As we are counting down the days until baby number 2 arrives and we picked up a few things we never had with our first born. Isn’t it crazy there are lots of new items that have come out in just a few short years? I couldn’t believe it. As much as we can, I think we are ready 🙂 So here is our list and now let the waiting game begin!
As I am sitting here while Noah naps, I really can’t believe how fast this pregnancy is going compared to the first. I heard that when you have a toddler, the second pregnancy flies by. No talking or singing to the belly anymore, knowing what weekly ‘fruit’ you are, no more reading the pregnancy books and blogs…so on. I would say part of that true, but Noah has been giving so much love to her these days. It really warms my heart! But lately, there is so much happening every day, time just seems to get away. But we are slowly getting ready for her (mentally too!) and we are so excited for her arrival. Continue reading
So here I am, half way into my second pregnancy! I can’t believe how fast it’s going, much faster than with Noah. Maybe because running around after a toddler makes the time go by faster? Not sure, but I am excited to watch this belly grow. Last week was the 20 week anatomy ultrasound last week (yes, confirmed a girl!) and baby is growing nicely and everything looks good. We are happy and blessed it’s been a healthy pregnancy thus far. It’s all we could ask for.
I know not everyone wants a mocktail, but in my case, being pregnant this summer, it’s the only choice I have! I miss my wine and margaritas, but with the help of a few other bloggers, I collected a few simple ideas for us non-drinkers! I hope you guys enjoy it. They are easy and you most likely have the ingredients in your fridge. No cooking, no shaking, just simple ingredients for refreshing drinks. Cheers 🙂 And click on the link to follow their pages and blogs for more detail.
The Kirby Hotel made Lavender infused water, blackberries, and served in a champagne flute
We will be a family of 4! I am so excited to share that Noah will be a big brother early December.
The heat of summer is 
here and there are a few products that are must haves for us this season. Now that Noah is 17 months, we are enjoying the pool, being outside and staying up late. But I am not going to lie, one of my “mom triggers” is the sun and his sensitive skin. All moms have a few triggers like nap schedules, food, etc. The sun is mine, I will admit it. So the products below definitely work for us. Hopefully, for you too! Read more at Motherhood & Family
As soon as Noah started to eat solids around 6 months, my husband and I were so excited for him to try EVERYTHING. Our plan was to cook all his meals ourselves, meal prep for the week and have him it only the best, organic food. Well, fast forward to 16 months now, we haven’t been as good. Meal prep is hard for us sometimes, because like everyone, we are busy. So I did a little searching and found read more at CGL Baby.
My son, Noah, is two years old now. He is a happy, healthy, silly little boy and that is all that matters. I love him so much, it is actually hard to describe. But to this day, I carry around what I call “MG” aka mom guilt.
I was watching TV recently and someone was giving birth and I started to cry. This often happens when I think about my own experience with Noah. My husband actually suggested to write about it to see if other moms feel the same way. So in honor of all those moms out there and releasing some of my own MG, I thought I would share our “planned” birth story.
For the entire pregnancy, I was healthy and so was Noah. I had no problems and everything was routine. But in 2015, two days after Christmas. I noticed a change. Noah was pretty active in the womb, but all of sudden, I felt nothing. Something just didn’t feel right. I called the doctor and I immediately went into triage. After stress testing and ultrasounds, we discovered Noah had turned into a breech position, which was limiting his movement. What was this? And why did it happen? So of course, I freaked out and spent the next upcoming weeks Googling everything (I know, it’s my weakness). The doctors reassured us not to worry because most babies eventually turn on their own. They kept saying only 3-4% of babies are breech at birth, so most will turn on their own.
Through my research, I learned that there are several types of breech positions, which means the baby is not head first in the womb. Noah was in the oblique position. His head was under my right ribs, bottom on my pelvis and feet under my left ribs.
So from 32 weeks on, my husband and I were told that he will turn on his own, everything will be fine and they will continue to monitor his position.
Come 36 weeks, he still had not turned. My doctor suggested a version, which is manually turning the baby around from the outside. This is done at the hospital as an outpatient procedure. The chances of him moving was 50%, so we decided to do one. But, it was unsuccessful and the most painful experience ever, even with an epidural. He didn’t budge, his heart rate dropped during the procedure and I was in excruciating pain. As a result, we had to schedule a c-section at 39 weeks. I was absolutely devastated. I was bruised from the inside out, heavily medicated, and could not believe I would have to have a c-section.
So many thoughts and questions ran through my head (and still do to this day). I would never experience my water breaking or going into labor. Was there something wrong with me or him? I wouldn’t be able to spend time with him immediately after his birth. Would I have to have one with future children? I thought motherhood meant to go through labor, like a right of passage. It broke me. For the first time, I didn’t want anything planned, I wanted him to come when he was ready.
From 36 weeks on, there were several things the doctor suggested we could do naturally on our own to move his position. It completely consumed my life. We tried everything. Acupuncture at The Nest (which I highly recommend for any moms to be), music,
Acupuncture at The Nest
bouncing balls, moxa sticks that burn at your feet, yoga, chiropractor, essential oils, etc. We would spend hours in Chinatown to just to find herbs and incense that might help him move. Hundreds of dollars spent, countless hours worrying and sleepless night, but no success.
At 39 weeks, I went in for the c-section at 39 weeks and it went perfect. There wasn’t anything more I would ask for. I still don’t know why this continues to weigh heavy on me, but I am working on releasing it. It shouldn’t matter how our children come into this world, but mothers and women in general always carry so much guilt. We should all try to give ourselves a little more credit.
This is a deeply personal post, but I would love to hear more about your experiences.
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Until next time,
Christine