Babay Names

Sooo this is sort of a list for myself since I keep going back and forth on names I figured I'd write down the top choices somewhere so my pregnany brain doesn't forget a list topper.

We seem to like the classic basic boy names especially since we love the name Jack~~in my head a I picture a man in a suit introducing himself if I can't picture it then we move on ;) crazy way to think about it, but it works for us.  We don't like the new age names for boys or something that could be confusing because I see it in the hospital everyday and the patients are always just frustrated.

In no particular order we like:
Joe
Charlie
Sam
Max
Ben
and yesterday I heard Oliver and like it (Pat doesn't know that yet)
oh and Henry (not sure if Pat knows that one either ;))

I'm sure I'll come up with 90,0000 more before March!

boy girl boy girl boy girl ahhhhh

Sooooo, now that people know that we're prego...it's been like a week haha.  The question is gender, gender, gender.  What do you want? what does Pat want? what do your families want yada yada.  It's still way way too early to tell.  Actually on ultrasound at weeks 11-13 all babies, boy and girl have little nubs sometimes they just lay at different degrees/angles so it's a risky time period to try to tell gender.  Last week I could've sworn I was having a girl just by the way I felt and scanning myself, and this week I think it's a boy so it's totally up the air.  We already have one healthy hilarious little boy, and not gonna lie I kind of want another little boy and then a girl.  Yep I want three kids, and Pat's still on the edge of 2-3, not sure if he can deal with me pregnant again haha.  I know some of our families are routing for a girl, but I really think boys need a brother to run around play and be rough with.  Also, there's just something about a boys different bonds with their mama and their dads that I had NO idea about. Yes, I'm sure girls have these bonds in their own way too, but growing up in a house full of girls it's really neat to see Jack bonding and so in absolute love with Pat.  It's so different from what I was used to with all the drammma with females lol It melts my heart every single time.  I remember when I first found out I was having a boy with Jack I was slightly freaking out because we come from a family of mainly females and I was worried we would have no idea what to do with all those extra parts haha.  Now, I really can't imagine life without him! The bond he has with me is so different than the rough and tough making daddy proud bond that him and Pat have.  I can't wait to be wearing high school hoodies and routing on the football team (hopefully I'll understand football by then) or soccer or whatever he chooses to do.  So my answer to people's questions, if we got to choose gender would probably be to have a boy and then down the road have a little girl if Pat can deal with me pregnant again ;) I'm sure pat's answer would be 2 boys and done ;)

Baby Rooney #2

Welp by this time in Jack's pregnancy I had documented every week and every feeling....they say the second time is different and HOLY hell is that true! I'm 12 weeks give or take a few days and feeling pretty horrible.  Jack's pregnancy was amazing, I was in a great mood yes I puked, actually I puked alot~~but I like to call it happy puking.  I'd get sick and then move on with my day.  This pregnancy I've actually gotten sick less, but feel the worst hangover of your life all day and all night.  It hit me like a ton of bricks right at 6 weeks pregnant.  The only thing that has kept me thinking positive is looking back at how bad I felt week 6-9 and I know that is has gotten tiny bits better than those weeks.  I was still nursing so I literally was exhausted getting up off the couch to run to the bathroom.  Everyone keeps mentioning zofran & anti-nausea and anti-puking drugs, but to be honest I'm not puking that much it's just the true exhaustion and those drugs scare me.  They haven't been used long medically during pregnancy and side effects are just now coming out from effects used during pregnancy.  I'd have to be risking the baby's health to break down and take them.

With all this exhaustion I've had to totally back down from photography until all this passes.  I shot a friend's shoot a few weeks ago and was so faint/dizzy/pale for the rest of the day.  I hate not getting out and enjoying all this awesome summer sunset light, but to be honest the thought of editing makes me want to puke and it does make me puke.  It is so strange!  I've been trying to edit my friend Lauren's engagement pictures since June! Thank god she's been so patient with me.  Every time I open up photoshop and start to edit, my head starts to hurt or the screen makes me dizzy.  I'm so tired once we get Jack to sleep that usually I go to bed, so I've been having a hard time even finding the free time to edit.  I ended up telling clients the truth and just being honest that I have no idea when this will pass and I'm hoping in fall to be shooting again.

