Christmas Letter 2015

{photography by Libby Asay Studio}

For those of you who follow this blog from afar, or don't recieve our letter every year...here it is for you to enjoy anyway. :)

This letter seems a little silly to me because, let's all face it...the biggest news of the year was me being born. Everything else you're about to read isn't too important. Just humor my parents by pretending to care...ok?

So let's start back at last Christmas. My mom and dad had just gotten back from the Dominican Republic; finished tearing up all the floors in our house; hosted Thanksgiving and a bunch of Christmas parties; and all the while...dodged endless questions about my future existence. Seriously...what was taking them so long to have some babies? It sounds like they had a lot of fun in the five years before I cam around...but turns out I was secretly living in my mommy's tummy since Thanksgiving! On Christmas Day when mom and dad were driving from Manson to Ankeny they stopped at our house to pick up the presents for my cousings. I don't know how mom figured it out but she told my daddy when he came in from checking on the Christmas lights before we left for Christmas #2. It wsa our very first Christmas as a family of three!

They kept me a secret for a while and told the grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends in February. Mom announced me, along with her retirement from cheer coaching, in March and I made my first appearance on Instagram and Facebook soon after that. Actually, mom told Tami (her boss at Century 21) before she told anyone else because she couldn't get through her annual review without letting Tami know I was due on August 28th...and she would be staying home to hang out with me all the time after that! Along with my daily demands, she tries to keep dad organized and lets me swing for a few hours each week while she does the invoicing on our computer at home.

With the news of my upcoming arrival, daddy got to work growing Boersma Lawn care just like he does every spring...but this year was a little harder because he was finishing mommy's pretty floors; hiring and training new employees; buying a new trailer; buying a new John Deere mower; and doing almost everything by himself! He is really somthing that dad of mine. I keep hearing him say I'll be starting to work with him in the spring "to earn my keep around here" but then I hear mom remind him about our pland to spend every day at the swimming pool next summer and I have to say...I'm kind of relieved.  I also have library time, walks at Ada Hayden, endless play dates, Target runs, and trips to Twin Lakes on my list of things to do. In fact, I've taken quite a few drives around the lake already!

When I didn't come on August 28th, mom and dad decided to schedule me to be born on Monday August 31st. The three of us really like schedules because we are so busy all the time! I didn't come until 12:14 on September 1st and in the meantime, they spent their time at the hospital napping, watching How I Met Your Mother, and relaxing. What a vacation I gave them! And even once I came, I was pretty perfect and rarely cried. That wasn't sarcasm, I hear them talk about it whenever we drive by the hospital...which is a lot because we still live at 422 13th St. in Ames (even though dad really could use a bigger space to run BLC and I'd prefer a better location for my future tree house).

Enough about them...here's what I'm up to these days. I get to cuddle and eat every three hours. I like to swing, watch movies with dad, kick in the bath tub, and go on walks around the nreighborhood in the storller. I don't really 'like' all the errands, shopping, and decorating mom drags me around to, but like I said...it will be a few years before I can spend my days helping dad. Mom rewards my good behavior during our shopping trips by 'wearing' me in the antique stores we visit and I go right to sleep. I love naps, I put myself to sleep (they make me cry and it's infurating but mom doesn't want me to be spoiled like she was), and recently I've enjoyed meeting new friends at the Cornerstone D6 nursery. As you can probably tell from this letter, I am quite a talker...especially now that Im' awake a lot more during the day.

I guess my parents fixed up an acreage a couple years ago? Good thing they did that before I came! Anyway, the renters out there are great. But my personal favorites are the 'renters' in our basement who visit and play with me all the time...Auntie Jamie and Sarah watch me while mom and dad go to Connection Group and lately we've had a lot of fun Christmas nights cuddled up watching Hallmark movies by the tree. We are hosting a lot of parties this December and I'm already having a blast joining in all the traditions mom and dad love this time of year.

Now more than ever, mom has mad respect for Mary who traveled to Bethlehem on a donkey when she was nine months pregnant. You guys...Jesus was the King and he was born in a barn? Dad actually thinks that sounds pretty cool because he loves barns, but I don't think mom would have enjoyed that. They wanted me to remind everyone that the trees and glitter and cookies are all really fun stuff...but the Savior who was born as a baby in a barn is the reason for it all.

-Maverick

Maverick: Three Month Update

Last week our baby turned three months old. I've been mulling over this blog post in my head for the past couple weeks because I don't want to forget anything about his precious third month of life. So here's everything I can remember in no particular order...

This month the biggest change has been all. the. talking. Maverick does. All day long this boy talks! It's hilarous and fun and we never get sick of hearing his goofy noises from the backseat/crib/swing. My mom has a video of him 'reading' Goodnight Moon with me a couple weeks ago and I think she's shown it to everyone at work and probably strangers on the street (forgive her). The best way I can describe it is growling/gurgling/rumbling...quite similar to Chewbaca actually. The best time to catch it is during his sweet spot right after he eats, and before he starts the 'annoyed talking' telling me he's ready for a nap.

Speaking of that...it's become more noticible when Maverick is annoyed at us. Sometimes his crying is more like yelling at me because he's offended I've wrapped him for a nap. Oh it is so funny. And also sad, but mostly funny because I know he's just tired and will conk out within five minutes. The pictures we had with Libby last week started wonderfully but there are times he just does not. want. to be held. He would rather spend his awake time going nuts kicking around and talking instead of being held still. So we battled through 30-ish minutes of pictures and by the end he was so done. Five minutes after Libby left I texted her a picture of him wrapped up and already SOUND asleep in his crib. He just knows what he wants and that makes it fairly easy for me to figure him out most of the time.

Yes he's still being swaddled. I don't know when we'll stop...but probably not for the forseeable future. Both of our mom's have been asking if I'm still swaddling him because when we were babies apparently this wasn't a 'thing' and it makes the G'mas and Josh sad when he fights it so much. But Maverick is so active and goofy that if I don't tie him down with his blanket he ends up wacking himself in the face and playing with his arms and hands until he's so deleriously tired and crabby that he really can't go to sleep. And I should have just wrapped him in the first place. I've 'tested' him a couple of times to see if he'll go down without being swaddled and I give him 10 minutes to get his crap together and if he doesn't, he gets wrapped. So far he hasn't had success. ;)

Mav still loves his hands, and still tries to eat anything that's anywhere near his mouth. His blanket, zipper, collar, shirt, my shoulder, my face, Josh's sweatshirt...it's funny to watch him explore and then find his fingers/hands/arms and really start sucking...he's not a thumb sucker exactly, he's more of a hand sucker...and he's been a lot more drooly this month too, slobbering all over everything. He's getting better at grabbing things and I think he's pretty close to being interested in toys...I've tried a couple of times but he's not quite there yet. He likes watching himself in my phone, playing under his play yard/mat, and follows me around the room while he lays on the floor or in his swing.

We've squeezed a couple laughs out of Mav but it's not a regular thing quite yet. His first laughs went to Jamie and then Josh, and THEN me. Punk. His smiles are so animated people on Instagram think he's laughing but right now those smiles are usually just silent...which is hilarious. His smiles are almost constant during his awake-time and he gives them away pretty easily.

This boy still loves his bath but since he's gotten bigger and more opinionated about certain things, he isn't quite as calm and relaxed during bathtime. If we let him kick and play he's thrilled, but as soon as I try and wash in his neck he gets mad at me. So I save that for the end now. He's also happier when I sit him up and wash his mullet and his back, but since he can't do that by himself yet, he's stuck laying down. The neck thing didn't used to bug him, but I've had to be a little more thourough now that he's getting CHUBBY!

