Bad Mom

Unglamorous

8:23 AM

For those of you that made raising children look so glamorous, I hate you. Maybe hate isn't the best word there but I'm exhausted and cranky and that always brings out my greatest child-like attitude and vocabulary which often result in lots of I hate yous and you're not the boss of mes. Apparently run-on sentences as well.

I had the most unglamorous mom moment last night/this morning. It was horrible and embarrassingly disgusting. I'm sharing anyways... don't judge me.

At approximately 1:00 am after feeding, burping, changing, feeding again, burping again, rocking, cuddling, trying to put back in bed, failing, consoling, trying again, failing again, trying again and failing the third time for over an hour; I set my child down in his bed and walked out.

That's right.

That moment was pure, overwhelming exhaustion and desperation.

After a moment... several moments... of breathing and crying, I returned. Luckily, I found my fantabulous husband with baby in arms. Still crying I might add.

Daddy managed to get baby to sleep. Thank You Jesus.

Now my guilt is overwhelming. My ONLY job is to take care of that kid, and I walked out on him. Tears.

I'm going now to wallow in my sorrows...

Better days ahead? I hope so.

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DIY

The Nursery Saga Part ONE: Making an Old Dresser New

7:52 AM

I procrastinated horrendously in getting Liam's Nursery ready. Baby Furniture (really, all furniture) is ridiculously expensive! Luckily I'm Thrifty, it just takes some extra time and patience!

When he was born, the only item we really lacked was a dresser. I was on the lookout for something to refinish or something inexpensive. I had stalked the Thrift Store and searched the clearance sections of every store in entered. No Luck.

While cleaning out one of several buildings on his property, my Dad found a dresser that he was willing to give to us.

Woot!

When he brought it by, this is what we got...

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YIKES!

This dresser is ridiculously old! My Dad got it second hand from a friend of the family TWENTY years ago, and it was old then. He refinished it lovely pink and white for mine and my sister Elizabeth's childhood bedroom. It has been sitting in storage for over ten years now.

Am I in over my head? To the avid furniture refinisher, this is probably no big thing... I; however, have never refinished anything. ever.

I sort of lucked out... being in the insane state of life that is "Postpartum" and running around with a fussy, cranky baby, I got out of the labor intensive work (haha, because I already did my "Labor"... ba-dum-bum, I'll be here all week!)

My sweet, sweet husband stripped and sanded... and stripped and sanded... and stripped and sanded. This old thing lost about 4 inches in PAINT!

He also had to add the missing piece of wood to the front under the bottom drawer!

Liam's room is red, black, and grey. His other furniture is a dark espresso wood which was extremely difficult to match, so we decided on Red.

Lots and lots of wood filler later, we primed and then painted. Will bought a inexpensive paint, so we wound up having to put on several coats. In the end though, I think it turned out nice. We had talked about black hardware to go with the room, but I loved the original porcelain knobs that were on the dresser, so we reused those.

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I loved the red so much, we painted an old nightstand the same to go next to the rocking chair.

Before:

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After:

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Jonah thinks it looks great!

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It's a simple refinish, but I am super proud of it! I adore how it turned out!

I'm linking this project up today at Perfectly Imperfect!

Liam

Random Things

7:11 AM

En preparacion por el fin de semana, Yo presento... Random Things Thursdays - a recap of everything I didn't blog about this week. Trend It.

Firstly, the best dog on the planet acting a total fool...



I heart Jonah! He's such a fantastical dog, even if he is a total fruitcake.

Want to see him be cute again? Watch this one...






In other news, Liam and I went to see "Sesame Street Live: Elmo's Super Heroes" this week. Liam's "Pop" (my Dad) does some part time Stage/Sound/Lighting crew work for the Montgomery Performing Arts Center (MPAC). Working for MPAC, he is in the know about all the events there. It's almost ridiculous the number of "I met backstage" stories he has now! He and Aunt Erin (my sister) even got to meet Super Grover...

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Because he is so in the know, he got Liam in for his first "show"! Talk about a show...

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I did some videoing so that you could see how really corny it was, but I decided against uploading it. I figured my pictures were pushing copyright infringement as it is. As silly and corny as the show was, we really did have a good time. By we, of course, I mean Nana (my mom), Aunt Erin, and I. This is what Liam did through the entire show...

