The past six months

My baby is growing up. Fast. I mean, he’s already six months old! I cannot believe how fast it’s gone and how much has changed in six short months. He’s really lost that “baby” look. He looks like a little boy (which, I guess, is a good thing – I mean, I hope he wouldn’t look like a little girl!). He’s a wiggle worm! Not a snuggler – unless of course, he’s tired. Then he’ll cuddle with me. I love those moments and I wish I had treasured them more when he was little. He’s trying so hard to crawl. And sit up. And talk. He plays with toys now! He grabs and shakes, and yes, even throws! I can’t tell you how many times he’s thrown his paci onto the bed from his bassinet (yes, he still sleeps in his bassinet in our room. I know. I know. I can’t let go.) He’s trying out a sippy cup and, even though he has still has that toothless grin, he puts everything in his mouth. I can’t imagine where he’ll be in the next six month. Or heck, even the next month.


There’s so much going on over the next few weeks – Thanksgiving (where he’ll get his first big boy food – sweet potatoes!) and, of course, Christmas! He’s already been to see Santa and he was absolutely mesmerized by jolly old Saint Nick! Santa sang to him and it was so very sweet. The picture turned out great! Jack even smiled a little bit. It wasn’t his normal big smile, because he was sleepy, but his little smirk. The tree will be going up next weekend. I can’t wait to see what he thinks about it! All the lights and present! Of course, as Santa told us, we already got the best Christmas present ever, just a little early this year!

I'm a Scaredy Cat...and I'm okay with that.

One thing about me that has changed in a big way since being a mommy is what I watch. I’m much more timid now than I used to be before have Jackson. Things really upset me more, too. I’m also much more picky with my time. Normally, I look forward to the start of TV season, but this year, unless I loved the show, it was definitely off my radar. Sorry, Grey’s Anatomy. This means you.  Last year’s seriously messed up finale freaked me out for days, so, you’re off my TV watch list. Additionally, very few “new” shows make their way into my schedule and if they do, they’re normally DVR’ed and watched Saturday or Sunday morning between 6-8AM (because one can only take so much news and/or Phineas and Ferb). I’ve also stopped watching pretty much anything that’s based on real events, including Dateline and most Lifetime movies. They are all about bad things happening to people. I can’t watch that stuff anymore. It freaks me out. Even on the news, hearing about child abuse, or kidnappings, or things of that nature really affect me. It’s not that that those things didn’t bother me before; they just hit very close to home now. The kinds of movies I would have enjoyed a year or so ago have completely changed. Example: Paranormal Activity 2. Anyone who knows me knows I love scary movies, but this movie has a baby in it – a sweet little baby boy – so, nope, not happening. I even went so far as to mute the commercials. Recently, an episode of a TV show we watch opened on a mother hiding under the bed with her little baby while a man was walking through her house. Could. Not. Handle. It. Turned it off within the first 15 seconds.

I guess being a mother makes you more sensitive to the world around you. I’m definitely protective of Jackson and want to make sure he’s safe and secure. All of these things – whether it be a silly TV or a serious news story – make me realize the dangers in the world. I want to protect him from that. You know what? Maybe Phineas and Ferb isn’t so bad after all.

Crib? We don't need no stinking crib!

My son still sleeps in his pack and play next to our bed. Wait a second, let me back up. Before I had a baby, I swore I was going to be one of these bad ass moms who made a plan a stuck with it. One month - TOPS - in our bedroom. Breastfeeding for at least six months. Tummy Time everyday. The list goes on and on. Well, I learned very quickly that things always don’t turn out the way you thought they would. My boobs didn’t work as well as I wanted or needed them to and six months turned into eight weeks. Jackson’s screams quickly ending long Tummy Time sessions. And the crib, the beautiful crib that we took so long to pick out (and cost more than our bed), well, he hasn’t even napped in it.


I was totally freaked that we wouldn’t have the crib in time. We went to probably ten different baby stores looking at furniture. I called maybe 15-20 places to find the best deal once we found what we wanted. By the time we ordered it (in January), we were told it would arrive the first week in April. I was just sure that it would be late – or the baby would be early. I just knew we wouldn’t have the crib in time. But we did. Chris and Jeremy did a fantastic job putting it together. It looks amazing. The room is super cute.

That first night home, we put Jackson in his travel crib, which we eventually brought to Chad & Mandy’s to use while she watches the baby. Even thought that would have been the perfect time to move Baby Jack to his crib, I couldn’t do it. So I bought another pack and play and set it up right next to me in our room. That’s where that baby has been. And where he’ll stay – at least for now.
The problem is we’re coming up on the weight limit for the bassinet portion of the pack and play. I could just as easily put him on the base of the playpen, but I feel like it’s almost time to make the change. I know good and well that he can’t stay in our room forever (oh but I would love it!), and there is nothing in the world as wonderful to be woken up by giggles and look over and see your baby’s beautiful face smiling at you.

So, I told myself by 6 months, I would put him in his crib. Another problem: 6 months is Nov. 11. That is very close! Maybe we’ll try over Thanksgiving break. That way, I can sleep on the floor with him in case there’s a problem. Let me be very clear. I do not think there will be ANY problems with him. He’s the most laid back, easy going kid I know! I do think, however, that I will be emotional wreck, so it will just save me the trouble of having to go from our room to his room in the middle of the night. Good thing we have a blow up mattress! :)

Yum, yum, yum in his tum, tum, tum!

Yesterday was a big day in the Neighbours household. We tried rice cereal! Who knew that a runny, brown concoction could bring so many laughs? First things first, on Monday, Jackson had his 4 month check up. He is absolutely awesome, according to our pediatrician, Dr. Chastain. She said his growth is perfect and she was super happy with how he is holding his head, rolling over and all the other good baby things! He’s currently weighing in at 15 lbs, 3 oz, 25 inches long and is in the 50 percentile for weight, height and head size. She told us we were okay to start rice cereal to help him learn to eat with a spoon. It’s so funny to think about all the things you have to teach a baby. It seems like just yesterday I was teaching him to latch on for breastfeeding and now here we are with a spoon…time flies. ANYWAY, Dr. Chastain told us that we need to be consistent in feeding him the rice cereal and not to worry if he really doesn’t eat it because he’s getting everything he needs in formula right now. These early stages are for teaching and learning, not really nutrition. She said it’s best to wait and start it around bottle time, so he’ll be hungry and want to eat. There’s only one little problem with that…


When Jack is hungry, you know it. If he sleeps until it’s time for a bottle, you better have it ready when he wakes up. (The only time he isn’t like that is the morning, when he’s all sweet and cuddly. I love mornings!) Here we were at 9PM, about to wake the sleeping baby and there was no bottle to put in his mouth. First, we sat him in his Bumbo chair. You could instantly tell he was confused. He knew it was time for his bottle. He kept looking at me to Chris, almost like he was saying, “Which one of you has my bottle?” Then he started to cry. Chris gave him the first bite of cereal and you could tell he was intrigued, but not amused. Still crying. He took another bite, then another. He spit it out; he made faces; he gagged. Nope, not a fan of the rice cereal. But we kept trying for about ten minutes, just like the doctor said to do. When he started to get really frustrated, we stopped and gave him his precious bottle, which he happily sucked down while Mommy and Daddy had a good laugh looking at the video and pictures from Jackson’s first adventure in food.

I'm falling apart!

This isn’t so much a baby post, as it’s a mommy post, so I guess it still counts for my baby blog!  I turn 30 on Thursday.  I don’t really have a problem with it (anymore or at this current moment, which is subject to change), but what I do have a problem with is the way my body is reacting!  In the past three weeks, I have had some minor to I guess semi-serious health issues and I don’t like it!  Not one bit!

