The Exercise Ball that Saved Everything

Near the end of my pregnancy I bought an exercise ball. It looked something like this:

Ok, so by "near the end of my pregnancy" I probably mean "way sooner than was necessary." Just like packing my hospital bag 3 months before I actually needed to head to the hospital, there is no such thing as "overprepared" in the mind of a first time mom.

My reasons for buying it: 1.) Use in labor at home and 2.) Get some abs after baby comes. Have I used it for either of those things? Nope! Yay intentions! I will say that I got a lot of use out of the one at the hospital though. And that I did do a set of crunches on it. Once, I think. Still, I found that even without my intended usage of it, the exercise ball is probably one of the best baby items I ever bought.

We never got any kind of rocker or glider before Charlotte was born. And I have no idea how we figured this out, but bouncing with Charlotte on the ball was so comforting to her. I can't even tell you how much time we spent on it in those first few weeks and months. Even now, when she rarely ever needs (or wants) comfort in the form of rocking, ect., I will still occasionally get back on that ball with her sitting in my lap and just bounce. And it usually calms her down.

It's funny because we thought it was such a random thing we did with Charlotte, but you wouldn't believe how many people I've heard of doing the same thing.

So pregnant women! People looking for baby gift ideas! Here is one of my top suggestions! It's such a simple thing, yet so versatile. You can use it in the end of your pregnancy (it helped when my back hurt), you can use it in labor, you can use it to rock your baby to sleep, and you can use it to get that pre-baby body back (or so I hear)! And bonus: it's a fun toy! it can be employed as a makeshift baby gate (being a parent makes you creative)! you can even use it to make a giant chandelier! Oh the possibilities.

So there it is: my secret to parenting. Hah not really, my secret to parenting is MUCH deeper then that. But it really was a life saver for us and I just felt like that giant green ball needed to be publically recognized for its service. It will never look good in your living room, but it just might help you get through the tough times.

A definite staple on my recommended buys list!

 

Driving Away

Today I got a new car. This is super exciting for me, of course it is. But despite my excitement, I'm a little sad. My old car holds a lot of memories for me. Trey says that you still have the memories without the object, and while that's true, I can't help but mourn the loss of my first car a little.

 

I mean, it WAS my first car. Well, unless you count the old van I had for a month before it broke down. Which I don't. For many people, their first car is their first taste of real freedom. That car took me to my graduation. It drove me across the country (crying) with my dad when I moved to Alabama for the internship I did after high school. It drove me to Utah, a place I'd never lived and didn't think of as home despite my parents having moved there, when I was done with that internship. And it carried me back to Alabama once more, this time with my mom and all my belongings, when I decided to marry a southern boy.

 

That car took us on our honeymoon, to my first trip to Disney World and to North Carolina and back again when we made a move that taught us a heap of hard lessons. And it carried us on our last drive as "two" to the hospital, and our first drive home as a family of three.

 

It has absorbed countless meltdowns, both as a teenager and a young adult, when my car was the only place I felt I could cry. It has barely contained my energy on chilly nights when I would roll down the windows and sing at the top of my lungs. It has astounded my senses by somehow fitting more than seemed possible of my STUFF on several moves.

 

It has exasperated me when I had to work my butt off to pay for it, when it always seemed to get flat tires when I was alone with no one to help, and in the end when it seemed to throw problem after problem at me.

 

I didn't fully realize what it meant to me until I started typing this. And it may seem silly to feel so many emotions about a car. But sometimes, when I was lost, that car was the only thing that felt like home. And sometimes I think we need to acknowledge our feelings and be sentimental.

 

So hopefully I, and my family, will create such special memories and moments in this next car. And hopefully I can wave goodbye to those old memories and take another step down the highway of my life.

 

 

Little Germ Monkey

 

Over the last 3 months I have been sick more times than in the last 3 years. I can only assume the thanks for this belongs to my sweet angel baby. I really can't think of another explanation! The child doesn't even go to daycare (where I hear all germs are born)! The bonus to this situation is that I get much, MUCH sicker than she ever seems to get. Not that I want her to be sicker (or sick at all), I just want to not be sicker (or sick at all!)

The sore throat I'm currently nursing (going on its second week and persisting despite antibiotics!) is the reason I'm giving for this doodle and post in place of the thoughtful post I tried to write. Man I'm getting off to a good re-start on this blog!

 

Circus

Just a little late-night doodle.

