Next to Heaven

I really am still here...

2011-09-18T18:40:00.000-05:00

I guess I kind of took an unannounced leave of absense! Things have benn crazy around here, so allow me to fill you in on everything the last month...

{1} I got a new job! (and a raise!)
That's right! I quit my old job at the engineering firm and accepted a position at a local architecture firm. I'm doing marketing and PR there. I started last Monday and absolutely love it :) I took a week off before I started to get my wheels straight and started with a bang. I'm goetting to be a lot more creative and immerse myself in more design. It was a great first week!

{2} I sewed a tote bag/diaper bag
I wanted something I could carry as a purse and diaper bag. It works out pretty well for me!

I put elastic pockets in one side for diapers & bottles and then regular pockets on the otherr for my wallet & camera. The outside has 1 pocket on each side so those are good for my phone, coupons & lists!

{3} I learned to make baby shoes (and now I'm addicted)
I found some free patterns and wanted to try them out. I absolutely love how they turned out and they all fit her!

{4} Mybaby rolled over!
September 17 @ 3pm she rolled over for the first time!

And now I'll leave you with a few cute pictures of baby girl...

New Shop

2011-08-30T12:14:00.000-05:00

I've always loved graphic design, but never knew how to do it. In the last year, I've really immersed myself in Adobe PhotoShop and InDesign to learn more and I really have. Many friends now come to me for invitations whether it be their wedding, kid's birthday, party, or graduation.

I also love to make myself to-do lists, calendars, and organization sheets to help keep me organized and well just getting to write on something pretty makes me feel good. :)

At the suggestion of a lot of friends and family, I've decided to open up an Invitation + Printables store on Etsy. A lot of the stuff I've made for me or friends so I'm able to use a lot of my already saved artwork.

So I give you...

Southern Petite Paperie

Everything in my store is sent to you as a PDF and you print it on your own. This takes a lot of the work out of it for me, which I need as I have a full-time job, a baby, a husband, and another Etsy store.

I think it's a great concept - you buy the file and then you use it as many times as you want so you really get your money's worth. For invitations you just buy the file and then print as many as you need! I do this for all my friends and it seems to work out well.

So if you have some time, wander over and check it out. Let me know what you think!

DIY iPhone 4 Case Tutorial

2011-08-29T13:22:00.000-05:00

I got a new iPhone over the weekend - upgraded to a 4 - and decided to make my own case (of course, right?). I love rotating my case every once in awhile, kinda like how I like to rotate purses. Well instead of shelling out $20 a case, I decided to be a bit more savvy. So I give you my iPhone 4 case tutorial...

DIY iPhone 4 Case Tutorial

You'll need:
scrapbook paper of choice
your phone
pencil
scissors
clear case

Step one: Trace your iPhone (sans case) onto back of scrapbook paper. I put mine up against one of the edges so I only had to cut 3 sides. Cut out.

Step two: See if your cut out fits in your case. I had to trim a little off all the sides to get it to fit. You don't need to trim a lot at all. Once it fits snug in there without bunching trace the camera hole onto the front of you paper.

Step three: To cut out the small hole I used small scissors and snipped out the corner of the paper. The hole in the case covers it up so no one will realize you snipped it out. Cut out the hole. I trimmed a little outside my trace line so no paper would show through the hole.

Step four: Place the paper in the case and put your phone back in the case. Voila! Done!

Now you never have to buy a case again! Make all kinds of cases to go with your mood or even the season! Once you've done one, you can use it as a guide :)

I plan on making several to switch out. I'm thinking houndstooth for Fall with some monogram action. Then something fun for Christmas and Thanksgiving.

If you have a cricut you can add some other elements to make it unique. I might even try a picture :)

Have fun!

3 months

2011-08-23T11:00:00.000-05:00

Dear Alexis,

I'm not sure how 3 months has gone by already, but sure enough it has. You are getting to be such a big girl! You are a joy and a blessing to your Daddy and I. We love you so much!! You make us smile and laugh everyday. You're starting to develop a personality and love to be in the center of things like your mommy - you certainly won't be a wallflower. You are fairly independent and are stubborn and impatient...guess where you got those things from haha. Yup - me and your Daddy. I love when you smile at me and when you do your little giggles. Life is so much sweeter with you in it sweet girl and I love you with all of my heart. I always look forward to the evenings because we get to cuddle and play. I love that you still love to sleep in my arms :) You're growing up too fast for my liking but I'm enjoying every minute and look forward to everything that's ahead. I love you lovebug.

mama

--------------------

Lexie - 3 months

Sleep: You sleep for 9+ hours (woo hoo)

Feeding: You eat a 6 oz. bottle for your first and last feedings of the day and then 4 oz. every 2-3 hours in between.

Diaper size: Size two

Routine: Sometimes you wake up on your own, but generally I wake you up at 6:30 to eat. Then you burp :) Then we get you all dressed and ready for school! (You always look so cute!!) I drop you off at daycare around 7:20 - although we need to start leaving earlier now that school has started. You eat and play all day long until mommy picks you up about 5:40. Then we go home and go for a walk! You usually pass out before we even round the corner. You sleep until about 7 and then you have a bottle between 7 & 7:30. You play and talk until about 8:30 and you go to sleep for about an hour. You get your last bottle around 9:30 and then you're straight to sleep!!

Clothes size: You are officially out of 0-3 and in 3 month, 3-6, and 6 month depending on the brand of clothing. 3 month dresses still fit you but onesies have to be 3-6 or 6 month. You are in 6 month pajamas. I think you might be a tall, skinny thing :)

Height:

At birth - 19.5 inches

2 weeks - 21 inches

1 month - 21.5 inches

2 months - 22.5 inches

3 months - (at home measurement) - about 24 inches

Weight:

At birth - 7 lbs. 2 oz.

2 weeks - 9 lbs. 6 oz.

1 month - 10 lbs. 2 oz.

2 months - 12 lbs. 9 oz.

3 months - (at home measurement) - approx. 13.5-14 pounds

Eye Color:

At birth - Bright blue

1 month - Slightly lighter

2 months - Hazel

3 months - Hazel/Green (they're more green by the day which thrills me!)

Hair Color:

At birth - Dark brown

1 month - (a lot fell out) lighter brown

2 months - light brown/auburn

3 months - light brown/auburn

Nicknames: Pretty, Lexie Girl, Lexie Bear, Lexie Anne, munchkin, little one, baby girl, Lexie Lulu

Funniest moments: You "talk" A LOT now and love to hear yourself talk lol. You crack me up how you'll talk to anyone and anything who will listen. You've found your hands and like to see how far you can get them in your mouth and often choke yourself. I think you're realizing you have feet because you stare at them as you wiggle your toes and you coo at them. It's pretty funny. You also go rigid straight when we hold you up in the air - like a plank...so we took a picture of you planking haha.

Milestones: You really know mommy and daddy now and smile at familiar faces. You've found your hands and you're starting to notice your feet. You "talk" all the time too. You're trying to sit up and don't like reclining or laying down because you want to sit up. We're working on balance while you sit with assistance. You stand with assistance now too, which is crazy to me, but you get SO excited when standing. We can also have you sitting and you'll stand up while holding onto our hands. Just don't walk before you crawl little one!!

Family

2011-08-19T16:30:00.000-05:00

My new bloggy friend Amy posted a similar picture and I loved it so much I had to create my own version...

I'm framing this to have in the house :)

mama and baby

2011-08-19T15:19:00.000-05:00

I was looking through some more of my baby pictures this week and think that Alexis looks quite a bit like I did when I was a baby :) I can definitely see her daddy in her too, but I see a lot of me too!

What do you think?

Golly she's cute :)

All about Lexie...

2011-08-10T16:22:00.000-05:00

Lexie will be 12 weeks old on Friday....where has the time gone?? My sweet, tiny, little baby is now a big sweet, chunky baby haha. I cannot believe I gave birth three months ago. However, now that I'm back at work my maternity leave seems like it was ages ago. Oye.

Work has been incredibly busy and stressful. There was no "grace period" or easing into it. It was back and straight to the grindstone, which I guess is good to pass the time. Generally before I know it, it's time to go home.

I haven't been doing much lately other than working and spending time with my little girl. When I get home in the evenings I spend all my time with her until it's time to go to bed. I know I need to help more with dinner and bottle washing but taking care of the baby is much more fun - feedings, baths, changes, and diapers changes. So I guess I at least help in that respect.

We've kind of developed a routine, but it will change once hubby starts school in a week and a half. Then we can really develop our morning and evening routines. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I have no desire to really do anything other than snuggle my kid. I'm selfish...and I wholeheartedly admit it.

Speaking of selfish...I still haven't moved Lexie to her crib. She's been sleeping through the night for about 6 weeks now, but she still sleeps in her pack-n-play in our room. I wanted to wait until I was more adjusted going back to work before moving her to her room - take one step at a time as far as separation goes. Now I'm starting to feel guilty that she's still in our room and almost 3 months old. I love having her in there though. I love being able to peak over and see her. Or place my hand on her chest. And to watch her wake up in the mornings. However, we have her a beautiful room with a beautiful bed and she does need to be in there...I suppose. I told my husband that we could try it out this weekend. I'm sure her bed is A LOT more comfortable than the pack-n-play, but I selfishly love her with me. I have major attachment issues to her - I wonder if that's normal?? So...we'll try something this weekend. Sad face.

So really my weekdays consist of wake up, shower, get ready, make bottles for daycare, pack daycare bag, feed baby, get dressed, get baby dressed, pack work bag, hand baby to hubby, go to work, come home, change, snuggle baby, feed baby, bathe baby, snuggle baby, feed baby, put family to bed. Whew. Then when the weekends come I add in cleaning house and laundry and then it's still really "cuddle baby." But right now...I'm Ok with that.

So I have nothing fabulous to report other than I love being a mama and that Lexie is the most amazing thing on the face of this Earth and I love her more than anything. I seriously can't get enough of her. I don't know if my heart is big enough for all this love and adoration. I might explode...

So I'll leave you with some picture updates of my girl. I seriously already have over 1,000 pictures of her and she's not even 3 months old. Addicted much?

Look at that cute butt!

She lets me play dress up every now and then

She's getting SO BIG!

Mama and her baby girl :)

She's so beautiful

She's such a happy baby!

Sweet cuddles

BIG BIG smiles!

Pretty cool baby

Personalized

2011-08-03T10:33:00.000-05:00

Ever since I had Alexis...OK since I found out I was having a girl...I've been obsessed with personalized things. I've always loved monograms, but having things with Alexis' name on it just thrills me. Especially now that I'm back at work. I can "wear her" around my neck and close to my heart :) I've got my wedding rings to keep my hubby with me and then necklaces for little Lexie.

So...I have quite a few necklaces...probably too many, but I don't care. So here's what I have...

The Vintage Pearl : A Simple Sweet-Heart

This is the first one I bought myself after I found out I was having a girl. It says "Lexie" on it.

Danielle Stevens

This necklace isn't the exact one I have as I have Alexis' full monogram on mine, but it's the same necklace basically. I received this necklace as a gift from my best friend once we decided on our little girl's name. It's my only gold personalized necklace and I love it.

The Vintage Pearl : Mama Bird Necklace

I got this one when I received a good promo code from The Vintage Pearl because it's only $25. I think it's sweet and fun to wear. Mine has one pearl for little miss.

James Avery : Mother's Love

I got this pendant on a pretty chain for Christmas last year and love it. I wear it a lot as well. I have the matching ring too!

Malisay Designs : Custom Handstamped Necklace

I ordered a custom necklace from this Etsy seller after Alexis was born. I didn't have anything with her birth date on it, so I got one tag that says "Alexis" and the other tag has her birthday. I changed the chain to this style and I switched the pearl to a swarovski crystal in her birthstone. She was so easy to work with and I really love my necklace.

Charitable Creations : I Love You to the Moon and Back

I got a discount through Heartsy to this seller's shop and ordered this necklace with the phrase from my favorite book I read to Alexis. It's a super sweet necklace.

Tiffany-inspired Brass Heart with Initial

I made this necklace for myself the weekend before last. I saw the brass heart and got the idea for the necklace. It's turned out to be one of my favorites because of it's simplicity. I love the way it turned out!

So while I may have a lot of child-related jewelry it allows me to cycle through my necklaces depending on what I'm wearing AND I have different ways to wear her around my neck :) I also like that I can add on charms for more kids, whenever that time comes, to most of these necklaces.

Do you have any jewelry for your child or children?

