Oh yeah, Christmas....

Yes, there was Christmas day in the recent haze of days.

Since Lee and I didn't really do gifts, other than the camera and the baby and all, it ended up being a pretty sparse gift year.

Donald was sweet and got me a necklace holder for the dresser. He gave Lee some long sleeved shirts, a hoodie, and some pj pants for his new Dad uniform.

My mom and Tony and us didn't do gifts this year. Their gift to me was letting me sleep while they took a night shift here and there (OMG it was awesome!) and they baby sat so Lee and I could go on a date. How long were we gone?

And hour and a half.

We tried.

Lee's family still wanted to do gifts. So over to their house we went.

By the way, everyone out there who is about to have a baby or will have one by Christmas next year, when you show up somewhere with a baby - you are chopped liver. It's all "Oh hi, glad you are here, good to see you! GIVE ME THE BABY!" and then you don't see the baby for hours.

Unless it cries, then it magically appears before you.

I snapped a few photos of people opening gifts:
Kelly - loves to fish - got some tackle:Laura and Justin flew in from Seattle. I gave her a chunky necklace from Anthropologie (not pictured) and Lee got Justin some beer glasses...
Kelly gave their dad a book and a homemade bookmark:
And Kelly gave Lee some beer mugs:I was given some books and other odds and ends. Lee's mother received gifts as well but I didn't get any photos of her opening them.

I also didn't get any "family" photos. Drats.

My grandmother couldn't help herself and sent gifts with my mom when they passed through Palestine on the way here. Boy was I excited to see about 8 or so of these!

Mason jars! And not just any Mason jars - ones with Dogwoods and Palestine on them. Palestine has a pretty exciting trail of Dogwoods that attracts many visitors every year, and of course a cute little festival to go with it. These have the dogwoods on one side and the 1986 Dogwood Trails info on the other.

I grew up drinking out of mason jars and up until now, I only had one in the house. Anytime I went to have a glass of {sweet} tea, I was hunting this one jar down.
My grandmother found a set of them in an antique store in town and grabbed them for me!

So now I made room for them next to Lee's new array of beer glasses (that he special orders from Dogfish Head). Woohoo!

It's the little things, huh?

Thankful...

Wait, it's not Thanksgiving, the Thankfulness-season is over right?

I mean tomorrow you pack away all the shiny Christmas decor (except the outside lights that didn't get put up this year... AGAIN), your house goes back to every day boring, and the holidays are O-V-E-R.

So you don't have to be Thankful anymore, right? And New Years Resolutions are kinda of old news too - who actually follows through?

So, I am going to break the trend here today. I am thankful as all get out this morning.

Maybe it's the extra sleep that Logan let me get last night (he did so good!)

Maybe it's the coffee and the Oh's.

Maybe it's the 4 day weekend with my hubby...

But man I am a happy chick this morning.

I am thankful for my healthy, squirmy, silly, handsome baby boy.

I am thankful for my healthy (he did great at his physical!), funny, handsome, supportive, sort of patient husband.
I am thankful for my family and friends.

I am thankful that Preston is being a super tough little man. I seriously can't wait to meet him, maybe only second in line to his own parents. Read updates here: Pineapples N Pickles

I am inspired by this blog: Reagan's Blob
Which also makes me thankful.

I know it's easy to step into selfish mode.
*whine* I am tired all the time!
*whine* I don't know why he is crying!
*whine* I don't get to cook dinner anymore!
*Whine**whine**WHINE**WHINE*

So if there is a resolution to be made, and kept, it will be to be less selfish. Lee and I are selfish folks. We like our time alone together. We like our wine and good food. We don't do anything that we don't want to do. Pretty much ever.

But now, with Logan, you can't be selfish anymore.

So what you don't get 10 hours of sleep anymore? (right?)

I read this book last night (at like 2am) about how you need to enjoy the first few months of new baby because when you look up and he is 1 year old, destroying the house, terrorizing the dogs - you won't even remember the stupid crying you did at 3am when all you wanted to do was freaking sleep in your own bed -you will be chasing this kid around while he squeals and discovers things.

And life will rock.

This post was random. Maybe I need more coffee?

One month already

Tomorrow Logan will be 4 weeks old. It has gone by fast in some ways, and slooooow in others (like - sleep...)

I can't believe how much he has already changed. For one, he is FINALLY outgrowing Newborn sized clothes. Size 0-3 still are big but he is starting to fill them out.
When Mom and Tony were here - Tony put Logan on his knee, bounce him up and down, and would sing:

Ride the little pony into town
Ride the little pony don't fall down!


