This is a gimmicky toy and my three year old enjoyed it. The goals did not hold up well and we ended up just tossing them. The nets would not stay on and the string uncoiled upon arrival (probably due to my three year old not being gentle). The goals were a little smaller than I expected given the picture in the listing; I think that was a little deceiving, to be honest. The hover ball and the small ball are still a hit in our house with our three and one year olds, even with the goals gone. I wouldn't buy again but glad we were able to discover this toy for a discount. Thanks!
I was unable to get any pictures before my husband decided to throw out the goals :(
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DNV2H7N/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
#RankBoosterReview #Sponsored #Housoly
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Friday, June 8, 2018
35 weeks update with baby #3
How far along?: 35 weeks.
How big is baby?: About the size of a honeydew melon. ~18 inches long and ~5.25 pounds. Oh my!
Morning sickness?: Not much nausea at this point - yay!
Cravings?: Fresh fruit!!
Aversions?: Anything fried.
Mood swings?: Not really. Just losing patience easily.
Weight gain/loss?: I'm at 126.4. At this rate, I will gain about the same amount that I did with my previous pregnancies.
Eating?: I eat a lot.
Wedding ring on or off?: Still wearing, and loving, my silicone ring!
Maternity clothes?: Oh yes...
Stretch marks?: All over :(
Sleep?: Sleep is always a challenge for me during pregnancy. This time around is no different. I sleep better when I nap during the day but that doesn't get to happen often around here.
Best moment this week?: Kaladin showing his excitement to meeting the new baby!!
Movement?: All. The. Time.
Gender?: Still a girl!! <3
Labor signs?: Lots of Braxton Hicks but nothing "real".
Belly button - in or out?: Out.
Showing?: Too much!! Haha!
Happy or moody most of the time?: Happy!
What I miss?: Sleeping well. And sleeping on my stomach.
What I am looking forward to?: Holding her! :) And introducing her to Hailey and Kaladin.
Milestones?: I had my last week of work this week! I am excited to spend time with Kaladin and Hailey before introducing them to a new baby. My feet had been swelling so much when at work and my Braxton Hicks were happening very frequent. It was time to stop working and I'm so thankful that I am able to stop working this far before my due date.
Anything making you queasy or sick?: Stuff the kids do sometimes makes me queasy. Hailey licked Kaladin's arm. Kaladin licked the bathtub.
Upcoming appointments/events?: Going to IKEA tomorrow with the kids and my mom. Excited to get a few things for baby's arrival. Dr appt and chiro appts coming up next week. GB strep test at next appt - ugh. There is not much planned for the next few weeks so I think I need to get on that. Last time, it was nice to have something on the schedule every week leading up to Hailey's birth because that gave me something to look forward to haha! I should start planning...
Bump picture?: I don't take these anymore haha! I get too depressed by them. Truly.
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
15 weeks with baby #3
How big is baby?: 4 inches - 2.5 oz. About the size of a navel orange!
Morning sickness?: Not as much anymore - hallelujah! It lingers some evenings. Especially on nights when I work.
Cravings?: Ice cold water with lots of fresh lemon juice.
Aversions?: Oil.
Mood swings?: Probably. Can't tell. I'm pretty uptight recently.
Weight gain/loss?: Up by 3 lbs so far.
Eating?: Eating is sporadic. Some days, I have no appetite. Some days, I forget to eat.
Wedding ring on or off?: Still fits but not wearing it. Wearing a silicone ring and have been since my wedding set broke.
Maternity clothes?: No.
Stretch marks?: No new ones, yet.
Sleep?: My doctor told me that Unisom is safe during pregnancy! I did a google search just to make sure. I have been taking it with Vitamin B6 since 8 or 9 weeks and it's been such a lifesaver!! I have been sleeping through the night which never happens for me during pregnancy!
Best moment this week?:
Movement?: I am positive I have felt the baby flutter a total of FOUR times so far!
Gender?: We won't find out until 20 weeks along when we get the anatomy scan :( Seems so far away!!
Labor signs?: No!
Belly button - in or out?: In.
Showing?: Slightly.
Happy or moody most of the time?: Moody.
What I miss?: Sushi.
What I am looking forward to?: Finding out the sex! This is our tiebreaker and I am so excited to know!
Milestones?: Wore a band for my skinny jeans the other day when I went to the grocery store...
Anything making you queasy or sick?: Smells. All kinds of smells. Especially since I work in a restaurant.
Upcoming appointments/events?: 16 week check up: the 31st of January. Our 5th year anniversary: the 2nd of February. My 28th birthday and our 5th Valentine's Day together: the 14th of February. Our stay-cation with no kids: some weekend in February or March. Still in the works. But I'm so excited!!
