I was looking through my pregnancy journal with Eli this morning when I started feeling bad that I have yet to do something like that for Mayflower.. so I figured I would chronicle the pregnancy journey in different questionnaires throughout the next two trimesters.. and so I could compare the two.
Okay so we are coming up on week 11.. I can hardly believe it.. part of me thinks this first trimester has flown by while another part of me feels like it can't get over soon enough.. here we go..
How Far Along: 10 weeks, 5 days
Maternity Clothes: yes, started wearing my mat jeans in week 6. With Eli, I didn't wear mat clothes until 9 weeks.
Morning Sickness: oh my goodness yes, and I hate that its called 'morning sickness' this lasts all freakin day and night! Zofran has helped but is starting to lose its effect. Hoping I will be done with all of this soon. With Eli, my 'morning sickness' began around 5 weeks and lasted until week 14.. however it was mild (I didn't think so at the time) compared to this pregnancy.
Weight Gain: I actually lost weight in this pregnancy so far, but I am now up to a couple pounds more than what I weighed pre-pregnancy. With Eli, I started gaining weight quickly and had already gained 7 lbs by the end of the first trimester.. I think its going to be different this time.. that is unless I gain 5 lbs in the next week. HA!
Acne: This really surprises me.. my skin is so much clearer this time. Now that could be because I no longer live in the constant humidity of MS.. but its really nice and I will take it. With Eli I remember breaking out terribly.
Cravings: Sweets.. fruit.. cheese dip.. french fries.. pizza.. anything salty.. oh and these amazing sweet and spicy pickles. With Eli it was McDonald's cheeseburgers, french fries, bbq sandwiches, and sweets.
Aversions: Cannot stand to look at, cook, or smell raw chicken. I can eat chicken, but not if I have cooked it. And it has to be breaded or fried. I also cannot stand basil.. or the smell of Panera.I think the biggest thing is the smell of my dishwasher, it just about sends me over the edge.. I don't know what it is but I can't stand the smell of it.. and I swear I can smell it all the way from in the living room. I was the exact same way with Eli about the chicken and dishwasher smell.. except with Eli I couldn't eat any chicken until about week 14.
Moodiness/Irritability: I surprisingly have not had a huge crying spell over nothing yet in this pregnancy.. this is very different than my pregnancy with Eli. I remember crying for hours sometimes when I was pregnant with him and I just didn't know what was wrong with me. My irritability is definitely increased in this pregnancy.. anything and everything makes me mad. I do cry, but its at commercials or sad movies/shows.
Heartburn: I do have heartburn this pregnancy but I don't think nearly as bad as I had it when pregnant with Eli.. I have the reflux too, but again not as bad as the pregnancy with Eli.
Fatigue: I think this is a no brainer.. of course I am tired! I am pregnant and running after Eli all day. I would say I am more tired this pregnancy but I think thats because I could just lay on the couch all day with Eli and nap if I wanted to.. not an option this time!
Movement: none yet! With Eli I started feeling flutters around 14 weeks.. so hopefully within the next month I will feel a little something!
Aches/Pains: I keep telling my friends that have either no kids or has just had a baby that subsequent pregnancies are no joke.. at only about 11 weeks in to this pregnancy I am already having bad back pain and pelvic pressure. I didn't get any of this with Eli until close to my 3rd trimester..
Looking Forward To: Having energy and not being sick.. oh and being able to empty out my dishwasher or open my dishwasher without wanting to run to the toilet :)
Okay this is all for now, I will do another comparison questionnaire around week 20! Hope some of these answers have changed then!
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Friday, October 19, 2012
A PCS We Won't Soon Forget..
We have been Nebraskans for over a month now!! It doesn't really seem like its been that long, but oh it has.. and so many things have happened since our last post. This PCS will go down in history, people. First, lets just say we will never ever do another full DITY move ever again.
Remember a few months ago when I was already starting to pack up things in the house to get a 'head start' on moving? Yeah, even that didn't help us. I thought we were ahead for a while, but time really seemed to slip away from us, fast! Thankfully, one of our best friends from FL came up to help us, our neighbor pitched in, and then we got a huge surprise and our friend's parents decided to drive quite a ways just to help us move, oh and bring food.. thats important too! How blessed can a person get?! The help that we had was absolutely amazing and I still don't know how I can re-pay them for what they did. We all worked our butts off trying to get last minute things packed and into the moving truck.. oh thats another thing.. we rented the largest moving truck and still had major issues in fitting all of our stuff on the truck.. after playing a tetris for a quite a while.. we finally were able to fit everything on without an inch to spare. Again I say, we do not see a full DITY in our future again.
Okay, so moving on to the last night in our house in Mississippi.. I was a wreck! I went into every single room and said bye.. yeah I am sentimental like that. I came to Eli's room and lost it.. I stood in his room and sobbed.. seriously I sobbed so hard it was like it was uncontrollable... it was the room that he spent the first 8 months of his life in, the room where I slept with him and rocked him to sleep and stayed up hours on end because of his reflux and tummy issues. It was the room where we spent so many fun times decorating and planning his arrival just the year before.. I was devastated. I knew we would make new memories in our new house in Nebraska, but at that time I didn't care.. the house we brought Eli home to for the first time, we were leaving.. forever. After I had my sob fest and gained my composure back a bit.. I was okay. Brenton kept reassuring me it would be okay and honestly, I think he thought I was insane.. he told me multiple times that this was not something to be so upset over. Perhaps my severe sob fest could be explained later..
The next morning it was time to gather up all of the stuff I would be hauling in the car.. that included Eli and our two cats. We get the car packed, say our goodbyes and 'good lucks' to one another and I am off.. and another sob fest begins. Yes, another one. After what seemed like hours of crying, I decided I had to get it together.. I had my baby boy and two cats, not to mention myself that needed to get to our next base safe and sound. It was my job, and my God I would see to it that I could get it done. Fast forward to the next day when I am sitting in traffic and realize I would not be making it to NE on time to sign our lease and get our keys.. I call the management company and explain to them that I would probably be 45 minutes late and they tell me that I would just have to wait and get them tomorrow.. uhm excuse me? No, thats not going to work. I was told the latest I could make it would be just 20 minutes late.. so here I am speed racing down I-29 and my phone rings.. yep it was the management company explaining they would just have to reschedule my lease signing and for me to get the keys the next day.. I had Eli screaming in the back, two cats next to me fighting and crying, and I myself crying as well.. I pulled off on an exit and called Base lodging, they could certainly have a room for the night, right? HA! The lady informed me they were all booked but I could come by for a NA letter and receive a list of hotels that accepts pets.. awesome! I finally arrive to base and receive the letter and choose the first hotel on the list.. I get to said hotel and they have a room.. yay! By this time, I was feeling pretty accomplished! After the past crazy 24 hours of my road trip from MS to NE, and I had finally arrived with Eli still alive and well.. my cats, and myself.. yes, nothing could bring me down. Of course they give me a 2nd floor room so I had to make 11.. yes 11 trips.. I counted.. from the car up to our room to get all of our stuff we would need for the night. Eli and the cats have so much crap they need, even for just a night! Its insane. Anyways, I get back up to the room when one of my cats escapes.. this is just freakin fantastic. I am holding onto Eli who weighs 21 lbs himself and running the fastest I can down the hall to try and catch that damned cat.. I decided pretty quickly that I would not be catching up to her or being able to bend down and pick her up without putting Eli down.. mother of the year here.. I decide to quickly place Eli on the bed, lock the door and sprint down the hall to catch the cat. I caught the cat.. mission accomplished! I finally get said cat into my arms and am walking down the hall when I hear a thump and screaming.. OMG Eli had fallen off the bed! I raced back to the room and find Eli face first onto the floor.. I immediately picked him up and soothed him and after a minute he was fine. While sitting there feeling like the world's most awful mother, something was weighing heavily on my mind. For days now, I had needed to take a pregnancy test.. but with everything going on I never did get the chance. Thankfully after arriving in NE earlier, I had decided to pick one up.. good call! Okay, so lets do this.. it has to be negative.. there is no way I am pregnant.. we were avoiding pregnancy.. so this would just be impossible. I pee on the stick.. and BAM! Not even 4 seconds later.. two pink lines. WHAT?! I immediately pick up the box and look for the exp date.. this has got to be wrong.. it must have something wrong with it. After starting to have a mini panic attack.. I decide to call Brenton. Let me tell you, not the best way to announce to your husband of a new pregnancy.. I call him in a panic and he is still en route to NE with the moving truck.. of course he was very happy and in shock himself and we agreed that this would be our little secret for now. Okay.. so fast forward about 5 hours.. its around midnight and I finally have Eli asleep, the cats have calmed down, and I get into bed myself after an exhausting past few days.. I hear a knock on the door.. I get up.. its the door across from us.. and there are police officers standing outside the door demanding to get in and say they are looking for someone.. excuse me?!?! Of course I panic.. I look outside and there are 5 police cars and policemen swarming the parking lot going to each car and looking in with a flashlight... I was scared out of my mind.. here I am with my baby boy, two cats, and myself.. not to mention another baby on the way.. was there anything else that could happen.. seriously?! I called the front desk and of course they reassured me everything was fine and was being taken care of.. I stay up until the cops left and finally went to sleep.. thankfully none of the commotion woke Eli up. I awake the next morning so excited, full of joy and anticipation.. and morning sickness. The 25 minutes of sitting in the management company's office going over and signing the lease and receiving the keys to our house were the longest 25 minutes ever.. I was trying my best not to throw up and still try to pay attention and to keep Eli from wiggling out of my arms.. when he decides to throw up all over my arms.. oh yes.. this just helps the nausea. Thankfully, mama's puking was averted in the management company's office.
That pretty much sums up our PCS story.. its one I don't think we will ever forget. Moving in went much better than moving out and my in-laws came up to help us, it was very much appreciated. We really love living here, love the area, and look forward to what the future holds for us. We are also so very excited about the surprise blessing God has given us and look forward to the upcoming holidays of Eli's first Thanksgiving, first Christmas, and First Birthday!!! I can't believe I am saying that.. thats for another post.. and of course we are looking forward to May 2013 when our new miracle is scheduled to arrive.. Memorial Day Weekend 2013!!
Remember a few months ago when I was already starting to pack up things in the house to get a 'head start' on moving? Yeah, even that didn't help us. I thought we were ahead for a while, but time really seemed to slip away from us, fast! Thankfully, one of our best friends from FL came up to help us, our neighbor pitched in, and then we got a huge surprise and our friend's parents decided to drive quite a ways just to help us move, oh and bring food.. thats important too! How blessed can a person get?! The help that we had was absolutely amazing and I still don't know how I can re-pay them for what they did. We all worked our butts off trying to get last minute things packed and into the moving truck.. oh thats another thing.. we rented the largest moving truck and still had major issues in fitting all of our stuff on the truck.. after playing a tetris for a quite a while.. we finally were able to fit everything on without an inch to spare. Again I say, we do not see a full DITY in our future again.
