be able to click in her car seat and take her wherever we need to go. Being that we live downtown, we really wanted rubber wheels and a smooth ride. We knew that we would be outside a lot. I also wanted the option to be able to jog with it too -which this one is perfect for. It is everything we could have asked for and if I had do pick all over again I would still choose this combo.

Taking Little Miss for a walk on the canal

7. A travel fan
I bought this beauty from CVS in the summer section. I have sent many other new moms to get one, but unfortunately they have not been able to find it. I also looked online for it too to add a link, but can't find it. This thing is like gold. With the crazy heat we have experienced this summer, I felt guilty taking her on walks because she would get so hot. Also, because she faces the back of the car, she doesn't get much air flow in the car either. Both of those issues were easily solved with this thing. Also, most importantly, the fan blades are Styrofoam so she can hit it with her hands (which she does frequently) safely. It was the best $4.99 I have ever spent!

Macy putting her fan to good use!

8. Her Swing!
As I have said before, we were not going to purchase a swing. Mostly because of space, but I will tell you- we could not live with out it! She takes her best naps on this thing... and we even take it with us places if we know we are going to be there for awhile. (Like our friends' houses). Macy loves this thing... and the best part about it is if she wakes up during a nap she can always fall back asleep in it without any mommy intervention.

9. Our Motorola baby monitor
This is the Cadillac of baby monitors! We were very blessed that Kyle's dad bought this for us, because we would have probably settled for a cheaper monitor. There isn't anything this thing doesn't do. The picture quality is amazing, we can control everything from the hand held screen, and it came with 2 cameras so we have one set up in her room and one in the basement. It is also light weight and easy to throw in the diaper bag if we need to.

10. SwaddleMe sacks
Every night we do the same thing with Macy to prepare her for bed. And one of those things is swaddle her up in a SwaddleMe sack. We have them in pink, zebra and leopard. We always leave one arm out though because she likes to sleep with her arm up by her head. It is nice because we don't have to worry about jammies or blankets. We just put her in one of these and she is ready for the night!

My mommy has a zebra addiction!

I would say that would be the top things that have gotten us through the first 12 weeks. There are other things of course, but these are the must-haves! I will be interested to see how this list changes as sweet Macy gets older.

It's time

It's time. It is finally time to get myself back in shape and lose this baby weight (that I thought was going to magically fall off). I have enjoyed being a new mommy and having this time off work, eating like I was still pregnant, and lounging around holding my presh Macers all day... but the time has come to get back to reality. The reality that I will be starting work soon, the reality that if I don't lose this weight sooner than later it will only get more difficult, and the reality that no, I am not "one of the lucky ones" who looks fabulous immediately after popping out a human being.

The Breakdown:

My weight has always fluctuated in a plus or minus 10-15lb range. I could look at cake and gain 5 pounds, then think about working out and lose it. With that I managed to maintain for the better part of my life in the 130-140lb range. That was until I got married... until I started eating meals with someone each day that could eat whatever he wanted. We ate the same things and, unfortunately, ate about the same amount of things too. So before I even got pregnant I managed to sneak up to about 150lbs. I was fat and happy. So next comes the (unexpected) pregnancy. We definitely wanted to start having a family but first planned on saving more money, take more vacations, and I wanted to lose weight before I got pregnant -knowing that gaining more would only make it worse. Well none of things happened and here I am, 10 weeks post partum, with a mountain to climb ahead of me.

Stats:

Weight gained during pregnancy: 43lbs ((did I mentioned how much I enjoyed eating my way through my pregnancy?))
Weight lost so far: 23lbs
Weight to lose to get back to pre-pregnancy weight: 20lbs
Goal weight to lose: 30lbs

30lbs. Ugh, that sounds terrible. I have never had to lose that much weight in my life, and I know it isn't going to be easy. I know that it is going to require to give up things that I like (mostly sweets!) and to be disciplined in every area of my life.