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C'est la vie. What can you really expect from a three week old? Anywho, we did have a really good time. The best part was watching the kids get so friggin excited about it. It was literally the same insanity that was beetlemania... except in a miniature, toddler version. Three year olds dancing in the aisles and singing is truly priceless! I'm excited about seeing Liam that way one day... not that I'm wishing away this sweet baby stage.




Also on the books for the week, this outfit.

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Horrendous, I know. Why am I sharing?  Because I'm proud of this "It's pouring rain and I have errands to run and there is a 99% chance I'll end up spit up on by the end of the day" outfit. Not only was it comfortable and functional (and DID in fact end up spit up on), it is entirely thrifted. SCORE. I seriously adore the thrift store.

Please also note: bags under eyes, last night's eye makeup, frumpy "please don't vomit in my hair" hair, and "trying to hide the last of my pregnancy body with baggy-ish clothes"... YAY MOTHERHOOD! Only in motherhood can you look totally gross and be proud of it.




Random moment for the week?
Baby-Mama dance party to Enter Sandman. Don't hate, I'm raising my kid right.




and speaking of Enter Sandman... funny video...






The End :)

Oh How Pinteresting

Oh, How Pinterest-ing!

9:36 AM

Linking up today with The Vintage Apple for "Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesdays"!




google


Because next week is Thanksgiving, I'm showcasing my fav Thanksgiving pins!





Source: google.com via Leah on Pinterest
























Source: etsy.com via Leah on Pinterest


Enjoy!

Liam

The GI Chronicles

8:42 AM

It's a stay in bed sort of day today. My two best boys agree.

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Just look at this weather?!

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and tell me... how does one sleep this way? Weird child. He comes by it honest.

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I figured today is as good a day as any to start Liam's GI Chronicles. Especially since I've avoided it for so long. I've officially run out of internet things to scour for the day, so I'm putting my nose to the grind and hashing this thing out. Bear with me.

Liam has been a horrendous eater from day numero uno. He came out that way. I had my mind, heart, and budget set on breastfeeding the kid for a year... it lasted like 4 days.

Trying to breastfeed Liam was such a chore. Unlike normal babies who cry to eat and then settle down to feed, my child would cry to eat, latch on, suck 3 times, snatch his head back and then scream as though poison was leaking from my breast and not colostrum.

I chatted with every nurse and lactation consultant the hospital had to offer to no avail. One would say, "don't force him to eat, he will signal you when it's time and then feed as long as he wants" and then the next would say "wake him every two hours to eat no matter what and only let him nurse twenty minutes, he has to have a routine." Doctor's would ask "Has your milk come in?" and when I sheepishly said no, they would start trying to pass out prescriptions. Later a nurse would come by and tell me not to worry my milk shouldn't be in yet. Seriously... the hospital sure knows how to confuse a girl.

Maybe he's just really hungry and this colostrum thing isn't cutting it for him? Maybe it will get better when my milk comes in?

WHAM! Talk about instant boob job!? The milk arrived the evening we left the hospital. Unfortunately, nothing changed in the little guys eating habits.

Twenty-Four hours after bringing Liam home, he hadn't had a bowel movement since we left the hospital. I called the pediatrician and they wanted to see him right away. Fabulous.

Go figure, after arriving at the pediatrician's office she opens his diaper to find the tiniest little poop. A drastic loss of weight and a tiny little poop lead her to recommend supplementing him with formula. She also recommended that I pump to increase my milk production. I begrudgingly took the formula samples she offered even though I knew I wouldn't use them and we headed home.

Maybe my milk volume and flow wasn't enough for him?

I decided to pump and feed him from a bottle. I pumped (a double pump) for THIRTY minutes every two hours and would get a TOTAL (I'm talking combined out of BOTH sides) of barely an ounce each time. Not Enough Milk. The kid was taking two ounces every two hours from a bottle. By late that evening I was crying and at the end of my rope. I had a screaming, starving baby and wasn't producing enough milk to feed him.

Much to my dismay, I started giving him formula.

I continued to pump and tried giving him breast milk when I actually made some. My doctor even called in a prescription to help increase my milk. It did, but I still wasn't keeping up with Liam's demand.

