Colt's Hospital Memories

After quite the roller coaster third trimester I was ready for this baby to arrive. And once he did, my very talented friend, Amie Hansen, paid us a visit in the hospital. She was able to capture some great moments on Colt's 3rd day of life.

These photos were too precious not to create a keepsake book. Amie also created a beautiful video of these photos - check it out on my Facebook page.

Enjoy!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Easter Eggstravaganza

Yesterday was a big day for this mama!

After dropping my current camera at Colt's baptism this past Sunday, I decided to invest in a new one. (Now I am in deep and must make something more out of this photography hobby.)  I am SO in love with my 60D and have hardly had a chance to even get all of my settings figured out. 

So before heading to daddy's work for their annual Easter Eggstravaganza, I dressed the boys in their first matching outfits and decided to have a quick photo shoot.

Needless to say, we only had about 15 minutes once Colt was fed and both boys were dressed, plus there wasn't much sunlight shining through the windows - not the ideal conditions for a photo session. But we made the best of it and I got a couple cute shots! (Of course, none of Wyatt with a great smile, but that doesn't really matter. To me, his beautiful brown eyes tell the story.)

And let me tell you, the love Wy-man has for his little brother is astounding. It sure makes mama and daddy proud!

By the time we finished the photo shoot we loaded the car - this mama was finally able to drive again! It felt so strange to be behind the wheel again...it had been since January 31st. The miracle in all of this was that we actually made it to the Easter Eggstravaganza right on time.

Wy-man enjoyed visiting the zoo animals and playing in the bounce-arounds (although I didn't get any photos of him during that part of the night since Colt was quite the attraction)!

But I was able to capture the bunny face painting, which was Wy-man's favorite part anyway!

The night wasn't complete, however, until we got to sit with the Easter Bunny. Can you believe how talented the bunny was to hold a squiring toddler and a newborn? And believe it or not, I was actually able to get a good photo!

Thanks Family Wellness for a super fun evening with the family - and forcing this mama to get out of the house!

Life After A C-Section

It's hard to believe it's been two full weeks since coming home from the hospital - and let me tell you, recovering from a c-section is no joke. Yes, I didn't go through labor pains (well I guess I did since I was in pre-term labor at 32 weeks), but not to the full extent other women go through.

So while I didn't have a long, drawn out labor, I did have my stomach sliced open, my ab muscles cut through and a baby pulled out of a 4 inch incision. This time around I felt so much more of the delivery since my spinal didn't 'take' from the belly button up...but I was bound and determined to be awake and witness this baby's arrival that I wasn't about to let my non-numbness have the docs put me under. I wouldn't change my decision because hearing his first cry was priceless, but as a result I sure could feel them tugging, twisting, contorting my stomach region in all different ways. (All things I didn't feel when they delivered Wy-man).

*****

I have always prided myself on maintaining my core, but you take it all for granted when you have no muscle left. Sitting up, couching, sneezing, laying down, rolling over...you name it, they all use your ab muscles - and I have NONE left.

With this baby I decided I was going to try something different than I did with Wy-man, so for two weeks now this has been my bed!!
I've become very fond on our lovely couch. It allowed me to sleep at an incline, kept me from rolling over and actually was pretty darn comfortable.

I kept Colt (a.k.a Porkchop - a name lovingly created by Wy-man when he was a wee 4 months in utero) a foot and a half away from the couch where he rested peacefully in his nap nanny (best investment EVER)!

It's been a perfect setup.

*****

While the road to recovery (and loosing the last bit of pooch I still have) will be a long one, with many sets of sit-ups in store, the past two weeks on the couch have done great things for this mama. But, I would be lying if I said it didn't have a lot to do with this wonderfully sweet and very content baby.

He hardly fusses (I think yesterday was the fussiest he has been and it was because of a little gas), and sleeps amazingly well. (I hope I am not jinxing by sharing it with all of you.) Case and point - last night we went to bed at 10:30, he slept until 3:15 before needing to eat, was back to sleep by 3:45 and not up again until 8:00 am.