I'm so thankful that my husband has been so amazing through all this.  He comes early from work when I would text him that I literally was laying on the bathroom floor.  He comes home and quickly whisps Jack away to go run at the park or run outside.  Jack and baby #2 you are very very lucky!  He also brushes his teeth and washes his face 90,000 times so I smell no alcohol on him before bed and continues to do the greasy dishes and totally random things that set off these lovely hormones.  It must be so so weird for men so deal with all these changes and not really be the one *feeling* it all. 

The one great thing about feeling so blah is that I know my hormones are high.  With Jack I'd feel so great and have so much energy that some days I'd get worried that levels were dropping.  I think God led me to this career because thank God I can check on the baby atleast once a week :). 

 I'm so thankful to be coming out of this first trimester and so hopeful that my energy will be back 2nd trimester :) baby #2 I know you will be so worth it!!!


Sweet moments: Lila knew from the VERY beginning and started acting very snuggly with momma....now Jack knows where the baby is and rests his head and smiles on my belly.  I can't believe he even knows what I'm saying, but he gets it!  They say if your nursing your milk changes and the nursling knows~~so who knows maybe that's what happened.  He's such a great big brother to Lila I know he'll be a great big brother to you baby #2. 

Whoa I'm pregnant?

SOO I knew I wanted to have another baby around when Jack was 2-3.  What I wasn't planning in my head was the fact that you were pregnant for a whole 9 months basically a whole freakin year....I somewhat started panicking in June when I realized that I hadn't even had one period since having Jack in 2011 and that if we were planning on baby #2 I'd obviously have to be somewhat fertile.  I also did NOT want to be super pregnant in the summer months~~I can't imagine dealing with the heat and swelling in july/august! I guess God had a plan that we had no idea about.  Turns out I must of become fertile when I had that thought and when Jack starting to slowly wean from daytime nursing in June.

When I went to my OB in March she was mentioned nursing not being a total 100% birth control.  I actually asked, "without periods, how do people know that they're pregnant, without buying 1,000 tests throughout the year?" she answered that when you are nursing a toddler and become pregnant you will know as soon as you become pregnant I promise.  I didn't really believe her, and wasn't really thinking about getting pregnant yet, but I did know my lil man loved to nurse and we could possibly be nursing well after 2 years old so I thought I'd ask.

One thursday I drove home from work and felt like total hell.  It's that dry mouth, pukey, tired, ready to either pass out or puke feeling that hit me like a ton of bricks.  I called Pat and told him for some reason I think I'm pregnant.  He started laughing, and totally thought I was crazy, but I made him buy pregnancy tests on his way home from work.  He said there's no way, your nursing Jack your working your running around like crazy there's just no way.  Negative Negative and negative.  I knew it though, something was telling me I was pregnant.  Friday night came and I took another negative.  Saturday night came and I was having girlfriends over for wine and Pat had a bachelor party.  I filled my coffee cup with ice water and deep down knew.  Pat wasn't even supposed to stay the night at the bachelor party and I ended up calling him and telling him to stay the night and have a blast for both of us bc it might be a while before we're partying again.  I think that's when he knew I was serious ;).  Saturday night I noticed I left a pregnancy test out from earlier that day and there was a super super faint line??? Was I hallucinating? Was it an evaporation line?? Who knows....but the next morning Pat came home and I took 2 more tests and sure enough the positive lines started to appear.  Yep I could've taken the digital, but they actually need an hcg level of 50 to trigger positive and the first response only needs a 25 :).  I think me and Pat were both a little shocked and just thankful that it happened SO quickly and without us really even knowing it!!! Baby rooney #2 is due march 12 2013 Jack will be 25 months and it just worked out more perfectly than we could've ever planned it! 

What a year!

