Mama told me.... when I was young

There are many times as a mother you think of things differently. Tonight we were watching American Idol and its down to the final 3. I have been a fan of Crystal Bowersox all season, but tonight I have to say I was completely blown away by Lee Dewyze. Maybe it was because of the song choice... He sang "Simple Man", by Lynard Skynard. I have always liked this song, but tonight when I listened to the lyrics they had more meaning to me. I have a son now and these words are what I would want him to hear. He was waking up from his nap as the song was still on. I picked him up and danced with him in my arms and sang to him. These days there are not to many things on TV that can bring a tear to your eye, but tonight as I held my son in my arms, I did have tears. Not sad tears, but hopeful tears... that my little boy will have an amazing life. And that I can do everything possible to guide him in the right direction. These are the things that every mom would want for her son...

Mama told me when I was young
Come sit beside me, my only son
And listen closely to what I say.
And if you do this
It will help you some sunny day.
Take your time... Don't live too fast,
Troubles will come and they will pass.
Go find a woman and you'll find love,
And don't forget son,
There is someone up above.

And be a simple kind of man.
Be something you love and understand.
Be a simple kind of man.
Won't you do this for me son,
If you can?

My First Mother's Day

There are many things in your life you get to experience for the first time. Today I celebrated my First Mother's day as a Mom (Not that I haven't been a "mom", because of course I have my furbabies... Lexie, Maggie and Annabelle.) But today meant so much more because now understand what it feels like to have a child on Mother's Day. It makes you respect and appreciate all of the Mom's out there.

We went to Savannah today and had lunch with Mom, Dad and Bren. After that we took Joey to meet his Great Grandma Christine for the first time. Grandma is in a nursing home so it has been difficult to take him before now because he was so little. She was so excited to meet him and he smiled and smiled at her.

                                 Joey and his Great Grandma Christine

The older you get you understand how important family is. Even though Joey is little now, one day he will be able to look back and have all of these wonderful memories that we are creating everyday. Life goes by so fast that sometimes we just have to stop and reflect on what is really important. The little things don't matter and even though there are rough times as long as you have the ones that love you... You can make it through anything.

My favorite boys! You are my world! I love you!

It's not easy

There have been several times I have cried as a mom...  

On the day Joey was born... I cried tears of happiness. 

On some of those first days when I thought I might never sleep again... I cried tears of exhaustion.

On the day he turned a month old... I cried tears of joy.

On the day I went back to work... I cried tears of uncertainty

On the day Joey got his first shots... I cried for a good ten minutes... he cried for about two

Today I cried the tears of a mom. My little boy has a cold. He has a stuffy nose and cough. We took him to the doctor and there is really nothing they can do. But it breaks my heart to see him cough and sneeze. When he cries, I cry... because there is nothing I can do to make his pain go away. I'm sure today will be the first of many times I will want to be able to snap my fingers and make it all better for him. It is probably the most difficult thing about being a parent. You have so much love for your child and want everything to be ok. I have to keep reminding myself... EVERYTHING WILL BE OK.  And it is when I look at this little smile. :)

What day is it?

I woke up Monday morning at 7:15 am to my alarm going. Normally I wake up because Joey is stirring and is about to get up. But on this particular morning the alarm went off. I hit the button and rolled over. Christian said to me " Did you get up with him?" I said "no, you didn't?" He said no. I had to think to myself... What day is this? Maybe I was disoriented because I had just slept a whole 8 hours. I can not tell you the last time I slept that long. Must have been before I was pregnant, because I certainly didn't sleep well during my pregnancy. In the beginning because I had to pee all the time and then as the bump got bigger, there was no getting comfortable.