And yes...our baby is finally starting to get chubby! He has one little leg crease of cute chub that I'm pretty proud of. And after he eats his tummy-tum is HUGE. For the most part he still has chicken legs and skinny toes just like his daddy...but his cheekies (both butt and face) are getting chubby too! I cannot wait to get him in some little trunks in January during our hotel family Christmas.

Watching Maverick strech and wake up is the favorite part of my day. Somtimes if we have people over I'll say, 'Who wants to go watch Maverick wake up?' and then 2-6 people will crowd into his room to watch me unwrap him and watch him strech. His arms FLING up above his head and he goes hard streching for 5-10 minutes before he's fully 'awake.' His little feet flex and his face looks just like Josh's does when I watch him strech in the morning. We also have bathtime parties, in which anywhere from 2-4 people will crowd in our bathroom to watch him have a bath. In 20 years, many of you will have the privelage of teasing him about this.

I've been trying to use a different blanket in every background of his monthly pictures because we were given so many from so many special people that I couldn't bring myself to return the ones we didn't necessarily 'need.' And I like that looking at these pictures in the future will remind me of all the people who love our little Maverick!

As for napping, sleeping, and eating...his schedule remains the same (unless we have church or other events planned). Up to eat at 6, 9, noon, 3, 6, 9...bedtime at 9:30/10. He's still a great napper and great at putting himself to sleep, but he's been a little turkey about sleeping through the night. Last month we were sooo close with him being up once in the night and sleeping through 5ish/7 nights. I think we've had a growth spurt mixed with lots of activities, traveling, and events throughout the month so I'm probably partly to blame, but at the same time, I've still kept his schedule fairly consistent. Meaning, Mav has the rest of this week to figure his nights out or some sleep training will commence (thanks to advice from my friend Carley). I know he CAN sleep through the night, and this is the first time in his whole little LIFE that he's been up to eat TWICE in the night. So I'm over it.

He's getting more and more fun to 'hang out' with during the day and because he's so calm and content, he's still easy to take out and about while we run errands...but that's starting to get a little harder. I've spent so much time working on his schedule and getting him to fall asleep on his own that he doesn't like to be held or cuddled to fall asleep. So he's spent the last two weeks in the nursery at church and both times when I picked him up he was passed out sleeping in a swing. Maverick is pretty indifferent about his paci and we only use it to calm him down if he's in his carseat and getting stressed or if he wants it to fall asleep (which is only about 1/2 the time). He falls asleep to a sound machine and I'm still using it during the day to drown out the laundry, vacuuming, crafting, traffic, cleaning noise I make as well as our noisy renters in the basement (j/k, they're really not noisy at all I'm just testing them to see if they read this far).

Christmas decorating took a few more weeks (yes weeks) than it usually does, but I think I'm starting to finally feel 100% back to my normal self. We've had friends and family over pretty regularly; been out to eat; spent a couple days in Haven at TLCC; and we're about to host our favorite party of the year this weekend...ThanksChristmas! Josh and I have had a few umm...'issues' while I fall into my role as SAHM AND assistant to the CEO of BLC. I think it's possible I tried to take on too many things during those first couple weeks because it seems like things are coming back to bite me (bills and invoices I messed up, payments I didn't apply correctly...and I've never just plain forgotten more things in my life!) but in the moment we didn't really have a choice. BLC still needed to keep rolling and Josh was busier than ever during those first few weeks of Maverick's life...so I think God knew exactly what he was doing when he gave us this content, happy, easy little man to fit in with the rest of our crazy life. What's weird is that I feel great about everything motherhood related, it's the other parts of life that have been a little harder to navigate. Three months in I'm trying to find the balance of not being too hard on myself because I imagine it takes longer than three months to be a pro at EVERYTHING, but at the same time...I'm home all the time and Maverick is a pretty easy baby. I really have no excuse for continuing to forget things! Ugh!

So that's pretty much everything anyone could ever want to know about our little Maverick and his third month of life. ;)

MmB

Josh Boersma as Clark Griswold

It's times like these that I'm thankful for a husband who never does anything 'halfway.'

I've compiled a number of quotes from the past two days while Josh has been working on getting lights up on the outside of our house...

Yesterday morning while we were getting up and going:
"Well we only have six hours of daylight left. I don't think I'll get everything done today."

When he started hauling the lights inside from the garage attic:
"There was some mouse poop in this sack of lights...
...Hmm...I hope I didn't just bring a mouse in the house."

When I asked if he could PLEASE throw the strings of nonworking lights away:
"Mollie. It's just a simple fix."

As he was starting to plug in and test the first few strings of lights:
"Wow. We're three for three...that can't be right. It's too good to be true."

When he was sorting the working lights from the half working lights from the non-working lights:
"Okay let's see...this one goes in the 'To Be Repaired' pile."

While he inspected a strand of lights and discovered a squirrel had knawed through a couple strings last year:
"Wish I could have seen the squirrel that chewed through this string. *chuckles*"

When I said he shouldn't waste his time 'fixing' Christmas lights:
"It's so easy. See? I already fixed this one. Look...they're just live wires that I hold together and it works. I just need a wire cap. .........I'm not sure what this third bare wire is for though."

While we opened new boxes of white icicle lights and Josh has a special magic way of unfolding and stretching them out so they look the best:
"Do I really have to spend all this time stretching them out? Can't we just let them hang out?" -Mollie
"IT'S LIKE YOU DON'T EVEN CARE ABOUT OUR HOUSE." - Josh

When I mentioned that it didn't seem like he was always so in love with outside Christmas lights:
"Yes I have. I always thought my parents were stupid for not doing them."

While I was burping Maverick and he was watching his daddy organize 20 strings of lights:
"Can Maverick help me hang lights? He totally could! I would just wear him." - Josh
"Absolutley not." - Me
"You're right. DHS would probably be called. Maybe I could just wear him and stand on the bottom rung of the ladder and you take a picture of him helping me." - Josh

When he was insisting we can't put a single string of lights outside unless every little light is working...even if we're just throwing them up in a tree in the backyard:
"Do you think Clark Griswold had non-working lights anywhere on his house?!"

Five minutes ago when I mentioned I was going to write this blog of quotes comparing him to Clark Griswold:
"PSH. CLARK GRISWOLD WHO." 

And because last night when Vern and Patti and Caleb came over, Josh was finishing up the lights on the front of the house...he asked for their help and this was their immediate response:
"Wait. Are we going outside?" - Caleb
"Will we get dirty?" - Vern

Spoken like the true accountants in the family. Bless.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVE EVERYONE!

MmB

A few of my best Christmas decorating secrets

This year our house will look a lot different for Christmas and I AM SO EXCITED. First of all...we have a floor. Which is a big step up from how we partied and hosted and celebrated last year...with gray uneven sub floor. The house was still decorated but I didn't enjoy it as much...the floor situation made Josh pretty irritated for most of the Christmas season, which in turn, didn't make me very cheerful. The spare room (now Maverick's room) had a tree but was full of drills, extra supplies, and about 26 packages of 16x16 tile and I can't quite describe to you how I felt when I had to enter that room. My skin crawled from the junk and the mess and the stress.

All of this coupled with the fact that I was unknowingly pregnant...didn't make for our best Christmas season ever. But this year...I AM LOVING CHRISTMAS SO MUCH ALREADY!

