summer's on its way!

Memorial weekend kind of seems to be the kick-off of summer, and ours was great! We spent the weekend in Abilene just soaking up some family time. Always fun and needed!

How cute is this girl?! Oh how we love her.

She's crazy about her Grammie and G-Pop! I think she had a good time at their house. In fact, we all got a little extra togetherness because my parents' A/C went out Sunday night, (what timing!) so Rob and my dad installed a window unit on the fly in the master bedroom, and all 5 of us slept in there. HA! Family slumber party! I should have taken a picture.

We came home Monday...Jaqs is a little traveling rockstar! She's made the trip to Abilene twice now and has mostly slept the whole way. Bless her! And it's a good thing because we'll be making several more road-trips this summer :)

Sweet Pea was so worn out she fell asleep while having dinner with mommy and daddy!

Baby girl and I are SO ecstatic because today is daddy's last full day of work for the school year! He has half-days the rest of the week, then he's all ours! WOOHOO! After the craziness of track season and Spring football mayhem, we are all ready for some serious quality time. Of course, we'll still have to give him up for summer work-outs and 7 on 7, but we can handle that. We're looking forward to lazy mornings, fun in the sun, a family trip, and simple pleasures like just having dinner together! Oh sweet summertime, you're just what I need!

my new "job"

It's official, I put my resignation into work to be this sweetheart's full-time mama!

I'm so thankful for the opportunity to stay at home with her, and she seems pretty happy with it too!

 The weeks are already flying by, and I'm grateful that I don't have to miss a minute!

She discovers new things all the time...like her mobile! Listening to her coo and watching her arms and legs flail with joy is the sweetest thing. Baby girl is loving her hands too :)

 It's been my dream to stay home with my baby for a long time, and I'm blessed to have a hubby that supports that! It wasn't really even a question to him; we would just make it work.

I know it won't be an easy job, but neither is being a mom that works outside the home. Some days will be more challenging than others, but they'll certainly ALL be worth it. This is already been the best "job" I've ever had, and we're only 7 weeks in! I'm so excited to spend my days with my girl.

DIY burlap cork-board

There is a huge wall in our living room that has stumped me since we moved into this house. The builder intended for the TV to be mounted there, so there were outlets halfway up the wall. Well, I could not get our furniture arranged in a way that was cohesive with that plan, so I was left with a very large, empty wall.

before

It finally hit me to make a cork board of sorts that I could change photos, printables, etc. out regularly. After all, we have a baby girl that is changing by the day now!

So I ran the idea by my mom, and we put my plan into action.

Supplies:

insulation foam board (the blue stuff at Lowe's) - we cut ours down to about 3'x5'

rolled cork (the thin kind)

spray adhesive

burlap

Cut the foam board down to necessary size with a box cutter, adhere the cork to the foam, then adhere the burlap to the cork. It's important to pull the burlap tight and smooth it as you go or you'll end up with a bubbly mess. You don't get many chances with spray adhesive...it works fast! 

I can hardly take credit for the construction of this little project...my mom and dad did most of it! All I did was print out pictures and gather the supplies to put on the board.

after!

I found the prints on Pinterest, of course! 

The number five represents our anniversary (July 5th) and our baby girl's birthday (April 5th). It just may be our family number now!

The cross, "G", numbers, and football sign all came from HobLob.

Let me let you in on a little secret...Office Max is the place to get pictures/prints printed off! It's super cheap! Definitely the most inexpensive place I've come across anyway. I love a bargain!

 I may fill it in a little more, but for now I'm happy with what is on it!

I'm so happy to finally have this wall filled! It's been bugging me for the last year. I also love that we can change it out easily and inexpensively...this will allow me to change pictures often if I want to and be able to add seasonal prints/decor. Fun!

Hope you like it! :)

Linking up with Simply Kierste:

baby smiles

Some time between weeks 4 & 5 Jaqs began to intentionally smile at us! 