Okay, so moving on to the last night in our house in Mississippi.. I was a wreck! I went into every single room and said bye.. yeah I am sentimental like that. I came to Eli's room and lost it.. I stood in his room and sobbed.. seriously I sobbed so hard it was like it was uncontrollable... it was the room that he spent the first 8 months of his life in, the room where I slept with him and rocked him to sleep and stayed up hours on end because of his reflux and tummy issues. It was the room where we spent so many fun times decorating and planning his arrival just the year before.. I was devastated. I knew we would make new memories in our new house in Nebraska, but at that time I didn't care.. the house we brought Eli home to for the first time, we were leaving.. forever. After I had my sob fest and gained my composure back a bit.. I was okay. Brenton kept reassuring me it would be okay and honestly, I think he thought I was insane.. he told me multiple times that this was not something to be so upset over. Perhaps my severe sob fest could be explained later..
The next morning it was time to gather up all of the stuff I would be hauling in the car.. that included Eli and our two cats. We get the car packed, say our goodbyes and 'good lucks' to one another and I am off.. and another sob fest begins. Yes, another one. After what seemed like hours of crying, I decided I had to get it together.. I had my baby boy and two cats, not to mention myself that needed to get to our next base safe and sound. It was my job, and my God I would see to it that I could get it done. Fast forward to the next day when I am sitting in traffic and realize I would not be making it to NE on time to sign our lease and get our keys.. I call the management company and explain to them that I would probably be 45 minutes late and they tell me that I would just have to wait and get them tomorrow.. uhm excuse me? No, thats not going to work. I was told the latest I could make it would be just 20 minutes late.. so here I am speed racing down I-29 and my phone rings.. yep it was the management company explaining they would just have to reschedule my lease signing and for me to get the keys the next day.. I had Eli screaming in the back, two cats next to me fighting and crying, and I myself crying as well.. I pulled off on an exit and called Base lodging, they could certainly have a room for the night, right? HA! The lady informed me they were all booked but I could come by for a NA letter and receive a list of hotels that accepts pets.. awesome! I finally arrive to base and receive the letter and choose the first hotel on the list.. I get to said hotel and they have a room.. yay! By this time, I was feeling pretty accomplished! After the past crazy 24 hours of my road trip from MS to NE, and I had finally arrived with Eli still alive and well.. my cats, and myself.. yes, nothing could bring me down. Of course they give me a 2nd floor room so I had to make 11.. yes 11 trips.. I counted.. from the car up to our room to get all of our stuff we would need for the night. Eli and the cats have so much crap they need, even for just a night! Its insane. Anyways, I get back up to the room when one of my cats escapes.. this is just freakin fantastic. I am holding onto Eli who weighs 21 lbs himself and running the fastest I can down the hall to try and catch that damned cat.. I decided pretty quickly that I would not be catching up to her or being able to bend down and pick her up without putting Eli down.. mother of the year here.. I decide to quickly place Eli on the bed, lock the door and sprint down the hall to catch the cat. I caught the cat.. mission accomplished! I finally get said cat into my arms and am walking down the hall when I hear a thump and screaming.. OMG Eli had fallen off the bed! I raced back to the room and find Eli face first onto the floor.. I immediately picked him up and soothed him and after a minute he was fine. While sitting there feeling like the world's most awful mother, something was weighing heavily on my mind. For days now, I had needed to take a pregnancy test.. but with everything going on I never did get the chance. Thankfully after arriving in NE earlier, I had decided to pick one up.. good call! Okay, so lets do this.. it has to be negative.. there is no way I am pregnant.. we were avoiding pregnancy.. so this would just be impossible. I pee on the stick.. and BAM! Not even 4 seconds later.. two pink lines. WHAT?! I immediately pick up the box and look for the exp date.. this has got to be wrong.. it must have something wrong with it. After starting to have a mini panic attack.. I decide to call Brenton. Let me tell you, not the best way to announce to your husband of a new pregnancy.. I call him in a panic and he is still en route to NE with the moving truck.. of course he was very happy and in shock himself and we agreed that this would be our little secret for now. Okay.. so fast forward about 5 hours.. its around midnight and I finally have Eli asleep, the cats have calmed down, and I get into bed myself after an exhausting past few days.. I hear a knock on the door.. I get up.. its the door across from us.. and there are police officers standing outside the door demanding to get in and say they are looking for someone.. excuse me?!?! Of course I panic.. I look outside and there are 5 police cars and policemen swarming the parking lot going to each car and looking in with a flashlight... I was scared out of my mind.. here I am with my baby boy, two cats, and myself.. not to mention another baby on the way.. was there anything else that could happen.. seriously?! I called the front desk and of course they reassured me everything was fine and was being taken care of.. I stay up until the cops left and finally went to sleep.. thankfully none of the commotion woke Eli up. I awake the next morning so excited, full of joy and anticipation.. and morning sickness. The 25 minutes of sitting in the management company's office going over and signing the lease and receiving the keys to our house were the longest 25 minutes ever.. I was trying my best not to throw up and still try to pay attention and to keep Eli from wiggling out of my arms.. when he decides to throw up all over my arms.. oh yes.. this just helps the nausea. Thankfully, mama's puking was averted in the management company's office.
That pretty much sums up our PCS story.. its one I don't think we will ever forget. Moving in went much better than moving out and my in-laws came up to help us, it was very much appreciated. We really love living here, love the area, and look forward to what the future holds for us. We are also so very excited about the surprise blessing God has given us and look forward to the upcoming holidays of Eli's first Thanksgiving, first Christmas, and First Birthday!!! I can't believe I am saying that.. thats for another post.. and of course we are looking forward to May 2013 when our new miracle is scheduled to arrive.. Memorial Day Weekend 2013!!
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Good-Bye Cotton Fields and BBQ Shacks , Hello Corn Fields and Cornhuskers
This is the last blog entry before we move!! How crazy is that?? Between all of B's crazy, random, and extra lengthy TDYs.. we squeezed in some time to drive the 15 hours to Nebraska to find a house.. and when I say "squeezed in time" we barely made it.. B returned from his 2nd TDY late on a Saturday night and we were up the very next morning at 4 am on our way to Nebraska to house hunt. This is one of the very many times we feel so thankful and blessed we have such a laid back baby.. not a peep out of him. He either sleeps or plays with his toys.. thank you Lord for giving us an easy traveler, you sure knew what you were doing ;) We had six properties I had set up showings for.. we arrive in Nebraska and are just an hour away from our final destination when I start getting emails and phone calls that four of our properties we had planned on viewing were either already rented or had applications down on them and were just waiting to be accepted.. basically already potentially rented. We then contacted base housing as we figured we might just not have a choice in the matter.. found out the waiting list was really long and we would be waiting quite a while if we ended up having to choose base housing.. panic started to set in. Thankfully, one of the houses came through and we ended up getting a lovely house for our family! We are so excited and feel very blessed to soon be making our new house in Nebraska a home.
Moving day is just a short 6 days away.. for the past month boxes and packing paper could be seen scattered throughout our house.. and now today, well.. it seems that the boxes and packing paper have taken over our house. Thankfully B and I work very well together as a team and makes moving and this whole parenting thing more manageable. This is my thinking: if we can pack everything up and move 15 hours away with two cats and an 8 month old.. we can do anything. Oh and might I add I am in the middle of my next to last session of school. So in between packing boxes, feeding Eli, changing Eli, entertaining Eli, feeding/loving on my furbabies, and still trying to be a great wife and cook great food all the time to feed B (Ha! Not all the time!) I still somehow manage to make the time for school. In fact, just this week I have written five papers. Okay bragging over.. I just feel kind of good about myself that I can accomplish this and that I will soon have my degree!
As moving day is approaching, we are still waiting for B's orders. Ohh the military, you hurry up and wait. Such true words. Little did we know that we would have to be doing a crap ton of paperwork and have to meet with Colonels and other AF personnel because of my being an "exceptional family member" Wow, that really does make me sound special.. ha! Apparently my having asthma and endo/IF issues make me a part of the Exceptional Family Member Program. How lovely is that. Basically we had to fill out a bunch of paperwork and meet with doctors where they send all of my info to see if our next base has the necessary resources to treat me and if they accept to treating me. If Columbus, MS has the necessary resources to treat me.. I am 110% sure that Omaha has those resources too, just sayin. Oh and all of this could possibly take up to 3 weeks. But its okay, we are moving in just less than a week. It just wouldn't be a PCS without something stressful or crazy happening now would it? While it does make things difficult and stressful, I am really thankful the Air Force does this, they are really only trying to help me.. and that is so very much appreciated.
I can't help but reminisce about our last PCS. So much different than this one is turning out to be. I was less than thrilled at moving to MS, so the majority of the car ride was spent crying my eyes out and asking God over and over why he was sending me to such a place, because after all.. I had everything planned out some place else. Plans.. oh my.. I think God laughs every time he hears us make them. This time, I am looking so forward to starting our new life in Nebraska. I also gained a child.. the last PCS I loaded up my car and had just enough space for my furbabies in their kennel.. this time I have an 8 month old I need to fit in there some where.. someone might just have to ride on the roof.. just kidding!
So as we leave the land of cotton fields and BBQ shacks, we will forever treasure this place. We ended up actually learning to live life here, made so many friends, people we would have never met, things we would have never tried, life experiences we would have never gone through the same without Columbus, MS in our lives.. we will miss it and the wonderful people here we have come to know. We will meet again some day. The transition from cotton fields and BBQ shacks to corn fields and Cornhuskers might prove to be a bit difficult, but we are excited to take on the challenge and start creating new and exciting memories!
Moving day is just a short 6 days away.. for the past month boxes and packing paper could be seen scattered throughout our house.. and now today, well.. it seems that the boxes and packing paper have taken over our house. Thankfully B and I work very well together as a team and makes moving and this whole parenting thing more manageable. This is my thinking: if we can pack everything up and move 15 hours away with two cats and an 8 month old.. we can do anything. Oh and might I add I am in the middle of my next to last session of school. So in between packing boxes, feeding Eli, changing Eli, entertaining Eli, feeding/loving on my furbabies, and still trying to be a great wife and cook great food all the time to feed B (Ha! Not all the time!) I still somehow manage to make the time for school. In fact, just this week I have written five papers. Okay bragging over.. I just feel kind of good about myself that I can accomplish this and that I will soon have my degree!