Snuggles

2011-08-01T18:00:00.000-05:00

If I could spend every day snuggling like that, I would be that happiest mama on the planet!

However, I've found that you can't live in babyland forever {although I'm still trying.}

I don't know if it's because my "new routine" is so new and I'm still adjusting or what, but all I do when I get home is grab my baby and snuggle her until bedtime. The end. Nothing else. Well of course I talk to hubby and what not, but I really don't do anything else.

I'm getting better on the weekends. This weekend hubby and I cleaned the house TOP TO BOTTOM {it was sooo needed} and did several loads of laundry. I washed bottles umpteen times and even put most of the laundry away...then I snuggled the baby all the remaining time.

I need to start working out again but haven't mustered the energy to get up that 30 minutes earlier. Maybe later this week. Yes. Later this week. Perhaps...

I like babyland right now and feel like I need more of it until I feel more adjusted. Is that normal? To want to spend every waking second with her? Especially now that I don't see her but a few hours a day on the weekdays? Is it strange that I still cry at night when it's time to put her to bed because my time is over for the day?

Maybe?

Well it works for me...so in 8 minutes I'll be headed home to snuggle her and enjoy my family. Sounds like a plan to me.

Lovely Life

2011-08-01T16:42:00.003-05:00

I love that I get to spend my days with these two people. My wonderful husband and my sweet baby girl. They are my life and I love them more than words could ever express. I'm so incredibly blessed and I thank my lucky stars every night for the two of them.

Life can't get any sweeter.

Little updates...

2011-07-27T15:14:00.000-05:00

This morning I was a complete mess as I'm sure you read. I think I cried the better half of the morning.

I decided to be strong and go ahead and call to see how she was doing. They told me "she was just perfect" and I lost it. I lost all composure I had worked up. I sobbed and couldn't even talk. I got out one word answers and silent nods. They probably thought I was nuts. Or emotionally out of control. Or maybe normal. Maybe.

About 30 minutes later they called me to do a play-by-play of what she was doing. They asked if it would be OK to send me picture messages and texts throughout the day too...umm no brainer!!

So throughout the day I have received text updates and picture messages of my sweet little lovebug...

She had just had a bottle and was happy as a clam. They said her teacher LOVES her and wants to steal her and take her home. She said Lexie even got to hang out at the front for a little while because she's loved so much already.

They said she went to sleep perfectly in the bouncer and took a nice long nap. They said she's such a sweet, sweet baby...but I already knew that :P

This last picture was captioned "Hi Mommy!!" and it's just so sweet. It captures her perfectly. She said she only got fussy twice. Once when she was VERY ready for a bottle and the second time when her paci fell out but her teacher was changing another baby's diaper, so she went in there to fix her up. They said she's been perfect :)

I knew we chose a good daycare for Lexie, but I had no idea just how good. This first day has left a very good impression with me. They are kind enough to do this for me when I'm obviously having a hard time...I think it speaks volumes for their establishment. Their little updates have helped me get through the day. Knowing she is OK, content, and happy makes me feel better and worry a whole lot less.

Hubby has to be to work really early tomorrow, which means I have to drop her off so I'm not sure how that will go over, but at least I know they take good care of her. That gives me some piece of mind. Prayers are welcomed for tomorrow!! I'm not promising that there won't be tears though...

Daycare

2011-07-27T08:40:00.000-05:00

Today my little girl started daycare and I'm a complete mess.

I was strong up until my husband put her in his truck and then I lost it. "Will she be OK? Will they be good to her? Will they play with her? Will they know what to do when she's upset? Will she miss me? Will she realize I'm gone? Will she love them more than me?"

Rationally thinking I know the answer to all these questions, but I was far from rational this morning. Leaving my little baby with people I don't know just kills me. Thank goodness my husband dropped her off, because I couldn't have done it. Well I guess I could have, but it wouldn't have been pretty. Picture a big blubbering mess and that about covers it.

Last night I packed her daycare bag with extra clothes, bibs, a blanket, bottles with formula, socks, a list of everything about her (lol) and how to care for her, bags for dirty clothes and some diaper rash cream. Hubby took her diapers and wipes up yesterday. This morning I dressed her cute and clipped on her pacifier so she'd have it with her all day. I cuddled her and cuddled her until I absolutely had to leave for work.

And then I cried the whole way. I still haven't even been able to eat breakfast.

I'm dying to call and see how she's doing, but I'm afraid I'll start crying. I think I need to get it together a bit more before I try to call.

This is like the first day of work all over again. Sucky.

In my 9.5 weeks of being a mother I've learned that while it's the most wonderful job in the entire world, it's also the hardest. It's constantly filled with heartache and worry for your child. My heart breaks that I can't be with her all day and that I have to leave her with strangers (well they are strangers for now anyway). I'm sad thinking about all the things I will miss during the day. I'm sad when I put her to bed at night because another day has come and gone and I didn't get enough time. My heart aches that she might miss me or need me and I won't be there. I worry how she'll be without me...

Like I said...I'm a mess today.

The one thing getting me through this morning is that when I got her out of her pack-n-play this morning she gave me the biggest smile when I told her "Good Morning" and that just melted my heart.

Being a mother is wonderful in every way...even the heartache, because I've experienced a love like nothing else. I know my heartache and worry is because of my love for my daughter and how important she is to me. While there is the heartache, there is also so much joy. So much joy that it does overshadow the sad. It's just hard now because I miss her so much.

I just keep thinking of her sweet coos, those big bright smiles of hers that light up her eyes, how she kicks her legs in excitement and screaches in excitement. She's such a wonderful child. I know I need to be strong for her and for me, but I think I just need to allow myself to be a little sad. There's millions of mommies that do this. I can too.

"Just keep swimming"

2011-07-25T09:41:00.000-05:00

Today feels like another little rip of the band aid. I was thinking after having made it through last week, that I would do better this week. Leaving would be easier. I would be "used to it." While I would like to claim it was, it isn't. I didn't cry this morning driving away and I didn't cry while driving to work. I was determined to be strong because this is our new normal. This is what we have to do. I have to be OK with that. Accept it. Embrace it. Live it. I guess it just takes time. However, in my little brain I wanted to snap my fingers and it all be OK.

I'll admit that today is worlds easier than last week. So I guess I am adjusting. It still hurts though. I feel a bit weak today and I'm guessing it is because the weekend is over. I had 2 whole days with her and now I'm back to being away for 11 hours.

I guess it gets easier in one way but not in another. It's gets easier to drive away, but it's not any easier to be away from her. It's like a dull throb in my chest until I get home to her. Maybe that's the way it will always be.

The love I feel for my child is immense. The love and adoration I have when I look at her is almost indescribable. Having a child really does change you as a person. Your life. Your perspectives. It's all different in the best way possible.

I feel so unbelievably blessed in my life. I am married to a wonderful man and father. He really is my soul mate. He's the calm to my crazy and the confidence to my worry. He is my rock in this life and I love him more than words could express. I thank God every day for blessing me with this man who loves me, loves our daughter, supports me, and comforts me. I've always thought I'd done something really good to deserve such a man like him. Then we had a daughter together and I really can't imagine what I've done so great to deserve not only a wonderful husband, but a wonderful and beautiful daughter as well. I thank God every day for my blessings and promise to do right by the both of them. To love them as they love me. My heart swells with love for my family.

I know we're doing what's best for our family. I'm confident in that. I know in my heart that it's right, although it's hard. Every day is a baby step. Each day will get a bit better and soon it will all be normal. I will miss her, but perhaps it won't hurt so much. I already know tomorrow will be better because I got through today. Plus I get the best rewards when I get home. Warm, comforting hugs from my husband plus a sweet kiss :) then smiles and snuggles from my sweet little girl. They make everything worth it. They make life amazing.

In the words of Dory...

"Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming."

Mama's Girl

2011-07-22T16:34:00.000-05:00

I think my little sweetie pie is starting to look like her mama. On the left is one of my baby pictures and to the right is a picture of her this week. Gosh I love her so much!

You know, ever since I was a little girl I always wanted a daughter. I always had the idea that I would have a girl first. Call it intuition, but that's what I always felt. When I got pregnant, even though all the old wives tales said boy, I knew....just knew she was a girl. I even had a dream months before she was born that she would be born on May 21st. She was about 8 hours away from that date!

I am more than ecstatic that my first born is a daughter. Not only can I dress her up cute and adorn her in ridiculously cute accessories, but I hope to have a really strong mother-daughter relationship with her. I love her so much and only want the best. I want to do everything I can for her.

In my daydreaming here are some things I hope for...

1. I {selfishly} hope your first word is "mama."

2. I hope you love wearing cute outfits and continue to let me put headbands on you among other accessories.

3. I hope when you're old enough that you'll run into my arms when I get home from work.

4. I hope you'll enjoy reading at bedtime with me.

5. I hope you'll love spending time with me.

6. I hope you'll ask me to dress your barbies and play make-believe with you.

7. I hope you'll ask to borrow my things to play dress up.

8. I hope you'll hold my hand when walking.

9. I hope you'll love to go get mommy-daughter mani pedis.

10. I hope you'll get excited when we sneak away for ice cream treats.

11. I hope you'll ask your Dad and I to help your build forts.

12. I hope you'll let me take you school shopping for as long as I can.

13. I hope you'll love to make crafts with me and I can teach you what I know.

14. I hope you'll love the things I make for you.

15. I hope you ask me to make things for you instead of buying them.

16. I hope you grow to be a well-mannered, polite, little girl.

17. I hope you will come to me when you need to talk.

18. I hope you will confide in me and ask me for advice.

19. I hope you will always need your mother in some sort of fashion.

20. I hope you and I will always be close because I love you more than anything.

2 months

2011-07-21T15:05:00.000-05:00

My sweet baby girl is 2 months old (as of yesterday). I'm behind as usual, but whatever. I have no idea how two months has already gone by!!

Dear Lexie,

It really seems like just last week you were born. I'm not sure how you've already grown to be 2 months old, but it's been the most amazing 2 months of mine and your daddy's life. You are such a joy to be around and such a sweet baby. I am overjoyed to finally have you in my life sweetheart. While I'm sad to watch you grow up, it's amazing watching you grow. Daddy says you'll be 16 and asking for the car keys before we know it...I'm not ready to think about that though. Just continue blessing our lives, smiling those sweet smiles, and cooing your sweet coos for now. I love you little one.

xoxo - your mama

Tangled Up In You had a cute stats thing for her little girl, so I'm going to steal it...

Lexie - 2 months

Sleep: You sleep a consistent 8+ hours now

Feeding: You are currently eating 4 oz. every 2-2.5 hours (you hunger monster you)

Diaper size: Still size ones

Routine: You wake up between 6 and 7 am ready to eat. You get your first bottle, burp, and usually go back to sleep. After your next bottle, though, you start your routine of eat, play, sleep for the rest of the day. After your 7pm bottle you tend to go to sleep and wake up just in time for your 9:30 bottle, play a little, and then you're out for the night. Every other day (depending circumstances) you get a bath after your 7 pm bottle and before you fall asleep :)

Clothes size: You are in 0-3, 3 month clothes. Some are still big, but most fit well now. Although, some are still a little big.

Height:
At birth - 19.5 inches
2 weeks - 21 inches
1 month - 21.5 inches
2 months - 22.5 inches

Weight:
At birth - 7 lbs. 2 oz.
2 weeks - 9 lbs. 6 oz.
1 month - 10 lbs. 2 oz.
2 months - 12 lbs. 9 oz.

Eye Color:
At birth - Bright blue
1 month - Slightly lighter
2 months - Hazel

Hair Color:
At birth - Dark brown
1 month - (a lot fell out) lighter brown
2 months - light brown/auburn

Nicknames: Pretty, Lexie Girl, Lexie Bear, Lexie Anne, munchkin, little one, baby girl

Funniest moments: You are starting to communicate with coo's and you're so funny as you try to mimic our faces. You also make funny faces when you're really trying to poop. Then once you poop you smile like you're so proud of yourself. I think you're getting close to laughing too because you'll open your mouth wide but no sound comes out until the end and that's when you screach.

Milestones: You have started smiling a lot and smiling more when you recognize me and Daddy. Your arms are getting stronger through tummy time and you're pretty much a pro at holding your head up and relatively steady. You're still a bit of a bobble head if you get to excited or try to look at something too quickly.

Back to the grindstone...

2011-07-20T11:45:00.000-05:00

Monday was my first day back to work.