It is the sweetest thing I've ever seen, 

and we'll do just about anything to get these grins out of her :)

They keep getting bigger every day...

 We love you, silly girl!!

As always, we're pretty happy it's the weekend! Hope yours is great!

Mother's Day Weekend

Mother's Day was obviously very special for me this year as it was my first! I'm so thankful that I get to celebrate this day now, and being a mom has only made me that much more grateful for my own momma. I hope to be everything to Jaqs that my mom is to me. She's my best friend, the person I call for advice, the one I cry to and laugh with, and so much more! She's simply the best! We had a fun weekend just being together...family weekends are good for the soul!

we love Grammie!

1st Mother's Day with my girl

love my family <3

momma with all her kids

dad was here too!

Jaqs hanging with her Uncle KB

and with her Auntie Cole

 Sunday morning was lazy...I was up early, of course, feeding the baby girl, then we all just lounged around for awhile. My dad and Rob served my mom and me 'breakfast on the couch'! Way easier than breakfast in bed, if you ask me ;)

gluten free blueberry pancakes & fruit

My parents had to leave around lunchtime, so it was back to my family of three for the rest of the day. We spent a lot of time just hanging out and cuddling with Jaqs!

no she's not eating...lol

We also got out for Sonic happy hour a trip to Target. That was about the extent of our productivity for the day! No complaints here, that's for sure.

Jaqs' Mother's Day attire? Ha!

rough life this little girl has!

We then spent the remainder of the evening cheering on Kim in the Survivor finale! I mentioned before that she's the daughter of the head coach Rob works for, and we've been rooting for her all season long. Well, no surprise...SHE WON!!! She was definitely the most deserving, no doubt about it...she played the game well, and we are so happy for her! I can't wait to see what comes of this for her. Way to go Kim!!

this moment

If there's one thing I've learned from parenting so far, it's that you savor every moment. Time passes us by so quickly, and seeing a baby grow before your very eyes only magnifies that. Right now, one of Jaqs' favorite places to cuddle up is right up on mommy or daddy's chest, and I soak it up every single time. I breathe in her precious baby smell and try to lock it away to a place in my mind that I'll never forget. I admire her tiny fingers and toes...memorizing them because they'll never be this little again. I stroke her soft little head, and kiss her cheeks and her perfect, angelic lips a thousand times over...because someday, she won't let me do that anymore. I never want to forget these fleeting moments...

For they are the sweetest of my life. I feel overwhelmingly blessed in this moment...

This moment where schedules don't matter, the crying has long been forgotten, and our world seems to be in perfect harmony. This moment where I cry the happiest tears because I'm overcome with the love I have for you, baby girl. There's truly nothing better than being YOUR momma, Jaqsy girl. I'll love you forever.

.....now, will you go to bed just a little easier tonight? :)

baby must-haves

When I was pregnant, I always loved reading baby must-have posts from other mommas, so I thought I'd compile a little list of things we've loved so far!


Aden + Anais Swaddlers - These swaddlers are wonderful! They're stretchy and BIG, so you can get baby wrapped up nice and tight. They're made of thin, breathable muslim so baby doesn't overheat which is important for reducing the risk of SIDS. Bonus? They're cute!

Summer BabyTouch Digital Video Monitor - I have to say I love this thing! Originally, we had decided on a sound and movement monitor, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought I'd like the peace of mind that seeing Jaqs in her bed would provide. Boy am I glad we went this direction! After a couple nights in her Pack & Play in our room, we learned that Jaqs was much happier in her crib, so she's been in her room ever since. This monitor has made that a lot easier on mom and dad!

Dr. Brown's bottles - Jaqs gets a pumped bottle sometimes, and these are the best! We've had no gas or nipple/flow confusion with them. There are several parts to clean, but I say it's worth it if it keeps baby's belly calm!

Chicco Cortina KeyFit 30 Travel System - We really love this travel system! It has impressive safety reviews and is easy to install. The car-seat clicks in and out with ease, and the stroller seems to provide a pretty smooth ride. We went with a gender neutral yellow so it could be used for future kiddos as well.

