Packing For Baby #2 // Hospital Bag

Being on bed rest for preterm labor concerns can make a girl go crazy.  About a week into it, I think it just "clicked" that I might need to have a hospital bag packed -you know just in case.  DUH!  Oh, & the little one on the way might just need a thing or two at the hospital along with some things to come home to.  (Which over half of our things are still in North Dakota).  I think the past couple of days have been consumed with freakout mode to make sure I am getting all of this ready with as little mobility as possible.  Cue the Kevin McCallister scream //AHHHHHHHHHHH!//  When I was packing my hospital bag for Cam, I had no clue what to bring.  I looked all over Pinterest & the internet for suggestions & was so overwhelmed at all the things recommended.  It was helpful to have guidelines, but every family & it's specific needs are different.  I decided to make my own little personal list of things I prefer to pack after my first experience...please do not be overwhelmed -  This is just another crazy list to share that can allow you to pick things you might find useful as well;)  Heerree goes!

Boppy | Sleeper | Mitts | Knot Top | Swaddles | Car Seat

 I love these zipper sleepers from Old Navy (as well as the gowns) as they are easy for quick diaper changes & you don't have to worry with aligning all those pesky snaps.  Cam had the longest fingernails when he was born & all he seemed to want to do was scratch himself in the face - mitts are a lifesaver (especially when your scared of cutting their fingernails the first few days as I was -lol).  Cam was a swaddle ninja, but I am prepared to try again...I think they are great to make a baby feel snug & as close to the womb as possible-not to mention ADORABLE.  It's so hard to pick these days with all the patterns available.  The Boppy is a mom's BEST friend for breastfeeding.  Of course, you'll need your car seat & I recommend a body support to insert in the carseat so their little heads will have some support for the journey home & future travels.  That is one thing I didn't have for Cam that I wish I had!  Especially when you have to drive through a LOT of curves on the way home.  I love this one, especially since our little one will be toted in the colder weather.  A few others that didn't make the pictures... socks to keep their little piggies warm (not that they will ever stay put)!  And I plan on ordering a few little comfy shoes that look like they are a perfect fit for a newborns feet;)  Let's not forget the coming home outfit (so fun to shop for!) and of COURSE the diaper bag.

Thank the Lord for online shopping as it has really turned into my best friend.  But it can also be a nightmare when trying to budget & bank a savings too!  But somehow, someway, we are managing!  Adulting is totally stressful sometimes.

Okay, a lot of the items related to recovering after having baby are provided by the hospital (at least in my experience, which is so nice!)  These are either just the things I brought & was so glad I did...or wish I would have brought!  Several suggestions are related to my decision to nurse, but the robe & water bottles are just my preferences.  The hospital gowns aren't very modest (if you get my drift) when you have to get up or move around-a robe just gives you an option for an easy way to cover up with company.  As for the random water bottle, if you're planning to nurse- drinking water, water, & more water is essential.  There's something about a personal (cute) water bottle that keeps me motivated to forgo my beverages of choice;)  Others not pictured: hand santitizer, basic toiletries, house shoes, make-up bag, camera, video camera, technology & chargers!

 Whew!  I'm becoming the master of list making laying around.  Now to tackle these to-do's!  I would also love to hear if you have any tips recommendations while packing:)  Especially while on bed rest (this is a first for me).  Have a great Monday;)

xoxo

30 Weeks

The superhero mask he refused to take off a week ago was not about to make an appearance in our picture today:/  Let's not even talk about keeping him still for a minute so we could take the picture as fast as possible!

This is Week #: 30 Weeks tomorrow (Hello 3rd & final trimester)  

Total Weight Gain:  18 lbs

What I am wearing:  Hmmm.  Bed rest clothes...lol.  When I get to dress up, it's for doctors appointments.  I love tunics, leggings, & pilazo joggers these days!  I feel like Maxi dresses make me look a lot bigger than I am...

Favorite accessory/piece of clothing:  Definitely tunics:)

Body woes:  Occasional lower stomach pain & sore hips.  My back & bum think that bed rest is ridiculous!

Best part of week:  Making it another day pregnant.  They say everyday I can stay pregnant, we are saving our baby 3 days in the NICU.  God is good!

Feel anything in there?  It seriously feels like he is tap dancing in there...routinely throwing a triple sow cow when he feels like it.  If my memory serves me right, this baby never sleeps.

Gives me the Creeps:  Being in the delivery room without my husband.  Oh, & steroid shots lol.

Zzzzz Pattern:  Sleep?  What is sleep?  Maybe I'll be trained to handle another little night owl by his arrival:)  

Gender:  BOY

Belly Button Metamorphasis:  Unrecognizable to the belly button world

I’m Craving:  Greek Strawberry Yogurt, Key Lime Pie, Water, Hot Chocolate (Pumpkin spice things...when do they arrive again?;)

Working Out Regimen:  Non existent...doctors orders:(  

Mood (s):  I'm numb.  I can't feel right now because everything has changed so much, so fast, in such a short span of time.  I don't think my brain can comprehend any of this yet!

