one month

How did my little baby turn one month?
How did he go from being the tiniest little creature to this full blown grown-up?
Honestly, all the days and nights spent feeding and changing have all blurred into one looooong day.
Probably because sleep comes in small stretches, mere naps in the longest day in history.
But no way has it been a whole month!!!!
During the shortest month in history Mason had his first outing: Jamba Juice.
He loved it, he told me.
Also, Bruce has started sleeping on the couch.
Whether it's because he's annoyed of the crying baby or because he feels the need to stand guard over us, I don't know.
But it's nice not having him in our bed so I won't even question it.
Speaking of not sleeping......
After like the first week I decided to start using the sound machine when I put Mason to bed.
When I'm done feeding him I put him back in his bed whether he is asleep or not.
And once I started turning the sound machine on I learned that it would put Derek and I out like lights in seconds and once the timer would turn it off I would wake up and realize that it had put us to sleep but Mason was still wide awake.......
Kind of the opposite of what I wanted it to do.
Again speaking of not sleeping (because that's really all parenthood is).....
Derek and I (but mostly Derek) are super crazy when sleep deprived.
There was this one time that I was waking Derek up and he suddenly got so scared because he thought I had handed Mason to him but there was no baby in his arms.
And I will often wake up thinking that I'm currently pumping.
When clearly I'm not.
But through all the many many many 3 hour "naps" this very looooooong day has brought, we sure do love him.
And the way that he sleeps with his hands right up next to his face.
And the way he takes foreeever to drink a bottle (OK maybe not this one so much).
And the way that he snorts (because even though it was bad congestion.....it's dang adorable).
And the way his eyes are just so big and round and could just stare at the person holding him for hours and hours.
And the way his toes curl under.
And the fact that he instantly falls asleep the moment his car seat starts moving.

But one month????
Really????

mason's birth story

At 36 weeks I went in for my appointment and I was dilated to a 2. I had had a feeling my whole pregnancy that he was going to come early so this gave me hope that my intuition was correct. At my 37.5 week appointment I went in and I had lost some weight from being so sick still. Since I was losing weight and was measuring small my doctor had me go in for an ultrasound to check the size of baby and the amount of amniotic fluid. If the results weren’t ideal then they would have to induce me that night. It turned out that baby was growing just enough and my fluid levels were borderline so we would continue to monitor those. About 4 days later was my 38 week appointment and I had lost even more weight. I was dilated to a 3 and my cervix was almost all the way shortened and thinned. I went back in for another ultrasound and my fluid levels had dropped and so my doctor said that I could be induced at 39 weeks if he doesn’t come on his own before then. So I set my induction date for Oct. 14. But I felt like he was still going to come before then. For a few days I was having braxton-hicks and cramping so I kept thinking that the time was coming. On Friday neither Derek or I went into work and we were spending the day getting things done and enjoying each other’s company and crossing our fingers that something might come of my cramps. By the late morning I had finally given into the thought of going in for my induction the next day and not meeting him any sooner than planned. I was feeling pretty nauseous so while Derek and I were watching TV on the couch I drank a Coke and then laid down to take a nap. At noon I woke up with a contraction. And it was that moment that I realized that I had never felt a real contraction before-but this one was the real deal. I got up and went to the bathroom and when I stood up my water broke! It was just a trickle so I called my nurse to ask her about it. She was on lunch so while I waited for her to call back I busied myself doing laundry, my hair and makeup, and picking things up around the house. She called back and I told her what was going on and she told me to head on over to Labor and Delivery. Derek likes to point out that once I hung up the phone and told him this I was still very nonchalant about the whole situation and was still taking care of things around the house and making him switch around where the cars were parked. At about 12:45 we casually (Derek not so casually) walked into the hospital and told the people at the front desk that I was there to check in. They took me to a triage room and a few minutes later the nurse came in. After showing her my underwear she whisked us away to a Delivery room before we had even touched anything in triage. She checked me when we got into the room and I was dilated to a 4 and at a +1 Station (the baby was in the birth canal, ready to come on out). At this point my contractions were bearable and I was glad to answer the admit questions the nurse had. But slowly they became worse and worse and to the point that I almost ripped Derek’s shirt off his body. After phlebotomy came in and did my blood draws the nurse checked me and saw that I was already at an 8, just about 30 minutes after being in the room. She called for the anesthesiologist, who came in pretty quick and started telling me all of this epidural information. Once he was finally done yammering about things I wasn’t even listening to he gave me the epidural and laid me on my back to let all of the nerves numb. After a little bit I told the nurse that I could still feel the right side of my back so they tipped me that way and then I asked her to check me again because it felt like he was sitting really low. She looked and……told me that it was time to push! I did a couple of small pushes to get him to the point where he was crowning and then we waited about 10 minutes for the doctor to come in. During this time they told me that he had hair which made me so happy because we expected him to be a bald little baby. I also had enough time to feel his head; which was incredibly weird. My regular doctor was going to be there in 20 minutes, but things were happening so fast that I got the on call doctor of the day. She came in and 3 contractions later little Mason was born at 3:06. And the first thing I said? “He looks really gross!” But they cleaned him off and gave him to me and he’s been much cuter ever since. I am seriously so incredibly grateful that after such a grueling 9 months of sickness, something happened easily! But for my next kid? He may just slip right out on the way to the hospital!