Bump picture?:
Hailey's Birth Story! Part 2
Wait. Read Part 1 first. ;)
Now. Let me back up for a minute... My mom is truly incredible! She is sacrificial and she will do anything and everything for her family! When Kaladin was born, she flew out to Texas to stay with us. This time around was no different; she dropped everything to be here and help us again! She moved in the first week of November because we were all anticipating that I was going to give birth early. It was SO nice having her here and being able to sleep in while she fed Kaladin breakfast every morning. I do NOT sleep well while pregnant, especially in the last trimester of pregnancy. And I really like sleep! My mom did so much and basically kept my house running and my toddler alive. I know she soaked up those times with Kaladin :) But I will never be able to thank my mom enough; for everything she does for us!! I do not believe she understands just how much she blessed us.
Ok. Bragging over, back to the birth story.
It was a Sunday morning, the Lord's Day, so the plan was to go to church, naturally. Woke up cramping. But I did not want to miss church, especially if I wasn't actually in labor. But I figured, the hospital is about 13 minutes from church, so if anything, we'll go to the hospital and if they send me home, we can go straight to church from there. Daniel packed the car, Mom got Kaladin ready and we called my in-laws. The plan was they were going to meet us at the hospital when I went into labor so my mother-in-law, Terri, could stay at the hospital and my father-in-law, Price, could take Kaladin home with him. So we basically called them to give them a heads up. But we still weren't sure about going to the hospital or not, at this point.
This whole time I'm dreading the thought of going to the hospital and not actually being in true labor, and being sent home... I was worried that I would put Daniel and my mom through too much for nothing! Also, my in-laws had a 35 minute drive and that would be wasted gasoline and mileage for them if it was not true labor.
The cramping stayed about the same while I got ready to go. I was still in denial and continued thinking that all of this was going to result in us just going to church. So Daniel and my mom decided that we would try the hospital first and then go to church from there if baby truly wasn't ready.
By the time we made it to the hospital, we were checking in and I was having pretty intense contractions just standing at the registration desk! But the registration people were trying to tell me that I wasn't pre-registered... Which was false because not only did I register, but the hospital even called me to confirm my registration! But they were trying to tell me I wasn't registered. Blah. So we stood there for way too long signing forms. I was very frustrated because when I'm nesting (for both pregnancies so far), I make it a point to ensure that everything is squared away for baby's arrival. I have to know that all my i's are dotted and my t's are crossed if it were to happen sooner than "scheduled"; you just never know with babies!
FAQ:
Is Hailey's hair red?
Hailey's hair is the same color that Kaladin's hair was when he was this age. Yes, it has a red tint to it, especially in the sun! It appears to be more strawberry-blonde, in my opinion. But a lot of people, family especially, say that it is red! :)
Does her name have a story behind it like Kaladin's?
Yes! When I was young, I had a very dear friend named Hailee Brooke, and in 7th grade, I told her how much I just looooved her name, and her, and that I was going to name my first daughter after her! Hailee was one of my best friends!
Some family members were relieved that we named our girl a "normal" name. They even admitted their fear that we were going to give a sweet little girl a crazy name that no one could pronounce, or spell. Haha!
How is Kaladin doing with the new baby and the change?
What is the hardest part?
Now. Let me back up for a minute... My mom is truly incredible! She is sacrificial and she will do anything and everything for her family! When Kaladin was born, she flew out to Texas to stay with us. This time around was no different; she dropped everything to be here and help us again! She moved in the first week of November because we were all anticipating that I was going to give birth early. It was SO nice having her here and being able to sleep in while she fed Kaladin breakfast every morning. I do NOT sleep well while pregnant, especially in the last trimester of pregnancy. And I really like sleep! My mom did so much and basically kept my house running and my toddler alive. I know she soaked up those times with Kaladin :) But I will never be able to thank my mom enough; for everything she does for us!! I do not believe she understands just how much she blessed us.
Ok. Bragging over, back to the birth story.
It was a Sunday morning, the Lord's Day, so the plan was to go to church, naturally. Woke up cramping. But I did not want to miss church, especially if I wasn't actually in labor. But I figured, the hospital is about 13 minutes from church, so if anything, we'll go to the hospital and if they send me home, we can go straight to church from there. Daniel packed the car, Mom got Kaladin ready and we called my in-laws. The plan was they were going to meet us at the hospital when I went into labor so my mother-in-law, Terri, could stay at the hospital and my father-in-law, Price, could take Kaladin home with him. So we basically called them to give them a heads up. But we still weren't sure about going to the hospital or not, at this point.
This whole time I'm dreading the thought of going to the hospital and not actually being in true labor, and being sent home... I was worried that I would put Daniel and my mom through too much for nothing! Also, my in-laws had a 35 minute drive and that would be wasted gasoline and mileage for them if it was not true labor.
The cramping stayed about the same while I got ready to go. I was still in denial and continued thinking that all of this was going to result in us just going to church. So Daniel and my mom decided that we would try the hospital first and then go to church from there if baby truly wasn't ready.