Anyway, back to Monday...  It was the first night my little guy slept through the night! He slept from 11pm to 7:15am. I was so excited. But somehow during the day I didn't feel as rested as I thought I should. Maybe because I have gotten used to only 5-6 hours of sleep at a time. Either way I was still really happy about my 10 week old sleeping through the night. not only that, but Tuesday and Wednesday night, he slept 7-8 hours. So hopefully this is the start of some longer nights of sleep. :)

No time for that

So I have not sat down to write anything in a week and a half. Boy have I been busy and well... tired. My last post was after my first day back to work after being on maternity leave for 3 months. I was excited to be back and kinda had a new energy. Now a bit later I am not quite as energized and excited to be back. I know I'm still getting into the routine of life with a baby (and I am extremely lucky to have a pretty good little boy) and I really did miss my girls at work... its great to get to see them everyday and catch up on their lives. I have a new boss now who I got to meet this week for the first time and he is fantastic and I already enjoy working for him. BUT... the one thing I did not miss at all was the drama that some people cause for no damn reason. 

Maybe now that I am a mom I have a different outlook on things. I know I do have more patience now and things that at one point in my life may have mattered really don't now. What matters is my little boy, my husband and my family. When you have a child you don't really think about yourself as much, because now everything that you do is for that little smile you get when you get home from work. That little person who depends on you for everything, who's whole world revolves around yours and yours around theirs. You can not be a selfish person. Selfish people seem to be the ones that cause the drama. They can not look past them selves to see that there are more important things in life.

So for those drama causing people out there. They can stay out of my world. This mom has no time for that. What this mom does have time for is wonderful family and friends and the people who love and support me even when I'm having a bad day. 

Back to life, back to reality

It is true that the older you get the quicker that time seems to pass. When I went on maternity leave it felt like it was so far way when I had to go back to work. I remember counting the weeks in my head and think "yay, I still have a while". But the days (of feeding, changing, napping while I could) and nights (of feeding, changing, napping while I could) went by quickly and now its back to work. 

Even though I have been doing my job for over 3 years now, it was still a bit strange to go back to work. It felt almost like the first day of school... where you know you have been to this place before, but you have been off for the summer.  You get to see your friends that you have not seen as much (and of course you all have stories to tell) So much can change in a few months. You have not set an alarm clock in a while and your sleep schedule may be a bit messed up from staying up late ( or in my case staying up late and then getting up to feed the little one). Your a little bit more grown up now and have a new exciting year ahead of you. And even though you know that you have to get back in to your routine, their is something somewhat refreshing to be back. You have a renewed sense of trying to be the best you can be and you tell your self you will do better than you ever have.

So today was my first day of school... err... I mean work :) 

Today was also Joey's first day at "daycare". Yes, mommy did cry. Even though I am so lucky to have him at someone's home and she is great with him, it was hard to leave my little guy. You get used to holding him and making silly faces and taking an afternoon nap together. He was such a little trooper. He was smiling when I left and didn't think twice about me saying goodbye. I guess it one of those many moments in life that I will not want to let him go (literally and figuratively). It's just another one of the many firsts that we will have with him. Another point in time that has passed in the blur of memories I am trying to keep in my head and my heart. 

That is, after all, the reason I have this blog... so that I can remember. :)

 

MaggieBelle's is on Etsy

My store Maggiebelle's is now on Etsy

check it out:

Joey's 1st Easter

Holidays always seemed to mean so much more when we were kids and now that I have a little one of my own it is great to be able to "relive" the excitement of a holiday with him. Now I know that he is only 7 weeks old and he doesn't understand that the Easter Bunny came to see him last night and left a basket full of goodies, but it was still fun for me (the mom) to be excited about the bunny stopping by.

We went to see the Easter Bunny on Thursday at the 
Mall in Hilton Head and got his picture taken. He was very good and not scared of the giant furry bunny holding him (we will see if he is just as good when it comes time to see Santa). I always feel like he is a "big" little guy, not fat, but he is long and already weighs 13 lbs. But when he was in the bunny's arm's he looks so tiny... it was so cute. The photographer  
was great and he will be 
doing the Santa pictures 
to, so we will definitely 
be going back to him 
in December. 
                                                                                                                                                                                                        
