Calli's Birth Story

Linking up over at Wifessionals today!

 

I wanted to get this on my blog at some point so why not share it now and other mommies to be can enjoy it and be less scared!  I know there are a million horrifying birth stories that mothers JUST love to share with an 8 month plus mama to be, but this isn't one of them.  Some people are just clueless...nobody wants to hear that you had a baby standing on your head because the pain was so horrible you thought you were going to jump out the window....just sayin!

My water broke at about 10:30 am on Sunday August 10, 2008.  Jeremy had just left to go to the store to get pancake mix!  I knew it would be a little while before my contractions started so my mom, Gavin and I all took our showers and then Jeremy got home about 15 minutes later and got ready to head to the hospital. 

We left the house and stopped for everyone else to eat at a burger joint and then got to the hospital about 1:30.  When I had Gavin I made the mistake of eating a McDonald’s salad before I went to the hospital and threw it all up!  Not fun!!  No food for me, thanks.

I wanted to wait to see if my contractions would start on their own before getting  pitocin.  I had some small ones but nothing big.  At about 3:00-3:30 they started a small dose of pitocin that didn’t make me feel the contractions and then at about 4:30 they doubled it.

 I started having hard contractions a little before 5 and I asked for my epidural. I felt like a wimp because I was only at a 4, but they were painful!  I kept asking the anesthesiologist how long it would be before the epidural kicked in.  He humored me and gave me an extra dose and told the nurse that I was definitely not at a 4 anymore and they should probably check me.  At 5:30 I was at a 7.  About 20 minutes later she checked me again and I was at 8+ and the baby was way low.  She told me not to move, sneeze, breathe..nothing, since my doctor wasn’t there yet, ha-ha!  

They called my doc and turned off the pitocin. I was having zero pain at this point and just hanging out.  When my doc got there I pushed through one contraction, about 4 pushes, and she was here!!!  It was so easy, quick and relatively pain free. My mom said my make-up and hair didn’t even get messed up and I chewed gum the whole time I pushed.

Calli Nicole was born at 6:30 pm, 6lbs 10oz and 18 ½ inches(exactly my measurements when I was born). My son was born on July 10 and Jeremy was born on Jan 10, must be something about the 10th!

To this day my husband will say things like, “I don’t even know what the big deal about labor is?”  Ha!  I tell him he better not EVER say that to any other mom or he might get slapped.  But I agree my labors are short and sweet.  I hope this one is just as easy, although I am prepared to have a hard one.  I might have used up all my good luck labor dust already.

It was truly a great experience and of course I am still a little scared to do it again, but I know it will all be fine and honestly compared to pregnancy (which I am not a fan of) it will be a breeze!  Bring it on! (In no less than 7 weeks of course).

I do want to say that with my son (I was 17 so I didn’t write any of his details down at the time dang it), my dr broke my water around 10 am and I had him around 6:30 that evening as well.  They gave me Stadol before my epidural and I was OUT of it for the whole thing.  I made sure when I had Calli and I will with this baby too, that they know not to give me anything, but the epidural.  I was out of this world the first time and it was so much better to know what was going on and not feel loopy.

That is my only plan when I walk through that hospital door.  Also, I’m not the mushy, gushy, in touch with myself type that wants to see their babies head or feel it with my hand (ew) or in Kourtney Kardashian’s case, pull the baby out myself (WHAT!?  It’s true I saw it on an episode, gag me).  Keep me covered up please!!

So excited to meet this little dude, just ten more weeks!

Go check out more birth stories at the Wifessionals link up!

28+ Weeks

How far along? 28 Weeks 3 Days

Gender – BOY!!!!

Total weight gain? Prob around 25 lbs

Maternity Clothes? It’s getting harder to find things to wear.  I have a few maternity shirts and pants, but just waiting for the weather to change so I can buy some maxi dresses and tanks.

Stretch Marks? No

Sleep?  Good, about one bathroom break a night.

Best moment this week? Got carpet installed in the nursery this morning and his dresser is in there and waiting to be filled up with lots of baby goodies.

Miss anything? Normal exercise, energy that doesn’t come in spurts, a glass of wine and regular clothes…oh how I miss my cute clothes.

Movement? He’s a ninja, I think he is kicking his way out!

Food cravings? Grape nuts, peanut butter and jelly, Mexican food

Anything making you queasy or sick? No

Exercise?  Still attempting it, but it is NOT pretty!  It’s comedy hour!  Jer found a steep hill and I walk/jog/waddled my way up it four times to his five, ha!  I got a support band for running because of the pains that shoot down my legs, SPD? Round ligament?  You got me, I don’t really know what it is, but it hurts like hell.  The band helps a little.

Labor Signs? No.

Symptoms? Grumpy, drained if I do anything too strenuous.

Happy or moody? Moody, unfortunately : (

Looking forward to? My appointment on Thursday even if it comes with a dreaded weigh in and a glucose test.  