I started decorating on November 1st, one room at a time, because I knew with a baby that demands to be fed every three hours things would probably take a little longer. I was right, but I haven't even minded! I can't wait to spend this year with family and friends...enjoying every night together watching Christmas movies with Josh (if it's not snowing ;), and making memories as a family of three with our little Maverick decked out in his Christmas duds. This Christmas we are not in the midst of renovating a farm house; I don't have a crazy cheer coaching schedule; Josh isn't roofing our house; AND WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL FLOOR!

So as I've been flitting from room to room for the past couple weeks decorating...a few of my favorite tricks and pointers have been coming to mind and I figured I could share them here....

The tree in Maverick's room is a mix of woodsy, rustic, Josh's John Deere ornaments, and of course...glitz. ;)

1. Decorating is my reward for finishing everything else.

I don't let myself decorate a room unless I've deep cleaned it first, the rest of the house is clean, and the laundry, dishes, and billing are all done. I think this has contributed to how fun and enjoyable the decorating process has been. There's nothing I hate more than trying to clean and decorate at the same time. It takes twice as long and isn't nearly as fun. I also can't focus on the room I'm working on if I have a disaster happening in the kitchen. It's the classic, 'You don't get to go play unless your room is clean and your chores are done.' So I think I can thank my mother for handing down this habit to me. ;)

2. Pick a theme.

I think I've finally honed in the theme I'd like for our house. A mix of vintage, glam, antique, rustic, chic is what will be reflected in our home decor this year and it's been a fun challenge. When I was decorating with Josh's sister at her farmhouse a couple weeks ago we were struggling to get every room just 'right' because there was either too much rustic and not enough antique in one corner, or too many shiny new ornaments and not enough vintage touches. So I sat back and realized...not every room in the house needs to look the same, but in order to execute a true and cohesive theme throughout, each room needs a touch of all five of my theme words.

Rustic = Burlap/Pine Cones, Glitz = Silver Ornaments/Beads, Antique = Ornament Box Prints, Vintage = Red Berries

3. Beads, tulle, burlap, ribbons, and lace are your best friend. 

I never realized this before, but trees and garland really come alive when wrapped with all this stuff. I do it in layers by throwing on anything I like to add the perfect mix to reflect the theme. I start by fluffing my trees/garland, adding lights, then the ribbon and/or burlap...then the strings of beads (or other glitz), and THEN come the ornaments. And I do it all really nice and thick...

4. Decorate your trees from the inside out.

Ever seen HGTV's special, 'Christmas at the Whitehouse'? The way those trees and garlands are PACKED with stuff is amazing. That's what I picture when I decorate...in fact last week when Jamie was helping hang ornaments I actually said to her, 'Jamie. Not enough ornaments. Think 'Christmas at the Whitehouse.' The red ornament garland hanging at the end of our bed was Whitehouse-inspired. It's also easier to get that full-effect when I start by decorating from the inside of the tree and work my way out. I don't just lay my lights along the outside branches, I shove them into the middle of the tree and layer them in and out. I end up with a lot of scratches but it's worth it. :)

5. SQUINT.

This is a trick my mom learned from a co-worker, and I kid you not...it WORKS. While I'm doing lights on a tree, every so often, I step back a little ways and squint my eyes. I can IMMEDIATELY tell where the 'holes' in the tree are. And then I can fix them easier than getting lights all the way to the top of the tree and having to re-do everything because there's a hold at the bottom. Initially, they all thought I was crazy but my mom, and mother-and-sister-in-law now also swear by this trick. The only drawback is that when we're all standing around squinting at a tree, we look ridiculous.

What's annoying and funny about this room is that I decorated it a few weeks ago and I've already changed it. That's what I love about decorating so early! I have a long time to move things around until I get it 'just right.' I replaced the glittery barn print with a hymnal wreath and ended up re-doing the tree we have in here...so I'll post a full house tour and a picture of that later.

6. Create a Dave Barnes Pandora station. 

You can thank me later. Actually, don't thank me, thank Katie Kascel who introduced me to this amazing station last year before ThanksChristmas. It's the perfect mix of Matthew West, Michael Buble, Hillsong, Justin Beiber, MercyMe, N*Sync, occasionally Mannheim Steamroller, Kelly Clarkson, Josh Groban, Franchesca Batastelli...ah. It's like Pandora KNOWS exactly what Mollie Boersma wants to listen to while she decorates.

7. Hobby Lobby 50% off.

This year I wanted more beads on my trees...until I realized how freaking expensive those strands of beads are! So Jill and I like that 'My Little Tree' section where a long strand of little silver beads are $2.99...but only $1.50 since everything is 50% off. ;) I use one per garland, and one on the little trees in the house. They're the perfect amount of sparkle without breaking the bank.

8. Husbands. Figure out a creative way to get them to love helping.

I used to really want Josh to help me hang ornaments and garland and make our decorating time together a 'thing' and it took me ONE Christmas to realize this would not be our family Christmas dynamic going forward. I also prefer doing everything myself anyway... ;) But there are certain things I definitely need help with...ie: bringing up the honking tree from the basement, putting lights on the house...things like that. So our compromise is that Josh can watch whatever movie he wants while I decorate as long as he gives me input; pushes pause to help with heavy things; and is in a good mood about all the decorating. And when I said he could pick anything to watch, I meant anything...Die Hard, Fight Club, Boondocks Saints...and the movie he chose three years ago when we started this tradition...Inglorious Bastards. Guess what we watch every year now while I decorate our big tree? And guess who is in the happiest mood and full of Christmas spirit all the while? Mr. Josh Boersma. ;)

I didn't grow up in a house where we decorated every inch of every room...so I like to remind Josh that he can blame his mother for this habit. ;)

9. UNdecorate before you REdecorate.

A few years ago I discovered the trick to making sure my house doesn't look junky and cluttered at Christmas. I PUT AWAY as much decor as possible to have a blank slate before I start in with all the Christmas decor. I like all my stuff but it makes a huge difference. I take all our wedding pictures down in our bedroom, a few frames off the wall in the guest room, and swap some of the shelf decor in Mav's room. Because our house isn't that big to begin with I feel like this is KEY. It all just goes in the empty Christmas totes and back down to the basement to reappear in February. ;)

10. But it's not about the decorating...

So I don't lose sight of what Christmas is really about, I've found that using words, verses, hymns, and quotes really help me reflect and focus on Jesus at Christmas. When we wake up the first thing I see is 'And he shall be called, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Price of Peace' and for the rest of the day, that verse from Isaiah 9 plays over and over in my head. In dining room I have a glittery, snowy barn picture with the lyrics, 'Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee.' The banner that will be splayed across our big tree will read, 'Adore Him' in glittery gold writing. And the countless chalkboards in our house will be switched from silly fall sayings to meaningful Christmas verses...for us to stare at all season long...a constant reminder of the true reason for the Christmas season. The reason I decorate. The reason we host parties. The reason we gather with family and friends to celebrate.

It just seems silly to me to decorate with pretty things if I'm not reflecting the prettiest, most amazing thing of all...our Savior who was born to save us. And my hope is that at Christmas, that's exactly what our home does...reflect the beauty and the glory of Jesus. ;)

And here's this little guy in his raccoon jammies enjoying our fresh Christmas sheets.

Does Josh Know How to Change a Diaper?

I'm not sure why, but I get this question A LOT.

And the more I think about it after it's been asked, the more it offends me, on Josh's behalf.

It's like people have a hard time picturing him as a 'dad'...because he never seemed like a 'kid-person' before...or because he's always working, so how could he possibly be around to change diapers? Josh, change diapers? It just feels like people are blatantly questioning his ability to be an amazing, hands-on daddy and I'm a little over it.