The minor one is that I had an infection in toe.  Gross, I know.  But it made it hard to walk sometimes because of the pressure.  So, after a week, I finally made a doctor’s appointment on a Friday for the next Monday.  Well, that Sunday, the day Jack was supposed to meet his future girlfriend Hadley, I start to come down with a horrible headache.  I haven’t had a real migraine in probably 18 months, so I guess it’s my fault I didn’t recognize the symptoms.  It got progressively worse and worse until I ended up passing out and throwing up!  I have never passed out with a migraine and of course I was freaked – more because I was at home with the baby than anything.  Thank God he was in his swing!  So I went to the doctor on Monday for my toe and for passing out.  They ran a series of labs, but said everything looked normal.  The doctor said it was probably a combination of not eating (which I hadn’t when all of this started about 1PM on a Sunday) and a migraine that caused me to pass out.  I got a refill on my migraine medicine (which expired in Nov. 09) and a lecture about the importance of eating three meals a day.

THEN, this past Friday, I’m playing with Jackson on the bed before leaving to have dinner with Tim and April, and when I get off the bed, I notice this pain in my hip.  When I climb into the car, it gets much worse.  As I sit at the dinner table, it increases a ton.  I take some Motrin, but nothing is helping.  When we get home, I go upstairs (which hurt like a mother to go up), and lay on the heating pad.  Nope, not really helping.  Every time I move it gets worse.  Finally, around 2AM, Chris gets me leftover pain pills from my c-section.  I take two and pass out.  I wake up with Jack around 6AM and the pain is still there, but I am able to make it down the stairs to feed the baby and at least walk around without sharp, stabbing pains.  I decide I’m going to the walk-in hours at my doctor (rather than ER because that would be no fun) and make my way to Alpharetta at 8AM.  Turns out, I have bursitis. (What is this?  A bursa is a closed fluid-filled sac that functions as a gliding surface to reduce friction between tissues of the body. The major bursae are located adjacent to the tendons near the large joints, such as the shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees. When the bursa becomes inflamed, the condition is known to as "bursitis.")   So, thankfully, nothing serious, but just very painful.  I end up getting steroid shot and some pain and anti-inflammatory medicine.  The medicine and shot have definitely helped this morning, but I can’t help but thinking…hip pain??? Really??? I’m 30 not 80! 

So that’s why I’ve decided that 30 will be my year of taking care of myself.  No more skipping meals, or sleep, or exercise, or even haircuts!  Taking care of myself will make me a better mom to Jackson and hopefully a better person all around!  So goodbye hip pain – you’re not welcome here anymore! 

The Great Diaper Debate

Pampers will give your baby a rash. Huggies don’t fit right. Luvs leaks. Diapers! Diapers! Diapers! Dear God in Heaven, what’s a girl to do? (Don’t say cloth diapers, because I’m not going there.)

Okay, here’s my verdict on diapers: they all suck in one way or another. I have tried all three of the major brands and my winner is....(drumroll please)....Pampers Sensitive!!! Why? Because they smell so good. You don’t want to sniff a diaper after it’s been used, but man, before I put a fresh diaper on my baby’s butt, you better believe I sniff that sucker. It just reminds me of something calm and peaceful. Regular Pampers and Huggies smell good, too (Luvs do not smell like anything), but that Pampers Sensitive is what I think a baby should smell like. And hey – anything to help cover up of the scent of what happens in the diaper is a plus in my book, too! :)

The first "first" of many more to come

There were a lot of firsts for our little family this past weekend. August 27th marked my and Chris’s five year wedding anniversary, but August 28th of this year was also a very special day, because my dear friends Anne Marie and Michael tied the knot! I was so honored to be a part of their wedding and so happy that Chris and Jackson were there to celebrate it, too! But let’s start at the beginning, which is also the not-so-good first:


Jack had his first cold. Poor little baby. He was coughing and wheezy. He just didn’t look happy. And oh my goodness, the snot. How can one little baby make so much mucus? So, of course, I had to take him to the pediatrician – man, they just love me! The doctor said it was just a cold and there’s not much to do for him. Poor little guy –he handled it well, though.

Now, on to the fun stuff!  Friday morning, we loaded up the car and headed to my favorite place in the world – Athens, GA – to begin the wedding festivities of Anne Marie and Michael! Jack’s first hotel stay was at the Gameday Suites and he looked right at home with all the UGA paraphernalia! He got to meet Aunt Morgan for the first time, too! He was so good at the rehearsal dinner that night – he just chilled in his car seat and would toss out a smile when people peeked in on him. Such a good baby!

The biggest first came later that night – Baby Jack rolled over! Chris woke up about 6AM Saturday morning and that little bugger was on his belly! Well, my first thought was that it was fluke. According to the baby books, rolling from back to belly is a 5-6 month skills, but wouldn’t you know it, my son is advanced! He did it a total of four times that morning and now he flips and flops just as easy as 1, 2, 3! (This is making for some sleepless nights for me because I keep waking up and flipping him back onto his back.) He also spent his first Saturday alone with his Nana! I know they had a great time – so much so that his Nana is coming back to watch Baby Jack for his first football game this weekend, while Mommy and Daddy go to watch it live!

I know there are many more “first” to look forward to, but this past weekend was a great one for many reasons! Baby Jack is just full of surprises and so much fun! We are so lucky to have this sweet little boy!

Mommy went out to play...

I did it. I spent a night away from the baby. I was gone a whole 24 hours. And guess what? He was fine. So was I.

I honestly didn’t think I could do it. In fact, I was totally prepared to be driving back from Athens having a crying fit at 4 in the morning. It took me almost 45 minutes to leave the house. I had to kiss the baby about a thousand times and go over things with Chris at least a dozen times. This, of course, is totally absurd because both Chris and I know he is perfectly capable of taking care of the baby. It’s hard to explain, but it’s a very strange feeling to be away from your child. I know that Chris can take care of him, but I am totally convinced that Jackson needs ME. It’s kind of like the going back to work thing. I know he’s in good hands, but my hands are the best hands.

As I made my way to Athens for Anne Marie’s bachelorette party, I was 100% sure I was going to have fun and 25% sure I was going to leave before the sun was up on Sunday morning. I was preparing myself for feelings of guilt and sadness; however, once I got to the amazingly awesome Georgia Gameday Suites, the only feeling I had was happiness. I was happy to be there for Anne Marie. I was happy to be in Athens. I was happy to see my wonderful sorority sisters. I was happy to show off pictures of my baby. I was happy to know he was having a great time with his Daddy. I didn’t wake up Sunday morning until long after the sun was up (something that doesn’t happen too often any more) and you know what? It felt good.

I don’t want to be one of those moms that never leave her kids. I don’t think that’s healthy. Some separation is good, for both me and Jackson. Granted, being Jack’s mom is a huge part of my life now, but this weekend reminded me that I’m a lot of things – a mom, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend – and being well-rounded in all aspects of my life will make me the best mom I can possibly be for my son.

The Amazing Jack Neighbours!

My baby doesn’t perform tricks. He never has. When I was pregnant and was going for ultrasounds, he would be rolled in a position the doctor didn’t like and it was take a lot of effort to get him to move. Most of the time, they had to get a buzzer (a little stick that shakes) to get him to jump around in there. He’d move his hands in front of his face so we rarely got a clear shot of him. And when it was time to take ultrasound pictures, he’d wiggle around so they’d be all blurry. Yup, Jackson Wesley Neighbours has a mind of his own.

Even now, he does the cutest things, but the second I grab the camera, he stops. Even when he’s not looking at me, for example, on his play mat he'll be talking to his reflection in the mirror and try to grab at things.  I sneak up behind him with the camera all set to record, and he stops. Last night, he was talking up a storm, but when my Mom called and put the phone close to him, he stopped. Nope, he’s just not going to perform for anyone until he’s good and ready.

On a side note, Jack’s future girlfriend Hadley will be here by Monday (or earlier)! We are all very excited to meet her and are praying for a safe delivery! Congratulations to Rey and Heather!

The teacher becomes the student.

As parent, part of my job is to teach my son about, well, pretty much everything: right and wrong, good and bad, the importance of Georgia football season. I never imagined, though, that at almost 12 weeks old, he would have taught me so much already. Of course, there are the major things that having him has opened my eyes to: the amount of joy, wonder and love one little person can bring; the amazement you feel as you watch this little guy grow and discover the world; and a renewed sense of appreciation and love for your family and friends.

But that’s the sappy stuff.

