Thursday, June 23, 2011

Rested and Rejuvenated!

I got some good feedback on my breastfeeding blog.  I'm glad I have readers, and even more glad that I'm not boring those readers!  I wanted to do this blog as a way to keep family and friends updated on what's going on with me and my boys (hence the title) since some family lives too far away to stay in touch.  Thanks to my good friend Kristin for the idea, as she does one for her family and I totally stole her idea!  But it's funny because my blogs haven't really been about me and my boys that much!  I guess I've had a lot on my mind as of recently.  So this blog I am going to actually write about me and my boys!

This weekend was crazy for us!  Dave and I celebrated our two year wedding anniversary this weekend.  Our Anniversary was June 13th, but we were too busy that weekend to get away and spend anytime together.  So we did it this weekend.  Two years isn't that long at all, but when I think about how much we've done in the past two years it's alarming!  We have certainly been on the fast track over the past two year!  But it's been fun.  I'm looking forward to slowing things down this year and enjoying each other and our little man over the next year.  I'm not sure if things will really slow down as our little man certainly keeps us busy!

For our one year anniversary Dave got us a room at the Holiday Inn on 16th right on the boardwalk.  I was almost four months pregnant with Noah so we didn't do anything spectacular.  But it was just what I needed.  We acted like tourists for the night!  We walked the boards, ate thrasher's fries, bought fisher's popcorn and played in the arcades all night!  It was great!  I loved every moment.  So when we were trying to figure out what to do this year I wanted to do that all over again!  Dave and I both have been working really hard this spring and now summer.  And with Noah it's been a lot more work and a lot less time! We really needed a break and this was the perfect opportunity!  My mom was happy to watch Noah overnight even though I was quite nervous I knew he was in the best hands! 

Oh what a night away!  It will seem so simple to you when you hear what we did, but it was perfect to me, and just what we needed.  We dropped little man off at my mom's at 4 and headed for the hotel.  We decided to go to the pool bar at the hotel and have a drink.  We made friends with the bartender who bought us a shot, and then Dave and I realized that we don't drink anymore and needed to put some food in our belly's and very soon!  We still had two hours before our dinner reservations so we ordered to appetizers and had them delivered to our hotel room and we sat on the balcony and enjoyed some bruschetta and coconut shrimp and just relaxed!  Oh what a concept! 

We went to Bombora's for dinner, it's the new restaurant in Phillips Beach Plaza on the boardwalk.  I've been wanting to try this place out ever since it opened.  It is a unique restaurant featuring contemporary world cuisine infused with Asian and Latin flavors.  Can you say yum!?  And we do not have any other restaurant's like that around here.  It was a nice change from the usual seafood and steak menu's.  I can't wait to go back and try something else.  We happen to be friends with one of the Chef's there who treated  us to an appetizer and an amazing dessert.  Cory's a great guy and truly spoiled us with such an amazing meal.  If you haven't been I highly recommend trying it out! 

After dinner we walked all the way to the inlet to buy some fisher's popcorn making a few stops on the way into some familiar stores.  Dave and I did not have on the best shoe's for walking 20 streets on the boardwalk!  Our feet were killing us!  So on the walk back to the hotel we kicked our shoes off and walked barefoot.  Not something I recommend doing on the boardwalk, but my feet hurt so bad, there wasn't really an option!  While walking back to the hotel it started to rain, it just didn't matter to me.  It's funny how relaxed I was...nothing mattered.  I knew Noah was in good hands, and I was enjoying my night with my husband and wasn't going to let a little rain get us down! 

We woke up the next morning feeling so rejuvenated and refreshed.  What a great feeling.  I missed Noah like crazy and couldn't wait to see him, but feeling so refreshed was so worth it.  It's amazing how much good one night can make.  If you have a little one I highly recommend letting a grandparent help you out for one night so you too can reset your mind and body.

Sunday was Father's day and we were delighted to come home to a houseful of family!  Dave's mom and step dad were there along with his sister Connie and her husband Rob and most importantly their three week old baby boy, Tripp!  It was the first time Dave and I got to meet him and he is just so precious.  We really enjoyed our time with them and holding our new nephew was just perfect!  Can't wait to do it again soon! 

