Must Remember . . .

Things I want to remember before deciding to have another baby/c-section . . .

Stay away from the scales for at least a week. Trust me, it won't be pretty. It's probably best just not to look for awhile.

YES, you will look at least five-months pregnant for several days even after you have the baby. It doesn't matter if you remember it differently from the first time. Don't freak out. You won't look pregnant as a non-pregnant woman forever. It takes time.

That said, go ahead and eat whatever you want without feeling guilty about it--especially all the stuff that gave you mega heartburn for the past few months. You deserve it.

When you've just had a baby you are completely exhausted. And drugged. And overly hormonal.  This all results to rational thinking not being your strongest point. This, too, will go away, and when it does you'll realize it wasn't everyone else being crazy, it really was you.

Having to nurse a baby EVERY 2-3 hours really is as hard/tiring as you remembered. Sorry about that one.

Write all your thank you notes BEFORE you have the baby. You'd think picking up a notecard and writing a brief message on it would be easy, but sometimes the small things are the hardest.

I know you have a hard time letting people help you, but just do it. Enjoy it. Embrace it. Love it.

C-sections are rough. There is no way around it. Just remember that next time it will be two kids you can't pick up, not just one. Make sure you've given them a good briefing about it beforehand.

Listen to your gut (yep, the gut that still looks five-months-pregnant). If you think you should stay an extra night in the hospital, you probably should. If you're desperate enough to actually want to stay in the hospital another night, you probably need it. 

Take it a day at a time. Just because your baby slept horribly and kept you up half the night one night does not mean they won't be better tomorrow.

When you're already thinking about all the sleep you want to get tomorrow and it's still today, just go to bed already.

Finally, as a good friend reminded me today, your baby will only be a baby for a short time. Laundry can wait. Dishes can wait. All that other stuff can just not be perfect for awhile. Just enjoy your baby.

My Baby Girl

 

Alivia Richman 

 March 16, 2012 at 8:33 a.m.

7lbs 3oz

21.25 inches long

I can't believe that at one time I wasn't excited to have a girl. Or that I couldn't imagine what love for another child would be like. 

This little girl has completely won my heart. 

 I was also so worried about James' ability to handle all of this change. And while it's not all daisies and roses, James sure loves his little sister, too. My heart melts when I see him give her kisses, ask if she can come with us to get a drink of water from the kitchen, or ask to hold her, etc.

I'm glad everything else is going better than expected, because I'm not going to lie, this time around my body isn't handling it so well. With James, my c-section was a breeze and the pain was minimal. This time around I feel like my body was torn in half and the pain meds just can't keep up. I hurt. I have to keep reminding myself that it has only been three days since they cut me open and pulled a baby out of me.

Thank you, little Livy for making it worth it.

First Hand Me Down

I pulled out the infant car seat today and James climbed right on in and made himself at home. It's hard to believe he ever really fit in that thing. With how fast this boy grows it's no wonder he didn't even make it to his first birthday before we had to upgrade. It'll be kinda weird to see another little baby using it, but ready or not, only a day and a half to go!

(Uh, yeah, he needs a hair cut.)

 (One-week-old)

 (James at the James River. Three-months-old)

 (I'm so glad that binky is long gone. I think he's 8-months here)

 

(Trying a dried mango from Aunt Andrea. Ten-months-old, I think)

 

 (Comfortable, James? Two-years-old here)

My Crazy Boy

My little Jamers is quite the handful but I sure do love him. He comes up with the craziest things to say and some of them I haven't the foggiest idea where they derived. Here are a few.

At the park the other day he was pretending to make soup in a bucket in the sandbox and when it was "done" he held up a bucketful of it and yelled "Kids, it's soup time! . . . " and then when he got no response from the other kids (who he didn't know anyway) reiterated, "I said it's SOUP TIME!"

He must like "making" soup (although he refuses to eat it when I make it) because yesterday in the bathtub he was once again "making soup" and lifted up a small cupful and said, "Here you go, Mom. Would you like to try a free sample?"