Whoa! It's been over a year since my last post.  That makes me sad, I wanted to keep up with Jack's new activities and it looks like after 6 months things just got crazy! Here's some things I remember:

Jack took his first steps at 10 months, but didn't *really* start walking instead of crawling until after his first bday party.

I was on call on Christmas, but this year Jack didn't really understand much so it worked out for the better that I'm off this year :)

On Friday April 13 pearl was hit by a car and she is still in recovery from a horrible femur/hip fracture.  Her leg has healed shorter than the other, but her little hobble is still so cute.  She has been so strong through it all, considering she is so scared of even getting her hair cut that we sedate her.

At the end of April Jack broke his fibula going down a slide at St. Barnabas (yes we've had the summer from hell).  He was casted for ~4 weeks and then in an air cast for about 4 weeks.  Turns out it wasn't just his fibula he broke his tibia too :/, luckily the healing/casting would've been the same :) We had lots of stroller rides to the zoo and to the children's museum.  He did so great!

We had our first trip/road trip with Jack to Iowa for Lauren and Jon's wedding and also to meet with Pat's grandparents.  The trip turned out great and Jack did surprisingly well on the 8 hour car ride!

We took Jack on his first "vacation" to michigan dunes.  He loved, loved, loved the beach.  I have never seen him so content all day long.

On July 1st mommy found out she was prego with Rooney baby #2...

Whew it's been a hectic summer no wonder I can't keep up! :)

Happy Half Bday Jack

Ok I really really can't believe this but our Lil man is 6 months old. Part of me can't believe he's already turning 6 months and part of me can't believe there was part of my life without him.

To my Jack on your 1/2 bday!
You are the *most* amazing gift and me and your daddy love you so so so much.

At 6 months old you are about 16 lbs and growing like a weed! You are "mobile" in your own crawl that you've made up...it's more of a non-graceful dragging, but hey you get from point A to point B fairly quickly. You can walk in your walker and you love "walking" when someone holds your hands. You are starting to giggle and find your mommy and daddy hilarious (I mean who wouldn't?). Our lives are so enriched with love for you my little man. I can't imagine life without you. Before I had you I imagined being able to leave you for a night to go camping, or out with friends. I can honestly say that there has not been one night in 6 months that mommy hasn't put you to sleep~~annnd I wouldn't have it any other way :). Your a momma's boy and I'm going to soak it up while it lasts!!! Your not a snuggler, but you love to snuggle when you nurse so poor Daddy doesn't really get many Jack cuddles anymore. Nursing is your favorite thing in the world, I thought maybe at 6 months we would be at a stopping point, but you have other plans in mind :) which is OK with me! Coincidentally, August is actually "National Breastfeeding Awareness" month and I may get some pictures taken of you doing your favorite past-time. There are some AMAZING photographer's in our area offering mommy & me nursing photos this month and I think it's a great idea!

We had a rough start in those early months, between reflux, ear infections, and milk intolerances....but my sweet baby boy pulled through. I can't wait to watch you grow more! Time is flying by and we are so busy these days, but remember you'll always be my lil baby groundhog!!!

I <3 you so much!!

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Stay at home mom..

I know most my posts are happy-go-lucky I'm in love with life and my family and my son and you are probably wondering A) if I'm on some sort of happy medication (ha) no I'm not and B) we must have such an easy baby and staying at home is super easy and fun. I thought being a stay at home mom would be cake~~I've been called into some crazy situations at my hospital job, but NOTHING compares to being a stay at home mom. Even though pictures prove otherwise, Jack is a super FUSSY baby and has reflux and has milk intolerances....here was my morning :) I must of had too many dairy products and he was a little late getting his zantac



He refuses bottles and turns purple from screaming in his carseat because he wants out so bad. I admit though I do sneak him out of his carseat when it gets really bad~~bad mommy I know. I can't really leave him for over 4 hours without a SUPER meltdown. Me and Pat haven't had a date since Valentine's Day and we ended up coming home early. But, I'm not going to lie I love every minute of it. :)

Here is why it's worth it: Just one little smile at his mommy!