Liam actually started to pitch a fit whenever I offered him a bottle of breast milk. He would fight and scream until he got a bottle of formula. Way to make your mom feel good, son. I took a friend's advice and mixed the formula and breast milk together and he took that well for several days.

Now, up to this point, he was still a fussy eater. He had horrendous gas and would frequently scream out while snatching his legs like he was in horrible pain. We gave him gas drops which seemed to help, but I think he just liked the taste... I doubt they actually helped with the gas. I could hear and feel it rumble through his belly. Liam then began projectile vomit. I started once in a while then began to happen every day.

Another call to the pediatrician got a recommendation of Soy Formula. Will worried it would make him a pansy or lactose intolerant. I worried it was going to cost more. They sent us some samples and we started nasty, stinky soy.

He seemed much better with the gas, but the vomiting remained. Over the course of one evening, Liam vomited three out of the five times I fed him. The third time, the milk actually came out of his nose and he couldn't breathe. I about died running across the house to get the aspirator. I suctioned his nose out and completely lost it in tears. I was at the end of my rope again, this time covered in vomit with a screaming baby in one hand and trying to get soy milk vomit of the carpet with the other hand.

We made a trip to the pediatrician that day. Liam was diagnosed with GERD. He had ALL of the symptoms: repeated vomiting, effortless spitting up, coughing, wheezing, inconsolable crying, refusing food, crying for food and then pulling off the bottle or breast only to cry for it again, failure to gain adequate weight, bad breath, and burping. I'm not exaggerating, he had EVERY symptom. The doctor gave him Zantac. After the first dose, he was a new baby. He still has occasional vomiting and spit up with a cough every now and then, but no other symptoms. He HATES the taste of the medicine, but we get by. She also, most unfortunately, recommended no breast milk at all. Complete and total bummer. Good bye boobs that I had already come to know and love.

I thought we were out of the woods with the kid's GI issues... then yesterday I notice his tongue is white. It's not formula because it's not coming off. After a quick google search and a thorough mouth inspection that found the white all over his mouth, I realized he had thrush. I called the pediatrician in again and they called in Nystatin. He only has a few doses under his belt, but we've had no positive progress. Thrush is an awful, awful thing. I have yet to figure out how to feed a baby that is "starving", but fights eating because his mouth hurts? It is like trying to bottle feed a snake... Except this little snake can kick and punch and scream!

If you're the praying type, we would certainly appreciate it. (Funny side note, I typed prying there initially... thank goodness I reread). 

I'm hoping that by finally typing out the GI Chronicles it will mean an end to all of our issues. There is no worse feeling in the world than that of a helpless mother with a screaming baby. Hopefully we are on the road to recovery!

Liam

A Baby Story

9:34 AM


Warning: Due to the Graphic Nature of This Post, Reader Discretion Is Advised.

TLC ain't got nothing on this story! Why share? Well, every woman LOVES a birth story (Whether she admits it or not! Any woman who claims otherwise spews lies or is really a man!) AND because I lost any trace of modesty and reserve I once owned in the delivery room. Grab some popcorn, it's gonna be a good one! 


While I'm handing out warnings, this story is L-O-N-G. Ye be warned.

Here goes...

I suppose I should start from the 36 week point. For those that are unaware, this is where the invasive prenatal appointments begin and the doctor "checks" the pregnant woman's cervix for dilation (openness) and effacement (thinness) as well as the position of the baby (preferably pointed down!). It's a very unflattering and uncomfortable event. For me, and apparently most people, it was followed by super scary bleeding and horrendous cramping. Luckily, Tylenol is safe in pregnancy!

Anyways... at my 36 week appointment my super fantabulous doctor (no sarcasm, I ADORE HER) "checked" me and was pleased to announce that I was 2 cm dilated and 75% effaced already! "Good Job!" She exclaimed. I was so excited and proud... as if I really had control over the situation! I was SO READY to deliver, or so I thought. With this being my first child, I then got a little frantic and panicked! I went home and immediately packed my hospital bag. I also packed the car with the diaper bag, car seat, and all the rest of my hospital necessities. In my head I just knew my water would break any second now.