The answer is yes of course he KNOWS HOW to change diapers and obviously does so. As I said in a previous blog post...we aren't the kind of couple who bellows back and forth, "IT'S YOUR TURN TO CHANGE HIM BECAUSE I'VE BEEN DOING IT ALL DAY!" But when he's home in the evenings he usually changes Mav at least once, cuddles and burps him after he's done eating, and is a master a getting the bath water to the right temperature while I work on getting baby all naked and ready. Then we obnoxiously give Mav a bath together because his faces are too hilarious for us to miss and he's our only kid...so what else do we have to do?

I didn't even flinch when I left Maverick alone with Josh the first, second, third...umpteenth time because the man has been running a business since he was twelve. I think he can handle a tiny, easy baby for an hour or two. What's shocking is that people ask that a lot too..."Have you left him at home with Josh yet?" "What does Josh think of him?" "Where's Maverick?? Is Josh at home alone with him?"

Uhhh yea. He's his dad...why wouldn't I feel totally comfortable leaving OUR baby at home with him?

We became parents together at the exact same time...so why is it that I have some sort of magical one-up on him just because I'm the mom? We started holding, changing, bathing, and diapering a newborn baby at 12:14 pm on September 1st, so I *think* that makes him as much of a dad as it makes me a mom.

Let's all remember..I wasn't exactly a 'kid person' before having a baby either. I like my niece and nephews...but that's pretty much the extent of it. Most kids annoyed us while we enjoyed our childless life with each other, and I am pretty sure that puts us on the same playing field when it comes to being Maverick's parents.

We both agree that the majority of household and Maverick jobs fall to me since I'm the SAHM, but there is no way Josh wants to be the kind of dad who is nervous to be left at home alone with his kiddos. If you know him, you know he doesn't do anything halfway and Fatherhood is no exception to that. He's also not the most laid back man in the world, which means Maverick is probably safer and better cared for when he's on Josh's watch than mine. Seriously.

So here are a few of my favorite Maverick-Daddy moments from the past two months. ;)

MmB

Maverick: Two Month Update

We have a two-month-old baby boy.

SHTAAAAP.

He's our best little bud.

He has a number of nicknames but my favorites are Punk, Pumpkin, Peanut, Baby, and occasionally Naughty Baby which I say in a happy cheerful tone to make it funny...even when he's being a crab refusing to nap when we know he's tired. Josh's favorite nickname is Little Buddy. That's almost exclusively what he calls him and it's adorable. We realized we rarely call him Maverick or Mav but Josh and I don't really call each other by our names when we're together either...it's always Babe. Always. So we need to get better at the name thing or this kid will grow up thinking his name is Punk and I don't think that would win us any parenting awards.

A few stats for your enjoyment...

Maverick is 22.5 inches long. Let me explain this one. We announced that he was 22 inches long when he was born then went in for his one-month visit and he measured 21 inches. Which was confusing. They said he was probably measured too quickly at the hospital which means our birth announcements were a lie but it's whatever. He's now officially 22.5 inches long.

Mav is 9 pounds and 14 ounces...which means he's a little peanut like his daddy was. And I'm fine with that. His newborn clothes are fitting longer (when eeeeeverybody said I wouldn't even need newborn clothes...HA!) which makes me happy. But what's crazy is that from his appointment last week for his cold to his appointment this week he gained TEN OUNCES. Ya. So last week when he was naughty and sleeping weird and his acne was exploding for a couple of days...it WAS a growth spurt just like I suspected.

On the paperwork I filled out before his visit, I was thrilled to check 'yes' on all the developmental questions...cooing, moving arms and legs at the same time, smiling, focusing/watching us, holding his head up...all that good stuff. He's a PRO. We're annoyingly proud first-time parents. We often comment on how annoying we are but I desperately try and keep the over-the-top 'Oh my baby is the cutest baby ever!' comments to the privacy of our own home. And I also try to keep the Instagram captions more sarcastic and funny instead of bragging about how adorable our baby is. No one cares about that crap but us. And probably the grandmas.

He's wearing newborn/size one diapers. Newborn and a few 0-3 month clothes. Enjoys tummy-time for five minutes before he gets stressed. Likes his car seat and happily rides in the car for short and long distances (within reason...our recent trip to Chicago and back was a little much). Also likes his seat during walks in the stroller and LOOOOOOVES when I carry him in the Baby Bjorn carrier. He likes it too much, in fact...so I only wear him in extenuating circumstances (ie: football games, apple orchard, antique stores where a stroller would be a catastrophe). You won't find this mom wearing her baby while cleaning the house because I'm a pretty firm believer that he needs to learn to sit and entertain himself without being constantly held. He likes his swing, likes sitting in his boppy, basically likes laying anywhere...and I try to switch it up so he doesn't get too dependent on any one thing. Last night he laid on our bed craning his neck to see the TV so he could watch The Hurt Locker. Daddy and Mav had their first War Movie night together. It was precious.

Mav is still a champion at sleeping in his crib but he usually uses a sound machine for the first half hour to get him to sleep (approximately one screaming ambulance per nap drives by our house, so believe me when I tell you...this is necessary). Bedtime is still around 10:00 because Auntie Jill suggested working on getting him to sleep through the night before moving up bedtime in 15-minute increments and since she is the Baby-Sleep-Goddess, that's what I'm doing. When/if he wakes up in the night...I usually go in his room and find an instantly smiley baby. At 4am. It's just ridiculous and I tell him that. Mav had an amazing couple of weeks where he slept from 10-5 or 6 (so I KNOW he's capable of doing it). But then he was sick for a week, got all wacked out during that growth spurt, had some shots on Tuesday, not to mention Daylight Savings Time...so his new 'normal' for the past two weeks has become bedtime at 10, then sometimes he wakes up whining at 1, 3, or 4 needing his paci to get back to sleep...and I give in and feed him around 5 or 6. Then its back to bed until he eats at 9 to start our schedule for the day. My goal for this month is bedtime at 9 and sleeping until 6, which I think will be attainable since he should be hitting 10 pounds any day and Jill said that's the magic sleep-through-the-night number.

What I'm proud of accomplishing this month...Mav goes down without fussing about 85% of the time. And he's gotten REALLY good at his day-time nap schedule. Right now he's up to eat at 9, noon, 3, 6, and 9...then awake for about an hour and a half (sometimes two hours) after he eats before he goes down for a happy nappy. And that's pretty much our schedule every day except Sunday's when we have church at 11. I'm trying to stay consistent during the day so he can figure out what he's supposed to do at nighttime.

I'm not super strict with the sleep training because I haven't read a single thing. Instead I prefer to let other mom's do the research and then I pick the mom's I want to copy. ;) And for sleeping, that mom of choice is my sister-in-law, Jill. Her babies all sleep through the night by 10 weeks and they sleep HARD. Once we stood on Brecken's bed while he was sleeping in it and hung curtains in his room because when we start projects we finish them no matter what time it is. ;) He slept through the whole thing.

I'm writing this for no other reason than to remember it for the future. Because I'll be the first to admit that it's really not interesting.

We get TONS of smiles out of Maverick, especially in the 30-45 minutes right after he eats. He's also starting to get reeeeeally chatty. The other night we let him stay up with us until 10:30 because he wouldn't stop talking and it was hilarious. Then we put him in his crib and could still hear him talking to himself while he fell asleep. I think this means he will be a talker like his mom and Auntie Jamie...probably because that's who he spends most of his time with during the day. ;) I love spending my days with him, but also love leaving him with dad while I run to Fareway or do errands. It gives Josh time to have Mav all to himself and I can get a lot more done a lot faster without having to haul that carrier around.