As moving day is approaching, we are still waiting for B's orders. Ohh the military, you hurry up and wait. Such true words. Little did we know that we would have to be doing a crap ton of paperwork and have to meet with Colonels and other AF personnel because of my being an "exceptional family member" Wow, that really does make me sound special.. ha! Apparently my having asthma and endo/IF issues make me a part of the Exceptional Family Member Program. How lovely is that. Basically we had to fill out a bunch of paperwork and meet with doctors where they send all of my info to see if our next base has the necessary resources to treat me and if they accept to treating me. If Columbus, MS has the necessary resources to treat me.. I am 110% sure that Omaha has those resources too, just sayin. Oh and all of this could possibly take up to 3 weeks. But its okay, we are moving in just less than a week. It just wouldn't be a PCS without something stressful or crazy happening now would it? While it does make things difficult and stressful, I am really thankful the Air Force does this, they are really only trying to help me.. and that is so very much appreciated.
I can't help but reminisce about our last PCS. So much different than this one is turning out to be. I was less than thrilled at moving to MS, so the majority of the car ride was spent crying my eyes out and asking God over and over why he was sending me to such a place, because after all.. I had everything planned out some place else. Plans.. oh my.. I think God laughs every time he hears us make them. This time, I am looking so forward to starting our new life in Nebraska. I also gained a child.. the last PCS I loaded up my car and had just enough space for my furbabies in their kennel.. this time I have an 8 month old I need to fit in there some where.. someone might just have to ride on the roof.. just kidding!
So as we leave the land of cotton fields and BBQ shacks, we will forever treasure this place. We ended up actually learning to live life here, made so many friends, people we would have never met, things we would have never tried, life experiences we would have never gone through the same without Columbus, MS in our lives.. we will miss it and the wonderful people here we have come to know. We will meet again some day. The transition from cotton fields and BBQ shacks to corn fields and Cornhuskers might prove to be a bit difficult, but we are excited to take on the challenge and start creating new and exciting memories!
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
A Tiny Town Eli Will Always Call Home
It really is funny how such a small town can have such an impact in your life. Amory is a very small town about 40 minutes north of here and holds a population of about 7,000.. I think that is even smaller than the town of Carrollton for all of my friends and family back in MO :) Now thats saying something ;) Anyways, this tiny town in northeast Mississippi really holds a special place in our hearts. So, as I was driving out of Amory today after seeing Eli's doctor for the last time.. and the town for the last time.. the tears started rolling. Now I would consider myself an emotional person, not overly emotional, but a little bit.. my husband would definitely agree with this :) I started to think back on all of the memories that the town held.. special memories and special people whom I will probably never come across in life again.. Amory is the town where I would travel twice a month for ultrasounds and infertility treatments when we learned we would not be able to conceive or carry a child on our own.. I remember the day before my last dr. visit before I conceived.. it was April 27, 2011.. it was the day an F-5 tornado destroyed much of Tuscaloosa, AL.. it was also a day of numerous other tornadoes in and around MS and AL. I remember watching the news and seeing that a very large wedge tornado was on the ground and was heading straight for Amory.. all I could think about was how I was supposed to go there the next day and get my u/s and shots and hopefully conceive on this cycle!! Obviously I was very worried about it wiping out the whole town and all of the people who would potentially be killed or displaced. Fortunately, the tornado moved at the last minute and ended up hitting the very small town just north of Amory named Smithville. It turns out it was an F-5 tornado as well, just like the one in Tuscaloosa and pretty much destroyed the whole town.. so very very sad. I ended up actually conceiving that cycle.. and we actually refer to Eli as the "twister baby". That should be a fun story to tell him later! Eli was also born in Amory.. I will always hold the lovely memories of Brenton speed racing to the hospital on that early morning of January 7, 2012.. speeding and swerving left and right to avoid hitting deer all while I was in the seat next to him trying my best to breathe through very frequent contractions and praying to God we would make it to the hospital alive :) Eli was born just a little bit after we arrived to the hospital. I had the very best OBGYN who not only helped make pregnancy possible for us, but who helped me through every part of my pregnancy and who was always there for me. When we encountered some problems in the pregnancy, he reassured me he would do everything possible to make sure baby and I would be okay.. doctors like that are very special people and are very hard to find.. the nurses in the hospital where I delivered Eli were just as nice and caring.. I wasn't forced to do anything I didn't want to do and they were there for me every step of my labor, birth, and postpartum care. I couldn't ask for more amazing care than what I received in Amory. Even after Eli was born, we would very often call the L&D of the hospital there to ask any questions we had about Eli, and each time we were treated with the utmost respect and care. Amory might be this tiny dot on a map of MS, but it is where motherhood officially began for me.. and will therefore always have a very special place in my heart.
While I will probably never see these amazing people again, I do plan on some day taking a trip down to Amory and showing Eli were his life began. And some day, when he asks me where he is from.. I will tell him, "Mississippi." Some of you may think this is absolutely silly for being sad about this.. but it is kind of upsetting leaving the area where you began your family.. we put down strong roots here and have learned to call it 'home'. God brought us here for a very special reason, and while I didn't realize it at the time.. I do now. Without some of the amazing people that God brought into our lives.. Eli might not be here today.. and for that, I am very thankful. While part of me wishes we could stay down here just for the great people and continue to get the great healthcare we have received, I know without a doubt, we will find just as amazing people and doctors in Omaha. God has a plan.. and while sometimes I want to fight it and go against it.. I have learned not to, and instead to wait on Him to show me his purpose for the new location he has decided to put my family and I in. I believe good things are waiting for us in Omaha.. and while its sad to leave some great people behind.. I have faith that God will provide a great life for us in Nebraska!
While I will probably never see these amazing people again, I do plan on some day taking a trip down to Amory and showing Eli were his life began. And some day, when he asks me where he is from.. I will tell him, "Mississippi." Some of you may think this is absolutely silly for being sad about this.. but it is kind of upsetting leaving the area where you began your family.. we put down strong roots here and have learned to call it 'home'. God brought us here for a very special reason, and while I didn't realize it at the time.. I do now. Without some of the amazing people that God brought into our lives.. Eli might not be here today.. and for that, I am very thankful. While part of me wishes we could stay down here just for the great people and continue to get the great healthcare we have received, I know without a doubt, we will find just as amazing people and doctors in Omaha. God has a plan.. and while sometimes I want to fight it and go against it.. I have learned not to, and instead to wait on Him to show me his purpose for the new location he has decided to put my family and I in. I believe good things are waiting for us in Omaha.. and while its sad to leave some great people behind.. I have faith that God will provide a great life for us in Nebraska!
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
When the Hubs is Away..
Everything that can go wrong will go wrong. I have heard this and now I am realizing that this is indeed, true. First let me explain that B is just on a TDY and is not deployed, at least not yet. So for that, I am very thankful. It's almost as if Eli knew exactly that daddy left so it was then time to start having problems that would make mama about have a mental breakdown. We have all had them, I don't care if you are Michelle Duggar or Annie Camden.. no mama can be happy and energetic 24-7.. especially when it seems like everything is going wrong and you just can't handle anything else, mentally or physically.
It all started when Eli started waking up multiple times one night, I figured it was just a random thing and he would be better the next night. Wrong! The next night, he slept a total of maybe 20 minutes. And it wasn't just him not sleeping, it was non-stop screaming. I felt like life had rewinded itself back to 7 months ago and we were just bringing Eli home from the hospital.. I started getting that same sleep deprived feeling and the hopelessness. This continued for a few more nights, it was at this point I about lost it.. there was no way I could take care of Eli to the best of my ability when I was not getting any sleep at all.. I was afraid I would get down myself and then who would take care of him?? Panic really started to set in.. not to mention I am still recovering from surgery I had about a month ago.. things were just really difficult. It seemed like anything I did would not calm him or comfort him at all.. I assumed it was teething and he would just have to cry along with some tylenol, cuddles, and paci popsicles. His screaming started turning into shrieking so I decided to take him in to the pediatrician to make sure we weren't dealing with an ear infection or anything. Thankfully, his ears looked great.. no ear infection. While I was standing there thinking that I had just wasted 45 minutes of driving to the dr and the dr.'s time, he said he knew exactly what was wrong. He agreed he was teething but also said he was having severe reflux/heartburn issues. This is not new and he was diagnosed with this around 3 months, but we were told it would get better. Unfortunately, for some reason it seems to be getting worse. He is now on a stronger med to try and help the situation.. he has his good nights and bad nights.. but at least mama is getting some sleep, at least more than 30 min to an hr in a night!
In the middle of all of Eli's reflux/sleeping problems, I am trying to get our house packed up for moving. We will be moving in the span of just over a month. Surprisingly, I have been able to get a lot packed but we have a long way to go yet. My thinking that every box packed is one box closer to being done.. at least that is my motivation to getting it all done. I am also in the process of deep cleaning our house, another thing that has to be done before we move. I figured if I started now, that in a month the cleaning wouldn't take near as much time as it normally would. Thankfully Eli can very easily play independently. I never thought I would be "that mom" that actually left her children in a swing for 30 minutes or on the playmat or jumperoo for a while.. I think every baby and every situation is different. I thought I would practice 100% attachment parenting.. although I do practice attachment parenting in some ways. Eli seems to really like it and I do as well.. it works for us and thats what matters. As long as my child is comfortable and happy in his environment and with me, thats all that matters.
Eli and packing have been a huge distraction to B being gone. So in a way, I am thankful that so much has been happening and I haven't really had more than minute to catch a breath. This has really opened up my eyes to deployment though, and I am really really not looking forward to when that time comes. It could be in a year or less, only time will tell. While I would really love to have my husband here to help me deal with some curveballs life has thrown my way, I am learning to rely on God even more than before and phone chats with some amazing friends. This hasn't been easy and I know it's definitely not the biggest struggle I will face in the military world, but it still feels so good to sit back and realize I can do all of this on my OWN. Packing, moving preparations, taking care of our 7 month old, go through surgery/other procedures, take care of our 2 cats, and still maintain my house, grades, and sanity (once in a while) yeah.. that feels pretty good. This gives me the confidence that I can get through future TDYs and deployments. I am learning to stop being so hard on myself and beating myself up for every little thing that I don't think I do 'right' as a mother or wife.. I do the best I can and pray every night for God to continue to shape me into the mother and wife he created me to be.. thats all I can do.