{insert lots of tears}

I cried a little on Saturday and A LOT on Sunday. When my alarm went off Monday morning I felt a huge pang of sadness. The day had come as much as I didn't want it too and way too fast, in my opinion. I showered, got ready and held my girl the rest of the morning until I had to leave.

The hurt I felt is almost indescribable. I'd never been away from her and now I was going to have to be away for 11 hours. My heart felt like it was literally breaking into a million pieces and all the kings men and all the kings horses wouldn't be able put me back together.

It was so hard to hand her to my husband and get in the car. It was even harder to drive away.

I cried the whole way to work. How had 2 months already gone by? It seems like yesterday that she was born. I can still remember every detail of the day even down to things I was thinking. My whole 8 week maternity leave flashed before my eyes and here I was....already driving my way into work.

Hugging her goodbye was dreadful. Feeling her sweet little body in my arms. Her sweet snuggles. Her smell. Oh God her smell. It makes me cry just thinking about it.

Walking into work I tried to compose myself, however, when I saw a co-worker in the elevator and he asked how I was, I started crying. I cried a few times that morning, but was able to get it together. I had lunch with one of my best friends, which helped a lot. Then before I knew it, it was time to go home.

Driving home I was so happy and excited. Hubby met me in the driveway and I cuddled her all night. Then cried again when it was time to put her to bed. It just didn't seem like enough time.

Yesterday I cried when I left again, but it was better. I was able to happily talk about Lexie and get through the day with flying colors. Again, I rushed home to snuggle her until bedtime. And again I cried putting her in her bassinet. Still not enough time.

I guess I'll never feel like I have enough time with her. I spent 24/7 with her on my leave and that wasn't enough. So that being said I feel like eternity still wouldn't be enough. I guess that's just something I'll learn to live with. I can tell you though, that now, no matter how long I get with her in the mornings or evenings I cherish every second. I take in everything about her. Every smile. Every coo. What she's looking at. All to fill that void I get during the day when I'm away.

It's incredibly hard to be away from her. Wondering what she's doing. However, I know by me working we can provide her with things she wants and needs. Save for college. Save for her future. Give her things we maybe didn't have. I hope that I can be an inspiration to her. A role model. That you can be a working professional and a great mom. That I'm helping to support our family. Because I do it all for her and my husband. They are my life.

Work started off good, but seems back to the same old same old. It's hard. I'm trying to stay strong, but little holes add up and I break down. I haven't cried though, just vented. It's funny...when you have a baby, all your perspectives on life change. What's important. What's worth the effort. What really matters.

Being a good wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend is what matters most.

8 weeks

2011-07-20T10:53:00.000-05:00

**She was 8 weeks on Friday (the 15th) so I'm a little behind...trying to catch up**

Sleeping: She's continued to sleep consistently for 8 or more hours at night. She has several short naps during the day too. She must wiggle a lot in her sleep, though, because she's always at the end of her bassinet and half way out of her swaddle at the top lol.

Eating: She's a hunger monster! I think she may be going through a growth spurt because she's been eating about every 2 hours during the day. Typically she would go 2.5-3, but she's been getting hungry a lot sooner. She's still eating 4 ounces at every feeding.

Activity: She's very alert and loves to look around. We go on walks and she looks around at everything she can possibly see. She really likes for me to hold her facing outward so she can look around. She's starting to kick and become really excited when we lay her on her activity mat. She flail her arms and hit a toy and then looks at it like "what was that?" She's doing well with tummy time and is strengthening her arms, but not really lifting up on them like a mini push up. More to push up enough to move her head side to side. If we do tummy time with a pillow or the boppy then she is able to push up better. She's also starting to kind of squeal along with her cooing.

Likes: Loves her bouncer chair and her bassinet. She loves facing outward when you hold her. Still loves to lay on your chest an nap. Likes for us to work her legs like a bike. Loves the ceiling fan. Likes to stand and put weight on her legs. LOVES to eat :) Loves to be talked to and coo'd at. Loves bath time!! Likes to lay on her changing table after a diaper change and "air out" haha

Dislikes: She doesn't like to get dressed after a bath and doesn't like if you take too long to change a diaper. She doesn't like to be hungry and wakes up with a vengeance in the morning after sleeping all night. She doesn't like gas bubbles in her tummy or if you take the bottle away to burp her.

Highlights of the week: Hitting the 2 month mark and being as cute as always. She's such a happy, content baby and is easy to please. I've learned her cries and what she's wanting so that helps a lot. She's growing like a weed, smiling more every day, and being loved like crazy!

It's really over...

2011-07-15T03:48:00.000-05:00

Today marks 8 weeks since my beautiful baby girl was born. 8 weeks. It's insane to think it was 8 weeks ago that she was born. Everything seems so fresh still. So new. She's still so tiny. It's been 60 days. It's joyous that my baby girl is growing and thriving, but it's sad on another front as well. My 8 week maternity leave is now up....

I go back to work on Monday.

My heart wretches as I write those words. Monday. In 3 days. In 3 days I have to go back to work. To leave my baby. I've struggled with this for awhile now...this looming date...knowing this time would come and I would have to go back to work.

Staying home was never an option for me, so I was good enough to myself never to get it in my head that I could ever stay home. It's just that my 8 weeks have passed and now it's time for me to go back. I knew leaving my child would be hard. I thought a lot about it. I just didn't anticipate how heart breaking it would be...leaving me feeling completely helpless.

It's an odd feeling to know what is coming, but be so completely unable to dodge it, delay it, or avoid it all together. It's 3:30 in the morning and I'm up. Not because of my baby, but because of my boobs (btw...they just don't go away when you stop breastfeeding...but that's for another post) and my brain. It's spinning in circles.

How will I make it? How can it be Friday, July 15th already? May 20 seems so far away now. I was home for the whole month of June? It doesn't feel like I've been home for 2 months. I've been dreading this day and now it's here. 3 more days before I have to go back to work.

Thankfully Alexis won't start daycare until the 27th of July since my husband still has another week and a half before football starts. So at least when I leave her for the first time, I'll be leaving her with my husband...not strangers. But still. It hurts.

I know no one can ever care for her the way I do. No one will have the patience, the love, the time...It's hard to imagine leaving your precious child in the hands of a stranger. Will they be sure to check her diaper often? Will they feed her every 3 hours like she's supposed to? Will they play with her? Will she realize I'm not with her all day? Will she forget about me? Will she remember me?

Forgive me if I seem over the top. Everyone tells me there's no way your child will forget you. It's just that I've been with my daughter day in and day out for the last 2 months. Loving her. Caring for her. And now someone else will be doing it. I feel halfway neglectful as I've had a baby and now someone else will be caring for her 11 hours a day, 5 days a week. I know that's silly, but that's an irrational, hormonal brain for you.

I know there are plenty of moms that work and send their kids to daycare and the kids turn out fine. My husband is fine. Normal. Loves his mom more than anything. I've read lots of articles on how beneficial daycare is to children. Their social and development skills benefit and it's great for them. I just picture my sweet, tiny baby in a room with 3-4 other babies. I don't want them to forget about her even though I know they won't. We picked a great place for her to go and I know (I hope) they'll take good care of her, I just can't help my brain.

I don't have very many people to relate to as far as going back to work after a baby. I've reached out to others who have asking for advice and how to basically survive. All tell me it's hard, but I will survive. They say you get used to your schedule and you live by it. It's never easy knowing you're leaving your child every day, but you get used to your schedule and you make the most of it. I guess I just need to get to that point. And that will take time...

For now I'm sad. I don't think anything anyone can say will change that. I already miss my sweet girl. I know my working will allow us to further provide for her...save for her college...give her everything we can and I like the thought of that. It's just hard knowing I won't be with her every day. Someone told me recently that being a working mom allows them to actually miss their child. They don't take them for granted and they cherish all the time they have with them. Not to take away from a stay at home mom, but I appreciated that comment.

So for the next 3 days I plan on cuddling my baby. Kissing her. Hugging her. Stroking her sweet furry head. Memorizing that adorable smile. And basically hogging her goodness until Monday decides to show it's ugly head. I don't want to be sad the next three days...I want to enjoy her and savor these last few days of my leave...it's just hard when in the back of my mind I see it all coming to an end. Knowing I have to leave her. Hmpf.

I figure I've written enough for this morning...I should try to get some sleep. Wipe my tears. Find those big girl mommy panties and put them on. Be positive. Find the good. We'll see what I can manage as I find my way in the dark back to my room :) Thanks for listening...reading rather...and letting me lay it all out there (if you made it this far). I don't know if I feel any better, but it definitely helped writing it down. Perhaps I can slow my brain to get a few more hours of sleep. Alexis will probably be up in 1.5-2 hours. Then it's time to cuddle :)

7 weeks

2011-07-14T10:13:00.000-05:00

I'm a little behind as Alexis will be 8 weeks old tomorrow, but whatever. Here's her 7 week stats...

Sleeping: She has been consistently sleeping 8 hours for the last week so we are a very happy family. We seem to have gotten into a routine and that helps. She's a very good sleeper. She naps a little during the day, but is up a lot of the day taking it all in.

Eating: During the day she eats every 3 hours. She gets her last bottle between 9 and 9:30 pm and then she goes to sleep. She'll get up around 6 am ready to eat!! Then she goes back to sleep for 3 hours or so and is ready to eat again and from there she'll eat every 3 hours - almost to the dot! She's like an alarm clock.

Activity: She's very alert these days and awake most of the day. She loves to look around and watch the ceiling fan especially. She's starting to smile A LOT more lately and coo...all the time. It's so cute!! She seems to have found her hands too and like to suck on her fist.

Likes: She loves her bouncer chair! It's her favorite. She loves watching the ceiling fan. She loves watching our faces too. She's starting to mimic sounds and facial expressions we make. She LOVES outside. We go for walks and she's in heaven. We also go sit in the backyard and she loves it. She loves car rides and goes right to sleep. She loves bath time and her bath tub. She loves mommy and daddy best though :)

Dislikes: She doesn't like to be hungry...AT ALL. She doesn't like her nose suctioned or her ears cleaned. She doesn't like her face wiped down after spit up. She definitely lets up know when she has a dirty diaper. She isn't very patient and wants what she wants when she wants it. Hmm sounds like her mama lol.

Highlights of the week: Lots of smiles, more alert and sleeping well! She continues to do well on formula but is still getting breastmilk alternated between formula bottles. I love my sweet girl!!

God Bless America

2011-07-05T06:58:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we celebrated the 4th of July :)

It was a first for our little sweetheart so we got her dressed up for the occasion.

We went to my in-laws house for the day and really enjoyed some nice, relaxing time with family. I think Lexie's Mimi really enjoyed getting to spend some time with her :)

We had ribs, boudain, chicken, beans, homemade potato salad, corn on the cob and peach cobbler with Blue Bell ice cream. I was in hog heaven with all the delicious food.

Here's some more pictures from our day...

Her first 4th of July

mama's funny

pretty girl

Me and my girl

our little family :)

Introduction of formula

2011-07-05T06:44:00.000-05:00

Friday unfortunately marked the 2 week mark to when I go back to work. Because just the thought of going back to work sends me into fits of tears, I won't go there and save that for another post. Anyways, my goal from the beginning was to breastfeed Alexis exclusively until she was 6 weeks old then introduce formula, so ideally she would breastfeed morning and night then have formula during the day.

If continuing to breastfeed was a non-stressful, good option for us then I would have continued it. However, I work for a small engineering firm, and like I've mentioned before, there's just no where for me to pump and my firm is too small for any of the laws in place to apply. Plus it's not worth the hassle I'd have to go through with them. They weren't the nicest when I was pregnant, so why would they be nice when I'm needing to pump? Plus then I've got to deal with cleaning pump parts and worrying about keeping milk cool. I think it would have added too much added stress on top of the stress I already have at work. I want to be able to come home, pick up my sweet girl, and spend as much time with her as I can. I don't want the added stress and would rather just have all the time I can with her...as non-stressed as possible.

So all that aside, we started her on formula Saturday and she has done SO WELL! We're alternating breastmilk and formula at every feeding. With her first formula bottle I thought I might have to mix half breastmilk and half formula, but she did fine. She takes a bottle and formula with no hesitation. She is pretty much content as long as some form of food is going in her mouth lol.