Today we went to Savannah to see Mimi and Grandpa. I got him this cute little outfit from Carter's and he had a "baby's 1st Easter" bib. I have found that it is tough to find a big selection for under 6 months, it is mostly sleep/play sets. It was a gorgeous day out and nice to just hang out and relax with the family. We had some yummy food and got to play with Joey's new toys that Mimi got him. She got him this great Tummy time mat. It has a froggy on it (after monkeys and elephants, froggy's are his next favorite thing) .  :)

Being grown up

You know you are an adult when you get excited about buying a new washer and dryer. Well that and we got an AMAZING deal on them at Lowe's. Not that we had planned on going out and spending $1300 today, but when we went to wash some clothes last night and heard the worst screeching noise and the washer smelled like it was burning, we didn't have a choice. Any of you that have children know that doing laundry is pretty much a daily thing, so being with out a wash machine for very long is NOT an option.

After looking online and going to Home Depot and BestBuy, we went to Lowe's and there it was...

The perfect washer on clearance for $599! The others we had looked at were only 4 cu feet, this one was 4.4 cu feet and cheaper!! So of course my first question was "do you have the matching dryer?" We the guy said they had them both brand new in the box, I said "we will take them"!

So not that I need any more credit cards, but they had 6 months no interest, so I applied and got approved. We will pay it off in 6 months. :)

Oh and did I mention free next day delivery and installation?? Yeah... Lowe's rocks.

They say everything happens for a reason and finding a deal like this makes me believe even more. 

Happy Birthday!!

Today is Christian's 30th birthday!! 

Can you forget how to drive?

So I have not driven my car for about 9 weeks now. For the 4 weeks before I had Joey, it was because I couldn't. I was uncomfortable and in pain. Then once I had him, well it was still uncomfortable and I was in pain for a few weeks. That and when I went anywhere it was really only to the doctor and I was always with Christian, so he drove. 

Today I had my 6 week checkup (I can't believe that this Friday it will be six weeks since Joey was born). After we left the doctor, we had to take Christian's truck to get the oil changed. So I needed to follow him in my car to drop the truck off. All of a sudden I thought to myself... I have to drive?? This is weird. Not bad weird, just weird. It was then I realized how long it had been since I drove. I have a 2008 Honda Civic SI. It is stick shift. This is when I thought to myself... Can you forget how to drive?? It's like a bike right? You don't forget right? Don't get me wrong, I LOVE MY CAR, And I have always loved driving... but do I remember how to drive?

The best way I can describe how I felt when I got in the driver seat was the way you feel when you get in a car you have never driven before, for the first time. You have been a passenger in the car. You know how to control the radio and how all the buttons work, but you have not been behind the wheel.

 This is me the when i got my car 2 yrs ago... about to drive it off the lot

So I get in... I of course have to move the seat up (since I'm shorter than my hubby). I put it in first gear and off we go. To make this an even stranger "first drive", it was the first time I had Joey in the backseat as a "passenger". It was strange at first, but it is like riding a bike. You don't forget. and I have to say it felt good to drive again. It just another step to get back to "normal". Well as "normal" as life can be after you have a child. 

We also had another first today. We took Joey inside his first restaurant while we ate. Ok, not like a sit down and get served restaurant... it was Jersey Mike's (they have amazing sandwiches by the way), but still a food establishment. He was an angel of course (he was asleep the whole time). But again, it felt good and "normal".  :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day

In Savannah, St. Patty's day is a huge deal. I haven't been to the parade or the festivities in a few years. Being that I have a 5 week old, obviously we were not going this year... But we did have on our GREEN (ok so my PJ shirt happened to be green and Joey happened to have on a green onesie) After I fed Joey this morning, we laid around and watched the parade on TV. I definitely plan on taking Joey to the parade next year. He will be over a year old and should be fun for him and mom and dad. So while most people were out drinking and doing crazy things, I spent the day with my little guy... I couldn't have been happier. :)

1 month old

It is hard to believe that one month ago today I was at the hospital in labor waiting for my beautiful little boy to come into the world. Time really does go by fast. It is amazing how much he has grown and changed in just 4 weeks. I was looking back at my pictures of him and he is so different from the day he was born. I have to say I have definitely been a snap happy mom. I just can't help taking pictures of him, he is so darn cute! :) Not one day goes by that I don't take at least one picture with either my camera or my phone.