It all started when Eli started waking up multiple times one night, I figured it was just a random thing and he would be better the next night. Wrong! The next night, he slept a total of maybe 20 minutes. And it wasn't just him not sleeping, it was non-stop screaming. I felt like life had rewinded itself back to 7 months ago and we were just bringing Eli home from the hospital.. I started getting that same sleep deprived feeling and the hopelessness. This continued for a few more nights, it was at this point I about lost it.. there was no way I could take care of Eli to the best of my ability when I was not getting any sleep at all.. I was afraid I would get down myself and then who would take care of him?? Panic really started to set in.. not to mention I am still recovering from surgery I had about a month ago.. things were just really difficult. It seemed like anything I did would not calm him or comfort him at all.. I assumed it was teething and he would just have to cry along with some tylenol, cuddles, and paci popsicles. His screaming started turning into shrieking so I decided to take him in to the pediatrician to make sure we weren't dealing with an ear infection or anything. Thankfully, his ears looked great.. no ear infection. While I was standing there thinking that I had just wasted 45 minutes of driving to the dr and the dr.'s time, he said he knew exactly what was wrong. He agreed he was teething but also said he was having severe reflux/heartburn issues. This is not new and he was diagnosed with this around 3 months, but we were told it would get better. Unfortunately, for some reason it seems to be getting worse. He is now on a stronger med to try and help the situation.. he has his good nights and bad nights.. but at least mama is getting some sleep, at least more than 30 min to an hr in a night!
In the middle of all of Eli's reflux/sleeping problems, I am trying to get our house packed up for moving. We will be moving in the span of just over a month. Surprisingly, I have been able to get a lot packed but we have a long way to go yet. My thinking that every box packed is one box closer to being done.. at least that is my motivation to getting it all done. I am also in the process of deep cleaning our house, another thing that has to be done before we move. I figured if I started now, that in a month the cleaning wouldn't take near as much time as it normally would. Thankfully Eli can very easily play independently. I never thought I would be "that mom" that actually left her children in a swing for 30 minutes or on the playmat or jumperoo for a while.. I think every baby and every situation is different. I thought I would practice 100% attachment parenting.. although I do practice attachment parenting in some ways. Eli seems to really like it and I do as well.. it works for us and thats what matters. As long as my child is comfortable and happy in his environment and with me, thats all that matters.
Eli and packing have been a huge distraction to B being gone. So in a way, I am thankful that so much has been happening and I haven't really had more than minute to catch a breath. This has really opened up my eyes to deployment though, and I am really really not looking forward to when that time comes. It could be in a year or less, only time will tell. While I would really love to have my husband here to help me deal with some curveballs life has thrown my way, I am learning to rely on God even more than before and phone chats with some amazing friends. This hasn't been easy and I know it's definitely not the biggest struggle I will face in the military world, but it still feels so good to sit back and realize I can do all of this on my OWN. Packing, moving preparations, taking care of our 7 month old, go through surgery/other procedures, take care of our 2 cats, and still maintain my house, grades, and sanity (once in a while) yeah.. that feels pretty good. This gives me the confidence that I can get through future TDYs and deployments. I am learning to stop being so hard on myself and beating myself up for every little thing that I don't think I do 'right' as a mother or wife.. I do the best I can and pray every night for God to continue to shape me into the mother and wife he created me to be.. thats all I can do.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Seasons of Life
I am learning to accept the seasons in life better and better each time a new one approaches. I have learned God has a timing for everything and it is perfect timing.. it may not seem like it at the time but He knows what he is doing!
When we moved down to MS, never did I think I had a purpose here or that I would find any friends here. Let me tell you friends, it has turned out to be quite the opposite. I met people who have become life long friends. These friends have become family and have supported us in so many ways when no one else would. It's another life lesson I have learned, there comes a time when you realize you aren't on the top of priority lists for some people, and while it sucks and seems like it should be a normal thing, its okay.. God brings other people into our lives to fill the gaps. Today, I had to say good-bye to a special friend. This woman was the first person I met in the world of UPT and she quickly became a great friend. We were there for one another and spent countless nights staying up and talking about life.. our rough childhood, pregnancy, labor/birth, kids, husbands, cooking, and other girl talk. When our husbands were both on TDY, we were always together. We developed a special bond and I didn't think we could get any closer.. that was until she helped me and supported me through all of my infertility treatments.. and then jumped for joy with me and shed tears with me when I finally saw those two pink lines.. and then prayed for me and our "snowflake" when things weren't looking so promising.. and then helped me and supported me throughout all of my pregnancy, and then helped and supported me after I had Eli and was there for me when I was going through the dark world of PPD. She has been there for me when I had no one else.. when someone helps you bring a child into this world, you know that person will always have a special place in your heart. I am going to miss her so much but I know that God has amazing plans for us and we will meet again!
So now that the majority of our Air Force friends have moved away its becoming more of a reality that our time here is almost up.. its time for something new and to move on. We will be moving to Omaha in just under 2 months and I am beyond excited! I know that God has us going to Omaha for a reason and I know He has a wonderful plan that includes making some more amazing friends and finally settling down into a wonderful house and start raising our family. I am excited for all of that, and for my friends that have already began their new journeys.. I can't wait until we begin ours, and finally, after many years and moves, it is such a relief to have positive and exciting feelings about moving.
When we moved down to MS, never did I think I had a purpose here or that I would find any friends here. Let me tell you friends, it has turned out to be quite the opposite. I met people who have become life long friends. These friends have become family and have supported us in so many ways when no one else would. It's another life lesson I have learned, there comes a time when you realize you aren't on the top of priority lists for some people, and while it sucks and seems like it should be a normal thing, its okay.. God brings other people into our lives to fill the gaps. Today, I had to say good-bye to a special friend. This woman was the first person I met in the world of UPT and she quickly became a great friend. We were there for one another and spent countless nights staying up and talking about life.. our rough childhood, pregnancy, labor/birth, kids, husbands, cooking, and other girl talk. When our husbands were both on TDY, we were always together. We developed a special bond and I didn't think we could get any closer.. that was until she helped me and supported me through all of my infertility treatments.. and then jumped for joy with me and shed tears with me when I finally saw those two pink lines.. and then prayed for me and our "snowflake" when things weren't looking so promising.. and then helped me and supported me throughout all of my pregnancy, and then helped and supported me after I had Eli and was there for me when I was going through the dark world of PPD. She has been there for me when I had no one else.. when someone helps you bring a child into this world, you know that person will always have a special place in your heart. I am going to miss her so much but I know that God has amazing plans for us and we will meet again!
So now that the majority of our Air Force friends have moved away its becoming more of a reality that our time here is almost up.. its time for something new and to move on. We will be moving to Omaha in just under 2 months and I am beyond excited! I know that God has us going to Omaha for a reason and I know He has a wonderful plan that includes making some more amazing friends and finally settling down into a wonderful house and start raising our family. I am excited for all of that, and for my friends that have already began their new journeys.. I can't wait until we begin ours, and finally, after many years and moves, it is such a relief to have positive and exciting feelings about moving.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Eli's 1/2 Birthday!!
My sweet boy is really about to be 6 months (as of tomorrow at 2:56 p.m) Where has the time gone??? It seems like the first 6 months have flown by. Wasn't it just yesterday that I was big and pregnant just praying for Eli to make his appearance early? Just 6 months ago today I awoke feeling like I had caught the flu, little did I know I was in early labor and would be having my sweet boy just the very next day :) I thought it would be fun to compare Eli's appearance and likes/dislikes from when he was a newborn and now.
Newborn
Weight: 6 lbs 15.2 oz
Eye color: Blue
Hair color: Reddish brown
Favorite activity: Sleeping
Favorite food: Mama's milk
6 Months
Weight: 17 lbs-ish
Eye color: Blue
Hair color: Blonde with a reddish tint
Favorite activity: Jumping and playing in his exersaucer and rolling around in his crib. Also loves the nightly walks with daddy.
Favorite food: Squash, carrots, and peaches.. also likes apples.
It is amazing how much he has changed, grown, and developed in such a short amount of time. It saddens me to think that he is on the downward slope to turning a year old :( He is at a stage now where he doesn't sleep through the night anymore, he doesn't just lay around and sit still, and he is always babbling away and wanting to move around. I wouldn't have it any other way, I am learning that every stage is only for a short amount of time and is over before you know it. I think that is probably the most important thing I have learned in motherhood thus far: cherish every single moment with your child, even if they are in a difficult stage. We only have our children in our house for so long.. it is our job to bring them up the best we know how and to be there for them every step of the way.
I wanted to somehow celebrate Eli's half birthday.. after thinking and thinking of what to do, I finally thought of a great idea! Anyone who knows me really well knows that I love to bake. I decided to bake Eli 'baby friendly' cupcakes for tomorrow. Obviously he will only gnaw on them and probably shred them to pieces, but I think he will enjoy them. I am going to make carrot and apple cupcakes.. no dairy and no sugar. Completely baby friendly :) You can guarantee there will be pictures of Eli enjoying his 1/2 birthday cupcakes in a future blog post.
Now that everyone is caught up with Eli, I can catch everyone up with what is going on with Brenton and I. Brenton leaves for a month long training session in just under two weeks so we have been trying to spend as much family time together as possible. It has been amazing to have Brenton home every day for the past 2 months. We have been able to do so many things and see so many things as a family. Life is wonderful. With that being said, we were recently faced with a challenge that God has put in front of us. I ended up having immediate surgery to remove my ovarian cyst and while in surgery the doctor found some other problems as well. He found endometriosis and a polyp in my uterus. We went to my post-op appointment yesterday and the doctor showed us the pictures of what all he found and what my insides now looked like.. all I have to say is WOW! We are so very blessed that Eli came into our lives, we now have our answer for our difficulty in getting pregnant and being able to sustain a healthy pregnancy. Unfortunately, the doctor left us with some tough decisions to make, decisions that a young family should never have to make, but we know that God puts challenges in our lives for a reason and we just have to look to Him and ask Him for his guidance on all of this. Regardless of what happens, we know we are very blessed with the miracle that has already came into our lives.
We hope everyone is well and until next time.. take care and God bless!
Weight: 6 lbs 15.2 oz
Eye color: Blue
Hair color: Reddish brown
Favorite activity: Sleeping
Favorite food: Mama's milk
6 Months
Weight: 17 lbs-ish
Eye color: Blue
Hair color: Blonde with a reddish tint
Favorite activity: Jumping and playing in his exersaucer and rolling around in his crib. Also loves the nightly walks with daddy.
Favorite food: Squash, carrots, and peaches.. also likes apples.
It is amazing how much he has changed, grown, and developed in such a short amount of time. It saddens me to think that he is on the downward slope to turning a year old :( He is at a stage now where he doesn't sleep through the night anymore, he doesn't just lay around and sit still, and he is always babbling away and wanting to move around. I wouldn't have it any other way, I am learning that every stage is only for a short amount of time and is over before you know it. I think that is probably the most important thing I have learned in motherhood thus far: cherish every single moment with your child, even if they are in a difficult stage. We only have our children in our house for so long.. it is our job to bring them up the best we know how and to be there for them every step of the way.