Fast forward one week and I'm still pregnant! YAY! (that one was sarcasm in case you missed it) I was hoping to go into my 37 week appointment and have her tell me I was 4 cm and should go to the hospital immediately... no such luck. I was STILL 2 cm and only 80% effaced. It was technically better than I expected, as I had a dream after my 36 week appointment that at my next appointment I had suddenly become uneffaced and undilated and my labor progression was actually moving backwards! I've been told that's not possible... but I always fear the worst.

At this point I had begun praying that I would NOT go into labor on my own. My doctor was going out of town that weekend and I really wanted her to deliver me. If I'm being honest, I had also begun to get really scared about delivering. I had no idea what was going to happen. I worked in an OB-GYN office, so I technically knew the procedures and I had talked to so many friends about "what to expect"; but until you experience it for yourself, you won't KNOW what to expect regardless of how many stories you listen to. You can take 10 women and set them up for the same pregnancy and labor and delivery and all 10 of them will react totally different. I had no idea how I would handle labor. Would I scream like a lunatic in horrid pain? Would I be pleasant and euphoric (yeah... right!)?

Moving right along to 38 weeks. You guessed it, still pregnant! At my 38 week appointment I was 3 cm and 100% effaced. Finally more progress! I began to wonder... with literally no cervix left, how on earth was that baby still in there?! My fantabulous doctor then stripped my membranes. This involves separating the membrane that connects the amniotic sac to the wall of the uterus, which supposedly releases hormones called prostaglandins that cause the cervix to "ripen" and contractions to begin. I had talked to a few coworkers beforehand that had the procedure done and got everything from "it didn't hurt" to "it hurt worse than labor"... weirdos? I'm here to tell you that IT HURTS! Thank You Jesus for epidurals, Amen. 

Funny side-note. Prostaglandins are also found in semen. Maybe there is some truth to everyone, and I mean EVERYONE telling me "The best way to get your baby out is the same way you got him in there!" TMI WARNING: That didn't work either.

After the dreadful stripping of the membranes, I experienced the usual bleeding and cramping. Later that evening I lost my mucous plug. YAY! Baby on the way? Nope.

By this point I had stopped working. My swelling was out of control and I wanted a few days to tidy the house and just rest.

I went back in for my 39 week appointment (at 38 weeks and 6 days!) and I was STILL 3 cm and 100% effaced... drat! I didn't want to endure having my membranes stripped again, so I was set up for an induction on Friday (The appointment was on Wednesday).

You may want to break for coffee and cake now. We are about to get to the more exciting stuff.

Over the course of the past few weeks my contractions had become stronger and more frequent. Thursday evening before my induction I began having mildly painful contractions. They were sporadic, but painful. I don't think I slept that night at all. Between the contractions and the anticipation there was just no way to rest. Will didn't sleep either.

My alarm went off at 4 am Friday... not that I needed it. I got out of bed and began preparing for the big day. I wasn't quite sure how to prepare myself for labor... makeup? hairstyle? I opted for no makeup and hair piled sloppily atop my noggin, always a classic. We arrived at the hospital promptly at 5 am with baggage in tow. I, as usual, overpacked. Yes, I DO NEED 6 pairs of underwear for 2 days in the hospital. You can never be too prepared.

After checking in through the E.R. we were directed to the Labor and Delivery floor. The nurses were super sweet. I left a "specimen" and donned my sexy hospital gown. Working for the OB that is set to deliver you has it's perks. My delivery instructions were totally ready and very specific. "I don't want her to feel it" was literally part of my instructions. I had considered going all natural for most of my pregnancy... but after the pain I experienced just from stripping my membranes and the contractions I had already started to have, I knew I would not be able to handle labor without meds. I wanted labor and delivery to be as pleasant as possible... if that's possible!


The nurse then began questioning my every life moment for her records. She crossed the line and embarrassingly asked me my weight... in front of my husband. Heifer. My dear husband has never known me as anything other than 110 pounds. Don't get me wrong, I told him how much weight I gained, but I never told him what I weighed. Sure, he can do math. In my mind though, how much I actually weigh and how much weight I gained are two completely different worlds. 
Shut Up! They are not the same!! 
After the series of questions ranging from family history to hemorrhoids, the nurse placed my IV... in my forearm... OUCH! Apparently that's the best location for baby holding. She then pumped me with a bag of fluids and the had a little look-see down south. She happily reported I had made it to 4 cm and was completely effaced all on my own. Way to go body, way to go!! After my dear friend fluid was in my system the nurse paged my new BFF, the anesthesiologist. 


