1st Mother's Day!

I feel so loved!

My husband got me an hour long massage and we had lunch with his parents.

Baby boy got me up bright and early. We spent time and played together for a couple of hours. He's learned to smile & coo & "talk"! Hubby's alarm started going off surprisingly early. He went to the kitchen while I went to feed baby.

My mother (in law) showed up. Hubby brought me breakfast in bed and told me that we had to get going... I found out that grandma was going to be watching baby while we went out for a few hours. This was bitter sweet being as I have never been away from baby for his entire existence.

Hubby hasn't been able to surprise me with a gift yet because I always catch on, but baby has been a great distraction: he got me this time! Hubby was very pleased with himself. We got to the massage parlor and we were treated with a wonderfully relaxing couple's massage. Heated beds, velvety covers, soothing music, a full body massage!

On our way over to the grandparent's hubby explained that the couple's massage was truly a day early gift for our anniversary. For mother's day I have another hour long professional massage for just me when ever I want another time to relax.

Baby and I were reunited! We ate with the grandparents then headed over to the great-grandparent's place. Everyone loves baby! We all got to fawn over him.

Hubby and I have been married an entire year now. It has been the shortest, happiest, fun filled year of my life! It is absolutely amazing that I married my best friend and we created a new life together in just one short year. Our wedding day was the happiest day of my life so far (having baby was the most painful, also one of the happiest, but my wedding day was my absolute happiest thus far - there's a lot of life to live still!)

For our anniversary baby gave us the bed to ourselves. He slept all night in his swing. (Which lead to him taking his first bottle so he wouldn't drown in my let down.)

My little family is so amazing! All of my boys adore me and I feel their love every moment of every day. They've made my first mother's day and first anniversary really wonderful (so far) I couldn't ask for more!

One month

Dexter is amazing, cute, and adorable! He's chunked up quite a bit, now weighing 10 pounds with chubby chipmunk cheeks and a double chin. He has pretty good head control already and can lift his head on his own. He's very observant, just as bright eyed as when he was born. When Dex is on his tummy he kicks and wiggles, he's able to scoot himself a few inches. Also, he's out of newborn diapers and into size one! Dexter loves his swing, he spends a lot of time in it & falls asleep quite easily with the movement.  He's started cooing to communicate (as well as ear piercing shrieks & cries.) Dex is also able to stand, with assistance.

Adjusting to being a new mother is quite the adventure! Dexter is letting me sleep through most of the night already. He only wakes me up once or twice during the night. As a new mom I'm so terrified of breaking him. I'm paranoid of everything! His stool looked off colored to me, so now I'm off dairy and soy. The doctor said that his little digestive system may not be able to process the proteins that are passed into my breast milk. Hopefully this will help! After a couple of weeks with no dairy, his stool has started to be the yellow mustardy color that it's supposed to be and I hope it helps his fussing! He's been a pretty mellow baby except at night when he just fusses up a storm and is hard to console. Though, I also think he fusses to fight sleep. There's just to much to see and do to sleep!!!  I understand that well, I remember fighting sleep as a little, I didn't want to miss anything.

 

I'm still on an emotional roller coaster. Some days are better than others. And sometimes I will just cry with Dexter when he fusses and I can't figure out what he needs. I've gotten a new body from pregnancy, that's taking some getting used to. I don't like it some of the time, there are moments I wish I had my pre-pregnancy body back.

Hubby just loves the roller coaster! Some moments I will be loving on him and so happy, then a few moments later I'll be mad about something. He's been quite wonderful about it though and very understanding when I fly off the handle or just break down in tears.

Dexter and I both love going on walks around our condo loop and baby wearing. Those are our happy moments and we enjoy bringing dad and our pup out on our walks too. 

March 17th 2015

Dear Dexter,

Happy Birthday! Your daddy & I are so happy to meet you! We are also glad that we got to meet you on a Tuesday, this March has been so busy this was a good day so that daddy could be here with us. Also it's St. Patrick's Day!

