blast from the past.

Okay, I cannot stop laughing. I just found this picture on my Photobucket account. It was about 4 summers ago up in Lake Tahoe. Let me set the mood - family vacay & after about 7 shots I stole from my Dad's handle of Jack Daniels later around 12am, my sister, & cousin Chris sat & watched as I turned all of the chairs set up for a wedding ceremony backwards (facing away from the lake). I honestly did not remember this until I saw the picture the next day & walked down to the lake to see the staff turning all 300 chairs back around. priceless. just keepin it classy ya know = )

a world of thanks.

So I had dropped Will of yesterday with Jill & baby Jacob & got in my car & my mind was racing with thoughts. I got teary-eyed as I thought of all the people we have that love us & support us. We have so many people who we trust watching Will & are making this transition easy for us. As most of you know I decided about 3 weeks ago to finish my last class so I can apply for the RN program. It was a huge leap of faith but my drive to do it after my labor experience was huge. I want nothing more than to work in labor & delivery. So thank you to all who are making this work for me as I continue toward my goal & thank you all who have been there for us as we brought Will into the world for your generosity, love & support. It truly means the world to Eric & I.

...procrastinating

Things I love:

walking upstairs & it being 10 degrees hotter.
being able to leave my baby with Daddy for 6 hours & he said they had a great time - no complaints at all.
going into the spare bedroom/office & finding things I lost....last summer.
not making our bed & it serving as a constant reminder that anytime during the day I can cuddle up & be super cozy.
finally weighing less than our 190 lb. dog. thank god.
the smell of candles from fall & christmas. all.year.long.
i got an A on my first quiz...small accomplishment but huge in the long run.
the family & friends I have that I trust to watch Will.
the fact that I will NEVER wear a 2 piece swimsuit ever.again. (thanks to my "flame tattoo" a.k.a. stretch marks, thanks sis).
tax returns= new BOB stroller.
our amazing Hawaii vacation this July to motivate me this spring in school & working out/dieting.
living close enough to walk to Bel Air & Target.
diaper/tote bag from Pottery Barn Kids.
Tommee Tippee bottles, pacifiers, sippy cups (from England).
that we have the same clock in our kitchen as Gretchen from "The Real Housewives of O.C."
my Dad has already planned a trip to Disneyland for June 2011.
nap time.


Things I don't love:

that our dog wakes up more times in the middle of the night than our child.
having to leave my baby for 6 hours/2 days a week.
that my mom works all day, every weekday - she should retire...now.
this yucky rain. christmas is over - it needs to be summer...stat.
our upstairs walls are still completely bare.
I haven't gotten my hair done since the week before Will was born. yikes.
our Christmas lights are still up.
bills.
this rain again = no walks with Will.

20 lbs. to go

Okay ya'll. So I was positive the minute I was un-pregnant I would be back on the treadmill running & at DAC doing Crossfit 3 times a week. HAHAHA. right. I joined a gym that it about 27 seconds away from our house & have made it there 3 times in 4 weeks. At this rate by the time Will turns 5 I will have lost my baby weight....but wait....I'm sure there will be MORE babies by then! I've been trying to get back into my running routine by walking 4 minutes & jogging 2. I can do that 4 times. Thats right, if you do the math, I can run for a total of 8 minutes - all while feeling as though I have met the Devil face to face. I was running at times, before pregnancy, 3 miles a few times a week. I asked the Dr. about this the other day & she told me the sweetest thing my ears have heard: Your not supposed to run until 4 months post-partum! Why? Because the hormone Relaxin is released up until 4 months making your joints extremely painful, exactly what I have been experiencing. There is a God & a good excuse I can give Eric as to why I can't run. If you didn't know, I start back at school next week: 2 days a week. My last class & then I will be off to the RN program! So between school, Will, Eric, & our house, the gym comes in close LAST. I looked at my options: Nurtrisystem, Alli, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, crack (JUST KIDDDING!), walking down the street & stealing back the Treadmill we put a "FREE" sign on at the height of my pregnancy. (Stupid, right?)Weight Watchers is out because last time I paid a slightly fluffy old lady to weigh me, I steadily gained close to 10 lbs. Nutrisystem means I still have to cook another meal for Eric every night...not happening. Kirstie Ally is just not convincing me that Jenny Craig is the way to go. So behold my decision: last Sunday I gave in a bought Alli. Yes, the pill with "treatment effects" listed as anal leakage. At this point in my life, I feel as though there are worse things. I will proudly say I have NOT experienced any nasty side effects as of yet as I have CAUTIOUSLY been eating healthy. (Minus Jill's birthday cake last night) The gym at some point will be inevitable - I know my swim suit I have to wear when we spend a week in Hawaii this summer is not going to look good because I sat around & ate Hershey Kisses all Spring. So here's to healthy eating & eventually hitting the gym more than 3 times. (maybe I can save all my money for the BOB jogging stroller I desperatly want - hopefully motivation to hit the pavement for some quality speed walking) & of course NO treatment effects from Alli = )

'twas the night before christmas & Will slept all through the night

It was probably the best Christmas gift I could of asked for. After a long 2 nights (Tues. & Wed.) Will slept Wednesday night from 10:30-5:30am. You might say thats not through the night but ask any mom who can get more than 2 hours of consecutive sleep - pure bliss.

