Last Post was October 2011 – until TODAY!

Hello any followers I have left! haha. To say I took an unplanned hiatus is a bit of an understatement. I really had no plan on abandoning my blog but God had a different plan. In early October 2011 I found out I was pregnant with our 2nd child! We were so excited, but then that excitement wore off within days when the morning ALL DAY sickness kicked in…bad. In addition to the oh so common “morning sickness,” I got a sinus infection/cold that didn’t go away for 2 weeks. It made functioning incredibly hard. My throat was swelled up for almost 2 weeks, making it impossible to swallow pills. This made it impossible to take my prenatal pills and without those little pills my hormones and emotions went topsy-turvy and I got really depressed. It took a good month to really get my mental state back to where it should be, but the all day sickness continued. So with the holidays, a very happy but attention-needing toddler who only naps once/day and a very early bedtime thanks to that growing fetus inside my belly, this blog wasn’t on my to-do list.

BUT the good news is that I’m almost 17 weeks, have regained my energy and lost most of the sickness, and am going to attempt to be posting again

That’s the biggest update in my life. Little Miss Charlotte is almost 19 months and is as cute as ever. She’s running all around, coloring on everything, dances whenever she hears music and enjoys making music with her daddy in his studio. She’s also talking a lot and communicating with us so life in that sense has gotten a lot easier.

Hubbie is doing great – working at the same job and going for more certifications. He’s been doing a lot of studio work and is releasing his first full length album in just a few months! In addition he’ll be going back to Ottawa (sans family this time) to play 2 gigs in 1 night So exciting!

With the holidays my couponing seemed to have slowed down but I’m happy to report that the budget wasn’t broken too badly and our family is still completely debt-free, including car payments! We’ve even started saving for Charlotte’s college…something we didn’t know would be possible on 1 income but that’s God for ya! Such an amazing way to live life!

And as for God in our lives, well He’s definitely been working hard picking up the slack that this pregnancy has caused. I don’t think I’ve mentioned that in September I became a Sunday School teacher at my church for the 4-5th graders and love every minute of it. They’re full of ideas and energy but aren’t to the point of being jaded with worldly confusion and opinions…it has really been a wonderful experience. I have 2 high school aged assistants who make my life 10x easier and I’m so blessed to have them in my life (and classroom)!

So I think you’re all caught up on my life. Hope your holidays went well and I hope to be posting a bit more frequently, at least until the new baby arrives in June

Me & Charlotte

Christmas 2011

Last Post was October 2011 – until TODAY!

Hello any followers I have left! haha. To say I took an unplanned hiatus is a bit of an understatement. I really had no plan on abandoning my blog but God had a different plan. In early October 2011 I found out I was pregnant with our 2nd child! We were so excited, but then that excitement wore off within days when the morning ALL DAY sickness kicked in…bad. In addition to the oh so common “morning sickness,” I got a sinus infection/cold that didn’t go away for 2 weeks. It made functioning incredibly hard. My throat was swelled up for almost 2 weeks, making it impossible to swallow pills. This made it impossible to take my prenatal pills and without those little pills my hormones and emotions went topsy-turvy and I got really depressed. It took a good month to really get my mental state back to where it should be, but the all day sickness continued. So with the holidays, a very happy but attention-needing toddler who only naps once/day and a very early bedtime thanks to that growing fetus inside my belly, this blog wasn’t on my to-do list.

BUT the good news is that I’m almost 17 weeks, have regained my energy and lost most of the sickness, and am going to attempt to be posting again

That’s the biggest update in my life. Little Miss Charlotte is almost 19 months and is as cute as ever. She’s running all around, coloring on everything, dances whenever she hears music and enjoys making music with her daddy in his studio. She’s also talking a lot and communicating with us so life in that sense has gotten a lot easier.

Hubbie is doing great – working at the same job and going for more certifications. He’s been doing a lot of studio work and is releasing his first full length album in just a few months! In addition he’ll be going back to Ottawa (sans family this time) to play 2 gigs in 1 night So exciting!