Pampers Swaddlers Diapers - We only tried these and Huggies, but we much preferred the swaddlers! They seem to fit so much better. Plus, the Huggies had a very chemical smell that I was not a fan of putting on my baby's bum.

NUK pacifiers - We tried a few different types of pacis, (Soothies, Avent) and these were the clear favorite. We didn't force the paci thing at all, and at first Jaqs wasn't a big fan...that is, until the NUK came along. She LOVES these things! We try not to shove it in her mouth all day and don't let her sleep with it, but for that evening fussing, these things seem to calm her in a way that we can't. Darn you, paci!

Graco Swing & Bouncer Duo - We got a 2-1 to save space, and this swing has definitely been enjoyed so far! Jaqs usually takes one of her naps in it during the day. We haven't used the bouncer separately yet because baby girl is kind of small for it, and she slides down, but she'll definitely fit into it a little better soon.

Aquaphor Baby Healing Ointment - We mostly keep Jaqs' bottom slathered with this to repel moisture and prevent diaper rash, and it's worked wonders so far! It makes clean-up easy for those sticky poos in the early days, too, so pack it in your hospital bag ;)

P.S. - the Target brand works just as well.

HoMedics SoundSpa White Noise - This white noise machine is awesome! It has several sound choices including mother's womb plus a picture projection for older babies. We didn't want Jaqs to require silence for sleep, so hopefully this is helping us to achieve that. It seems to be soothing and calming at bedtime and for her longer afternoon nap.

These are just a few of our favorite things so far! I'm sure we'll add to and change this list often, so maybe I'll update what we're loving on occasion!

1 month!

What a month it's been! Jaqsy girl, you've rocked our world, and we couldn't love you any more! On one hand, it doesn't seem like a month could have already passed, but on the other, daddy and I feel like we've known you forever. Funny how that works, isn't it?

We're (obviously) still getting the hang of this parenting thing, but we're getting there! We question ourselves daily, but in the end, we always go with what feels right. We just want the very best for you, baby girl. I hope you'll always know that!

At one month old:

• You're a pretty good little eater! You are very enthusiastic for the first 10-15 minutes, then you start getting sleepy and I have to work at keeping you going. Talking, rubbing, diaper changes, cold washcloths...we've tried it all! Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. You've gained almost 3 pounds since you were born though, so I know you're probably getting enough :)
• Your sleeping has gotten much better in the last week or two...we're ALL happy about this! Your last feeding comes sometime between 10 & 10:30, then we swaddle, rock, and get you down between 11 & 11:30. You'll then sleep until 3 or 3:30 and be back down 30 minutes later until 6:30 or 7. You usually take another nap after your morning feeding until about 9. The rest of the day is hit or miss. We're still working on that! You will take at least 2-3 more naps though.
• Your fussy time is definitely in the evenings. After your 4 p.m. feeding, you're usually content to play on the floor and "talk" with your animals for awhile before the fussiness sets in. Sometimes you'll cat-nap, but it never lasts more than 20-30 minutes during this time. You'll eat again at 7 p.m., and we usually try to keep you more awake then so you'll be sleepy for bedtime. This time is almost always spent in our arms because you tend to cry a lot ;) We just haven't figured out what else to do yet. You'll also sneak a cat-nap or two in during this time.
• You are really developing a little personality! We love to listen to you while you coo at your animals on the floor. Daddy encourages you to "box" them, and you've really started to swing and bat at them. Make him so proud!
• You are beginning to enjoy bath-time a little more, thankfully! We always do your bath right before that last nighttime feeding. We only use soap every other night so we don't dry your sweet baby skin out! You HATE getting lotion afterwards. My goodness, I can't imagine that it could be so bad! Seems like it would feel pretty good, if you ask me ;)
• You take a bottle like a champ! You suck them dry every single time. We've recently started giving you a pumped bottle in the evenings to speed up the bedtime routine a bit. This allows daddy to feed you, too!
• You are definitely a paci-baby. We don't let you have it to sleep because I don't want you to wake up every time it falls out, but we do use it to calm you to sleep sometimes. You pretty much have it the whole time during your fussy period.
• You can hold your head up so well! You've been doing this since you were born, actually. It made me a little nervous at first, but you're just getting stronger every day! We'll get more serious about tummy time soon, but for right now I count you laying on me and you lifting/moving your head back and forth as tummy time. You'll also do this on your Boppy sometimes.
• You love to be on the move! In the car, riding in your stroller, swinging, and walking around in our arms seem to be some of your favorite activities. 
• You REFUSE to have your arms swaddled! This has been another thing we've known since the beginning. You like to sleep with your arms straight above your head :)
• You are wearing newborn diapers, but will outgrow them very soon! You are also still wearing newborn clothes with some 0-3 month things in the mix. It just really depends on the outfit. You are definitely too long for your newborn sleepers, though! I think you're going to be a long girl!

