Being a mom, it's pretty hard to accomplish anything these days. Being able to actually get myself ready is considered a "productive day" to me.
It's sad, I know. You should see how overjoyed I get when I actually get myself ready and clean up the house/do the dishes in the same day... Yeah, it's a rare occasion.
Now it's not that Olive doesn't give me enough free time, because she does. A lot. But I'll end up distracting myself with things like Instagram, or Twitter. And by the time that I realize that I have things in real life to take care of.. it's too late. She wakes up, and then it's all hands on deck.
So I've decided to generate a list of everything I'd like to accomplish when the Olive ship is in the harbor. (That was horrible, I know. But hey, cut me some slack, I've been out of the social loop for a while now)
1. Crochet something! ...Since I still have yet to finish Olive's baby blanket....that I started when I was 2 months pregnant. I know, I know, I'm horrible. Procrastination runs in my family, just a bit.
2. Write "Thank You" notes to everyone that has helped me and my little family in our time of need. Because I really, really appreciate everything they have and continue to do for us. It truly means a lot to have a great support system.
3. Get back into painting. It's something I used to love, but I don't really find the time to do it anymore. I miss it.
4. Take family photos! I'm able to get pictures of Vaughn and Olive, but I never seem to get all three of us. I think it's because I'm not happy with my self image right now, so I'm sort of avoiding the camera in every way possible. Okay, maybe a lot of avoiding is going on.
5. Start writing in my journal again. This was one thing that I really enjoyed doing. Not because I need to keep things secret, or that I have no one to talk to- it was just a great stress reliever. It helped me get out my thoughts, and then I was able to clear my head. If I only manage to cross this one thing off my goal list, I'll be perfectly okay with it.
6. Start Olive's scrapbook. Now, I have absolutely no idea how to scrapbook. I don't even know how I'd start the process of scrapbooking. And if anyone has any pointers, I would be all ears (Or eyes*). I tried to scrapbook once in my life... it didn't turn out so great. It actually just became a huge mess of borders and cut up photos. It was horrendous, and it made me hate scrapbooks all together. The only reason it's one of my goals is because someone bought me one for my baby shower. Yeah, I wasn't the happiest girl when I unwrapped it. Not because scrapbooks aren't cute, but my past experience with them kind of ruined it for me. But, that is going to change! Hopefully, anyway.
7. Go on a date night. Might seem like an easy thing, but it's really not. To be completely honest, I kind of dread going anywhere with Olive. Not because I don't want to take her out, or that she's too fussy.. It's just that it is so difficult to get everything packed up and ready in order to actually take her out. Getting her fed, changed, wrapped up nice and warm, put into the carseat, then getting the diaper bag ready, then once we get to the place- putting her in the Moby, and finally going into our place of destination. Getting all of this timed out perfectly is still not my forte, yet. I'll master it soon, I hope. Because when we do take her out, she's great. She sleeps the entire time; doesn't make a peep. So I know that I'll have no problem when I do decide to work up the courage enough to go out on a date night. But until then, date nights at home it is.
The little munchkin just woke up, so I'll have to finish this lovely list later!
xo Jess.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
DIY foodprint stones
I was going to write this post yesterday, since that's when I started the project, but it took a little longer than expected. It's a great project though, and super easy! It's to make your own footprint (or handprint) stones! All it takes is 3 simple ingredients and 3 hours cooking time! You can do this with your baby, toddler, or even with your pets if you want. I am definitely going to be doing this project again soon, for the grandparents Christmas presents.
And for the record, this is not my project. I found it on the fantastic site, Pinterest. I just figured I'd share it on here and show my results, in case anyone else wanted to do it!
So here's what you need:
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup water
Mix all the ingredients together (the mix will be really sticky, just a heads up!). Keep folding it together until it creates a dough like substance. The dough will be gritty.
Then once it's in dough form, just make it into whatever shape you want. Then bake it at 200 degrees.
I made a heart, and it actually came out rather well. This was a practice one (Note the cracked and bumps in it), but I will definitely be doing this again.