With the holidays my couponing seemed to have slowed down but I’m happy to report that the budget wasn’t broken too badly and our family is still completely debt-free, including car payments! We’ve even started saving for Charlotte’s college…something we didn’t know would be possible on 1 income but that’s God for ya! Such an amazing way to live life!

And as for God in our lives, well He’s definitely been working hard picking up the slack that this pregnancy has caused. I don’t think I’ve mentioned that in September I became a Sunday School teacher at my church for the 4-5th graders and love every minute of it. They’re full of ideas and energy but aren’t to the point of being jaded with worldly confusion and opinions…it has really been a wonderful experience. I have 2 high school aged assistants who make my life 10x easier and I’m so blessed to have them in my life (and classroom)!

So I think you’re all caught up on my life. Hope your holidays went well and I hope to be posting a bit more frequently, at least until the new baby arrives in June

Me & Charlotte

Christmas 2011

All About My Pregnancy – in a fun way!

I found this survey and thought it would be fun to fill out. If you’ve recently had a baby, or not even that recently, feel free to reply with your answers!

1) Where were you when you first found out you were pregnant?
Officially found out at home after church on a Sunday afternoon

2) Who was with you?
Chris

3) How did you find out that you were pregnant?
Sitting at church, sick again, Lena suggested that I might be. Then Chris agreed. So after church we went to get a test and there ya go.

4) What was your first reaction to finding out you were pregnant?
Excited, nervous and scared lol

5) Your boyfriends/ Husbands/SO reaction?
He was really happy…and nervous

6) Who was the first person you told?
After Chris we told his mom. We promised her she could find out first since my parents were told first that we were getting married.

7) Did you plan to get pregnant?
Yes

Was everyone happy for you?
Of course!

9) Was anyone hating on you?
haha I don’t think so!

10) What made you decide to take a pregnancy test?
Chris saying that I might be pregnant. He was usually the one that told me he didn’t think I was pregnant when I thought I was.

11) Did you want to find out the sex?
Yea I’m too much of a planner not to know!

12) What was the sex?
Female

13) Did anyone throw you a baby shower?
Yup – my mom, mother in law and brothers girlfriends

14) What was the first thing you bought your baby?
Besides “necessities” I got her a minnie mouse baby blanket

15) Did you get anything at the baby shower that you hated? If so, what did you do with it?
haha I’m not commenting

16) Did your boyfriend/husband/SO read pregnancy books?
Yea He read the guys parts of What to Expect and any article I sent him

17) Did you loose all of the weight that you gained?
Not yet. I have about 8-10 lbs left

18) Did you get any stretch marks?
Yea I didn’t get them until the very end – so disappointing!

19) What did you crave the most?
Salad. I was a pretty boring pregnant person – nothing crazy

20) Did you crave anything crazy? If so, what?
See above

21) Who or what got on your nerves the most?
a certain co-worker who decided to tell me every time I gained weight and even pinched my thighs once!

22) Were you married at the time of conception?
Yes, just over 3 years

23) Did you have any complications during your pregnancy? If so, what?
I had high blood pressure early on but it calmed down with time

24) Where were you when you went into labor?
At home, late at night, watching Dan in Real Life on the couch

25) Did your water break or have to be broken?
The doc had to break it. Not exactly a comfortable situation.

26) Who drove you to the hospital?
Chris, at 3:04am

27) What was your due date?
July 3rd was the last estimate

28) Did you go into labor early or late in the day?
Around 12:30am

29) Who was in the room with you when you gave birth?
Chris, the nurse and my doc

30) Was it documented by photos or taped?
No way

31) Did you have any drugs for the pain?
Yea and boy did they help!

32) Did you go Natural or have a c-section?
natural

33) What was your first reaction after giving birth?
excitement, relief and then pain with the stitches!

34) How big was the baby (weight & length)?
7 lb 14 oz 19 1/2 inches

35) Did your boyfriend/ Husband/SO cry..lol?
not sure! I’m sure he got teary eyed

36) What did you name the baby (first & middle)?
Charlotte Grace

37) Did the baby have any complications? If so, what?
No she’s perfect

38) How old is the baby today?
3 1/2 months – I can’t believe it!