Friday, June 17, 2011

To Breastfeed or not to Breastfeed?

That is the question!  So I know my blog is called "Me and my Boys" but this blog is for me and all my momma friends out there who have either been through it, are going through it, or are about to go through it! 

Even before I got pregnant I always thought I would try breastfeeding.  I knew it was the best for my baby, and I also knew from other friends it was the quickest way to lose that extra baby weight!  And I am all for getting that weight off ASAP!  Now when we found out that we were pregnant and the reality of breastfeeding was soon to set in I was scared, not to mention nervous.  You hear some pretty bad horror stories about how painful it is, cracking, bleeding....eek!  None of that sounds like fun!  But I was still determined to at least try.  I told myself and Dave that I really wanted to do this, and I really wanted support because I felt it was really important for Noah and I was willing to tough it out.  Secretly inside my head, I didn't think I'd be able to hang with it.  I didn't think I'd be strong enough to do it.  Well seven months later, I'm still nursing!  I have to thank my husband, mother, and some of my close girlfriends who have already been through it for all of their support and guidance.

I have to admit, the first couple weeks of nursing pretty much suck.  The lactation consultant will tell you it shouldn't hurt...it shouldn't hurt, it shouldn't hurt.  OK, whatever, I guess her definition of hurt is different then mine.  She says you may be sore but it shouldn't hurt....well if I'm sore, then it's gonna hurt!  HELLO!?  The good news though for all of you new momma's who may be starting soon the pain does go away...stick it out.  I nurse now and really don't feel it at all (unless he bites with his new found teeth, I'll get to that later).

When Noah was about 10-12 weeks old I came down with a terrible virus.  Oh it was BAD!  It hit me in the middle of the night, and I'll spare you the details but I was throwing up all night and all the next day.  And Noah was still getting up atleast once at night.  So there I am on the bathroom floor at 2AM feeling like death when I heard the famous "WAH WAH" from Noah's room.  So as any good momma would do, I drag myself off the floor, go get my lil man and nurse him, and put him back to sleep to shortly end up back on the bathroom floor feeling like death again!  By morning time I felt so bad.  I hadn't slept, and I knew I was severely dehydrated.  Try getting sick for 24 hrs on top of constantly nursing and you will get dehydrated quick! 

So my wonderful Hubby took Noah to daycare and came home, took one look at me and said "We're going to the ER, you're too dehydrated."  I spent the next five hrs hooked up to an IV getting fluids pumped in me.  The fluids really helped.  I was better a day letter.

My biggest fear while being so sick was giving it to Noah.  The last thing I ever want is for my sweet boy to be sick.  I think any parent would take an illness on themselves to spare their child.  So should I nurse when I'm so sick?  Is it going to make Noah sick?  We weren't sure.  So I called Ellen, the lactation consultant at our hospital.  I was so surprised to hear her answer.  She said nursing when you are sick is the absolute most important thing you can do for your baby!  Did you know that before you even realize that your body is infected with a cold or a virus your body has produced the antibodies your baby needs to protect themselves from getting your illness?  How crazy is that?  Tell me that isn't God working in his finest.  I always say God has designed a flawless system but we constantly choose to mess it up!

So, needless to say I am a fan of breastfeeding.  I do think it is what is best for baby and for momma without a doubt.  With that said, it definitely comes with it's downfalls.  There are days and times where I am so over it and want to quit!  Noah cut his first two teeth at four months.  The first two teeth are certainly the scariest...is he gonna bite me now that he has these nice new sharp teeth?  Well, the truth is, he might!  Noah did...oh holy crap it hurt!  And I was not expecting it at all.  When it happen I was like, there is no way in hell I'm keeping this up.  I'm also afraid to tell you new mommy's who haven't experienced this yet what it feels like...so i'll let you find out for yourself (i hope you never find out though!).  I ended up giving Noah a bottle that day too scared it would happen again.  The next day every time I nursed I sat so tensely awaiting the first nibble....but it never happen again.  Well, that was until this Monday.  He's cutting tooth number three right now, and they seem to bite more when they are cutting a new tooth.  I've learned to make sure he is seriously hungry before nursing so all he wants to do is nurse and that seems to help.