One thing I did notice is that mine took a lot longer than 3 hours. It took about....8-ish. But that's because I made mine a little too thick. I found that if you flip it once the top is nice and hard, it'll harden the back rather quickly. (I figured that out after I had gone about 7 hours).
But yeah, that's all there is to it! I plan on making handprint ones as well as more footprint ones for Christmas gifts. Just poke a hole in the top and then you can hang them on the wall. I think it'd be pretty neat to do a handprint of mom, dad and baby on one too. So there's endless possibilities. I hope you try it!
xo, Jess.
And for the record, this is not my project. I found it on the fantastic site, Pinterest. I just figured I'd share it on here and show my results, in case anyone else wanted to do it!
So here's what you need:
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup water
Mix all the ingredients together (the mix will be really sticky, just a heads up!). Keep folding it together until it creates a dough like substance. The dough will be gritty.
Then once it's in dough form, just make it into whatever shape you want. Then bake it at 200 degrees.
I made a heart, and it actually came out rather well. This was a practice one (Note the cracked and bumps in it), but I will definitely be doing this again.
One thing I did notice is that mine took a lot longer than 3 hours. It took about....8-ish. But that's because I made mine a little too thick. I found that if you flip it once the top is nice and hard, it'll harden the back rather quickly. (I figured that out after I had gone about 7 hours).
But yeah, that's all there is to it! I plan on making handprint ones as well as more footprint ones for Christmas gifts. Just poke a hole in the top and then you can hang them on the wall. I think it'd be pretty neat to do a handprint of mom, dad and baby on one too. So there's endless possibilities. I hope you try it!
xo, Jess.
Olive's 6 1/2 week photos
Olive is going to be 7 weeks on Monday, so I decided to do a quick photoshoot! Because, as much as I'd like to admit it or not, she is growing so fast. Yesterday, she mimicked me. Yes, mimicked. I'm not even joking guys, she did it three freaking times. That's how I knew that she was seriously mimicking me. 'Cause at first I was like "No way is this little girl already mimicking! She must have just been yelling out in anguish at the ugly faces/noises I was making." But no, I promise you, this girl was doing the exact same thing I was.
It scared the crap out of me, to be honest. And it made me realize, almost instantly, that the next time I blink it'll be her 1st birthday...then it'll be her 6th.. And so on and so forth. This brought a tear to my eye...Well, more than one tear.... But I don't want to come off too sappy.
Vaughn always tells me, "Just think! In 6 years she'll be in preschool, in another 6 she'll be in middle school and in another 6 she'll be graduating!" Now I know that this excites him, because.. well, he's a dad. He doesn't get all sappy and emotional when it comes to these things, he gets overjoyed. How can he possibly be overjoyed about something that is taking our sweet, sweet baby away?! (Yes, I'm being extremely emotional today. I just can't help it). All the itty bitty baby parts about her will be gone in a measly 18 years.
Now I understand why parents (particularly moms..) cry at graduation. I know that my mom cried practically every time I hit a "major milestone". Well, even some minor ones too. Like when I drove off to Dunkin Donuts, by myself, for the first time.... She followed me to the end of the driveway, smiling, sobbing and waving like a mad woman. Now if that doesn't just melt your heart, I'm not so sure you have one! Because I know that seeing her cry, made me cry too.
When I was younger I always just thought of my mom as an emotional mess- Since, y'know, she was always crying whenever I did something. For example here's just a list of firsts she's cried at, just for a good ol' laugh: First kiss (when I was 5 or something), day at daycare, day at preschool, day at regular school, day at high school, every single picture day*, school dance, first boyfriend, my brownie graduation, when I got my permit, when I got my license, first time I drove by myself, when I bought my first car, first time I drove to school by myself, prom, graduation, the day I had Olive, and most likely a few others I missed.
(* My mom has taken me to get me picture taken since before I could even remember. Before there were school photos, she'd take me to WalMart to get them done. Then she'd frame the biggest picture and hang it on our wall at home. You could seriously look around our living room and watching me grow up... awkward stages and all.)