Bend over,  hug the pillow, hold still, shoulders straight... EPIDURAL! I suppose I had the best anesthesiologist on the planet because I didn't feel a single thing after she wiped my back with something cold. Seriously, my IV hurt worse! Not only did I not feel the placement of my epidural, the dosage was phenomenal! I felt pressure, but no pain! I could actually feel my contractions but they didn't hurt... does it get any better?? I could even move my legs on my own, though they were pretty "heavy". Thank You Jesus for epidurals, Amen. After my wonderful epidural, my nurse started my Pitocin (the drug used to induce Labor) on the lowest dose.


My Labor and Delivery is going to totally ROCK! This is SO EASY. Famous last words?


Post Epidural Kick-In Party, my fab-tastic doctor arrived to break my water. She checked me and I had dilated to 5 cm. YAY! Baby will be here by like 9:00, right? 


She broke my water with a plastic stick and cheered when I gushed clear fluid! Here We Go! She said she would see me at lunch and we would have a baby :)


By now it's 8:00 and I'm having pretty regular contractions. I still feel good. I try as much as possible to rest while I can. I'm chatting with Will, checking facebook, texting family, life is good. 


Let's skip ahead a few hours, shall we? 


At 11:00 my doctor calls to check on me. The nurse comes in and checks me. I'm 8 cm. Almost There. By this time I am slightly less chipper. My body hurts, I'm exhausted, and I am STARVING! No Food after midnight... how am I supposed to have the strength to push a baby out with no food?! I have an overall feeling of crud. Thank You Jesus for epidurals, because this could be WAY WORSE, Amen.


At 11:30 my monitor starts to beep. My nurse comes in and moves me onto my side... Baby's heart rate was too low! Moving onto my left side solved the problem.


At 12:00 I begin to feel the most ridiculous pressure down under. I informed Will that the baby was ready...


Waiting


Waiting


Waiting


At 12:30 my doctor calls again to check on me. The nurse comes in to check me... and snatches her hand back from checking me as though my fetus had just tried to bite her and says "Oh, my!"
Not Good.
Me: "What's wrong?"
Nurse: "Let me just go talk to Dr. Logan"

Me: "How far am I dilated?"
Nurse: "I'll be right back, hun. I just have to go let her know."

Me: " HOW FAR AM I DILATED?!"
Nurse: "Sweetie, you're ready to push. You're 10 cm and his head is RIGHT THERE!"
Me: ...silence...


Suddenly, nurses begin to swarm around my room like bees. They run back and forth grabbing supplies and moving furniture. They lay out tarps and tools and wheel in carts with unknown items. My pitocin gets bumped up to make the process "quick".


Apparently my bed was a transformer. It went from hospital bed to birthing station in a matter of seconds. The nurse puts my feet up into the stirrups as my lovely doctor waltzes through the door! Will assumed his position to my left up near my head. We had both agreed previously that it was best for him to remain out of view of all the action. In his own words: "I have a mental image of what that looks like and I don't want to ruin it... I'll see it again in 6 weeks!" 


At 1:03 I began to push. I had a nurse holding each leg and a husband literally helping me push by hoisting me forward with every contraction. 


Insert loads and loads and loads of "You're doing great", "Come on, PUSH!", "Deep breath and push, push, push, push, push...", "You're almost there, just one more push!"


Thank You Jesus for epidurals, Amen. 


The increase in Pitocin that my nurse gave me had my contractions coming CONSTANTLY. I only had about 15-30 seconds in between each contraction. They were coming so fast poor baby Liam was in distress! They lowered my Pitocin and we continued.


Finally 13 minutes after it all started and with a vacuum on his head, Liam was born! William "Liam" Thomas Sledge was born Friday October 28, 2011 at 1:16 pm and weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces and measured 19.5 inches! 

Liam came out a perfect little smurf. He was a beautiful shade of blue. After a good nose and throat suction he took his first breaths and exercised his lungs and vocal cords. He was so perfect. I cried so hard that I shook all over. Overwhelmed is the only word I can use. The child I carried, prayed for, loved, and worried about for 9 months had arrived. I still couldn't believe he was mine. In fact, if I hadn't actually seen him come out I probably wouldn't! Will and I embraced and cried sappily. I hate to play down the moment, but it's such a personal treasure. It really was so overwhelming and so beautiful that I cry when I recall it. Will was so proud I could feel it. It literally radiated from him. I was just as proud, though it's radiation was totally blocked by exhaustion. 