WHAT?! He's only two weeks old and sleeping this well - mama was shocked yet super excited at the same time. Too bad this mama wasn't able to go back to sleep last night, so I have been up since 3:15 this morning while he slept peacefully.

Needless to say, today has been a lazy day for Porkchop and me. I decided to make the most of it and snap some photos of this handsome man. How can I not enjoy spending my day, no matter how tired, when I get to spend it with this beautiful being?!

But tonight I am making some changes. I am going to say GOOD BYE to my temporary residence and rejoin my hubby in our comfy bed. Hopefully that will take care of my sleeplessness.

And if it doesn't, I will continue to thank my lucky stars for this wonderful new life in our family - and be glad I am on maternity leave in case I need a nap!Here's to our lazy day!!

A Mom of Boys...

I must admit, when I found out I was pregnant I was hoping for a little girl...One that I could dress up in tutu's and big beautiful bows. But when we heard we were expecting another boy, those thoughts vanished immediately and were replaced with all the big bro/little bro matching outfits I could buy for my two handsome boys.

And while we have tons of hand-me-downs from Wy-man and his 3 other boy cousins, it is still fun to dress Handsome Man in outfits all his own.

This weekend is a huge weekend for us, so of course we needed clothes to fit the occasion. :) A frog outfit for his Sip & See Frog Shower this afternoon, a fun one-piece outfit for cousin Luke's birthday party tomorrow, and last but not least (actually MOST important), is his baby blues for the Baptism on Sunday morning. (And of course, the family has coordinating outfits for Sunday morning too!)
Who says little boys can't be stylish too?!

Back to Reality...

It's been a week and a half since Colt's arrival and I am finally coming back down to reality. And, I am settling into my new role as wife and mom of two quite well. (It helps that Colt is a really good baby so far!) While I am still on pain meds and unable to drive, I can at least get up and move around the house, go outside and even run errands.

So today, Mimi, Porkchop and I ventured out to watch Wy-man's swimming lessons. It felt great to be living 'normal' life again. But, I would be lying if I said I didn't have any hesitations about Wy-man and these swimming lessons he was taking through his daycare.

You see...my mom, sister and I taught swimming lessons for 15+ years as I was growing up in Joplin - everyone wanted to attend Wendy's Swim School. So between Mama, Mimi and Aunt Ashley's swim lessons since he was born, Wy-man has become a pretty good swimmer. Why send him to other swimming lessons when he has learned from the best (I know that I am biased)? :)

Well...it's because I couldn't stand to be the mom that didn't allow her child go swimming. I couldn't stand it for him to be the one back at daycare crying while all other kids got to put on their swimsuits and head to the "field trip bus" to go to the pool. So, I had to put my feelings aside and know that there might be some habits that he is taught at his swimming lessons (that I wouldn't necessarily teach), but I kept reminding myself that it's not about me - it's about a fun experience for Wy-man and being with his classmates.

Needless to say, I caved and I am glad I did. When Mimi and I went to watch today, we saw joy in him that was priceless. And although he started out shy (didn't want to blow his bubbles), but the end (and after a gentle reminder from Mimi that he needs to put his face in to show his teacher he could swim), he was paddling and kicking just like we had taught him!
Yes, there may be some small technical things we will need to 'reteach' him but that is okay. Because watching him have fun and seeing the sparkle in his eyes that we were there to watch him was well worth it. Even Mimi and Porkchop thought so too!
But...Wy-man couldn't end the morning without asking for a photo with his favorite teacher, Brittney.

PS- I know I am SO far behind on posting about Colt's birth, but I promise to do so very soon. I am often thinking about Colt lately, so I wanted to focus on Wy-man today. Come back soon for a complete update on the birth of Porkchop! And hopefully I will have more time in the coming months to make more frequent updates. :)

OH, and don't forget to check out my new rotating blog header! Thank you Amie Hansen for creating this great visual for my blog!