You got me up early to meet you little man. Dad & I went to bed at seven am. Dad had decided it was time to start inducing labor so that he could be there for your birth and not working a wedding.  The night before I had gone for a long walk, ate some pineapple (because that's supposed to do something,) used the breast pump for a little bit & we had sex to get things going. Things did start going too.

At eight am contractions started coming. At first it just felt like I had to poop. So I was stuck in the bathroom, and the contractions really did clear out my bowels, while your dad was fast asleep. I couldn't leave the bathroom because of the pain and moving bowels for what felt like forever. There was a small wall next to the toilet I was slapping and banging against trying to make enough noise to wake your dad up. I yelled a few times too with no luck.

When I made it out to wake your dad I was having contractions two or three minutes apart. The doctors had told us to go to the hospital when they were five minutes apart. Dad helped me down the stairs of our condo and into the car then ran back in to grab our bags.

The hospital was about fifteen minutes away. We got there at nine am. Time was moving so slowly for me and the contractions were so painful. They felt like a really bad charlie horses in my abdomen, knowing the impending return of the pain made it worse too. Your dad and I tried to keep my humor up as we checked into the hospital. The nurse said that I was eight centimeters dilated and needed to get into a labor room immediately.

The rest of delivery was a bit of a blur for me (lucky for you, your dad recorded it.) I remember screaming lots and the doctor getting frustrated with me because I wasn't pushing right. I figured it out though. I pushed you out of me. You came out so fast there was no time for the small hole you were coming out of to stretch and allow your head through. I had to have an episiotomy, the doctor cut me. That, according to your dad, was the worst part. He hated seeing me go through that pain. It was painful.

I remember your dad trying to hold my hand several times too. I wouldn't let him. I was afraid of hurting him. Dad spread his fingers apart at one point and I tried to match my hand up with his... It helped a lot to get my mind off the pain. The nurses moved him over to my other side though and had him hold my leg while I pushed.

They had my legs pulled back toward my chest, I was laying on my back, they told me to stick my butt toward the ceiling and push. You came so fast there was no time for an epidural either. I'm so thankful your dad had them get me nitrous oxide, laughing gas, to calm me down. Your dad laughed at how quickly it calmed me too.

At ten thirty-nine am you were born. They placed you on my chest as soon as you came out. Umbilical cord still attached, a little bloody, and covered in vernix. My dirty baby. I was so happy to be able to kiss your head, I think that's all I did the first few minutes after meeting you. That's what I focused on while the doctor stitched up the cut too.

You were so little! At birth you were six pounds eleven ounces and eighteen and a half inches long. You we're born healthy and strong with all ten fingers and toes. Adorable! You were so alert, big bright eyes looking everywhere at everything. So much to see!

Dexter, I am so in love with you! You've become my whole world. Your dad and I were so excited for this day to come, to finally meet you, and now we're excited to watch you grow. To see who you become, to help you, to guide you, to teach you, to show you everything we can.

Welcome to life outside the womb little man.

Photos by Timothy Capp

Hospital Prep

Went to my doctor appointment at thirty-six weeks and five days - wow, how time has flown by. We got some unexpected news: the doctor said that I'm three centimeters dilated and seventy percent effaced!

That means Dexter could arrive at any time!
I'm so excited! I am so not ready yet! I was thinking I had a few weeks left but it sounds like Dexter is going to meet us earlier than the due date! Oh my goodness, what a kick in the butt to get things ready!

I guess first thing is to put together a hospital bag. I need to wash some baby clothes so they smell more like mom & dad. What to pack? I found a couple of super helpful lists online from Parents.com & a blog: Life With My Littles (along with some other helpful ideas to prep for baby!) I also got a list from my doctor. Here's my list of what I decided to bring:

Basics:

• Picture ID
• Insurance Card
• Advanced Directive
• Birth Plan
• Vitamin list (& vitamins) 
• Call list
• Chargers (phone, nook)

For baby:

• Diapers & wipes
• Car seat & blanket
• Bottomless gowns
• Burp rags
• Receiving blankets (though the hospital may have some too)
• Baby beanies
• A picture out fit
• Socks

For mom:

• Toiletries: toothbrush, hair brush, deodorant, hair ties, lip balm, emery board 
• Sweatshirt
• Slippers / socks
• Gifts / thank yous for doctors & nurses
• Entertainment devices (nook)
• Snacks & gum
• Nursing bra / shirt / tank top
• Nursing pillow
• Nursing pads?
• Pump
• Extra fabric bag for things acquired at the hospital (gifts / hand outs)
• Flip flops
• Baby's memory book
• A pillow from home
• "Baby folder" for the papers from the hospital
• A laundry bag
• Music device (with music!)