Now, this will probably seem absolutely nutty to anyone that isn't a mom. But you know what? It makes sense now. Crazy, I know. I always thought my mom had a few screws loose, or that she just had the worst tear ducts ever. But, that's normal after you have a baby. Every major (or minor) milestone is an emotional thing, because it makes you realize just how much your baby has grown. And with that comes tears, lots and lots of tears.
Being a mom myself now has made me gain a lot of respect for my mom, as well as an understanding for why she was always as crazy as she is. Because she's a mom. That's just what comes with motherhood, absolute craziness. Because you need to be crazy to go through everything you do on a daily basis, especially with multiple kids. I can't even imagine how my mom would have been if I had any brothers or sisters! But I love my mom, dearly, and I always have. And whether she's crazy or not, she's my best friend.
Now enough of my rant/speech/whatever you'd like to call it, to the pictures!
xo Jess.
It scared the crap out of me, to be honest. And it made me realize, almost instantly, that the next time I blink it'll be her 1st birthday...then it'll be her 6th.. And so on and so forth. This brought a tear to my eye...Well, more than one tear.... But I don't want to come off too sappy.
Vaughn always tells me, "Just think! In 6 years she'll be in preschool, in another 6 she'll be in middle school and in another 6 she'll be graduating!" Now I know that this excites him, because.. well, he's a dad. He doesn't get all sappy and emotional when it comes to these things, he gets overjoyed. How can he possibly be overjoyed about something that is taking our sweet, sweet baby away?! (Yes, I'm being extremely emotional today. I just can't help it). All the itty bitty baby parts about her will be gone in a measly 18 years.
Now I understand why parents (particularly moms..) cry at graduation. I know that my mom cried practically every time I hit a "major milestone". Well, even some minor ones too. Like when I drove off to Dunkin Donuts, by myself, for the first time.... She followed me to the end of the driveway, smiling, sobbing and waving like a mad woman. Now if that doesn't just melt your heart, I'm not so sure you have one! Because I know that seeing her cry, made me cry too.
When I was younger I always just thought of my mom as an emotional mess- Since, y'know, she was always crying whenever I did something. For example here's just a list of firsts she's cried at, just for a good ol' laugh: First kiss (when I was 5 or something), day at daycare, day at preschool, day at regular school, day at high school, every single picture day*, school dance, first boyfriend, my brownie graduation, when I got my permit, when I got my license, first time I drove by myself, when I bought my first car, first time I drove to school by myself, prom, graduation, the day I had Olive, and most likely a few others I missed.
(* My mom has taken me to get me picture taken since before I could even remember. Before there were school photos, she'd take me to WalMart to get them done. Then she'd frame the biggest picture and hang it on our wall at home. You could seriously look around our living room and watching me grow up... awkward stages and all.)
Now, this will probably seem absolutely nutty to anyone that isn't a mom. But you know what? It makes sense now. Crazy, I know. I always thought my mom had a few screws loose, or that she just had the worst tear ducts ever. But, that's normal after you have a baby. Every major (or minor) milestone is an emotional thing, because it makes you realize just how much your baby has grown. And with that comes tears, lots and lots of tears.
Being a mom myself now has made me gain a lot of respect for my mom, as well as an understanding for why she was always as crazy as she is. Because she's a mom. That's just what comes with motherhood, absolute craziness. Because you need to be crazy to go through everything you do on a daily basis, especially with multiple kids. I can't even imagine how my mom would have been if I had any brothers or sisters! But I love my mom, dearly, and I always have. And whether she's crazy or not, she's my best friend.
Now enough of my rant/speech/whatever you'd like to call it, to the pictures!
 |
| And this gem just for blackmail ;-) |
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Olive, 1 month
(Sidenote: Olive is really 1 1/2 months right now, but, I figured I'd catch up and try to remember how she was at 1 month. Since, y'know, they grow/change so dang fast!)
Hair and Eyes: Her hair...Well, it's barely there. But the little that is there is definitely blonde. Like, blonde to the point that you can barely see it, blonde. And her eyes.. Man, are they BLUE! She definitely has my eyes, and I have a feeling that it's going to stay that way.
Weight: I'm not too sure about her weight this month, since she doesn't have a doctors appt again until 2 months, 10/15/12 to be exact. But at her 2 week appt she had gained almost a whole pound, making her 8lbs12oz. Which I'm pretty proud of, if you ask me!
