On Your Marks, Get Set... GO! Photo Dump

Bits and pieces from our big move from California to Alabama...

1. a jump for joy in arizona
2. lone tee-pee in new mexico
3. bearded hubs and his baby girl
4. my inner firework pyro rejoices
5. had the pleasure of sitting next to this little lady for the ride
6. dog-dogs waiting for a quick play sesh
7. monument in texas
8. driving over swamps in louisiana
9. a peek at mexico from over a beige wall

Halloween

Once October snuck into the picture I started envisioning a trip to the local pumpkin patch with Mila-bird for her first special holiday outing. I was determined to find a cute pumpkin for my little pumpkin. I wanted her festively dressed so I could take 10,000 pictures to mark the occasion (below are a fraction of what I actually took)... because that's what mama's do, right? Well... the pumpkin patch was no longer in business so we settled for a place on a corner. We brought Grandma and cousin Ky along for the fun.

Since D is away I decided to not purchase a costume or carve pumpkins. We'll wait until next year when we can really celebrate together. Instead, Birdie got a couple Halloween outfits to celebrate the day. 

Some doggies were not too happy about having to stay inside while I did a quick Bird-shoot. Since my main subject was completely over her picture being taken for the millionth time I decided to add them into the mix. 

Cousin Ky came over for some trick-or-treating. Mila-bird slept most of the time while Grandma and I went along for the candy to see the decorated houses. 

 Ky dressed as Sally with Zero the Dog. Both from the Nightmare Before Christmas. 

 Snoozin' away

Miss Bird lookin' like her mama when she was a baby!  

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I came across one of our engagement pictures today. 13 weeks of missin' this handsome guy. We're both doing as well as can be, considering. I'm looking forward to being in the count down phase of things but we're not there yet. I can't wait until I can FINALLY get our first picture- together- as a family of three! 

The Aftermath

6 Weeks Post-partum 

Size of Baby: Ha! We'll find out, officially, in a couple weeks but I'm pretty sure Birdie is pushing into the 13-14lb range. Some 3-month clothing is still fitting her but I just pulled out a handful of 6-month clothing. The girl is a long one! 

Weight: Between baby, placenta, water weight, extra blood, etc, etc, I have lost 35 pounds. I'm 5 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight but I believe that's being held up between breastfeeding (up two cups sizes!) and the little tummy I still carry. 

My belly button is...err... not where it originally started. I still have a linea nigra, but I'm hoping it'll start fading sooner than later. My little pooch is littered with pink stretch marks that I HOPE will go away eventually. (Please, please, please, please, please, please, please!!!) 

Continuing Symptoms: Sinus congestion. Go figure. 

New Symptoms: My hair has slowly begun to shed, my wedding ring fits again (hooray!), swelling has gone away, night sweats are subsiding, inner mama bear has become more ferocious, and I've become more sentimental. (ie: Cannot tell Mila I love her without tearing up or read her On The Night You Were Born without a lump in my throat.) I'm also a LOT more laid back as a parent than I anticipated. 

Clothes: Since the day I was released from the hospital I've been on the go. (Ehh major surgery shmurgery) I credit that, and the fact I have to lift our turkey-bird baby all day as my workout. However, breastfeeding has been the biggest cause of my slim down. I'm. Constantly. Feeding. Birdie. The first few weeks I stuck to leggings and maternity jeans because of my c-section incision. Now I'm completely out of maternity pants and shirts. I've purchased a few new tops, a new pair of skinny jeans, and a maxi skirt. Now the challenge is to continue to slowly update my wardrobe while keeping in mind that tops must be breastfeeding accessible. 

Sleep: I'll be the first to admit that Mila is a very content baby AND easy to please (see previous breastfeeding comment) I KNOW that I'm very blessed in that department. Mila-bird does have an occasional "witching hour" that's more like "witching 3 hours." For the most part she has three predictable, long naps during the day, catnaps in the evening, and is asleep by 8:30/ 9pm. Those who are close to me know that I have a 9 o'clock feeding ever since I was born- which means come 9pm it's cereal eatin' time. Birdie has a 12am feeding that she NEVER misses. After that she (and I) sleeps in 3-4 hour stretches. Sometimes she can go as long as 5-6 hrs. 