Here are the things that Jack has taught me that I think, as a grown up, we tend forget:

1. A good burp after a meal makes you feel better.
2. The very first thing you should after you wake up is stretch.
3. It’s okay to cry for no reason sometimes.
4. Laugh when things are funny. Or silly. Or just there.
5. Smile often.
6. Sleep will always make you feel better.
7. Instead of always looking at the big picture, take time to look at the little things around you.

Jack has a fascination with ceiling fans. I can put him on the floor underneath one and he’ll watch it for an hour. He also loves to look at pictures and video of himself. I’m sure he doesn’t realize that it’s him and I could show him any random baby and he would love it, but my picture supply of random babies is rather limited. At night, Jack looks at the stars. Not outside, of course, but from his turtle. It displays stars on the wall and ceiling in three different colors. We turn this on every night and he will just watch the stars change color until he falls asleep. Chris and I will lie in bed and watch the stars, too. It’s amazing how peaceful and calming it can be just to lie there in silence watching the changing colors.

Thanks, Baby Jack, for teaching me so much already. I only hope I can return the favor.

Back to Reality

Well, it was fun while it lasted. I’m now back to work. I had ten amazing (short) weeks with Jack and now it’s back to the bump and grind. Seriously, if I ever am in politics or know someone who is, I am going to campaign for longer maternity leave. Do you know that the US is like almost LAST in the modern world for the amount of time we are allowed for maternity leave? Most countries in the civilized world give paid maternity leave, too. Not the US. Oh well, I digress…
I’m going to be honest – going back to work sucks. Really really bad. And I have a job that I love. And I work with people I like. And it still sucks. There is nothing like having to leave your child. I’m lucky, too! My sister-in-law is watching him, so he’s not in daycare (not that there’s anything wrong with daycare). He’s with family and it still hurts like nothing I’ve ever felt before. Chris told me if I wanted to stay home, I could, so I am very lucky in that respect. A lot of women don’t even have that option; however, I made a commitment to my department to come back, so back I came.

My boss was super nice and let me work a short week my first week back. I worked 8-2 Monday thru Thursday and had Friday off. This was probably one of the best decisions I made in regards to coming back and if any of my pregnant friends have this option, I would highly recommend it. Monday was awful. I cried all day. Once I would calm down, someone would come into my office and want to look at pictures of Jack or ask me how I was doing and I would lose it all over again. But I made it until 2 and I was out the door to see my baby. Tuesday wasn’t as bad as Monday, but it was better. Wednesday wasn’t as bad as Tuesday, but it was better. You get the idea.

So this is my first full week back. There aren’t tears when I kiss Jack goodbye in the morning (luckily, Chris takes him to my sister-in-law’s, so I never have to really say goodbye), but just because I’m not crying doesn’t make it easy. It’s still hard. I feel a mixture of guilt, fear and sadness every day. But at the same time, there are some personal and professional goals I am working towards over the next 12 months that will benefit our family, so for now, I deal with it, knowing that it’s all for the greater good.

My friend Mary Beth said something that really made me feel a lot better about going back to work. It’s not about the quantity of time you spend with your child – it’s the quality of that time. So no, right now, I’m not with Jack as much as I would prefer, but you better bet your bottom dollar that every minute I have with him, I am soaking up every ounce of that baby boy!

What's that smell? Oh, it's me.

I had to make a quick return at Carter’s today.  Rather than dealing with his stroller, I just carried Jack, who was still in his 2 o’clock feeding food coma, into the store.   Right as I had to sign for the return, he woke up and then promptly proceeded to spit up.  Right on my shoulder.   Pleasant.  The girl doing the return (who worn entirely too much blush) was so polite as she asked me if I wanted to use the restroom to clean up.   But that’s the thing about spit up.  Once it’s on you, the scent stays until you wash the clothes and yourself.  Of course, I attempted to clean it up, but you could still smell it.  Well, I still had errands to run and by golly, it took me all week to make my way out of the house and my errands were going to get done!  I needed to go to Target.  But did I really want to go in there smelling like spit up with a big stain on my shoulder? So I decided to go to Wal-mart instead.  Even with the smell and the stain, I still smelled and looked better than half the people in there. 

A piece of advice to all the Mommies-to-Be of boys

When you are changing your little boys diaper, point the wee wee DOWN.  You can thank me later.  I need to go take a shower.

Lessons Learned

I’ve definitely not the expert on parenting, but there are a couple of things I have learned in the last 2 months (really? It’s been 2 months already??) that I didn’t know before and I think are pretty helpful. I didn’t learn these all on my own – some my friends told me, some my pediatrician – but I wish I had known them before I had Jackson – it would have helped me and Chris out big time!

1. It’s a lot of work: awesome work, but work just the same: Everything runs on a three hour schedule when you have a baby, especially for the first few weeks. That’s hard to get used to and it takes time to adjust to that schedule. That being said, there is very little time to get OTHER things done. But you know what? It's not important. Laundry will get folded (or, in my case, get worn before it gets folded and washed again), dishes will get washed (this actually happens because we need spoons!), bills will get paid (and if you forget - they call you!) and if you don't get a chance to run to the grocery store, hello Papa John's!
2. In the words of one of my favorite singers Jay Clifford, know when to walk away: Some times, your baby will cry and you will have no idea why. They’ve just been feed (and refuse more: see below), changed, are clean and nothing will calm them. My pediatrician said it best to me – for your entire life, you’ve been in a safe, dark, warm environment. Suddenly, you’re out where it’s too hot or too cold, loud and bright. Guess what? You’d cry, too. Now, let me say this, I do not believe in the “cry it out” method of baby raising; however, after about four weeks of trying to do anything and everything to comfort Jack when he would cry and sometimes nothing would work, I would just have to let him cry for a few minutes. It’s hard to hear your baby cry, so sometimes, I’d make sure he was safe (like in his pack-n-play) and I’d walk outside for a minute or five. At first, I felt incredibly guilty, but then I realized that those five minutes of quiet were so refreshing and helped me better care for him. I don’t feel so guilty anymore.
3. You learn to play detective and the better detective you are, the better you get to know your baby: When Jack starts to cry, I first check the diaper. (I think that’s every parent’s first check!) Jack does NOT like a dirty diaper and as soon as he pees or poops, he pretty much lets us know. I have, through my detective work, also discovered that Jack does not like to be dirty in general, so if all else fails, I change his outfit into something fresh and clean. Normally, mystery solved.
4. People are going to give you “advice” that makes you feel like a bad mom: I can’t tell you how many times my friends and family have said something that you should or shouldn’t do that I have or haven’t done that makes me think, “Holy crap! Am I permanently damaging my son for life?” Here’s the answer to that question: No and screw them! Seriously, I don’t care if you have no kid, one kid or ten kids. Every baby is different and worked for your little bundle of joy isn’t necessarily what will work for mine. So instead of over-analyzing every decision I make, I realized that as long as my baby eats, sleeps and poops regularly, I am doing something right.
5. Some advice is actually helpful: People will give you lots of advice and I think you should listen to all of it and finds what works for you. I know that with my pregnant friends, I have given lots of (unsolicited – like this blog!) advice. It’s just human nature, especially when you are excited and happy about something. You want to share it. My friends and family do the same to me. Some of it is good, some of it, not so good (see above). Just learn to weed through it.
6. Just like in pregnancy, baby books and baby websites will scare the crap out of you: It seems that there is always the ‘worst case scenario’ told about, which leads to lots of unnecessary panic and worry. Take what you read with a grain of salt.
7. You will worry more than you have ever worried in your life: If you thought pregnancy was bad, wait until the baby is here. I constantly worry if he’s breathing okay. I probably wake up at least five to ten times a night to check if he’s breathing. If I can’t see his chest rising and falling, I gently nudge him. If a gentle nudge doesn’t work, I pick him up. Yeah, I know.
8. You will love more than you have ever loved in your life: There’s a new respect for your husband, your parents and your family and friends, but most of all, the love you feel for your baby is amazing.

Pump It!