I wanted to somehow celebrate Eli's half birthday.. after thinking and thinking of what to do, I finally thought of a great idea! Anyone who knows me really well knows that I love to bake. I decided to bake Eli 'baby friendly' cupcakes for tomorrow. Obviously he will only gnaw on them and probably shred them to pieces, but I think he will enjoy them. I am going to make carrot and apple cupcakes.. no dairy and no sugar. Completely baby friendly :) You can guarantee there will be pictures of Eli enjoying his 1/2 birthday cupcakes in a future blog post.
Now that everyone is caught up with Eli, I can catch everyone up with what is going on with Brenton and I. Brenton leaves for a month long training session in just under two weeks so we have been trying to spend as much family time together as possible. It has been amazing to have Brenton home every day for the past 2 months. We have been able to do so many things and see so many things as a family. Life is wonderful. With that being said, we were recently faced with a challenge that God has put in front of us. I ended up having immediate surgery to remove my ovarian cyst and while in surgery the doctor found some other problems as well. He found endometriosis and a polyp in my uterus. We went to my post-op appointment yesterday and the doctor showed us the pictures of what all he found and what my insides now looked like.. all I have to say is WOW! We are so very blessed that Eli came into our lives, we now have our answer for our difficulty in getting pregnant and being able to sustain a healthy pregnancy. Unfortunately, the doctor left us with some tough decisions to make, decisions that a young family should never have to make, but we know that God puts challenges in our lives for a reason and we just have to look to Him and ask Him for his guidance on all of this. Regardless of what happens, we know we are very blessed with the miracle that has already came into our lives.
We hope everyone is well and until next time.. take care and God bless!
Thursday, June 7, 2012
On the Road Again and What Lies Ahead..
If you haven't noticed lately, we are a traveling family! Eli has been to 11 different states now and is 5 months (5 months today, happy 5 month birthday little guy!) We aren't trying to do a contest or anything, we both love to travel and have family far away that we often go visit. I think a lot of people think just because you have a child, especially a baby, that all traveling and going out has to cease. That does not have to be the case. While its unfortunate that Eli will never have any memory of all the places he has been to thus far, we have pictures and Brenton and I have those memories. Thankfully, Eli is pretty laid back and traveling doesn't bother him at all, I think he actually enjoys it. Yeah.. I think he was born to be a military kid :)
This last trip we took to Virginia. We spent time with family, went to Williamsburg, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and the Outer Banks. This was Eli's first trip to the ocean.. well out of the womb that is. Back in September, I flew out to Virginia and went to the Outer Banks.. so technically I guess he has been there. We had a great time in Virginia! While we were there we took the time to celebrate our 2 year anniversary. It was a little early but we had family that was willing to watch Eli for us and figured we should take the chance while we had it. The plan was to go to the Outer Banks for 2 days.. well I lasted a day. We accomplished a lot in that one day we were down there though! We hung out at the beach for a few hours, went to a beach bar afterwards and had some drinks, went mini golfing, went out to eat at a really nice sea-food restaurant (the BEST seafood ever!) and then ordered dessert to-go and ate our dessert on the beach later that night. The next day we went to climb sand dunes and watch paragliders. It was amazing! I missed Eli soo much though! It was nice just being able to focus on Brenton and I and being able to relax, but this was the first time I had ever been away from him overnight. We had a great time together but I was so glad to get back to my sweet boy. I am really glad we did come back when we did because the night we got back there was a tornado that touched down just 20 minutes from my aunt's house.. if I would have been 2 hours away from Eli when this happened, I would have freaked!
We finally arrived back home in Mississippi on Sunday night. It was a 15 hour drive, a looong 15 hour drive. It was nice to be back home and be reunited with our other 'babies'. The next morning Eli and I both had dr appts. I had an appt for a 2nd opinion regarding problems with my ovary and Eli had another appt to get a shot. We do vaccinate Eli, but have chosen to do so on a delayed schedule. It really works for us and Eli doesn't suffer any ill-effects from the shots at all since we have done it this way. It kind of sucks having to drive 45 minutes every few weeks and to go back and forth to get a shot but its worth it when they are spaced out enough it doesn't hurt him. He did very well with his shot, he cried for a few minutes but as soon as I picked him up he stopped and started smiling. He even decided to take off his bandaid later that evening and decide to chew on it.. I about died when I saw that.. so disgusting! As far as my appointment went, it went well. To make a long story short, the evening of Mother's Day I went to the ER for extreme LLQ pain. At first they scared us to death and told us they were sure I was having an ectopic pregnancy, after waiting for what seemed like forever we found out thankfully that was not the case! They then told me they didn't know what exactly was wrong but sent me to a local OBGYN the next morning. I saw the OBGYN and he immediately recommended I have surgery to remove a large cyst. Apparently that was what was causing the pain. He proceeded to tell me he wanted to do 3 different surgeries and he may possibly have to take part of if not the whole ovary to remove it. Considering Brenton and I would love to have more children and our history of fertility issues I opted for a 2nd opinion, and I am so glad I did! The 2nd opinion was with my regular OBGYN. He did another scan and saw the cyst was still there and diagnosed it as probably being an endometrioma. Basically endometriosis on the ovary. He said I had an option of taking a more conservative approach if I wanted to. I could try 3 months of meds to see if it would go away. I get re-scanned in August and if its not gone by then, surgery it is. I am hoping that isn't the case since Brenton will be gone and we will be moving just a month later. But as we have learned in the past, things happen for a reason. You may not be able to explain or understand them now, but they are all a part of the plan God has for us!
This last trip we took to Virginia. We spent time with family, went to Williamsburg, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and the Outer Banks. This was Eli's first trip to the ocean.. well out of the womb that is. Back in September, I flew out to Virginia and went to the Outer Banks.. so technically I guess he has been there. We had a great time in Virginia! While we were there we took the time to celebrate our 2 year anniversary. It was a little early but we had family that was willing to watch Eli for us and figured we should take the chance while we had it. The plan was to go to the Outer Banks for 2 days.. well I lasted a day. We accomplished a lot in that one day we were down there though! We hung out at the beach for a few hours, went to a beach bar afterwards and had some drinks, went mini golfing, went out to eat at a really nice sea-food restaurant (the BEST seafood ever!) and then ordered dessert to-go and ate our dessert on the beach later that night. The next day we went to climb sand dunes and watch paragliders. It was amazing! I missed Eli soo much though! It was nice just being able to focus on Brenton and I and being able to relax, but this was the first time I had ever been away from him overnight. We had a great time together but I was so glad to get back to my sweet boy. I am really glad we did come back when we did because the night we got back there was a tornado that touched down just 20 minutes from my aunt's house.. if I would have been 2 hours away from Eli when this happened, I would have freaked!
We finally arrived back home in Mississippi on Sunday night. It was a 15 hour drive, a looong 15 hour drive. It was nice to be back home and be reunited with our other 'babies'. The next morning Eli and I both had dr appts. I had an appt for a 2nd opinion regarding problems with my ovary and Eli had another appt to get a shot. We do vaccinate Eli, but have chosen to do so on a delayed schedule. It really works for us and Eli doesn't suffer any ill-effects from the shots at all since we have done it this way. It kind of sucks having to drive 45 minutes every few weeks and to go back and forth to get a shot but its worth it when they are spaced out enough it doesn't hurt him. He did very well with his shot, he cried for a few minutes but as soon as I picked him up he stopped and started smiling. He even decided to take off his bandaid later that evening and decide to chew on it.. I about died when I saw that.. so disgusting! As far as my appointment went, it went well. To make a long story short, the evening of Mother's Day I went to the ER for extreme LLQ pain. At first they scared us to death and told us they were sure I was having an ectopic pregnancy, after waiting for what seemed like forever we found out thankfully that was not the case! They then told me they didn't know what exactly was wrong but sent me to a local OBGYN the next morning. I saw the OBGYN and he immediately recommended I have surgery to remove a large cyst. Apparently that was what was causing the pain. He proceeded to tell me he wanted to do 3 different surgeries and he may possibly have to take part of if not the whole ovary to remove it. Considering Brenton and I would love to have more children and our history of fertility issues I opted for a 2nd opinion, and I am so glad I did! The 2nd opinion was with my regular OBGYN. He did another scan and saw the cyst was still there and diagnosed it as probably being an endometrioma. Basically endometriosis on the ovary. He said I had an option of taking a more conservative approach if I wanted to. I could try 3 months of meds to see if it would go away. I get re-scanned in August and if its not gone by then, surgery it is. I am hoping that isn't the case since Brenton will be gone and we will be moving just a month later. But as we have learned in the past, things happen for a reason. You may not be able to explain or understand them now, but they are all a part of the plan God has for us!
Eli ready for the beach!
First time seeing the beach, eli is like whoa!!
Celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary in the Outer Banks
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
SEEYA!
If there is anything I dread more than anything in life, it is good-byes. I HATE good-byes. I have been this way since I was a small child and I don't think it will ever change. Well, as anyone knows being in the military, you have a lot of good-byes. You get to a base and you finally meet some great friends and then before you know it, they are off to PCS somewhere else. There are just two words for this: IT SUCKS. With this being said, I have come to learn some things in the 10 years I have been in the military life..
Moving is just a part of this life and with every move you meet quite an array of people, and some of these people turn out to be, well actually really good friends. I am talking people whom you never thought you would ever become friends with. These are the people who when you first arrived to base you could never see yourself meeting up with again, let alone being friends with. It's really crazy how that works. I think God looks at our first encounters with these people and looks at our reactions and laughs as He knows that we will most certainly meet up again with these people and become really good friends. He brings people into our lives for a reason, at least thats what I believe.
As everyone knows pilot training is over and now that this is over, everyone is off to start their new adventures.. its PCS season.. the season of good-byes. We had to watch two really good friends move away today and another really good friend is moving away in just under a couple of months, and then we will be moving in a few months and will have to leave some great people who we met here.. locals I will call them :) While we have only been here 19 months, we have met some amazing people, these people we will never forget, we will cherish the memories and the experiences as we all went through them together.. that's a special bond right there.. not many people understand the military lifestyle and the pilot training world. While some look at it as a negative thing (and I myself, am guilty of this sometimes) I like to look at it as a blessing. If it weren't for our military lifestyle, our paths would have never crossed, we would have never met some of these amazing individuals. It's a small Air Force world, maybe our paths will cross again some day, but if not I know I have nothing to fear or grieve over.. because the friends you meet in the military are friends for life. As anyone in the military or at least in pilot training here at CAFB knows.. its never good-bye, its.. SEEYA!
