Colin's Birth Story

On Tuesday, October 27 at 8am Jason and I checked into the hospital.  I was a mess that morning - nervous for the surgery, but mostly anxious about leaving Jack and how he would handle this big change.  As soon as our nanny walked in the door that morning I burst into tears.  It's funny because I actually had almost the same experience right before leaving our house to have Jack, but my anxiety and tears came from leaving Tucker {our chihuahua}!

One last bump picture the morning of the surgery!

As soon as we checked in, the amazing hospital staff took my mind off of these worries.  First the check-in nurse was so friendly and talkative and then our wonderful nurse.  We did all of the normal stuff that I remembered from last time...changing into the hospital gown, IV, lots of paperwork and questions, blood-work.

We were supposed to have the c-section at 10am, but things were running behind.  The time passed fast with the family that was already up at the hospital.  My mom, dad and stepmom and Jason's moms were all there and hanging in the room.  Telling stories and being silly.  My mom brought some gorgeous flowers to cheer up the room.

I was getting nervous about the epidural.  It wasn't a big deal the first time, but for some reason I was still nervous about it.  I met the anesthesiologist and really liked him.  Finally around 11:30 I walked to the OR with my wonderful nurse to get started.  Jason would join later after my epidural was done - standard procedure just like last time.  I said bye to all of our family as I walked to the OR, another different experience from last time.

Once in the OR, everything went so smoothly.  I saw my doctor who I loved and we talked about the "Glen episode" of The Walking Dead from that past Sunday.  Every nurse and assistant who was in the room was so warm, reassuring and helpful.  Once the epidural was done, I felt great about everything, happy and relaxed.  At one point I thought I was going to be sick, but I told the anesthesiologist and he gave me medicine to make it go away - which it did within seconds.

At exactly 12:00 p.m. Colin came out screaming!  His loud cry was so reassuring to me that he was alive and well since I couldn't see him yet.  The downside of a c-section is that you can't see your baby right away since you are strapped to a table with a big curtain from your neck down.  While they are checking on the baby and getting him measured, etc. you are being worked on and stitched up.  Jason was able to see him immediately and took lots of pictures.  He kept bringing the camera to me so I could see him.  Finally they brought him to me for a short minute and I was in love.  He looked nothing like what I was expecting which was lots of dark hair and basically just a similar version of Jack.  He didn't look like me or Jason, but was a perfect little, beautiful baby doll.

Pleasantly, I was able to see him within the hour (another different experience from Jack which took hours to see).  He was the perfect baby.  He nursed so naturally and perfectly from the start.  The next two days were great.  I made sure to stay on top of the meds so I was never in terrible pain.  For some reason I was worried that a c-section the second time around would hurt worse and be a harder recovery, but it wasn't, maybe even the opposite.

I walked when I was supposed to and all the docs and nurses said I was a rock-star.  I took a shower the second day when all of my tubes and IV's were out and even gave myself a blowout and did a little makeup (more than I can say for the first time around). 

The afternoon of the first day, Jack came up to the hospital to meet Colin.  He was perfect.  He was excited, sweet and understanding that mommy was in bed and couldn't get up.  I was nervous that he wouldn't want to leave the hospital without us, but he was great.  I think he was just having so much fun with my mom that he was in heaven.  I'm so thankful to her for not only keeping him those two nights, but making it so fun for him that he wasn't upset.

Jack brought Colin a balloon and a stuffed animal and wore his Big Brother shirt.  He loved his gifts too from Colin especially the digital camera!

Jack came back up for a short while on Day Two and again did great.  We took some pictures and let him hold him.  What an amazing moment!

We met with the amazing Lactation Consultant on Day Two.  I just wanted reassurance that all was okay since we had the help there at our disposal.  She gave me some tips and products but said Colin was a champ!   I was not in much pain this time around, yay!

Colin wasn't thrilled to leave the hospital either and showed us by spitting up all over his precious going home outfit when seconds of putting it on!

We stayed in the hospital for two nights. I almost wanted to stay another night just for the pampering - everything is brought to you including meals and your baby!  I probably could have stayed another night if I would have insisted, but the docs and nurses seemed confident that I was good to be released and I knew Jason was anxious to get home and I missed Jack so home we went to start out life as a family of four!

We went home on Thursday, 10/29 and were greeted by this gorgeous sign by Sassy Storks!  Jack joined us and we spent the next few days getting adjusted and celebrating Halloween.

You can read Jack's birth story here!

Baby Shower Planning Tips

Happy Monday!  Is there really such a thing?  I'm trying to make my Monday happy for several reasons:

1.)  The Bachelor "Women Tell All" is tonight and is going to be so, so good
2.)  I'm rocking my comfy blardigan in the office today
3.)  After attending the Thrive Blog conference this weekend my wheels are turning and my head is spinning, but in a really good way.  I have lots of ideas to improve this little blog of mine and met some really great people!