I have 2 weeks before I start back at work and would really like 2 strong weeks of workouts and clean eating. Once I go back I will be working long 12 hour shifts, will be around pitch ins and a McDonald's in our lobby, and will not be able to workout those 3 days. -Which yes, I probably could work out those days, but the thought of having something take up any more of my time after being away from my babe for 12 hours just doesn't seem reasonable. But that does leave me 4 days a week to work out, so I'll take that.

I am not going to go on a "diet" like South Beach or Atkins.. I am just going to eat better. Knowing what to eat isn't hard (veggies=good, fries=bad) the hard part comes in having the will power to make good decisions. For my workouts I will continue to do/finish the C25k program and run more as well as add in some strength training -will probably do Jillian Michael's 30 day Shred a couple days a week. I've also got few blogs that I like to use as inspiration like my friend Brandi's blog. (you should check it out, she's bascially a celebrity!)

Setting this goal is intimidating, because the thought of not reaching it is heart wrenching. I want to be my best self for health reasons, for my husband, to be a good mom -but mostly for ME. So here it goes... Wish me luck as I take on the biggest feat of weight loss I have ever had to endure!

The hubby and I on our honeymoon- weight: about 130

July 2012 -weight: 170

2 Months of Macy

Last week marked Week 8 of Miss Macy's life, and today marks Month 2! I remember hearing that at week 6, you really start to notice a difference -and that couldn't be more true! I even see a huge difference between weeks 6 and 8. Macy is much more social, I am guaranteed smiles and coo's after each feeding and she is also pretty predictable now. I am really beginning to figure out what each cry means, and how to set a schedule that works for both her and me. Of course, it is still a learning process, but I am feeling more and more confident.

The doctor once again said "she is perfect!"

2 Month Stats

Weight: 11 pounds 12 ounces (50th percentile)

Height: 23 1/2inches (95th percentile)

Clothing size: 0-3 months and 3 months. I've noticed some of the 0-3 month clothing is a little short on her. 

Diaper size: 1

Feeding: She is a great eater! I have been blessed in that nursing has been super easy. Since the day I brought her home she knew what to do. I am not a fan of pumping so if we are out and about and I need to give her a bottle we usually just give her formula. She is a champ with that too -she takes whatever we give her with out any issues. I have noticed though that she seems to stay fuller longer when she nurses vs. taking a bottle of formula.

Milestones: Extended sleep! Finally! Literally this week she has finally started extending her sleep hours, and I pray that it continues. Sunday night she made it almost 7 hours, last night 6.5. I am ready to put her in her room, so this extended sleeping is going to make it so much better!
Also- I'm loving her communication skills. Lots of smiles and flirting. Melts my heart.

Loves: Still loves being held, rocked, talked to. 

Dislikes: Getting over tired. Something I try to avoid because once we've reached that stage, there is no turning back. My happy baby turns into a fussy baby quickly! She also doesn't love tummy time, but we are working on it.

Adventures: Baptism! At our church they perform infant baptism, which was new to me as I grew up in a Baptist household. It is a sign of commitment as her parents and as the church that we will raise Macy in a Christian household, teaching her the gospel, and praying that one day she will receive Jesus. It doesn't mean that since she is baptized now she will go to heaven. She still has to make that personal conversion, but it is a sweet way to promise our child that we will raise her to have a heart for the Lord. 

Our Pastor, Corey, praying for Macy

What we couldn't live with out: The Swing! We weren't going to buy one -we already had a bouncy seat and thought that a swing would just take up too much room. My little brother actually bought her one though and it has been a lifesaver! She still doesn't like to take naps in her crib during the day so most of her naps are taken in her swing -which is fine by me! It allows me some freedom and it is good for her too because she needs a good nap during the day. She still loves her paci and hair bows too! ;)

A size comparison from month 1

6 Weeks PP: All about me

Monday I had my my six week post partum check up. It was nothing exciting (except that I got cleared to have "relations" and get in the pool again!) I have lost about 25 pounds of pregnancy weight -which means about 20 more to go :-/ I, unfortunately, am not one of those people who "lost all my weight in the first two weeks!" I am breastfeeding, so I am convinced there is at least 5-10lbs on my chest as it is! Also, I got a new form of birth control inserted in to my arm called Implanon. It was weird, kind of felt like a tracking device was inserted in to my arm (think Hunger Games). But basically it is a a little capsule that is good up to 3 years, and it has no estrogen so it is safe for breast feeding.