I think Josh and I went on our first date when Maverick was two weeks old? My mom and sister watched him and we went to Cafe B and The Other Place. We've gone on a couple drives around the lake when we've been home, and a few weeks ago went to Hu Hot while my mom and Jamie watched him again. Leaving him hasn't been a big deal to me and I never really thought it would be since I'm not exactly an overly-emotional person. That, and I know he can't live without me for more than three hours at a time. ;)

We're still rocking and rolling on the breastfeeding thing...I shared some of my thoughts about breastfeeding in my last blog and at some point maybe I'll expound. But for now I'll leave it at that...it's creepy and weird and everyone said, "You'll feel different about it when you're a mom because it's a beautiful bonding experience!" That's what all the books I skimmed said too. But I can officially say I don't. It's just a weird, necessary part of this first year of motherhood. I came to terms with it's weirdness before Mav was even here so it's all good. And I'm glad it hasn't been hard because I would have definitely given up if it had been. He's a good eater, isn't allergic to anything, doesn't seem to have weird reactions to the things I eat, etc. so all good news there.

Baby acne reared its ugly head this month and by that I mean, Maverick had a pretty ugly head there for a couple weeks. He was reeeeally red and splotchy and it's always the worst right after he eats. I didn't panic about this but grandma and Josh definitely did. Josh made me call First Nurse, who told me to tell dad that it was all normal and nothing to worry about. Which I keep reminding him every time it looks bad and he is sure something is wrong. You probably didn't know this, but Josh can be a little high strung sometimes. lol.

A few funny random things to report...Maverick has discovered how to get his hands in his mouth. He will lick on anything remotely near his face...blanket, shirt, hood, etc. He watches TV with big, wide-open eyes. He farts a TON and we laugh at him every single time. Uncle Nathan is the only person who calls him Mav-Rico and I think it's hilarious. He has a big of a mullet at the back of his neck and has started running his fingers through his hair and holding on to it while he eats.

That is pretty much everything I can think of for this month! I love spending my days with this little human. People keep asking me about my transition to staying at home and being a mom and it really wasn't much of a transition. I still see plenty of our friends and family...Josh has been home to cuddle us on a few recent rainy days. Jamie lives in our basement and leaving the house for errands hasn't really been a challenge either because Mav is such a content kid. Church has gone well 4/5 Sunday's, which I've been happy about too.

We are approaching the Most Insane Weekend of 2015...where I will attempt to decorate and attend a Women's Conference, practice for and dance in a Sunday D6 Gathering, and plan and host family for Maverick's Baby Dedication, aaaand celebrate my birthday...so if you think about it, PRAY FOR US. ;)

MmB

After 7 Weeks...Here's What's Up

I haven't been at this mom thing very long, so my guess is most veteran moms will skim this and laugh...but it's what I wish the many mom's I've encountered over the last five years would talk/share/blog more about. It's not necessarily 'advice' (because I realize I'm not in a position to dish that out yet) but I've found that my reality of transitioning into motherhood has been VERY different from what I've witnessed first-hand from the mom's I've been quietly watching. And for the random childless girls out there who might be watching me or reading this blog from afar...it's my goal to paint a less scary, but just as realistic view of being a mommy from my first seven weeks of experience.

I know these statements are not true for everyone because everyone has a different new-mom story...but this is mine. I also realize I make these statements with the experience of only ONE baby and our life will certainly look different when/if we're blessed with more. This post is specifically written for soon-to-be-new-moms.

I have not peed my pants once. Mom's talk about this like it undoubtedly WILL happen to everyone...and that's not always the case. It didn't happen during my nine months of pregnancy and it hasn't happened since I gave birth to that sweet little human, so my guess is I'm in the clear until my next rodeo. At which point all this new motherhood stuff won't be quite as daunting, so if it happens...I'm guessing it won't be quite as traumatic.

This newborn stage isn't nearly as bad as everyone makes it out to be. The number of times I've read about the newborn stage being nothing but a sleep-deprived haze that many parents wish away because it's so exhausting and terrible...not how I feel about it at all. I would say I was pretty tired for the first week, but by week two, I'd settled in to a nice little SAHM routine. Certainly still tired...but I expected that. It's like getting up in the middle of the night to feed a baby is shocking to some people...? And napping when the baby naps is not as hard as everyone makes it seem either...you're looking at a champion college napper who came out of retirement seven weeks ago for this joyous occasion.

You will have time to shower. It all just takes some planning ahead. And prioritizing. Church early the next morning? Shower the night before. Family pictures in the afternoon? Shower in the morning and spend the day getting ready a little at a time. Feed the baby, do your hair...feed the baby, do your make-up...feed the baby, get in the car and paint your nails on the way to wherever you're headed. I know I'm only speaking from experience with one tiny, easy, sleeps-a-lot baby...but being covered in spit-up, spending every day in sweats, and being dirty all the time hasn't been my new-mom reality. And in the event you find showering a challenge...dye your hair a nice dark brown for fall and you can get away with some pretty amazing dirty hair.

Whatever makes you feel like yourself...do that. We came home from the hospital and I was stupidly tired, but I spent part of the afternoon putting gifts away, starting some laundry, and organizing everything we hauled home from the hospital. With the whirlwind of giving birth and adding a new human to our lives, everything feels a little out of whack...I think it's natural to want hold on to anything that feels familiar. And what felt comfortable and familiar was organizing my house. For the past seven weeks if I've had an especially hard night, it feels good to get up and start my day by picking up the house. Even when it probably would have made more sense to go right back to bed.

Something I've Learned: If I get up and immediately hit the ground running without first brushing my teeth, throwing my hair up, and putting on real clothes...it's noon before I get back around to it. I have to force myself to do that stuff before I start in on my To-Do list for the day.

Being a mom is a job. I knew this before, but it's for real you guys. And if you want to be good at a job, you can't spend all your time whining and complaining and sleeping and demanding your husband help you because, "it's your turn!" Josh doesn't go to work in the morning and demand I come help him spread chemicals. So when he comes home, I don't demand he help me change Maverick's diaper. He does the fun cuddling in the evenings, but he does not get up in the night (what good would it do anyway...I'm the only one who can feed the baby) because it's not really his job. We have ONE baby and I can honestly say nothing about my life right now is harder work than what Josh gets up and does everyday. This is what I signed up for when we agreed I would/could stay home...so I plan to suck it up and handle it.

It is possible to still look fab. I'll be the first to admit I've been enjoying giving my face a break from make-up and I LOVE that I don't have to blow dry my hair before work every morning...but I've made a rule for myself that Monday's are a PJ-lazy day at home to recover from the weekend...the rest of the week I get up, put on mascara, and act like a real human. Even if I'm not planning on leaving the house. And dressing a post-pregnancy body isn't nearly as horrifying as everyone hypes it up to be.

A tip I'll share for those habitually new-mom tired eyes that the anchors on the Today Show use (and they get up at like 3am EVERY DAY): A cold wash cloth on your eyes for about five minutes and you'll look as fresh as a daisy. 