Since Saturday I've been working on "training" my boobs to go longer periods of time before spontaneously combusting :P Right now I've got them on a 7 hour schedule where I pump every 7 hours and freeze/refrigerate the milk. At first I would breastfeed her at her breastmilk feedings where they coincided with my pumping, but then we got off schedule. Plus she started not really latching and would get really pissed when she wasn't getting food.

It was really hard for me at first...that she didn't "want" me, but I'm better with it now. I knew this would happen eventually, I just didn't know when. I know that for the first 6 weeks it was me and now we're doing what's best for our family. She's still getting breastmilk and she's healthy. Healthy is all I can ask for. So now I pump every 7 hours and then when it's a breastmilk bottle, we put the breastmilk in a bottle for her. She doesn't seem to mind one bit. I also think the bottle helps with her gas. She's not near as fussy from gas after eating from a bottle, which is good. I hate to see her hurting.

So now I just need to train my boobs to get to a 11-12 hour schedule. Honestly, I'm not sure if I'll get there. At 7 hours I'm so engorged and in quite a bit of discomfort that the thought of going 12 hours is crazy. However, I guess I just have to work up to that. I was at 6 hours and now I'm at 7, so I guess it's just a process. Another reason I started 2 weeks out...to give myself time.

I'm not a fan of pumping as I feel very much like a cow, but I know getting that breastmilk for her while I have it is important, so I just do it. If I can make it to the 3 month mark in August pumping morning and night then I would be really happy. I'm not going to get down on myself though if my milk doesn't make it that far. I feel like I've done good with what I've done up to this point.

So while I've struggled with the fact I'm no longer exclusively breastfeeding and that she now prefers the bottle to me, I know she's getting the nutrition she needs, so my emotions aside...that's what is important. I have a happy, healthy, beautiful baby and that's really all a mama can ask for.

my sweet girl :)

Baby survival items

2011-07-01T20:42:00.000-05:00

I'm not entirely sure how many of my readers are mothers or mothers-to-be, but I've decided to do a post on the things I use most as a new mother. Perhaps you also used them with your children, or you'll add them to your registry as you prepare for your new one. Or maybe you can consider them as a gift idea for someone who is expecting.

Regardless, these items have helped me tremendously and I recommend them :)

1. Burp rags (i.e. good cloth diapers)
I go through so many of these a day. It's nice to have so many of them on hand.

2. Diaper Pail
I love this thing! It holds a ton of diapers and it never stinks. Her room always smells good and you wouldn't ever know there's umpteen dirty diapers in there. The refills aren't expensive either. Love this!

3. Organizers
I'm all about organization. I have this long organizer on one of the shelves of her changing table and I have it filled with diapers. It makes it easy to reach down and nab on while changing her. I also have big square ones to hold onesies and other necessities.

4. Waterproof pads
OMG I love these things. I have them on her changing table and it makes things so easy. If she happens to get one dirty I can just throw it in the wash. Then I don't have to continuously strip off her changing pad cover. Great great great.

5. Infant front carrier
I love holding my sweet girl and she loves to be held. While I could easily sit with her all day, there are other things that demand my attention. So I plop her in this and everyone's happy...not to mention productive. She lays her head on my chest or can look up at me and I can get a few things done. It's comfy and easy to clean should she spit up or what not.

These are a few things that come instantly to mind. I know there's more but I have a little girl DEMANDING to be fed...NOW...not later as I rack my brain for more handy items. So I'll leave this post "to be continued..."

6 weeks

2011-07-01T20:20:00.000-05:00

Sleeping: My sweet girl started sleeping through the night! Tuesday night she slept 6.5 hours. We put her in her bassinet around midnight when we went to sleep then I woke up at 5 because my boobs were going to explode! She was still snoozing, so I pumped and went back to bed. Then she woke up at 6:30. Same thing Wednesday night. Then last night she slept 7 hours. Mama's lovin it.

Eating: During the day she eats anywhere between 2.5-3 hours. Since I'm breastfeeding, I have no idea how much she eats, but she'll eat for 6-10 minutes a side. This weekend I'm going to start adding formula to prepare us both for when I go back to work. My goal is to breastfeed in the morning and at night and then do formula during the day.

Activity: She's awake a lot more during the day so we have "play time." We'll bounce on mama's knees, lay on her activity mat, swing or sit in her bouncer. We also make faces to one another, which she thinks is pretty funny. She's so fun when she's alert as she makes all kinds of funny little faces and the sweetest little coos.

Likes: She loves laying on our chests and snoozing. She's also becoming much more accustomed to tummy time and actually enjoys it. She loves laying on our laps and watching the ceiling fan too lol. She loves light, windows, and the outdoors. She really loves vibrations, so her bouncer is one of her favorite places. When I lay her on her changing table, she loves looking out the window and will tell you a story with her sweet coos and grunts. She loves her baths now too! Consistent patting on her back will make her one happy baby.

Dislikes: She doesn't like to be put down much and prefers her head on your chest. She definitely dislike gas and seems to get it quite often. She gets pretty pissed when she spits up everywhere too...it's like she doesn't like to be dirty. Totally my child.

Highlights of the week: As I mention, baby girl is sleeping through the night! Hooray for sleep. 3 nights in a row so far, so hopefully it will continue. She's also started smiling, which just melts my heart. She's such a good, sweet baby (when she's not gassy lol). I still can't believe she's 6 weeks old. Time has gone by way way WAY too fast for my liking. Although...I'm really loving watching her grow and develop. She's always amazing me...

Newborn pictures

2011-06-25T09:08:00.000-05:00

My sister-in-law gave us a maternity and newborn session with a great set of photographers as a baby shower gift back in April. So when Alexis was a week and half old the photographers came to our house to take her newborn pictures. It was so nice that they came to our house because with having a newborn it was much easier to soothe her when she got upset as we were in the comfort of our own home.

The pictures turned out amazing. I had such a hard time chosing which ones to buy. So here's a few that I got digital prints of...

She's laying on the quilt I made her and I made the little flower headband. It's crazy that this was about a month ago and she's already changed so much.

She has such a sweet face in the picture above.

I love my baby girl so much. It's amazing how as soon as you meet your child, you love them more than you ever thought possible...and you don't even know them yet.

I made a special request for this picture and it turned out just as I hoped!

I love her cute little ruffly butt in this picture! She was so tiny! Hardly a roll to be found.

Can you spot the baby? This took a lot of coaxing to do...

This picture was our photographer's idea. I love it! I love having our maternity picture behind her. Plus I made the pillow :)

I love this picture too. Her eyes are gorgeous! Her Aunt Sarah made the sweet little hat :)

And I think this one is my all-time favorite. Her sweet little self and her mama. Love it.

1 month old

2011-06-23T13:33:00.000-05:00

On Monday my sweet little girl turned 1 month old. Time is going by way too fast. I feel like she just got here, yet a month has already passed. I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute though. I cuddle with her day in and day out and I can't seem to get enough.

At her 1 month check up she was 10 lbs 6 oz and 21.5 inches long putting her in the 80th & 75th percentiles respectively. She's healthy as can be and we thank God for that every day. What a blessing she has been.

She actually let me have about 15-20 minutes to take her 1 month pictures sans any crying "please pick me up and stop taking pictures woman!" I think the pictures really turned out great. I've flooded this post with them :)

I sit most days staring at her as she is so incredibly beautiful. I love when she is awake - she studies me with those big blue eyes, batting her eyelashes and pursing those sweet little lips. Her eyes light up when I talk to her, which throws me over the moon.

She's sleeping 4-5 hours at night still. Usually 5 hours on the first stretch and 4 hours on the second. Occassionally she takes some coaxing to go back to sleep, but she's pretty good about nodding off right away. She's a good eater too! I think she may be hitting a growth spurt as she's been hungry every 2.5-3 hours on the dot the last few days.

She's growing like a weed it seems. She was in newborn clothes for about 3.5 weeks and then overnight they didn't fit any longer. She's in 0-3/3 months depending on the brand. Some of her outfits are a little big still, but I imagine it won't be long before they are fitting her and then soon enough she'll grow into another size.

She loves her activity mat for about 20 minutes and then she's had enough and wants to cuddle. She looks intently at the lights while she kicks her legs and waves her little balled fists around. She's starting to coo too, which is adorable. She loves to be sung to as well. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and my made up sleep song seem to be her favorite.

I'm cherishing every sweet moment with my girl. She's so addicting :) I love her more than words could ever fully express. I'm loving watching her grow and become more alert. Life is good.

Happy 1 month my little princess. We love you!

Father's Day

2011-06-21T12:41:00.000-05:00

{I had all intentions of posting this Friday, but you know how things go...}

Happy Father's Day to the first man I ever loved...my Father. I could not ask for a better, more inspiring Dad. He has taught me so much throughout my life - how to be happy, how to be successful, good morals and values, how to love, and how to have a wonderful marriage. My Dad is so inspiring and supportive.

I love him so very much. I didn't think my love for him could grow anymore, but seeing him with his granddaughter makes my heart swell. He's so sweet and so gentle with her. I know she will have a great and special relationship with him like I did. I love you Dad!!

And now a special Happy FIRST Father's Day to my wonderful husband. He is such a great Daddy to our little girl. I know she will have a great relationship with him as they adore each other.

I can't wait to watch their relationship blossom :)

I made her a onesie that said "Happy 1st Father's Day" and surprised my husband! He loved it. We took him to his favorite restaurant for lunch, got sno cones and then hung out together the rest of the day.

Watching my husband interact and care for our daughter makes my love for him grow exponentially. I dreamed about having a family with him and now that that dream has come true, life is even better than I imagined. He is a wonderful husband and Father. Love you sweetie!!

Man, I feel like a woman

2011-06-17T20:24:00.000-05:00

I don't do frumpy. Casual, yes. Frumpy, no.

Since we came home from the hospital (4 weeks ago Monday I might add!), I have made it a point to do something with myself each day. Whenever I finish feeding her at her first non early morning feed I either put her to sleep in her bassinet or hand her over to the hubby so I can have a few minutes of "me" time. I take a nice hot shower, brush my teeth, fix my hair (a wet bun most days, but that's something), get dressed in something decent (some form of cotton something or other) and put on make up.

We most likely are just laying on the sofa all day, but there's something about that routine that makes me feel good. Normal. Womanly. Pretty. When you're tired, most likely covered in breastmilk or spit up or both, I at least feel better knowing I look good. Perhaps it's a bit vain, but I enjoy taking 30 minutes every morning to make me feel good. I feel I deserve that.

The other morning I even decided to give myself a nice little at-home mani pedi...you know...since I can reach my feet now. Hell, I can even see them! Ha! I painted them a lovely salmon color. Those 30 minutes of a nice shower and painting my nails made my day. Next to snuggle time of course.

I think as a new mom I have to remember to take a few minutes of "me" time and do whatever it is I want to do. These days it's shower, but regardless it's important. Sure I easily spend all day admiring my beautiful daughter, but a few minutes here and there is completely necessary. Even if it is just to pee or switch over laundry.

I've decided to do another list to finish up this post. I'm calling it "You Know You're a Mom When..."

1. You find yourself cuddling with the burp rag you left on your pillow from the last feeding.
2. You can take a shower, complete with shaving, in 10 minutes or less.
3. You have ears like a bat. Every squeak, squirm or sigh...you hear it all. Super sonic I tell you.
4. You have a burp rag permanently affixed to your shoulder.
5. You learn to do a lot of things one handed.
6. You have perfected the art of side swept bangs and a bun as your everyday look. Less fuss. Out of the way. The baby can't pull it and hey...at least you look like you tried.
7. You assess the spit up on your shirt to see if it's really worth changing it...again. Sometimes you really can just wipe it up and go on.
8. 4 o'clock in the morning is no big deal.
9. When baby poop is a common topic of conversation.
10. You take a picture of your child every time she's sleeping because she looks so cute and there's no way it looks "just like" the other 500 pictures you've taken of her sleeping.
11. When going to the restroom is part of your 5 minutes of "me" time.
12. You learn to like food cold. No matter what it is.
13. You have hand sanitizer now hooked to your purse. Even if it is a Coach bag. It's still totally stylish...and necessary.
14. Burps and farts are praised from your infant. Gas passed means less fussing.
15. You don't care about anything else in the world - including the state of your home - as long as you can sit and stare at your little miracle.

Mama battle scars

2011-06-15T12:24:00.000-05:00

When I was pregnant, I remember reading a lot about vaginal birth versus a c-section. I was terrified of a c-section and really didn't want one. I also read a lot about moms who had c-sections were often resentful they didn't get that "natural delivery." They felt as though they missed out on something.