What I'm Eating: My eating habits haven't changed that much from before. I'm definitely not eating or indulging as much as I was when pregnant. Right after Mila was born I started having gallbladder pain that really, really hurt. I cut out all fatty foods for a couple weeks and it went away, thank goodness. (Apparently that can happen when you have a c-section...?) I've discovered that Mila's little body cannot handle me eating a lot of acidic foods or lots of potato-y things. Acidic foods turn into a terrible diaper rash and too many potato-y things turns into an upset tummy for her. 

Cravings: I would love, love, love to indulge in some In-N-Out but I'm being very, very good by staying away. Partly for fat content (gallbladder), partly because it's just not that healthy and partly because of Mila's potato issues. Other than that I'm LOVING avocados... daily. 

Special Post-Partum Moments: 

There are a loooot but I'll keep it simple: 

1. The fact that my mom gets the biggest smiles out of Mila. 

2. Just watching my dad hold her. 

3. The text messages I get from D saying how sweet and pretty Birdie is, that he "misses his girls," or that he was super teary eyed when he saw her birth. I cannot tell you how much more I love him since Mila's arrival. 

4. Receiving two beautiful, vintage linen blessing dresses from Mila's "GiGi." Ironically they're exactly what I was getting ready to purchase but I didn't tell anyone besides D of my intentions. It was meant to be! 

5. Introducing Birdie girl to our favorite Bishop. He has supported both D and I individually and as a couple. 

6. The way Mila-bird sleeps: on her side, an arm flung over her face, snuggled up close to me and making little coos, sighs and squawks. 

7. The way Bogey lays next to Birdie in her swing or when she's on my bed. How Roo finds me and does her potty dance to alert me that Birdie is crying before rushing to her side. 

One Night In Jail Is More Than Enough

The first time we went to church after finding out we were expecting I really wanted a priesthood blessing from some of our leaders. The blessing was beautiful and reassuring but it also warned that we would face trials. I was a little concerned by that but just pushed it to the back of my mind and continued on with life.

"Trials" should have been substituted by "trauma" as I believe it's a more appropriate word. Okay, okay maybe "trauma" is a slightly over dramatic description some things that have happened since I received that blessing. (Some of the trials we've faced do feel somewhat traumatic in their own way.) There's been one exception: this past week we truly experienced something traumatic. 

Not only do I want to post about this for the it-could-happen-to-you effect... but also to show that we are human and life happens. I won't get into the gory (sadly) and scary (understatement) details but, basically, our Bogey-boy attacked another dog. 

Why? We. Have. No. Idea. Was their something "off" about the owner or dog? Was it because it was right in front of our house? Is he just a bully? We don't know. The only theory we can come up with is that I was alone and I'm pregnant. Our furry son becomes more protective when D is gone. In ways I cannot explain into words I know that he knows that I'm in a more vulnerable state being that there's a little one on the way. Whatever his reasoning was inside of his little dog brain- it still isn't a fun situation to be in, especially when other dog was injured. (The owner, and I as well, suffered very, very minor injuries in the scuffle.) 

As a parent of a dog you always run the risk of this situation whether you're responsible for the attacker or the victim. You just never think it's going to happen to you. Ever. Not only do you have to deal with the pain and guilt of being the responsible party but there are, naturally, repercussions to inappropriate actions. For Bogey that meant he had to be quarantined- away from us- for ten days. Ten whole days of being separated from my "first born," our first baby, the dog who really "understood" me through those infertility days- it was a knife in the heart. The first night he was gone I alternated between replaying the incident over and over in my head and crying. 

The good thing about this whole ordeal is that Bogey didn't bite a person. (That would be a whole different situation that I don't even want to think about.) Another good thing is everyone is okay... still shaken up... but okay. It's also a good thing that animal control understands this was out of character and believes our theory as to why it happened. Because of this Bogey is doing his 10-day quarantine at home. The best part is our insurance is covering e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. 

We're a few days post-incident and breathing a little easier. Bogey, however, is still recovering from his jailhouse experience. He will not let me out of his sight. We're dishing out more kisses, hugs, and cuddles around here as a family but we're moving forward. 