 

Comeback

Not much has changed since I last wrote on this blog. Nearly EVERYTHING has changed since I last wrote on this blog! In my last post I wrote that I had one more month left in my pregnancy. Little did I know that "one month" would turn into 6 weeks, and carry me into the next year! In the interest of time conservation and for the sake of my typing fingers, I have made timeline to catch you up on the past, oh, nearly 11 months of my life:

Yep, that about covers it!

So I went from being a pregnant girl who'd barely held a baby to a full-time, stay-at-home mommy who does nothing but hold a baby all day long. Well, maybe not ALL day, but you get the picture. Speaking of babies, I think I hear mine on the monitor right now. Yes, my life involves things like "monitors" and "pacies" now. Ok, see you in 11 months!

Haha just kidding I should be back before then;)

 

One More Month

Dear Charlotte,
You are due to arrive one month from today. In fact, last night I was filling in our December calendar and YOU WERE ON IT! That thought floors me. And, of course, you could always come a little early. So in a month or less, you will be out here in the world. I have a lot of conflicting emotions about this. Of course, I am very excited to meet you. But I'm a little terrified too. The ways in which my life is about to change probably haven't even all occured to me yet. It scares me to know that I will be responsible for you when I barely know anything about babies, it scares me to think about the ways my relationship with your daddy will change, and, I'll go ahead and admit it, it scares me to think about the pain I'm about to experience to bring you from the inside to the outside.

But, dear Charlotte, you are the product of all our dreaming and hoping and love. I know that whatever I am about to go through in the next few weeks, as well as the rest of your life, is all going to be worth it. I have to warn you, I've never done this before. Please be patient with me, little Charlotte. I'm going to have no idea what I'm doing. Sure, I've done a lot to prepare, and I know I wont be alone but I'm sure there is a lot I'm going to have to leave up to God. I'll do my best, though and we'll figure this out together.

Please come soon, Charlotte. Not TOO soon, but soon. Your daddy and I will be here waiting for you, whenever you're ready.

Love,
Mama

2 months to go!

For the most part I have loved being pregnant. Sure there are some things about it that aren't fun, but what they say about it is true: you kind of forget the bad parts when you look back. I was thinking the other day about when I was so sick in the beginning. I remember that it happened, and I remember feeling like I was never going to feel good again, but I also don't REMEMBER. I tell myself it wasn't that bad.

But really, it's been great. I know I've been lucky in a lot of ways. There are women out there who have HORRIBLE pregnancies. Especially those who have high risk pregnancies. So every time I have something uncomfortable come up, I just remind myself how good I really have it.

One benefit I've really been enjoying is how much I love this body. It's weird, body image is something that I (like most girls/women) have struggled with. You wouldn't think that an additional 20 lbs or so would make me feel so good about myself haha! But it does, even as I get bigger and bigger. I am now approaching numbers that I have never seen on the scale before (of course, it scares me a little that I've seen some of these numbers before while NOT pregnant!) and I am thinking, "How can my belly possibly get bigger than this?!" Well, I've still got 2 months to go so it is definitely going to get a LOT bigger.

As much as I've loved all this, though, I finally had the, "I'm ready to not be pregnant anymore" feeling for the first time last week. The countdown has commenced. I know looking back it will have gone really fast, but right now the last two months look like a long road. With stairs. Still, next month I'll have a BABY! That blows my mind.

30 Weeks

I was looking back at some of the pictures I have taken during this pregnancy and remembering how I thought I had a belly/was getting so big/ect. HA! I still have at least 2 months left and I have grown so much over the last several months. Just makes me think about how naive I was about this pregnancy. Like how I said to myself (and possibly others), "I'm not going to buy any maternity clothes! I'm just going to use the rubber band trick and wear my regular shirts because they are so stretchy." Ha. Hahaha. Little did I know how much my body would change.

It makes me wonder what else I've been naive about.

Our good friends Ron and Jenny had their little girl yesterday:

Isn't she cute?

I was so excited for them but it also made me a little sad. Jenny has been pregnant with me this whole time and now she has her baby. Makes me ready to have MY little girl in MY arms. But I know that these last two months of pregnancy are important and there is so much I need to do before Charlotte gets here!

I feel like I'm ready to be a mother but I also know that giving birth and being a mom are going to be just like this pregnancy: I wont know what to expect until I'm in the middle of it. I'm excited and scared, just like every new mom before me. And I know, just like the maternity pants, I'll have to change my views on some things and just accept that I can only do the best that I can do and be as prepared as I can be.

I mean, God knew just what he was doing when he gave us 9 whole months, right?