applesauce puffs

This week I decided to try out a new recipe with some applesauce that I needed to use up.
And these Applesauce Puffs were born!
(I actually just found the recipe on Pinterest)
But guys, they are totally yummy.
And covered in Cinnamon Sugar so you can't go wrong.
The original recipe I used was found here: BakingWithMom

Ingredients

• 2 c biscuit mix
• 1/4 c sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 c applesauce (I used natural)
• 1/4 c milk
• 1 egg
• 2 T oil

Cinnamon Sugar Mixture

• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Instructions

1. Mix biscuit mix, sugar and cinnamon

2. Mix in applesauce, milk, egg and oil

3. Stir well

4. Fill greased muffin pans 2/3 full

5. Bake @375 for 15 minutes

6. Remove immediately from pan and roll in melted butter

7. Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and roll muffin with melted butter on it in mixture

8. Let cool and serve

babymoon

Last month we went on an anniversary/babymoon trip as one last little hurrah.
Derek and I have never done a big trip like this, just the two of us, so it was fun to plan and adventure and experience these new things together.
We flew to San Diego for 4 days and stayed in a hotel on La Jolla beach for one of the nights.
It was pretty cloudy most of the time, but who doesn't love the beach in any weather?
It actually made it the perfect weather to see the sea lions wrestling and frolicking in the waves.
And we still got in the water and tried jumping the waves.
Until one completely took me out and I had to call it quits.
We went to SeaWorld, which was the most magical place I have ever been to.
And ate SO much delicious food while we were there.
Derek wanted to make it a food-cation and I think we definitely accomplished that!
Here are some of my favorite pictures from the trip.

pregnancy update

It's been a hot minute since I've updated the internet on my pregnancy.
I'm 34 weeks now and baby and I have an understanding that he'll come early; so really, I'm in the home stretch.
SO what's new with growing a baby?

A couple of weeks ago we went to California for our anniversary/babymoon and it was the best!
We were planning on spending one whole day in SeaWorld and I was a bit worried about being exhausted, being in the bathroom the whole time, being in pain, having ankles the size of Alaska, overheating, etc. etc.
But guys......how did I ever doubt the power of Seaworld?
That place is absolutely magical!
And I haven't felt better in my whole pregnancy as I did there, running around and dragging Derek to every show and attraction.

We bought a car seat!
Still have no idea how to put it in the car or how to put a baby in it but....we own one!
So we can at least bring baby home.
Now to YouTube how to work the dang thing.

We also bought me a mom car.
Yup, a 3-rower.
It's weird, multiple times a week I accidentally drive to the soccer field with a bag of sliced oranges in the back seat.
I can't explain it.

I've also started packing the hospital bag (since we are in the home stretch and everything).
But find myself only packing baby socks.
How can I resist though?
They're just so tiny and cute!

I've started feeling sick like in the beginning and it's really getting old!!
It takes me like 30 minutes to decide what I'm willing to eat.
Then I lose it to the toilet.
And have to take another 30 minutes trying to decide what to eat AGAIN.
It's a vicious cycle.

