And the Nicknames Are Here

Isaac and I have lovingly nicknamed each other and Nash. This actually did not just happen. This has been going on since we found out we were pregnant. Isaac is Baby Daddy (very high class) and I am Lil' Momma. I am assuming Isaac dubbed me this because I am a small person. Little did he know the whale I would become from all the water retention, thankfully he didn't nickname me at the end of my pregnancy.

Anyway.

Our handsome little Nash is The Boy. I know, it's super original. I think that Isaac came up with this and began calling him The Boy as soon as we found out, that indeed, he was a boy.

In the beginning, he was The Bean. Now, The Boy.

So, there you have it Baby Daddy, Lil Momma and The Boy................Ironically, Tia isn't The Dog, she is Pup Pup.

Nash is 2 months old!

Nash is now 2 months old and time is flying by. We are enjoying each new phase and seeing Nash grow and explore his new world. Here are a few of my favorites from this last month.

1. The smile is finally here!
2. He is a very dramatic sneezer. AHHHHHHOHHHHHH Acho!
3. He is a morning person

4. The fan! He loves the ceiling fan that goes round and round

5. Coos and little giggles

6. Those legs can kick, kick, kick super fast

7. He is on a schedule! He eats at 7, 10, 1, 4, 7, 10 and 4 am for a late night snack.

His Stats: 11 lbs 8 oz, 22.5 inches

The Breast Pump: Friend or Foe?

So, I am breast feeding Nash. This was a significant struggle in the beginning. I felt super prepared for birth, thanks to my Hypnobabies class, however no one thought to fill me in on what I was in for with breastfeeding.

One thing that I purchased was a Avent Duo Electric Breast Pump to help bring my milk in and since I plan to return to work before I wean my kid, this would be a necessary item.

The first time I pumped I thought to myself "Well if I didn't feel like a feeding machine before, I definitely feel like heifer now." This thing is a double pump so you attach it to both boobs and it tries to, not just retrieve your milk, but suck the ever living life out of you. I am pretty sure a breast pump could suck milk from anything with nipples, not just a lactating mother.

Now, after a few weeks of nursing, I feel as though I have the hang of it. I actually (GASP) enjoy it. Even though I thought every mother who said she enjoyed breastfeeding was the most delusional liar I had ever met. However, pumping was still a loathsome task. It just flat out hurt and felt a little degrading. I know every mother who does pump will say "Just think of your baby." Well, all I could think of was "OMG it's only been 1 minute and 38 seconds?!" So here are a few tips that I have found to make pumping bearable:

1. Use a little olive oil on your nips before you put the suckers on. Two reasons why this is effective; A. Your baby doesn't have a dry mouth, it's full of natural lube to make nursing easier B. Olive oil is a natural healing oil and will help with chaps nips.

2. Turn on the TV. I like to watch Food Network and by the time the host is on to the second dish, I am finished and have two full bottles.

3. RELAX. This is probably the most important, but tips one and two help me achieve this.

Now, that I have found the secret recipe for pleasant pumping, I can pump once or twice a day without any hesitation or the butt cringe of "OMG NOT AGAIN!!"

So, in answer to my original question Friend or Foe, for me, it's a love hate relationship. It allows for me to not have to be available to nurse (fun for a night out, not fun for a way to go back to work) It allows Baby Daddy some bonding time. It takes time away from doing something else because I have to do this.

I guess I am grateful that I have the option. So, today, it's a friend. But ask me again tomorrow, I may have a different answer.

Nash's Nursery

I had every intention of having Nash's nursery all ready for him by June 17. However, he had other plans of arriving 3 and 1/2 weeks early, so I didn't exactly get it all completed in the time I wanted to.

Now, two months later it is all complete! And I have to say, it is freakin' cute.

Sometimes, I surprise myself with my sense of style and design.

First, I started with the great colors of blue, green and orange. Then I found this fantastic fabric that had all these cute owls on it and thought that would be a really fun nursery. I really didn't know that owls were all the rage. I am sure that everyone copied me though and I was the first one to think of the owl theme. With those fabrics my very talented grandmother hand quilted his darling quilt. I mean seriously, hand stitched every inch of it and I love that he doesn't have bed in a bag bedding like most other babies.

