Party Bust

So for weeks I looked at my calendar and counted down days till we would see our little one & finally give this baby a name and an identity! I know that sounds silly, but I delight in all of the small things you can begin doing when you know what you are having!

Anyways, to top it off, we planned a huge production of a party that included secret text messages, coordinating outfits and a big surprise at the end! I was thrilled. My family & friends were on board and who doesn't love a good excuse to get together & drink cold beer while talk about babies?

Sunday night I couldn't sleep I was so excited. Everyone was on standby at 10:00 Saturday morning as we walked in the door for our ultrasound. When we got there we noticed the office was a mad house. They were having technical difficulties and people were backed up for their appointments. Our turn came and we went back, explaining to the tech that we didn't want to know. We asked her to write down the results in an envelope. A few minutes into the scan, she shut off the projector and we waited. A few minutes later and she was telling us it was a no go. Baby wouldn't stop moving! I was a little broken hearted at having to cancel the party but thankful I got to see how big our babe has grown. It always blow my mind that from that first scan where baby looks more like a gummy bear than a baby, to the 15-16 weeks scan where we find out gender, there is so much change and growth. We saw the spine, and that is always a wow moment for me as a mother and a Christian. Something so small, and perfectly formed is growing inside of me and thankfully I was picked to be it's Momma!

They rescheduled us for this Wednesday which puts me at 15 weeks 3 days and I hope and pray our little one is a little more cooperative. To keep things simple, we will be going to dinner beforehand and our parents can join if they feel like it! No party, no plan, just a big moment where the tech confirms what we are having! Can't wait for that moment!

14 Weeks

14 weeks, wow! Time is flying by. I will probably say that everytime. It just amazes me! Nothing special today except for the questions. The big post will be next week when we find out WHAT WE ARE HAVING!!!

:)

How far along: 14 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Lost 15 lbs so far...

Maternity clothes: Bought some tank tops and shorts to go along with the fall-ish maternity options I had from Hunter

Stretch Marks: Nothing new

Sleep: Sleeping better at night, but still exhausted all day

Best Moment this week: Feeling baby move today! At almost 15 weeks I guess I could be crazy, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Almost 100% sure it was the babe!

Miss anything: Still miss eating a good meal

Movement: As previously stated...

Food Cravings: Lately, sweet tea & hot pockets. Totally healthy, thanks little one. A little healthier is lemon water. Gotta have it!

Anything make you sick or queasy:Specifically, baby spit up. Gross I know.

Have you started to show yet: Not much hiding this bump anymore!

Gender Prediction: Boy

Labor Signs: Lord, no.

Belly Button in or out: In, and please let it stay that way!

Wedding Rings on or off: On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Emotional wreck, I tell ya.

Looking forward to: Gender reveal party 3 days!

Hunter's First Birthday Bash

So in true OCD fashion, I began the thought process for this birthday party when Hunter was about 4 months old. But being the procrastinator I am, and always will be, the party actually came together starting maybe month eleven. Go figure. I put the blame wholly on Pinterest. There are just too many good ideas on there, and a girl could get lost, for real.

In the end, I settled on something that wouldn't limit me to a specific set of decor, ideas, etc. Vintage Red Wagon. It allowed me to use things I already own. Classic white serving ware, vintage jars, and toys and I chose two fairly common colors. Red & Aqua.

After choosing a theme, the next step for me is always the invitation. I design all my shower, and party invites myself. Here is Bug's...

 

Then, the easiest thing for me was the menu. It was held from 2-4 so traditionally you don't have to feed people, but that's just not the way I do things. For the adults, there were meatballs, chicken nuggets, an awesome little dip called "redneck caviar" found here, french onion dip and chips, fruit salad and a delicious fruit dip found here (made with only 2 ingredients by the way, which rocks!). There were also sub sandwiches, and pasta salad made by my awesome neighbor (not sure of the recipe but it has tri-color rotini, onions and dill. to. die. for).I served a couple sauces with the nuggets and bread and butter pickles because I like them. Let me just go ahead and give you some advice. Plan for double what you invite, and then make more food. Seriously. I ran out, which has never happened to me before, but it did & I was mortified. It is always better to have extra than to run out. Take it from me. For the little ones I got decorative paper cups from Sweet Lulu and stocked those with cheerios, and served these awesome Veggie Straws as well.

Then you have the cake. My very talented sister in law made that, and it came out awesome! The topper I purchased from an Etsy shop, found here and it was adorable! I made the ombre smash cake myself. The cake sat on top of a wooden stool purchased from Hobby Lobby and stained by me.

 

For favors, I made (with the help of the bakery at Publix) 4 dozen sugar cookies, frosted them and piped a red "H" on them and put them in little treat bags. The tags were hand stamped with "thank you very much" and were tied with aqua twine. So fun!

&& for drinks I chose lemonade, soda and of course bottled water and served those with matching cups and striped straws from Sweet Lulu. Amazing little site for all your party supplies!

On the present table we wanted to give people a way to leave their mark, and for us to remember who was there. I ordered a book, "Red Wagon" from Amazon and set it up with a sign asking guests to sign the book and left pens out. Of course they all stopped working. Fail #2. Word to the wise, buy Sharpie brand. Don't go cheap like I did or you might have to hunt down your mother, who might also be a pen thief and ask for some replacements. Just maybe.

For another little corner, we set up my grandmother's vintage high chair and I hung a "ONE" banner from it. I found the printable banner here. I cut those out and then cut out some slightly larger from colored paper and pasted them to it. Behind his chair was an element of my own creation, the photo wall. I used chalkboard printable that I wish I had to give you, but have since lost on my computer somewhere and do not remember their source. They each said "One Month" "Two Month" etc. and I string those on twine, four to a string leaving space for 2 4x6's in between each. I hung those on the wall, and in the spaces hung two photos from each month of his sweet little life.