The thought of going through major surgery AWAKE scared the crap out of me. It just really creeped me out. We luckily learned about both methods of delivery in childbirth class, so I was familiar with both methods and all that went along with them. So although I didn't want a c-section, I went in with zero expectations and the mentality that as long as she was healthy and I was healthy...that was all that mattered. I didn't care how she got here.

Boy was I glad for that. During labor I was progressing perfectly, per my doctor, and everything looked on schedule. Then her heart beat started dropping and she just wasn't recovering. Before any nurse or my doctor said anything I knew what was going to happen. My sweet doctor apologized to me saying she wanted differently for me, but we had to get the baby out now. Funny enough, I wasn't even scared about the c-section or the fact that it was an emergency one. The only thing I cared about was getting my daughter here safely. Even as they rushed around me and wheeled me into the OR at record speed all I could think about was her. Sure I was anxious...all alone in an operating room until my husband got there never having had surgery before and being prepped for surgery, but I just focused on the fact that I was about to meet my baby girl.

I don't mind one bit that I had a c-section. My baby was born healthy and safe because of the availability of a c-section and modern medicine. I don't know if that would have been the case 100 years ago. I look at my scar like a badge of honor. A badge of mama honor. For the rest of my life I will bear the mark that I birthed my daughter and that we brought her into this world. Kind of like a tattoo. It will be there forever reminding me of the miracle my husband and I created. I think that's pretty neat.

Sure I didn't get the natural delivery, but does that really matter so much anymore? I, along with my husband, created a human being - that's amazing in and of itself. Does the method of delivery really matter or make me less of a mother? No. Absolutely not. I just have a really cool scar to remind me of that special day. I actually like it. I love it. It's my mama battle scar :)

Breastfeeding...

2011-06-15T12:09:00.000-05:00

Before I had Alexis, I decided that I would breastfeed her. I read a lot of articles and talked to quite a few people and decided that breastfeeding would be best for her.

Since I had a c-section we didn't get to initiate breastfeeding right away. Once I was stitched up and in recovery they brought her to me and said "OK Mama here's your baby, time to feed her." Right. I didn't know the first thing about breastfeeding or latching or anything. All I knew was that boob went in mouth lol. We made it work though. The next day a lactation consultant came by and showed me the ropes, which was so helpful. They also showed me how to pump, which I'm not such a fan of. Kinda makes me feel like a cow. Moo.

I quickly learned, however, how painful it is to be engorged and when your baby doesn't completely drain your boobs...you are in agony. So while I may feel like a dairy cow, the end result is much better...so therefore I pump occasionally. I tend to do it every 2-3 days so at least it's not all the time. I got some storage bags and am now starting to store what I pump to have on hand.

In addition to the positive things I heard about breastfeeding, I also heard a lot of negative things. I guess that goes along with most things though. Everyone has an opinion. So many people spoke of how bad it hurt and how uncomfortable it was and not to mention a hassle. Thus far, it has been none of those things. I find it to be a nice connection time between me and Alexis. Sure it may be a little uncomfortable but seriously lanolin makes everything better. Rub some of that on, slap on a breastpad and boom. Ready to go. The only discomfort I've experienced is when they get engorged. Plus it's much easier to feed at 3 am...no prepping bottles!

Ok funny TMI story...we went to run some errands on Monday and I had to feed her in the car while we were out. I got into the backseat to feed her but I was seriously engorged so as soon as I got ready to feed her milk was spraying everywhere. I was slightly horrified. It was getting all over my dress, the car...not to mention hitting the baby in the face. All the while my husband is laughing so hard he can hardly stand it. Punk. We got my "leaky faucet" under control and "operation feed baby in the car" was a success overall.

Anyways...so breastfeeding has been a really positive experience for me. I enjoy the time with her and really feel good about providing for her. I feel like breastfeeding allows me to still be connected to her. It's a weird feeling. You carry them around with you for 9+ months and then all the sudden they are severed from you, but since I'm breastfeeding it's like I'm still giving her what she needs to survive and that makes me feel good. Not to mention all the nutrients and immunities she is getting.

My only problem would be that I really wouldn't be able to pump when I went back to work. I talked to my Mother-in-Law who said that she breastfed her kids until they were 6 weeks old and then transitioned them to formula since she also went back to work after her kids were born. She said she would still breastfeed in the morning and at night until her milk ran out. I figured this worked for her and her four kids so it would work for me too.

However now I'm feeling a bit sad that I only have 2 more weeks to the 6 week mark and then I need to work on transitioning her to formula. I know plenty of moms probably do this and plenty of babies are on formula. Alexis will be starting daycare at the end of July when we both go back to work and initially we felt it would be best to use formula for ease plus I don't have an office at work so where am I supposed to pump? My pump needs electricity so I need to be near an outlet. I'm not pumping in the bathroom 1. because that's gross 2. because there are no outlets. I could pump in my car using an AC Adapter but then I need to make sure the milk stays cool, which means I would need to keep a cooler in the car or at my desk. Then how am I going to clean the pump parts? Then I've got to get the milk home, stored, and get it to daycare.

It just seemed like more of a hassle and more time consuming than it was worth. All that time cleaning, storing, measuring and what not cold be spent with my little girl in the evenings. I mean she's getting breastmilk for the first 6 weeks of her life, that's got to count for something right?

I know it's a good decision for us and for her. I just can't help but feel a little sad that this little chapter is coming to a close. I know I'll still breastfeed her in the morning and at night until my milk runs out, but I still feel a little sad. I just don't have many other options and I have to do what's best for me and my family and this seems like it's it. Plus my mother-in-law did it and she has four very healthy kids. That's a plus in my book anyway.

So for now, I'm just going to enjoy these next two weeks and then take the next road as it comes. I have a healthy and beautiful baby girl and that's the biggest blessing I could ever ask for.

3 weeks

2011-06-11T14:39:00.000-05:00

How Alexis is already 3 weeks old, I'm not sure. But it seems that as much as I'd love for time to slow down, it's just not going to happen.

Every week is somehow better than the last and I fall more in love with my sweet little girl.

Sleeping: She sleeps in 4-6 hour stretches overnight and anywhere from 1-2 hours during the day in between feeds.

Eating: During the day she eats every three hours like clockwork. If she's asleep she'll start to stir and is ready to eat! At night when she wakes up fussing letting me know it's time, she's a hunger monster and eats a good 10 minutes on each side and doesn't fall asleep while feeding.

Activity: She's much more alert for longer periods of time now. After eating, she'll stay awake for a good hour before falling asleep. Sometimes she'll stay awake longer. We've been putting her on her activity mat and in her swing and she seems to like both of them. She's getting really good at tummy time too.

Likes: She loves to snuggle! She also loves to lay on your chest so she can look up at you. She loves the ceiling fan and she loves windows.

Dislikes: If she doesn't like something, she's quick to let you know. That's for sure. She's very much like her momma and daddy. She does not like to be hungry and she doesn't like diaper changes that take too long (in her opinion.)

Highlights of the week: She's starting to kind of smile and I can't wait for that full on smile when she's awake. She's much better at holding her head up and easing it down. She's also sleeping in longer stretches at night which makes things easier on me!

Here are some pictures from the week...

On being a mom...

2011-06-11T14:15:00.000-05:00

Everyone tells you that motherhood is one of the best things you will ever do.

They were right.

I can't even begin to describe how awesome it is to be a mother. I just sit and stare at my little girl wondering what I did in my 26 years of life to deserve and produce something so perfect. I am head over heels in love with my daughter. I am also completely amazed by her. I sit for hours just staring at her - stroking her sweet cheeks and her chubby little arms.

Even when I'm covered in baby vomit or have poop all over my hands from a last minute explosion, being a mom is beyond wonderful. It's the best feeling when she's upset and I'm the one that can console her. I can go on and on about how wonderful she is, but I'm not sure you care to read about that.

So here are 20 things I've learned in my 3 weeks of being a mother:

1. Your baby will poop in her clean diaper as soon as you change it.
2. Once you swaddle your baby and get her almost to sleep, she will poop...causing you to wake her up, unswaddle and rechange that diaper.
3. Be prepared to be covered in breastmilk for the majority of the day. Thank God it doesn't smell.
4. Same goes for spit up.
5. Getting peed on or pooped on is no big deal.
6. Keep a burp rag in every room and always within reach.
7. You can never have too many burp rags.
8. That being said, you also can't have too many waterproof pads.
9. You will do at least 1 load of laundry a day.
10. Baby socks are best washed and dried in a lingerie bag. You will save your sanity and your back. (I have a front loading washer and drier.)
11. Lanolin is your friend if you are breastfeeding.
12. Sometimes you are so excited for feed time just so your boobs will feel better.
13. Looking at your baby is the best ego booster and mood enhancer.
14. Naptime snuggles are the best.
15. That baby smell is intoxicating.
16. Cover a wet baby in an adult washcloth. They will much prefer their baths that way.
17. A pacifier can be your friend :)
18. Have an rss feed app on your phone so you can read during early morning feedings. It will help keep you awake.
19. A hot shower is next to wonderful. Take one as soon as baby naps in the morning :)
20. Having a daughter and being a mother makes my life complete.

Alexis at 2 weeks

2011-06-07T11:48:00.000-05:00

My baby girl is 2 weeks old! How does time go so quickly??

We had my two week check up yesterday and my incision is healing perfectly. Also, I've managed to lose all my baby weight! I actually weigh less than when I got pregnant. Breastfeeding is the ultimate weight loss helper :) well that and maybe a touch of exhaustion lol.

We took Lexie for her 2 week check up today and she's gained 2 pounds since she was born bringing her to 9 pounds 1 ounce. She also already grew an inch and a half!! My sweet chunky girl. Growing way too fast. The doctor did give us the OK though to let her sleep at night. Woo hoo!! No more 2 am feedings :) I'm game for even a 4 hour stretch of sleep!

The last week has been great and we've had lots of cuddle time. Here's a quick glimpse into her schedule.

Sleeping: Baby girl is a sleeper!! We have to wake her up at night to feed her (not anymore though). She still sleeps most of the day, but has longer awake times, which I love.

Eating: As of today she's been eating every 3 hours. I'm breastfeeding her, so she eats anywhere from 6-10 minutes per side. She's obviously a good eater as she's gained 2 pounds in 2 weeks :)

Activity: She's very wiggly when she's awake and likes to kick her legs. She loves clasping her hands together which is too cute. We've started laying her on her activity mat and she loves watching the lights and listening to the music. She prefers tummy time on our chests though.

Likes: She's a snuggle bunny and loves to be held close.

Dislikes: She doesn't always like diaper changes, especially in the middle of the night. She gets fussy sometimes when changing her clothes too - but mostly at night when she pees on herself when we change her haha. She despises heel pricks. And she does not like gas!

Highlights of the week: She's getting so strong! She's getting better at holding her head up on her own and is learning to ease it back down instead of face planting lol. She's such a good, sweet baby!!

Here's some pictures from the last week...

Beautiful girl

2011-05-31T09:03:00.000-05:00

I know I'm biased, but I do think I have the most beautiful baby girl in the world. Being a mom is the most amazing thing in the world. There have been challenging days of course, but having a baby girl and being a mother has made the last week truly amazing. I am incredibly blessed. My husband and I have just been in awe of our little girl and soaking in her sweetness. I thought I'd share some pictures from the first week at home...

Love this baby girl :)

Our daughter is born...

2011-05-28T12:00:00.000-05:00

Lexie's birth story: Part 3

The OR is a creepy, scary room. It's bright, white and has an intense sterile smell. The big lights shining down from the ceiling are incredibly intimidating. They wheel me next to the operating table where they promptly scoot me over. From there they begin prepping me for surgery.

They tie my legs together and strap them down to the table. They flip my hospital gown up so I lay exposed, which is awkward when there's 8-10 people buzzing around. My lay my arms outstretched and begin lathering my belly up with iodine. They poked needles up and down my sides to make sure I was numb. My husband comes in to sit my by side and hold my hand. The place the sheet thing over my belly, string up the paper barrier and not two seconds later I hear my doctor say "I'm cutting."

I remember laying there feeling tugging and lots of pressure. It's the most insane feeling in the world to be able to feel that. You feel as though they are literally lifting you off the table. Minutes later I heard the most amazing sound I have ever heard in my life...my daughter's first cry.