We're loving watching you grow and learn, sweet girl! You are such a blessing to us, and we just can't get over how CUTE you are! Of course, everything you do is funny or adorable! You make us so proud, angel baby. We're SO grateful for YOU!

the sweetest day...the birth of our Jaqs!

It's hard to find the words to express your emotions about a day where your life is forever changed. A day that your heart swells to an unknown capacity to love. A day when you love your husband more than you ever knew possible. A day where you really get an inkling of the love our Heavenly Father has for us, His children. A day when a miracle occurs.

That day for us was April 5, 2012.

Our baby girl made her way from my belly into my arms, and I don't want to forget anything about it! That day is engrained in my mind (and heart) forever.

So there's your warning, this post is quite wordy ;) Proceed with caution.

Leading up to that day, everyone at work had been joking about how I wouldn't make it through the week. My parents and I had decided that Thursday would be the perfect birth day for Jaqs because of the holiday weekend. Rob had a track meet, but other coaches had already stepped in and offered to run it. I had gone to the doctor Monday, and I was dilated to a 3 and 50% effaced. He told me that first-timers could be that way for awhile, but that he still wouldn't be surprised to see me by the weekend. Throughout my pregnancy I had wanted so badly for Jaqs to be here for Easter, but we weren't going to induce early for that to be possible. We wanted her to have plenty of time to come on her own. At that point, I was feeling like we'd probably make it to our due date of April 10th. I had had some "signs" of impending labor, but they had been occurring for a solid week, so I didn't want to get my hopes up.

I went to work that Wednesday like any other day. I was feeling great and in such a happy mood because I knew the next day was my last day of work before baby. I even got off early, so I decided to wander (read:waddle) around Target with some popcorn and a drink before heading to the grocery store to get supplies for that night's Survivor party with friends. While I was at Target (around 4:00) I started having some tightness in my stomach. It wasn't anything super intense, but it felt different from the Braxton-Hicks I had felt before. The "tightness" continued while I grocery shopped, so I had started to monitor if there was a pattern. The contractions were coming about 20 minutes apart. Rob had a meeting for the track meet the following day that night, but I called him and told him to keep his phone close by because I just had a feeling something was going to happen. I also called my mom and dad to tell them not to be too far from their phones because they might be making a trip to Temple very soon. 

I went home, made a salad for the party, and rested for a bit before heading over to a friend's house for our weekly Survivor dinner and watch party. While I was there, the contractions continued, and my girlfriends started timing them for me. They still weren't painful at all, just uncomfortable in a I-can't-sit-normally kinda way. I was also extremely hot. It felt like my body temperature had gone up 10 degrees. The contractions were coming about 15 minutes apart.