Rushing home to this :)

My little peapod of perfection....these are the reasons I SPEED home from work. Lord help the cop that would pull me over after a long day of work and hearing that your hungry. I plan out the fastest route depending on the time....not only to save the babysitter (either your dad, pat's mom, or my dad) but to save me! I can't wait to get home and cuddle with my boys. I cherish every single second and can't imagine life without you! I love your face when I first walk in the door and you spot me, it's almost like your thinking "where in the hell were you when I was screaming my head off!" then you smile :). On the nights that I come home from work you are a clingy nursing addict. Even if you just took a bottle, if I hold you you start to root around and sniff my shirt. Then, you get antsy until we have our WOOOOSAAA moments on the couch. Usually this is atleast an hour of cuddling, nursing, and chatting about our day. I know I know, we aren't supposed to let you pacify or play or nurse for an hour, but we need our time and I love it. You grab my face, you grab my finger, and twirl my hair and grunt in delight. You drift off to sleep and wake up just to make sure I'm still there. Then, daddy gets home....you hear his voice and tilt your head when you hear him say hello to the dogs and you LIGHT up when you finally meet eyes with him. We then go outside and chat about our day and stare at our lil man like we haven't seen him in days.

I know that these moments of cuddling won't last forever so I try to drink every last drop and breathe every little breath of it while I can. Whether it be at 2am or 5pm I'm trying to just enjoy you for YOU!

true. friends.

For some reason while one of my best friends was gone on vacation in Key West I got sentimental and starting thinking about true friends. Have you ever heard the song "Find out who your friends are" by Tracey Lawrence? It's so so so damn true! I mean how many people can you count on in the middle of the night to answer their phone and coming running to help you??? Let's make it even more iffy, how many people can you count on answering their phone in the middle of a Saturday night to come running when you need them?? I started counting and I started to feel down because I honestly couldn't think of more than 5 that would come running and be able to put their life on hold. Then I realized that I was lucky to have even just one!

After having Jack, I'm so lucky to have a couple of friends & family that I know will always be there. The true tests are if your friends stick by your side through weddings, pregnancies, and kids. No matter the distance, some friends will come help you no matter how much of a hot mess you've become. They'll help you fold your 1,0000 unmatched socks before your wedding bc your too stressed to even care, they'll let some topics just sit and stew for a while before bringing them up and know that you'll bring it up in your own time, & they'll know when to bring you a delic. dinner after a long week. Some of my closest friends are also the ones that have to live the furthest away which really puts a damper on things. And years ago I would've never guessed it but some of my closest friends are through my husbands friends and now I can't imagine not having their advice.

I'm sure we all have atleast 100+ facebook friends, but the ones that really count are the ones who are there for you even at your worst! They tell you that you sure as hell need a shower or atleast some deodorant, and come over to hold your screaming reflux baby so that you can enjoy one peaceful warm shower even if it involves possible hearing loss. They're the ones that you can sit in a restaurant and hold the menu for and hour and forget to order because your too busy catching up.

My goal this year is to take more time out for this real friendships because they are what REALLY matter.

Sweet Brownie

"If there is no heaven for dogs, then I want to go where they go when I die."

-Anonymous

Two and a half years ago my heart melted when I read a post on a local dog rescue site about a 14 year old beagle who desparately needed help. She was in Bloomington and was at a high kill shelter and was obviously not going to be saved over a bouncing puppy. She had been living in a car with her owner who had gotten a divorce, lost his house, lost his job, and he didn't think at her age she could last living in a hot car all summer long. SOOO I somehow talked Pat into "fostering" her. It was the best of both worlds...we were still broke from our expensive lila vet costs and beagle buddies actually pays for all vet visits/care for the dogs, they just want us to give her a nice loving home. Brownie was such an old sweet soul who was never any trouble at all. In the entire years we had her I NEVER once heard her bark. She was deaf but she sure could sense when we got home and when treats were given. She would sleep for crazy amounts of time and made our other dogs look like TERRORS (not that we didn't know that).