Bandage from the Implanon insertion. Please excuse the drainage/bruising

My last month of pregnancy I remember fantasizing about getting "back to my old self" and just kept saying... I can't wait to feel like ME again! Little did I know, that was never going to happen again. I don't feel like my "old self", I am now a "new self". My body is completely different, my thoughts are different, my time is different. My entire day and schedule is based on the needs of someone else, I sleep only when she sleeps, and my needs are only met once her needs are. It truly is a lesson on how to be selfless. You love with out being loved in return. I have never had to be selfless before, but since the day I brought Macy home, I have been a different person. With all of the giving though, I must say, I am so thankful for the help of my husband! He is always thinking for me, and intentionally takes the baby so I can take a long shower, a nap, or go run errands by myself. He even booked an HOUR AND A HALF massage for me for my birthday!

Sweet Macy and I the day after my bday, on the 4th

About 2 weeks after I had the baby I started to realize the toll the pregnancy took on my body. The more weight that fell off, the more I could see what my body had gone through. As someone who has had body issues since I was a little girl, I really had to protect my thoughts against hating my new body. The stretch marks, loose skin, no muscle definition- it is not easy to look at in the mirror, and the thought of having to get in a bathing suit, especially around my kid-free friends, is going to be the toughest. BUT, at the end of the day, I know it is just another sacrifice you make for your children. I had such a great pregnancy, I have a healthy baby, I guess something had to give, I can't have it all. ((This is what I tell myself to feel better))

At 4 weeks post partum I did start running on the treadmill about 3 days a week and it has been really nice. It takes some strategic planning around Macy's schedule, but I always feel so much better after. I am looking forward to cooler weather and getting of the house more with the jogging stroller. The hot weather has given me a terrible case of cabin fever! I am definitely going to do my best to feel better about myself, my "new self" that is.

Couch to 5K program, a baby monitor and the treadmill... My new way of working out!

I write this entry to say- it isn't easy being a new mom, sacrificing your time or body- but it is so worth it. It is God's calling for my life to be Macy Jane's mommy and for that I am grateful. I mean seriously, she is the cutest, sweetest little thing I have ever had the joy of being around!

My heart explodes just looking at this picture!

Newborn Pics

Our little model had 2 seperate sets of newborn pics. We had already paid for a session with the photographer that did our maternity pictures, but got to get a free session unexpectantly with a photographer needed a newborn baby girl model!

Please enjoy the pics of our sweet angel!

One Month of Macy

I can't believe how quickly the time has gone -has it already been a month since Macy Jane made her arrival?! It seems like yesterday I was waddling around complaining that I was ready to have my baby. And today I have a one month old!

June 24, 2012

Stats

 (stole this idea from another blog)

Weight: 9 pounds 8 ounces

Height: 21 1/4 inches

Clothing size: Right in between Newborn and 0-3 months. The Newborn clothes are a little on the short end, but she's still swimming in the 0-3 months. 

Diaper size: NB

Feeding: From the time we brought her home from the hospital she has eaten every 3 hours on the dot, day and night. This past week she has been able to go about 3.5, sometimes 4 hours between feedings during the day. 3 nights this week she has gone up to 5 hours between feedings. It hasn't been consistent but encouraging -she is heading in the right direction!

Milestones: She took her first bottle from daddy like a champ and has a really strong neck. She can hold it up and look around- so proud! 

Loves: Being held! She is SUCH a snuggler.

Dislikes: Being set down, which can be hard on mommy during the day! And gas. She has a lot of gas that makes her fussy and makes me sad.