A Comparison

End of 1st trimester and end of 2nd trimester

Some differences:

• 12 weeks: So sick all the time, 27 weeks: not sick at all!
• 12 weeks: 2 lbs down from pre-pregnancy weight, 27 weeks: have gained about 14-15 lbs
• 12 weeks: Still in old clothes, 27 weeks: had to go shopping for more maternity clothes!
• 12 weeks: just telling people we are having a baby, 27 weeks: strangers are staring at my belly
• 12 weeks: no movement, 27 weeks: movement ALL THE TIME!
• 12 weeks: no symptoms except the lovely nausea, 27 weeks: some reflux at night, occasional back pain, waking up a lot at night to change positions, bloddy noses! but still feeling pretty great ;)
• 12 weeks: thoughts revolve around when I will feel better and pretty much nothing else, 27 weeks: thought revolve around getting stuff ready for baby

I'm really excited about getting into my third trimester next week. Tomorrow is my next appointment which means the dreaded glucose test. Definitely not looking forward to that. I also have to get a shot because of my negative blood type. Fun stuff!

I feel really blessed to feel so great still. I have been able to pick back up going to the gym which has been a plus, although I'm definitely going less because my body gets so tired haha.

The next few months are super busy for us. There is just so much going on but I'm kind of happy about it because I know it will make the time go by faster. And I'm really excited about a vacation coming up as well as some baby showers! I know I will feel so much better when we actually have some "baby gear" (I'm not kidding, right now we have a carseat and a few clothes and that is IT) and I can really start to get things ready for Charlotte.

All for now! Happy Wednesday!

Never Mind

So after that last post I've kind of changed my mind. I'm not ready to talk about this stuff. At least not in this forum. Not exactly sure what I want to do with this blog right now. Time to turn over some new leaves in this new adventure in my life!

I May Be a Hippie...

Yes, it's true. I know that a lot of the decisions I am making and wanting to make about the birth and raising of our child can come across as "crunchy" or hippie-esque. Although I have wanted to, I haven't talked much about my plans here or elsewhere because I know that they can be touchy subjects that everyone has an opinion about. But here is the thing: I LOVE reading about these subjects on other people's blogs and sites. It really helps me to learn and to make informed decisions when I can get as much information as possible. And hearing peoples' personal stories helps me gain perspective and feel like I'm not alone out there. Plus I better start getting used to the controversy cuz it's only going to crop up more when Charlotte arrives!

So...all that to say that I would like to start talking about my parenting decisions here. You may not agree, that's fine. I'm definitely not here to tell anyone what THEY should do, I'm just here to tell you what I'D like to do. Hopefully this will be a good resource for me to look back on in the future as well as a place for me to flesh out some of my thoughts. I feel like I'm bursting with all this information and no one to talk to it about except Trey (who I'm sure is sick of hearing the same things rehashed over and over again!)

Here are some things I will probably be talking about:

• Breastfeeding
• Babywearing
• Bonding
• Attachment Parenting (and oh, there is so much under this subject alone!)
• Cloth diapering
• Natural Childbirth
• Birth plans

If nothing else I need somewhere to process these thoughts. Of course I will be sure to update about how all of these things go if and when we finally get to do them! Here's to morphing into a mommy blogger!

 Loved this devotion with the one year Bible today. So I thought I'd share it:

 

Daily Devotional

Written by Larry Stockstill

Like the six branches of the lampstand in the tabernacle, there are six facets of the Holy Spirit's character. First, He is the Spirit of wisdom, revealing to us His future purposes both for ourselves and for His kingdom. Second, He is the Spirit of understanding, giving us revelation about our present situation and how best to be fruitful in it. Third, He is the Spirit of counsel, instructing us in solving hard problems by discerning the root causes. Fourth, He is the Spirit of might, strengthening us with power in our inner man and anointing us with His spiritual gifts. Fifth, He is the Spirit of knowledge, revealing to us the various attributes of Jesus in the Word of God. Finally, He is the Spirit of the fear of the Lord, showing us areas of our lives where sin has a foothold and then changing us into the image of Christ.

Jesus, the "stump of David's family" (Isaiah 11:1), perfectly portrayed all these characteristics. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you today with these six attributes, and you will walk like Jesus walked!

Charlotte's Nursery

Color pallet. (Gray, light pink and white/off-white) I'd also like to make this elephant. And I want to use that same fabric (in pink or gray) to make sheets for the crib using this tutorial:

Would love to make some artwork like this, in my color pallet of course.

And something like this. I love working with buttons. I'm thinking a pink "C" on a gray background?

I'm leaning towards a more vintage looking crib like this one. Painted white probably.

Would love to do curtains like this. Either a white branch with gray curtains or vice versa.