Height: Now, just so you know, this little gal is a darn bean stock! She was born 21 inches long, and already at her 2 week appt she had grown 2 inches, making her 23 inches long. Can I just say, holy cow?! This not so peanut sized peanut is taking after her father, clearly.
Diapers: In a size 1 already. And boy, does she go through them! She blows out her diaper in the morning, every single morning. And trust me, it's not because I don't change her enough, I swear. I'll change this girl and literally 2 seconds later it will be up her entire back or front. She is quite a violent pooper, so it makes sense. Her poop faces are the funniest things on this Earth too.... Is it weird that I find entertainment from watching my child poop? If so, oh well, 'cause I just can't help myself.
Eating: Only breastfeeding still, since she is not a fan of the bottle. Heck, she doesn't even like her pacifier. She makes such disgusted faces whenever I try and give it to her, but once in a bloody blue moon I'll actually get her to accept it. But like I said, it is rare. She'd rather suck on her chubby little fist any day.
Breastfeeding with her has been the easiest thing, honestly. She latches on with ease, in any position. She really is such a great and easy baby.
Sleeping: She is such a great sleeper, and has been since birth. Thank God. This is one thing that I thank God for, daily. The first night we brought her home, she gave me 5 hours of straight sleep. I didn't think it'd last for very long, but, surprise! She gets to bed around 9pm and only wakes up once, at 4:30am, to be changed/fed and then goes right back to sleep until 9am. Then she wakes up to be change/fed again, and sleeps some more until about 11 or so. We are still co-sleeping though, despite practically everyone telling me not to do it. I honestly don't care what anyone else's opinions on the matter are though- She is a great co-sleeper, and neither of us move an inch when we're asleep. Plus, feeding her is a breeze while co-sleeping.
Milestones: Since birth she was able to lift her head up, easily. But now I feel like I have a dang 1 year old! She is already holding onto my two pointer fingers and pushing herself up to stand. That and she can almost sit up by herself. And holding her head up? No problem. I can already tell that she is going to be an early walker, because let me tell you, she's determined! She, no word of a lie, will push herself up with just my two fingers for hours. And the entire time she has a big ol' grin on her face while grunting like a little piglet. It really is the cutest thing, ever.
She makes lots of noises, even has started giggling more. It's a hoot to hear the different noises she makes. I basically know what she's saying with every little grunt or happy yell, and it cracks me up. Especially when she's frustrated, that one... Bahaha, makes my day. Even though I'm sure she doesn't find it quite funny, at all. Poor thing.
Whenever she wakes up, she is all smiles and giggles. Especially when Daddy is home. Boy does she love her Daddy-o! I love watching them together, it's makes my heart explode into a million little pieces.
My phone is by far her favorite thing. Whenever I am taking pictures of her, her eyes are locked on to the target. She's even started smiling whenever I have my phone in front of her. She's gonna be quite the photogenic little girl, I can already tell.
Standing up and bouncing, or just walking around, is her favorite thing to do. Again, especially with Daddy. She knows that when he holds her, he'll sing to her or dance around the room with her. Mommy is one big ol' bore though and only sits down to bounce her. But that's because Mommy is worn out and out of coffee by the time Daddy gets home from work, haha.
Note to Olive: You are seriously the easiest baby and I am extremely blessed for that. You are rarely ever fussy and even when you are, it never lasts long. Mommy and Daddy love you, so much. You are our pride and joy and we honestly couldn't picture life without you. Can't wait to watch you grow into the magnificent woman that you're meant to be. Love, Mom and Dad. xo.
xo Jess.
Hair and Eyes: Her hair...Well, it's barely there. But the little that is there is definitely blonde. Like, blonde to the point that you can barely see it, blonde. And her eyes.. Man, are they BLUE! She definitely has my eyes, and I have a feeling that it's going to stay that way.
Weight: I'm not too sure about her weight this month, since she doesn't have a doctors appt again until 2 months, 10/15/12 to be exact. But at her 2 week appt she had gained almost a whole pound, making her 8lbs12oz. Which I'm pretty proud of, if you ask me!