Moving is just a part of this life and with every move you meet quite an array of people, and some of these people turn out to be, well actually really good friends. I am talking people whom you never thought you would ever become friends with. These are the people who when you first arrived to base you could never see yourself meeting up with again, let alone being friends with. It's really crazy how that works. I think God looks at our first encounters with these people and looks at our reactions and laughs as He knows that we will most certainly meet up again with these people and become really good friends. He brings people into our lives for a reason, at least thats what I believe.
As everyone knows pilot training is over and now that this is over, everyone is off to start their new adventures.. its PCS season.. the season of good-byes. We had to watch two really good friends move away today and another really good friend is moving away in just under a couple of months, and then we will be moving in a few months and will have to leave some great people who we met here.. locals I will call them :) While we have only been here 19 months, we have met some amazing people, these people we will never forget, we will cherish the memories and the experiences as we all went through them together.. that's a special bond right there.. not many people understand the military lifestyle and the pilot training world. While some look at it as a negative thing (and I myself, am guilty of this sometimes) I like to look at it as a blessing. If it weren't for our military lifestyle, our paths would have never crossed, we would have never met some of these amazing individuals. It's a small Air Force world, maybe our paths will cross again some day, but if not I know I have nothing to fear or grieve over.. because the friends you meet in the military are friends for life. As anyone in the military or at least in pilot training here at CAFB knows.. its never good-bye, its.. SEEYA!
Friday, May 18, 2012
Graduation, Road Tripping, and Mama's Day!
So much has happened since our last post. It's been a while since any posts I know. In my defense, we have been very very busy. Graduation, road tripping, school, all while making sure our 4 1/2 month old has his needs met!
Let me start off first with graduation. After a very long and difficult year of pilot training, Brenton received his wings on April 27! I am so proud of him! Pilot training isn't easy by itself, let alone dealing with a pregnant wife and having a baby in the middle of it all. Brenton started pilot training April of 2011 and right as he hit the flight line we found out we were expecting. I was pregnant the majority of pilot training, all except for the last 3 months.. and anyone who has or has had a baby knows those first three months are the hardest. With that being said, I would like to give another congrats to my amazing husband for surviving pilot training, his pregnant wife, and his newborn son! What an accomplishment :)
The day after graduation we decided to make the long road trip back 'home' to MO. (With this road trip Eli has now been to 6 states! And more road trips are to come soon. He is a great traveler, a perfect military child) It was nice to see family and friends and of course do some much needed shopping while we were back :) While we were there we made the 3 1/2 hour trip to Omaha. Now if anyone remembers, we did this same exact thing before we moved to MS. Just four months before we moved to MS we made a trip to MS to see where we would be moving... I somehow don't recommend doing that. While I am sure we will eventually come to love Nebraska just as we have Mississippi, I am not jumping for joy at the fact that we are moving there. I love how I won't have to drive an hour or more for some shopping, but I am going to miss my trees and beautiful scenery. Right now I look out at my backyard and I see a beautiful forest (just ignore the graveyard) when we move to Nebraska our backyard will consist of a field of old cornstalk carcasses. Ok enough complaining.. if I can learn to love Mississippi, I can surely learn to love the state of Nebraska. I just hate leaving the memories we made down here, but I know we can make new memories in Nebraska!
After our long road trip we were finally back home in MS and Mother's Day was approaching, my first Mother's Day! Once again, my husband was amazing and didn't disappoint. I was awoken from a nice peaceful sleep with Eli tugging at me and Brenton wishing me a happy Mother's Day. Eli was holding my card and so excited! He could barely hold onto the card he was kicking and flailing his arms so hard. It was a beautiful card and inside were Eli's handprints.. such a creative husband I have :) Later I was given my gift, a beautiful charm bracelet with charms that represent my journey into motherhood thus far. The day went on with a picnic, trip to the park where Eli got to swing with mama and daddy on real swings, and a relaxing walk. My first Mother's Day was perfect (all except for the evening, which was a nightmare.. more to come on that in later posts) There is nothing I love more than being a mom. I remember hoping and praying that I would some day have a child, and here I am with a beautiful 4 1/2 month old. I have gone through so much to have this sweet boy and bring him into this world. There is truly nothing that compares to being a mother, and I have learned there is truly nothing that prepares you for motherhood until you enter into it yourself. Last night Brenton and I were watching TV when a commercial came on, Johnson and Johnson I think it was.. it shows a new mom caring for her newborn.. newborn looks up at her and a voice in the background says "mom, I think now is a good time to tell you. You're doing okay, mom" I was only 5 seconds into that commercial when tears started falling. I think all moms need to hear that once in a while.. "you're doing okay". While it is uncertain at this point, we are praying that it is God's will for us to have more children in the future. What ever happens it's all in His hands and we accept and understand that there is a reason for everything. While we have had a lot of struggles, we thank God for them and the blessings that have came from each one. For now we will continue to thank Him for all of the blessing and opportunities, and for the amazing miracle he has already given us.
Eli and mama at the playground for the first time!
Eli and daddy swinging
Seriously?!
Let me start off first with graduation. After a very long and difficult year of pilot training, Brenton received his wings on April 27! I am so proud of him! Pilot training isn't easy by itself, let alone dealing with a pregnant wife and having a baby in the middle of it all. Brenton started pilot training April of 2011 and right as he hit the flight line we found out we were expecting. I was pregnant the majority of pilot training, all except for the last 3 months.. and anyone who has or has had a baby knows those first three months are the hardest. With that being said, I would like to give another congrats to my amazing husband for surviving pilot training, his pregnant wife, and his newborn son! What an accomplishment :)
Graduation banquet. First time out together without Eli
The day after graduation we decided to make the long road trip back 'home' to MO. (With this road trip Eli has now been to 6 states! And more road trips are to come soon. He is a great traveler, a perfect military child) It was nice to see family and friends and of course do some much needed shopping while we were back :) While we were there we made the 3 1/2 hour trip to Omaha. Now if anyone remembers, we did this same exact thing before we moved to MS. Just four months before we moved to MS we made a trip to MS to see where we would be moving... I somehow don't recommend doing that. While I am sure we will eventually come to love Nebraska just as we have Mississippi, I am not jumping for joy at the fact that we are moving there. I love how I won't have to drive an hour or more for some shopping, but I am going to miss my trees and beautiful scenery. Right now I look out at my backyard and I see a beautiful forest (just ignore the graveyard) when we move to Nebraska our backyard will consist of a field of old cornstalk carcasses. Ok enough complaining.. if I can learn to love Mississippi, I can surely learn to love the state of Nebraska. I just hate leaving the memories we made down here, but I know we can make new memories in Nebraska!
After our long road trip we were finally back home in MS and Mother's Day was approaching, my first Mother's Day! Once again, my husband was amazing and didn't disappoint. I was awoken from a nice peaceful sleep with Eli tugging at me and Brenton wishing me a happy Mother's Day. Eli was holding my card and so excited! He could barely hold onto the card he was kicking and flailing his arms so hard. It was a beautiful card and inside were Eli's handprints.. such a creative husband I have :) Later I was given my gift, a beautiful charm bracelet with charms that represent my journey into motherhood thus far. The day went on with a picnic, trip to the park where Eli got to swing with mama and daddy on real swings, and a relaxing walk. My first Mother's Day was perfect (all except for the evening, which was a nightmare.. more to come on that in later posts) There is nothing I love more than being a mom. I remember hoping and praying that I would some day have a child, and here I am with a beautiful 4 1/2 month old. I have gone through so much to have this sweet boy and bring him into this world. There is truly nothing that compares to being a mother, and I have learned there is truly nothing that prepares you for motherhood until you enter into it yourself. Last night Brenton and I were watching TV when a commercial came on, Johnson and Johnson I think it was.. it shows a new mom caring for her newborn.. newborn looks up at her and a voice in the background says "mom, I think now is a good time to tell you. You're doing okay, mom" I was only 5 seconds into that commercial when tears started falling. I think all moms need to hear that once in a while.. "you're doing okay". While it is uncertain at this point, we are praying that it is God's will for us to have more children in the future. What ever happens it's all in His hands and we accept and understand that there is a reason for everything. While we have had a lot of struggles, we thank God for them and the blessings that have came from each one. For now we will continue to thank Him for all of the blessing and opportunities, and for the amazing miracle he has already given us.
Eli and mama at the playground for the first time!
Eli and daddy swinging
Seriously?!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Our New Adventure Awaits!
We are happy to announce that Brenton received his #1 choice for his assignment.. RC135s to Offutt! He is very excited as am I. While I don't like that his assignment is very dangerous, I am thrilled he gets to do what he wants to do. I am also overjoyed at the fact that we will be around shopping once again! After living down here in MS I actually did get used to it, but I can't tell you how excited I am that we will be just minutes away from many shopping areas and actual grocery stores.. oh and a Target.. a Super Target! I am also very excited for Eli. We will be just minutes away from an amazing zoo and there are tons of childrens' activities and things to do around there.. one of which is a hands on children's museum.. can't wait until Eli gets old enough for that! I am so glad that assignment night is over and we can finally relax on the topic of where we may be going.. now we just need to get dates and start house hunting.
Let's reverse a little bit and review how assignment night went.. as any UPT spouse knows, the weeks leading up to assignment night, not to mention the day of.. wears on a person's nerves. While Brenton had created his 'dream sheet' a week before, I still had made up my mind I was expecting nothing.. anything can happen. Many people were called up before Brenton.. one guy received C-5s to Dover (our #2) so I was like okay, well thats out. Then the next guy received RC 135s to Offutt (our # 1) and the guy after that received C 21s can't remember what base (our # 3) so I became very very nervous. I was thinking oh my.. where oh where are we ending up? This cannot be good. Please, please let it be in the US. While there can be more than one C 5, C 21, and RC 135 in a drop.. its not very common. I was on the edge of my seat at the point. As his name was finally called (which seemed like an eternity) I noticed his slide.. his slide read that he was from the "show me" state and that he was most likely to end up with more kids than the octomom and never deploy.. do I even need to comment on that? After he suffered through his roast, (which I did not really find comical) the big map came up on the slide... and a line went straight to Nebraska.. I about peed my pants! Brenton was beyond thrilled and actually picked me up and swung me around.. I wasn't expecting that either.. The night went on to be a very good night and the weekend to be a very good weekend. We had some family in town visiting Eli for the first time and were able to hang out and relax with some really great friends! A memorable weekend for sure.
Brenton so excited that he decided to pick me up and swing me around..
The Jones family will soon be moving to Omaha!
