A Weighty Issue

I am trying with this blog to present life and all the things surrounding it in its true light. I need to be better about letting people see the real me, instead of the girl trying desperately to keep it all together. This post is a reflection of my true fallen and real self. Life has been a joy being a mom. I love being at home and I love my baby girl. One thing has been keeping me down....or up rather. My weight loss after having baby Penick has come to a screeching halt and will not budge. I realize this is normal to hold on to some extra weight while breastfeeding, but it is seriously depressing stepping on that bathroom scale and realizing no matter what I do, i will not be able to change this until next June when my baby turns 1(my plan is to try to nurse that long). I have tried running, eating less, eating more....and nothing works. This weight issue probaby wouldn't be half as depressing if I didn't know that my mom, who only gained 17 lbs. with me, immeadiately went down to her pre-pregnancy weight and fit right back into her clothes. Apparently, that skipped my DNA. I am not trying to use this to whine, so if it has come across that way, I apologize. I would like to know if anyone else has had this issue and what happened in your experience. I think I feel like people are snickering behind my back about how I look now. Is this normal? Has anyone else had these experiences? This is one post I would love lots of comments on....let me know what you think:)

Extreme Couponing

A couple of weeks ago, I woke up to find an envelope on my bedside table with my name on it....obviously written in my husband's handwriting. I opened up the envelope where I found a bundle of coupons made by my sweet spouse. These coupons are to be cashed in for family time, alone time, etc. I was so surprised and blessed by this sweet and simple gift. I can't wait to cash in my first one! Which one should I use first?

It's Greek to Me!

I have a new fave breakfast...greek yogurt and granola. It is soooo good! Greek yogurt is supposed to be better for you...it's got less sugar, more protein, and a bit of a strong flavor. Less sugar and more protein is always good, especially if you are a nursing mama! I would suggest eating a flavored variety if you want to try it; the plain was a little much for me the first time. I like granola better with this than with milk. My personal favorite is the dannon oikos rasberry flavor. Try it and see if you like it! Yogurt wishes and granola dreams to all of you!

To write...or not to write....

Sorry for not writing lately. In my postpartum state, I'm having trouble deciding wht to put on here. What do people really want to know and what is just mindless chatter or whining..or wanting to look cool....so I've just froze and done nothing. I'll try to figure out with trial and error. But I know posting pics of my baby is always is a win.

Sounds and Smiles

Two of the milestones that you are supposed to see around six weeks to eight weeks are smiling and cooing. While we were out of town (look for the story on our vacation in the next post), baby girl started smiling for us, and not just because she had gas. Is there anything more precious than seeing your baby smile at you? It makes those long nights seem like nothing! The cooing followed a week after that and it looks like we have a talker on our hands:) I know it will keep getting better, but I am loving this stage. Here are some pictures of her smiling...however almost all are blurry. Still haven't mastered the trick of catching her at the right moment.

Loss of control

So, I have a confession to make...as a former teacher and a fairly organized person, I like to be in control...I love making lists and doing things to make my family's life run more easily. I loved the nesting phase of my pregnancy b/c my house was so organized and clean. And then came baby, and the Lord decided to teach me a lesson of dependence. I am in control of nothing...my energy level, my baby's moods, my emotions, my body, my appetite; it is all out of my hands. I really thought that after two weeks, I would have gotten into the swing of things, but as we head into the fourth of week of life with baby I feel like I am slowly returning back to normal, and that normal is not the normal I knew before. I think like with many other things, I want to get this right the first time, and if I can't I get frustrated. The Lord continues to show that He is ultimately in control. So even if my sweet baby girl hasn't learned how to sleep through the night, my God is still all powerful and knows what I need before I ask. The lesson in faith continues day by day....everyday brings a chance to learn more reliance on the Lord instead of my own strength. More updates soon:)

A Baby Story

We have celebrated one week of time with Charlotte. She is so sweet and good most of the time; the only time she gets really fussy is when she is hungry...she takes after her mama in that way. It's been great to have Cole home this week and have together time, just the three of us.

I thought I would take the chance to tell you about our baby's arrival. Last week, I was involved in a elementary music workshop for four days. Even though I won't be teaching next year, I still have to keep up my professional development if I want to keep my license current. I wasn't going to do the workshop, but I had a very good friend who convinced me that it would be better for me to get more professional development hours instead of staying at home, waiting for Charlotte's arrival. So I went to the first two days of the workshop. The morning of the third day was going involve a lot of movement activities...nothing that hard core, but movement nonetheless. The workshop was at the U of A. I joked with some friends, one of whom was due a week before me, that all the movement would put us into labor that night. Well, I got my wish; while at lunch in the union, my water broke. I felt like I was in a sitcom. So few women actually have their water break at all let alone in a public place. Three of my music teacher friends sprung into action...two walked me to go get my stuff from the band building and the other went and got her car. I called Cole and had him meet us at the BCM on the U of A campus.

Cole and I then hightailed it to the clinic to make sure it was my water that broke, with a short stop at home to grab our hospital bags. When we got to the clinic, I was checked by the nurse practicioner, who said it was definately my water that broke and that I was dialated to a three...I had been a one on Monday. We were then taken downstairs where the hospital actually is....our hospital is a women's clinic and hospital in one. We were put in triage b/c the hospital was CRAZY busy. Not long after I got hooked up to the monitor I started having contractions. At first, I told the nurse that I wasn't sure about getting an epidural. I really wanted to experience natural labor if I could stand it, but an hour later I was singing a different tune. I told the nurse I wanted an epidural. Not long after that, I started getting sick, b/c I had just finished eating lunch before my water broke. It was miserable trying to relax your body for a contraction, but being in so much pain that you can't help but tense up b/c you're about to be sick to your stomach. The clinic was so packed that we didn't get into a room until 4...and by that point I was dialated to a 4.

Luckily, an hour later I got an epidural, about 5 o'clock. By this time I was dilated to a 5. After I got the epidural, they went ahead and put me on pictocin to help along my labor. Everything before the epidural is fuzzy, but after the epidural, life was good. I will definately do it again the next time we have a baby. The pain was just too much for my body to handle. My parents arrived shortly before the epidural (poor them) and Cole's parents arrived shortly after. After the epidural, we just relaxed until 7. The doctor came in and said i was at a 9...and we would start pushing in the next hour. We kicked everyone out of the room at about 7:30 so I could get some rest. That half hour was so precious for me and Cole. We went through some psalms and prayed together for the birth of our baby and for wisdom on how to be good parents. At 8:15 we started pushing and by 8:48 we had a baby!!!

We are so blessed by Charlotte already. You know when your mom tells you "you'll understand when you have your own children." She was so right! First of all, the gospel has become so much clearer. I wouldn't give my daughter as a sacrifice for anyone, so it is so much more powerful when I think about the sacrifice God made in giving his ONLY son. Charlotte depends on me and Cole for everything. Sometimes she doesn't like what we do, like changing her clothes or her diaper, but it's necessary for her to be healthy. So much of the time we time, I act like Charlotte. I cry and complain b/c I don't want to experience momentary discomfort. But God, in his sovreignty, knows what I need...more than I could ever know. What a lesson that I know I will keep learning through the years.