Height: Now, just so you know, this little gal is a darn bean stock! She was born 21 inches long, and already at her 2 week appt she had grown 2 inches, making her 23 inches long. Can I just say, holy cow?! This not so peanut sized peanut is taking after her father, clearly.
Diapers: In a size 1 already. And boy, does she go through them! She blows out her diaper in the morning, every single morning. And trust me, it's not because I don't change her enough, I swear. I'll change this girl and literally 2 seconds later it will be up her entire back or front. She is quite a violent pooper, so it makes sense. Her poop faces are the funniest things on this Earth too.... Is it weird that I find entertainment from watching my child poop? If so, oh well, 'cause I just can't help myself.
Eating: Only breastfeeding still, since she is not a fan of the bottle. Heck, she doesn't even like her pacifier. She makes such disgusted faces whenever I try and give it to her, but once in a bloody blue moon I'll actually get her to accept it. But like I said, it is rare. She'd rather suck on her chubby little fist any day.
Breastfeeding with her has been the easiest thing, honestly. She latches on with ease, in any position. She really is such a great and easy baby.
Sleeping: She is such a great sleeper, and has been since birth. Thank God. This is one thing that I thank God for, daily. The first night we brought her home, she gave me 5 hours of straight sleep. I didn't think it'd last for very long, but, surprise! She gets to bed around 9pm and only wakes up once, at 4:30am, to be changed/fed and then goes right back to sleep until 9am. Then she wakes up to be change/fed again, and sleeps some more until about 11 or so. We are still co-sleeping though, despite practically everyone telling me not to do it. I honestly don't care what anyone else's opinions on the matter are though- She is a great co-sleeper, and neither of us move an inch when we're asleep. Plus, feeding her is a breeze while co-sleeping.
Milestones: Since birth she was able to lift her head up, easily. But now I feel like I have a dang 1 year old! She is already holding onto my two pointer fingers and pushing herself up to stand. That and she can almost sit up by herself. And holding her head up? No problem. I can already tell that she is going to be an early walker, because let me tell you, she's determined! She, no word of a lie, will push herself up with just my two fingers for hours. And the entire time she has a big ol' grin on her face while grunting like a little piglet. It really is the cutest thing, ever.
She makes lots of noises, even has started giggling more. It's a hoot to hear the different noises she makes. I basically know what she's saying with every little grunt or happy yell, and it cracks me up. Especially when she's frustrated, that one... Bahaha, makes my day. Even though I'm sure she doesn't find it quite funny, at all. Poor thing.
Whenever she wakes up, she is all smiles and giggles. Especially when Daddy is home. Boy does she love her Daddy-o! I love watching them together, it's makes my heart explode into a million little pieces.
My phone is by far her favorite thing. Whenever I am taking pictures of her, her eyes are locked on to the target. She's even started smiling whenever I have my phone in front of her. She's gonna be quite the photogenic little girl, I can already tell.
Standing up and bouncing, or just walking around, is her favorite thing to do. Again, especially with Daddy. She knows that when he holds her, he'll sing to her or dance around the room with her. Mommy is one big ol' bore though and only sits down to bounce her. But that's because Mommy is worn out and out of coffee by the time Daddy gets home from work, haha.
Note to Olive: You are seriously the easiest baby and I am extremely blessed for that. You are rarely ever fussy and even when you are, it never lasts long. Mommy and Daddy love you, so much. You are our pride and joy and we honestly couldn't picture life without you. Can't wait to watch you grow into the magnificent woman that you're meant to be. Love, Mom and Dad. xo.
xo Jess.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Olive Jae's Birth Story and Olivegrams
Well, I have found time in my day to make yet another blog post today.. Shocker, I know! Anywho, I've decided that I'm going to try and write out Olive's birth story. We'll see if it actually gets published this time though, ha!