After the party, I came home to my hubby, and we decided it'd be best if we tried to get some rest. I still wasn't completely convinced I was actually in labor. We laid down around 10:45, and the contractions were still coming about 15 minutes apart. I could not get comfortable, and it almost hurt to have to get up out of bed, so I decided to get up and walk around. All of the sudden, contractions went from being 15 minutes apart to 3-5 minutes apart. I continued to time them for an hour before waking Rob up at midnight. I updated him on what had happened during his nap, and he said we needed to go to the hospital. I told him I could wait a little longer and that I didn't want to go up there only to be sent home. He wasn't having it, so we packed up our bags in the car and headed out. That drive was really exciting for us. We were so anxious to meet our girl!

We arrived at the hospital just after 12:15 a.m. and began the paperwork to get checked in. Rob had to do it all because sitting was so uncomfortable for me. We waited for what felt like forever, but really it was just about 30 minutes before we were in our triage room. They hooked me up to the toco monitor to watch my contractions, and they were indeed coming quickly. I continued to breath through them, and my pain was definitely manageable. While I was laying there waiting to be checked Rob and I heard a loud POP and I felt a huge gush. Yep, my water broke while laying there! Rob ran out and told the nurse, and when he came back I just remember telling him "YAY! They can't send us home now!" Haha, they had to keep us until Jaqs was born now! :) Rob called my parents, and they hit the road at 2 a.m. to meet their sweet grand-girl. The OB came in and checked me, and I was dilated to a 5. 

I was then ushered to our labor and delivery room where they hooked me up to more monitors and got my IV going. While the nurse was setting everything up I got the urge to push. She told me to try not to and that we'd go ahead and get the epidural ordered so I'd have time to enjoy it and maybe even sneak a nap in. I felt like I could wait longer, but went ahead and decided to get it anyway. Might as well get some rest, right? Ha, so I thought. While we were waiting the nurse asked us what time we thought our baby girl would be born. Rob said he thought it'd be about 5:30 a.m. to which the nurse replied, "Well that's optimistic!" The anesthesiologist came in and got me all fixed up. Honestly this was the hardest part of the whole labor and delivery. Leaning over a big, round belly while having intense contractions and feeling like a baby may fall out at any moment is not easy! The actual procedure didn't hurt, but breathing through contractions while being still is kind of a task. At least, it was for me.

After the epi was in place, the OB on duty came by to check me, and we were all shocked to discover I was at a TEN! Holy cow! Thank goodness they gave me the epi first or I wouldn't have gotten it at all. At that point, everyone left our room to call my doctor and get things ready for delivery!

Rob and I took those last few moments of "just the two of us" to pray for God's protection and guidance as we begin this road to parenthood. We prayed for a safe delivery for both Jaqs and myself. That was one of the sweetest moments in our marriage to date. Ah, makes me tear up just to think back to it!

Dr. F arrived around 3:30 a.m., and I began to push at 3:45 a.m. This part was actually kind of funny because in between my contractions, we just chatted away about all kinds of things with my doctor. He's great like that! He made us so comfortable throughout my whole pregnancy and delivery was no different...how awesome that was! He and the nurses encouraged me and coached me through each push, and before we knew it Jaqs was born!!

She arrived at 4:14 a.m.

Hearing that first cry was amazing...a moment I'd waited for for so long! I can't describe how I felt, really. Unfortunately, Jaqs had poo-poo'd in her amniotic fluid, so she had to be checked out by the NICU team before I could have her. Those 15 minutes were like torture!! Thank goodness it was all done right in our room, so Rob was there with her, and I was close by, but all I wanted to do was hold my baby girl!

My heart almost burst out of my chest when I was finally able to get my hands and lips on her...she was (and is) a perfect blessing. I instantly fell in love with this little being! Rob felt the same way, of course. We could not be grateful for this tiny angel!

 Due to Jaqs' quick delivery and amniotic fluid issue, we had to stay 48 hours in the hospital to monitor for infection, and actually, staying that extra night was great because it allowed us some extra rest!

 We finally got to go home on Saturday afternoon and show Jaqs her new digs!

 Home sweet home for our family of three!

And so begins the rest of the story....