I can’t wait for:  Just seeing my Mr. again.  I really miss him more than I've ever missed him before. I'm looking forward to his visit in late September!

And then thinking...wait...do I have ten weeks???

Early Fall Favorites

There is a certain crisp that's sneaking it's way in the air.  It does seem kind of early since it's mid-August, but this girl is not complaining!  I guess I've quickly morphed into my annual fall freakout mode these past couple of weeks after seeing the shelves at the local stores start stocking all of the fall scented candles, decorations, & yummy treats.  I can already tell that this holiday season is going to be the best one yet.  Cam is so easily excited when we talk about monsters, Hayoweem, Hoho, & all the fun things left to celebrate in the year.  He recently found all of his Halloween books & is fascinated by the monsters & creepy creatures in them.  I don't get his obsession, but it is pretty darn cute.  He loves to flip through our PB Kids Costume magazine everyday discussing what he will be this year.  

Not only do I have fall toddler favorites to discuss, but then there's newborn, mommy, & home favorites!  Bear with me;)  How I am just finding Hannah Anderson's Peanuts collection is beyond me, but naturally...I'm obsessed!  I don't really know whether Baby A will be here by Halloween, but I am going to be prepared with a few little things just in case!  Hey, he could wear them til Thanksgiving anyway...right? ;)  Along will all of this fall gooey goodness, stay tuned to the Mustard Seed as well- we are planning on launching our fall collection in early September.  Can't wait!

| Boo To You | Glass Owl | Black Cat | Pumpkin Roll Candle | Halloween Booties | Pumpkin Beanie | Skull Bowls | Dip-Dyed Scarf | Fox Knit Jacket | Booties | Cable Knit Socks | Halloween Baseball Tee | Snoopy PJs |

What are some of your favorite things for fall?  What do you look forward to most?

Happy Hump Day!

Mommy, You're Fine!

Struggling with what to write about lately as we no longer have "a home" & because basically all I've been allowed to do lately is hang around the house on the couch or in the bed.  It's hard to decorate, unpack our moving chaos, make fun foods, or take any pictures while being bedridden hahaha.  Cam & I are both having a hard time getting used to the interruption of our everyday routines.  He asks me to carry him, "come on," dance, swing, & run on a daily basis.  A couple of days ago, he came to my side, took my hand, gave a hard tug & said, "Come on, Mommy!"  I explained to him that I couldn't-but man is he persistent!  "Come on, Mommy!"  He dropped my hand & said, "Come on, Mommy - you're FINE!  Laughing tears:')

If he only knew how it hurt me more than it did him to stay behind while he gets to run & play.  For once in my life, I am fully letting other people care for him & it kills me!  It feels like I am letting him down & not doing my job.  My favorite job.  But I want our baby to be okay.  I don't want to wish this pregnancy away & rush everything as I did during my first pregnancy.  Even in bed rest, I just want to enjoy the time of life we are in.  I know it will fly by so quickly & one day I will wish I could step back to these priceless moments of our life - I just wish Cade was with us!

I say so much of this in humor, as I am so blessed to be in a place where I am taken care of, & with those who will help me take care of Cam while being ordered to take it easy.  I am hoping & praying that by my appointment this Thursday, I will be able to return to everyday life.  Until then, we will just keep wearing frumpy sweat clothes, have messy hair, hang out in bed, watch Halloween movies, flip through the Halloween costumes & change our minds on what we will be everyday;)  And I AM going to enjoy it.

Catching Up: We've Had A Game Changer

Where do I start??  THIS IS GOING TO BE A LONG POST with LOTS of words & LOTS of pictures!  Just beware:)  I've put off writing this post because I really don't know what to say or where to begin to share how we got to where we are right now.  First of all, I want to stress that I know what I'm about to share is something that happens to women everyday.  In fact, much worse news is given to pregnant mothers everyday.  Much worse!  As I've share our little family's stories here over the past three years-I felt it was just another chapter in our book & needed to be recorded as a part of Baby A #2's arrival...& I wanted to share why life has changed so much for us in the past week.

We were just getting settled in & familiar with our new home in North Dakota, when I finally got an appointment for the OBGYN.  About a week before we moved, I went to my doctor in Knoxville, TN.  My ultrasound showed that my cervix had shrunk below the average length they'd like it to be.  I went a couple days later to have it checked again before our move & it hadn't shrunk anymore...but it hadn't gotten better.  The baby also had a small place on his brain (similar to the scare we had with Cam-read here) & they hadn't been able to measure his heart during the anatomy check because he was such a wiggle worm!  Needless to say, as we were moving half way across the country...I was anxious to see a doctor & monitor all that they had found that week before we left.