He loved it!

I am not so good at it. I need practice.
Also - don't ride the pony right after a bottle... you know?

The days all run together, truth be told. My favorite days are when Lee is home too. I am glad Logan was born in the Holiday season because I got more of those weekdays with Lee.

He isn't the best sleeper, but we have figured out some tricks and I am finally sleeping in 3 hour stretches, awake about and hour and a half in the middle of the night (around 2 or 3). Sometimes he sleeps great in his bassinet, but others I am on the guest bed with him in the crook of my arm. From what I have read, they aren't spoiled or develop habits until after 4 months, so if this is what it takes to get sleep from time to time - then that is what I will do!

Things are getting easier, and we can't wait until that first smile and giggle.

Logan's House & Paranoid Parents

When you decide to have a baby, you think about how cute it will be and how much you will love it, etc etc.

Then you start gathering all the "stuff."

Crib, dresser, changing station, etc.

OK -cool, now we have a nursery. Cute!

Then the showers start and the STUFF starts pouring in. Swings, bouncy chairs, toys, clothes, etc.

Ok - cool, put it all away in the cute nursery.

Then - the baby comes.

And the STUFF explodes into the house. The reality is that you don't want to isolate yourself in just that one room. Feeding, changing, shh'ing to sleep - all in the same room makes you feel very left out and alone.

This is my living room now:Swing (a.k.a LIFESAVER), random baby mess on the coffee table (toys, drops, Advil and coffee for mommy). Bobby lounger (another lifesaver, he loves that thing).

Burb cloths everywhere, bassinet in front of the wine cabinet (my how things change huh?) Dogs sleeping..

The kitchen has even been impacted:
Bottles, bottle warmer, bottle drying rack.. Now, this is after my night routine, where I make the bottles before I go to bed (for the first time around 11:30pm) so that all I do it get up at 2:30 and 5:30 and throw a bottle in the warmer. I haven't quite cleaned up my night mess.

For the record, pumping and bottle feeding is... challenging. But I know it's worth it.
At least I found a use for the wasted space behind my sink... great place for the drying rack!

Also - when you decide to have a baby - you know there will be some level of worry. There is nothing in the world that prepares you for this kind of worry.

Every book and online publication talks about SIDS. They all try to ease your fears and tell you that as long as you don't have huge fluffy blankets and he sleeps on his back - you are probably fine.

Ask us how many times we have either poked this poor baby in the middle of his super still nap, or how fast I whipped out of bed and checked on him last night when I woke up to find he had slept an hour longer than normal.

On top of that, we were told by the 5pm news that crib bumpers are a no-no. They are bad when the baby starts moving around the crib b/c of suffocation, but also before that because they trap carbon dioxide in the crib and less fresh air gets in.

So now...No bumper. That super cute bumper with the trains on it..

Added benefit is that I can see him pretty easily from the doorway -
(that blanket is tucked very snugly around his lower body, and he is swaddled beneath that...)
Today is his first time in the big crib since a few days after we brought him home. I am trying to transition him back into that room. It's a little cooler back there but since he is gaining weight I wanted to give it a shot during the day. He so far has taken his entire nap back there this morning!

That bassinet may get put away soon..
Am I ready for that?

Not really. He is growing fast! While I long for a good nights sleep, I still can't believe how fast he is growing. He looks way less newborn and way more like a little boy!

First Real Bath

Until the umbilicle cord falls off, you can only sponge bathe the baby. Since Logan's fell off 2 days ago, we were able to give him his bath today, submerged in warm water!
At first he was a little freaked out, but then he calmed down. I am sure he will grow to love bath time. We have toys already in the closet ready for him to play with!
Lee is just glad we have a used for our bath tub, other than bathing dogs (which we also did this morning). I am telling you, that tub will help us sell this house. But that's another story.

Brace Yourselves

Awhile back I posted about Lola's favorite toy in the whole world, Froggie.

Warning: The photo below is graphic in nature and you may want to make sure no children are around before you view it...

Froggie is no longer with us.
The story from Lola and Teddy is that a pack of wild dogs, much like those on A Christmas Story, ran in the house and killed him.
I came home from dinner to find him... no longer whole..


Froggie's lower half is still around, but I couldn't take seeing his head laying around and disposed of it.
Lola, at this point, seems a little unfazed.
She is such a little trooper...

Little Monster

We are in the middle of a growth spurt. And in the beginning you don't know what it is.

Why is he fussy?
Gas?
What's going on?
Why isn't he SLEEPING?