Love the way the drawers of this dresser are painted in different shades of blue. Thinking of possibly doing something like that in different shades of pink or gray. Or just doing a plain white dresser with pink crystal knobs.

I made this using a quote from Phantom of the Opera which is where I first heard the name "Lotte" (we plan on using it as a nickname for Charlotte)

Would love a natural looking mobile to be something like this (using my colors again of course). The branches would also tie in with the curtain rod.

Love this idea. I would paint the baskets gray or white depending on the wall color and fill with stuffed animals or toys. Not books though, I really want to do a bookshelf. Maybe something like this...

...with pink in the back. I could even do something with a pattern (possibly like the pattern of the the elephants ear above?)

 So these are all things I'm leaning towards right now. Of course, also as of right now I don't know how much of a nursery she is going to have so we will just see how this all pans out. :)

All links to original pictures/posts can be found in my pinterest.

It's a girl!

 

That's right! This past week we found out that we are having a girl! Her name will be Charlotte Lane Thomason and we couldn't be more excited (I freaked out at the ultrasound haha!). Can't wait to meet her this December (hopefully)!

18 weeks

Last night I felt the baby kick me in the hand, twice. I've felt him or her moving around in there for about a week now (every now and then) but last night the little thumper was just moving around like crazy and I laid with my hand on my stomach just feeling them move around. Amazing.

I just feel like this is something I'm going to want to remember:)

Next maybe Trey will be able to feel a little kick!

17 weeks 5 days

Trimester 2

I know I am the most horrible blogger. Especially now that I have something to blog about! I love reading pregnancy blogs but for some reason I have been having the hardest time blogging during this pregnancy!

I am now 16 (17 in two days) weeks along. So far the the second trimester has been a huge, HUGE improvement on the first. While I wouldn't say that my nausea has completely gone away, it is now at a minimum and I couldn't be happier. I stopped taking my nausea medicine as well which makes me so happy as I am not a big medicine taker.

I did have an incident (on the very first day of my second trimester no less) with an atypical migraine that put me in the hospital. THAT was not fun especially when you consider that I've never had a migraine or been hospitalized before. I also had a CAT scan, an MRI and an MRA. All new experiences here in La La land!

Since then, though, things have been going really well. I'm even starting to get my energy back! Things are going so well, in fact, that I have decided to go back to school in the fall and try and finish my Associates before the baby comes. O and we are entering house-buying phase. Ya, I don't like to do things the easy way (apparently).

Other than that, there is really not much to tell. I have gained 2 pounds so far, don't seem to have any cravings (although I do eat a lot of cheezit's)(and feel like I'm constantly thirsty), and I seem to get headaches more frequently than usual (but no more migraines so far, thank God!) We ARE planning on finding out the sex of the baby, but for now we are not announcing when we will be finding out. I want to reserve the right to keep that between me and Trey for a few days if I feel like it ;)

All for now, I will try and post more often as things are finally starting to get exciting :)

16 weeks-belly pop

Yes, I'm Pregnant

I know, I know...I've been gone. For a long, loooooonngg time. I'll tell ya why: all things that were once important to me fell by the wayside with the onset of THE ALL DAY PREGNANCY SICKNESS.

That's right, I'm with child. I've got a bun in the oven. I've got a twinkle in my eye. I've got my head over the toilet. O wait, that last one is probably not something you want to hear, huh? Sorry, it's just that, well, that image has basically defined this pregnancy for me. Sure, I thought I might get a little nauseas. But I had no idea that I would spend six weeks (so far) being so constantly, unabatingly sick.

Even before I got pregnant I had it in my mind that I didn't want to announce until 12 weeks. I know a lot of people do it that way, and I also know that a lot of people end up giving in. But I am stubborn, just ask the grandparents (yes, we told them earlier than 12 weeks. Family and a few people got to be in the know). But I sure am glad I made that decision. Because it just wouldn't have been fun to have people being excited about it when I was feeling so bad. Plus, I knew that if I announced it on the interwebs it would have given me an excuse to complain about being sick all the time via facebook and twitter. And I didn't want to be complaining all the time over something that was supposed to be so exciting. And I AM excited, but the temptation to complain would have been too much so I'm glad I waited. I mean, not to say that I'm feeling totally better, but I am feeling better than I was and I've gotten my appetite back (for a few weeks all I could eat was saltines and popsicles. Glad THAT'S over!).