Baby Items- The Fun Stuff

Hey everyone! I missed the linkup over at Wifessionals, but thought it would be fun to share some of the things I have picked up for my little guy.

These are not necessarily things I used with my first two babies, but they are definitely what I am excited about this go around! 

1.  Cloud b Sleep Sheep - I read a ton of good reviews on this sweet little sleep sheep sound machin.!  I can't wait to play it every time I put him in his crib.  I am a HUGE fan of routine so anytime I can add anything to it, especially something this cute, I'm all for it! 

2.  Summer Infant Video Touch Monitor - I used just a sound monitor last time, but I am seriously excited to be able to see what the baby is doing as well as hear.

3.  Boon Lawn Countertop Drying Rack - For all those bottle parts!  Super stylish!

4.  Wubbanub - I know that babies are picky about their pacifiers, but this is SO cute!  If my little man takes to this style, I'm all over this cute little Giraffe.  If not, there are a ton of cute pacifier clips that I am dying to get my hands on from Etsy.

5.  LippyBrand Swaddle Blanket - I got this Lippybrand swaddle blanket that I found on Etsy.  I got mine in gray and orange to match his room, but this is seriously the softest, stretchiest, cutest blanket!  I buy a TON of blankets while I am pregnant.  I use one or two a day so I know I need to stock up on them.  While I love to hold a sleepy baby, I do not love to hold a sweaty baby ha!  I always have summer babies so I have learned my lesson on this one.  Lots of soft, lightweight blankets for us!  I also bought the Aden & Anais swaddle blankets that everyone raves about.  I got mine at Kohls with a 30% off coupon/free shipping so I would recommend checking out their website before you purchase through a more pricey retailer.

6.  Precious Firsts Line (Carters) - This line is at Target and I am in LalaLOVE with the neutral colors and less "in your face" designs than some of the sleepers and onsies out there.  This line is EXTREMELY soft and affordable!  I also have stocked up on lots of zip up lightweight jammies from Target.  We use our air conditioning in the summer so if baby is inside he will likely be in one of these and it is no fun messing with buttons in the middle of the night!  Gowns are great too!

7.  Sleepy Fox Print - I LOVE this sleepy fox print I found from an Etsy shop.  Going to hang this cute print above his crib.  You seriously can't go wrong with Etsy!  It is a great place for all things baby and baby nursery.

8.  Bouncer - The bouncer is one of my most used items.  Any bouncer will pretty much do the job.  This one just looked cute!  I actually traded my girlfriend my pink one for her green one so I didn't end up having to buy one, but I thought this one looked super cute and comfy.  They are a huge lifesaver when trying to make/eat dinner or clean the kitchen or set in the bathroom when I am in the shower...ok, I could go on and on, but do yourself a favor and GET ONE!

I can't wait to meet my little dude, but shopping for these cute/fun items has made the time pass a little quicker!

25 Weeks!

How far along? 25 Weeks 4 Days

Gender – BOY!!!!

Total weight gain? Around 20lbs

Maternity Clothes? Pants definitely, but can still wear my normal shirts.

Stretch Marks? No

Sleep?  Good!  Except I wake up super early some days around 5 a.m.  Kill me!

Best moment this week? Jeremy telling me he is going to paint the nursery this Friday on his day off!  “WHAT!?  You are?  Really?  Yay!”  So excited to get things together for it!

Miss anything? Long sweaty runs, Monster Energy Drinks…pretty much anything that has to do with energy since I have none these days.

Movement? Tons!  He is a busy little guy!

Food cravings? Peanut butter, salsa and avocado on everything, beef jerky, cupcakes, greek food..you know, all the healthy stuff haha!

Anything making you queasy or sick? No

Exercise?  I have been slacking the last couple of weeks, but I can still run 2-3 miles and I have been doing Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred a few times a week along with strength training.

Labor Signs? No.

Symptoms? Tired, round ligament/SPD pain (especially after a run), emotional/hot mess!

Happy or moody? Happier lately, but I have my moments.

Looking forward to? Picking out carpet for the nursery!

Simplify - Buying Stuff for Baby

I'm almost 25 weeks pregnant and have bought very few things for my little man.  Boys are SO hard to shop for...and I am extremely picky..who knew!  Here is a short list of things that I do not want to see on baby boy clothing.

1.  Crabs!  Have you seen the Carter's line with all the crab stuff?  A crab on the butt of my baby, ew!  I don't think so.
2.  Dinosaurs!  Just not a fan.
3.  Neon Colors!  Bleh (but definitely fun when they get a little older)
4.  Sporty Outfits!  Some are cute if they are simple.  I'm talking about the ones that have every color under the sun on them.  Blue, red, brown, light blue, yellow..kill me!
5.  Extremely Busy Patterns!  Gaaaahhhhh

I like a simple outfit with stripes.  Loving gray and white anything.  It's just that babies are SO damn cute as it is and I feel like putting them in something "loud" just distracts.

