Friday, April 30, 2010

Mr. Wonderful

Mr. Wonderful is exactly that...wonderful. Most importantly he's MY Mr. Wonderful. And sorry ladies, I'm not sharing! =)


Having a baby is the single hardest thing I've ever done. Physically having him was cake compared to the days, weeks, and now months that have followed (See post below about Dr. Mah & the miracle drug). I don't know where I would be without Mr. Wonderful (aka CDitty). I know we both had this fairytale dream about how life with a newborn would be. We also both know that this fairytale sometimes isn't so fairytale like...and I'm sure CDitty's fairytale didn't start with, "Babe can you do me a favor..." or "Can you please help me do..." But CDitty, you never cease to amaze me. You take on any "favor" with a smile, never a challenge to big, small, or gross. I am thankful I can call you my husband. Proud I can call you my best friend. And incredibly excited I can call you Baby Jack's dad. Jack sure has a role model to look up to and I have a best friend to share the rest of my life with. Awesome.







Thursday, April 29, 2010

Post Birth Body...

...sans the gory details.

I've read 2 blogs in the past 2 days that have given me and my hips hope! Both claim that not even a full year after giving birth their hips are back to a NORMAL, I repeat NORMAL size...gosh I can't wait.

Getting pregnant and giving birth have changed me forever. And I mean forever. However, I hope there are a few "changes" that are not so permanent:

1. My hips. My hips. My hips. My hips. Ugh, the more I think about them the more I cringe. I have this beautiful closet full of incredible denim and I can't get them past my thighs. Luckily, Chris and I have transformed my mom into trendy and I'm able to borrow jeans from her! =) This springtime weather makes it especially hard, can't quite wear dresses, but too warm for leggings (my pregnancy uniform)

2. My stomach. Or as my loving husband refers to it...my pizza dough. Enough said. (In his defense I gave him the idea for the name, and also refer to it as my pizza dough)

3. My boobs (aka bombs). It's amazing how I am 1 size when I leave the house and another when I get home...Big boobs aren't all they are cracked up to be...seriously, what I would do for my A cup and the option to wear a bra or not...clearly not an option right now. I kept that post as clean as possible...you moms know what I'm talking about.

4. The beautiful birth line. I have a dark line running vertically down my stomach. It wasn't attractive when I was pregnant and it most certainly isn't attractive on my "pizza dough". I hear this can take up to 7 months to go away...7 months really? Doesn't the man upstairs know it's swimsuit season? Because of numbers 2 & 4 I've decided to wear a 1 piece this year...or maybe splurge on a tankini...

We've decided to run a 1/2 marathon. It's in September, which gives me all summer long to train. We ran the same 1/2 a few years back and I loved it. This year though I hope to run my hips and my stomach off....we'll see!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

LABOR story

I am a blog reading fool. I can't help myself! I love blogs. I was reading a sorority sister's blog today. She outlined her labor and it got me thinking about Jack's Birthday.

Throughout the latter part of my pregnancy I was having some complications. Low amnionic fluid to be exact. We had to go to the doctor twice a week. Get non-stress tests and once a week ultrasounds. Because of this we were planning on being induced on February 15th.

February 5th. We had a check up and a non-stress test. The docotor surprised us with "You're 4 cm dialated and completely thinned out". After digesting this info we asked, "When do you think he's going to make his appearance?" We were told to expect a baby by the Super Bowl!!

All weekend went by. No baby.

Tuesday, February 9th. (Jack's Birthday) Doctor visit #2. We saw the nurse practitioner. She checked me out and NO CHANGE!! Did the non-stress test, the ultrasound, and we were on our way out the door. The mid-wife stopped me to "check me" one more time. Chris was at work and I was headed to work. Next thing I know, I hear "oops!?" and feel the rush. She "accidentally" broke my water. Later she confessed this was done on purpose.

11:55. We check into DePaul. I'm barely in the doors and asking for my epidural. I wanted a pain free labor.

12:15. All hooked up and ready to go. My contractions were strong and about 4 minutes apart. Pain that I couldn't discribe was shooting thorugh my body. Awful. And where was my epidural? Apparently you need a bag of fuilds first. Agh!