Another little decorative element were the chalkboard pieces. Outside the front door was a chalkboard that said Welcome to Hunter's party and balloons were attached to that. Behind the cake table was a black poster board that I drew on with chalk pens that listed his "stats". Favorite book, height, weight, etc. It was a hit and I had a ton of questions about it!  

I had a shirt made for Hunter and it was one of my favorite things!

The rest of the decor was pretty simple. Tablecloths & balloons that matched and of course matching plates, cups, silverware etc.

We let everyone eat, and socialize then went straight into the smash cake, and ended things up with presents. 

It was such a good time. However I will leave you with some things I learned.

1. Plan. Plan. Plan & when you think you are crazy for panning to early, you have probably started to late. Pinterest is amazing, but limit yourself to the things that matter and go from there.

2. As I previously stated, plan for more than you think. When the party is over and there is food left, you can always take it home.

3. With little ones, it is so important to plan when it's good for them! You do not want a cranky baby on your hands. He/She will be passed around like crazy and you want your sweet one in a good mood. For us, that meant after his first nap (11:00-12:30 or 1:00) and before his second nap (usually 3:00 but can be pushed to 4:00).

4. On that note, plan your schedule to allow for baby to have as normal a day as possible and at the party prioritize what you actually want baby to participate in. If you know you will have a grumpy baby on your hands an hour into the party, you might want to make sure you take pictures and do the cake first. Baby can't open presents anyways...

5. Have fun. Do what you can before hand, so that you can enjoy the big day. You don't want to be stressing over where you put the forks or how much dip you have or don't have. 

6. Last but not least, except help. I had my amazing best friend, my sister, mom, and in laws there to help me set up. My amazing husband kept Hunter at home doing his regular stuff until time to be at the party!

Enjoy planing! We all know that the first birthday is for us Mom's and it's a big day!

Confounded

As this pregnancy progresses I am increasingly aware of my options regarding this birth. With Hunter, I didn't really have any expectations. However, when my delivery ended up being an emergency c-section I felt as if I had been robbed, and was disappointed. Then, as I healed beautifully and was sharing my life with this beautiful, healthy baby I just felt joyful that he was here and blessed to be healing so well.

This time around I am not afraid at all to admit that I am scared. 200% terrified of a traditional birth. My labor was long. It was long, and it was scary and I didn't even experience contractions really because I opted for the epidural so fast. & going off on a tangent here, maybe that's why I couldn't labor effectively. Maybe there was too much medical intervention.Then again, maybe my body just wasn't going to do what it needed to do. Who knows?

So as I sit here with 6 1/2 months to go, of just sitting, and worrying and thinking I just don't know how I want to handle things this go around.

I have many options. My Dr's office, though not completely natural & organic in their approach, supports my decision for a trial of labor. However, if I don't go into labor naturally by 40 weeks they will proceed with the C-Section, no inductions, no matter what. With this option, I can go to my local hospital where I am familiar with the surroundings and will be close enough for Hunter to visit regularly while we are there. It also is beautiful and the facilities are amazing.

My other option is a midwifery that I have been in contact with. They promote the woman's choice and there is a fabulous Doctor on call 24/7 in case medical intervention is necessary. However, I am not in love with the hospital they deliver at.

The things holding me back from either option are completely selfish! I would love to deliver at Kennestone but to do so means going with a Dr I am not comfortable with. There is also a cost issue. It is so much more expensive to deliver via C-Section but I am so terrified of the "trauma" of a vaginal birth! The word "episiotomy" makes my skin crawl. Which is ironic since I was completely cut open with Bug. (Sorry to be blunt, I am assuming if you are reading you are my husband or a woman, and you get me) & in the end I am scared that even if I choose a VBAC, that my body will betray me again and I will end up in an operating room. What if I just can't have my babies the way I am supposed to. Scary thought. I don't want to be a cop out, but hey, I am a hormonal woman with natural fears and worries. Anyone have any stories of their own they would like to share?

If not, journey along with me in this crazy pregnancy roller coaster. Stick around and you will see one of two things happen. I will come to a decision, made with practical thoughts and reasons or I will lose my mind in the attempt, and the you know what will hit the fan in the end, with things going just as they are bound to.

12 Weeks

Well, we made it! 12 weeks should feel like a breath of fresh air. We are heading into the second trimester and are in that relatively "safe" point in our pregnancy. However this new chapter is anything but easy sailing. I have been doubly sick, just as I started bragging about how awesome things were! Sheesh, way to go big mouth.

Here is a little 12 week update for you :)

How far along: 12 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Lost 12 lbs so far...

Maternity clothes: Yeah man,not because I have to, but some of those things are so comfy!

Stretch Marks: Nothing new

Sleep: No change. Still not sleeping at night and could literally nap all day.

Best Moment this week: Well, I ate dinner tonight for the first time in about 3 days. So, that is pretty good.

Miss anything:A god night's sleep.

Movement: Phantom kicks, little "flutters" but nothing concrete.

Food Cravings: It is literally something different every day. Usually by the time I get it, I don't want it anymore.

Anything make you sick or queasy: Just about everything, nothing sounds good

Have you started to show yet: There is a definite roundness to my belly but lets me honest, I never lost it all after Bug.

Gender Prediction: Boy

Labor Signs: Lord, no.

Belly Button in or out: In, and please let it stay that way!

Wedding Rings on or off: On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy.

Looking forward to: Finding out the sex in 18 days!