I never thought I’d be this excited about a breast pump – but I am! My breast pump came in the mail today! See, here’s the thing. I just thought that my boobs would produce milk naturally and I’d be able to feed Jack and the world would just be wonderful. Well, reality check, it doesn’t always happen like that. Without going into too much detail, I’m not producing a ton of milk, so we have to supplement with formula; however, I am committed to giving him as much breast milk as possible, because the benefits are so good for him, so pump about six times a day. The lactation consultant at Northside said part of the reason for the lack of breast milk may be that I didn’t get to breastfeed with the hour after Jack was born since he was in the transitions nursery. In fact, I didn’t even try to breastfeed Jack until he was almost 18 hours old. This is apparently a big no-no. You really should try to breastfeed in the first hour and every hour to two after that for the first day or so. The reason I didn’t was because, since the cord was wrapping around his neck, they had to overfeed him formula in the transitions nursery to make sure the cord didn’t do any damage with his swallowing and spitting up. Basically, they feed him between 30 – 60 ml (about 1 to 2 oz) and made him spit it up. He did great, but that also made him not want to nurse, which was a signal to my body that it didn’t need to produce milk. (It’s truly amazing the way a woman’s body works after having a baby.) ANYWAY, for the past six weeks, I’ve been renting the mother of all breast pumps from the hospital. This, by the way, is totally safe. It’s a special pump that is made for multiple users. You should never share a regular breast pump because your milk can be contaminated. I ordered my own pump over a week ago. It’s supposed to be a really good one (Medela Pump in Style) and it finally got here today. Isn’t it funny how, a year ago, a breast pump would have been the last thing I was excited about, but today, when the FedEx guy rang the doorbell, I jumped up and ran to the door like it was freaking Santa Claus! Oh man, I am OLD! :)

A precious gift

Part of Chris’s Father’s Day gift was a good night’s sleep. Honestly, I think it was his most favorite part of his gift. He went to bed just before midnight (which is normally his bedtime, even before we had a baby) and slept until 7:30. I’ve given him this “gift” three times since Jack’s been born. I take the baby downstairs and handle all late night feedings and diaper changes. It's amazing the difference in him on the days after those nights. I have said time and time again that staying home with Jack has been a lot more work than I expected. Amazingly awesome, but still, it is a lot. I definitely have a new appreciation for Stay at Home Moms and Dads; however, for those who work full-time and then come home every day and do it, too…well, WOW. Hats off to all of you! I am dreading going back to work in July for several reasons. Mostly because I don’t want to leave my baby, but there is a part of me that just wonders how in the heck we are going to do this! I’m exhausted staying home with him as it is and so is Chris. Of course, we aren’t the first parents that have gone through this and we won’t be the last, but still. Anyway, needless to say, Chris was very happy with his night o’ sleep. It’s amazing what a good, solid 8 hours will do for you!

We love Daddy!

I know Father’s Day is for the Dad’s, but I was really surprised about how important and special Father’s Day was to me this year. I was so excited when I woke up Sunday morning and not because I had any major plan. I was just thrilled to celebrate this day with Jackson and Christopher. It was a very low key day, with biscuits for breakfast and then packing up the car and heading to Vogel State Park for a picnic lunch. We had a great afternoon walking around the park and spending time together. It was a beautiful day and one day I know Chris and I will remember forever!

Shots hurt...even when you aren't the one getting them

Wednesday was Jack’s one month doctor’s appointment. He got a great checkup and lots of praise from our awesome pediatrician, Dr. Chastain. I absolutely love our pediatrician. I mean, almost as much as I love Kerianne at my OB. Anyone who really knows me knows that is a lot! Our baby weighs 9 lbs, 13oz and is 22 inches long. That is the 50^th percentile, which means he is an average baby – not overly big or small. He is already doing 2 month reflexes, which impressed Dr. Chastain. She said he was very alert and overall, she was very happy with his growth and development. Obviously, this made us very happy parents.

He did get a shot, which was more painful for me than him! All day, I thought I was going to cry, but when we got the appointment, I was totally fine. I thought I would be okay. But when he actually got the shot, and I saw his little face get bright red, I lost it. He only cried for a millisecond and then went right back to sleep, but it totally broke my heart. I didn’t realize how hard it would be to see him in pain. I know it was over quickly, but it still hurt – for both of us.

There's a reason they make the "Baby on Board" signs for your car...

I did some silly things when I was pregnant. See the blog posting from March. It’s called Baby Brain and I thought it would go away after Jackson was born. Well, guess what people – it doesn’t! In fact, it becomes something much more interesting: Mommy Brain! Mommy Brain is a combination of Baby Brain + Sleep Deprivation, which is just so much fun! Here’s a couple of the great things I have done with my newfound Mommy Brain:

1. I took a shower with my underwear on…the best part is that I knew something wasn’t right in the shower, but it actually took me about two minutes to realize what it was.

2. I wash a used disposable diaper. I had just changed Jack’s diaper first thing in the morning after Chris had left and I was getting up a load of Jack’s laundry. I remember picking up the diaper and thinking “I need to throw this away” but somehow it ended up in the washer. Luckily, it was a pee pee diaper and it showed me just how much Pampers can hold!

3. So, the other night, we had been out running errands and I was driving. It got too late for us to cook dinner (like 9PM), so we went to Chick-fil-a. Well, I’m sitting in line and I’m turning the lights on the car on and off because it just looks really dark outside. Chris says, “What are you doing?” I said, “I think there’s something wrong with the lights. I think they must be out because it’s so dark outside!” Chris then says, “Hey genius. You’ve still got your sunglasses on.”

The good news is that Mommy Brain doesn’t seem to cause you to do anything that would harm the baby. It’s just silly, stupid things that make for fun conversation! :)

Mr. Sandman, Bring Me a Dream

I have to say that we are pretty lucky when it comes to Baby Jack. He’s a good baby. Yes, he has his fussy times, but what baby doesn’t? Overall, he’s a good sleeper, eater, and pooper. You can’t beat that! But it IS hard getting used to new schedule of every three hours, which, of course, includes midnight, 3AM and 6AM – times that I am not used to at all. I’m trying to sleep as much as possible during the day (when he sleeps), but that’s not always easy.

If I had to give one piece of advice to any parent-to-be, it would have to be sleep all you can now because it definitely is a thing of past and a luxury. The funny thing is I really can’t remember what day-to-day life was like without Jackson, but the one thing I can remember is sleep!

All By Myself

Today is my first day going solo. Chris went back to work today, so it’s just me and Jack. Chris has been such an amazing help the last three weeks that I was nervous about today, but so far, so good! Right now, Jackson is snoozing away in his pack and play, which normally would mean I would be napping, but right now is Riley and Bella time. The poor puppies have been getting the cold shoulder since Baby Jack’s arrival. The fact that Jack is in the pack and play is kind of a big deal for me. I've been a little, shall we say, hovering around him. I thought I'd be a badass and this kid would be sleeping in his crib within a week or two. Yeah, no. He sleeps at night in the bassinet which is literally right next to our bed. During the day, he's been on his boppy or giraffe mat so I could see him and keep him close. But today, I put him in the pack and play so I could let the dogs out for a bit. I am pretty proud of myself right now! I am hoping to get into a better schedule, which would include time for the dogs and regular naps so that I can plan out my day a little better. I never realized how much work one little person can be! It seems there is always something for him – a diaper to be changed, or he’s hungry, or there’s laundry to be done (his, not mine) – and then there’s the normal house stuff – playing with the dogs, dishes, laundry. And here I am playing on the computer. Oh well – everyone needs a break every now and then!

Baby Love

Jackson Wesley

May 11, 2010

12:09AM

7lbs, 4oz

19 1/2 inches

I had baby! I had a perfect, wonderful, amazing little baby boy who has stolen my heart and change my life forever. Here’s what happened:

My water broke at around 9:15 on Mother’s Day night and contractions starting about 10 that evening. My doctor was not on call at Northside Forsyth, so we were instructed to go to Northside Atlanta, which we did. We checked in a little after 10:30 and after being checked, my doctor told us that my water had broken “prematurely” – this means that normally women have contractions and THEN their water breaks, and mine was opposite, so it was going to be a long night!

I received my epidural and things were moving along slowly, but surely. I also received pitocin to help speed things up. About 4PM on Monday, I had five very strong contractions in a row (which I didn’t know because of the epidural). Jackson couldn’t take it and his heart rate dropped dramatically. Immediately the doctors and nurses went into action. They were prepared to perform an emergency c-section, but luckily, they were able to get his heart rate back up quickly.