I think Derek is ready to get his half of the bed back.
Between all of my pillows, my growing belly, and Bruce...we have kinda kicked him to the edge.
But hey, I'm 2 people.
And 2 people get 2/3 of the bed right?

saving money as I prepare for baby

Babies are flipping expensive!!
And just when you think you've thought of everything you have to buy, something else pops up.
But I've found a few ways to help Derek and I save some moolah as we get ready for this tiny, expensive human.

1. HSA. This is one of the most amazing things in the world. I don't know how every insurance works, but find out if you are eligible for an HSA. It's basically  just a separate bank account specifically for medical expenses. So whenever we have medical bills come in the mail we just use the HSA credit card to pay for it and we don't even have to think about it. Because it's money that has already been taken out of our checks long ago so it doesn't need to be put into the budget.

2. Thrift shopping. I like to think of thrift shopping as one of my hobbies. Honestly most of the things we own and all but a few of my clothes are from thrift stores. So why should I change my ways? Kid-to-Kid is a great resource when preparing for baby. They have gently used clothing for a steal of a deal. And how often are your kids going to be wearing those $40 clothes anyways? Not very long. So pay $5 instead. I've gotten all of my baby clothes from there, which allowed me to buy more. And you can't even tell they were thrifted because most of them are brand names. I also have gotten all of my maternity clothes there. I just can't bring myself to pay more than 10 bucks for something that I will only be wearing for a couple of months. They also have packaged teethers, bottle cleaners, formula, diapers, wipes, boppy pillows, bumbos, tubs, toys, books, etc.

3. Plan Ahead. I felt a little silly getting so much stuff done in my first trimester, but it has shown to be useful because now I just have no energy or motivation to take care of anything. One thing that I did was take each big ticket item (crib, pack n play, travel system, etc.) and decided what I wanted in each category. Then, once those things went on sale or I found them for a great price then I could snatch them up rather than waiting to pay full price in my third trimester because I had procrastinated.

4. Check multiple places. Something I've started doing recently is checking the prices of items (not just big ticket items and not just baby items) at multiple stores. Some stores have some things for cheap and other stores have other things for cheap. And sometimes online is cheaper and sometimes in store is cheaper. When I grocery shop I go multiple places because different things are priced drastically differently and I save about $10 or $15 a week doing this. (You just have to have the desire and patience to do this haha)

5. Use Apps. I have a few grocery and coupon apps such as Ibotta, Walmart Savings Catcher, Cartwheel, Flipp, Krazy Coupon Lady, Coupons.com..... that I check multiple times a week to see if there are any deals on anything that I'm going to need to be buying in the near future. Some of these are rebate apps so you get money back after the fact which isn't AS satisfying, but still important because it is honestly soso easy to just scan in your receipt and get money for buying certain products.

6. Make what you can. You don't necessarily have to be too crafty to do this either. In the picture above my mother made all the blankets inside the basket and for the basket I took an old laundry basket and covered it in rope, easy peasy. You can also refinish an old piece of furniture, tie dye or stamp white onesies, or even learn how to make a blanket or car seat cover or bows/bow ties. Or even just DIY the nursery decorations rather than buying everything. It makes these things a little more special and sentimental as well.

7. Don't buy everything just because Pinterest says so. What is important to you and what conveniences do you really want? For me, I'm going to be exclusively pumping so I bought a bottle warmer because one family I nannied for used a lot of frozen breast milk and I learned from that that I wanted the convenience of a bottle warmer. But a diaper genie and a wipes warmer are not things I'm going to buy right now. If I figure out after the baby comes that those are conveniences that I want then I can always go and buy them. But for now, I don't need to pay for it and maybe never use it.

8. Stock up. I know that once baby comes I'm going to need excessive amounts of certain things like wipes. So whenever I see them on sale, I buy them. Same with the basic household supplies you will need but not want to buy such as paper towels and toilet paper. Buy them now, on sale (as you should always anyways). And instead of paying $200 at once to make a bunch of freezer meals, every week I make a couple of meals as it fits into my budget each week.

lake powell part two

Did I mention in my last post that it was hot down there?
Because it was.
Luckily boats sit on bodies of water that are just the perfect refresher for a belly oven.
It honestly felt so good to get in the water and just float around.
Which is basically all I did because I didn't want to have a baby in Page, AZ.
But Derek worked on his sweet wake boarding moves and his epic wipeouts.
Also, snorkeling?
It makes me want to die.
I kept trying to breath through my nose and having to throw the mask off before I suffocated.
And I didn't even get my head under the water.