After we arrived & settled into North Dakota, time ticked on & on.  I contacted the local OBG's & they continuously put me off week after week.  After several phone calls, I finally decided to get ahold of my old doctors office in Knoxville & (I believe) after they consulted with the new office that kind of got the ball rolling & I was finally contacted about scheduling an appointment.

At that time they informed me that they had reviewed my history & wanted to start giving me progesterone injections since I had a short cervix.  They also said that I needed to realize that I was at risk for preterm labor & there was no NICU unit anywhere close by should I actually have the baby prematurely.  

Okayyyyy.  That did not settle well with us.  In fact, that really scared us.  So Cam & I headed out the next week to the appointment.  The appointment ended up being strictly concerned with billing, while Cam was strictly concerned with the play area <He has asked me everyday since if we were going to the doctor so he could play with the farm tractor.>  I, on the other hand, was in panic mode because they quickly informed us that our insurance would not cover any of our debt for maternity care & practically led me out the door.  No coverage, no NICU, & we have no clue about who the doctors are or what the hospital care is like.

I was sick.  I wanted to just lay in the floor, cry, & question what God was doing.  (Crazy, I know after what other people go through everyday-but I'm human & unfortunately tend to have trouble trusting God when things don't always go my way or the way I plan them).  Why now?  Why this?  I was with my husband, we had finally just gotten ourselves somewhat settled into the new apartment, we were just getting our little daily routines down pat, practically everything we owned was in North Dakota...I just didn't understand.

Cade & I had several conversations.  We didn't know what to do, but we knew that our baby came first.  If he came early, & had to be transported several hours to the nearest place to be cared for...would he make it?  Would those hours harm him?  Would the hospital itself be able to handle the situation?  You just worry when you are unfamiliar with everything in a new place.

That very week, (bizarrely & ironically enough) I was contacted about a part time job in our hometown that would allow me to work 2-3 days a week, not have to drive an hour to work everyday, & still get to stay at home with my boys for part of the week.  Isn't that crazy?  It was hard to wonder if God wasn't trying to tell us something...

Missed some of the states on our journey home!

With troubled hearts, we made the decision that Cam & I would come home.  We knew I needed to be at my doctor in Knoxville, & thought that the job would be a good opportunity while I was home for the baby.  It's not that we didn't miss our families or the South but, we just wanted to be together.  We made the decision knowing that there was a reason that this had all happened in the span of a week-despite our unanswered questions & disbelief in how our plan had been altered.  In the end, we know God's ultimate plan will be that we can be together but until then, we wait & we trust.

Cade totally snuck Ony into the Holiday Inn Express...

After two days of driving straight, we got to have a nice "last family day out" in Nashville & rolled into Knoxville Tuesday night.  We dropped Cade off at the airport Wednesday morning & my appointment was that afternoon.  I went into my ultrasound with a feeling like we were about to get an answer as to why this had all happened.  The sonographer quickly informed me that the baby was three pounds exactly, & his heart looked great & the spot once on the brain had disappeared!  //Thank the Lord:)//   But... she definitely had noticed that my cervix had shrunk some more.  I was escorted to a room immediately (originally since I had scheduled the appointment so late, I was supposed to have waited another hour on my appointment).

Enjoying a muffin at Fido Nashville

We scoped out the biggest choo choo's & planes we could find-he is obsessed;)

My doctor was booked up when I had called to make the appointment & couldn't see me that day, so I was seeing a midwife.  One of our sweet friends who is the office manager at the office, came into talk to me.  She kind of told me what was going on, said that my doctor was going to come over from the hospital to look at the ultrasound, & went to get my mom so I could have another set of ears available for all the information I was going to receive. 

 The midwife came in shortly after & informed me that my cervix had pretty much shrunk to nothing (almost an another entire centimeter in a month).  I was at a big risk for premature labor.  I was given orders to be on bed rest other than going to the bathroom, showering, & getting something to eat.  That job I talked about?  Well, I guess it really didn't sink in what they were telling me because, (given that I was supposed to start Friday) I was kind of worried about what to do.  I asked..."There's this job I'm supposed to start Friday?  "Absolutely not unless this job allows you to lie in bed!" was my answer.  Wow.  It was kind of hard to sink in after never imagining that this was going to be the outcome of the appointment.  The scariest thing was talking about how I would be receiving two steroid shots within the next day to help the baby's lungs develop.  Along with a few other medications to put off going into labor.  Can it really be about to happen that soon?  I thought we still had 3 months to go before we would meet our little boy.  There's so much to do!  He won't be able to come home with me...You can imagine all the things that saturate your thought stream when you're not expecting such news.