39) When would you like to have your next baby? If you do want another, what gender would you want?
I do want more…2 years apart would be good. I want another girl but I’d be happy with a boy too

40) Are you married now?
Yup

41) What does baby look like now?

Jess’ Guide to Month 9, Labor & the Hospital

A few months ago I wrote a post about what I learned being pregnant. It was a big hit so I’ve decided to do a follow up post about the rest of my pregnancy lessons. Missed the first post? Check it out here.

Pre-Labor

• Keep reminding yourself that the baby WILL come out. You will not be pregnant forever…even if baby is late.
• As hard as it will be, DO NOT count down until your “due date.” Baby is going to come when baby wants to come.
• Have fun setting up the baby room/nursery but don’t go too crazy. Once I arrived home with Charlotte I realized that the drawers I put everything in made NO sense. Chances are, you’re going to move everything once you develop your own system.
• You will probably get A LOT of newborn clothes. DO NOT wash everything. We have a pile of clothes that she already outgrew and never got to wear. Remember, those cute onesies CANNOT be worn until the umbilical cord falls off. Charlotte’s took over 2 weeks, so she outgrew a lot of clothes before being able to wear them.
• SwaddleMe Sleepsacks have been lifesavers for us. She falls right asleep when wearing one (usually).
• Get a washable/waterproof/vinyl changing pad. DO NOT get the pretty non-waterproof/non-vinyl covers. One little drop of pee and you have to put it in the wash.
• Got a lot of duplicate “baby items” from your shower but don’t have receipts? You have a few options. Go online and add them to your registry (check babiesrus before other stores – their prices are higher so you’ll get more for the return!). Then you can return it to the store without a receipt. Can’t find it on the registry? Go to target or walmart. Both stores will let you return items without receipts. Target gives store credit, walmart gives cash back up to $20 I believe and then store credit after that. We ended up returning a lot of items, keeping 1 of each, and decided to buy more as needed. So far, it hasn’t been needed and we got $30 to Target just from powders, cremes and lotions!
• Buy diapers now. In your first few weeks you won’t want to run out and buy diapers. I loved the Huggies Pure & Natural for newborns because it has a special dip in the front so you don’t cover the umbilical cord. Nothing more challenging than folding down a diaper correctly at 3am.
• Keep walking/exercising. It’ll keep your mind clear and baby moving. It’s the best way to help baby along.
• Enjoy some last date nights (if it’s your first child). Chances are you’re not going to want to use a babysitter in the first few months so this may be your last real date for a while. Chris and I had 3 last dates and all were worth it.
• If people offer you baby clothes/items, take them and wash immediately. You won’t know what baby likes and what you like until he/she is already here and getting to a store isn’t as easy.
• RELAX and enjoy the last weeks of pregnancy. It’s hard to do. And you’re tired and usually in some kind of discomfort but remember, it’s the last time your name won’t be mom for the rest of your life
• Buy books, movies, tv show boxsets etc. While waiting for baby and as a new mom you’ll be up many hours for different reasons.
• Braxton hicks contractions are different than real ones. But if you’re anything like me – you won’t be able to tell the difference.
• Got an iphone or app-friendly phone device? Get the contraction tracker app! It’s free and a real easy way to track how long and frequent your contractions are. It’s how I knew it was time to take a trip to the hospital.
• There is a long list of signs you might be going into labor in many books. Use them as a reference. I didn’t get some of the signs ever and honestly, many of them came just a few hours before I went into labor. Don’t get discouraged…everyone is different.
• Pack your bag for the hospital! Here’s my suggestions that might not be too obvious: hair brush and tie, mascara/light makeup, bath robe & slippers, disposable razor, toothbrush & tooth paste, cheap but cute nursing pajamas (or you can wear the robes they give you- i did both), lotion/stretch creme, deodorant, chapstick, comfy go home clothes (maternity clothes still), cell phone charger, camera.
• Go food shopping/make and freeze food. You will NOT be up for cooking and hubbie won’t be either. We lived off of pre-made chili for many days.
• Sanitize/sterilize bottles, pacifiers etc. before baby comes. I didn’t think to and didn’t realize it should definitely be done before using them. Put bathing things together in a basket and organize clothes so newborn outfits are easy to grab and 6 months clothes are out of reach.