By the time we made it to the hospital, we were checking in and I was having pretty intense contractions just standing at the registration desk! But the registration people were trying to tell me that I wasn't pre-registered... Which was false because not only did I register, but the hospital even called me to confirm my registration! But they were trying to tell me I wasn't registered. Blah. So we stood there for way too long signing forms. I was very frustrated because when I'm nesting (for both pregnancies so far), I make it a point to ensure that everything is squared away for baby's arrival. I have to know that all my i's are dotted and my t's are crossed if it were to happen sooner than "scheduled"; you just never know with babies!
Finally, I was taken back to triage. A nurse came in to talk with us and monitor the contractions, and to check how far along I was. I was honestly frustrated when she said I was still 70% and 3cm. We talked about our options, which were: stay and walk for an hour to see if I would progress from 3cm or not, OR go home and wait a couple hours and come back. The triage nurse even said "you could go home and come back tomorrow morning..." I laughed so hard in my head because that dear nurse did not know me or my history, but, at this point, the contractions were getting more painful and I just knew I was having a baby that day! (You could call it "mother's intuition" or something, I guess!) She said something like, "I know you're in labor and I'm not trying to discount the discomfort you are in right now, but nothing is happening to keep you here." I remember thinking "I don't want to leave and then have this baby in my car!" Daniel and I looked at each other and agreed that staying would be best. I am so paranoid at making things inconvenient for Daniel and I was so worried that he would be upset about staying and just waiting around in a hospital... but we both knew it would be pretty unfortunate to leave and have the baby NOT at a hospital.
I got dressed, put my shoes on, and started walking the halls. And by "walk" I mean waddle! My in-laws, Kaladin, and my mom were still in the waiting room and I wanted to see them and give Kaladin a hug (I had terrible mommy-guilt) so I joined them for a minute in the waiting room and then Terri volunteered to walk with me. My brother-in-law, Dale, thought he wanted to come too but he quickly got bored of the white walls and girl talk between Terri and I, so he went back to the waiting room after about seven minutes of walking haha.
Then, about eight minutes later: Finally, progress!
My water broke during a contraction. Terri was in the middle of a story though so I stood against a wall, trying so hard to concentrate on her story. I really cared what she had to say but Daniel was not with me and my water was breaking, slowly. She paused and I quietly said, "Do you mind going to get Daniel and tell him to meet me back in the triage room? My water just broke." Her facial expression was priceless! She is a very calm and collected woman, and she knows that I can be very reactive and kind of dramatic at times, so she just kind of had a surprised look on her face as if to say, "but you're not freaking out! Are you sure?" HAHA!! She gave a chuckle and asked if I needed anything but I assured her that I was not in any pain, the contraction was over, and that I was just going to wait for Daniel to join me in the triage room. :) I passed by the desk and a lady asked if I was ok. I was more than OK! I was so excited that I was progressing! I told her, "Oh, I'm fine! My water just broke so I'm going to just waddle back to my room." She asked if I needed help and I said, "No, thank you! My room is right here! Or, is it the next one? Umm, nope this is the one! It has my Dunkin' Donuts coffee." I realized she *could* help me with something; I asked her to please get my triage nurse, Sarah, to let her know that my water broke and I will be waiting for her in the triage room.
My mom and Daniel got to the triage room and the nurse came in to check
***************THIS IS WHERE I GET REAL HONEST AND GRAPHIC, so please stop reading here if you don't want the real details. Birth stories are difficult to explain without the details! So here I go...***************
You've been warned.........................................
So, the nurse came in to check to make sure that it was my water and not just discharge.
It was, in fact, my water!! Yay. But... she said there was some meconium. I immediately started asking questions and I went into full-on, get-this-baby-out-now mode. I was so worried that Hailey was going to eat it and the sooner I got her out of that stuff, the better! Or so I thought. But I was not completely dilated yet :/ so I was very bummed and frustrated!
When the triage nurse confirmed that it was the water, she said "Congratulations, you just won yourself a ticket to stay!" Meaning, I was going to be admitted! I was happy, and very ready.
I got dressed, put my shoes on, and started walking the halls. And by "walk" I mean waddle! My in-laws, Kaladin, and my mom were still in the waiting room and I wanted to see them and give Kaladin a hug (I had terrible mommy-guilt) so I joined them for a minute in the waiting room and then Terri volunteered to walk with me. My brother-in-law, Dale, thought he wanted to come too but he quickly got bored of the white walls and girl talk between Terri and I, so he went back to the waiting room after about seven minutes of walking haha.
Then, about eight minutes later: Finally, progress!