My New Passion

I've always had a passion for photography but never had time to really explore it, and five years ago when I bought a new camera, I thought that was time. I loved my new Canon SLR and I full intentions to buy a better lens and get practicing. Well, work and family life put that on hold and it wasn't until this past December that I finally made the lens purchase. I bought a 50mm 1.4 and it was great...but even then I wasn't brave enough to start shooting in manual.

So while I've been on bed rest I have had plenty of time to read blogs and watch video tutorials to get a better understanding on how to shoot RAW. Now I am addicted - poor Mike. ;-) But, the downfall to bed rest is that I can't get up much to experiment.

Now that I was able to keep Baby D inside for a little longer, I was yearning to do a maternity photo shoot with Wyatt. The problem was I was supposed to be resting so I couldn't really go anywhere and I couldn't take my own photos.

But my mom came through with shining colors. She volunteered to come over and snap some photos - even though she had never shot in Manual Mode...but we decided to gave it a whirl. I started brainstorming on where in the house we could get the best lighting and have a decent backdrop. I then worked to get the best camera settings and angles possible and then turned the camera over to her. We had some hiccups-I forgot to charge my camera battery, Wy-man is 3 and wasn't too interested in taking photos, I was supposed to be laying down or sitting for most of the session, and my mom wasn't familiar with my camera...but she captured some great moments regardless. Then I was able to take some of the images and turn them into something really great during post production.

While some photographers can get amazing images straight out of the camera (SOOC), I am not to that caliber yet so I had to rely on my Photoshop skills to turn these into brilliant images. And since I learned so much from other's blogs, I thought I would show you a couple of the before and afters to help people see the transitions made. I am really pleased with how they turned out!
Wy-man and I had a great time (even though our session required a few bribes), and it is so wonderful to see the anticipation in his eyes for his baby brother to arrive.
Even though most of the session took place either laying down or sitting, we did get an image or two standing. I can't believe we have made it to 35 weeks and still holding on strong!
Thanks for letting me share this journey with all of you. If anyone is interested in letting me photograph you, your children or your family, I would love to get more practice (although it will have to wait until after this baby is born). ;-)

Learning the Hard Way...

We've all heard the saying "Everything happens for a reason" which I have always believed in, but it wasn't until this past week that the true meaning fully sank in. I am hardheaded (so my family and hubby says) and as much as I am ashamed to say it, it took the risk of this baby to make me realize I needed to change my ways.

I had been having contractions but in my mind they were "just Braxton-Hicks" so they were nothing to worry about. I continued to push through them keeping up my crazy work life and working at home in the evenings/weekends to get ready for Baby D. There wasn't time for rest. I could rest once he got here.

When I went in for my weekly check-up last Tuesday (they see me every 4 days since I'm already considered 'high-risk' being an IVF patient - maybe that should have been my first clue), Mike came with me to be sure I was telling the doc the truth about my 'episodes.' Long story short, at only 32 weeks, I was already dilated to a 1 with a shortened cervix and was in per-term labor. I was to be admitted to the hospital immediately.

I spent 2 1/2 days admitted at Sanford giving me plenty of time to reflect. I came away with many serious lessons learned and maybe this post will help others learn too.

- No matter how much of a planner you are, you can't plan everything!

Because...this hiccup definitely WASN'T in MY plan!

- I have a caring, loving husband willing to give up his "to-do" list to take care of me!

Mike has always been SO caring but he showed me once again how strong our love is. He sat with me the entire time I was in the hospital unless he was playing single dad fulfilling all of the Wyatt responsibilities. This bed rest thing is probably more wearing on him but yet he hasn't once complained. Not only does he has his full time job to manage, he has to take care of me, cook dinner, clean the house, care of Wyatt, etc. etc. I sure do love him!

- Family support is crucial.