The feeling is something that is so hard to describe, but the sight and sound of her literally took my breath away. I gasped and cried knowing that my sweet baby was finally here and she was safe. The umbilical cord was wrapped once around her neck, which was causing her heart rate to drop with every contraction. It was basically strangling her, which is terrifying.

They began cleaning her off and they allowed my husband to go over and see her. Hearing her cries was amazing and I just wished I could see her. It felt like an eternity as they stitched me up. Finally they brought my baby girl around to see me and laid her on my chest. She was screaming bloody murder. My voice was horse from crying, but I spoke to her telling her it was OK and that mama was here. They say that your baby will recognize your voice once outside the womb and it's true. As soon as she heard my voice, she immediately stopped crying and looked at me. The feeling that consumed me is indescribable.

They whisked her away for testing to make sure her blood flow was OK among other things. They sent my husband with the baby and I was alone again. From there I was wheeled to recovery where I was able to hold my daughter in my arms for the first time...

Epidural for one please...

2011-05-28T08:04:00.000-05:00

Lexie's birth story: Part 2

The contractions were bearable and just more of an annoyance as I progressed from 2-3 centimeters to 6 centimeters. They were like really bad period cramps that were easy to breath through. At about 4 centimeters they broke my water. They were anywhere from 3-5 minutes apart giving me plenty of time to recover. I wasn't able to talk through them, but they were still manageable.

At about 6 centimeters they got much worse. I know people say that contractions hurt while others say it's like bad period cramps. I got to 7 centimeters and my contractions were about a minute and a half apart....and completely UNBEARABLE. I told my husband that it felt like someone was reaching in and riping my woo ha part like a pallet expander. I told the nurse that I wanted the epidural as fast as it could get to me.

The anesthesiologist finally arrived. Do you know that when you get an epidural they want you to sit...through contractions...which is incredibly painful. When he arrived he said "so are we ready for the epidural?" I must haven given him a "seriously" look, because he said "well I guess we are. Let me get started." I gasped as he inserted the needle, but the pain relief was instantaneous. A warm sensation ran from my back to my toes and it was the most wonderful feeling ever.

They laid me back in bed and I could finally relax...not to mention breathe. There was no way I could have done labor any further naturally. I give major, major props to any woman that does it naturally, because that shit hurts. There's no other way to put it haha. Now that I was comfortable, I ordered a cherry popscicle and laughed as I watched the contractions come and go because I couldn't feel them. I could feel the tightening and the pressure as they came but that was it. My husband laughed at me because I was feeling no pain and completely enjoying it.

The mood changed relatively quickly though as with every contractions, baby's heartbeat would drop. My contractions were about a minute and half apart, which wasn't enough time for baby to recover. They inserted an internal monitor to get a clear picture on her heart rate. Her heart rate continued to drop with every contraction and was beginning to drop to scary levels.

They have the heart rate blaring so we could all hear her distress. They began trying other things like rolling me side to side and pushing on my belly. Nurses were coming and going and my L&D nurse was constantly on the phone speaking in hushed tones. Then my OB arrived.

She checked me, said I was 8 centimeters, but that we couldn't wait. We needed to go...now. Meaning I would be having an emergency c-section.

They began prepping me for surgery as they stuck a cap on my head, took off the oxygen, threw scrubs at hubby and told him to pack all of our stuff and that we needed to go right now.

They wheeled me out of the room and down the the OR with such quickness that they ran into door frames. My sweet L&D nurse leaned down and said "Please keep you arms and legs inside the bed as she doesn't drive very well." - referring to the nurser steering my bed.

I was then wheeled into the OR...

So I went to work...

2011-05-27T20:03:00.001-05:00

Lexie's birth story: Part 1

Thursday, May 19 I started having inconsistent contractions. They would come and go, but nothing painful. Just like a bad period. Thursday night I started having more consistent contractions that were about 10 minutes apart. We went to bed and I woke up Friday morning at 1 am with contractions that were fairly uncomfortable. They started out about 7 minutes apart then jumped around from 8 to 6 to 10 minutes apart from 1 am to about 5:30 am. At that point I called my OB's hotline to see what they thought. They told me it definitely sounded like early labor and to call back once the office opened at 8:30 as they didn't think I would have a baby in 3 hours.

The contractions continued and I debated calling into work. I wasn't sure if it could be false labor or what, but I knew there were a few things I needed to do at work should I decide to go home at lunch. I wasn't feeling well at all, but decided to go ahead and head to work. My contractions continued staying anywhere between 7 to 10 minutes apart. It is not incredibly easy to drive while contracting, I might add.

I get to work and have a decent contraction right in my work lobby, which freaked out all my co-workers. I called my doctor's office when they opened at 8:30 am explaining what was going on. They told me to come in at 9:30 am. By this time the office was buzzing about my potential labor and everyone was in and out of my cubicle. I needed to leave at 9:10 to get to the doctor and with everyone talking to me, I didn't get anything done I needed to - making going into work pretty much pointless.

I drove to my OB's office with my contractions starting to die off. I started to get my hopes up that this was false labor and they'd just send me back to work. As I sat in the waiting room, my contractions became very inconsistent. I was so bummed. They called me back and as I sat on the exam table, I realized how dead tired and uncomfortable I was. I had been up since 1 am and was dead on my feet.

My doctor came in, checked me and said I was 2-3 centimeters. She said I was in pre-dromal labor, which could go on for days. I wanted to cry lol. She told me she thought I'd go on my own sometime before Monday, but that she wasn't here over the weekend if I did advance to active labor. So her advice...

"Let's have this baby today!"

At that point she got on her phone, called over to Labor & Delivery, and set me up. She got off the phone and said "Ok head over to L&D, get checked in and I'll be over there shortly." I'm pretty sure I sat there and stared at her thinking "I'm really having this baby today?"

I walked out of the OB's office and started on my way across the street to the hospital. Alone, mind you. It was all very surreal. So there I walked alone, over to the hospital, to admit myself all the while still thinking "Shit, I'm really having a baby today."

I got to the hospital and sat in the lobby while talking my husband through grabbing everything we needed at the house. The hospital bags were packed outside of his clothes, the camera, charger and lap top. It was so strange knowing that I would be having a baby in a few short hours. I called work and said "So I won't be back in today as I'm going to have a baby." lol

After getting off the phone, I went up to L&D and stood at the nurse's station. "Hi, umm I'm checking in..." It was such a strange moment. I pictured my arriving to the hospital something like the movies portray. My contractions would be 5 minutes apart and I would be in painful labor as hubby and I checked into L&D. Not so much.

They walk me into my room where they give me a laundry bag for my clothes, a cup for a pee sample, and a gown. I change with trembling hands and return to the room where I get into the hospital bed. I remember sitting there in a bit of a daze that I was really about to have a baby. The wait was over. I was going to meet my baby girl....today. I answer umpteen questions and then my husband gets there. They get my IV set up and start the pitocin to speed up my labor. They offer me ice chips or a popscicle. My husband gets a popscicle and I get ice chips.

We turn on E! Network as I begin to breathe through manageable contractions...

She's here!

2011-05-22T22:26:00.000-05:00

Alexis Anne was born Friday, May 20, 2011 at 3:57 pm via emergency c-section. She weighed 7 lb. 2 oz. and was 19.5 inches long.

She's a beautiful, healthy baby girl and we're overjoyed that she's here. I'll be back to post more later on sometime. Just wanted everyone to know that she's here and she's gorgeous :)

Chunky Monkey

2011-05-19T15:48:00.000-05:00

I went yesterday afternoon for my weekly checkup with my regular OB and then we had our last appointment with our specialist.

At the OB we hadn't had any more progress from Friday. Still at 1 cm and 50% effaced.

We went to the specialist to get an estimated weight and length on little miss and boy were we surprised. Are you ready for this?? At 38 weeks, 4 days she's estimated to weigh...

8 pounds 2 ounces!!

And is estimated to be 20 inches long. 20 inches. 8+ pounds. Whoa.

My specialist has recommended that we induce on Monday. I have to go through my OB though and let her make the final decision. I called this afternoon over to my OB's office to see if my doctor heard the latest. When I spoke to the nurse I let her know that I would be 39 weeks on Saturday and that the baby was weighing 8 lb 2 oz. Her response? "Oh geez! When do you see the doctor again?" I told her not until next Thursday. Her response? "Oh no no no. You need to come in sooner than that. Be here Monday at 10am."

So we meet with my OB at 10 am Monday where I guess she'll make some kind of decision. I'm not sure how I feel about being induced as I've heard some major horror stories. I also know that when you induce you run the risk of having to get a c-section if things don't progress. However, I also know that if the baby gets too big, there's a possibility I can't have her. The main thing is that she's healthy (obviously), so whatever my doctor thinks is best is what I will go with.

I do know, though, that I've had period-like cramps since 5:30 this morning with irregular contractions all day. So maybe she's on her way out...maybe. Nothing has been consistent. They told me when they are a consistent 5-10 minutes apart for an hour that I needed to call. So still just monitoring.

On another note...check out my chunky monkey!!

I cannot wait to kiss those sweet little cheeks!!!! Little miss is so cramped in there. She literally has like no room to move. Perhaps she'll get tired of her cramped quarters sooner rather than later.

2 weeks to go...

2011-05-16T10:54:00.000-05:00

How far along? 38 weeks, 2 days

Baby's size? Over 19.5 inches long and 6.8 pounds (approximate), which means my girl is probably in the low to high sevens...she certainly feels like it.

Weight Gain? +27 lbs. (+2 as of the doctor last week)

Maternity clothes? Every day although some don't fit anymore due to the increased size of my belly.

Stretch marks? None yet so I'm still rubbing on lotion.

Belly button in or out? Out out out

Sleep? Pretty decent but not through the night. I get up at least twice to pee now and at least twice to change positions. Sleeping with all the extra pillows seems to help.

Foods I am loving? trail mix, cereal, milk, Gatorade, chicken, squash, zucchini - anything really.

Foods I am hating? Nothing.

Best moment this week? Friday I had my doctor's appointment where we are a "very big 1 cm" and 50% effaced. We're getting closer and closer each day!

Movement? She still moves around quite a bit but it's getting less and less. It's graduated more to bulges and pressing out as she's really outgrown her space in there. Lots of hiccups too!

Symptoms? Anything associated with late pregnancy lol. I'm pooped today!

Gender? Alexis Anne

What I miss? Pretty feet haha

What I'm looking forward to? We have two doctor's appointments on Wednesday and we'll get an ultrasound. They are going to estimate her weight as well. Looking forward to see what the doctors have to say about her impending arrival...

Weekly Wisdom: At this point...I can do whatever I want. I've earned it lol.

Milestone: Almost to our due date!

Emotions: Anxious, exhausted, ready, tired, anxious (oh wait did I say that one already?). I'm ready to meet this little girl!!

What BabyCenter says:

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

oh and we took this last week at 37 weeks, but I forgot to share. Kinda funny...

Maternity Pictures

2011-05-11T15:17:00.000-05:00

I finally got the proofs from our maternity pictures and they are so awesome!! If I could buy them all, I seriously would. I decided to buy just 2 web images for blogging and facebook, though, so we save our photo credit for actual prints. Plus we've got to leave some moolah to buy newborn pictures once that time comes.

Anywho...I wanted to share with y'all the 2 pictures I bought :)

37 Weeks

2011-05-11T12:24:00.000-05:00

How far along? 37 weeks, 4 days

Baby's size? Approximately 19 inches long and 6 1/3 pounds, which means my girl is probably in the high sixes, low sevens. {ie. a melon lol}

Weight Gain? +25 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Every day!

Stretch marks? None yet, so fingers crossed.

Belly button in or out? Out like a turkey timer...

Sleep? Hubby made me a pillow cave last night that kept me propped up and my feet elevated. I slept good until about 2:30 when my lower back started aching, so I switched to my side. Getting a few hours of uninterrupted sleep a night, though.

Foods I am loving? Bananas, milk, gatorade, trail mix

Foods I am hating? Nothing really.

Best moment this week? Funny as it sounds...getting what I think to be some real contractions. Means baby girl's arrival is getting closer.

Movement? Last night I thought she was going to escape with all the acrobatics she was doing. She's a busy little girl for the limited amount of room she has.

Symptoms? Swollen feet and fingers. Lower back pain. Braxton Hicks/contractions. Cramping. Belly pains. Exhausted. You know...the usual lol.

Gender? Alexis Anne

What I miss? Pretty feet haha

What I'm looking forward to? I guess the doctor had a full week because they couldn't get me in until Friday, which is killer. I usually go Tuesday or Wednesday, so waiting until Friday really stinks. I'm really looking forward to going to the doctor to see if anything has changed.