Today I'm over at Houston Moms Blog sharing some tips for Throwing a Baby Shower.  Although some of it is focused on showers in Houston, most of the tips can be applied anywhere.  I hope you will stop by and leave a comment...either about baby showers or what you are doing to make your Monday suck a little less. 

Houston Moms Blog :: Delayed Milestones

I'm over at Houston Moms Blog today talking about our experience with delayed milestones and all the fun that comes with it like the snarky comments and worried looks.

 

Hope to see you there - and please leave a comment on the post if you have experience with this topic!

Thoughts on Thursday :: Flying With a Toddler

Last week we returned from a wonderful family vacation in Estes Park, Colorado.  As I've said before, what I was most nervous about was Jack's first flying experience.  I think what I was most worried about was him throwing a crying fit and not being able to console him...and being stuck with annoyed passengers and hateful stares. 

I can tell you that while it was not 100% smooth-sailing, it was not as bad as I had imagined. 


What type of seat to purchase for your little one?

I posted a question on Facebook to all of my experienced mommy friends about whether or not to purchase Jack his own seat on the place or to opt to keep him on my lap since he is under two.  The feedback was pretty mixed so we did a compromise of sorts.  We had Jack on my lap, but in business class for extra space.  Turns out this was a great decision during one of Jack's meltdowns when I told them to keep the wine coming.  Seriously though, the extra leg room was great for when Jack got restless.  I was able to put him on the floor at my feet with the iPad.  Saved our sanity! 

Final advice on this topic:  Trust your gut on what will work best for YOUR child.  It really depends on their personality.  Take into account the length of your flight also.  Our flight was just over 2 hours.  Anything longer and I might consider a separate seat. 


To check or not to check?

I came across many differing opinions on this one.  What to do with our stroller and carseat.  We needed both for our Colorado trip.  Some people suggested services where you can rent these items, but I hated to spend money on things we already had.  Plus, Jack was already going to be in a new place.  I figured having the items he was used to and comfortable with might be nice to have. 

We ended up checking the carseat (Chicco Nextfit) and gate-checking the stroller (City Mini GT).  I was 100% happy with both decisions and offer the following advice:

-  Give yourself a refresher on installing your carseat in different types of cars.  We had a car pick us up for the airport so between that, my parent's car and our rental we moved that thing more times than I care to count!

-  Make sure you are comfortable with your stroller too.  Can you quickly break it down and put it back together?  

-  Purchase a nice cover for your carseat.  While this is not mandatory to check a carseat, there are a handful of reasons to do this.  1.) Protect your precious and expensive carseat, 2.) Germs, 3.) Easier to carry!  Our case had rollers and straps to carry like a backpack, as modeled by Jason below. 

-  Purchase a cover (cheap is great) for your stroller to gate-check.  We used this cheap cover to throw the stroller in.  Again, this is not mandatory.  Most other people we saw gate-checking their stroller did not have a bag.  I was so happy I did though because on our first travel day it was raining cats and dogs.  While everyone else's stuff came out soaking wet, our stroller was protected.  Our bag also came back with some grease on it.  I figured better on the cheap bag than the stroller itself! Another tip: consider buying 2 of these for your trip.  One for the trip up and one for the trip back.  Lots of reviewers online said that since the bags are cheap they often get ripped or torn.  Ours just came back dirty, but I'm now prepared for the next trip!

Finally - if you are using a City Mini Stroller, don't buy the "stroller bag."  It won't fit.  The car seat bag was a perfect fit for the City Mini...what would we do without online reviews!  A classic umbrella stroller would fit the stroller bag. 


What to bring on the plane?

Way too much in our case, but I figured it was better to be safe than sorry.  We gate-checked the stroller (City Mini for walking in Colorado) so we had something to put Jack in while we strolled through the airport.  Lifesaver!  Jack isn't walking yet and is HEAVY.  {Yes, you read that right that my 16 month old isn't walking...that's a whole other blog post}.  Defensive much, Chelsea?

Back to the topic - aside from gate-checking the stroller, we carried:

-  Purse {Louis Vuitton Neverfull}
-  Diaper Bag {Petunia Picklebottom Backpack}
-  Jason's Carryon Duffle {Jon Hart Daytripper}

The purse had all of my normal essentials {wallet, lipstick, hand sanitizer, phone} but I also threw in the iPad, gum, book, magazine and all of our flight info.  At the suggestion of something I read online, I also had a copy of Jack's birth certificate in case we got questioned about his age since he was sitting on my lap instead of a seat.  No one ever asked for it. 