About 10PM (about 24 hours into labor!!!), I was finally dilated to 10cm and we were ready to push! I pushed for just over an hour, but something wasn’t right. He would start to come out, but then get pulled back into. Finally, my doctor said that Jack just wasn’t going to come out this way and recommended a c-section.

I was sent to the OR about 15 minutes later for the c-section. Chris was able to be there with me. Needless to say, I was scared. It took about 10 minutes to get Jackson out (12:09AM, to be exact), but I immediately noticed he wasn’t crying. Chris went back to the table in the OR with him. It took a minute or two, but I finally heard him crying and it was the most beautiful sound I have ever heard!

The nurse showed me Jack very quickly and I was informed that Chris and Jack were going to the nursery. I knew something wasn’t quite right, but seeing his beautiful face and hearing his cry, I knew he would be okay. I was sent to recovery and about 20 minutes later, Chris came down. He told me we had a healthy baby boy weighing 7lbs, 4oz! Because I was so tired (it was close to 1:30AM now) and pretty drugged up, I sent Chris back to the nursery to be with Jack. About 2:30, I was released from recovery and wheeled up to my room, where Chris and Jack’s Godfather Jeremy were waiting. But one person was missing – Jackson.

Chris and Jeremy informed me that Jack was in the transition nursery (also known as NICU) – where newborns would were born with issues go for observation. Jackson’s cord was around his neck when he was delivery and he need oxygen when he came out. Now, some newborns are born with the cords around their necks with no problems vaginally, but it turns out, this is why when I was pushing, Jackson would start to come out and then just sucked back in. The cord was wrapped so tightly around his neck that it was pulling him back inside. When he was delivered via c-section, he was blue, but PRAISE GOD they were able to provide him oxygen and within a minute, he was absolutely perfect! They took him to the transition nursery for observation for six hours. The neo-natal doctor observed him and concluded that he was completely and totally healthy and there would be no problems from the lack of oxygen!! Follow ups with the pediatrician have told us the same thing!

Chris and I finally got to have him about 6AM Tuesday morning. It was so amazing to have our little bundle of joy finally with us and, after this experience, we truly feel blessed to have him in our lives! He is amazing and beautiful and perfect. He has a very healthy set of lungs that he enjoys showing off at every diaper change!

Oh, and Chris and I are fine, too – the labor and pushing, while it didn’t really hurt (thank the Lord for the epidural), took a lot of out me, but emotionally, both Chris and I were just exhausted. Poor Chris has taken the worst of it. He was absolutely amazing taking care of me during labor and he is a pro at the Daddy thing.

We stayed at Northside until Friday evening. They released us in the middle of Friday night rush hour, which we weren’t too thrilled about. Unfortunately, though, when they tell you it’s time to go, you have to go. Needless to say, it was the scariest car ride we have ever taken!

The first week home was a whirlwind and we truly appreciate all the cards, letters, emails, texts and dinners! We are adjusting to our new lives as parents and Jack is a great baby! He’s definitely an eater – already back up to his birth weight and he loves his newborn lounger and his swing. The sleep schedule is the hardest to get used to, especially since Jack loves to stay awake after his 3AM and 6AM feedings, but will sleep after his other feedings.

Having Jack has been hands down the most amazing experience of my life. Even when he cries, it is the most beautiful sound. As Chris said, because there was a moment when he was born that we were worried that he wouldn’t ever cry, hearing his voice just reminds us how truly blessed we are.

Bye Bye Work!

Today is my last day at work until the end of July! I really can’t believe it. I mean, I know it’s not a vacation or anything like that, but I have had a job of some sorts since I was 14 years old. I babysat in the summer or worked at the movie theatre or at my mom’s office all through high school and college until I graduated and got my own job. The longest I’ve been off work was for two weeks between my brief stint at that horrible company AppVault and FCS. And even then, I was preparing for my job at FCS. It’s completely foreign to me to turn off work for almost 3 months. At TMP, you were never really away from work because you were always thinking about the next project or ad that needed to be placed. I got into a really horrible habit of checking my work email and voicemail from home and responding to them on nights, weekends, and holidays, something I do now at FCS (even though I do it a lot less). Work is just work. It took me a long time to realize that, luckily, no job I’ve ever had is life and death. No one was going to die if an ad didn’t get placed. The world isn’t going to end if an applicant has problems submitting their documents. But still, it’s important to me to get things done and done well because I do try to be good at what I do and I genuinely want people to be happy and have a good experience with my company.

But for the next 10 weeks, it’s time to unplug.

Because this about Jack, Chris and me. This is about creating our family and building a life together. It’s about giggles and laughter and bottles and diapers and midnight feedings and no sleep and amazement and new discoveries. It’s a time for friends and family to come together and celebrate. I am still amazed about the whole process of pregnancy and the end result. I cannot believe the amount of love and joy I feel for this little person that, just a few short months ago, was just a thought. And for the next 10 weeks, I plan to do nothing but spend every minute learning about him.

So, peace out work! I am sure FCS will survive without me for a few months. And if not and the walls come crumbling down while I’m gone, I’m definitely asking for a raise when I get back!

It's the last...

This is it. The last week. Today is the last Tuesday that I won’t have a son. Sometime next Tuesday, Jack will be here. Of course, it could happen before that, but I highly doubt it. I think I’ll make it to the 11th no problem. Actually, I’ll make it to the 10th and go into the hospital that night and they’ll start the induction process.

I’m having issues with the whole “last” thing. Last weekend was the last weekend that Chris and I have all to ourselves (since my mom’s coming into town on Saturday). That was incredibly hard. I can’t really explain the emotions other than simply putting it like this: Chris and I have been together for 13 years. It’s always been me and him. If I didn’t love Chris with all my heart and soul, and know that he loves me, I would never have had thought about having a child with him. It doesn’t matter how excited and thrilled I am about Jack – it’s extremely difficult for me to thinking about the dynamic of our relationship changing, even if in my heart I know it’s a change for the absolute best. I hope that doesn’t make me sound like a bad person or a bad mom.

ANYWAY – the last few days are going to be busy. The nursery is done! Well, I still have to hang pictures on the wall, but that’s it! We have a diaper bag (Skip Hop Dash Deluxe in Cherry Bloom, in case you were wondering), but still no glider for the nursery. (I guess I shouldn’t have said it was “done”…) We moved my big Crate&Barrel chair from the living room into the nursery, so that will work for now. I have two more doctor’s appointments – one with Dr. Korotkin on Friday and one with Dr. Nezhat on Monday. Friday is my last day at work until the middle of July. Monday night, I will be admitted to Northside Forsyth sometime after 6PM. And then, it’s just when Mr. Baby Jackson Man (Anne Marie’s nickname for him) wants to make his grand appearance.

It’s crazy to think that this time next week, I could be holding my baby. Or I could still be waiting. Or I could be in the middle of labor, screaming my head off.

Pity Party

Warning: This is my pity party. You are welcome to join or you can turn and leave now. You’re staying? Great, grab a coke and some popcorn. Here I go:

I am exhausted. I really feel like I haven’t slept in days even though I’ve been getting a lot of sleep at night. I normally go to bed about 10 and sleep until 6:30. Yes, I get up 15 times a night to go to the bathroom, but I practically sleepwalk (sleep-pee??) through that. I nap when I get home from work and even on my lunch break, but I just don’t feel rested. It’s a very different kind of tired from the 1st trimester, too. I was really tired then, too, but it was almost like a nourishing sleep every time I passed out on the sofa or spent the early afternoon taking a nap. Now, I sleep to try to survive the day.

This tiredness makes me cranky. I try really hard not to be, especially to Chris because he has so much to put with! (I'm know I'm not the easiest wifey around, but he knew that, too when he married me!) Unfortunately, he normally takes the most of it. He’s a Godsend – when he’s not annoying the hell out of me. And when he is annoying the hell out of my, I want to hit him with the remote. I’ve thought about it. Not gonna lie. I haven’t done it. Yet.