Being prepared isn't hard, it just takes a little extra time (which, coincidentally, I was prepared for). If I know we have a big day tomorrow, I lay everyone's clothes out the night before. This is something I used to do with Josh and I, so it wasn't that hard to just coordinate an outfit and add Maverick to the nightly routine. It's worth the ten extra minutes at night to make us on time in the morning. As far as remembering all the new baby stuff we need before we go anywhere...I try and have as many systems as possible in place so it's quick and easy to remember all this stuff. Stroller is always in the trunk, extra diapers and a package of wipes stay in the car (in case I forget to refill my stash in the diaper bag), Maverick's luggage is conveniently located in his closet. We've taken a couple weekend trips at this point and the only thing I forgot on one of them were my undies (good thing Josh was coming to Manson a couple hours later and could bring them PHEW). And I remind myself...this too, is part of my SAHM job, so it would be kind of pathetic if I forgot something really basic like a spare outfit or diapers.

Breastfeeding is weird. I can't sugarcoat this one for you. It's creepy and weird and sure it's good for your baby and helps you lose weight and it's free...but it's essentially like being half-naked in a room full of people while everyone carries on a conversation and you're...just...sitting there under a blanket half-naked. I try and make it more enjoyable by avoiding breastfeeding anywhere but my house at all costs and prefer to sit in front of my TV with either Gilmore Girls, KUWTK, or Today Show playing while I feed Mav. Planning my life in three-hour increments isn't a big deal because...feeding a baby is like the biggest part of my SAHM job description right now. We go on a date? It's three hours or less. We road trip somewhere? It's three hours or less. It's a season and it's already going by too fast, so you won't hear me complaining about it.

You have got to let that baby cry. The good news is, babies are still really cute when they cry so it makes it much more bearable. If Maverick is changed, fed, burped and I know it's nappy-time, I have no problem wrapping him up and letting him wail-it-out for a bit. It seriously works and he's getting way better at going right to sleep. He has off days (today was one of them) but this is how I get stuff done. Don't get me wrong, I cuddle and kiss on him plenty, but it doesn't do either one of us any good for me to hold him all. the. time. Bills need to be paid, showers need to be taken, mommy needs to eat lunch (I accidentally forget sometimes) and he needs to let me do those things...especially because if I don't eat...neither does he.

Keeping the house clean isn't that hard either. Again, it's just priorities. If I can't handle getting up, pulling myself together, and doing a clean sweep of the house before people come over or before we take off for the weekend...what is my problem. I'M HOME ALL THE TIME. With a baby who is happy when he's awake and then sleeps most of the day. I literally have no excuses. I don't get everything checked off my to-do list everyday...but the point is that I try. And the beauty is that if I don't get to cleaning both bathrooms, I can always do the other one tomorrow! BECAUSE I'M HOME AND THIS IS MY JOB AND I LOVE IT.

I'll reiterate that this is all true of my first-time-stay-at-home-with-a-happy-healthy-Maverick-mom-life and it's not true for everyone. But my point is, there is just too much negative stuff about taking the plunge with that first baby than positive...and coming out of the fresh newborn phase, I decided there should be more positive. Babies have allergies and reflux and colic and none of that is fun or fair for new moms and I'm definitely not saying postpartum depression should be ignored...these are just my a few of my observations for you today. 

I'm off to feed Maverick like it's my job...because oh, wait. It is. ;)

MmB

Mollie Meets Motherhood

{photography by LibbyAsayStudio.com}

I have a specific moment when I felt like a real mom and I can recall it perfectly. It wasn't when I saw Maverick for the first time looking like a gross purple alien  miracle (yes that's how I feel about all newborn babies, mine included). It wasn't when he was wrapped up and Josh was holding him beside me. It didn't even happen at any point while we were in the hospital for three days. It wasn't until Thursday evening when we were home that I felt like a mom FOR REAL.

I remember slowly picking up the house, putting things away... Josh was home, my mom was with us starting laundry, asking me where I wanted stuff, helping me remember when I needed to take percaset (you know...mom jobs). Maverick was wrapped up and sleeping in his little bassinet on top of the dining room table.

And for some reason...I missed him.

Like...he was inside of me for nine months. I'd been with him nonstop, thinking about nothing else for the previous three days. He was cuddled up hanging out in the same house and I had this, 'awww I miss him' feeling unless I was right beside him, cuddling him, holding him, feeding him, or kissing him.

IT WAS THE WEIRDEST THING.

I mentioned it to my mom and Josh and my mom said, 'Honey, it's because you're a mom now.'

And that's when it felt official. I was a mom and this tiny, precious, adorable, fuzzy human was my baby.

MmB

Maverick: One Month Update

I have sooooo many thoughts and potential future blog posts banging around in my head, but I thought I'd start here because we officially have a one month old baby...the newborn-ness is gradually slipping away. So in order to remember everything from the past four weeks, I thought I'd do a quick update.

I don't know that I'll stick to this monthly like a few of my favorite bloggers do, but this seems to be the easiest way to write/document/remember all the stuff from this past month...so here goes in no particular organized order.

Maverick's favorite thing is probably bath time...which I find hilarious since that's also his daddy's favorite past time. I'm hoping this means he will also like mommy's favorite past time...swimming. He seems to enjoy his car seat and we try and take a small trip to Target, to visit dad at work, or go on walks at least once a day so he has plenty of time to get used to it. Our first 'real' road trip to Manson last weekend went perfectly both ways...he was awake, fussed for a minute, Jamie turned around to shove in the paci, and he slept the rest of the way. When we went back for the chili cook-off, he did the same thing. So far he's slept though both of his photoshoots, his doctor appointment, his first family reunion and three of the four church services he's been at.

He's gone through so many changes in the past month, it's already hard to remember! The first week was basically just eating, awake for five minutes, sleep, repeat. The second and third week included a lot more awake time, and this past week he has started to fuss a little bit more...but I just keep reminding myself of these wise words from Angie Carson, 'sometimes babies will just cry.' If his tummy is full and his diaper is clean, I do my best to ignore the fake crying. I was actually surprised how quickly I figured out the fake cry from real crying and Maverick is becoming a pretty good little fake crier...just like his mom was. So I WON'T be falling for that trick since I invented that game...just ask my parents (and poor Mary Jo). I also think being held non-stop last weekend had something to do with him being fussier when I could tell he was just really tired...this kid looooooooves to cuddle up and nap on people.

Mav likes shopping when  he's awake as long as he's moving but doesn't love when we stop and stand to look at something for longer than five minutes. Most of the time being in his car seat puts him to sleep though. I know it's hard to tell at this point, but Jamie, Josh and I are all pretty sure that he loves music. When we turn it on he almost immediately stops the fake crying. Maybe all babies do that, I don't know. He's been so much more alert during his awake-time this past week and we can tell he's starting to look and focus on things which is fun. He obviously likes being held, but there are times when being held makes him crabby and he would rather just stretch out on the floor and kick his legs and wave his arms non-stop for a good 20 minute baby cardio-sesh.

He's doing really well eating on a three-hour schedule during the day (though sometimes he only makes it 2.5 hours before I give in if fake crying turns to the real cry). And breastfeeding seems to be going well, though I know things can change and go downhill really quickly in that department. I was told so many different things by different nurses in the hospital that once we got home I just ignored all of them, threw the satanic breast pump in the closet, and didn't look back for the first month (thanks to Kim Gazaryan). Now that we have one month under our belt I've gone back to pumping when it's convenient and I have time during the day and that also seems to be going well so far (we're only a week in...so the jury is still out).

Maverick has peed or pooped on Josh and Jamie the most, which is hilarious because I'm the one who does 95% of the diaper changes. He's has only spit up about three times in his little life so far, which means my clothes have stayed crusty-dried-spit-up free...so I'm counting that as a first-month-mom-win and he rarely burps, no matter how long we pat him for. He makes a lot of sweet noises with his mouth and tongue and lips and he's obsessed with his hands. They are just all over his face, but I do regular baby manicures so he hasn't scratched himself once (I prefer filing his sweet little nails instead of clipping them). I tend to pick at him a lot because I hate it when babies have dry flaky skin on their heads and faces...so all that junk gets a nice gentle scratching every time he eats. He's had two little white zits so far in his four weeks of life but mom took care of those too and he didn't even mind!