My water broke during a contraction. Terri was in the middle of a story though so I stood against a wall, trying so hard to concentrate on her story. I really cared what she had to say but Daniel was not with me and my water was breaking, slowly. She paused and I quietly said, "Do you mind going to get Daniel and tell him to meet me back in the triage room? My water just broke." Her facial expression was priceless! She is a very calm and collected woman, and she knows that I can be very reactive and kind of dramatic at times, so she just kind of had a surprised look on her face as if to say, "but you're not freaking out! Are you sure?" HAHA!! She gave a chuckle and asked if I needed anything but I assured her that I was not in any pain, the contraction was over, and that I was just going to wait for Daniel to join me in the triage room. :) I passed by the desk and a lady asked if I was ok. I was more than OK! I was so excited that I was progressing! I told her, "Oh, I'm fine! My water just broke so I'm going to just waddle back to my room." She asked if I needed help and I said, "No, thank you! My room is right here! Or, is it the next one? Umm, nope this is the one! It has my Dunkin' Donuts coffee." I realized she *could* help me with something; I asked her to please get my triage nurse, Sarah, to let her know that my water broke and I will be waiting for her in the triage room.
My mom and Daniel got to the triage room and the nurse came in to check
***************THIS IS WHERE I GET REAL HONEST AND GRAPHIC, so please stop reading here if you don't want the real details. Birth stories are difficult to explain without the details! So here I go...***************
You've been warned.........................................
So, the nurse came in to check to make sure that it was my water and not just discharge.
It was, in fact, my water!! Yay. But... she said there was some meconium. I immediately started asking questions and I went into full-on, get-this-baby-out-now mode. I was so worried that Hailey was going to eat it and the sooner I got her out of that stuff, the better! Or so I thought. But I was not completely dilated yet :/ so I was very bummed and frustrated!
When the triage nurse confirmed that it was the water, she said "Congratulations, you just won yourself a ticket to stay!" Meaning, I was going to be admitted! I was happy, and very ready.
Texts and calls were coming in as family and close friends were getting word that we were at the hospital. (I didn't yet post on social media for obvious reasons) and my cousin, Kailie, was going to be my birth photographer so she was already on her way. I believe she got there right about the time I got into my Labor & Delivery room.
They hooked me up to an IV. I was a little overwhelmed with the nurses and all the questions and I kept apologizing for not knowing some answers. I relied on Daniel and my mom a lot. The staff was asking such ridiculous questions. Maybe I just felt like they were ridiculous because I was in active labor and NOT in the mood to be answering questions that I had already answered over and over...
Terri got to the L&D room and then my brother-in-law, David, and his girlfriend, Megan, wanted to come say hi. I was in transition labor though so I was in full on moaning-mode! I asked if they could wait for a moment when I was not contracting. I felt bad though because they walked in, we said our hellos, and then I had a contraction. I think I scared them but the moaning is 100% involuntary! I could not control it!! Trust me, I wish I could.
I was very uncomfortable (duh) and I asked if I could have a yoga ball or the wedge pillow. They denied me the wedge pillow because it would "make things progress quicker"... (Again, duh) but they didn't want me to progress because they thought I was still not fully dilated. They were concerned that I would push without being fully dilated and cause damage to my cervix. I am almost positive that I was fully dilated at this point because I dilate really fast and they hadn't checked me since the last time they checked in triage and I was at 6cm, they just assumed. But I knew what I felt and I could not stop the urge to push. Which is a sign that I was in transition, which also is an indicator that I was 7cm or more!
It was hectic! I was trying to focus but I couldn't with all the chatter and questions from staff. At one point, a nurse was yelling how fabulous she was... I didn't want to seem selfish but I was kind of hoping the staff would be focused on me, not chatting with each other about who is fabulous! NOBODY in there took me seriously or believed me when I said I was in transition labor. The "fabulous" nurse was trying really hard to be nice and make small talk by my bed side and I remember trying to just smile and nod, smile and nod.
Once Hailey started crowning, yes, crowning, and I was pushing involuntarily, I did not have any control and I kept trying to tell everyone it was time whether we were ready or not. I even had moments of chuckles as if to say, "you people are silly to not take me seriously". A nurse tried to tell me that it happens this way with your first, then another nurse informed her that this was not my first baby haha!
The staff kept telling me that I could not push yet because I was not fully dilated and that it could harm me. But I couldn't help the pushing. My body was pushing and I could not control it. There was no stopping it. There was no stopping Hailey! Hailey was crowning and a nurse ran over to HOLD HER HEAD IN! I kept saying "she's right there! she's right there!" But they said, "I know, the doctor is on her way. You can't push!" HAHAHAHAHA. Ok. I was beyond annoyed. NO ONE TOOK ME SERIOUSLY. (I'm still slightly bitter about it...but only just a little...) At one point, my mother-in-law didn't even believe I was about to give birth because she just walked out to grab some lunch (it was 2pm, after all!). Hailey begins to be born, and Daniel is calling my mother-in-law to tell her that she is missing the birth. But she had left her phone in the room so the call was pointless... So they both missed the birth, essentially. And then Hailey was here! Two pushes. No doctor. Just a midwife and a young man in training. Ha. Poor guy looked white as a ghost but he was a black man. I don't know what he was doing there but he was clearly not an expert. I have reason to believe this was his first time witnessing a birth. The midwife kept correcting him. He almost cut the umbilical cord wrong... He also would not make eye contact with anyone in the room lol. The staff could not believe it! Everyone was saying, "Wow!" and "That was quick, mama!" "You did good!" "You weren't kidding. She was ready!" NO CRAP, SHERLOCK.