Labor and Delivery is amazing. That experience has forever changed my life. The thing that I feared the most during my entire pregnancy was so phenomenal that I would do it again in a heartbeat... though that is not what I was thinking right after... or for the first week for that matter. It was not fun, glamorous, or the least bit appealing in any sense other than the complete beauty of it and the joy I felt inside. How I felt outside was an entirely different story.

The "baby catcher", as my nurse called her, quickly grabbed him and took him to the baby station in my room to clean him up. My doctor delivered the placenta, which is quite disgusting but as much of a relief to get out as the baby was!

Will and I laughed and cried while waiting to hold our bundle of joy. My doctor was down there doing her thing when Will leaned in and told me "I saw way more than I wanted to!" I laughed it off and asked if he was scarred for life. "She used scissors!" he said. "I could hear her cutting!"

Oh. My. God. Thank You Jesus for epidurals, Amen.

As the doctor sewed up the extra hole now in my body, the nurse requested the degree of my "tear" (A hole or split in something caused by it having been pulled apart forcefully. OUCH!)... "Oh... let's see... Yeah, that's a THREE" she said.


Wonderful. Thank You Jesus for epidurals, Amen.


Unfortunately, they removed my dearest epidural. I'll miss you, my friend!


The "baby catcher" brought Liam to me. We did "skin to skin" and I attempted nursing him. It was such a wonderful, beautiful time. I could already tell he recognized my voice. I spoke softly to him and listened to him coo. I wish I could bottle the wave of emotions I experienced. I could sell it and make a killing... would that make me a drug dealer? Who cares.


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If that picture doesn't make your vacant womb crave a child, you've probably had a hysterectomy. 


Now would be a good time to refill your coffee and get more cake! I'm not even close to done...


After our bonding time, the nursery came and took Liam for his bath and official weigh in and etc. My nurse found food to ease my famished state.


Cold Hospital Fish and Rice. Yum? I was so hungry I couldn't help but eat it.


We informed our visitors and family via text that they could go see Liam at the nursery and that Will and I would be ready for company at 3:00 in our postpartum room. I requested not to see anyone before delivery and I never regret that decision. It was so nice and peaceful in the L&D room not having to "entertain" visitors and then ask them to leave every time the nurse decided to bust in and create an awkward moment. 


Then we waited to be moved to the Postpartum Floor.


When 3:00 rolled around, Will asked the nurse how much longer before we were moved. She said it would be at least another hour. UGH, the AGONY! So, we let all of our family and visitors go ahead and visit in L&D.


Fast Forward two hours...


By 5:00 my new mommy bliss and epidural were both totally gone. I was in SEVERE pain and still sitting in a bed in L&D. My sweet nurse brought me pain medicine and apologized for the delay. "There are no open rooms in postpartum!" 


By 6:00 I was pretty sure I was dying and wouldn't make it out of L&D alive. The nurse brought me another dose of pain medicine after Will told her I was in terrible pain still. The nurse asked him where I was hurting... really? where am I hurting? To quote him exactly: "Um, where all the action happened..." 


At 6:30 I had enough and lost my religion. I won't go into detail about what went on in order to protect my reputation, but it wasn't good. I was the victim of an unfortunate hospital understaffing dilemma. My nurses were all wonderful. The fact of the matter is I should have been in a postpartum room being cared for by postpartum nurses. The L&D nurses had done their part with me already. I was in limbo... Labor & Delivery was done with me but Postpartum wasn't ready for me. This sad situation left me sitting uncared for in horrendous pain. Luckily, after my fit, my L&D nurses stepped up and did the postpartum job. I had 2 Percocet and a Naproxen "in my system" but I still felt like my nether region was on FIRE. Then it came! The second best labor & delivery item after the epidural... The Maxi Pad Cocktail. I honestly don't know what this concoction is really called, but I call it heaven. The Maxi Pad Cocktail is a Maxi Pad, an Ice Pack, Witch Hazel Pads, and Epifoam. It was perfection in my mesh hospital panties. I went from near death to happy momma in a matter of minutes.