She started limping, and having trouble getting around, and just went downhill. We had to hold her up for her to go potty or else she would just fall in it :(. Yesterday she woke up yelping and couldn't put any pressure on her hind legs. I always told myself that I wouldn't let her suffer. I prayed that maybe she would just go in her sleep peacefully, but finally yesterday we had to make the decision to put her to sleep. I've had tons of dogs, but not once have I been to put a dog to sleep. I was never strong enough. Brownie was the most attached to me and I knew I had to be there for her in her last minutes. I was going to go with Dustin and the time was set for 2:15p. :( I suddenly was coming up with every excuse in the book of why I couldn't go. I have Jack, I don't think Pat will be home in time, Pat has the murano, I don't want to totally LOSE it at the vet, I'm not even dressed, I think the carseat isn't here. Finally, I stopped being selfish and realized I could do this for her, since she never asked me for anything else. I had to leave right then before I changed my mind! I packed up Jack in the steaming hot Honda and drove to Kim's so she could watch him while we went to the vet.

I almost chickened out at the vet. They described to me everything that they would do and told me I could spend as much time with her as I wanted, before and after (don't tell a hormonal post-partum gal that bc you may have an overnighter!). They said to make the decision of wanting to be in the room with her or having them do it in the back and they'd be back. I ALMOST told them to take her in the back, thinking it'd be easier on me~~~but definitely not on Brownie. Dustin also said it would be good closure and good for me to see how peaceful she would feel. The vet tech peeked her head back in and asked if I wanted to be there and I said "yes"...I think I wanted to black out at that point!

They carried Brownie like a hot dog in her GIANT bed I got her to the back to give her the "sleepy meds" and brought her back in the room so I could say goodbye. HELLO waterfalls, I didn't know you could actually hear teardrops hit the floor, but I sure could!! I took her "bling bling" collar off and gave her lots of kisses and told her what a good girl she always was. She looked up at me one last time and it was like she knew and wanted to go. She went so quickly and I petted her until the vet shook her head that she was gone. It was AWFUL and so incredibly sad, BUT she went so peacefully and so quickly that it made it so much better. She was FINALLY out of pain and running like a puppy again!

"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself."

My first Mommasita Day!

I feel like Mother's deserve much more than one day to celebrate all they do! Who else has the magic touch of calming a screaming baby with just the sound of their voice. Luckily I have 3 great mom's to look up to and to help spoil Jack. They each have been such great influences for me and Pat and we visited all 3 on Mother's day weekend.

We went up north and had lunch and sang "the wheels on the bus" with Pat's mom Loren. We went to Bravo with my mom and Jack got passed around a table of twelve and and loved every minute of socializing. We also went to the Rooney's for some yummy chinese food and also had our first overnight where Lisa was snuggling our wide awake lil man when we got home.

This is what I woke up to on Mother's day morning after a great night's 6 hour sleep! My two men probably discussing how I was sleeping with my mouth open or how my how attractive my hair must look in the morning :)

Then, Patrick (pat's dad) made us a delicious huge breakfast of eggs, fresh berries, bacon, and coffee. It was THE perfect weekend!

Our crazy Friday nights :)

After a hectic week and our house looks like a tornado blew through it...the last thing I should be doing is enjoying a cup of coffee and looking at pics of Jack and writing in this blog~oh well there's always time for cleaning~ha! This was my first week of being part-time with my little man and it was wonderful! We had the perfect mix of daddy and mommy time and even though Jack is teething we got through it smoothly :)

It's amazing how much our friday nights have changed. Friday nights used to start at around 10:30pm...and go until 3 am sometimes later. They included random dinner dates, random bars, and then random people around a bonfire inhaling fumes from a burnt mattress. Well we still had the burnt mattress on this friday night :) but it's the other little things we do that make me smile. We always have about a half hour where we all three sit outside and CHILL. Whoever had the babysitting duties is exhausted and whoever had the full work day is exhausted and we both take turns loving on the little man. He's definitely taking after his mommy and daddy because he's such an outdoorsy boy!