I'm considering a home birth next time.
It was hectic! I was trying to focus but I couldn't with all the chatter and questions from staff. At one point, a nurse was yelling how fabulous she was... I didn't want to seem selfish but I was kind of hoping the staff would be focused on me, not chatting with each other about who is fabulous! NOBODY in there took me seriously or believed me when I said I was in transition labor. The "fabulous" nurse was trying really hard to be nice and make small talk by my bed side and I remember trying to just smile and nod, smile and nod.
Once Hailey started crowning, yes, crowning, and I was pushing involuntarily, I did not have any control and I kept trying to tell everyone it was time whether we were ready or not. I even had moments of chuckles as if to say, "you people are silly to not take me seriously". A nurse tried to tell me that it happens this way with your first, then another nurse informed her that this was not my first baby haha!
The staff kept telling me that I could not push yet because I was not fully dilated and that it could harm me. But I couldn't help the pushing. My body was pushing and I could not control it. There was no stopping it. There was no stopping Hailey! Hailey was crowning and a nurse ran over to HOLD HER HEAD IN! I kept saying "she's right there! she's right there!" But they said, "I know, the doctor is on her way. You can't push!" HAHAHAHAHA. Ok. I was beyond annoyed. NO ONE TOOK ME SERIOUSLY. (I'm still slightly bitter about it...but only just a little...) At one point, my mother-in-law didn't even believe I was about to give birth because she just walked out to grab some lunch (it was 2pm, after all!). Hailey begins to be born, and Daniel is calling my mother-in-law to tell her that she is missing the birth. But she had left her phone in the room so the call was pointless... So they both missed the birth, essentially. And then Hailey was here! Two pushes. No doctor. Just a midwife and a young man in training. Ha. Poor guy looked white as a ghost but he was a black man. I don't know what he was doing there but he was clearly not an expert. I have reason to believe this was his first time witnessing a birth. The midwife kept correcting him. He almost cut the umbilical cord wrong... He also would not make eye contact with anyone in the room lol. The staff could not believe it! Everyone was saying, "Wow!" and "That was quick, mama!" "You did good!" "You weren't kidding. She was ready!" NO CRAP, SHERLOCK.
I'm considering a home birth next time.
FAQ:
Is Hailey's hair red?
Hailey's hair is the same color that Kaladin's hair was when he was this age. Yes, it has a red tint to it, especially in the sun! It appears to be more strawberry-blonde, in my opinion. But a lot of people, family especially, say that it is red! :)
Does her name have a story behind it like Kaladin's?
Yes! When I was young, I had a very dear friend named Hailee Brooke, and in 7th grade, I told her how much I just looooved her name, and her, and that I was going to name my first daughter after her! Hailee was one of my best friends!
Some family members were relieved that we named our girl a "normal" name. They even admitted their fear that we were going to give a sweet little girl a crazy name that no one could pronounce, or spell. Haha!
How is Kaladin doing with the new baby and the change?
Kaladin is an incredible big brother! He loves Hailey and always wants to interact with her. His favorite thing to do with her is tummy time!
What is the hardest part?
Being tired all the time! And deciding what to make for dinner... and then getting dinner on the table!
Is she sleeping through the night?
No... Kaladin did not sleep through the night until 9 months old so I'm wondering if she will take after her brother in that.
If you have anymore babies, will you consider a home birth?
There are many reasons I want a home birth. There is ONE reason why I do not. We shall see!
If you have anymore babies, will you consider a home birth?
There are many reasons I want a home birth. There is ONE reason why I do not. We shall see!
Sunday, March 5, 2017
Hailey's Birth Story! Part 1
Kaladin was born four days early and everyone told me to expect my next baby to arrive even earlier. So with a due date of November 13th, and the discomfort of feeling like a large beached whale, I was fully anticipating our daughter to be born in the first or second week of November! The first week went by, no baby. The second week went by, still no baby! And when the "4 days early" mark passed, I was pretty ticked off that I was still pregnant lol. I was so ready to meet Hailey, and I was so done being pregnant. I was uncomfortable and could not sleep well, resulting in exhaustion!
I did, however, have baby showers the first and second Saturdays of November, and that allowed me to have something to look forward to. And, oh, how sweet that time was with friends and family!!
My cousin, Rachael, and Auntie Terry, threw a family shower for me at my Grandmother's house.
The next weekend, a dear friend from church, Caroline, threw me a shower at her house. [But I did not get any pictures! If anyone has any, please send them to me :) Or post in the comments. I know we took a group picture but I don't have it. :(]
**this is where pictures would go if I had any :(**
Wednesday, November 2nd, my cousin, Kailie, came over and took my maternity pictures. We wanted to take maternity pictures when the leaves had changed a good bit but we were running out of time and the leaves around our lake were taking their sweet time. I also was feeling extra large and puffy-faced. But Kailie and I were determined to capture a few pictures of our family of three before we became a family of four!