Adventures: Lots! We take her everywhere with us- to friends' houses, shopping, church, etc. And Macy Jane has gotten to meet lots of family already like her Aunt Erin from Raleigh, Pops (Kyle's dad) from San Antonio, Papa, Mama Sandy, Auntie Tay and Uncle Trevor from Dallas, Cousin Tonja and Cameron from Knoxville, and Uncle G and Diane from Pigeon Forge.  

What we couldn't live with out: Her paci, gas relief drops... and her hair bows! (which she is known for) =)

The first week we were home was bliss. Kyle was home with me everyday and Macy was great! She really did just eat and sleep. She sleeps in a bassinet next to our bed and to this day does a great job sleeping in there (at night at least- for some reason she has no desire to nap in there during the day, a work in progress). We came home on a Saturday and by Monday I was itching to get out of the house. Each day we did something, a trip to see a friend, a short trip to Target, if nothing else a long walk around the city. Making little trips each day kept me from feeling like all I was capable of was nursing her and changing diapers.

The next week I was home alone and found it to be intimidating at first! It is hard to establish a routine when you don't really have set plans for the day. The hardest part was taking care of Macy and our dog Kami. (Being that we live downtown, taking the dog out requires putting her on a leash and walking her outside) My stepdad came and took Kami up to South Bend with him for awhile and that has been a huge help. He lives on water with a nice big fenced in yard and 2 dogs for her to play with -she is in doggy heaven!

Family was here consistently for the next 2 weeks and it was a blast. I truly enjoyed the company and having so many extra hands around. My little sister was a rock star with Macy. She changed every diaper, always put her in her car seat, pushed her around in the stroller, etc. It was really sweet. After a constant stream of family though I was looking forward to time with just us 3 again.

As I have posted before I am (trying to) follow the Babywise method. I have learned that it is not easy to set a routine with a newborn, so I am being patient. Macy has the eat, wake, sleep cycle down but during the day the sleep part is not consistent and she prefers to sleep in our arms than any other place. But I am having so much getting to spend so much time with her and getting to know her, like why she cries, how she likes to be held, what makes her smile.

A size comparison from Week 1 to Week 4

It is crazy how much my love for her has grown in such a short period of time. And like any other relationship, it is a love that grows over time, except I know now the love for your child grows at an exponential rate. I feel like my heart may explode sometimes when I look at her. It is fun getting to know her and I can't wait for her to get to know me too. I love my little precious Macy Jane so so much!!

Macy's Arrival Story

I never would have thought a mere 8 hours after I posted "Slow and Steady" that I would go in to labor! At the time, I really thought that I had a couple days, if not a week, before baby girl would decide to come. But -thankfully- I was wrong!

Here is the story of Macy's birth... As a disclaimer: it is long, and I ramble. But I found it so hard to put in to words my experience with out OVER sharing or omitting the deets. Anyway, this what I took away from it all...

So as I said on my last post, Wednesday morning I went to the doctor and go my membranes stripped. I had a little bit of bleeding that morning, maybe for 2 hours, and nothing major. Otherwise I felt normal, ran some errands, went to see "What to Expect When You're Expecting" with my best friend Cassy, and when my husband got home that night I decided I really wanted to take a walk around downtown. So we walked to Subway to get dinner, and by the time we got back I was having a decent amount of lower back pain. I just figured it was from the walking. We went to bed around 10 and at 1230 that night I woke up from the pain of abdominal cramps. It was pretty intense, but it didn't have a beginning or an end, so I didn't immediately think of the pain being contractions. It wouldn't go away and eventually Kyle woke up, due to my restlessness. He suggested that I try to time the pain, so I would keep my hand over my belly and note when it got hard, then soften. Once I could start to define the pain, I noted it was coming 3 minutes apart. I got up and went to the bathroom and realized I was bleeding, so Kyle suggested that I go ahead a call the doctor. He called me back right away and said I should come on in, because it sounded like I was in labor. Whhhhatt?? I think was in denial because I was moving so slowly, but Kyle was up and out of bed, loading the car and looking at me impatiently like... LETS GO! I wanted to fix my hair a little bit, make sure I had everything I needed (yes, we were packed), make the bed, load dishes that were in the sink, etc. We finally headed to the hospital around 1:30am. Once I got in the car the contractions were INTENSE, very painful, and had a definite beginning and end. I did not like that experience! We got to the hospital around 2am and were checked in to triage. At this point my contractions were coming every 2 minutes so I was surprised when she told me that I was only 1.5cm dilated, but I was 80% effaced, so they would keep me and check me again in 2 hours. My nurse started an IV and gave me glorious pain meds(!) and I tried to get some sleep. I rested well in between contractions and luckily the 2 hours went quickly. She checked me again at 5am and I was at 3cm... she said "Looks like you earned yourself a bed"- yay!