Our 1st Christmas as a family is officially under our belts & it was incredible. Having a child made Christmas a million times better - more magical. Although we couldn't capture his face as he opened his gifts - theI was in awe at how amazing Santa did on his own! An Eddie Bauer high chair, a gazillion outfits which are so adorable (I'm still not quite sure where Santa learned to shop like this....ask my sister-in-law about her husband's shopping capabilities! LOVE YOU JAKE!) lots of good toys, a Little Giraffe blankey from Mommy & Daddy (the Rolls Royce of blankeys in case you are out of the loop!) a bath seat for when he can sit up, & my favorite gift of all: Will got Daddy a sign that reads "I have a hero...his name is Daddy." Our house is OFFICIALLY turned into babyland with toys galore.

Warmest wishes for 2010 (we are hoping for a little less eventful year!!)

1 kid and counting.....

No....I'm not pregnant =) In fact I just picked up my prescription for my birth control. Dubbed the "mini pill" - I'm not to comforted in reading the pamphlet that came with it explaining how 8 out of 100 women will get pregnant on it.....hmmmm. We aren't planning on having a competition with the Duggar Family thats for sure. On to another topic - we have officially made it through our first month of being parents & I wanted to point out some highlights (& lowlights for that matter!)

1. Stay up sometime to watch Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, & Conan O'Brian - they are hiliarious & its exactly what I need at midnight when my child seems to think I starve him.

2. I realized my life had changed when I sat down at the kitchen table, lit some candles, & starting paying bills. That was my "me" time & I was perfectly happy with it!

3. Swings are the hands down #1 life-saver. We currently have one downstairs & one upstairs (thank you Jamee!)

4. There is some kind of hype over a rubber giraffe: Sophie the Giraffe. I guess she might have to make an appearance this Christmas. (Yes Mom, that is a stocking stuffer hint)
http://www.goores.com/goores/product.asp?s_id=0&pf_id=PAOHIDNILOFIGFFP

5. I swore I would never give my child a pacifier or bottle. Well he had a bottle within minutes of birth due to low blood sugar. We also have to supplement with formula daily. The pacifier has SAVED my nipples. (And he looks to darn cute sucking away: think Maggie from the Simpson's)

6. There are no morning naps anymore. Will is up from 5:30am - until approx. 2ish. He will scream & be fussy & the MINUTE Eric walks through the door he's asleep for 4 hours. I really don't get it.

7. I'm pretty sure I get the worst mother of the year award: Poor Will peed straight into his own mouth & then it pooled up in his eyes. Hince the invention of Pee Pee Tee-Pees = )
Signing out from under the play gym - its feeding time at this zoo.

team blue.

I thought I was just going to the doctor for a check up on Monday November 2. I never thought the next time I walked through my front door I would have my baby in my arms! I got the doctor at 10am & she checked me - I told her how I've continued to have contractions & had gone to the birthing center on Friday night but the sent me home because the contractions weren't strong enough. Well she checked me & I was 6cm. almost 7cm! She explained to me that I needed to go to the birthing center & they would "augment" my labor because I would probably walk around until I was 9 or 10 cm. not knowing it. She left me in the exam room so she could call labor & delivery & I called Eric. He was working in Napa that morning & I frantically told him we were having a baby today! I got to the birthing center at 11am & Eric was there by 11:30am. The midwife came in & explained that they would break my water & see what happened from there. At 12:00pm she broke my water & by 12:30pm I was 10 cm. dilated. I went from having a few cramps that morning to full on transition labor with less than 30 seconds of relief from contractions. I was screaming (literally) for an epidural & they told me "okay lets get the IV started" but Eric heard them say there was NO way I could get an epidural. I was crying, throwing up, screaming for some kind of relief. They got an IV started & were able to give me some Fentenol. It took the edge off but I definitly felt everything. I started pushing around 1pm. Eric held one of my legs towards the end & was able to see everything happen. I was so impressed he watched!

William Andrew Broward "Will" was born at 3:21pm weighing 9 lbs. 5 oz. 20 3/4 inches long. As most of you know we didn't know the sex & that was the most amazing, defining moment of our entire life. (I made them check again!) Eric cried, I cried, & baby Will laid quietly in awe. The most amazing day I have & will ever experience. We have never been so in love.