Also, check out the home video of the events: https://vimeo.com/226820282

lake powell part one

We skipped out on responsibility and headed down to Lake Powell for five days.
And it was HOT!!!!
But very much the break and fun we both needed to recharge and keep pushing through this pregnancy.
We visited the Glen Canyon Dam and went on the dam tour.
It was interesting, but by the end of it I was needing a refreshing treat.
And then learned that Page doesn't have an Arctic Circle OR a Jamba Juice??
What kind of world were we in?
But good thing for Sonic and AC.
Watch out for part two where I actually talk about the main reason we went down there: boating.

pregnancy essentials

There are a few things that every woman finds to be able to make it through a long nine months of pregnancy.
Nobody else's suggestions helped.
So these are mine.
For the first 5 months at least.

1. Coke. Whatever chemical is in a cold Coke just really burns away all those nasty tastes and nauseous feelings.Who knows what the heck else it's burning away, but I honestly wouldn't be able to eat half the things I do without a Coke to wash down every couple bites.

2.  Netflix and a quality bed. For some reason laying in bed is just so much more comfortable than any couch or chair that I have tested out. But an important element of a quality bed is a mountain of pillows that you can surround yourself with.

3. A Husband. Or someone else to do absolutely everything for you. I'm pretty sure I would be living in a waste bin if my husband (and mother) wasn't there to help cook and clean. And give me massages. And respond to my every request. And carry things I can't. And heat up my rice bags. And keep me sane.

4. Throw-up Bowl. Preferably next to your bed. And in your car. And in your purse. And in your husband's car. Cause you never know when it's gonna hit, all you know is it aint gonna be pretty! So also keep some sort of breath freshening/teeth cleaning supplies near those barf bowls.

5. An arsenal of food. You never know what the heck your belly is gonna wanna eat. I honestly never thought that your belly could dictate so strongly what you put on your plate, but pregnancy gives it a mind of it's own. Some days it will want an avocado and the next day the thought of an avocado will make you want to throw up. Have a varietous selection so you can feed that already picky baby whatever he wants.

camping

I have just been itching to go camping lately.
And so we planned on going to a nearby campsite with toilets and tables so that if I started to feel too too sick, we would have resources to help me feel better.
BUT everyone and their mom loves to camp in Utah and of course, most places are first come first served.
So instead, we drove deep into the Uintahs, took a few wrong turns,  and pitched our tent near a river and some cow pies.
And for our 9 o clock dinner we ate.....wait for it.....
Salmon and asparagus tin foil dinners!!!
I nearly died, it was so quick and delicious.
I am honestly camping no other way from here on out.
And the sleeping wasn't too bad.
Bruce stood guard alllll night, we could hear the river running, and it just took me about ten minutes to flip my pregnant body over every couple hours....
It was a nature-lovin dream!
Next time we're just gonna try to get there before night fall.

priorities

Lately I've been thinking about what's important to me.
What are my priorities?
What am I doing to honor those priorities?
And what am I choosing to spend my money on?
It's so easy to see what other people are doing or buying and to shift your focus to the lives of others.
But everyone is different and everyone values different things.
I need to focus on my family and where we are at and what we want.
Since Summer has started I wanted to continue making adventure and quality time important even though I've been so sick.
So I decided that even though I can't go on all the adventures I had been wanting to go on, I can make it work for me.
I looked up the easiest hikes around and have been slowly doing them so that I can still feel like my priorities are being honored.

The first hike is The Grotto in Payson canyon.
This hike took quite the drive to get here so it's not one I will frequent often.
But it is PERFECT for children.
It's not steep, but has some river crossings.
And the ending has a nice waterfall, but there's not space at the top to sit and hang out.
Which is OK because it's only 1 mile, out and back, so you won't need to lunch at the top.

Battle Creek Falls in Pleasant Grove was a little longer, at 1.5 miles out and back.
And holy cow it was STEEEEEP for this pregnant lady, but is still a good hike for all ages including kids.
And the waterfall at the end is a little more impressive with lots more space to hang out and eat a snack.

Both hikes are always pretty dang busy with packed parking lots so go into it prepared for that.
But don't let it deter you from these fun hikes.

So, priorities honored, no matter how modified.