That said, any family member or friend that gives anything in the above list will still be worn and loved.  Seriously, if it was a gift or free then all pickiness goes out the door ; )

I made a list the other day of baby things I need to buy.  At the very top I put the word Simplify to remind me that I DON'T need to go overboard. 

I have a tendency to do that!  See this mess....

This is Newborn to 4T clothes for one child.  That's right, just one little girl!  Insane!!  Between me and grandma's my daughter had WAY too many clothes.  Some had tags on them even!  It's just unnecessary, especially in this economy.  So this time I'm focusing on quality things in less amounts.

I don't want baby stuff taking over my house.  I'm working on getting everything in my house organized and purging EVERYTHING that we don't need.  Thank you nesting!  It has really made a huge impact on decreasing clutter in my home, but I have a long way to go before it is done.

Must haves that are on my baby list this time...

Graco Stroller Frame

http://www.amazon.com/Graco-1793955-SnugRider-Elite/dp/B008OIPZW8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363800969&sr=8-1&keywords=graco+stroller+frame

Baby Trend Carseat - I had this one with my daughter and would like it again.  I hope it fits the Graco stroller frame or I'll have to get the Baby Trend one that I don't like as well.  We have a Baby Trend jogging stroller so we really don't need a full size stroller.  Once baby outgrows his carseat we will sell these as a set and get a lightweight stroller that is good to use for travel and shopping etc.  I HATE bulky strollers that take up my entire trunk.  Lesson learned!!!  Keeping it simple this time around.

http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Trend-Flex-Loc-Infant-Seat/dp/B0049WO7AY/ref=sr_1_15?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1363801057&sr=1-15&keywords=baby+trend+car+seat

Graco Pack and Play - I bought an Evenflo and took it back.  The padding was ridiculous.  I felt all the padding at Babies R Us and all the Graco models (even the cheapies) have the thickest padding.  I like neutral colors on this and the fact that it has a changing station.

http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Pack-Play-Element-Flint/dp/B005YWO744/ref=sr_1_13?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1363801203&sr=1-13&keywords=graco+pack+and+play



I decided on these colors for his nursery.

I bought/found some cute accents in these colors.  I am so excited to get started on it.  Look at this cutie I found at Target.

Awe!  I bet they will be best buds!

I think that is enough for today.  I'll post more on my must haves and what I learned I needed and didn't need from when my daughter was a baby in the near future!

Mantel Facelift

I recently showed you some before and after pics of my kitchen makeover.  I decided it was time to purge some more honey oak from my life and paint my fireplace mantel.  It was a project that took a couple hours and it has made a HUGE difference.  I seriously love it!  Here are some pics...

I am changing things up in my downstairs.  I added some fun new pillows to my couch and painted this mirror purple and added a little black acrylic paint because it was BRRR-IGHT!  It's taking me some time to get everything switched over from brown to black, but I'll share some pics when I am completely happy with how it looks down there.  Here is my inspiration pic from Zara home.

 I'm leaning more towards, blacks, purples, blues and silver rather than the brown you see in this pic.  But I did forsee my obsession with constantly changing my decor colors in my house and painted my mantel a dark brown, distressed it on the edges a bit and then stained it in black so it is more of a brownish black, should I ever change my mind and decide to go with some warmer browns again!

Hope you all are having a great week!

Linking up at..

21 Weeks

How far along? 21 weeks 2 days

Gender – Little Man!

Total weight gain? 16 lbs.  I had a seven pound growth spurt (to put it nicely).  This pregnancy is SO strange.  I gained ten pounds in the first couple months then nothing for a couple months, then a seven pound gain in a couple weeks and steady since then.  I hope I can keep it under 30 lbs max, but this is really confusing me.  I eat healthy 80% of the time and I exercise 4-6 days a week.  There is not really one area I can improve on so I will just keep doing what I’m doing and hoping it all evens out in the end.

Maternity Clothes? Pants definitely, but can still wear my normal shirts.

Stretch Marks? No.

Sleep?  Pretty good.

Best moment this week? Had our “big” ultrasound today.  It’s still a boy and he is so cute!  I’m anxious to see if he will look just like my daughter and husband or if he will have more of mine and my son’s traits.  Judging by the u/s shots though, he looks just like his daddy.  He is head down and super low, which I figured, but it’s nice to have proof.

Miss anything? Long sweaty runs and not gaining seven pounds from one weekend of bad eating gahhhh!

Movement? Yes, lots!  I think he had a growth spurt!

Food cravings? Pizza, bread and butter, Olive Garden.

Anything making you queasy or sick? No.

Exercise?  Yup 4-5 times per week.  Cardio and strength training.

Labor Signs? No.

Symptoms? Headaches.

Happy or moody? Both, depends on the minute.

Looking forward to? Selling all my baby girl stuff and shopping for this little man.  Look how cute these outfits are.  My friend and I hit Babies R Us this weekend and couldn’t resist these little outfits so we each bought one for him.  So fun!  I have to say there is not much boy stuff out there that I find very appealing.  I hope they come out with some cuter stuff when the weather changes.