It's the little things that excite me now on Friday nights....like putting Jack to bed and coming out to see that Pat is bagging up the milk from the past few days~a chore that I don't like doing for some reason?? Who's husband takes it upon themselves to bag up breastmilk haha...I love it. I love seeing all the last couple days extras and can't believe that my tiny boobs have somehow fed my chubby cheeked little boy and I still have tons to freeze...go team!

The little things like hearing Jack grunting like a little "groundhog" while he nurses himself to sleep. This friday I worked until 530 and we both were craving each other by the end of the day. Once he starts to nurse you can see the stress melt off my shoulders and Jack's eyes start to go up, up, and back into his head. He melts into a little warm ball in the crook of my arm and it's the best feeling I've had all day! At around 3:45 whoever is babysitting has mentioned that that's the point where he's sick of the bottles and ready for mommy time. We basically are "on demand" parents right now...if he needs a nap, he gets a nap, if he needs a snack~he'll get a snack. I feel like at this young it's way way too early to set a schedule especially when breastfeeding~~you gotta keep up with those growth spurts somehow!

Once he was asleep we did what any normal family would do. Grab the baby monitor, grab a beer, and burn a neighbors mattress :)

Scanning babies isn't always fun..

I love love love my job, but some days are gloomy scan days. I hate those days! I hate it when you start scanning and I'm sure if your an ultrasound tech you know the wave of not-so-good vibes that comes over you when you get that "feeling" from the start of putting your probe down and looking at a baby. Usually you can tell right from the beginning that's something's just not right and then since we work in a hospital setting you can't really say much and it's up to the OBgyn to inform the mom on what's going on.

Last week I had a couple of bad scans and it makes me so thankful for my healthy little boy! There was a baby who had a cleft palate, chin abnormalities, and a hole in his heart, and also duodenal atresia where the stomach doesn't attach to intestines. Basically, this child will have many many NICU stays, surgeries, and therapists throughout his life IF he makes it through birth.

Another scan was an ER scan 12 weeks prego. 12 weeks is usually the time where women start to feel somewhat relieved getting out of the first trimester. This woman was only cramping and wasn't sure of her period...sure enough there was a baby but it only measures 10 weeks and had no fetal heart tones :( She was very tired and didn't ask many questions (thank god) and scanned & grabbed all the measurements I needed. When it's a fetal demise case I won't give the mom pictures right then, I feel like it gets their hopes up. So I printed a few pictures, but walked them over to the ER dr. once she was back in her room, in case she wanted to save a few pictures of her baby.

Working in the ultrasound dept really makes you thankful for healthy babies! It also makes me worry worry worry! When I was 20 weeks prego I saw dilated renal pelvises on Jack. It can be completely normal or it can be a "soft-marker" for down's syndrome and other syndromes. I panicked called Pat balling and he of course is the sane one in our relationship and put things into perspective. He told me not to worry, (too late buddy!!!) that I've done everything and gone above & beyond what I could do for a healthy pregnancy and then proceeded to tell me how having a Down's baby would be such a gift from God. At first in my head I selfishly thought...gift? Thinking of the problems and abnormalities and then started to realize how innocent and sweet Down's babies/kids/adults are and that it really would be a gift. He said you'd never have to watch your child lose his/her innocence and they would remain so sweet & loving throughout their life. This is why I married my roonball!

I love my Patrick!

Ever have those a-ha moments about the one your with and you see a glimpse of how much you love someone and how lucky you are? I get atleast one a day! Every single day when Jack wakes up Pat puts him up on his stomach to talk and laugh and help Jack get his loads of gas out. I'm usually still comatose at this point and get to wake up to their chatter, I love waking up to Jack's coos and sighs and laughs from looking at his daddy.

There's so many moments over the past year that I have fallen completely in love with him again. Being pregnant and having a baby is ROUGH on a relationship and I can't believe how strong he's been. I always knew he'd be a great dad, but now he proves it to us every day.