Labor/Hospital

• Not sure if you should go to the hospital yet or if contractions are real? Call your doctor. I was afraid of bothering him with stupid questions and false labor but they get calls all of the time and are the only ones that know what you should do. Don’t be afraid to look stupid.
• I was told that if you’re just saying “ow” then you’re not going into labor. This may be true for some, but do you know how high your pain tolerance is? I obviously didn’t. I was saying “ow” when I was already hours into labor. Use your own judgement.
• Not sure if it’s a real contraction? Try moving (if you’re sitting, stand up etc.). If it gets worse/stays the same, it’s probably real.
• Communicate with your husband/ride to the hospital. If you don’t need to do a movie-like panic run th the car speeding to the hospital scene, don’t do it. There will be enough going on. Stay calm, breathe, and remember, he’s probably as nervous as you are.
• Be honest with your nurses. If you’re in pain, tell them. If you feel pain coming on but think you can handle it a bit longer, tell them NOW. Hospitals get busy out of no where and you don’t want to be stuck waiting for pain medicine when you really need it.
• Stay positive, stay light hearted, and remember, it’s just one (usually) really long day. It WILL end and your baby WILL come out one way or another.
• If your hospital room has a TV in it, put something fun and light on. We watched 90s tv sitcoms during labor, during pushing and for days in recovery. It’s nice to have something to look at but not really feel the need to WATCH it. Home Improvement was on when Charlotte was born. Who knew I’d be looking at Tim Allen while pushing my first child out. haha.
• “Now is not the time to be a super hero” – Dr. Rudnicki. Take the pain medicine unless you’re really against it.
• It will hurt. But you will have a little baby in your arms when it’s all over.

Hospital Stay

• A lot of people will want to visit. You may want to limit it. You and husband and baby will be very tired and worn out…remind people they can visit you when you get home. And keep your nurse in the loop, she’s usually willing to kick people out of the room so you don’t have to be the bad guy.
• Not sure if you want to have baby sleep at night in the room with you or in the nursery? I suggest the nursery. You’re going to be exhausted and glued to your bed in recovery. Let the nurses soothe his/her crying and change diapers for a few nights. You’ll have MANY chances to do it yourself later on. Plus, if there are any complications – they know what to do and you don’t. Charlotte had one night of choking on mucus she was coughing up. I would have freaked out if I was alone with her when it happened.
• Planning on nursing? The nurses will bring baby to you in the middle of the night so that you can. Just make sure they know this is what you want – if not, they’ll give him/her formula from a bottle.
• Questions? ASK NOW! Nurses and doctors are all around you. Don’t be embarassed. It’s harder to call later on.
• Anything in the hospital room WILL get thrown out so take it home with you! From the disposable post-pregnancy underwear to the huge maxi pads to the baby’s hair brush.
• Witchhazel pads/Tucks and ice packs feel amazing for your sore area. Make sure to bring them home with you AND buy some more when needed.
• Take a shower, brush your hair, put on a little makeup…it’ll help you to feel so much better. Especially if you’re going to have visitors who want to take pictures..and they will.
• Speaking of pictures, call the shots. I told everyone I did not want my “just had a baby” pictures posted anywhere and they respected that. Take some so you have them, but the world doesn’t need to see you in a gown with crazy hair and a fat, tired face unless you want them to.
• Heard that you leave the hospital looking 6 months pregnant? Unfortunately it’s true. It takes days/weeks to not look pregnant anymore. And then, you still have a mushy belly. But remember, you did JUST have a baby.
• Take some of the hospital time to relax with just your family. The nurses take care of you and bring you food and pain meds. Your hubbie will want some quiet time and your baby may not want to be passed around all day long. Your first days home will be tiring and overwhelming, take advantage of the hospital help.