2:30. I REPEAT 2:30!! In walks Dr. Mah. AKA the miracle worker. She was here to stick a needle in my spine and make life good again. She made everyone leave. The process took 5 minutes. Youc an do the math; I had a contraction during this time. The poor L&D nurse, Julieta, almost lost her arm, but I didn't move! They put a catheter in, with all the fluids they didn't want me up and down too much.


3:30. In walks Sharon, the midwife. The news is "baby by 5". But my epidural slowed down my progress and they had to give me pitocin to speed things back up. At this point we were excitedly texting people and preparing for Baby Jack's arrival!





4:00. I'm guessing this is when I start getting the shakes. Uncontrollable shakes. Apparently from adrenaline.

5:40. Push time. It was fabulous, laid back, and perfect. No stirrups, no screens, nothing. Just Chris, Martha (L&D nurse), and Sharon (our midwife). We chatted, then pushed, chatted then pushed. Forty minutes later...

6:24. We meet Jack. The light of our precious lives. He was so perfect, beautiful, and precious. I didn't even feel my stitches or the gory afterbirth stuff. Christopher cut the cord and Jack was officially here =)


6 lbs 11 pz of perfection. 19 1/2 inches of jaw dropping amazingness. 1 beautiful head of hair. 10 fingers. 10 toes. AWESOME.


Happy Birthday Jack Christopher Dial!

Our First Child

Baby J is our first baby of the 2 legged variety. However, a 3 years ago we fell in love with our first baby...Fenway. We'll get this parenting thing firgured out and Fenway will once again get to go on a walk, play outside, and snuggle in bed with us. Promise.

EXHAUSTION

Main Entry: ex·haus·tion
Pronunciation: \ig-ˈzȯs-chən\
Function: noun
Date: 1615
: the act or process of exhausting : the state of being exhausted



Writing a letter to Mr. Webster...please add: Constant state of mommyhood

Saturday, April 24, 2010

2 Month Letter...sans the picture.

I just can't get it all together. See post below to find out why...

4.9.10

Dear Jack,

Today you are 2 months old. 2 whole months! Where has time gone? I guess time really DOES fly when you're having fun!

You are handsome, perfect, and precious all wrapped into one. How did we ever live without you?

You still love to eat. And your 11 lbs body proves it. We can't help but smile when we see you belly out, hanging in your diaper. Truth is we can't help but smile when we see you in anything!!

You are great with the bottle. Maybe a little to great. You can suck down 5 oz in no time flat. Makes me nervous as to what you will do in college.

Your gas. Turns out your gas isn't (ahem, wasn't)gas at all! The doctor diagnosed you with acid reflux and put you on Baby Zantac. It does the trick. Along with elevated eating, burping, and sleeping! You can still burp & toot with the best of them though!

You smile. Heck, apparently you laugh! 6 weeks and 1 day you broke you first "on purpose" smile. It melted our hearts x 10. Now you smile at just about everything. Today you laughed. Your dad dropped you off at Grandma's and when he kissed you goodbye you laughed. So he stayed another 10 minutes kissing you; you kept laughing.

Yesterday I dropped you off at Grandma's for the first time. I only cried twice. Your 2 cousins, Grayson & Lucy helped Grandma all day. You are so loved.

Bathtime. Our nightly routine. You've learned to like it & in fact with your new bathtub I think you secretly love it. I know we love seeing you splash your feet around whether you know what you are doing or not.

Bedtime. Definitely not your favorite time of the day. We've moved you into your own crib, in your VERY own room. 3 words. NOT A FAN! For the first 1/2 of the night you're up every 45 minutes. Nothing is wrong, you aren't hungry, just want some love. Attention HOG! Hopefully this gets better.

We love every ounce of you. Every finger, every toe, every little inch of your body. You are developing a personality and surprise surprise...we love it. Baby Jack you are the light of our lives. We know some day you are going to grow up, have babies of your own, and then you will know exactly what we are feeling. I can't wait for month 3...to see what's in store. To see how you grow.

Love always and forever,

Mom and Dad

I'm a Better Mom...

Because I work. I said it. I mean it. Being a mom is tough. I mean tough...& to think Baby J is everything I dreamed of him being and more, but being a mom is still tough.

Work is not only a way to pay the bills, but it is also a passion. Helping people find the perfect house and eventually (& hopefully quickly) making it their home is rewarding and fulfilling. It's a way to be creative, take a breather, and put my brain to use.