Today is my first day of being part-time! I'm so excited to spend more time with Jack! I'm so thankful that my thrifty husband was the one that told me to do this and understands how much it means to me to be home with my babies! I mean who tells their wife to stay at home from a great paying job in the middle of a job-market that no one can find jobs. He knows what an emotional wreck I would be and it's just not worth it. I want to be home and see every little new giggle, movement, coo, crawl and walk. Yes we will be broke, and yes we will have to make sacrifices these upcoming months, but in the grand scheme of life how long are these months where Jack is growing every single minute??? I'm so so so so thankful!!!

Singing :)

I'm one of those people who KNOWS that my singing voice is (putting it nicely) not so good. In church when we were little me and my sisters would make weird voices and scream the church hymns and input funny words instead of being somewhat normal and just singing the tunes like normal children. Pat makes fun of me daily when I scream, "I love this song", pump up the volume on the radio to some swanky new 92.3 song I love and sing what I think is amazingly brilliant lyrics, then to my surprise the lyrics are TOTALLY different than I had in my head. He always says, "sounds like a Nisey song."





But, my little monkey Jack...he LOVES my voice :). From the first second I held him and said "Hi little guy" and our eyes met and he acted like he had heard my voice for years I knew I had finally found my match! We don't have many children/babies in our family so it's been years since nursery rhymes have been sung. I sing "10 little monkies jumping on the bed one fell off and bumped his head" I forget what comes next so fill-in whatever comes to my head. Most of the time it's something random like about the diaper rash cream or the owls on the wall or our dogs, but he loves it and totally doesn't know the difference he knows mommy's singing and smiling so he should smile too!





I feel bad for anyone who has to listen to me over the baby monitor and poor poor Pat. "Jingle bells batman smells, Lila laid an egg" or "the head bones connected to the hip bone?" or singing the hokey pokey "you put your right hand in and and put your right hand out" I clumsily forget which is right and which is left every time. I sang "baby got back" the other day. But, Jack lays calmly on his changing table and soaks up every tune cooing and smiling. I've gotten used to making a total fool of myself for this child :)

I never knew humor...

I thought my life was pretty funny before Jack. I thought things couldn't get funnier than drinking with my friends and the hilarious things that would happen during some drunken night. I thought doing our ridiculous dance moves, annoying our significant others, and random cab ride conversations at 3 am were hilarious. I thought college was funny. Looking back at calvert street porch convos, random nights at Dill street bar, and all-out gaudy and revealing halloween costumes it couldn't get more hilarious, right?

Parenthood is hard and difficult and I think God throws in humor everywhere. Well, atleast I like to think he does it to keep me sane! I didn't know the real humor in life until I had Jack. Real humor is getting peed directly in the mouth at 4 am because you are literally falling asleep standing up and then you realize your changing a diaper. Jack also found peeing on mommy funny. Real humor is being so worried about pumping enough milk before going back to work that you forget to even hook the bottles up to the pump and it takes you 8 minutes to realize that the warm sensation on your lap is milk spraying everywhere. Real humor is pouring the 6 cups of water onto the countertop instead of making it into the coffee pot and proceeding to find your cell phone in the fridge when you look for the creamer. Real humor is running so late to work because you want your son to nurse as long as he feels like and then rushing to brush your teeth you somehow get listerine in your eye. Real humor is almost opening the door for the mailman with your nursing bra flaps down and honestly not caring or knowing how long you've been "roaming free" throughout the house (woops!).

During these sleepless nights and days it's easy to get into a rut and complain and think that all these random nuisances are just making you late to work, or late to an appointment, or just annoying. But, I feel like it gives you a chance to sit back and laugh and enjoy some of the hilarious small things that you'll look back and miss. God must know that I need this humor on my first weeks back to work :)

Nursing...