So that’s all I can think of. I’m sure there are more things but I think that’s enough. I will leave you with one funny story. Our first night (or 2nd) back at home, I had to wake up to feed Charlotte. So I set the alarm and somehow opened my eyes after only a few hours of sleep. But I woke up confused and panicked. I woke up Chris because I couldn’t figure out how to sit the bed up to feed her. I was hitting the side of the mattress looking for the controls. It took me a few minutes to realize that I wasn’t in the hospital and my mattress did not have controls. It was a really funny moment that I’ll never forget.

Jess’ (so far) Guide to Pregnancy

I woke up realizing that I’ve learned a lot about being pregnant over these past 8 months. So I thought I’d write some things down to help me in the future, help my current pregnant friends, be an early read to my not yet pregnant friends and a guide to live on my blog for anyone to find. So here we go.

Clothing

• If you’re not comfortable, it’s not worth it. Wear clothes that fit instead of squeezing into your last non-maternity shirt.
• Non-maternity clothes make you look larger than you are – they aren’t made to fit your new curves.
• Invest in some maternity jeans and put less money into the tops so you can get a bunch of them.
• Ask around! Lots of people will be willing to give you clothes, even just to borrow, if they have some.
• Large t-shirts are perfect for bed…especially when it’s hot and the last thing you want is to be wearing clothes.
• Buy lots of solid, layerable shirts. Get the fitted tees with the bunching on the side…you can wear them at any month that you’re in! A great investment. Buy them in the winter w/ a few shirts that can go over it.
• Be careful of the help you get in maternity stores. They want to help but they’re still sales people. Try on everything and only buy what you love. You’re not investing in clothing at this point…you’re buying clothes to get you through a few months.
• Buy bigger bras as soon as you need them and then get bra extensions to make them last. Instead of buying bras over and over again these cost a whole $1.50 each and give you the extra help you need.
• Maternity pajama shorts are worth buying…they’re comfy and are light weight.
• Take care of yourself. As you get bigger you’re going to feel unattractive at times. Get your hair done, do your makeup, wear cute flats…it’ll make you feel better.
• Sweats are made for the house. Yoga pants can be worn anywhere – especially with a cute top.
• Maternity leggings are comfy and perfect to throw on under long tops and dresses!
• Just because someone gives you something, doesn’t mean you have to wear it. Wear what fits and what you like.

Learning

• It’s good to read What to Expect but only read the month that you’re in. It’s too overwhelming any other way.
• Do join some baby center/what to expect type websites. Don’t join all of them. Many times they’re all saying the same thing anyway.
• Stay off forums and pregnancy boards. Most of the people posting on there contradict each other and themselves. Many just want to complain. If you have a real question, ask your doctor or another mom. Or find a real medical website…don’t rely on strangers you don’t know.
• Learn to do some pregnancy stretches. It helped me with all of my back problems.
• Read some baby books and then move on. Don’t lose who you are because you’re having a baby. Chances are you’ll know what to do when you need to do it (or so I hear!)
• Listen to others or don’t. Friends always want to give advice but half the time what worked for them won’t work for you. Take opinions lightly.
• Listen to your body…it will tell you most things you need to know.
• Learn the difference between crying for no reason and not being able to help crying. I’ve found that sometimes my hormones are crazy and I feel like crying – but I don’t HAVE to. Save it for when you cry and you really can’t help it. No one likes a cry baby!
• Complaining is normal…but so is pregnancy. Women do it all of the time. And non-pregnant people WILL get tired of hearing it fast. Learn to get over things yourself.
• If you’re craving something, it may not be WHAT you’re craving that’s important…take a look at what that food provides you with. It’s usually the vitamins/fiber/salt/sugar that your body is craving…not the actual food.