And on top of everything else, I’m sore, too. Sometimes, it’s painful to walk. Sometimes, it’s painful to lie down. Really, when you pregnant, you’re totally screwed because any way you sit, stand, or lay can hurt. I waddle, too. I didn’t think I did, but I’ve been told that I do. Fantastic.

I’m not saying it’s not worth it because it totally is…and I know once the baby gets here, I probably won’t get to catch up on my sleep too much, but I am looking forward to feeling like a normal person again. Normal people are sleep-deprived, but at least they don’t waddle and they don’t fantasize about breaking a remote over their husband’s ass (at least I didn’t do that before). Thank you for listening. Now please pass the Doritos.

The real deal

I had serious contractions last night. Four big ones about an hour to two hours apart. Holy crap. We're going to have a baby.

Not that I'm counting down or anything!

Three weeks, four days. That’s pretty much it. I hit 39 weeks in three weeks, four days. And let me tell you, I am ready. Well, maybe. I am really for HIM, but just not ready for labor part (although I’m slowly getting used to the idea). We had another appointment at the Perinatal Center today and Baby Jack weighs about 6lbs, 9oz and looks perfect! Although the weight is freaking me out a bit – that means he’ll be around an 8lb baby. Can I push out an 8 pounder? We’ll see!

Everything else is coming together quite nicely! We have all the baby gear ready to go. Most of Jack’s clothes are washed (all of his newborn stuff and some of his 0-3 month stuff) and the nursery is pretty much finished! We are still looking for the perfect glider, but that’s not an absolutely necessity, I don’t think. And we may find one in the next three weeks, four days.

Did I mention I have only three weeks, four days left?? :)

Cry Me A River

Last night, I cried, no BAWLED, just thinking about the book “I’ll Love You Forever”. I’m talking a full-on choking, sobbing, shoulders shaking crying fit. Let me reiterate – I didn’t have the book, I was just thinking about the book. Chris and I were talking about books for Jack’s library and I mentioned that one. Chris said he wasn’t familiar with it, so I started to tell him about it and I lost it. I think he was really confused on why I would want to add a book to Jack’s library that makes me cry like that.

Tonight, Chris was replacing a tree in our front yard with a new tree. He dug up the original tree, which had just started to get its spring leaves. He came inside to get the saw to cut the tree up to dispose of it. I burst into tears – I told him he couldn’t cut the tree up! It was just starting to live again! I asked him to plant it in the back yard and he told me the type of tree it is was too big for our back yard. I was literally just beside myself thinking of this tree and how made it through the cold winter months only to see the first days of spring and then die. The tree must be saved. Chris took the tree to his parents’ house and will plant it there tomorrow.

Hormones, anyone?

Changing my mind...

No, no, I'm not changing my mind about having a baby! I'm changing my mind about our stroller system and the type of bottles we are going to use...maybe. And, oh yeah, we're still looking for a pack and play.

My wonderful godmother Madeline sent us a check to pick out whatever type of stroller and car seat we wanted, so we researched and read up and we picked the Graco Quattro System. It had very good reviews and it is was pretty well priced. I wasn't crazy about the patterns available, but you don't pick a stroller and car seat because of how pretty they are. Well, last night, we're at Babies R Us (which, btw automatically becomes at least a 2 hour shopping trip every time you walk in the door when you are expecting) and I see this stroller system that I really like - the Safety 1st Aerolite LX. Things I like about it:

• The car seat has this new padding that is supposed to help reduce head injury in side impact car crashes.
• The car seat fits up to 35 lbs (the Graco is only up to 22). Having a child in a rear facing car seat longer helps keep them safer.
• The stroller is very easy to fold and lighter than the Graco.
• It's a nicer color than the Graco.

So now we're debating taking back the Graco. I've been reading lots of reviews on this system, but since it's newer, there aren't as many. It's just so hard when you're trying to pick the best for your baby.

Then there's the bottle debate. I had read a lot about Dr. Brown's, but now I'm also hearing a lot about Tommee Tippee, so I'm not sure which to go with. Again, Tommee Tippee's are newer (at least here in the States, it's the most popular bottle in the UK). I really like the design of the Tommee Tippees and, since I'm going to try to breastfeed, the nipple on the Tommee Tippee has much better reviews than the Dr. Brown for moms who nurse and use a bottle (less nipple confusion for the baby). Both are designed to reduce colic and gas, but Dr. Brown's have an extra piece, whereas Tommee Tippee's don't. Huh.

Our original pack and play model was discontinued and sold out before we could buy it (damn you Graco - that Bombay model was perfect!!!), so we are having trouble picking a new one. The other Graco patterns are just too busy for something we're going to have out in the living room constantly and the Carter's one that I liked, Chris vetoed.

So, in the next few weeks (days), we have decide on taking back the stroller, picking a bottle and a pack and play. Wish us luck!!! :)

Good luck with that...

Warning: This post is pretty TMI.

I get weekly pregnancy email updates from a couple of sites, as does Chris. I'm still not sure what's the best option for me as far as vaginal birth or c-section, but I definitely want to keep my options open until either I make the decision or my doctor makes it for me. One thing I worry about with a vaginal birth is having to be cut or tearing...you know, down there. We got this email from Babycenter.com yesterday that offered an idea to help reduce the risk of tearing. Here's what it said:

Some practitioners recommend massaging the perineum (the area between your vulva and your anus) to help you avoid having an episiotomy or tearing during childbirth. Not everyone is comfortable doing this but if you'd like to give it a try, now's the time to start. Here's one method:
• Wash your hands and then sit in a warm, comfortable area, spreading your legs apart in a semi-reclined position. Put Vitamin E oil (from Vitamin E capsules) or pure vegetable oil on your fingers and thumbs and around your perineum.
• Place your thumbs about 1 to 1 1/2 inches (up to or just past your first knuckle) inside your vagina. Press down toward your rectum and then out toward the sides. Gently and firmly continue stretching until you feel a slight burn or tingling. Hold this stretch for about 2 minutes — until the tingling starts to subside.
• Slowly and gently massage the lower part of the vaginal canal back and forth, hooking your thumbs onto the sides of the vaginal canal and gently pulling these tissues forward, as your baby's head will do during delivery. Keep this up for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Be gentle, as a vigorous touch could cause bruising or swelling in these sensitive tissues. During the massage avoid pressure on the urethra (urinary opening). This can cause irritation or infection.

Without going into too much detail, we tried this last night (yes, he helped) and let me just say I have decided I am screwed.

Craptastic

Yesterday was a great day! Jeremy came over and helped Chris assemble the crib and the hutch, so the nursery is really starting to come together! But last night, well, it was not so great. In fact, it was horrible.

I went to bed around 10. I tossed and turned and couldn’t get comfortable. I tried watching TV, taking a bath and counting sheep. My back hurt, my legs hurt and about 1AM, I started to get a headache. The baby was kicking most of the night, but that didn’t really bother me too much. Then, at 3AM, I started getting leg cramps – those awful ones that make you jump out of bed and cry. Not to mention that my carpal tunnel was in full force.

I finally fell asleep about 5AM. The alarm went off about 6:30 and I tried to get up and get going, but my legs felt like mush and my hands were completely numb. So, I didn't make it in to work. Now, it’s 3PM and I barely feel like getting up and moving around. Today has not been fun. :(

The impossible quest

For about four months now, I’ve been searching high and low for the perfect diaper bag. Most people probably don’t find this task as difficult as I have, but we all know that I’m just a wee bit picky. It has to be the right size, right style, right color and right material. No cartoon characters, crazy designs or animals are allowed (that’s just my personal preference, nothing against those who like that). It has to be something that Chris wouldn’t mind carrying (which totally knocks about 85% of them out of the running). Oh yeah, and did I mention it can’t cost a bazillion dollars?

The search continues…maybe in the next five weeks or so, I’ll get lucky and find the perfect bag. Or I’ll just settle. Or I’ll just throw a box of diapers and wipes in my car and wing it! ;)

The birthing process

I’m not gonna lie – I’m starting to freak out a bit. I knew when we decided to have a baby what that entailed. Okay, maybe not ENTIRELY what that entailed, but a pretty good idea. I knew about morning sickness and swollen feet and peeing a lot. I also knew about ultrasounds and feeling the kicks and the excitement that leads up to the birth. Oh, yeah, there’s that pesky word – birth. The baby has to be born. One way or another, this kid is coming and there’s absolutely nothing I can do about it. And honestly, I’m terrified.