Funny Fact: When a few of these were posted on Facebook, my favorite comment from someone was "ouch" LOL! Yep, I felt just as big as I look!!
I read somewhere that only about 5% of women give birth on their original due date. I did not expect to be in that 5%!
But sure enough, the morning of my due date I woke up with cramping. Exactly the same feeling I had the day Kaladin was born. Yet, in true Jenn-fashion, I was in denial. I called my doctor (waste of time) and I tried to convince Daniel that it was all just in my head and that it wasn't real. I was trying to convince myself! What are the chances it would happen on my real due date. Come on.
Now, bear with me, if you will. It has been almost four months since the day we welcomed Hailey into the world. (I've been putting social media and blogging very low on my priority list, for obvious reasons...)
With that being said, this is how I remember it...
I'm standing in our master bathroom at around 8:30am, on the phone with my doctor and the conversation went a little something like this:
Me: I think I'm in labor but it's not intense. But this is exactly what it felt like with my first! And I progressed pretty quickly with my first! Are you the doctor on call today? Should I go in? I might labor at home first, is that ok? I lost my mucus plug. I had an internal exam on Monday and I was 70% and 2cm.
Doctor: We don't care about your mucus plug.
Me: Oh, ok. Soooooo should I go to Labor & Delivery or no?
Doctor: Well you could wait... or you could go... I just don't know...
Me: ...
Again I say, waste of time haha!!
I get off the phone, wash my face, put my contacts in, and my mom comes into our room and says, "Is this happening?" While I was on the phone, Daniel had told her that I woke up cramping, and that I might want to leave for the hospital.
*to be continued*
I'm not trying to give a "teaser", I'm just really struggling with ways to explain how everything went. I am also struggling with remembering every detail that I want to include in the Birth Story. I hope to get Part 2 up by next week! Love ya'll.
I did, however, have baby showers the first and second Saturdays of November, and that allowed me to have something to look forward to. And, oh, how sweet that time was with friends and family!!
My cousin, Rachael, and Auntie Terry, threw a family shower for me at my Grandmother's house.
The next weekend, a dear friend from church, Caroline, threw me a shower at her house. [But I did not get any pictures! If anyone has any, please send them to me :) Or post in the comments. I know we took a group picture but I don't have it. :(]
**this is where pictures would go if I had any :(**
Wednesday, November 2nd, my cousin, Kailie, came over and took my maternity pictures. We wanted to take maternity pictures when the leaves had changed a good bit but we were running out of time and the leaves around our lake were taking their sweet time. I also was feeling extra large and puffy-faced. But Kailie and I were determined to capture a few pictures of our family of three before we became a family of four!
Funny Fact: When a few of these were posted on Facebook, my favorite comment from someone was "ouch" LOL! Yep, I felt just as big as I look!!
I read somewhere that only about 5% of women give birth on their original due date. I did not expect to be in that 5%!
But sure enough, the morning of my due date I woke up with cramping. Exactly the same feeling I had the day Kaladin was born. Yet, in true Jenn-fashion, I was in denial. I called my doctor (waste of time) and I tried to convince Daniel that it was all just in my head and that it wasn't real. I was trying to convince myself! What are the chances it would happen on my real due date. Come on.
Now, bear with me, if you will. It has been almost four months since the day we welcomed Hailey into the world. (I've been putting social media and blogging very low on my priority list, for obvious reasons...)
With that being said, this is how I remember it...
I'm standing in our master bathroom at around 8:30am, on the phone with my doctor and the conversation went a little something like this:
Me: I think I'm in labor but it's not intense. But this is exactly what it felt like with my first! And I progressed pretty quickly with my first! Are you the doctor on call today? Should I go in? I might labor at home first, is that ok? I lost my mucus plug. I had an internal exam on Monday and I was 70% and 2cm.
Doctor: We don't care about your mucus plug.
Me: Oh, ok. Soooooo should I go to Labor & Delivery or no?
Doctor: Well you could wait... or you could go... I just don't know...
Me: ...
Again I say, waste of time haha!!
I get off the phone, wash my face, put my contacts in, and my mom comes into our room and says, "Is this happening?" While I was on the phone, Daniel had told her that I woke up cramping, and that I might want to leave for the hospital.
*to be continued*
I'm not trying to give a "teaser", I'm just really struggling with ways to explain how everything went. I am also struggling with remembering every detail that I want to include in the Birth Story. I hope to get Part 2 up by next week! Love ya'll.
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
I'm back!! For now.
I have really neglected this blog. We are trying to decide if we want to stay with blogger or go to a different blog completely. For now, I will continue to post small posts and I'll try to remember to do weekly updates.
Kaladin is going to have a little sister in November!