Eating

• My favorite quote that I’ve lived by. “Yes, you’re eating for two. But that 2nd person weighs between 2 oz. and 4 lbs. most of your pregnancy…it only needs 300-400 calories. That’s 2 sodas.”
• Don’t emotional eat. Treat yourself, yes. But find a different way to deal with your hormones. Like going for a walk or writing or crying or watching a movie. I enjoyed watching Father of the Bride 2 while pregnant.
• Fruit is your friend but it’s also like giving your baby a red bull at times. Don’t forget that fruit is loaded in sugar.
• Skip the caffeine, go for the fruit. It’s a natural energy high. So is ice cold water.
• Carry a water bottle with you – thirst will sneak up on you.
• Eat healthy: what you eat, your baby eats.
• Don’t forget, this is the one time in a woman’s life that dessert is guilt-free. Treat yourself…just don’t do it every day.
• Keep eating. If you’re hungry, baby is hungry. You wouldn’t not feed him/her when he/she is here, would you?
• Heartburn is not fun but neither is giving up your favorite food. Choose wisely.
• You can make exceptions to the “do not eat when pregnant” list…but think about it, that list is there for a reason. Don’t be so selfish.
• You’re not fat, you’re pregnant. Keep repeating to yourself until that baby bump is obvious to all.

Get Comfortable

• My body pillow is my best friend at night. They’re much cheaper than buying what’s in the maternity stores. I got one at target and it has washable, removable covers. It’s perfect.
• Beware of your posture and the way you hold yourself. It’ll help wonders with your back and any pains you have. Shoulders back, neck straight, tailbone under. Straighten up – especially when sitting!
• Pillows are amazing support on a couch.
• Take advantage of people helping you and doing things for you. Then do the same for others when you’re not pregnant.
• If you’re tired, take a break. Don’t push yourself if you want to stay healthy.
• Learn to laugh at yourself. It’ll really help when you lose your balance and start wobbling for what seems like no reason.
• Exercise is good but don’t go crazy. You’re not trying to lose weight…just to keep healthy!

Well that’s all I’ve got for now…hope it helps someone. The biggest thing to remember is to take care of yourself, let others help you, know that things ARE going to change and there is nothing you can do about it. Just learn to listen to your body and enjoy the ride.

A Lesson Worth Learning

If there is one thing I’ve learned from being pregnant…it’s this. Life is all about how you see things and then how you react to them.

Today has been a rough pregnancy day. Actually, the past couple of days have been. It feels as if Charlotte is growing but I am not. Therefore, her kicks have gotten stronger but I have less to block them with. She’s reaching parts of me that she couldn’t before and well, getting kicked in the ribs and down below at the same time is not fun. Actually, it hurts. A LOT. And many other negative things result from it.

So of course, part of me wants to lay on the couch and complain about how sick I feel and how much she’s hurting me. But thank God there is a part of me that just laughs because I know this is so temporary. And if you can picture it, it really is kind of funny.

I know there is a life lesson in this and I’m pretty sure it’s not too hard to figure out. All situations can be good or bad…it’s just how you see it and what you’re going to do about it.

The Weekend Update

So you may have noticed that I haven’t posted a blog since Tuesday…yikes! I’m asking for your forgiveness…things have been crazy lately! I’m now in my 8th month of pregnancy AND just moved to a new apartment 1 week ago. Plus work has been really busy so I spend my lunch breaks trying to relax rather than come up with blogging topics.

I must say though, this weekend has been great. Over the past week my husband has been doing most of the unpacking and it’s been the biggest help anyone could ask for. It’s amazing coming home every day to find something else done and ready to be used. Then to top it off, this weekend he gave me a pedicure! Yup…my guy read up on how to make a good foot scrub and pampered me like crazy. And to top it all off, he bought me a brownie and took me shopping for things around the house. Is he good or what?

I’ve been thinking…this is the last mother’s day that will pass that I don’t have a little girl staring back at me wishing me a happy mother’s day. Reality that she’ll be here in 2 months is really starting to hit. And to be honest, it’s a bit scary! Exciting…but scary. Most days I still feel like a kid myself. But I’m just believing that God wouldn’t have allowed her into our lives if we weren’t prepared for this next step in life.

So here’s to the future…with a new apartment, a new addition to the family and to new friendships at our new church. I’m looking forward to seeing how it all develops

Happy Week-End. Talk to you soon