He is really starting to develop a personality. He can focus on my face and loves to look at his mobile and the ceiling fan. He will sit there and stare at the fan in amazemwnt as it goes round and round. In the past week he has found his fingers and now he thinks its the best thing in the world to touch his own face and bite his fingers. He is also starting to discover his voice and has been making sounds. It is so funny when he does this because he almost surprises himself that he made the noise. I get a smile here and there and he sticks his tongue out sometimes to. it is so much fun to watch him discover his new "abilities". You never know what a new day will bring!

Our first outing

First of all it was absolutely gorgeous today in Hilton Head... Sunny and in the 70's. Spring is definitely right around the corner. It has been 3 1/2 weeks since I have really been out of the house, except for a few of Joey's Dr. appointments. Since the weather has been so nice lately I have really wanted to get out.Christian was off work today so we packed up Joey and headed out.

We needed to go to Target for a bunch of stuff and I really wanted to go to Carter's and get some things for Joey. It was a perfect day to walk around the outlets and was Joey's first time in his stroller. He is outgrowing his newborn stuff so I wanted to pick up a few things in his next size. They have some adorable things for the spring and summer! We got a few great little outfits (of course once he can fit into them I will post pics).

After we left there we decided to go to Panera and get some food (I love their salads) and went to a little park and ate lunch at a picnic table. It was amazing to just sit there in the quiet afternoon and have lunch with my little family. Being that the past couple of weeks have been a bit chaotic with figuring out a newborn, feeding, diapers and the lack of sleep, it was nice to just have a some what relaxing afternoon.

Joey was asleep for most of the trip. Being in the car and the stroller I'm sure helped since he was in motion. I was proud of him for being such a good little guy. I have to say I was pretty proud of myself too. It's a scary world out there with a newborn. Today was the first of many outings we will have and each day I will continue to learn something new from my amazing little boy! :)

Bath time

Since Joey's umbilical cord fell off yesterday, we were able to give him his first official bath in the tub today. Up until now we have only been able to give him a sort of sponge bath with a washcloth. It's very important not to get that little stump wet or it can get really stinky. At first he hated getting "washed" probably cause it was cold and of course its something new to him. He did get used to it after a few times. He always liked to get his hair shampooed though. Daddy would hold him over a bowl and I would pour the water on his little head and wash his hair.

We registered for this adorable tub that is in the shape of a whale. Our good friends Jen and George got it for us at our shower. I was so excited that we finally got to use it today. I was very proud of my little guy. He didn't cry or scream at all. Although in the pictures he is making some funny faces. It was so much easier to be able to give him a bath in the tub. I actually feel like I got him clean. :)

I have a bellybutton

That gross little umbilical cord stump fell off tonight. I have never been so excited. I hated to even look at it when I cleaned it. I can take stinky diapers and all of the other crazy things that come with babies, but for some reason that little stump freaked me out.

Joey has the cutest little bellybutton. It is an "innie" (probably not the way you spell that). I'm glad, because I hate the way "outie" bellybuttons look. That is one less thing we have to do now when we change his diaper since we don't have to clean it with alcohol anymore.

So tomorrow Joey will get his first real bath in his whale tub. Hopefully he will like it. He hasn't been the biggest fan of the "sponge bath" we have had to give him up until now. Of course I will post pics. :)

The great thing about newborns is all of the "firsts" you get to experience. It is amazing how much they change and grow and learn everyday.

A case of the Monday's

We all know that no one really likes Monday's. Maybe because it's the start of the work week. Well even though I am not working right now because I'm on maternity leave I still don't care for Monday. On Sunday I get to spend time with my hubby and the little one. We get to have breakfast (usually pancakes seem to be our Sunday morning thing), watch TV and just hangout. But when Monday comes, hubby has to go back to work and it's just me and Joey. Not that I don't love to hang out with my little guy, but right now his schedule is to sleep 90% of the time. I love to watch him grow and learn. He is getting more active and alert everyday and I can't wait until we can "play".