It's hard getting this kid out of the bath. He'll request a bath anytime of the day or night. Here's a conversation we had the other day:
me: "James, it's time to get out of the tub."
J: "No, it's NOT time to get out of the tub."
me, feeling the water: "But the water is cold!"
J: "No, the water is PERFECT!"
How do you argue with that?

The kid has a major imagination. He alternates between which stuffed animals are his favorite from week to week but is usually carrying around at least one. He has also started giving me nicknames. Yesterday was "Captain Hook" (I suppose I shouldn't be flattered by that one) and a few days before it was "little chick." Now every time we drive somewhere and arrive at our destination, he eagerly wants out of his car seat and yells, "Get me out of here, little chick!"

He loves to be outside any chance he gets. The weather in Knoxville has been awesome lately. I think winter skipped over us and went straight to spring, so we've spent a lot of time in the backyard digging. The boy loves to dig in the dirt and push his findings around on his tricycle. 

James has a bad habit of emptying out our kitchen drawers and spewing the contents all over the house (I'm trying to hard to get him to clean up after himself, which is proving difficult). I'll find mixing spoons and can openers in the most random of places, like in my bed, the piano bench, etc. The other day while I made dinner, Jamers completely emptied the drawer under the stove (with the cookie sheets, bread and muffin pans, etc.). It was entertaining him and I was busy, so I let him go ahead with it even though I knew we'd have a mess to clean up later. I walked around the corner fully expecting to see pots and pans everywhere, instead James was standing right there with all the pots and pans arranged neatly in a straight line and said "Look, Mom, come see the train I made!" He had stuffed animals and toys carefully placed throughout the "train" and was giving them a ride. Where does he come up with this stuff?

Oh yeah, and we rarely find this boy without his fire hat on these days. He is always pretending to be someone or something else but if you ask him "Are you a fire fighter?" or "Are you a whatever?" he'll always respond, "No, I'm Jamers!"

I sure love my boy.

Four More Days . . .

My body is definitely ready not to be pregnant any longer. Having to use the facilities every one-two hours (both day and night, no exaggeration) the entire 9-months I've been pregnant has taken its toll.

My mind is another story though.

Left to my mind to decide, I don't know that I'd ever have this baby. I'm just too much of a worrier and never feel ready for big life changes. It's not that I think I have "too much to do" before she comes (although, come to think of it, there are a few items I should currently be tackling). It's more that I sit and worry and fret and pretty soon am completely emotional and anxiety stricken about how I'm going to handle two children. I mean, seriously, how will I?

I've had some incredible friends help boost my enthusiasm, though. I've received so many gifts from friends from all over the country who will never know how much they mean to me, including my amazingly talented friend Christina (I hope she doesn't mind if I brag about her for a minute). A few months ago, I pinned a cute rag quilt on my Pinterest. Christina is quite observant and a discussion ensued about her making me one just because she's cool like that and she knows how, but mostly just because she's cool like that. Much to my surprise, a package arrived last week in the mail and I opened it to find this beauty (photo stolen from her blog without permission):

 

Seriously, isn't it gorgeous? If I were her, I would have kept it for myself. Granted, she has all boys, but still. I would have kept it and stared at it all day long--which I pretty much do, speechless that someone made this piece of art for me. Some day I vow to be as talented and giving as Christina. If a sewing-savvy friend can move by me to teach me the ways of the sewing world so that this goal can be made possible, I'd be grateful. 

Last night I rocked James to sleep for the first time in well over a year (usually I sing him a song or two and plop him in bed). But last night he was scared to be alone in his room, so I held him longer and kept on singing and he finally fell asleep on my shoulder. And then tears streamed down my face with the thought that soon he will no longer be my baby. I mean, in some ways he'll always be my baby, and in some ways it seems like he hardly was--he grew up way too fast. Maybe this little girl will take her time a little more than her brother did.

So, four more days to go . . . Brian told me the other day that he secretly hopes I go into labor on my own because he's always wanted to do the whole jumping into the car, rushing off to the hospital scene. Awesome. Thanks, Brian. I'm just anxiously awaiting Friday and hoping I stay sane until then.