Olive Jae was born August 13th, 2012 at 6:03pm. She was 7lbs 14oz and 21 inches long. Now, little side note/funny story, when I finally pushed that little bean (even though she felt HUGE) out and they plopped her all slimy and gooey on my chest.... She pooped, on me. And not just a little bit here and there, I'm talking about a whopping 3oz worth, at least. And it wasn't just once either, she did this twice.The doctor's said that she was most likely around 8lbs or so before she decided to surprise me with those extra little bundles ofnot joy.
But, enough of that, back to the updating! My labor was a long, l o n g 24+ hours. I stopped counting after the first... 10 or so. It was no walk in the park, that's for sure. I handled it.. somehow, but inside I was one big mess. Especially since my worries prior to having her, y'know...the whole "I hope she doesn't come when Vaughn is away at Rock Camp" worries? Well, that very thing happened. Yeah, YEAH. I clearly have the worst luck of any pregnant woman. Either that or Murphy's Law just wanted to show Olive some lovin'. Either way, it sucked. That's the only way to put it.
Vaughn left at 2pm on the 12th for Rock Camp, and I went into labor at 8pm that same day. Now, you may ask, why was my labor so long? I'll tell you why. BECAUSE MY NURSE WAS THE WORST PERSON ON THE FACE OF THIS PLANET. And most likely every other planet, as well. She was an old, grumpy woman who clearly did not want to be there. I waited until 11pm to go into the hospital, and they ended up sending me home around 3am. Why, you ask? Because the evil nurse said that I WASN'T IN LABOR. My contractions were 2 minutes apart, and all I could manage to do during the contractions was move my feet in circles and flex my toes (Apparently lots of women do this? So I promise you, I'm not that weird)
Honestly, after she said that, I was ready to kill. Literally, out for blood. The entire way back home (Mind you, it's a 25 min drive...) I was saying not so nice things about that nurse and how I was planning to sue the hospital AND that woman if I ended up having this baby at home. Yes... "angry" doesn't even begin to explain how I felt in that moment.
We got back home at around 3am and I tried to get some sleep (Since the evil nurse lady told me that they would go away once I fell asleep).... Which never happened. I didn't sleep a wink. The contractions got closer, pretty much less than a minute apart. And boy, was I in pain. There is still no way to explain the pain I felt. But I definitely do not miss it, that's for sure.
The pain was not getting any better and the contractions were so close that I told my mom we needed to go back to the hospital. The evil nurse lady told me to not come back in until my water broke, but I didn't care. I was in pain, pretty much to the point where I would have killed without question. No exaggeration either. And the worst part was that the supposed 25 minute drive to the hospital took a whopping 45-50 minutes due to traffic. Yeah. That sure was fun... Not.
We got to the hospital though, finally, and I was immediately admitted and hooked up to the monitors. I got the epidural not too long after that. But unfortunately, another mishap occurred.... I have slight scoliosis in my spine, apparently. Enough to the point where the anesthesiologist putting my epidural in messed up, due to my wonky spine, and I only felt relief on the right side of my body. At that point though, I didn't care. It was tolerable. Up until I began pushing.
*I forgot to mention that Vaughn got back and came to the hospital at 4pm, literally 3 hours before I started pushing. Thank God. Not sure I could have gotten through it without him. He was so supportive and held my hand through every major push and contraction. The entire process, pregnancy and birth, made me love him that much more.
When I started pushing, I kept pushing that epidural button every minute or so. Because even though my right side was numb to the world, that left side hurt like the dickens. I could feel every little thing. Especially when she crowned. My God, when she crowned.... Ugh, I don't even want to think about that, ever again. Let's just say, it was painful. And her head felt like a dang bowling ball.
But, she came out after about 2 hours of pushing or so. Can't quite remember, that last part was quite a blur to me. I was an emotional mess when she came out, of course. I underestimated just how much I would feel when she made her way into the world. It was incredible, and it wiped the entire painful slate clean. I was in love. It made my heart explode. I still tear up just thinking about it, to be honest. Yes, I'm a weeny, I know. But that's what comes with being a mom. Weeny-ness.
Being a mother is... everything. It's like winning an award, every single day. Or falling in love over and over again. And it just keeps getting better. Every moment I spend with her is a blessing. And watching Vaughn love her melts my heart. I love everything about being a mother. It was what I was meant to do in my life. And now that I have Olive, I know that my life will never be the same. She's my everything. And I wouldn't want it any other way.