The diaper bag had all of my normal essentials {read those here} plus LOTS of snacks, his favorite sippy cup and blanket, toys, and some medicine just in case: Tylenol, Benadryl and saline nose drops. It was nice to have the backpack while going through the airport.

Jason's carryon had more snacks, formula, change of clothes for Jack, and even more distraction {toys} for Jack.  I also threw in this blanket at the last minute which I'm glad I did...it came in handy when Jack wanted to sit on the floor of the plane!  I even ordered Jack a few new toys before the flight thinking new toys would hold his attention longer:  Flash cards, Sketch Board, and Take-Along Shape Sorter.  He loved them all although I think Jason liked the sketch board more than Jack!

What to wear? 

When I dress for flying I think comfort, varying temperatures and ease for security.  You never know if you are going to be hot or cold and you definitely want comfortable shoes for those long treks through the airport. 

I opted for Leggings, Animal Print Flats and a 3/4 length Tunic.  It was perfect.  Comfy and easy, but I also didn't look like a slob when we arrived. 

For Jack, I put him in some camo stretchy pants, short sleeve polo and a hoodie.  All by Carter's. 

Other tips:

-  If you are traveling with someone else (especially your significant other) make a plan ahead of time of who will handle what.  This always helps me and Jason avoid stressful situations.  He was in charge of bags and paying attention about where to go.  I was in charge of stroller and baby. 
-  Overprepare
-  Organize your purse and bags ahead of time and make sure important items are handy
-  It's worth bringing your little one's comforts from home
-  Snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks
-  Sense of humor!!!

Good luck if you have a trip coming up!  Thanks for stopping by.  Did I miss anything? 

DON'T FORGET!!!  Tomorrow is the last day to signup for the scarf swap!!!

--

I'm linking up today with Annie and Natalie today for Thoughts on Thursday. 

 

 

What's In Your Bag?

Ashley and I are so excited to share what's in our bags with you today!   I opted to show you what's in my diaper bag as I often use it for my purse so I'm not constantly switching bags.  This is why it was so important for me to find a diaper bag that looked like a purse and didn't scream MOMMY.  I didn't want to run out the door to a work meeting with a bright, floral backpack.  It's hard enough being taken seriously sometimes in the male dominated industry I'm in.  I don't need cutesy things drawing attention to my gender!    

Bag Details: Burberry Diaper Tote Bag

I love this bag for so many reasons.  I love that it doesn't scream diaper bag!  The material is nylon so it is all wipeable and easy to clean, but the straps, and bottom are durable, real leather.  I use the two shoulder straps, but that bag also comes with a detachable long cross-body strap.  It comes with a removable changing mat and has lots of compartments to be organized including 2 great side compartments. 

I was very adamant about finding a tote because I love that you have easy access to grab anything out of the bag without worrying about flaps, zippers and clasps (although there is a zipper on this bag if you want).  I'm used to carrying this bag as my purse so I knew I would love this style.

For Mommy:

• Sunglasses
• Wallet (Kate Spade Outlet): similar here
• Small Makeup Bag for essentials only like powder, lipstick and Chapstick 
• Pen
• Nursing Cover
• BabyGanics Hand Sanitizer - love that this stuff is alcohol free
• iPhone
• Optional (Items that I throw in only when needed): Business or Mommy Cards, Camera, iPad

For Baby:

• Diapers (I use Pampers Swaddlers)
• Wipes galore: Pampers Sensitive, Boogie Wipes, Johnson & Johnson Hand and Face Wipes, Pacifier Wipes...can you tell I'm a new mom!  Really the two most necessary are the Hand & Face Wipes and the Pampers wipes. 
• Diaper Rash Cream - I use Dr. Smith's
• Teethers:  Sophie and Life Factory
• Toys:  Jellycat Cordy Roy Gator (small), Angel Dear Lovie, Oball, Crinkle
• Burp Cloths - I love the Aden + Anais Burpy Bibs
• Change of clothes
• Hoodie
• Pacifiers: a WabbaNub add an extra Soothie
• Diaper baggies
• Optional (items I throw in only when needed):  Nosefrida Nasal Aspirator, Saline Nose Drops, Tylenol, Swaddle Blanket, Shopping Cart/Highchair Cover

  Now it's your turn!  1.  Write a post showing us what's in your bag...purse, diaper, makeup bag: anything! 2.  Grab a button (below) and link back to both of our blogs 3.  Add your blog to the list below 4.  Visit everyone's post and leave comments to make new friends 5.  Join the conversation on Twitter and Instaqram using #whatsinyourbag   <a href="http://www.ashleyandwentzel.blogspot.com"><img border="0" src="http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/ee323/abouwer/LinkUp300_zpsc303d5cb.png" height="150" width="150"/></a>  

Kid Tested, Mom Approved Link Up :: {Go-To Gear}

Today is the last day of the Kid Tested, Mom Approved Link-up Party.  This has been an awesome series.  I've discovered some fabulous new blogs and found tons of new ideas for Jack.  Today's post about go-to gear is hosted by Vanessa of Sunflower State of Mind.  If you don't already read her blog, you need to.  Her daughter Arden is beyond precious and Vanessa is a fellow Pi Phi sister!