It wasn't until 8:30 that I was FINALLY moved to my postpartum room. We were all exhausted.


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I wish I had more exciting things to tell you, but the remainder of my hospital stay was fairly uneventful. There was lots of Maxi Pad Cocktail changing and nursing attempts and welcoming visitors with a sloppy bun on my head and bags under my eyes. The food was terrible. The bed was worse than the food. I got my flu shot and my DPT shot. I knew I loved the kid because I was voluntarily taking a needle for him. I continued to suffer the consequences of an understaffed hospital. I had good nurses. I had bad nurses. I fought the bad ones every few hours for the pain medicine that they treated me like I didn't need. "Are you sure you need them both? I'll just bring you one and if you're still hurting in an hour you can have another." Really? I don't want to hurt AT ALL! Maybe they didn't realize I just had a baby? 


Call me Debbie Downer, but I'm glad that part is over!


The best part of it all?


Taking this guy home...


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I hope you enjoyed my graphic L&D Story :)


Postpartum is next AND You'll hear all about my son's projectile vomit saga! I know, I can't wait either!!

Fussy Baby

We SURVIVED!

8:27 AM

Yesterday was day numero uno of Stay At Home Mom... FOR REAL!

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Will went back to work yesterday and I was at home, ALONE with the wee babe. We survived.

I hate to use the word dreading in reference to my child, but I really was dreading being at home alone with him. Don't get me wrong, I do everything for him regardless of who is here or not here! There is just something about a second set of hands & ears or just another warm body in general that comforts me. I literally watch TV and volume level TWO because I'm terrified of him crying and me not hearing him. I'm also scared of a massive screaming fit or choking about the time I sit my fanny on a toilet... stupid fears? Most definitely.

The day began at 3:30 am. I have an extremely fussy eater (more coming in another post), which makes everything from eating to sleeping to pooping (ummm, the only things babies ever do) extremely difficult. I was seriously thankful for any sleep at all.

Will left for work around 8:00 (LATE!) and the kid and I were on our own!

He did what all good babies do for stressed out mothers. He cried and fussed ALL DAY! He was in his bed several times after I would finally get him to sleep, but for no more than 10-15 minutes at a time. Basically long enough for me to use the bathroom or eat. I can not put him down without him getting fussy again! I keep telling him that I cannot hold him all day, but I do believe he has the advantage and will win this battle. The only thing I "accomplished" was putting a load of clothes in the dryer and washing bottles.

The morning hours consisted of a bath, eating frequently, and lots of crying.

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I told him bad babies get eaten by alligators, but he didn't believe me...


Lunch? Yeah Right...

I decided I was going to run some errands that afternoon. I wanted to go and pay a bill and go to Target. Looking back, I know these plans were quite far fetched, but I was determined to get out of the house on my own.

I dressed Liam and myself. I completely skipped hair and makeup... I just put real people clothes on and called myself ready. I gathered the car seat, diaper bag, and purse. Liam got fussy AGAIN, so I thought I would be smart and go ahead and feed him a little early, that way he would be quiet during our adventures. Seemed like a good idea at the time...

At exactly the moment he suckled the last drops from his bottle he made a horrific face, rounded out his mouth, and projectile vomited all over both of us and the car seat, diaper bag, and purse.

Fabulous.

I changed BOTH of us and cleaned everything the vomit reached. Now we are ready. Into the car seat without a hitch... maybe this won't be so bad after all?

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I got us out the door and locked it. I feel that is an important statement. At this point my brain is so fried that remembering to lock the front door is monumental.

I put Liam and our luggage in the car and got both of us buckled in snuggly.

Turned the Key... ree, ree, ree, ree, ree, ree, ree... that's the sound my car made.

Do I use profanity? Do I cry? What happens now??

I unpacked the kid and the luggage, called Will and vented about my stupid, old, cranky car not running, and then the kid and I took a walk.

In case you don't know, walks are fab for fussy babies. There have already been days where the only way I can get him to stop crying is to put him in the stroller and go for a walk. Maybe it's the fresh air or the movement of the stroller, "C" both, "D" none of the above? Who Knows. What I do know is that he SLEEPS so peacefully on walks... not to mention I break a sweat! Pre-pregnancy jeans here I come!