This is his I want Boobs and I want it now...why is it taking you so long to realize this face. Nursing was what I thought the hardest part of labor...getting started was rough. But, now after that first month it's the easiest thing and has been great for me and Jack. I was afraid it wouldn't work for us, but now I don't know what I'd do without it. It's our time...he loves the skin to skin contact and no matter how upset he is...he loves to nurse. I thought nursing would be awkward or get in the way or be a pain...actually today I did bottles and it was SO much more time consuming and I'm obviously used to just plopping on a couch and feeding...not worrying about heating anything up, getting clean bottles, and washing them. We hold hands, I play with his toes, he sighs and falls asleep. It's a mental, physical, emotional bond that I can't even explain, but I'm already dreading the day that it will stop :(. I know the day will come, I just hope he doesn't self wean any time soon. I can't believe my milk alone has filled those chunky cheeks with nutrients since he popped out! With his milk allergy and reflux it's so great that we started out nursing bc he would've been a MESS on formula...it makes reflux/gas worse and we probably wouldve started on cow's milk~~yikes!!

There has been the baby buzz on my phone and also there's a fbook page called The leaky Boob that is amazing! They have thousands of nursing moms (fellow leakies) on the leaky boob to answer whatever your ? is...they also post ?'s facts each day that are very informative! The woman who started the leaky boob is actually trying to get grants/further the site...I think it's awesome what she has done for a topic that is little discussed in public. Women send text pics of where their nursing in public and how! It's great at calming my nerves about it, and they even have a video on "how-to" NIP~nurse in public...ohh the terms I'm learning :)

I pray that our little bond lasts atleast until he's one!

Tips on nursing (I need to read these when we decide to have another baby):
Go to Lactation consultant at first thought of stopping/thinking milk is drying up/having issues

Have people you can talk to...even online to help you

Get my brestfriend nursing pillow

Always have a glass of water by you or else your husband will be your water bitch :)

Nipple cream and Motherlove those first weeks is amazing

Trust that it's a science and your baby is getting enough even though you can physically see the milk!

Pumping is weird at first, but then you'll catch yourself handsfree, eating, pumping, and on the cell~~I almost answered the door for the mailman one time pumping~~oops!

2 month Dr. appt

Holy heffer! At Jack's 2 month appt he weighed 12 lbs 8 oz and was 24.6" tall. He's 66th% for weight and 93rd% for height! I'm so glad he's gaining and growing so well...so far he's had no supplements only breastmilk! The Dr. said he looks great and is growing wonderfully and has jumped into a different class of weight/height since birth! My lil chunker :)....I was worried about his reflux and have noticed that when he's super tired his left eye is smaller...I guess his eyelid is just a little lazy..she wasn't worried at all but it worries me though bc these things need to be fixed when their little so it doesn't effect vision later in life. So she said they usually wait until 4 month appt. so refer to eye Dr. for that type of stuff since he's just now starting to look around he may build up the strength without us even having to worry about an eye Dr. He also got the dreaded shots. I gave him tylenol before, but it was still terrible...Pat thank God went with me. He slept alot that day but then woke up SCREAMING...that night he was a mess, and the whole next 2 days he was a mess...praise the lord for tylenol! I was ready to have my munchkin back!

Today he's about 2.5 almost 3 months and I weighed him with clothes on and he's 13lbs 8oz :) He's almost doubled his birth weight! Next appointment we are discussing cereal and she also said that will help his reflux...also it may fill the lil man up a little more!

1st ZOOO trip!

So the picture above is something I've been dreading...nursing in public. With Jack not taking bottles...it was inevitable! We went to our first zoo trip with the Durrett's and I'm so glad they got us out of the house on this beautiful day! Jenny put it as there will be many crying kids there so no one will notice if Jack's a hot mess. So I knew he'd get hungry so I nursed right before we left...sure enough the SECOND we walked in the zoo he was suddenly hungry...this is the first bench at the zoo and I planted my happy nursing butt right there. I figure kids are probably seeing a lot worse at the zoo :). My chunky lil man filled up and we were off! He was such a good boy that day...he had one meltdown but Jenny got him to sleep and put him in his stroller and we were good! I'm so excited for Jack to actually understand what's going on at the zoo...I LOVED it when I was little. Pat was pretty excited too...when Jenny told him he could pet the sharks he ran up as fast as ava and Addie haha