It has recently been brought to my attention by several people that I have not started my career yet. My reaction to these comments: thats fine by me and I am proud of that decision. I became a mom at the relatively young age of 22 by choice and for many reasons I am not getting into. As of right now, I enjoy my job title: I am a mama, wife, and student. I am proud of who I have become.. its not easy being a military wife, let alone finishing a degree and raising a child. With that being said, I do not regret one thing. In fact, God willing.. Brenton and I do plan on having more children in the future. I do plan on working (as childbirth education is my passion) but I also plan on staying home whenever time allows to be with Eli. My goal for him is to have the childhood I did not have growing up.. I am going to try my hardest to make sure that happens.. he deserves it so much. I know this is the life I signed up for, I don't need reminders.. again, I made this decision. I know I will have a husband who will be deployed frequently risking his life, I know sometimes it will seem like I am a single parent.. I have prepared myself for these things. I am not asking for sympathy, thats the last thing I want. If anything, I just want to be acknowledged in a positive way. The last thing I need is to be criticized and looked down upon with what I am doing and who I have become. I am proud of the mother God has shaped me to be, the hardworking and persevering student, and the loving wife that supports my husband 100%. This will never change, and I thank God for this life every day. I have my fair share of struggles and know that more lie ahead.. but with each new struggle I am learning more and more of who I am and who I really want to become in life.
Let's reverse a little bit and review how assignment night went.. as any UPT spouse knows, the weeks leading up to assignment night, not to mention the day of.. wears on a person's nerves. While Brenton had created his 'dream sheet' a week before, I still had made up my mind I was expecting nothing.. anything can happen. Many people were called up before Brenton.. one guy received C-5s to Dover (our #2) so I was like okay, well thats out. Then the next guy received RC 135s to Offutt (our # 1) and the guy after that received C 21s can't remember what base (our # 3) so I became very very nervous. I was thinking oh my.. where oh where are we ending up? This cannot be good. Please, please let it be in the US. While there can be more than one C 5, C 21, and RC 135 in a drop.. its not very common. I was on the edge of my seat at the point. As his name was finally called (which seemed like an eternity) I noticed his slide.. his slide read that he was from the "show me" state and that he was most likely to end up with more kids than the octomom and never deploy.. do I even need to comment on that? After he suffered through his roast, (which I did not really find comical) the big map came up on the slide... and a line went straight to Nebraska.. I about peed my pants! Brenton was beyond thrilled and actually picked me up and swung me around.. I wasn't expecting that either.. The night went on to be a very good night and the weekend to be a very good weekend. We had some family in town visiting Eli for the first time and were able to hang out and relax with some really great friends! A memorable weekend for sure.
The Jones family will soon be moving to Omaha!
It has recently been brought to my attention by several people that I have not started my career yet. My reaction to these comments: thats fine by me and I am proud of that decision. I became a mom at the relatively young age of 22 by choice and for many reasons I am not getting into. As of right now, I enjoy my job title: I am a mama, wife, and student. I am proud of who I have become.. its not easy being a military wife, let alone finishing a degree and raising a child. With that being said, I do not regret one thing. In fact, God willing.. Brenton and I do plan on having more children in the future. I do plan on working (as childbirth education is my passion) but I also plan on staying home whenever time allows to be with Eli. My goal for him is to have the childhood I did not have growing up.. I am going to try my hardest to make sure that happens.. he deserves it so much. I know this is the life I signed up for, I don't need reminders.. again, I made this decision. I know I will have a husband who will be deployed frequently risking his life, I know sometimes it will seem like I am a single parent.. I have prepared myself for these things. I am not asking for sympathy, thats the last thing I want. If anything, I just want to be acknowledged in a positive way. The last thing I need is to be criticized and looked down upon with what I am doing and who I have become. I am proud of the mother God has shaped me to be, the hardworking and persevering student, and the loving wife that supports my husband 100%. This will never change, and I thank God for this life every day. I have my fair share of struggles and know that more lie ahead.. but with each new struggle I am learning more and more of who I am and who I really want to become in life.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Eli's First Easter/Upcoming Events
We hope everyone had a great Easter, we sure did! Easter is a very important holiday to Brenton and I, and while we do enjoy giving one another candy to celebrate, we also know the real reason behind Easter and feel very strongly in teaching our children the real reason we celebrate. To do this, we of course went to church (Eli is in a stage right now where he loves church, he loves the singing and tries to sing along. Its cute, I am just enjoying it while it lasts!) Another way we do this is by Resurrection Eggs. For anyone that doesn't know what these are: Resurrection Eggs are plastic eggs that hold some object with a scripture that helps tell the Easter story) I decided to make the Resurrection Eggs for Eli this year even though I know he had no idea what I was talking about or trying to convey to him. I thought it would be a great idea to make them for his first Easter, and then make it a tradition to get them out every Easter afterwards. As he gets a little older I think he will start to catch on, not only will it make a great family tradition, but a nice family keepsake for years down the road.
Other ways we celebrated yesterday included coming home after church and having a yummy brunch (Thank you pinterest for the idea, and thank you to my lovely crock pot!) Afterwards we spent the rest of the day with friends and ended the evening with giving Eli his Easter basket. Inside there was: said Resurrection Eggs, a 'grow with me sippy' and a stuffed bunny. Not a whole lot, but does a 3 month old really need a lot of items in his Easter basket? I don't think so. While Eli could care less about the eggs (although he did sit still and look at me when I was explaining them to him ) he was quite interested in his stuffed bunny. In fact, he was so interested in it that he threw a fit when I took it away from him to look at his sippy cup.. after a bit he calmed down and became interested in said sippy cup.. success!
Overall, we had a wonderful day and made great memories :) It's hard to believe that next Easter we will have a 15 month old running around and talking.. scary but exciting thought! Below you can find Eli discovering the contents of his Easter basket..
Our first Easter as a family!
Loved the bunny!
Okay mama, I guess the sippy is kinda cool..
Give me back my bunny!
As mentioned several times previously.. we will soon be finding out where we will be moving to and what plane Brenton will be flying!! FOUR more days! Can't wait to make that blog post :) So many things are happening.. could be a lot of exciting news to come in upcoming posts.. stay tuned! Until next time.. take care and God bless!
Other ways we celebrated yesterday included coming home after church and having a yummy brunch (Thank you pinterest for the idea, and thank you to my lovely crock pot!) Afterwards we spent the rest of the day with friends and ended the evening with giving Eli his Easter basket. Inside there was: said Resurrection Eggs, a 'grow with me sippy' and a stuffed bunny. Not a whole lot, but does a 3 month old really need a lot of items in his Easter basket? I don't think so. While Eli could care less about the eggs (although he did sit still and look at me when I was explaining them to him ) he was quite interested in his stuffed bunny. In fact, he was so interested in it that he threw a fit when I took it away from him to look at his sippy cup.. after a bit he calmed down and became interested in said sippy cup.. success!
Overall, we had a wonderful day and made great memories :) It's hard to believe that next Easter we will have a 15 month old running around and talking.. scary but exciting thought! Below you can find Eli discovering the contents of his Easter basket..
As mentioned several times previously.. we will soon be finding out where we will be moving to and what plane Brenton will be flying!! FOUR more days! Can't wait to make that blog post :) So many things are happening.. could be a lot of exciting news to come in upcoming posts.. stay tuned! Until next time.. take care and God bless!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
What A Journey it Has Been!
Oh what a journey it has been! Is pilot training really almost over? Do we really have an almost 3 month old?? Crazy! It is hard to believe in just two short weeks we will find out what plane Brenton will be flying for his career and where we may be heading to next!
That last part really makes me feel uneasy. I know for the longest time all I ever did was complain about living in MS and how I hated it. (In fact, I think about every single post in this blog has a complaint about the state somewhere.) But let me tell you, MS is really where I started LIVING life. We learned a lot about ourselves as well as one another. Never ever did I think I would be saying that, but its true. It has been a rollercoaster in the short year and a half we have lived here. We lost a baby, we overcame infertility, we welcomed out first baby into our lives, made lifelong friends along the way that have helped us in our greatest times of need and we have helped them, and now we are about to finish what is probably one of life's greatest accomplishments: pilot training.
It makes me very sad this journey is coming to an end and I really don't want to leave the world of UPT (although Brenton probably strongly disagrees with me) but I know where ever we end up next will be just as good as our beginning journey in good ole MS. I may not understand at first just what our purpose may be in the next location, but I know God will show me in time just what that purpose is, just as he showed me his purpose for the journey we have had down here.
We have made some amazing memories down here and I will cherish those forever. Now I can't wait to move on and see what memories we make in our next journey!
April 13 is the day we find out the plane and location. We will be sure to let everyone know.
Quick Update on Eli!
First off, I can't believe he will be 3 months old next weekend! He is doing so well and growing and learning more and more each day. His favorite activity would have to be going on walks and doing anything outside. He experienced his first sunburn a few days ago from being outside.. for only 30 minutes! It wasn't too awfully bad, he now has some tan lines around his eyes from his sunglasses to start the summer off :) He also likes to lay in my lap and kick Occie. This really isn't anything unusual as when he was still in the womb Occie would be laying beside me and Eli would kick him.. not much has changed! I recently bought him an infant pool floatie for the summer, I cannot wait until I take him swimming, I think he is going to love it!
That is all to report for now, until next time.. take care and God bless!
That last part really makes me feel uneasy. I know for the longest time all I ever did was complain about living in MS and how I hated it. (In fact, I think about every single post in this blog has a complaint about the state somewhere.) But let me tell you, MS is really where I started LIVING life. We learned a lot about ourselves as well as one another. Never ever did I think I would be saying that, but its true. It has been a rollercoaster in the short year and a half we have lived here. We lost a baby, we overcame infertility, we welcomed out first baby into our lives, made lifelong friends along the way that have helped us in our greatest times of need and we have helped them, and now we are about to finish what is probably one of life's greatest accomplishments: pilot training.
It makes me very sad this journey is coming to an end and I really don't want to leave the world of UPT (although Brenton probably strongly disagrees with me) but I know where ever we end up next will be just as good as our beginning journey in good ole MS. I may not understand at first just what our purpose may be in the next location, but I know God will show me in time just what that purpose is, just as he showed me his purpose for the journey we have had down here.
We have made some amazing memories down here and I will cherish those forever. Now I can't wait to move on and see what memories we make in our next journey!
April 13 is the day we find out the plane and location. We will be sure to let everyone know.
Quick Update on Eli!