Go-To Gear: Having a baby means your life can get taken over by stuff! What gear is on your must-have list?

Only four months in, but already with a long list of favorite baby gear items.  Read about my One Month Favorites list here.  Today I will share our Two - Four Month Favorite Items!

Two - Four Month Favorites

 

Fisher Price Swing - Originally we only had a Mamaroo for Jack to replace the need for a bouncer and swing {plus Jason just thought they were cool}, but we ended up buying both the Fisher Price My Little Snugabunny Bouncer and Swing.  Even though Jack does like the Mamaroo, he prefers the classic (and cheaper) bouncer and swing.  Before you go judging and think I have tons of money to throw around, I found the swing used on my neighborhood For Sale site for a fraction of the cost...I even bargained down more and in perfect condition!  If Jack ever won't fall asleep at night, this thing does the trick!

 

 

 

Baby Bjorn {Air Mesh Version} - Everyone raves about the Ergo Baby Carrier for the comfort, but I heard they were very hot.  Since we live in Houston I opted for a Baby Bjorn with breathable mesh.  I have no complaints except that this thing still gets hot...can't imagine how hot the others are without the mesh.  Jack seems very comfortable (usually falling asleep while in it) and so am I.

 

 

 

Eurobath - We moved Jack to this tub after he outgrew his Puj Tub and the transition was a dream.  he loves his bath time more than anything.  This tub grows with him and still supports his tiny body until he is able to sit up unassisted on the other side of the tub. 

 

 

 

Bumbo Floor Seat - At first Jack wasn't a fan, but now he loves to look around at things while sitting in his Bumbo.  My only complaint is that the leg holes are really tight on Mr. Chunk's legs.  He doesn't seem to mind though. 

 

 

Fisher Price Musical Gym - Jack loves playing on this mat and watching the musical mobile.  Great for tummy time too and so very, very soft. 

 

 

Evenflo Exersaucer - We just introduced this to Jack, but he LOVES it.  So much to see and play with.  I have fond memories of putting this together while I was bored and supposed to be on bed rest during my last week of pregnancy. 

 

 

Aden & Anais Sleep Sacks - A great replacement for swaddle blankets once baby gets bigger and is sleeping in their crib.  I love the Aden & Anais Sleep bags since they are made with the same breathable muslin material as their blankets.  Jack gets hot easily and I don't want him to overheat at night..especially in the summertime. 

 

 

 

Babies R Us Jungle Joy Music & Motion Soother - This item is part of our bedtime routine.  Jack falls asleep to the lights and sounds of this every single night.  It seemed to keep his attention when we transitioned him to his crib so he never seemed scared or lonely.  Love it! 

 

 

Twilight Turtle Constellation Nighlight - This guy is also part of our bedtime routine.  It worked the first night so we use it every night now.  It adds a pretty glow to the nursery of stars and moons that will automatically shut off after a certain amount of time. 

 

 



Capturing Jack's First Year of Life :: {Studio Ainsley}



 Maca, the photographer extraordinaire {and baby whisperer} of Studio Ainsley came over to our house last week and took pictures of Jack.  We are working with Studio Ainsley to document Jack's first year of life.  It is CRAZY to see how much he has changed from his newborn session just four months ago. 

 

The best advice that Maca gave us when we were planning when to schedule pictures was to photograph the milestones rather than by the month.  This particular session documented Jack lifting his head up.  The next one will be scheduled when he can sit up independently...whenever that happens. 

 

If you are having a baby soon, I recommend finding a photographer who you feel comfortable working with during that first year: from maternity to the first birthday.  If you are in Houston, I highly recommend using Studio Ainsley.  They have the cutest studio, friendliest staff and will come to  you...how convenient!  They do a formal presentation of each session you have.  These always feel like Christmas to me!  The team assists you from planning the session to wardrobe questions to choosing the right images for how you plan to use them.  They just take extra special care of you and your family...I mean Maca gave me a bag of Cadbury eggs (my absolute fave) at my maternity session presentation.  She gets me. 

 

Check out their website, read their blog and follow on Facebook so you can learn about specials and upcoming holiday mini-sessions!

 

See images from our maternity and newborn sessions!  Jack will have quite the portfolio by his first birthday. 

How is this the same baby???

 

 

I almost cry looking at these images every single time.  Love. 

Thank you Studio Ainsley for capturing our most precious moments.