When I was 12 weeks or so along, my doctors told me I had pregnancy-induced chronic hypertension, which is a fancy way of saying high blood pressure, except in pregnancy, it’s pretty freaking serious. One of my doctors pretty much told me that I would be induced, need a c-section and that we had to focus on making it to 26 weeks. (Apparently, 26 weeks is the earliest that a baby can really survive on its own. Not to say if he came earlier they wouldn’t do everything possible, but 26 weeks was the milestone we were looking for.) Needless to say, I was terrified. Well, about 23 weeks, when everything was going completely normal, thanks to bi-weekly visits and medication, one of my other doctors said a c-section wasn’t absolutely necessary, but I would need to be induced around 38-39 weeks. (Naturally going into labor with blood pressure problems can be bad.) In talking about my options (c-section or not) with the OB, she said that she is still leaning toward a c-section, but as long as things progress as they have been, it may be my decision.

So, for the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about this and then it hit me – one way or another, the baby is coming out of me. Holy crap. I am not the least bit nervous about him being here. In fact, I can’t wait to look into his eyes and kiss his little hands and feet. But what I am completely freaking out about is the birth part! I’ve always known this coming, but now, when we are like 6-7 weeks away, I’m really freaking out. The thought I’ve carried in the back of my head is, “If so and so can do it, so can I.” That’s not a dig against any of my friends and family, sometimes I even think about the girls on 16 & Pregnant – if they can do, I can, too. But I’m quickly losing confidence. Maybe I can’t.

But I have to. There’s really no choice, is there?

Single digits

Technically, since I’ve been told they will induced at 39 weeks because of my blood pressure issues, I’ve been in the single digits weeks for a week, but now it feels more real. I am 31 weeks pregnant. There are 40 weeks in a normally pregnancy. That means (using my awesome math skills) that there are only 9 weeks left. I remember being 9 weeks pregnant! How can there only be 9 (or less!) weeks left? I feel like there is so much left to do. I mean, there IS so much left to do, but it will get done. This I know. Some of it might get done after he’s here, but you know what? Who cares!? He’ll be here and as long as he’s healthy and safe, that’s all that matters!

I do believe, however, that I will not see a full night’s sleep again for the next 18 years and 9 weeks. Jack's new favorite game is called "Poke Mommy in the Ribs" and he really likes to play it about 2AM. :)

Showered with lots of love!

We have great friends and family! Loving, supportive and extremely generous friends and family! I have always known we were blessed in that department, but the outpouring of love from those around us has been amazing! Jessica, Lori and Emily threw a Baby Shower Brunch on Feb. 27 and Jen threw us a Couples Shower on March 13. Seriously, these girls should go into party planning because they all did an amazing job! One of my favorite surprises was, at both showers, we had Vivian cake!! (For those of you who don't know - Vivian was the lady who did my wedding cake and she makes amazing cakes!) Here are some pictures from both of the events:

Wait? What was I doing?

My friend Lori said I should write this and since I always listen when I’m told to do something, here it goes. I’ve done some stupid things while I’ve been pregnant. Baby brain is real, my friends and for all my preggo friends, it will happen to you, too! Here are a couple of the highlights:

1. One day, I come out to my car at lunch to drive home. I unlock the door and am immediately ticked off because there is a pile of crap in the seat (mail, papers, magazines, an empty water bottle, etc.). How did it get there? Who was in my car? It obviously wasn’t there when I drove to work this morning? Did Chris come to the car to get something out and leave this mess? I was just pissed. So I throw all the stuff into the other seat, got in the car, keys in hand and go to put them in the ignition. Except, there was no ignition. Only the dashboard and the glove box. Yup, I had gotten in on the passenger side.

2. I forgot to wear a bra to work one day. I have big boobs; therefore this is not a good thing. When I realized it, I went back home and put one on because no one needs to see Pam and Tori run free.

3. I paid the same bill three times in one day. In my defense, the site didn’t update that I had any payments pending, so I thought that each time I logged in, I had just forgot to pay it. Plus side: A credit with Georgia Power! :)

4. Last night, I made spaghetti for dinner. After I finished the sauce, I drained the noodles and mixed it all together. Only thing is the noodles had cooked for maybe five minutes (i.e., no where near being done). Of course, I didn’t realize that I hadn’t cooked the noodles long enough until I took a bite. I guess in my head, once the sauce was ready, the noodles should have been, too! Chris (bless his heart) said, “They’re fine - just al dente!” He tried to eat them. I threw the rest down the garbage disposal. Cereal for dinner is fine by me!

There are more stupid things I have done, but I’ll leave it at that. :) I have a couple more updates, too – pictures from an amazing baby shower, new ultrasound pics and nursery pics are coming soon! :)

My Son’s A Genius

Oh yes, most parents are quick to boast their claims of intelligence on their children. It’s natural, I think, and of course, most people who actually know the child in question will smile and nod as not to insult the parent. Since I am technically the only one who “knows” Jackson right now, I can claim that he is smarter than the average baby and you are just going to have to believe me. Don’t worry, though – he’ll prove me right. You’ll see. But you might be wondering why I say Jack is so smart. Well, I have one word for you: Rice. My son doesn’t like rice (see previous posts) and he cannot be fooled.

Saturday night, we had a lovely dinner with our friends Rey and Heather, who are expecting their own bundle of joy in August! (BTW, my new “thing” is to encourage all my almost-ready-to-be-parent friends to become parents-to-be. I think it’s one of those annoying pregnancy side effects, but more on that later…) We were at this delicious Italian restaurant called Dominick’s in Buford. I mean, the food was to die for good! In looking over the menu, there were lots and lots of yummy choices – ravioli, chicken parm, rigatoni – but in the end I decided to get the risotto. Oh man, I love risotto. The creamy texture and the flavor – so yummy! Oh yes, this was going to be a good dinner. And it was. It was so good. We had a wonderful dinner with great friends and I was full and happy.

Until about an hour after we got home. Then I got sick. I mean, throwing up, crying, hurts so bad sick. I couldn’t figure it out. I didn’t feel sick at all during the day. My sickness had come on quickly that it reminded me of…morning sickness. But I’m like 26 weeks pregnant! I shouldn’t have morning sickness! What the French Toast???? About 20 minutes or so into my vomiting spell, with my loving husband holding back my hair and rubbing my back, it hit me. “Chris,” I said, “Risotto is rice, isn’t it?” His eyes got big and said, “Yes, it is.” We both knew that rice is on my no-no list. Jackson reminded us why. He doesn’t like rice. You can fancy it up and call it something different. Doesn’t matter. He knows and he doesn’t like it, which means I can’t eat it.

And that’s why my son is a genius.

The new normal - for now.

There’s a commercial that says “Having a baby changes everything.” Well, I’m sorry, but they are wrong. Getting pregnant changes everything. I am sure that once Jack gets here, everything will change (again), but from the moment I saw that second line, my life changed. From what I eat and drink, to the way I sleep, to even what I watch, I can’t think of an aspect of my life that hasn’t changed. I can’t even imagine what it’s going to be like when he is here, but I can honestly tell you I wasn’t prepared for half of what happens during pregnancy.

Food: Oh, I had “morning” sickness (all day long) and I had a few cravings here and there. Mostly, it’s been foods I can’t eat. My husband has said I’m probably the only pregnant women alive that eats less now than I did before I got pregnant. I mean significantly less. I’m just not hungry and I’m more careful about what I put into my body. Except s’mores. Man, I love s’mores. But I was really looking forward to the crazy cravings (i.e., pickles and ice cream) because anyone who knows me knows I’m a picky eater. I thought this would be my chance to branch out. Nope. This kid is just a picky as me. Maybe more.

Peeing: Sorry if this is TMI, but I pee. A LOT. At least 3-4 times a night. Probably 8 times a day at work, if not more. Not mention I pee first thing in the morning, before and after I take a shower and then again before I for leave work. Yes, I drink a lot of water, too, but man, I never thought I’d have to pee so much. That’s probably more about me than you want to know.