After our big crazy weekend, bae has had some trouble napping during the day (because he was held and cuddled for all his weekend naps!). So I've stopped laying him on the floor or in the swing for his day-naps and into his crib he goes. He fusses for a while before falling asleep but he seems to sleep better in there now...Plus then the fake crying is easier for me to ignore. ;) I usually try to get him to nap about an hour or an hour and a half after he wakes up to eat and that's the schedule we follow for most of the day. For this first month I haven't nailed down a strict schedule because it revolved around when he would wake up to eat at night (and I kind of just let him do what he wanted), but as of yesterday we are rocking and rolling on a (semi-loose) daily schedule. Up to eat at 9, noon, 3, 6, and 9...then awake for a little bit then bedtime. He rocked this schedule yesterday and rewarded me with EIGHT STRAIGHT HOURS OF SLEEP. Of course I know he will probably go back and forth before this is our 'norm' but with fewer visitors coming by and now that I'm feeling almost 100% I think we should be able to get into a good groove here pretty quick being that he is such an easy-going baby.

And yes, he is in his crib. For the first four days we were at home, I wasn't super limber...if you can believe that. So climbing in and our of our super-tall bed was...a bit of a (painful) challenge. I slept on the couch, Maverick slept in his little travel-bassinet beside me, and Josh (bless his heart) camped out on the living room floor on the love-seat cushions so I wasn't all alone for a couple nights. With Josh heading right back to work, this was not a feasible long-term solution, so I moved to the guest room (bed isn't so tall in there) for a couple nights with Maverick in the travel-bassinet so Josh could attempt to get some real sleep in our room. After a full week of not sleeping in my own bed with my own cuddly husband...as much as we love that little punk we were not about to let him ruin our nightly routine of cuddling and watching shows and movies in our bed. Once I could get in and out of our bed, Maverick started sleeping in his crib and it's worked out great! Plus we won't have a challenging transition a couple weeks/months down the road when we have to re-train him to sleeping in a crib. I've thought about it a lot and it wouldn't be that much more convenient to have him in our room since I change and feed him in his room every night...I think we're all getting better sleep because of it.

He has an adorable hairy-baby forehead that makes me laugh, plus little fuzzy baby shoulders. Josh is concerned that this means he has, in fact, inherited the hairy Boersma trait and he will be cursed with these hairy shoulders for life. As I mentioned in my last post, there is no denying he has Josh's legs, feet and toes and he's already gotten a fair amount of teasing for that...but that's character building. It's hilarious to us when people comment on who he looks like...it's about 50/50 and completely random. In the beginning he looked like me if his eyes were open and his hat was off so everyone could see his dark eyes and hair...but if he was sleeping with a hat on (which was most of the time), everyone agreed he looked like Josh. That changed to my family thinking he looked just like me as a baby and Josh's family thinking he looked like Josh. Well, scratch all of that because now my family only sees Josh and Josh's family all sees me...Occasionally he makes a face that I recognize from a picture of me when I was a baby...but in these 1-month pictures I don't see Josh or me...I just see a Maverick.

The farts that come from this tiny human would shock and appall you...and probably make his uncles very proud. I've never been around a baby who farts as loud or as long as Maverick. It's just shockingly hilarious. He makes these ridiculous farts in his sleep and we can hear them from our bedroom with BOTH DOORS CLOSED. And the calm faces he makes while he's working on a big one are just as funny.

Sarcasm in our house is pretty rampant, so the other day when we had the Today Show on and they were talking about how to not raise entitled kids, how to give allowances, etc. with the 'Parenting Experts'...they mentioned doing chores to earn an allowance is important, not just giving kids a standard rate each week regardless (there are parents in this world who do that?!) and Josh and I looked at Maverick (sleeping in his swing because he was approximately 10 days old) and said, "OK man, go empty the dishwasher, thanks."

Maverick gets a little crabby between 6 and 7 each night if he's fighting his evening catnap. He was swinging in his swing the other night, fed, changed, and fake crying and Josh looked at him and said, "Hey Maverick. Sucks to suck." Now you all think we're terrible people but at the time it was reeeeally funny. We kind of have to joke around because neither of us enjoy listening to him cry (especially Josh) so turning HIMYM on louder and eating the yummy meals people have been bringing us has made it bearable.

Overall he's just a really good, normal, happy baby...we haven't discovered any allergies to wipes, diapers, milk, soap, lotion, etc. Generally we're getting at least 6-9 (typically interrupted) hours of sleep each night depending on how lazy I feel like being in the morning. No colic or reflux issues so far...he's gaining weight, I'm losing weight (YEEYEEYEE!), and we just hang out at home cuddling, talking, watching hours of Gilmore Girls (seriously, it feels like all I do is sit, feed a baby, and watch TV!), and sending Josh cute videos of Mav being adorable throughout the day.

Last week I celebrated my one-month-mom-aversary with a spray tan and I'm feeling pretty much back to normal. A blog about my transition to being a mommy is on the horizon, so brace yourself.

MmB

Maverick's Birth Story

Fair warning, this will probably be the most boring birth story you've ever read...but it's how it went down and to be quite honest...I wouldn't have had it any other way. I actually sort of loved it.

Based on the fact that everyone was telling me an average of four times per week, "You can never be prepared for labor and childbirth!" I thought to myself...ok. Perfect. I won't be. That saves me a lot of reading and worrying and wasting a Saturday at a birthing class. Yes everyone, we skipped the birthing classes because Josh was busy working and I didn't want to go by myself. The breastfeeding class that was recommended seemed silly to me because how do you practice breastfeeding when you DONT HAVE A BABY TO PRACTICE WITH?? And the birthing wing tour that was also recommended seemed downright ridiculous because...won't we be spending three to four days in the birthing wing? Probably a couple hours walking around? Once we got to the hospital, we took our own tour in minutes, found the apple juice and the ice machine and we were set.

We went into this with zero expectations and no real 'birthing plan' to speak of...though I wasn't totally in the dark because I was in the room when my sister-in-law had our nephew last December.

So on Thursday the 27th (pardon the wrong date in my last post) my doctor told me she was on call on Monday the 31st and since I would be past 40 weeks we could schedule an induction. She said it would probably be a long day (first baby...I assumed this was a given) but I didn't really care so I scheduled it, called Josh to tell him, and away we went.

Monday morning the 31st we packed up the car, did a clean sweep of the house, made Jamie wake up to take one last picture of us, and drove to the hospital to check in by 7:30am. It was a little surreal just waltzing up to the birthing floor of the hospital and being like, "Hi ya we're here to have a baby." We got a room at the far end of the wing (which made us feel like we were the only ones in the hospital during our stay) and I started organizing and settling our bags. 

Nurses came to check me in, put in my IV port, and ask me a bunch of questions. Now...I had a list of things on my phone that I wanted to make sure I had clearly communicated because, like I said, I had the opportunity to watch my sister-in-law give birth and had made a few observations and decisions back in December about how I'd like to handle certain situations. So we hit the ground running...

The nurses asked me to put on the hospital gown with the open back and requested I have NOTHING on underneath. For the foreseeable future.