Jack cries. Alot. He eats. Alot. And he wants attention. Alot. I am a better mom because I work. I love to come home to his cries, wake up to nurse, and play with him constantly because I know my hours with our baby boy are limited...

At night I find myself sayng, "There just aren't enough hours in the day". And I mean it.

My house is a wreck. Laundry is dirty. Bed isn't made. But my Baby J is happy, full and laughing. Life is good. My handsome better half is wonderful, helpful, and encouraging. Life is good. My brain is challenged, stretched, and put to work in the office. Life is good.

I hope soon I'm able to take care of our home, keep Baby Jack happy, Christopher happy, and be the best I can be at work.

Until then...close your eyes when you walk into our house & DON'T open our bedroom door!

Side Note: Jack stays with his awesome GMA while I'm at work. This makes me happy and rest assured knowing he's in loving hands. I know he's being taken care of while I'm trying to be the best mom I can be...at work.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Wait for it....

Tomorrow I'm posting the 2 month letter to Jack. It's written, I just need to take the picture and upload it. Until then...




Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Welcome back...


Already? I have to welcome myself back already? Maybe I need to reintroduce myself. Blogging is hardwork...almost as hard as being a mom. I kid I kid.
Jack will be 2 months on Friday and I will be back to work... :-(
I've promised myself I would write Jack a letter every month, here is month one:



3.9.2010

Dear Jack,

You are one month old today. I cannot believe it. Our lives have been forever changed…for the better of course. It’s like you’ve always been in our life! I can’t remember a better time. I also can’t remember a more exhausted time of our life.

One month ago today we were checking into the hospital and anxiously awaiting the arrival of this little being we had started loving back in June when we first found out about you. Little did we know that love was nothing compared to the love we were getting ready to experience. February 9, 2010. That morning the doctor had broken my water in her office and told us we were going to be meeting our little man before the day was over! We checked into DePaul Hospital at 11:55am. After 6 hours of labor, lots of drugs, and a wonderful support system we finally got to meet you. You arrived at 6:24pm, 6lbs 11 oz, and 19 ½ inches long. In our eyes you were perfect.

We knew you were going to be a ladies’ man before we even checked out of the hospital. Every nurse was swooning over you. They called you their little surfer boy. They all obsessed over your blonde hair. You can thank me later. The nurses loved you so much that they held you at their desk instead of keeping you in the nursery. You charmer you…

This past month has been an absolute whirlwind. A whirlwind of visitors, packages, presents, and cards. It’s been amazing to see how many people are in love with you already. Also, a whirlwind of diapers, feedings, lack of sleep, and lack of laundry for sure! Our lives have been turned upside down by such a little person. Upside down in the best way imaginable.

You are an eating machine. By 2 weeks you had gained almost a pound! We’re sure you’ve gained much more since then. Every 2 hours you ask me for food. And not so patiently eat away, just as quickly as you can.

You are a diaper filling fool. We change diapers at least every single time you eat. Sometimes more. You’re not a huge fan of diaper changes. However, your favorite trick is to wait until we have taken your dirty diaper completely off and then peeing all over the place. It’s hilarious. Also requires multiple outfit changes. I know secretly you think it’s great. Good thing you have a closet full of clothes. You have your father’s sense of humor.

Crying is your favorite pastime. Sadly, it’s a case of bad gas. Your doctor says there is nothing we can do and you will outgrow it by 3 months. 3 months? We do lots of pacing, rocking, bouncing, and holding in hopes we can make you feel better. This hurts my stomach like you wouldn’t believe. One perk of this gas is watching/listening to your relieve yourself. It’s hilarious. You can burp and fart with the best of them. Your G.G (Great Granny) laughed so hard and mentioned we could call it an explosion, not a fart.

Bath time. Definitely not your favorite time of the day. You scream, cry, and act like we are brutalizing you every minute of your bath. I keep trying to tell you we would never do anything to hurt you. I guess trusting us at bath time is something you’re going to have to learn.

You’ve been alive for 1 month and I can’t imagine a single day without you. Baby Jack, you’ve made us the happiest parents in the world. Thank you for being a perfect angel, our perfect little angel.

Love,

Mom and Dad