4 Months

My baby boy is 4 months old.

I have absolutely no idea how this happened. It seems like we just brought him home last week. I guess they were right, it does go by way too fast.

He is:

-incredibly happy most of the time

-loves to smile

-makes at least a gallon of drool a day

-squeals in delight when I tickle him

-goes to bed around 7ish most nights

-still swaddled and won't sleep without it

-weighs 16lbs 7oz and 26.5" long

-loves to stand and already has great balance

-no longer hates tummy time, just doesn't like it for more than 5 minutes

-sleeps in his own room now, which makes me sad. I miss him at night!


I:

-absolutely love being a mom. It really is the best thing ever.

-am crazy busy with classes and still trying to figure out how to be a grad student and mom

-getting back into running and finally starting to feel like myself physically

-hate when we're out in public and complete strangers touch my boy. How is that ok?

-still love breastfeeding for a zillion reasons and really hoping it continues to go smoothly

-officially back in my pre-pregnancy jeans. Tight squeeze, but hey I'm in them.

-dreading the shorter days and already missing summer.

-only have 4 weeks of Invisalign left!

-can't stop kissing my boy.

Flat Head Destiny

Is it really possible for a baby to get a flat head if he stays on his back too much? 

Lately I've been worried that my little boy isn't getting enough tummy time and will end up looking like a weirdo with a flat head. This all started when my mom insisted he takes naps on his side in order to prevent a weird shaped head. Well I tried that and he somehow manages to wiggle his way back to flat on his head almost every time. 

So that leaves me with tummy time, right? 

He HATES tummy time. Seriously HATES it. He'll handle about three minutes or so then he starts crying like I'm torturing him. It isn't fun for anyone and eventually I give in. 

Really, check this out:

                                                On tummy = angry baby.

                                                  On back = happy baby.

Oy. What's a girl to do? Is my child destined to have a flat head?

I Love Lucy

Today I celebrate my idol's 100th birthday.

"Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world." Lucille Ball

Lucille Ball stole my heart at a young age. I was hooked on that fiery red head from the first time I watched her crazy antics on I Love Lucy. I loved her spunk, rebellious attitude and zest for life. She pushed the boundaries with her ambitious attitude and never settled until she got what she was after.

When I was 10 years old I plastered Lucy memorabilia all over my bedroom door. I was obsessed with her.  Imagine my excitement when I discovered we shared the same birthday: August 6th. This had me completely convinced that we were kindred spirits. (Anne of Green Gables style.)

So cheers to you and happy birthday dear Lucy. Thank you for inspiring me to color outside the lines. I'll eat an extra piece of cake for you.

"I'd rather regret the things that I have done than the things that I have not."

25 years of Life.

The year 1986 was a good one, Reagan was president and gas was .89 cents a gallon. The Oprah Winfrey show made its television debut and Michael Jackson's "We are the World" was named song of the year. It also happens to be the year I was born.

This Saturday is my 25th birthday. I can't believe I've already lived 25 years of life. How is that even possible?

Just ten years ago I was a freshman in high school. My braces were finally off and I was feeling moderately confident about myself. I was about to start dating the star of the football team, the guy that would eventually become my husband. I hated math class. My obsessions were tanning, celebrity gossip, and basketball. I spent the summer working my first "real" job at the local bank. I drove my first car, a 1994 Toyota 4-Runner, all over the country-side while jamming out to Sheryl Crow and Jewel. I couldn't wait to move away from my home town, a super small farming community, for the big city.

Five years ago I was just starting college and a woman on a mission. I wanted to finish my degree in two years, which I did accomplish thanks to all the college courses I took during high school and summer breaks. I taught exercise classes at the campus gym and was obsessed with bubble tea. I loved my internship working with juvenile offenders and found a passion for politics and government.  I wasn't sure what to do post-college, but I wanted a career helping people in need. I was interested in human rights and my big dream was to one day travel to Africa. I was still dating the same guy from high school and completely ready to get married. I didn't care about being young, I knew he was the one and I was anxiously awaiting a proposal.

Fast forward to 2011. The Lord has blessed me with the most perfect baby boy ever and now I'm a MOM. It is the best thing in the entire world. I can't believe how much love I have in my life.  I married my high school sweetheart, who is now a detective. I fulfilled my dream by volunteering in Uganda, an experience that sparked a new passion for supporting the education of girls and women in developing countries, which is why I'm now a researcher for She's the First. I'm studying for my masters while working part time in orthodontics, which is great because I get to spend most of my time with my sweet boy.

Life is pretty grand at twenty five. I've never been happier.

I wonder what I'll be writing in 2021.

Birth Story: Part Tres

I have to say I felt like a failure in some ways. I always planned on going natural. I kept up with kickboxing and exercised at least four times a week throughout the pregnancy. I considered myself pretty tough. Hubs assured me it was the right thing to do and was actually relieved to see me out of pain. (Getting the epidural was somewhat surreal. I'd seen it done on the Baby Story a hundred times and always thought of it as something I wouldn't experience. Turns out it wasn't that bad. Compared to the contractions it was cake.)

Life got a whole lot better after the epidural. I was relaxed, happy, and able to really take in the experience. It actually worked out nicely because I got to experience contractions and what labor really felt like, but also got a little time to relax without the horrible pain. It was a good combo. 

So after maybe two hours the Doc came in and checked me again. Finally, I had reached 10cm and it was time to push. The nurse did a few practice pushes with me and showed me how to get it done. She commented on how strong I was and said baby would be out in 30 minutes easy. I remember hugging Hubs, we were both so excited to meet our baby and find out if we were going to have a son or daughter. 

Pushing was much easier than I expected. I think this is where all my exercise came in because I felt very strong. The Doc kept saying how impressed she was with my pushing and I felt like a superhero. After maybe 30 minutes the head began to crown. Hubs told me there was a full head of hair and I was so happy. I wanted a baby with loads of hair, so this was absolutely amazing to hear. He was so encouraging throughout all of this, telling me how awesome I was doing and how proud he was of me. It was an incredible bonding experience and one I will cherish forever.