Finally you figure out he is hungry (and gassy) and you feed him more and he starts sleeping again.

We finally got it right and he slept in 3 hour stretches last night, it was awesome! I am watching him because I think I may need to increase his intake a little more than the 1/2 ounce I already did. He seems to still go after that bottle even when it's done.

I thought since he was being a little monster I would take a picture of him in his monster towel:
Babies are cute so that you forget about the non-fun things :)

My tree's story...

With all that's going on these days, it hasn't felt a whole lot like Christmas... I mean the tree is up and beautiful - but it's almost like a really awesome nightlight most of the time. I mean, being up at 3am feeding a baby while you are half awake is much better with the tree on.

Here is our tree:
Yes, it's fake. And I love it.. But it isn't pre-lit - I light it myself every year... and end up adding more lights!

I use mostly red and white, and snowflakes is the "theme", though I find myself putting less and less ornaments on the tree every year. I know in a few years it will be covered with popsicle stick ornaments hand made by little Logan.

Our tree happens to have all our "first" ornaments on it. Here is mine:
And Lee's:
And now Logan's:
There are other special ornaments on the tree as well.

Donald got us this one:Isn't that sweet?

We also honor the pups:Who also have stockings...:
(see Logan's?!)I always like to have a little something hanging out of the stockings. I haven't purchased the dog's toys yet - that will happen on my first trip out alone with baby tomorrow at Target!

The ornament that still makes me misty eyed when I hang it is Luther's - who has been gone 5 years.

Does your tree tell a story?

Already flying by..

Tomorrow- Logan will be 2 weeks old.

WHAT?

Already I think the camera has paid for itself. Mom took this photo of me with him by the tree:No makeup - nice. I am trying to embrace the no makeup while I am home. But I am trying to stay away from the 24 hour a day pony tail.

I got some awesome photos of him during his tummy time yesterday - these are no flash and I manually focused them. LOVE having that option since point and shoots just freak out when you turn off the flash...I think his hair makes him look like a hedgehog.
The cutest hedgehog ever...

I basically put the camera on the floor, focused it and just starting shooting. I can't believe how it turned out with no flash and only a little daylight through the blinds.
Now I may need to spring for photoshop.

New addiction on the horizon..

Christmas Present Debacle

Logan was born 15 days before his due date (Dec 15) and I am ever grateful. I was so terrified of having a December baby who would have those weird birthdays that ran into Christmas. I am hoping a Nov 30 bday will mean he will have birthday parties in his classroom and a little distance from Christmas to keep the two from blending together.

With Logan's impending arrival, Lee and I discussed how we wanted to handle Christmas presents this year. Both for family/friends and each other. Since a nice camera is something we were lacking and knew we needed with a baby - we decided this year we would get the camera as a gift to each other and not do individual presents. We settled on the Nikon D3100:

What I liked about this camera is that is came with a great lense and it takes HD video. We have the biggest memory card we could find and ordered a carrying case. I have gotten the hang of manual focus (LOVE!) and it take great photos without flash. Logan does NOT like flash.

I am struggling with not having something for Lee to open from me on Christmas Day. Especially since he really pulled out all the stops and got me this as my push present:

Cole Haan Heritage Weave Jade Bag

I had wanted to get him something as a show of appreciation for his patience with me throughout the pregnancy... like a Daddy push present. I was trying to incorporate his love of beer/wine. He isn't a jewelry person at all, he loves gadgets. I got him a video game for his birthday and chipped in with Donald on headphones for him to wear so that when the baby is sleeping he can still hear the game. He loved all that.
I just need something stocking sufferish to show him how much I love him and how happy I am we made this little squeaky, squirmy creature. Something will come to me. Hopefully soon...

Also - if I can't find presents for everyone on Amazon.com, it ain't happening.

Cathing my Breath

Let me tell you - those "baby blues" you hear about after you deliver - they are so real!
Friday, while we were waiting to be discharged at the hospital, the carolers came around to sing Christmas songs. What did I do? Cry.

All the frustration with feeding - cry cry cry.

Christmas commercials on tv? CRY.

But, as I have adjusted to Logan's sleep routine, I have gotten loads better. I am also super confident in my keep-him-alive skills - feeding and bathing and sleeping. That makes it easier to smile too. Tuesday of next week will be first alone day with him and I am trying to do all I can to get in a good rthym so that I don't sit on the couch freak out.