Ehhhh. That wasn't going to work for me. I had a comfy and cute labor outfit planned and I was not going to be walking the halls for hours in that monstoricty for who knows how long. So I let them IV me and break my water (at approx. 8:30am) in the hospital gown but they let me put my gray nightgown and robe AND BRA on right after. With the understanding that I would need to change when it was time for the epidural. Fiiiine with me.

My goal for my time at the hospital (besides having a baby) was to try and feel as comfortable and as much like 'myself' as possible. This included sparkly hospital bags, cute and coordinated outfits, and mascara on at all times.

Among the questions about smoking, drug use, and drinking during pregnancy...came the questions about breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact. I was ready to answer these...I was up for the good old college try with breastfeeding (it's going well btw and I've lost 30 pounds so we will be riding that train as long as possible or at least until I decide it's weird), but the skin-to-skin...I was very clear about them wiping Maverick off before handing him to me. VERY clear. And to my surprise, they added it to my chart and didn't even argue with me. 

But they circled back around to the bra thing. Saying it would need to be off in order to do proper skin-to-skin after he had arrived. I pretended to be agreeable but had no plans of being naked and bra-less in a room full of people AT ANY POINT no matter what was recommended.

This is how we rocked skin-to-skin cuddling in the hospital. Fully clothed aaaaand appropriate.

There was a shift change with nurses and my new nurse suggested to me in order to get things 'going naturally' we could try 'nipple stimulation'...to which I point blank replied, 'ummm no that creeps me out.' I was sweet but direct and those amazing nurses at Mary Greeley basically let me to whatever I wanted. Which did NOT include nipple stimulation. She left and Josh said, 'Uhhh what did they mean by that?' And once I explained he agreed...it's creepy.

I never hopped in the whirlpool, but had that happened, I was prepared. Yes folks, I threw in my cheetah swimsuit because there was no way I was going to be getting in and out of a bathtub in front of strangers and Josh completely naked. It was just not going to happen. My mom said I was being ridiculous but I still think taking a swimsuit was a great idea and I would totally recommend it.

Josh and I walked some halls for a couple hours, watched The Today Show, Josh snuck me an iced vanilla latte from Burgie's aaaand around noon we got news from one of the mowing crews that a mower had gone down in Ankeny. We live stupidly close to the hospital and it was already looking like we would need to settle in because the fireworks were going to take a while...so Josh ran to Ankeny and back in about an hour and we agreed to start pitocin as soon as he got back.

At 2:00pm, six hours after my water broke, nothing had changed. Seriously. They started me on pitocin, upping it every half hour and I sent Josh home to get all our seasons How I Met Your Mother since now it was very clear we would be in for the long haul. Which I was fine with. This was scheduled, everything was taken care of, and my only job was to sit there and get ready to have a baby, no matter how long it took.

At this time, I hadn't had a single painful contraction. They kept telling me I was having them, but I barely felt anything. This was all BEFORE the epidural, mind you. After I was at the max dosage of pitocin that they were willing to give me (25 ML or something?) I was STILL not feeling anything. We watched TBS and I remember contractions  starting to hurt around the time Seinfeld was on...which is between 6 and 7 I think? I waited them out until I couldn't 'talk' through them anymore and my Anastesioligist Savior arrived with that glorious epidural around 10pm...After I had given in and changed into the hospital gown. 

And then I was in heaven. Josh and I just relaxed and cuddled and watched more HIMYM and slept all night. It was truly amazing. My sleep was interrupted every half hour when they came to check Mav's heart rate and my blood pressure (at one point I was soooo relaxed my blood pressure was at 81/53) and helped me turn over so I could sleep on my other side. But surprisingly I still had a lot of control over my body even though I was all warm and numb and tingly. Nurses kept telling me I wasn't even 'floppy' and that my 'epidural must have taken really well' and I was all like 'well thanks guys!' 

I specifically remember my favorite nurse, named Mandi...I kept mentioning how so many people have so many opinions on being induced or having epidurals and my favorite quote of the night from her was, 'All those women got to have their babies the way they wanted, and you get to have your baby the way you want.' Bless her.

Morning came and went. I requested the Today Show be turned back on because I enjoyed being distracted by meaningless news and pop culture in the midst of pushing and contractions. I got to cuddle up and lay on my side and sleep/rest in between pushes. When this process started around 9:45am, the nurse who was helping me looked at Josh and said, "Ok dad, you hold that leg and help." And I immediately thought to myself...Hmm...this is something I hadn't communicated. Immediately following that first push Josh stood up as white as the sheets and said, "I think I need to sit down." The nurses got him some toast and I had time to instruct everyone on what would happen going forward...Josh would sit beside me but he would not be holding any legs at any point thank you very much. 

A few hours went by, I changed the channel to E!, my doctor kept coming in to see how things were going, tons of nurses kept coming in and out getting everything in the room ready. I think Josh was pretty bored at this point because we'd been at this thing for more than 24 hours but time went by pretty fast for me until those last two hours. And then it was finally showtime and Maverick arrived at 12:14pm. 

Something I was a slightly shocked by. Even with an epidural, I was pretty surprised about how much everything still hurt. Some women want a natural childbirth because they want to 'feel' like they had a baby. I'm here to tell you...I FELT LIKE I HAD A BABY. I felt the whole thing for those last two hours. The contractions didn't hurt in my tummy...but the epidural doesn't cover...certain other places. I don't know how else to describe it without being offensive. Just trust me.

There was no screaming...I didn't yell at Josh...I didn't squeeze his hand off (I really only held his hand for about the last 30 seconds)...none of those cliches exist in this birth story. I know it might be obnoxious to say but labor and birth the way we did it really wasn't a big deal. I kept saying to Josh whenever he would get anxious or worried about something...women have been having babies since the beginning of time. IT IS NOT THAT BIG OF A DEAL. And it really wasn't. 

Maverick only looked like an alien for 10 minutes and I was thrilled. He had hair and I was thrilled. He had Josh's toes and I thought...well we can't have it all. ;) They cleaned him all off, wrapped him up, and Josh got to hold him for a long time while I was...in the middle of some other things. It was all perfect and I got away with keeping my bra on. Woo! Once it was time for a diaper change and I had myself together a little bit more (literally) I told the nurses we had brought our own sleeper, hat, and swaddling blanket (all coordinated and adorable) and they let us put him in whatever we wanted, WHICH I LOVED! I hate those hospital hats and blankets and I am also not a fan of sleep sacks, specifically on boys because they look like dresses...Enter: My favorite raccoon sleeper. Then rather than texting every single person on our list his information, that chalkboard I threw in saved us a lot of time and doubled as an adorable Facebook/Insta announcement.

So now that I've explained all of that about labor...I'll tell ya. After labor is a different story. I'll leave almost everything out but I'll share two quotes because...even in disgusting situations like this I was somehow still able to find humor.

To my doctor:

"Kim Kardashian said her vagina looked better after she had a baby than it did before. Was that a lie?" -Me

"She probably had some plastic surgery immediately after birth." -Dr. Gessner 

"So is that something you can do now orrrrr...??"

***Somehow my doctor was around for all 27 hours of labor AND came to check on me twice a day. I want her to schedule and deliver all our babies.***

To my nurses when I was having a bleeding issue and they were concerned:

"How are you feeling? Your face is very pale." -Nurse

"I look pale?! I tried so hard to be tan!" -Me

"Well right now your body doesn't match your face." -Nurse

And that's pretty much all. God blessed us with the most perfect gift either of us could imagine and we can't believe how adorable and wonderful (and easy!) Maverick is. He gets approximately 897 kisses per day and we love our new life and our little family of three. 

-MmB