I don't know when our sweet baby boy will come.  I hope we can delay an early arrival, but God has a plan & reason for all of this.  After the appointment, I told Cade I couldn't believe my disbelief in God & what he was doing that entire past week. I of course, know how to care for myself during pregnancy & am always cautious with what I do during this time-my babies are my life. But that being said, I am not an easy going person.  I don't sit still & I don't like for people to help me when I can do for myself.  How God brought me home safely after moving twice & traveling 1800 miles twice across the country blows my mind.  He has truly blessed me with a great doctor (and staff), family to help out, & take such great care of Cam & I during this time.  What would I do without Him looking after me & leading me back home to be cared for?  It scares me now to think of what could have happened.

In all of this, I know the Lord has taken care of me this far & he is most certainly able to care for us in whatever may happen next.  It could be that we meet our little man within the next few weeks or it could be that this little frame of time will help us to prolong my pregnancy to what it should be.  Whatever the outcome, everything will be alright:)  Stay tuned!;)

XoXo

Any Day Now, Right?

Nope.  In fact, I'm right at 26.5 weeks.  
Don't you love those looks you get when people are thinking, she is huge... Only 26 weeks?  Me too.

Apparently, you ain't seen nothing yet!?  Ha!  I've still got to carry this little boy around 13.5 more weeks.  What can I say?  You put a small girl & a big boy together to have babies & you get big baby boys.  That belly is going to pop!  I agree in that I don't know how I'm going to get any bigger, but I'm sure baby boy will find a way to stay comfy.  In all seriousness, I just pray that my body can be the safest place for the baby until he is ready to make his grand entrance into our lives:)  So, grow belly grow...all you need to grow.  

In other news, Cam is super cute as a superhero.  Especially, when he thinks he really has super powers... we have a creepy Spider Man that apparently likes his morning cup of coffee, & I'm in crazy nesting mode.  Here are a few of the things I stare at daily & have nestled safely in my (predominately etsy) cart to stuff in Baby A's diaper bag;)  

swaddle | moccassins | coming home outfit | baby bro onesie | monkey

And because heaven knows gowns are essential in my book...I also love this too;)

Happy Wednesday!

Matchbox Cars & Friday Favorites

Happy Friday Saturday, y'all!  (Posting a day late).  I hope everyones last week of July has been a great one.  It's a beautiful day here in North Dakota, but man is it hot.  I can't imagine the heat + humidity back home in the South.  I'm feeling for you guys...& I'm also feeling ready for fall!  We have had a full week with surviving potty training drills, our first Mustard Seed booth in a new place, & another trip to the grocery store.  Cam is doing so great sitting in the buggy shopping cart for me.  I feel like that is an answered prayer (as funny as that sounds?)  It just makes me a nervous wreck when he runs away from me & I like to know he is right with me!  I can't say I'm past the kid leashes once our little one arrives...

I did let him down while we were checking out since he had been so good & that little stinker.  He started cleaning the shelves of packs of matchbox cars & slipping them onto the conveyor belt while I was emptying the groceries from the cart.  I heard the cashier snickering & looked at the stack of car boxes hiding in our food.  Smart little cookie!  Isn't he? :'')

In spirit of Friday, I figured I'd do some Friday Favorites.  

Pinterest Paleo & 21 Fix Boards: Cam & I have both had stomach troubles lately.  Cam a lot longer than me...and the doctors can't seem to pin point anything.  I'm at the point of thinking it might be food related (as well as mine) so we are trying to eat healthier this week to see if we feel any better.  Much to my husbands dismay, our grocery trip consisted of stocking up on healthier meals.  

Potty Training Fav's: I made this one up myself.  I like to buy these little glass canisters from Target because they are perfect for almost anything...turns out- even potty training!  I rolled Cam's little undies up & stuck his potty prize (Skittles today) on top.  Easy, neat, & motivating for Cam!  Also, this app has been my best friend!

Meri Meri Holiday 2015: We are getting this line in for The Mustard Seed this fall & I had so much fun going through their holiday things and deciding which ones we would have in our shop.  So many cute things that you can do with your kids to make the holidays special:)  Stay tuned!  

Freshly Picked Sales:  I don't know if you've noticed, but Freshly Picked just keeps sneaking out sales!  The glacier blue moccs were on sale this week (just the ones I've been wanting for Cam & the baby!)  Definitely watch their social media accounts if your looking for a purchase in the near future or for the holidays;)

White Manicures:  I don't know why but for some reason, I have been craving one for a couple months now.  Just can never make myself take time or shell out the money to go get one!  So I picked up some white nail polish at the store yesterday to give myself one-yea, that color has to be done professionally...lol.  Not a forgiving color for flaws!  Esssshh  

Hope everyone has a great Saturday;)