Then on top of the biting, here it is summer time and I can't really wear any of my awesome summer tops from my summer wardrobe as they are mostly strapless or halter tops requiring a strapless bra.  Hard to nurse with one of those on!  So I can only wear those when Noah's not with me...then again, if I have to pump a tricky shirt and bra will certainly make it more of a tasks then you want it to be!  Oh what a pain in the rear! 

With all this said I almost threw in the towel this week.  I still think 7 months is a great amount of time to nurse.  I'm proud of myself for doing it this long.  I haven't thrown in the towel, but I did decide I'm not going to let breast feeding stress me out or hold me back anymore.  If  I miss a pumping session...all well!  If I don't get to nurse Noah as much as I'd like it doesn't matter.  He doesn't care if he's attached to me or the bottle.  It's really me that cares.  So with this new found freedom I have realized that I can keep this up but I'm doing it on my terms now.  Taking the stress out of it has made it easier. 

So, in conclusion if you are a mom-to-be I hope you do try.  It's really a great experience for you and for your sweet little one.  If you are breastfeeding now and wondering how long you should continue I hope this helps you decide.  As my girlfriend Dana told me, you have to do what works best for you and your family.  I use to stress about what would other mom's think if I quit.  Would they think I was lazy?  Or that I didn't care about my child as much as they cared about theirs?  Well maybe, but every mom's situation is different.  Some who may be stay at home mom's might find it easier to continue nursing then mom's who have to go back to work.  Whatever you decide don't feel guilty for it.  Do what you feel is best for you and your family!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

My oh my how life has changed...

So, I should have started this blog when we first brought Noah home, but I'm a first time mom, and I just got my Barrings back!  Adjusting to life as a family now instead of it just being Dave and I has been interesting and oh so different!  It's so funny how you go from being all about yourself and your husband to not even hardly caring anymore about yourself and putting all your efforts into this tiny new creation.  I can remember complaining that I never had enough time before we had Noah.  Now all I can do is laugh at myself because I had no idea what it was REALLY like not to have enough time until I went back to work full time after having Noah.  I now, can honestly say I do NOT have enough time, but I don't care!  I have learned not to sweat the small stuff!  No one (besides me) cares if I haven't vacuumed or swept the floors recently.  I can assure any house guests that their sheets are clean and the toilets bleached!  The rest, well you're just gonna have to deal with it!  I am now a full time working mommy and my priorities have drastically changed.  My evenings were once spent typically having a happy hour with girl friends or a nice quiet dinner with my wonderful husband.  Now it's typically a microwaved stauffer's lasagna (if dave's lucky that night) and eating in shifts while the other plays with our sweet boy and keeps him happy!  Sitting down at the table doesn't really happy anymore, I tend to eat standing up over the kitchen Island while I multi task doing several other things.  And after dinner we spend the rest of our time playing with our sweet boy until it's time for the three B's: Bath, Bottle, Bed! 

It's very interesting how quickly you adapt to your new life as parents.  Sometimes I feel like I'm a completely different woman, and I think in ways I am, but the old Michelle does pop out from time to time.  Normally when friends come to visit or the occasional night on the town my Hubby and I get to share when Grammy graciously watches our boy.  Before Noah I really can't imagine sitting at home on a Friday night doing NOTHING!  We were always on the go!  Dinner and drinks with friends, movies, traveling!  Always something!  And we do still go out from time to time, but never as late and not normally as wild....and the traveling part....well, we hope to get there again, but right now it just seems impossible.  We are hoping maybe this fall to try a short trip possibly to Hatteras or maybe Maine to visit my family.  We think a trial run with the boy is in order before we pack our bags for a trip to San Diego or Costa Rica!  But we sure hope to see foreign land in our future!