Weekly Wisdom: Rest and elevate your feet whenever possible. Oh yea...and indulge on the ice cream hahahahaha!

Milestone: Reaching full term!

Emotions: Anxious, excited and nervous. I'm only nervous about labor actually getting started. How to know when it's really time to go. What it will be like? I'm actually not nervous about delivering her...yet.

What BabyCenter says:

Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.)

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

Stick a fork in me...

2011-05-11T12:11:00.000-05:00

I'm done!

Well I feel done, but apparently little miss intends to cook just a bit longer.

I've always heard that the last few weeks of pregnancy are the hardest. Early on, when hearing this, I would think back to the 3.5 months where I was so sick and nauseous 24/7. Surely it couldn't be harder than that -- I was a walking, starving, sick zombie lol.

Oh I was wrong.

It's hard.

{Let's allow a tired preggo to complain for a minute, shall we?}

It all kind of hit at once. All the sudden it was harder to walk at a fast pace. Harder to bend over. Harder to roll over in bed. I get winded just rolling over and getting comfortable. Walk too fast and it feels like someone is sending electric shocks to my lady parts and whoa. That hurts.

Then your feet start to swell. At first it's just minimal. Comes and goes. Then it just becomes a constant. My feet have turned into little Michelin Man feet. Which doesn't make it comfortable to walk. I've resorted to flip flops only - at work too! Once I showed my boss my feet he told me I could do whatever I wanted lol. Now they just stay in this puffy swollen state. Totally gross.

By the way, your hands do the same thing. My slender little fingers are like puffy sausages now. I couldn't get any rings on them today. Boo.

Let's not forget aches and pains. My lower back feels like I've moved my entire 2,000 sf house by myself. And cramps? Yeow. Those annoying, uncomfortable cramps you get before you start your period? Yea well they exist in the pregnancy world too. Apparently that's your cervix opening and softening. That's about the only thing that makes it exciting lol. Knowing that the end is near and this sweet little buggar will be out soon.

Hopefully soon. She's running out of room and let's me know daily how much of an inconvenience it is. I'll get these large bulges of baby butt sticking out of my stomach and repetitive kicks as if she thinks she can stretch out my womb. Sorry little one, I think that's just about as big as mama's belly is going to get.

Oh and I'm learning about contractions...or what I perceive to be contractions. I've had a few here and there, but last night I got a full dose. {Or at least I think so}. It started out just crampy and then evolved into these peaks and valleys of intense cramps. The first few were about 5 minutes apart then they got a little further apart and lasted about an hour. Then they stopped and I was just crampy. It wasn't unbearable, just really uncomfortable. I think they kind of pissed her off too, because she was moving like crazy which only made it worse. I hadn't experienced anything like them before. They would start in my lower back wrapping around to my lower abdomen and back to my back before going away. Interesting I tell you.

Obviously nothing came of them because I'm at work today. Although uncomfortable as I might be, I am trying to enjoy these last few weeks of her in my belly. I think the anxiety and excitement of her being here has set in, though, and it's all I can think about to hold her, kiss her, and marvel at this little girl. I'm so ready to see her and for her to be here and OK fine, I admit it, to kinda not be pregnant anymore. As I said though, I don't think it's not to actually be pregnant anymore because really, outside of nausea this pregnancy has been a breeze and I'm totally thankful for that, but more that I want to see my daughter.

So here I sit with something like 17 days to go...dreaming of my little girl and when she might make her appearance. I know we're on her time schedule, but a little wishing and silent coaxing can't hurt, right? You can come whenever you like little girl. Mommy and Daddy are ready when you are :)

Babymoon

2011-05-09T10:26:00.001-05:00

Saturday Hubby and I celebrated our babymoon!

It was so amazing. Saturday morning we slept in, made breakfast, watched a movie and then got to packing. We dropped the pups off at his parent's house and headed to Houston.

When we pulled up to the hotel there were fire trucks and all sorts of emergency personnel. Apparently the hotel was evacuated and we couldn't check in yet. We decided to go drive around for a little while instead of sitting outside the hotel. An hour later we could finally check in.

{In the med center in front of the Museum of Natural Science}

We snooped around the hotel checking everything out, including the rooftop terrace, which was really cool. There were amazing views of downtown Houston.

{Hubby and I on the rooftop terrace}

{Downtown Houston in the background}

{Awesome view from the rooftop terrace}

{37 weeks!!}

We still had a few hours until our dinner reservation, so we went back to the room to relax. I took a nap snuggled in all the fluffy pillows while hubby watched TV. Sounds a bit lame perhaps, but it was great...just relaxing with not a care in the world - as long as we were near one another :) We had a great view from our room too!

Then we got all fancied up for dinner at our favorite restaurant downtown, Vic & Anthony's. The food there is amazing - truly the best I've ever had. I had filet mignon topped with lump crab meat and sauce. Then we shared golden mashed potatoes and fresh asparagus. For dessert we had the Texas Pecan Ball, which is vanilla ice cream, rolled in pecans, then drizzled with caramel. AH-MAZE-ING!! I love eating there because a dinner takes close to 2.5 hours. There's plenty of time between courses, which allows you to enjoy what you've just eaten. We had great conversation and of course enjoyed people watching.

{Hubby and I headed to dinner - yes, we walked!}

{At our favorite restaurant}

{Our amazing dessert}

After dinner, we had a lovely stroll back to the hotel under the sparkling lights of downtown. Once back to the hotel, we went back to the roof top terrace to see downtown at night. It was so relaxing.

{On the rooftop terrace again Saturday night}

Sunday morning we slept in and then went to breakfast at the hotel. Since we stayed on the executive floor, we got free breakfast {score!}. And it was SOOO good. We were piggies. I had cereal, a bagel, AND fruit! We had an awesome view from our breakfast table.

{Discovery Green}

{You can see Minute Maid - our ball park}

After breakfast we checked out and went to hang out and walk around Discovery Green. We got a milkshake and lemonades while we walked around and took pictures.

{Beautiful flowers}

{At Discovery Green}

{Playing with effects on my new camera}

{Enjoying the nice weather & people watching}

{The little pond at Discovery Green}

{Playing with more effects on my camera}

There was supposed to be a Farmer's Market, but it didn't really seem like a lot of people showed up, perhaps because of the holiday, so we decided to head out. Sunday was also my husband's birthday! We ended the day celebrating with his family.

We had such a wonderful time together. I am so lucky to be married to my husband - he's an amazing guy. We are so excited to bring this little girl into the world and be the best parents we can be. We love each other immensely and hope that sets a good example for her. We are so very blessed.

Lexie - you now have the green light to come whenever you wish. Mommy and Daddy got their special weekend - thanks!

36 weeks - 9 months

2011-05-06T14:54:00.000-05:00

{36 weeks in this picture}

How far along? 36 weeks, 6 days (I'm slow in posting this week)

Baby's size? Approximately 18.5 inches long and 6 pounds, which means my girl is probably in the high sixes, low sevens. {ie. a melon lol}

Weight Gain? +3 pounds as of the doctor Wednesday, so +25 total

Maternity clothes? I'm glad I don't have much longer because some of my shirts aren't covering my belly so I'm even more limited on what I can wear.

Stretch marks? None yet!!

Belly button in or out? Out like a turkey timer...

Sleep? Still really hit or miss. Some nights I sleep great and others I toss and turn a lot. Getting up at least twice to pee too!

Foods I am loving? I still can't get enough bananas or milk.

Foods I am hating? Nothing really.

Best moment this week? Celebrating my birthday and getting a good check up at the doctor. No more progress, still at 1 cm, but everything is on track.

Movement? She's starting to slow down in there which drives me crazy. It makes me anxious when she's not moving around like crazy. I know her room is very limited and they say that when the babies run out of room, their movements become less. I press on her a little bit just to get a nudge that she's OK.

Symptoms? Still mild cramps and a few Braxton Hicks this week. Lower back pain is still there, but it comes and goes. I'm definitely slowing down and starting to waddle :) My feet have started swelling pretty regularly so I've been wearing flip flops to work. It really helps keep the swelling down as I'm not shoving them into shoes.

Gender? Girl! - Lexie

What I miss? an ice cold beer :)

What I'm looking forward to? Getting closer to our due date and our baby girl's arrival. 23 days (3 weeks)!! Oh yea, and our BABYMOON this weekend!! I cannot wait to get some nice, relaxing, romantic time away with the husband!!

Weekly Wisdom: Chores become less of a need to do and propping my feet up become more of a have to.

Milestone: Baby girl is full term tomorrow and just 3 weeks until our due date!

Emotions: I'm super anxious. Lots of things are changing with my body to let me know she's getting closer to being here. I can't wait to hold and lay eyes on this sweet girl.

What BabyCenter says:

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

Oh and here's a sweet picture of hubby and I last weekend...

Cupcake Decorator

2011-05-03T16:00:00.001-05:00

I have a new addiction...

as if I need another one.

But I do.

Like really. It's totally justifiable.

I blame my friend for showing me what has to be the coolest thing ever...

The Wilton Dessert Decorator Plus

You can make the coolest, prettiest little cupcakes you ever did see!

With fancy rosette style swirls. No knife needed. No more trying to ice cupcakes. No sir. You get to make gourmet style cupcakes for as little as $14.99.

It's actually way easier than icing them with a knife. Just swirl and go. Even clean up is easy. Which is another reason this is the coolest thing ever.

And you can totally pump cheekfuls of icing into your mouth with one little press of a lever. But I wouldn't know that from experience. Nope. Nuh uh. Not me :)

Happy Birthday

2011-05-03T10:14:00.001-05:00

{Happy Birthday to Me!}

Today is my 26th birthday :)

It came up fast, probably because I've been so focused on our little girl's arrival. I love birthdays. I love getting a new number for the year and looking back at what the past year has brought me.

25 was good...no great! A lot of wonderful things happened, including getting a new job and getting pregnant.

It's funny though, as you get older, you really don't know what to ask for. Many people have asked over the last few days "What do you want for your birthday?" I honestly have no idea what to tell them! I don't need anything, so anything I would tell them would be a want, which I guess is what birthdays are partly for.

Hubby got me a new point and shoot camera as mine broke. I got the Canon PowerShot A2200 and it's pretty awesome. I really needed a new one as I'm about to be on picture overload ;) Then I got a nookcolor, which is pretty handy. One of my friends got me an icing gun for cake decorating, that you can see from the picture above, I tried out last night. {Totally awesome, btw.}

My Dad called this morning asking what I wanted and all I could tell him was that "Well you know I always love James Avery." He laughed, but it's the truth. At least it's something that I know I would get a lot of use out of and it's sentimental. I'm all about that these days. The only other thing I can think of is some pretty summer dresses that I can wear and be comfortable in with a new baby. So lame, right? Hey, at least I didn't ask for tupperware like I'm known to do! But you know...some dish towels would be pretty awesome too. haha!

So anyways...I'm 26 today and loving life. I'm grateful for all I've been given and all that I'm about to receive. I'm looking forward to another year of life, love, laughter and new experiences.

{Cheers!}

9 months - 274 days

2011-05-03T09:54:00.000-05:00

For the last nine months and some odd days I've been carrying around our little girl :) Hubby and I have been pretty avid about documenting this pregnancy through pictures. Last night we sat to compile our nine months worth of pictures to watch my belly grow...and boy has it grown. We realized that we didn't take a bare belly picture in month 8, but you still get the idea.

Here's my belly's journey over the last nine months. From pea-sized to watermelon-sized...

My nookcolor

2011-05-02T16:35:00.000-05:00

I got a nookcolor last month as an early birthday present and I LOVE IT!

I wasn't sure how I would like reading books digitally versus actually having the book in my hand, but I don't mind it. I love a fresh book with a solid spine...cracking those first pages...the smell of a new book...All of those things I thought I'd miss by having an e-reader, but surprisingly enough, I really love reading digitally. I think I read quicker too, which I've heard some people feel they read slower.

Plus the convenience factor is awesome. Typically I would buy all my books through Amazon. I'd get $25 worth of books in my cart and then check out. Every once in awhile I would go to Half Price Books, but mainly I'd buy them online.

Now with my nook, when there's a book I want, I can browse for it, buy it, and download it right then and there. Within seconds I have a new book to read and that, my friends, rocks. Now I have to be more mindful of what I'm spending, but it's still totally awesome.