All that money we spent on the nursery? He sleeps in the living room in his pack-n-play bassinet! Seems that the bedrooms in this house are colder than the living room and he lasts about 30 minutes in his crib before he cries to be held. So you either sleep sitting up in his glider, or you sleep on the couch while he sleeps in the bassinet! He is only 25th percentile, so he is little and the Dr thinks he will sleep ok in that back room once he gets a little meatier!

This week has been full of firsts!

First Bath:First Dr Appt - they said we can take him out and about but avoid peak hours at malls, restaurants, and shopping places. We can take him out in the stroller for a little walk too. Just have to keep a thin blanket over the carrier so germs don't just land on him.

Today we will have first tummy time! He is 8 days old and needs to avoid the whole flat-head thing...

Lee likes to hold Logan on his chest:
I like to kiss his little toes:
Logan is my tv watching buddy - we watched Saved By the Bell at 6am, then the news... even a little Home Alone. I admit, some zombies too... I didn't let him watch the scary parts...

As the days go by - they get easier. But when my Mom leaves Sunday I think Lee and I will be a little freaked out!

We're home, and we're struggling....

Man... the things you dream up in your head about bringing your baby home - and the reality of what it's actually like...

Don't get me wrong, he is an awesome little tyke. Cute as a button, the hair makes me swoon - and super cuddly.

The cuddly may be a problem - however - because when you put him in his crib he wakes up 20-30 min later crying. Then you hold him and he sleeps and sleeps and sleeps. Very frustrating at 2am. Sleeping sitting up isn't fun or comfortable.

I am also struggling with feeding - which seems common with C-section babies. To give him formula at all hurts my heart but I can't let him be hungry. He is 6 days old (what!?) and I just am not there yet to give him all the food he needs. I am trying, believe me.

I have all our photos on the computer and need to take the time to sort through and add a few to the blog soon. We had the first bath yesterday and the photos are pretty fun.

This little man is just so super tiny! Right now he is in his swing and looks like a little shrimp!

The dogs are doing ok... they are super sniffy when he is out where they can see him. We put up a baby gate at the door of his room so that we can be in there without the dogs all over us. They seem the most interested when he coos and crys and makes noises. Overall they are adjusting fairly well.

I am trying to adjust and we have our first baby dr appt tomrrow so I should have news to report for sure. And it will be my first trip out of the house since he was brought home Friday. Maybe that will help my spirits...

Lessons Learned

After walking 50 miles in circles around my room today (hey it's great for circulation!) trying to comfort a fussy baby, I have learned the following things:

1. Don't touch the sleeping baby! In fact, don't even look at him too hard, it will wake him up.
After looking across the room and seeing that Logan's hat had fallen off, I went over to inspect. I tried to wiggle it back on. I got a
"wwwhhhaaawwwhaawwhaaaawhaaaaWHA!!!"

Me: "oh shit..."
I wiggled that hat on and picked him up and walked some circles, shh'ing in different patterns. He fell asleep.

2. Babies hate diaper changes.
HATE THEM. They are cold. They are not swaddled... and so they scream. You feel like everyone who walks by the room thinks you are killing you baby, but then when you are sitting and hearing all the other babies cry - you realize those are diaper changes too.

3. Go to the damn bathroom every chance you get.
Yesterday, It took me hours to get to go pee. TMI maybe but between visitors, feeding, dr's and nurses, and then my room being moved from recovery to potspartum... I didn't get to pee. And a few times today I needed to but either was eating, feeding, walking, something... now if I am up and there is nothing in my hands.. I go pee.

4. Haha @ sleep...
There is very littl

5. This is the coolest thing I have ever experienced in my life.
And boy am I in LOVE.

Even if my ear drums are shot....

Lessons Learned

After walking 50 miles in circles around my room today (hey it's great for circulation!)

It's my birthday when I say it is!

Sunday at 2am we went to the hospital with what ended up to be a "false alarm". I thought my water had broken but.. nope.





All day/night Sunday I had pains and gross things I won't go into - and went in to work on Monday.





Monday at 4:30 - gush of fluid.. Water broke!





After 26 hours of labor, not progressing, I had a c section and now we have this:



Introducing Logan Lee Nash - 7 pounds 5 ounces, 19 inches long! Born at 6:23pm.
Awesome little dude... :)

I hope you like vegetables...

Everyone is different when it comes to their grocery list. Some just put it on a small scrap of paper. Some have a very elaborate check list. Some just go off memory.

Mine is quite particular. There is only one store I like to go to. Therefore, I made a spreadsheet with each Aisle # and what's on that aisle. It even has colors.