How far along?: 18w4d.
Kaladin is going to have a little sister in November!
How far along?: 18w4d.
How big is baby?: 5.6 inches, about that size of a sweet potato.
Morning sickness?: Yes... Not as bad as in the first trimester. Ugh!
Cravings?: Steak.
Aversions?: None.
Mood swings?: Probably.. ha.
Weight gain/loss?: Starting weight when I found out I was pregnant was 98.6. I am now at 105.8!!
Eating?: I eat four small meals a day.
Wedding ring on or off?: Still on.
Maternity clothes?: I have already started using my belly bands for pants, but other than that, I still wear the same clothes.
Stretch marks?: No new ones....just the same ones I got with Kaladin.
Sleep?: It's rough. Waking throughout the night.
Best moment this week?: We are officially under contract on a house!! We showed some family the house yesterday, which was fun to share our excitement with those whom we love and that love us!
Movement?: All the time!!
Gender?: It's a GIRL!
Labor signs?: No labor signs, just braxton hicks.
Belly button - in or out?: It's trying to stick out already.
Showing?: Oh yes..
Happy or moody most of the time?: Pretty moody :( I'm working on it.
What I miss?: Mountain Dew.
What I am looking forward to?: Progressing through this pregnancy and seeing our little girl on an ultrasound hopefully in a couple weeks!
Milestones?: Can't think of anything right now.
Anything making you queasy or sick?: Smells. And changing Kaladin's diapers.
Upcoming appointments/events?: Anatomy scan is in a couple weeks. Pretty excited for that!
Bump picture?: I have not taken ANY bump pictures yet :/ I'm really slacking.
This is a "throwback" to ~18 weeks pregnant with Kaladin.
This is a "throwback" to ~18 weeks pregnant with Kaladin.
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
3rd month of Kaladin's sweet life.
Dec 17-Jan 16.
We continue to be completely head over heels in love with this little guy...
Kaladin has been a happy, joyful bundle of cuddles and giggles.
This is where I'm supposed to post a video of him giggling but I lost a ton of pictures and videos from this month of his life due to our hard drive crashing on our desktop and I thought I backed everything up...but apparently not! :( Missing one file. This month's file. Boo!
One night, Daniel was out of town for work and I worked on Christmas gifts for family. Kaladin and Toblakai were big helpers...
Every day, we have "voice lessons". I sing to him and one day, I caught him on video "singing" along!! ;)
We went home for Christmas. Read about all that excitement ;)
Since being home from Christmas vacation, Kaladin still does not sleep through the night.
I have him on a very relaxed schedule and did so on purpose for the trip to Georgia, as we knew it was going to be hectic and I knew he needed to be flexible when it came to sleep times and wake times. And it worked like a charm! He was great!
So now, that we are back home, we are working on getting him into a routine of sorts. So far, so good. He is doing well and even though he could be sleeping longer, I can't complain. He is happy when he is awake and play time is always a blast! His gummy smile melts my new mommy heart.
A few days after we got home, we woke up one morning to find out that the cold Texas weather froze our Aquaponics in the backyard, causing it to overflow and not pump water back into the fish tank. The poor fish were swimming in about 1 inch of water. Some of them were sideways...
Daniel had to rush out the door to PT so I was the one to play fish rescuer! It was freezing cold (duh) so I bundled up in Daniel's sweatshirt and Daniel's tennis shoes (haha what a sight to see!) and scooped up every fish and put them in a bucket (laundry basket) in our garage. When Daniel got home about an hour later, he found our extra air pump and rigged it to the side of the bucket. The poor fishies barely made it!! But they were alive and swimming around all day. Success, I thought!
But then, the next morning Daniel woke up and all but one catfish and two goldfish had jumped right out of the bucket onto the garage floor and died :(
It was actually really sad... But we are so thankful that our system did not freeze over while we were out of town!!
Daniel, the artist, was painting some miniatures (I'll try to remember to update with a picture of one when Kaladin wakes up since the painting stuff is in his room lol) and Toblakai was very curious!
Kaladin was 2 oz shy of 11 lbs at his last dr appt, so before we left for Georgia, I decided to take out the insert in his car seat, because it is to be used until they are 11 lbs. Safety first, especially when we are driving for 16 hours!
Now, he only has the headrest, which will be coming out shortly as well, I do believe. Based on how his head falls when he sleeps in the car, it just looks pretty uncomfortable to me...and when Mom isn't comfortable; ain't nobody comfortable ;P
His weight is in the 5th percentile and his height is in the 55th percentile. We will be watching his weight closely as the dr's want to make sure he hits every milestone. We are all assuming he just takes after his petite mama. ;) But there he certainly is packing on some weight. His little legs are getting chunky and both Daniel and I can tell when we hold him that he is getting heavier!
Kaladin smiles really big when we sing and make eye contact with him. He is pretty vocal during the day; I believe he is exploring his vocal chords ;) He is definitely a boy and moves all around even though he can't get anywhere yet, ha! Tummy time is a breeze for him; I'm so thankful that he does not hate it like some babies. He is growing out of some newborn outfits, slowly but surely.