By the time I got checked in to my room and settled, it was around 6:30am and I was ready for my epidural -STAT! Although I was only dilated to a 3, the contractions were KILLING ME and I was ready to relax and enjoy the labor process. I did ask my nurse if she thought it was too early, and she said "if you're in pain you should get it. If it slows you down, we can always start you on Pitocin" -That was enough reassurance for me.. Bring on the juice! The epidural went in smoothly and at 7:30 I told Kyle it was time we start notifying friends and family that we were having a baby today! I didn't want to let anyone know until I knew we were FOR SURE staying, and then I wanted to wait until I got my epidural because I didn't want to start gasping in pain in the middle of a conversation. After the calls and texts all I wanted was a NAP. -As a nurse i should have known this was a joke, because nurses are notorious for walking in to the room at all the wrong times. As my eyes drifted off to sleep my day nurse walked in to do an assessment and check me again. This time I was at 5cm and she was confident I would have my baby that afternoon around "3" -Boy was she good at her job! Finally my eyes drifted to sleep and when I woke up Cassy was sitting at my bedside. The rest of the morning/early afternoon was spent hanging out, watching TV, drifting in and out of sleep, and doing everything I could to keep my mind off of my insatiable hunger. I will tell you, not being able to eat was probably the hardest thing I had to go through during the whole labor process. No one told me that it would be so hard! Besides being hungry I remember sitting there thinking "this is what labor is?" I was actually bored! And the anticipation was killing me. I was ready to meet this baby girl! Finally my doctor came by around noon and checked me again. Little did I know my water had actually broken already (I didn't feel it) and I was at 7cm, 100% effaced and at a +2 station. Wahoo! She told my nurse to check me in an hour, and let me tell you- that was the longest hour ever! Finally around 1:15p my nurse came, checked me, and said, "Let's have this baby!"

Kyle took one leg, Cass the other, and I started pushing around 1:40. The first couple contractions that came I didn't know what I was doing and it felt like I wasn't making much progress. It is not easy to push, especially when you can't really feel anything. But the lower the baby got, the more I could feel what I was doing. After a few pushes my nurse told me she could see the baby's head and that she had JET BLACK HAIR... Umm what? My baby has black hair? I had them bring the mirror over so I could see for myself. Once the mirror was there, I decided I liked it, and that it was actually helping me focus when I was pushing. What seems like a push or 2 later my doctor arrived, I pushed one more time and there she was! She was born at 2:48pm, weighed 7lbs15oz and 21 1/4in long.

First meeting my our precious slimey baby girl

The next hour was a blur of meeting my precious Macy Jane, a million people in the room, me getting cleaned up, her getting cleaned up, and people in and out. I honestly thought it would be more of an emotional moment, but it was more overwhelming than anything.

So cute even minutes old

Getting sweet time in with my baby girl (please notice the menu on my lap, I did not waste any time!)

I have to say, I had a great labor process, no hiccups, and a healthy baby. SUCH answered prayers! All the anxiety, sleepless nights leading up to this moment were all worth it. The next 2 days at the hospital were spent enjoying all the visitors and learning how to be parents! I will say that it wasn't until I got home and sat in the nursery with my baby girl in my arms while Kyle unloaded the car that I let out that "wow I'm a mommy" sigh moment. It was amazing!

I can't wait to share more about my adventures in being a new mom to Macy Jane!