First off, I can't believe he will be 3 months old next weekend! He is doing so well and growing and learning more and more each day. His favorite activity would have to be going on walks and doing anything outside. He experienced his first sunburn a few days ago from being outside.. for only 30 minutes! It wasn't too awfully bad, he now has some tan lines around his eyes from his sunglasses to start the summer off :) He also likes to lay in my lap and kick Occie. This really isn't anything unusual as when he was still in the womb Occie would be laying beside me and Eli would kick him.. not much has changed! I recently bought him an infant pool floatie for the summer, I cannot wait until I take him swimming, I think he is going to love it!
That is all to report for now, until next time.. take care and God bless!
Friday, February 10, 2012
Becoming A Mother
Becoming a mother is one of the best things that has ever happened to me, but also one of the hardest. I am writing this post not only for myself, but also for all new mothers that struggle in the beginning.
I thought for sure after my baby boy was born, I would be the happiest person on the planet.. nothing would get me down.. let me tell you friends, that just isn't always the case and unfortunately this is not something they teach you in "What to Expect When You Are Expecting" While I was so in love with my little miracle, hormones were raging and I just felt completely different.. inside and out. The little boy who I longed for what seemed like forever to get here safely was finally here and healthy and in my arms.. while I felt incredibly thankful and blessed, I was feeling other feelings too.. sad feelings, he was no longer nestled warm and cozy in the womb, I was no longer feeling all of his little kicks and movements, the ginormous belly that I had learned to live with was no longer a part of my body.. I didn't know what to feel.. here I was no longer pregnant but I was also far from the old Darcie that I once was. I didn't feel like myself and nothing seemed normal.. and sleep, yeah you can forget that. Sleep was a thing of the past. My life had been completely turned upside down.. I didn't know what to think, do, or expect anymore. While I felt like a terrible mother for feeling such things, I learned that it is okay and just because I felt overwhelmed, sad, and clueless on what I was doing.. I was normal and my love for my precious baby boy is endless and will never change..
Just recently I had a friend send me a link to a blog post about motherhood and advice for when "you want to just quit motherhood" While I related to the whole post, one quote really got to me "being at someone else's literal beck and call will lay you low. It will rob you a sense of self that will take time and tears to rediscover in this new identity of mother. Give yourself grace to realize that and mourn the loss of who you were, before you begin to embrace the who you are becoming" That is really so very true. Most days are spent in my pajamas or in a T-shirt and sweats, make up is no longer a part of my routine, nor is doing my hair.. pony tail it is. Finding time to eat or really do anything can be a challenge, except for nap time. While it still makes me sad to realize that I am not the person who I once was, I am learning to accept it and find joy in it. I am happy to say that things are going a lot smoother and while I still have my days.. a sense of normalcy has been established. Sleepless nights are still pretty common, but getting up with my baby boy and comforting him and rocking him back to sleep is priceless. While there are some days where I am completely exhausted both physically and mentally, I remember these are the days I will never get back.. and learn to appreciate every little thing, just as I am learning to embrace the new person I am becoming and who I have always wanted to become.. a mother.
I thought for sure after my baby boy was born, I would be the happiest person on the planet.. nothing would get me down.. let me tell you friends, that just isn't always the case and unfortunately this is not something they teach you in "What to Expect When You Are Expecting" While I was so in love with my little miracle, hormones were raging and I just felt completely different.. inside and out. The little boy who I longed for what seemed like forever to get here safely was finally here and healthy and in my arms.. while I felt incredibly thankful and blessed, I was feeling other feelings too.. sad feelings, he was no longer nestled warm and cozy in the womb, I was no longer feeling all of his little kicks and movements, the ginormous belly that I had learned to live with was no longer a part of my body.. I didn't know what to feel.. here I was no longer pregnant but I was also far from the old Darcie that I once was. I didn't feel like myself and nothing seemed normal.. and sleep, yeah you can forget that. Sleep was a thing of the past. My life had been completely turned upside down.. I didn't know what to think, do, or expect anymore. While I felt like a terrible mother for feeling such things, I learned that it is okay and just because I felt overwhelmed, sad, and clueless on what I was doing.. I was normal and my love for my precious baby boy is endless and will never change..
Just recently I had a friend send me a link to a blog post about motherhood and advice for when "you want to just quit motherhood" While I related to the whole post, one quote really got to me "being at someone else's literal beck and call will lay you low. It will rob you a sense of self that will take time and tears to rediscover in this new identity of mother. Give yourself grace to realize that and mourn the loss of who you were, before you begin to embrace the who you are becoming" That is really so very true. Most days are spent in my pajamas or in a T-shirt and sweats, make up is no longer a part of my routine, nor is doing my hair.. pony tail it is. Finding time to eat or really do anything can be a challenge, except for nap time. While it still makes me sad to realize that I am not the person who I once was, I am learning to accept it and find joy in it. I am happy to say that things are going a lot smoother and while I still have my days.. a sense of normalcy has been established. Sleepless nights are still pretty common, but getting up with my baby boy and comforting him and rocking him back to sleep is priceless. While there are some days where I am completely exhausted both physically and mentally, I remember these are the days I will never get back.. and learn to appreciate every little thing, just as I am learning to embrace the new person I am becoming and who I have always wanted to become.. a mother.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Eli Glenn Jones is Here! Birth Story!
Brenton and I are proud to announce that our precious baby boy was born on January 7, 2012 at 2:56 pm. He was 6 lbs 15 oz and 21 in. long. He came exactly 2 weeks before his due date (38 weeks) I don't know if any of you are like me, but I love to hear peoples' birth stories! So here it goes..
I woke up that Friday (January 6) not feeling well at all. I was having a lot of inconsistent contractions and feeling very nauseous. I honestly thought I was getting a stomach virus of some kind. Around two that afternoon I became very tired and took a nap. I awoke feeling like I had a ton of energy! I started some loads of laundry, finished up my last paper for one of my classes, and went to the commissary to get stuff to make dinner. I made a yummy dinner of lasagna and found that no matter how hard I tried I just could not get myself to eat all of my dinner. This was very odd for me.. but I really didn't think anything of it. Right after dinner we went over to our friends' house for game night. We had a lot of fun and finished up game night around 12:15-ish. We get home, its late and we are both exhausted. I will never forget Brenton's words to me as we pull in the drive-way "please do not have Eli tonight Darcie, I am exhausted." Brenton goes upstairs to get ready for bed and I go to the bathroom.. well it was then that I knew something was happening. I walk upstairs very calmly and tell Brenton that I think this baby is coming soon. Brenton is in the middle of brushing his teeth and just kind of stood there looking at me.. we immediately start trying to get everything together and called labor and delivery to see when we should come in. We had planned on laboring at home for as long as possible. Well due to some unfortunate circumstances, they told us to come in asap as things were happening that were indicative of a problem with the placenta. So in the car we go, 12:30 am Brenton is dodging the deer on the way to the hospital as my contractions get stronger and come closer and closer together.. We arrive at the hospital and immediately get hooked up to the monitors to make sure Eli was okay.. and they checked me to see what was going on. Nurse said I was indeed in labor with contractions coming every 2 mins and a problem with the placenta meant I would more than likely have to have a c-section. Thankfully, there was no problem with the placenta! We ended up walking the halls to progress labor as we were pretty set on not having any meds to augment labor or meds of any kind for that matter. We labored all night long, doctor comes in and before checking me he says if I wanted to I could go back home and labor at home like I wanted to.. he checks me and then took back his statement saying that I was about 5 cm and wouldn't be going anywhere. (We delivered at a hospital about 35-40 min away) I was still having the same consistent contractions. Not too long after that, water broke and things really started happening. The contractions became unbearable, so painful it was literally making me sick. I now understand why some women throw up during labor. I told Brenton I wanted the epidural that I couldn't do this any longer. He tried to coax me into going a bit longer, if I could make it 10 1/2 hours without one I could surely make it the rest of the way.. that didn't work. In my mind, I felt like I was going to be in labor feeling those contractions for days. I became very angry and demanded he go find the dr and have him give me the epidural. 10 minutes later epidural was in! 3 hours later.. Eli Glenn Jones was born! Not a bad labor overall: 14 1/2 hours and only about 25 minutes of pushing!
I woke up that Friday (January 6) not feeling well at all. I was having a lot of inconsistent contractions and feeling very nauseous. I honestly thought I was getting a stomach virus of some kind. Around two that afternoon I became very tired and took a nap. I awoke feeling like I had a ton of energy! I started some loads of laundry, finished up my last paper for one of my classes, and went to the commissary to get stuff to make dinner. I made a yummy dinner of lasagna and found that no matter how hard I tried I just could not get myself to eat all of my dinner. This was very odd for me.. but I really didn't think anything of it. Right after dinner we went over to our friends' house for game night. We had a lot of fun and finished up game night around 12:15-ish. We get home, its late and we are both exhausted. I will never forget Brenton's words to me as we pull in the drive-way "please do not have Eli tonight Darcie, I am exhausted." Brenton goes upstairs to get ready for bed and I go to the bathroom.. well it was then that I knew something was happening. I walk upstairs very calmly and tell Brenton that I think this baby is coming soon. Brenton is in the middle of brushing his teeth and just kind of stood there looking at me.. we immediately start trying to get everything together and called labor and delivery to see when we should come in. We had planned on laboring at home for as long as possible. Well due to some unfortunate circumstances, they told us to come in asap as things were happening that were indicative of a problem with the placenta. So in the car we go, 12:30 am Brenton is dodging the deer on the way to the hospital as my contractions get stronger and come closer and closer together.. We arrive at the hospital and immediately get hooked up to the monitors to make sure Eli was okay.. and they checked me to see what was going on. Nurse said I was indeed in labor with contractions coming every 2 mins and a problem with the placenta meant I would more than likely have to have a c-section. Thankfully, there was no problem with the placenta! We ended up walking the halls to progress labor as we were pretty set on not having any meds to augment labor or meds of any kind for that matter. We labored all night long, doctor comes in and before checking me he says if I wanted to I could go back home and labor at home like I wanted to.. he checks me and then took back his statement saying that I was about 5 cm and wouldn't be going anywhere. (We delivered at a hospital about 35-40 min away) I was still having the same consistent contractions. Not too long after that, water broke and things really started happening. The contractions became unbearable, so painful it was literally making me sick. I now understand why some women throw up during labor. I told Brenton I wanted the epidural that I couldn't do this any longer. He tried to coax me into going a bit longer, if I could make it 10 1/2 hours without one I could surely make it the rest of the way.. that didn't work. In my mind, I felt like I was going to be in labor feeling those contractions for days. I became very angry and demanded he go find the dr and have him give me the epidural. 10 minutes later epidural was in! 3 hours later.. Eli Glenn Jones was born! Not a bad labor overall: 14 1/2 hours and only about 25 minutes of pushing!
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