Items Worth the Extra $$$

Most people (who read this anyway) know I hate spending lots of money and I love a good bargain. I came across an article today that lists seven things worth spending the extra money and I wondered if they were all true. Here's the author's list. I concur on some of them, but what do you think? What are items you think are worth the splurge?

Toilet paper: Yes and no. It's a shame to spend a lot on something you're literally going to just flush down the toilet, but as someone who spends a lot of time in the bathroom (especially lately), I refuse to use Scotties toilet paper or whatever that super cheap tissue paper-like stuff is. But I can always get a pretty decent deal on the good kind I like, so in that sense I'm not really paying tons extra.

Trash Bags: I've tried store brand bags before and some are better than others. I do agree not to go too cheap on these because the last thing I want to do is spend time on my hands and knees picking up old food scraps and dirty paper towels because the bag didn't hold up when I tried to empty it.

Running Shoes: I'm no runner so I don't know about this one, but I'm sure your body thanks you for running in a decent pair of shoes.

Food: I am not as bad as some people I know, but I am a bit of a food snob when it comes to certain foods. I hate cheap, nasty, junk food. But, again, you can usually get decent deals on the good stuff if you try hard enough.

Bed Sheets: I've only bought maybe two sets of sheets in my life and I am pretty sure I used a coupon at Bed, Bath and Beyond for them. I do agree that a higher thread count is better. Any thoughts on this one?

Office Chair: Saving money on a cheap chair is probably not worth the price your back will pay.

Silverware: I don't think you have to spend lots of money on this, but I am kind of picky when it comes to the utinsels I choose to stick in my mouth. And if your silverware is totally mismatched and ancient looking with rust spots, it's probably time to update.

Here are other items I will occasionally splurge on:


Clinique make-up: Sometimes drug store items just don't cut it.

A good pair of shoes (not talking about running shoes here, but everyone needs a comfortable pair of loafers or slip-ons to wear with jeans): I still like a good bargain and rarely pay full price, but good brands of shoes really are more comfortable and easy on your feet than the payless pair. And they last way longer, so really it's a better investment anyway.

Pastries: I do not need baked goods in my diet. I know this, But sometimes my stomach doesn't understand and if I pass a good bakery, I usually can't help myself. So much better than a cheap candy bar or whatever else your sweet-tooth craving snack of choice is.

Computers: I bought my last laptop at Dell's outlet website. I got an awesome deal on it. It was fine for a year or two and has gone down hill from there. I'm currently borrowing my sister's mac (yes, I have an awesome sister) and I can totally tell a difference in quality.

What about you? What's on your list?

Large and in Charge

One week to go . . .

I'm most nervous about James. Will he adjust okay? Will he be nice to the baby? He's so attached to me. How am I going to get by without picking him up for 6 weeks? It seems an impossible task.

I am feeling huge these days and several people have commented this week that I look ready to pop and that I look like I have a basketball stuck in my shirt. Today I realized that's exactly what I look like. Awesome.

Up until 2-3 weeks ago, I was thinking I was much smaller than I was at this point with James and feeling pretty good about that. The baby must have had a major growth spurt because I gained 4 lbs at my last doc appointment and my stomach is protruding even more. I'm now up to a 25 lb weight gain for this pregnancy which is exactly what I gained with James, too.

February was a great month and there were a lot of things I just didn't get photos of, including an awesome baby shower thrown by some great friends.  It's not common to get a second baby shower back in Utah, so I was super grateful for all the support from friends and ward members here in Tennessee.

Andrea and Nicki also visited and sometimes a visit from two of your favorite people is just what you need.

My emotions have been running super high the last few weeks. Today I had a minor meltdown after some things James did (and I'm sure my lack of sleep the last 9 months has something to do with it. It's amazing what sleep or a lack of can do to you mentally) that frustrated me. After James saw my tears he climbed up on my lap and kissed me and said "I'll tell you what we'll do, Mom. We'll go to the park, feed the ducks, and go down the slide. Will that make it better?"  Oh, James. I sure do love that boy.