Tummy Time

On Friday when Joey turned 2 weeks old we started Tummy Time. Since he is such a strong little guy and has been trying to hold his head up since the day he was born I knew he would enjoy this. He was looking all around with his head up. So now each day we spend a little time on his tummy.

Who needs sleep?

Today was the first day I was on my own. Well of course I had Joey here, but since we have been home from the hospital I have had Christian or my mom here all day. I wasn't really nervous about today. I mean I am a mom, I have those "mom instincts" and think I have done a pretty good job so far. I think my biggest fear is what if I have to go to the bathroom while I'm feeding him and there is no one to hand him to. Silly I know, but it's funny the things that go through your mind when you have a newborn.


So our day started with changing a stinky diaper, then a bottle. He went back to sleep and I washed all his bottles and put away his laundry. Watched a little TV, then time for another changing and feeding. It was about lunch time then and I knew daddy would be coming home for lunch so I tried to keep him awake for a little bit. That lasted a whole 15 minutes and he was back out. Daddy came home for lunch and then was back to work. So now mommy is alone again. check some emails and facebook for a little while then time for another changing and feeding. By this time is was after 4pm, so I decided to try and take a little nap before daddy would be home. That didn't happen. Of course now Joey wants to be up and awake. so he was up for about an hour and then slowly went back to sleep. I thought to myself, I have 30 minutes or so before daddy gets home to try to sneak in a nap. I was asleep for about 10 minutes before Lexie starts barking like crazy at something outside.

So no nap for mommy on day one, but it was a good day overall. I am still taking it easy this week as I am still recovering myself, but hopefully next week I'll be moving around a bit more and can do some things around the house. Tomorrow is another day, maybe I'll get a nap. :)

My first week as a new mom

They are not kidding when they say time does fly. I can't believe it has already been a week since Joey was born. In the first week I have learned something new almost everyday. In just the first two days while we were still at the hospital we learned something from almost everyone we came in contact with. Even as much as you read before the baby is born and as prepared as you think you are nothing prepares you for actually becoming a mom.

Just in the recovery for yourself after delivery is very difficult. While everyone has a different experience with their delivery and recovery, every new mom does have a recovery to deal with while also handling a newborn. I have had a little more than normal of a difficult time this week because of my delivery (remember he was 8lbs. 12 oz.) Each day gets better, but unless you have had a child you don't understand what it really does to your body. I have learned you have to take time to take care of yourself, especially in that first week. You can not move as fast and you can not do everything. I am so lucky to have a husband that is so helpful. He has been amazing with our son and with me. I will be glad when I feel more back to normal and can move around more quickly.

My mom has also been very helpful this week. Just coming over to help with little things because Christian had to go back to work. I was even able to take a nice nap one day while she took care of feeding, changing etc...

We are lucky so far to have a baby that eats and sleeps very well. He had just a little bit of jaundice that we have since gotten rid of. You never realize your day would consist of tracking when baby eats and poops.

In my first week:

• I made it through the hard part. Labor is over, Joey is here and now I am on the road to recovery
• I have cried over silly things. They say every new mom gets the "baby blues". We had to take Joey to his first Dr. appointment 3 days after he was born. Needless to say I did not feel like going anywhere and I started crying because I couldn't figure out what to wear, that would be comfortable but not look like I was still in my PJ's. That car ride was no picnic either.
• I know I have taken at least one picture everyday (several on some days) and it is amazing how much they change everyday.
• I have become a master diaper changer.
• I have gotten spit up on, peed on and pooped on.
• I can make and wash bottles super quick.
• I have learned that getting 4 hours of sleep in a row is a lot.
• I have starred at my new baby boy long after he has fallen asleep in my arms.

So with one week down and a lifetime to go, we have already created so many memories. I cant wait to create so many more...