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After our walk, my sweet sister Elizabeth stopped by and visited with us. It was nice to have a conversation with someone who can actually converse, no offense Liam. She also had a correct feeling that my first day on my own would be a little stressful, so she brought dinner. Rotisserie Chicken, Green Beans, Pasta Salad, and OREOS! She knows me too well! She also brought the most beautiful autumn bouquet of flowers!

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How Beautiful!
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So pretty in my dining "nook"


After she left we were back to very fussy baby. Near the end of my rope, I called the pediatrician. I spent nearly 20 minutes on the phone with THE SWEETEST NURSE EVER. She was so fabulous. I poured out all of my cranky babies flaws and she gave me wonderful advice AND (even better) formula samples! HOORAY! Though I couldn't pick them up because, you guessed it, the car won't start.

I called my mother who just so happened to be in town and she picked them up and brought them to me. Momma saves the day again!

Dare I say it, the new formula has kicked out fussy baby and brought my sweet little Liam back! YAY!

and then... DADDY CAME HOME! :) another savior!

Dinner - check
Liam Quiet - check
Shower for Mom - check
Liam Sleeping - check

Hooray for the end to a crazy day!!

For those of you wondering, I actually made it to pay that bill and to target today! We survived that too :)

I'm working on Liam's Birth Story and my Postpartum Story AND Liam's Feeding Fiasco Story... because I know you're all wondering what has gone on the past 10 days! SO, check back!

Some bebe pics for parting...

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Mom and Dad are so boring!


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My handsome man!


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Ready to go for a ride!


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Oh, baby acne!

Liam

Welcome Baby Liam!

7:53 PM

That's right, he is here!
Ok, so he has been here for 3 days... I'm a new mom, cut me some slack!

The Facts and Stats:
William "Liam" Thomas Sledge
Born Friday October 28, 2011 at 1:16 pm
Weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces and measured 19.5 inches
Blonde, curly hair just like his daddy
He is perfect

Here he is mere minutes old!

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I absolutely adore this little man! More photos and details when he lets me put him down!

Food

The Cheater's Guide to Chicken & Waffles

5:55 PM

Chicken & Waffles. Best. Food. Ever. Never heard of it? Well, you're probably not from the south. No worries, Wikipedia knows all.

UNFORTUNATELY... it's generally not a food option. Several Factors play into this scenario...
1) Finding a restaurant that serves Chicken & Waffles is nearly impossible. I have definitely never seen it locally.
2) I don't own a Waffle Iron. Sad truth.
3) In my current 9 month Preggo state... The act of standing over a stovetop frying chicken is completely unappealing.

Go figure 9 months Preggo is when I crave Chicken & Waffles!

What's a girl to do?

Cheat.

Here's the Cheater's Guide to Chicken and Waffles. Same taste... less work.

What you'll need:
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Flour
Butter
Tony Chachere's Seasoning (or whatever seasonings you like for fried chicken)
Frozen Waffles (NO, I'M NOT JOKING)
Maple Syrup
Ziploc Bag
Baking Dish

ummm.... and an oven and a toaster... but those are probably obvious... as is plate, fork, knife, etc. but just in case you were unaware, now you know.

I don't measure and I'm bad a giving directions :) Here Goes...

Thaw Your Chicken.

YUM! Chicken!
Heat Oven to 425 degrees.
Put Flour and Seasoning into Ziploc Bag and mix. (I do a 2:1 ratio)

Best Ever! Try It!
Melt Butter in Baking Dish (I used 1/4 cup for an 8x8 dish)
Place Chicken into Ziploc Bag and shake until the chicken is covered with the flour mixture.
Remove Chicken from Ziploc Bag and place in Baking Dish.

Ready to go into the oven!
Bake for 20 minutes.


Flip Chicken.


Bake for another 20 minutes.


Voila! Oven Baked Fried Chicken. It makes no sense, I know.

Now the tricky part...

  +  

(please excuse my dirty toaster)


My "plating" skills leave much to be desired... darn you food network!
It may not look like much, but that was AWESOME! The perfect combination of sweet and salty, carbs and protein, soft and crunchy....

I'm drooling over my empty plate!

It's not just a pregnancy thing! I promise it's fab and much easier than actually frying chicken and making waffles!

Happy Wednesday!