We have truly enjoyed every stage Kaladin goes through. And a lot of friends have told us that Kaladin is an easy baby, though we don't have anything to compare him to haha so we just agree. He fusses when he's uncomfortable, ready for a change, or hungry. We know how to fix his problems and that makes for one little happy family ;) We are following his development through the Wonder Weeks app and it is so interesting to read about the different "leaps" he goes through in each phase. I'm so thankful for that and reading up on how to help him in his developments. He is such a little guy but there are big things happening in his little brain and he's becoming more aware of the big world around him!
3 month old pic.
We continue to be completely head over heels in love with this little guy...
 |
| I am obsessed with hoodies on him!! <3 |
 |
| And sunglasses! Haha!! |
 |
| He loves this bouncer. (Even though it looks like he's screaming in this picture haha!) |
 |
| Learning early how to play Clash of Clans ;) (and I'm really far behind on laundry :/ shh) |
Kaladin has been a happy, joyful bundle of cuddles and giggles.
This is where I'm supposed to post a video of him giggling but I lost a ton of pictures and videos from this month of his life due to our hard drive crashing on our desktop and I thought I backed everything up...but apparently not! :( Missing one file. This month's file. Boo!
One night, Daniel was out of town for work and I worked on Christmas gifts for family. Kaladin and Toblakai were big helpers...
Every day, we have "voice lessons". I sing to him and one day, I caught him on video "singing" along!! ;)
We went home for Christmas. Read about all that excitement ;)
Since being home from Christmas vacation, Kaladin still does not sleep through the night.
I have him on a very relaxed schedule and did so on purpose for the trip to Georgia, as we knew it was going to be hectic and I knew he needed to be flexible when it came to sleep times and wake times. And it worked like a charm! He was great!
So now, that we are back home, we are working on getting him into a routine of sorts. So far, so good. He is doing well and even though he could be sleeping longer, I can't complain. He is happy when he is awake and play time is always a blast! His gummy smile melts my new mommy heart.
A few days after we got home, we woke up one morning to find out that the cold Texas weather froze our Aquaponics in the backyard, causing it to overflow and not pump water back into the fish tank. The poor fish were swimming in about 1 inch of water. Some of them were sideways...
Daniel had to rush out the door to PT so I was the one to play fish rescuer! It was freezing cold (duh) so I bundled up in Daniel's sweatshirt and Daniel's tennis shoes (haha what a sight to see!) and scooped up every fish and put them in a bucket (laundry basket) in our garage. When Daniel got home about an hour later, he found our extra air pump and rigged it to the side of the bucket. The poor fishies barely made it!! But they were alive and swimming around all day. Success, I thought!
But then, the next morning Daniel woke up and all but one catfish and two goldfish had jumped right out of the bucket onto the garage floor and died :(
It was actually really sad... But we are so thankful that our system did not freeze over while we were out of town!!
 |
| The only two plants that survive in the winter - lettuce and basil. Who knew!? |
Daniel, the artist, was painting some miniatures (I'll try to remember to update with a picture of one when Kaladin wakes up since the painting stuff is in his room lol) and Toblakai was very curious!
Kaladin was 2 oz shy of 11 lbs at his last dr appt, so before we left for Georgia, I decided to take out the insert in his car seat, because it is to be used until they are 11 lbs. Safety first, especially when we are driving for 16 hours!
Now, he only has the headrest, which will be coming out shortly as well, I do believe. Based on how his head falls when he sleeps in the car, it just looks pretty uncomfortable to me...and when Mom isn't comfortable; ain't nobody comfortable ;P
His weight is in the 5th percentile and his height is in the 55th percentile. We will be watching his weight closely as the dr's want to make sure he hits every milestone. We are all assuming he just takes after his petite mama. ;) But there he certainly is packing on some weight. His little legs are getting chunky and both Daniel and I can tell when we hold him that he is getting heavier!
Kaladin smiles really big when we sing and make eye contact with him. He is pretty vocal during the day; I believe he is exploring his vocal chords ;) He is definitely a boy and moves all around even though he can't get anywhere yet, ha! Tummy time is a breeze for him; I'm so thankful that he does not hate it like some babies. He is growing out of some newborn outfits, slowly but surely.
We have truly enjoyed every stage Kaladin goes through. And a lot of friends have told us that Kaladin is an easy baby, though we don't have anything to compare him to haha so we just agree. He fusses when he's uncomfortable, ready for a change, or hungry. We know how to fix his problems and that makes for one little happy family ;) We are following his development through the Wonder Weeks app and it is so interesting to read about the different "leaps" he goes through in each phase. I'm so thankful for that and reading up on how to help him in his developments. He is such a little guy but there are big things happening in his little brain and he's becoming more aware of the big world around him!
3 month old pic.
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