However, I have a bit of a shorthand when it comes to what I write down. I already know in my head what I need, so I am really just reminding myself of what to grab.

For instance - Tomato Sauce may be written down as: (2) 16oz tom sauce

Ground Beef? (aka hamburger meat): 1 hmeat (means 1 pound of hamburger meat)

If i am making salads for the week, I just write down what veggies I need and grab what I think is the right amount when I get there.

(I promise my point is coming)

Today, while eating breakfast, I had a contraction.
It hurt.
A lot.
And this one Lee witnessed since he wasn't asleep in bed next to me. He rubbed my back and his eyes bugged out of his head.

After that, I gave up on breakfast and started my grocery list. While watching tv I mentioned to Lee I would go to the store while he took my car in for service. He looked right at me and said "No. you are not going anywhere alone."
Oh - you mean because of that contraction earlier eh?

I learn at 38 weeks what it takes to get my husband to grocery shop? dammit.

So while he was in the shower, I rewrote my list so that it was less shorthand. I even tried to write "next to the soup" by the beef broth, etc. Things I thought would help him navigate without me.

He only called me once to ask me something and so I figured all was ok.

When I started to unpack the bags, I noticed a few odd things...

Tostada shells? Why?
Lee: You wrote "hard tortillas."
Me: omg. baby brain. I couldn't think the words "taco shells." (see? I would have known what I meant at the store...)

Also - enough carrots to feed a stable of horses.
Lee: You just wrote "carrots." you need to write how many!!

Probably a good 6 red bell peppers, 2 heads of lettuce, and a bag of tomatoes. I am thinking a whole meal this week needs to just be a big ass salad!

I was at a loss of where to put all this stuff. Bags of chips, bags of popcorn, other inventive man shopping items.

The one thing I needed that wasn't in there?

Tupperware. (I am making extra food for post-baby).

Lee: I had no idea where that was I can wanted the hell out of there.

Ok.

Grocery shopping from now on should be interesting.

Ranch dip and carrots will be an easy snack for at least a month...

Ever So Thankful

Usually I am not a sappy person - I don't sit around and list my thankful's.

But this year, with awesome hormones raging, I will give in and give it at whirl...

I am the most Thankful for my marriage, which I honestly think is the strongest one out there.

Without Lee in my life, I just don't see how I would be a happy person. He makes me laugh, holds me when I cry, rubs my back when it is sore, listens when I nee

d to vent... he is my rock, the love of my life,... he really is everything to me...

On that note, I am so thankful for our new little addition:

Who is surely to be a big addition in the next 2 weeks:

I am Thankful for my dogs (i know it's sappy!) but they really bring a smile to my face no matter what mood I am in or what else is happening in my life:

I am super Thankful for family:

And best friends:

I am thankful for the roof over my head, which we have renovated completely:

I hope none of this seems shallow or selfish - it's just comes to mind when I think about my life. I know so many others out there have struggles and are thankful for many other things...

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Is this... it?

Last night I was acting, as Lee put it, "The most bizarre I have seen you act the whole pregnancy."
I couldn't sit still. I got up and dusted the house.
Sat down.
Got up and swiffered the floors.
Sat down.
Got up and wiped off the kitchen table.
Sat down.
Couldn't concentrate on the TV or my magazines, nothing. I was also feeling my stomach harden up like a boulder.

Finally, exhausted, I go to bed - only to wake at 12:30am with a very painful contraction that lasted a good minute and I couldn't breathe it away or roll around to make it stop. Picture me, laying in bed google-ing "Labor symptoms" into my phone. After an hour, I quit freaking out and fell back to sleep. I had woken Lee up, but he just mumbled "let me know if it's game time" and went back to sleep.

All morning I had a low stomach ache so I finally emailed my awesome nurse. She said that this could be the beginning and with first babies it can take awhile. Or it could be tomorrow. There are small changes that happen before D day and I could be feeling some of those.

*Hmph.*

So - now I have my bag packed for the hospital along with Logan's bag, and they are both by the back door on the bench. There really is nothing left to do. The to do's are done. The Thank You notes are done. The room is super done.
Apparently, the baby is "done" too and starting to show me this.

Me? I am n-e-r-v-o-u-s.

Lee? "Just let me know when it's time." *goes back to Call of Duty Black Ops.*

18 more days.

I am going to break my rule and decorate for Christmas tomorrow. I have a feeling I need to get this done!

Oh- here is my 37 week photo - a little different than my others:
I had a meeting at a job site that day and they required hard hats and glasses. I felt really silly!