As long as I have an internet connection, I can browse the web too. There's games and even downloadable apps for it. One reason I really wanted the nook color, besides being able to have color, is that you can download children's books that can be read aloud to the kids! Way cool.

I also love that I can get the nook app on my iPhone, so if I happen to forget my nook at home, I can still read whatever books are in my library on the go. Great for lunch breaks and doctor's waiting rooms! It's also great for reading in bed - no bedside lamp needed :)

The battery life on this is a lot better than I expected too. I read a lot of the weekend in my spare time and all through my lunch break today and I still don't need to charge it. I highly recommend this bad boy if you're in the market for an e-reader!

Well you know if I had something like an e-reader that I would need something CUTE to keep it in. And we all know I wouldn't buy one...

So I give you my nook carrier

I lined it with minky so my screen is protected. It's so convenient and it keeps my nook safe. I made it at the beginning of last month when I first got it. (Before I put up my sewing machine.) Love!

Do you have an e-reader?

26 days to go

2011-05-02T10:17:00.000-05:00

We have 26 days to go until our due date!

{26 days}

That's crazy to me!

It really seems like just yesterday that I took a pregnancy test that read positive. I remember the first doctor's appointment too. Now we're going to the doctor once a week and there's a possibility she could be here a week early - so maybe 19-20 days until she's here?

I had a dream awhile back that she was born May 21. There's a full moon on May 17, which typically means lots of babies are born, so we'll see. I'm just so excited that we're now in the month that our little girl will be here.

I've been having tons of delivery dreams. Some of them scary and disturbing and others are peaceful. I guess that's my nerves coming through. I also have some where the baby isn't in my room and I don't know why. I just can't wait to snuggle this little girl and kiss all those little fingers and toes. Hubby is getting really excited too. I think he's just as ready as I am.

I feel good that we've pretty much finished our list of before baby to-do's. I started packing my hospital bag this weekend. I've got just about everything laid out to pack. Really now, we're just waiting...

I've had a mix of contractions and Braxton Hicks so I know it's getting closer. The contractions only last about 30 minutes and then go away. I'm interested to see if I've dilated anymore when I go to the doctor Wednesday.

So 26 days to go. It's exciting and scary all at the same time. I'm just really amazed at how fast time has gone. Little girl's eviction notice is up this Saturday and then she's free to come out anytime she wants :)

35 weeks 3 days

2011-04-26T16:27:00.000-05:00

How far along? 35 weeks, 3 days

Baby's size? A honeydew melon - approximately 5 1/4 pounds, which means my girl is probably 6 1/4 pounds.

Weight Gain? +6 pounds as of the doctor today, so +22 total

Maternity clothes? Yup, although some of my shirts aren't fitting around the bottom of my belly.

Stretch marks? None yet. Fingers still crossed.

Belly button in or out? Out like a turkey timer...

Sleep? Hit or miss really. I toss and turn a bit and wake up to pee at least once a night.

Foods I am loving? Bananas! (just ran to the cafeteria to get one)

Foods I am hating? Nothing really.

Best moment this week? Having a great doctor's appointment today! Everything is looking good and I'm dilated to 1 cm, so the doc thinks it will be about 3 more weeks until her big debut :) I'm super excited!

Movement? Her kicks have turned into nudges and rolls as her space is getting more and more cramped. I've seen heels and what I think may be an elbow poking out. She's a wiggler though.

Symptoms? Braxton hicks contractions plus some mild regular contractions and lower back pain. A few muscle spasms/cramps here and there too. Swollen fingers and feet at times too. All in all though, not bad. Oh and shortness of breath lol.

Gender? Girl! - Lexie

What I miss? red wine....

What I'm looking forward to? Going to the doctor once a week now :) The nursery is done so now we just play the waiting game.

Weekly Wisdom: If you skip out on chores they will still be there when you decide to actually do them. They don't go away and there's no fairy lol. Sometimes sitting with my feet up is a much better option.

Milestone: 1.5 weeks until full term (next weekend) and dilating to a 1.

Emotions: Excited and nervous as we get closer to her actually being here.

What BabyCenter says:

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Oh on another note...

I had my first public stranger groping today. I was in the cafeteria downstairs when a lady walked up to me and started rubbing my belly while asking me all about my pregnancy. I was so caught off-guard that I didn't even know what to do or day! Then another lady walks up to me as I'm holding my to-go container and says "I hope you're eating healthy mama." Umm yes? {as I hide stare at the kit-kat bar in my hand lol.} Interesting day I tell you...

Nursery is complete

2011-04-25T10:31:00.000-05:00

Friday the ladies at work threw me a little baby shower, which was so sweet. We got a couple of really cute outfits, a gift card, and some other useful stuff. We had some things to return to Babies R Us, though, - duplicates and what not - so we made what I hope was our last run to Babies R Us until after the baby is here. We picked up the last remaining things off our registry I think we need and called it good. We also ordered the remaining items off our Target registry that we needed. Bada bing. Bada boom.

Saturday afternoon I finished up washing her clothes, socks, blankets, etc. and got everything organized in her room. All the clothes are hung up and organized by size. I made these cute little dividers too...

I only washed her newborn and 0-3 month clothes though as I've been told (and I've read) to only do those since she could grow into another size pretty quickly or the opposite. Regardless though, all her onesies, pants, socks, shorts, skirts, hats, clothes, and whatever else she has is now organized and ready for her :)

I got the monitors set up and the changing table ready too. I put a canvas bin on one of the shelves of her changing table and rolled up all her little oneies in it - divided by size of course - so it's easy to just grab a onesie when changing her. I also got diapers, wipes, powder and diaper rash ointment in one little bin. Then the nasal aspirator, nail clippers, brush, and cotton swabs in another.

All her toys are in a little bin on her shelf - although she won't really need them for a little while. Oh and socks. Goodness gracious. Matching her baby socks was a lot like playing memory. OK here's a pink one with white polka dots...where's the other one. It was a lot of fun just sitting there though and putting them together. I still can't get over how tiny they are though.

Extra diapers are organized by size and additional boxes of wipes are stored in the closet. I designated two shelves in the guest bath for her towels, sheets, and bath supplies, so that's ready and organized too. I also finished applying the vinyl decals to the walls late Saturday night.

I feel so much better knowing that her room is ready. Everything is where it should be (for the time being). Everything is washed (and smells so good). Everything is ready...now we're just waiting for baby :)

Baby on the brain

2011-04-21T13:33:00.001-05:00

I've been so wrapped up in counting down the days to baby (37, btw), finishing up projects, and doing things around the house (i.e. organizing like a mad woman), that I've lost track of where we actually are in time. The last week I've sat on the couch with hubby every night enjoying cuddle time, while doing things here and there while dinner cooks and it's been amazing. Last night I was going through the mail and there lays a "Happy Birthday" card from Victoria's Secret! I was like Happy Birthday? {Ooooooh Yeeeaaaaaa!} It's been in the back of my mind, but then slips away. Well now it's something like 12 days away and I'm like sweet! I love birthdays :) Then I'm like wait...it's the end of April? How so?

Then that reminded me that our Babymoon is the week of my birthday. So in two weeks, hubby and I will be off on our romantic little Babymoon complete with a big comfy hotel bed, a steak dinner, AND breakfast in bed :) Then it's his birthday!

I seriously have so much to be excited about that my head might explode!

Speaking more of baby...I washed all her newborn and 0-3 month clothes yesterday plus all her bibs, blankets, and sheets. I've got most of it folded and I have to say it was so fun laying out her sweet clothes and folding up those blankets. I'm so looking forward to her being here.

We've also successfully widdled our "Before Baby To-Do List" down to just a few more items. Most of them being "nesting-like" items and not necessarily omg, I have to do this before she's here kind of thing...you know like having the pack-n-play set up, which we do by the way.

Before Baby To-Do's
1. Have garage sale*
* as much as I wanted to have one before she gets here, I'm quickly realizing it's just not in the cards. Now to decide if I just take it to Goodwill to just get rid of it, or do I hold onto it in hope we'll do it this Fall....

2. Clean out the Guest Room
This room also seconds as my "OMG I have to clean the house in 5 minutes and this ~~shit~~ crap needs a home...to the guest room!" It's my storage for all things random. Generally I have it very nicely organized and ready for any spontaneous guests, but in getting the house ready for baby, it's been a "dump room" to say the least. I could really have it clean and organized in probably 45 minutes if I'd just stop to do it. Plus we need a place for people to stay if they come visit once little miss is here. {Karen I'm eyeing you!}

3. Clean out master linen closet
This is just a nesting list item. It probably is fine, but it's driving me crazy.

4. Organize entertainment center
Again, a nesting item, but I want to move some of the books off of there and to a bookshelf in the back of the house to make it seem less cluttered.

5. Finish the nursery
This is a legitimate one! I've got a few finishing touches to put on the nursery and it will be done. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if I get to mark this one off my list this weekend.

6. Pack hospital bag
Again, a necessary and legitimate item. I've got everything I need to pack it, I just have to actually place the items in my bag. The fact that I have everything makes me feel better though. Perhaps I can just go ahead and do that this weekend as well.

7. Clean/Organize the office
I did this at the beginning of the year and was so proud of my organizational skills and well then...life happened and ~~shit~~ ~~crap~~ paper piled up. I've got stacks of paperwork to be filed so our office looks like someone ransacked it looking for that missing diamond or something. Basically it's a mess and needs some TLC.

So see I've actually completed a lot! Everything is practically ready for baby (including us) and the house is almost organized (or as much as it's going to get prior to her arrival). I think it's all very doable in the 4-5 weeks we have left.

It may sound like I've been running around mad, but I've actually added resting and relaxing to my daily routine lately. It's kind of amazing. I started a book (the first one in months) last week and actually finished it last night. Hubby and I have been getting lots of cuddle/together time too, which is so nice and so important.

Other than being stressed at work, I feel like I'm in a really good place right now and couldn't be happier. {Now if only I didn't have to work tomorrow. Boo.} I've got a great weekend ahead with nothing planned other than to do exactly as I please and spend time with that sweet husband of mine.

{Sorry for the rambling post...}

iPhone Picture Apps

2011-04-20T15:12:00.001-05:00

I find that I use my iPhone a lot for spontaneous pictures. Especially since it's easy to share them on Facebook :) We all know I love photography and taking pictures, so it would only make sense that I'd have a couple neat apps on my iPhone for taking said pictures.

Yes, the iPhone's camera is pretty great, but I love enhancing my photos a bit and well it just gives them that extra edge. I've found 2 camera apps that I use almost religiously for my iPhone photos. I have probably 6 or so apps for photography on there, but the following two are the ones I use most and have familiarized myself with....

{Best of all...they're free!}

ShakeItPhoto

Love this app! When you want to take a picture, you open up this app and it brings up your camera. You take your picture and if you like it, you click use. Then it turns it into a Polaroid...complete with the undeveloped photo that you have to "shake" to develop. You get to watch your picture develop right there old school style and to sweeten the deal, it even makes the old "Polaroid" sound. AND your pictures are super cute with a vintage tint.

Next is...

Adobe Photoshop Express

If you love editing your pictures and you love PhotoShop (or some variation), then you will love this app. The capabilities are so cool and it's so easy to use. With a few taps of your fingers, you can turn an ordinary picture into something really beautiful.

Take for instance this picture I took with my regular iPhone camera...

Decent picture, but nothing spectacular right?

So now I take and adjust the exposure and contrast...

Voila! Boosted with incredibly vibrant colors! Look at those beautiful green leaves! Even the trunks of the trees seem more detailed. It went from drab to fab {lol}

Wanting something more classic? Turn your original photo black and white by selecting "Black and White" under one of the toolbars at the top and then boom!

Gorgeous.

You can also select from 7 different effects for your photo. Here's the soft black and white option...

It gets better!

You can also select to add a border. You're given 8 different options. Here is my black and white picture with the rough edge...

This version is my favorite. I think it's so gorgeous. I actually want to get this one printed :) And the best part was that it was all free...not to mention done on my cell phone. Oh where technology can take us...

Hope you enjoyed this fun little post. I know I love finding out about new iPhone apps.

{P.S. this is the park where we took our maternity pictures last night. It's such a gorgeous, peaceful, little place.}

Baby Bump Pictures

2011-04-19T16:39:00.000-05:00

Hubby and I + bump are headed to take our maternity pictures tonight at a park near downtown Houston.

So excited!!

Taking this girl for her first professional shoot :)

So glad bump's looking so fabulous today :)