And here's some Olivegrams, up to 6 weeks.
xo Jess.
Olive Jae was born August 13th, 2012 at 6:03pm. She was 7lbs 14oz and 21 inches long. Now, little side note/funny story, when I finally pushed that little bean (even though she felt HUGE) out and they plopped her all slimy and gooey on my chest.... She pooped, on me. And not just a little bit here and there, I'm talking about a whopping 3oz worth, at least. And it wasn't just once either, she did this twice.The doctor's said that she was most likely around 8lbs or so before she decided to surprise me with those extra little bundles ofnot joy.
But, enough of that, back to the updating! My labor was a long, l o n g 24+ hours. I stopped counting after the first... 10 or so. It was no walk in the park, that's for sure. I handled it.. somehow, but inside I was one big mess. Especially since my worries prior to having her, y'know...the whole "I hope she doesn't come when Vaughn is away at Rock Camp" worries? Well, that very thing happened. Yeah, YEAH. I clearly have the worst luck of any pregnant woman. Either that or Murphy's Law just wanted to show Olive some lovin'. Either way, it sucked. That's the only way to put it.
Vaughn left at 2pm on the 12th for Rock Camp, and I went into labor at 8pm that same day. Now, you may ask, why was my labor so long? I'll tell you why. BECAUSE MY NURSE WAS THE WORST PERSON ON THE FACE OF THIS PLANET. And most likely every other planet, as well. She was an old, grumpy woman who clearly did not want to be there. I waited until 11pm to go into the hospital, and they ended up sending me home around 3am. Why, you ask? Because the evil nurse said that I WASN'T IN LABOR. My contractions were 2 minutes apart, and all I could manage to do during the contractions was move my feet in circles and flex my toes (Apparently lots of women do this? So I promise you, I'm not that weird)
Honestly, after she said that, I was ready to kill. Literally, out for blood. The entire way back home (Mind you, it's a 25 min drive...) I was saying not so nice things about that nurse and how I was planning to sue the hospital AND that woman if I ended up having this baby at home. Yes... "angry" doesn't even begin to explain how I felt in that moment.
We got back home at around 3am and I tried to get some sleep (Since the evil nurse lady told me that they would go away once I fell asleep).... Which never happened. I didn't sleep a wink. The contractions got closer, pretty much less than a minute apart. And boy, was I in pain. There is still no way to explain the pain I felt. But I definitely do not miss it, that's for sure.
The pain was not getting any better and the contractions were so close that I told my mom we needed to go back to the hospital. The evil nurse lady told me to not come back in until my water broke, but I didn't care. I was in pain, pretty much to the point where I would have killed without question. No exaggeration either. And the worst part was that the supposed 25 minute drive to the hospital took a whopping 45-50 minutes due to traffic. Yeah. That sure was fun... Not.
We got to the hospital though, finally, and I was immediately admitted and hooked up to the monitors. I got the epidural not too long after that. But unfortunately, another mishap occurred.... I have slight scoliosis in my spine, apparently. Enough to the point where the anesthesiologist putting my epidural in messed up, due to my wonky spine, and I only felt relief on the right side of my body. At that point though, I didn't care. It was tolerable. Up until I began pushing.
*I forgot to mention that Vaughn got back and came to the hospital at 4pm, literally 3 hours before I started pushing. Thank God. Not sure I could have gotten through it without him. He was so supportive and held my hand through every major push and contraction. The entire process, pregnancy and birth, made me love him that much more.
When I started pushing, I kept pushing that epidural button every minute or so. Because even though my right side was numb to the world, that left side hurt like the dickens. I could feel every little thing. Especially when she crowned. My God, when she crowned.... Ugh, I don't even want to think about that, ever again. Let's just say, it was painful. And her head felt like a dang bowling ball.
But, she came out after about 2 hours of pushing or so. Can't quite remember, that last part was quite a blur to me. I was an emotional mess when she came out, of course. I underestimated just how much I would feel when she made her way into the world. It was incredible, and it wiped the entire painful slate clean. I was in love. It made my heart explode. I still tear up just thinking about it, to be honest. Yes, I'm a weeny, I know. But that's what comes with being a mom. Weeny-ness.