A Tiny Peek of Life Lately, Part II

1. an uninvited guest to our sit-in-the-car-and-watch-the-waves lunch date.
2. my two strapping boys.
3. playtime at hug point. (and a glimpse of the waterfall d fell off of.)
4. french baguettes from scratch.
5. cinnamon-sugar pull-apart bread. oh. my. word.
6. oh, my sweet girl.
7. possible color scheme for birdie girl's room.
8. whoops. and ouch.

The Peach & The Pits

The Peach 

 Getting caught up in my pregnancy journal. 

 A small glimmer of spring flowers

 Hubs finding the perfect sized pallet to use as a shelf in the dining room. 

 A pink mama-made onesie for Birdie girl. 

 How quickly March has flown by. Not to mention how unexpectedly busy it was. 

 D's grandmother sent him this little doll that he made when he was a kid. He was super excited that she had kept it. 

Oh the faces that upside down puppies make. 

The Pits

 I lovelovelove the $1 dog ropes by Boots & Barkley at Target, especially since they last so long with our two knuckleheads. I hatehatehate picking up shredded string off of carpet when they've been demolished. 

 Sigh. Once again... proof that I can't keep plants or flowers alive. 

 It's pretty pathetic that sunny 51* day gets to be called a hot one around these parts. It's more upsetting when you see that day getting pushed away by oncoming rain clouds. It poured 20 minutes later. 

Getting tons of laundry done only to ignore the final clean load, and have it sit in this exact spot for over a week awhile. 

This, That & Some Things

 I got a really ridiculously good deal on fabric from JoAnn's. When I got it home I realized that the saleslady measured out the fabric incorrectly so I received 15 yards of fabric for $19! 

 We've been redecorating our living/ dining/ kitchen area, trying to get away from a country Pottery Barn look and going towards something we actually like. First thing to change was the curtains. 

In addition to these curtain panels I made two valences for the smaller windows in the same rooms. (And still had TONS of fabric to spare!) 

 The next day I moved onto making a maxi skirt. Keep in mind the curtains above are the first things I've sewn in eons. I looked over a few online tutorials for the skirt but ended up just winging the whole project. It's definitely NOT perfect, I learned a lot through my mistakes, and I now hate working with jersey material... but I didn't give up! I just need to shorten the length a tad and- ta-da!- I'll be wearing it in no time. 

Yesterday D and I went to a first birthday party. I spent the days prior whipping up this little outfit. I also crocheted a matching beanie. I've found a new love for double-sided interfacing and it has made my onesie projects waaaaay easier and faster. Birdie bird already has a few mama-made onesies. Was is it about hot air balloons that make me smile? 

Speaking of Birdie girl... I picked this lovely up the other day.  

Here's the- free- dresser that we scored for Birdie. It's going to get all new drawer pulls and a new color. I'm so happy I found a piece in great condition, with good lines, and will double as her changing table.  

D found this vintage cradle at a local consignment store for an astonishingly low, low, low price. We've decided to sell the other one that we already had and use this one instead. Not only is it sturdier but it's also bigger than the other bassinet. This, too, will get painted and I'm going to add some simple linens to it.  

We've had a crazy spring so far: lots and lots of rain but even more snow! Unfortunately the snow decided to melt at the same time it decided to pour for three days straight. This meant that the rivers flooded BIG time and prevented D from getting to work and me from my favorite day: grocery shopping day.  

We took a risk and drove through 3 feet of water to get into town. Scariest. 3. Minutes. Ever. Our car survived, thankfully, but there were many that didn't.  

Our new addiction: raspberry cheese danishes. It kills me to look at this picture and know I currently don't have any in the kitchen.  

I always forget I'm just not a long-haired person. I try and try but it always ends up in a bun unwashed for days and very damaged. After years and years of wanting to I finally took the plunge....

 A pixie cut and 7 inches of hair later... gone! I. Love. It. SOOOOOOO. Much. 

A good reason why D should never be unsupervised at the Goodwill store- he comes home with a powder blue polyester suit. Sigh.  

Finally- I caught this sweet, sweet moment between D and Roo yesterday on our walk. It was SO nice to feel the sun on our skin. Love these two together.