Sleep: See above. Since I’m peeing so much at night, I don’t really sleep through the night. Furthermore, you aren’t supposed to sleep on your back or belly when you are pregnant. Only on your side. And your left side at that. So, I bought a fancy body pillow that takes up half of the bed (yeah, Chris was thrilled with that purchase) and I try to sleep on my left side, but somehow, that darn pillow ends up in the floor and I end up on my back. My perinatal doctor said there’s not much you can do about ending up on your back, but he calmed my fears by saying he’s never lost a baby to a mom sleeping on her back.

Sleep, Part 2: Funny things happen to pregnant women. Dreams, for example, are really crazy and vivid. I have had some really screwy dreams and I wake up thinking they really happened. For example, I dreamed we bought a new car. We went to the dealership, picked it out, test drove it and financed it. We drove it home and parked that baby in the garage. The next morning, I get up to go to work and I’m sitting there wondering where the hell my new VW Routan was and how my Hyundai got back in the garage. Seriously. I was confused for like five minutes. Carpal tunnel is another new joy that I have recently discovered. Who knew you can develop carpal tunnel during pregnancy? Honestly, I didn’t even know what it was until it happened to me. Apparently it has something to do with the circulation and blood flow during pregnancy. It mostly happens to me at night, but sometimes during the day, too. There is nothing like waking up at 3 in the morning with your arm and hand numb and tingling. It’s just so pleasant, let me tell you. My BFF Lori tells me I have restless leg syndrome to look forward to, as well. I can’t wait.

Television and Movies: I love scary movies. Or I used to. Actually, I still do, but now, for some reason, I’m scared to watch them. Not because I’m afraid of them, but something inside me is worried that I’ll get too scared and go into preterm labor or something. Again, I cleared this with my doctor who said he has never seen that happen. But who knows? I could be the first. Also, I used to be a big news buff. I could watch the cable news channels for hours on end. Now I don’t want to. It’s all too depressing. The economy sucks. There’s way too much violence in the world. The disaster in Haiti is awful and sad. AND – did you know the world is going to end in 2012? Apparently, this is true. My husband is obsessed with the History channel that is now devoted to showing programs about the pending doomsday. They all say we’re going to die in two years. Right before Christmas at that! Happy freaking holidays, everyone. Nope, I don’t want to see that. Ignorance is bliss, my friend.

There’s probably like 50 more examples I could give you and go on and on about this. But this blog entry is long, I’m tired, my carpal tunnel is flaring up and I have to pee. :)

Everything you need to raise a baby.

We planned. We read and researched. We really thought we were prepared. But NOTHING can prepare you for what’s coming. No, I’m not talking about having a baby. I’m talking about REGISTERING for a baby. First of all, let me say that Chris and I really did take a lot of time to look at what was needed, what was not and what ranked highest in safety and customer satisfaction. Baby registries are a bit different than wedding registries. When you are getting married, you know if you need cookware or silverware or towels. When you are having a baby, especially being first-time parents, you think you need everything because you don’t really know what you need! All it takes is one person to say they couldn’t live without their wipe warmer to decide your child not make it through infancy if you don’t have one, but Chris and I tried to be practical. (Okay, let's be honest - Chris was practical and he calmed me down.) Jackson could live without a wipe warmer or a diaper stacker or hundreds of other “must haves” and he’ll probably turn out okay.

So, we made our list. We checked it more times than Santa does and off we went to Babies R Us. I knew we were in trouble when our consultant handed us Babies R Us list of registry “must haves”. The list Chris and I made was about 35-40 items long and fit neatly in a normal font in one line. This list was a full page, bulleted, in small font. Oh yes, we were screwed. Surely, you can’t raise a baby on the small little list we made. What are we going to do?

But then, I started to look over the list and a lot of it was actually filler. We had decided not to put any clothes on registry (which the exception of a few basics), but like 20 items were clothing. Then, the stroller section listed every type of stroller imaginable (oh yes, there are multiple types of strollers). The whole section on breastfeeding just freaked me out because I seriously do not want anyone buying my breast pump for me. I have the tendency to think of a who gave me something when I use it and honestly, I don’t want to think of my Aunt Susie’s face every time I pump (and I don’t have an Aunt Susie, but you get the idea). Okay, there’s another section down. The nursery furniture section was another to cross off. We aren’t registering for a crib or anything like that, since we’ve already ordered it. We marked off the bedding and room décor sections, too. A lot of people do register for that, but we went ahead and bought ours since it’s not sold in stores. This list was getting a lot shorter! There was a whole section of “Earth friendly” items, but really they are just repeats of other things, so that section got a big red X, too. We had also decided that we weren’t going to register for parenting books or keepsakes, since those are things we can get ourselves. BAM – another one bites the dust!

When it all came down to it, there really wasn’t a lot we had to add to the list. Actually, I’m thankful they gave us their “must have” list because it did remind me of a couple things I didn’t have on there (like a changing mat for the diaper bag for public diaper changes and feeding sets for when the baby starts solid foods), but overall, I’m pretty impressed in the list Chris and I put together (with a little help from our friends!). Maybe we’ll get the hang of this parenting thing after all!

A Perfect Day!

Yesterday was one of those "big" days in the 9 or so months that you are pregnant. First, we had a 23 week check up with our perinatal doctor, Dr. Korotkin. The ultrasound lasted about an hour, because Jackson was moving around so much. They had to get some clear pictures of his heart, since they didn't get them the last time, so they had to wait for the wiggle worm to stop wiggling so much! Hey, long appointments don't bother me at all - That's more time I get to see him! This time it was really cool because some of the movement that we saw on the screen, I could actually feel! Dr. Korotkin's exact words to us were that Jack is perfect! He weighs 1lb 10 oz right now, which is wonderful news (that's almost a 1lb up from last month)! Honestly, I really didn't think yesterday could get any better.

Until, that is, we were lying in bed last night and Jackson was kicking up a storm, so I had Chris place his hand on my belly to see if he could feel it. I was incredibly still and it took a minute or two for him to kick again, but then he did and Chris said, "Oh! I felt that!" I was so happy! That moment is one that I'll always have etched in my head. The look on Chris's face was so fantastic - it was the first time he felt his son. :)

I go to this site called BabyCenter a lot. It's basically a baby book on the web, but there is also a message board where moms-to-be post their thoughts and questions. Believe me, a lot of them are really stupid, but every now and then, someone posts something interesting. The other day this girl posted something about how her pregnancies determined the attitudes of her children. She said with her first, she cried all the time and her son is now an emotional kid. He's five and she said he cries at the drop of a hat. Her second pregnancy, she was fussy and tired. Her three year old daughter is, in her words, a brat. This is her third pregnancy and she said she is very calm and this pregnancy is very easy, so she's hoping that this son will be more easygoing.

Well, that got me thinking - based on my pregnancy, what will Jackson be like? I do have my moments of crying, but they are few and far between. In fact, I find myself laughing a lot at things that are supposed to make me cry (like that ASPCA commercial with all the homeless dogs - yes, I know, since I laugh at that, I'm evil) and crying at things that are supposed to make me laugh (like the movie Fred Claus that I watched over Christmas. I cried like a baby). But mostly laughing. So I hope that means Jack will be a happy baby. I think he will be, because he has us for parents. You have to laugh at that! :)

The Halfway Point

Here we are - 20 weeks! The halfway point! OMG there are just a few short months left before Jackson is here!!! I am so excited and scared and thrilled and just about every other emotion you can imagine. I am really looking forward to and valuing these last few months of "just" me and Chris, but I can't wait to have Jackson here!

My 20 week check up went great and Dr. Nix said that I might even be able to deliver in Forsyth rather than Atlanta! I'm very happy about this since it's so close to home, but even if I end up having to deliver in Atlanta, that's okay. My glucose test came back normal, which is more than great news! I just feel very very blessed right now. :)

We have started looked at nursery furniture and nursery themes. We had one picked out that we liked, but since we've started looking we've found a couple more that we like. We are pretty sure the nursery will be brown and blue with some type of animal(s). We hope to have the nursery done by the end of February. Pictures will come as we start to decorate! :)