Being a mother is... everything. It's like winning an award, every single day. Or falling in love over and over again. And it just keeps getting better. Every moment I spend with her is a blessing. And watching Vaughn love her melts my heart. I love everything about being a mother. It was what I was meant to do in my life. And now that I have Olive, I know that my life will never be the same. She's my everything. And I wouldn't want it any other way.
And here's some Olivegrams, up to 6 weeks.
xo Jess.
Worst blogger ever right here.
Okay, I am seriously the WORST blogger ever. And to be honest, I really do try. I have over 15 drafts saved on here...but can't seem to finish a single one of 'em. It's a drag, really.
I attempted at writing out Olive's birth story (Oh yeah, by the way, she's born! See? Told you I was a horrible blogger), and that never happened.
I wanted to write a blog post for Olive every week.... Again, never happened.
I was hoping to at least be able to write up her one month blog post.... And, surprise! Never happened.
Whenever I try to blog something always happens.. Olive wakes up and needs to be changed/fed, Vaughn comes home from work, I realize I haven't peed in 8 hours, my coffee runs out (Yes, this is definitely a big deal), Pip is crying (non-stop) to come inside, or I just plain ol' forget.
It's a challenge trying to get everything I want to get done in the time frame that Olive is asleep. Because, let me tell you, she is one demanding baby when she's awake. Not in the sense that she's cranky/fussy/what have you, she just loves to interact with people. Her favorite thing right now, at 6 weeks, is holding onto my two pointer fingers and pushing herself up to stand. She will literally do this for hours.
...I think I have an early walker on my hands. 'Cause when she takes a step, she gets excited. And not just a little excited. She gets grunty, wide-eyed, smiling like a bandit, excited. It's the cutest thing in the entire world... So, of course, that beats out anything else I have to do.
But when she's asleep, it's all systems are go. So I forget to do some things (...as in blog, oops!).
I'm going to try and blog more often though, starting today. We'll see if it actually works, but at least I'm putting forth the effort, right?
Well, coffee is done brewin', so that means I need to go fuel up cause this gal is runnin' on empty. (See what I mean by worst blogger ever?)
Next blog post I plan on catching up on Olive's past 6 weeks. Hopefully that actually gets finished and doesn't end up in the "Draft" bin like everything else!
xo, Jess
I attempted at writing out Olive's birth story (Oh yeah, by the way, she's born! See? Told you I was a horrible blogger), and that never happened.
I wanted to write a blog post for Olive every week.... Again, never happened.
I was hoping to at least be able to write up her one month blog post.... And, surprise! Never happened.
Whenever I try to blog something always happens.. Olive wakes up and needs to be changed/fed, Vaughn comes home from work, I realize I haven't peed in 8 hours, my coffee runs out (Yes, this is definitely a big deal), Pip is crying (non-stop) to come inside, or I just plain ol' forget.
It's a challenge trying to get everything I want to get done in the time frame that Olive is asleep. Because, let me tell you, she is one demanding baby when she's awake. Not in the sense that she's cranky/fussy/what have you, she just loves to interact with people. Her favorite thing right now, at 6 weeks, is holding onto my two pointer fingers and pushing herself up to stand. She will literally do this for hours.
...I think I have an early walker on my hands. 'Cause when she takes a step, she gets excited. And not just a little excited. She gets grunty, wide-eyed, smiling like a bandit, excited. It's the cutest thing in the entire world... So, of course, that beats out anything else I have to do.
But when she's asleep, it's all systems are go. So I forget to do some things (...as in blog, oops!).
I'm going to try and blog more often though, starting today. We'll see if it actually works, but at least I'm putting forth the effort, right?
Well, coffee is done brewin', so that means I need to go fuel up cause this gal is runnin' on empty. (See what I mean by worst blogger ever?)
Next blog post I plan on catching up on Olive's past 6 weeks. Hopefully that actually gets finished and doesn't end up in the "Draft" bin like everything else!
xo, Jess
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