Another thing that I have noticed has changed about me and Dave is what we buy.  The days of $200 polarized Ray Ban sunglasses are GONE!  I better take good care of the pair I have!  Oh and those awesome shopping trips to the Reho outlets to my favorite stores consisting of BR, JCrew, CK, A&F....yup not so much of that anymore either!  When I do buy for myself, which is rare these days it's from Marshall's!  The majority of our shopping is now done at Carters, OshKosh, or Children's Place.  Nothing but the best for our boy!  He rocks out in camo pant's, Hurley sweat suits, and only the cutest and best outfits around!  The funny part about this is, Dave and I would rather spend our money on him buying those outfits then on ourselves!  I think as parents you really do care more for your child then for your own needs!  Who cares if I'm still wearing last summer's clothes!  They work just fine!

Probably the biggest change for me has been the sleep!  I am someone who really needs good sleep to function well.  I just am not at my best without good sleep.  And let me tell you, broken sleep is not as good as uninterrupted sleep.  My body has adjusted to needing less sleep these days but it did take me awhile to get to this point.  Noah hasn't been the worst sleeper, but he certainly hasn't been the best either.  There have been some pretty brutal nights, and then some nights where we don't hear a peep for 12 hours.  Oh how I love those nights!  Noah's been doing good lately with the sleep.  I think he's given me three nights in the row without interruptions until about 5AM.  Not too bad! 

But with all these changes I, nor Dave could ever picture our lives with out him now.  We were incomplete.  He's such an incredible gift.
This is Noah, 3 Months in one of my favorite outfits, that no longer fit him!

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

6 Months and 2 Weeks

6 Months and 2 Weeks ago I gave birth to our sweet boy.  It's crazy how time flies.  The past 6 months have flown by!  My little boy in six months has gone from 7 1bs 2 ounces and the 25th percentile in growth to 20 lbs and the 80th percentile!  HOORAH!  I can tell you he certainly doesn't miss a meal these days!  He absolutely loves food! 

I'd like to start by sharing our birth story.  This story is something that is very special to me and I hope that it touches lives and helps people to learn to listen to God and not question what you feel he is telling you to do. 

We were due on 11/27 and our Doctor really wanted to schedule an induction and had picked the following Monday (the 29th).  David and I were both unsure if we wanted to be induced as we felt like Noah might just want to come on his own.  There are risk both ways.  If you wait too long then he can be too big to delivery vaginally and it could result in a C-Section.  Over due babies can also have their first bowel movement in utero which can cause major issues for them.  But if you get induced, there's a chance that you don't dilate fast enough and it can cause too much stress on baby, causing his heart rate to drop, and causing a C-section.  I was very against having a C-section, I really really didn't want to go that route.  So David and I prayed the whole week before on which way to go...do we wait or do we not?  I went back and fourth all week, and just didn't have peace about either way.  The day before my scheduled induction I prayed for God to give me peace one way or the other.  I put all my faith in him to help me decide which way to go.  And he did just that.  I suddenly felt overwhelming strong about going in to be induced the next morning.  I told Dave and he agreed.

So, we headed to the hospital the next morning arriving at 7:30 AM.  They set us up in a labor and delivery room, hooked me up to a fetal monitor and started getting all the paper work signed and registering me into the system.  Then all of a sudden Noah's heart rate significantly dropped and in fact disappeared for a moment.  Then next thing I know I have ten nurses on me, on oxygen mask, and they are telling me we are going straight to the OR for a C-section as something is wrong with the baby.  I am in shock!  We haven't had any pitocin yet, and everything has been fine my entire pregnancy, his heart rate has always been strong!  Then all of a sudden his heart rate comes back and it is stronger then ever.  The nurses tell me he may have rolled on his cord or something, but they had already called my Doctor and were going to wait for her to decide what to do.  When Dr. Pernal arrived she said everything looks good, but to be safe they would monitor me and baby for an hour before starting pitocin, but she was optimistic that everything would be just fine.  15 minutes later Noah's heart rte plummeted again, and I had ten nurses on me once again.  This time they tell me, they are not taking any chances and that something is seriously wrong with him and they have to operate.  So, C- section it is!

We find out in the delivery room when they pull him out that his cord is wrapped around his neck and shoulders.  They tell me he never would have been able to handle contractions, and never would have been able to deliver vaginally.

If we hadn't decided to go in and be induced we could have lost him.  I thank God so much for guiding us in the right direction.