For dad:

• Toiletries: toothbrush, hair brush, deodorant 
• Snacks & gum
• A couple of changes of clothes

Oh, next I should really write out that birth plan so it can be packed and on hand! I got a birth plan check list from WIC & I found this blog, Earth Mama, that has a whole bunch of points to check and then a pdf file can be downloaded for free! Just Mommies also has a similar birth plan creator that makes it easy to simply select what you want & print it out.

Find a pediatrician.... WIC sent me a letter saying that they had picked out a doctor for us. I don't really like that. I want a say in where I take my child. My doctors gave me a list of pediatricians that work with the hospital I'm going to deliver my son at. I have to make some calls, but I hope to be switching to one of their offices.

I still need to pick up the things Dexter still needs! Oh my gosh! I still need some things: bed covers, nursing gear, a baby sling, diaper gear... I'm sure I'm forgetting other things too...

What about birth announcements? Should I pick those out now?

What the hell am I supposed to expect for the labor process? I've never done this before! This is all brand spankin new to me! I've been avoiding really looking into it because I'm scared that it's 'the most painful pain that I'll ever be in, in my whole life.' I want to see and read more birth experiences first, before I dive into it my self! Wait, Dexter, I'm not ready yet!

Calm down. Breath. Be excited! :)
We're going to get to meet little Dexter soon & everything is going to be great!

Bellie Pics :)

Week 3 (when I found out)

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

week 7

Photo by Timothy Capp

Week 9
Photo by Timothy Capp

Week 12
Photo by Timothy Capp

Week 14

Week 15

Photo by Timothy Capp

Week 16
Photo by Timothy Capp

Week 17
Photo by Timothy Capp

Week 18
Photo by Timothy Capp

Week 19
Photo by Timothy Capp

Week 20
Photo by Timothy Capp

Week 21
Photo by Timothy Capp

Week 22
Photo by Timothy Capp

Week 23
Photo by Timothy Capp

Week 24
Photo by Timothy Capp

Week 25
Photo by Timothy Capp

Week 26
Photo by Timothy Capp

Week 27
Photo by Timothy Capp

Week 30
Photo by Timothy Capp

Week 33
Photo by Timothy Capp

Week 34
Photo by Timothy Capp

Week 36
Photo by Timothy Capp

Intactivist

FOR AN INFORMATIVE POST ABOUT CIRCUMCISION PLEASE VISIT THIS POST:
LITTLE BOYS

To indulge in memes and reasons why routine circumcision is not okay, please continue.......


<3


I am very much against circumcision. 

It is a violation of a boy's body, a boy's rights.

I find memes cover many of my feelings toward this issue of routine circumcision of boys in the US:

The US no longer finds female circumcision acceptable:

The reasons people use to rationalize why it's okay to circumcise are ridiculous!

One of the worse reasons being that "it's just a flap a skin"

Son should look like father? 

What's sad, absolutely devistatingly sad, is that most mothers in the US just cut their sons because that's what is 'normal.' They don't read into it and they aren't even aware that death is a risk!!! 

It's the mother, the parents responsibility to care for and protect their sons! 

Yet, after learning all this, becoming mortified that this happens, people still believe that this isn't an important topic to talk about.... That blows my mind!!!!

I am so happy to find that routine circumcision is becoming less common in the US ...

 

Just as female circumcision is not illegal in the US, I want to see male circumcision become illegal. 

Our boys are important too. They also need protection. They need the same rights as girls. They deserve to be able to decide what happens to their bodies.