I am so glad we bought the crib first and that the rest of the motif happened to look fantastic with it. Isaac refinished his dresser that his dad had made for him when he was born 25 years ago. I was a little skeptical at how it would look, but after a lot of hours and love, it turned out really cute.

The art work my grammy made for him. We saw these really fabulous prints on Etsy that she used as inspiration and created these wonderful mixed media pieces for his room. So darling.

I had purchased a changing table and then thought that it was a stupid piece of furniture. I mean, he would use it a maximum of 3 years. I figure after a few months we will change a diaper anywhere we need to, so really, how much use was it going to get? Then I had the brilliant idea of this bookcase from Ikea. Super cute and versatile, I could use it for a changing table, storage, decor (because of the darling green storage bins) and once he is out of diapers, it will still get a lot of use. Sometimes my genius is astounding.

The large tree with the two little owls is a decal, believe it or not! My co-workers from my last job purchased it for me as a shower gift. I am so grateful because it was more $$$ than I wanted to spend, but it was just SO perfect.

The little decor items have a story too. The fabulous orange tree on his dresser his Auntie Shante (she is one of my dearest friends) found it for his baby shower. I begged her to give it to me until she finally gave in and did! She also was kind enough to set up a lot of Nash's room while I was in the hospital birthing him. Aren't great friends worth a million?! Anyway, the little owl that is in the tree is from his Great Grandma who hand made it along with the darling owl hat. The owl hat he wore in his first photos that turned out darling.

Finally, the mobile. My mom and I had this great idea to make this mobile we saw on Etsy. We just finished it two weeks ago. Still haven't hung it yet, but as soon as he is in his crib, it will be hung.

Well, I would love to know what everyone thinks of the room.

First 4th of July

It was a really memorable and wonderful 4th of July this year. It was Nash's first 4th of July and he met a whole bunch of family that was dying to be introduce.
First, his Aunt MA came down from Idaho Falls on Saturday (this wasn't the first time he met her, but she is always excited to snuggle the little guy, and who can blame her?) She was so helpful with extra chores around the house, I was more upset to see her go than anyone. :)
On Sunday, his Great GD Laughter stopped in from California to pay him a visit.
On Monday, 4th of July, he met his Grandma and Grandpa Gerke and Aunties April and Stef. They, obviously, fell in love with him immediately and spent the entire week cuddling him and helping us with our yard. It was a dream to have the extra hands. We had a huge bbq with friends from church and family. So grateful to live in the USA and for all the wonderful people who love us and Nash.

Goodbye Extra Pregnancy Flesh

So, obviously I put on a little weight during pregnancy.

Thank God for the pre-eclampsia, because I was able to gain a mass amount of water weight that showed up mainly in my ankles, nose (I know, it makes no sense to gain weight in your nose), face, hands.......ok my whole body. The great thing about gaining a ton of water weight is you lose a ton of water weight immediately. I lost 27 lbs in the first week!

The unfortunate thing about losing a lot of water weight right at the beginning, is that is it quite discouraging when I get on the scale every day and I haven't lost 27 lbs in a week. Ok, so it's going to be a bit of battle against the flab, but I will be triumphant!!

I still have the dreadful 20 pregnancy lbs to lose, but it is on it's way off my body. Grammie took a picture of me looking down at Nash the other day and my double chin is half gone!

It was a very exciting day. Now to just get rid of the other half of it...........and fit back into my pants............and shirts........and bras. Look, I'm an optimist and I see the chin as half gone. I'll take the little victories I can get each day and keep moving forward................but I still wish I could lose 27 lbs tomorrow. Great, now I'm spoiled.

All Smiles

Today, Nash smiled at me. Not just the sleeping smile, a real response smile. My sister in law was even here to witness the event, which was quite fantastic!

I have been trying to get Nash to give response smiles for about a week now. I tickle, play, and smile really big at him desperately trying to get him to do it. His Grammie kept saying that she was SURE he smiled at her. As much as I love her, that first smile is reserved for me, so I denied that he could yet. But today was the day!!

I was changing him and kissing his darling little toes. When I smiled at him, he gave me the most precious toothless grin. It was heaven.

After all my hard work these past few weeks, that is hands down the best pay off.