So now you know, internet. And for those who care, here is a few quick facts:

• Due date= December 28 (Christmas baby!)(I'm praying for an early delivery:) )
• Weight gain so far: negative 2 lbs
• Belly: nonexistant
• Symptoms: morning (read: all day) sickness (have I mentioned that?), aversion to chicken (getting better), some headaches and some tiredness
• 2 prenatal checkups with 2 ultrasounds. The first one looked like a cheeto, the second looked like an actual baby and it was moving around like CRAZY.
• 1 time getting blood drawn (I was terrified but I did better than I thought)

Look Whoooo's Turning 1 {A Party}

In March my little niece turned one. I can't believe it's been a year since we met her! My sister-in-law pulled off a great (and adorable!) first birthday party for her with an owl theme. It was too cute not to share. Enjoy!

The Birthday Girl!

Owl cupcake toppers (handmade!)

Also good as little lapel pins!

Some table details

Some owl goodies

The to-die-for smash cake (which I ended up eating some of ;) )

It's her party, and she'll cry if she wants to!

Green and pink baloons

Goody bags

Outfit (tutu, onsie, hair clip)  made by her mommy. So talented!

With mommy and daddy

Loved the photobooth idea.  Will definitely be remembering that one.

Happy 1st Birthday, Princess!

All pictures via my sister-in-law's Facebook except for the one of the "lapel pin." That one was taken with my cell phone;)

Thankful Thursday

This Thursday I'm thankful for family in Atlanta.




Because sometimes it's fun to get away, even if "away" isn't very far.

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In This Marriage

It's my anniversary this month! It will be two years since me and hubs tied the knot. There is no possible way that I can believe that it has been two years already. Anyhow, is it bragging to say that I have an awesome marriage? If it is, then this is me bragging. Here are a few things that I've learned on the go that I thought would be fun to share.

My top 10 secrets to an awesome marriage:

1. Marry someone you have fun with

Do I have to explain this? Do you want to spend the rest of your life with someone who bores you to death? Think of your best friend. I'm guessing you have fun with this person. Your hubby is your new best friend. Have fun with him.

2. Never take yourself too seriously.

This is really an overall life rule for me. Let's face it: when you are with someone so much, weird things are going to come up, weird things are going to happen. Learn how to laugh at yourself. Honestly, it just makes life more fun.

3. Let things go.

Don't hold on to past grievances. Deal with issues as they arise, and then leave them where they belong: in the past. Everyone makes mistakes, you wouldn't want the husband pulling out your fault list every time you made one, so don't do it to him either.

4. Pick your battles

Some things are worth going to battle over. Some things are not. If you don't want to be fighting all the time, then choose to only "discuss" the things that are major issues. You've heard the phrase "making a mountain out of a mole hill," if everything is a mountain then you will never be able to cross them all and you will never move forward. So knock over those mole hills without causing an incident and move on.

5. Prioritize

I'm just going to say it: your marriage is a big deal. Your spouse is a big deal. Look, your husband is your partner in life. You need to invest in him. And you need to make time for each other. Date night is not something that should fall by the wayside once you get married. In fact, it is even more important. There are so many little things that demand our attention everyday, make sure you remember to shut them all out once in a while and focus on each other.

6. Don't keep secrets

There is no place for secrets in a marriage. I'm telling you: either they WILL come out, or they will eat you alive. Why did you marry this guy if you don't want to share your life with him? I'm not saying you have to share every unimportant detail with each other. I honestly don't want to hear what my husband did every second of every day (and I'm nosy!). If it's an issue/important/dangerous to you or your marriage, spill the beans.

7. Try new things

There are no two people who are exactly alike. We are all unique and we all have different interests, including your spouse! Maybe you hate museums but he loves them, hit up a local one some weekend. Maybe the thought of sushi freaks you out but he has been craving it since you got married, (barring allergies) try it out! Not only will this allow you to experience new things (and maybe surprise you), it will also get you out of a dating rut (not that YOU ever get in one) and, most importantly, it will show your man that you care about him and the things that he cares about.

8. Make time for yourself

I know you love your husband. And if you're a newly wed, you probably want to spend all your time together. That's great! But make sure you also make time for you. Read a book, go for a walk. Don't get into the vortex of "us" so much that you forget about "me."

9. Speak up

Something bothering you but you're too afraid to say anything? Is there something you've always wanted to try? Bring it up (in a loving and open minded way). What's the worse that could happen, really? I said it before and I'll say it again: you want to spend the rest of your life with this person. Might as well get things out on the table now rather than holding on to them for the next 20 years. Your husband can't read your mind (or so I've been told).

10. Get dirty, a lot

And have fun with it. You know what I'm talkin' about. That's all I'm gonna say.