My parents were in Mexico at the time everything took place, but immediately they rescheduled their flight plans to come home a couple days early. Since they have been back, both my mom and dad have been instrumental in prepping this house for the baby. Their love and support has once again showed me what kind of parents Mike and I want to be for our two boys as they grow older. I consider myself VERY lucky to call them 'my parents'.

- The importance of an understanding employer.

Being put on bed rest for 6 weeks before this baby is due is tough for me to swallow, but having an employer like L&S and an understanding boss that has helped lift my work burden off my shoulders so I could actually 'relax' is more than I could ever ask for. It makes me appreciate my job even more.

- Dependable co-workers are key.

With a to-do list a mile long that I could no longer complete, I had to unexpectedly turn it over to my coordinator, Erin. She and the rest of the team have been great - stepping up to take on all of my work 6-7 weeks before they expected they would have to. (Thanks guys!)

- I should have gotten a pedicure. :)

I had been neglecting my feet because, well...I couldn't reach them. So as I was sitting in my hospital bed while the nurses were checking my feet reflexes every hour, I realized I should have taken 30 minutes to have someone paint my toes. I was so embarrassed at how rough my feet actually were...But at least my legs were shaved! :)

- I am lucky to live in a place where there is wonderful healthcare service.

Sanford Health was wonderful during this experience - from the ultrasound techs that first determined my 'issues', to my OB, to the Perinatologist (high-risk baby doc) that took over my case, to the wonderful "HiROB" (High Risk OB) nurses. They made me feel so cared for even when I was beating myself up over what I had done.

- Spending time with Wyatt before this baby is born is so very precious.

The past few weeks I had been saying I felt like I was a bad mom b/c I was so busy at work and unorganized at home that I wasn't giving Wy-man the quality time he deserved before this baby came. So now I have NO EXCUSE. We are cuddling on the couch reading lots of books, watching movies and spending quality time together. This is probably one of the only things that I am 'enjoying' about bed rest.

- It's only advertising (no one's dying), but man this profession in stressful!!

I have always known my job was stressful but I guess I thought I was invincible. The pressure of deadlines is what drives me to be successful (which is why I love my job), but I did find out through this that the stress isn't something I was able to handle while being pregnant.

- The importance of listening to your body.

In hindsight, for at least a week I was having signs that I should have listened to. I thought "Oh, this isn't anything, I am only 7 months along, I will just push through it." I should have listened to my body sooner and called the doctor. Maybe I wouldn't have ended up laid up in a hospital bed. So if I could give any piece of advice (to those pregnant or not), don't be stubborn or hardheaded. If something seems 'off' , investigate it.

- Counting contractions is a BIG deal.

The docs told me as I get closer to the end of my pregnancy I need to make sure to count my contractions...but I thought that was only when they are 'painful'. The contractions I was having weren't painful per se, just annoying. Little did I know that more than 5 contractions per hour (even if they are just Braxton-Hicks) will change your cervix...so for almost 5 days, I was having more than 5 an hour, and although I was tracking them, I didn't think I should call the doc since I had an appointment on Tuesday. Man was I WRONG!

- I wish my sister lived closer.

Ashley and I have always been close but this experience made me long for a hug from my sister. We might not ever live in the same town again, but knowing I have her love and support helped get me through.

- Comfy clothes, Pinterest, Girly Movies and a Good Book will be my best friend for the next couple weeks.

I am not one to sit still so this bed rest has been life changing, but I am going to embrace it since I probably won't ever have this 'me' time again. So...I am getting out all of my comfy clothes and will spend plenty of time on the couch with one of my guilty pleasures.

As I lay on the couch reflecting upon the last week (and getting mentally prepared for my check-up this afternoon), I felt it was important to take a deep dive inside this life-changing experience. It's good for me to reflect upon the lessons learn so I don't slip back into my old ways again.

Thanks for all of the thoughts and prayers this week. I am very lucky to have such caring family and friends - it has been words from many of you that have helped me put things into perspective, and for that, I thank you!