Bath Time

I can't believe my little one is almost two months, he's growing so fast!  These pictures were taken at about 6.5 weeks old.  We've been trying to get Tal on somewhat of a schedule and our new nightly routine involves a bath- Talmage LOVES them.  Usually he takes a bath with me and it's my favorite because he gets really snuggly and relaxed before bed time.  This is Tally's first bath with Braedon.  These pictures all probably look the same to everyone, but to me and Braed every face is different (and of course SO cute) haha.  

Tally is starting to smile a little and it's our favorite thing!  I can't wait till it's a full on smile and actually in response to one of us.  He's always pretty happy after nap time and during his baths.  

Look at that pose! He loves to just float and stretch out his back!  

^^ Tooting?  What??  It wasn't me! ^^

Such a little bug.  I love this photo because this is just Tally's normal face- his eyes are so big that he kind of just looks shocked all the time, it's hilarious.  The little man has been a champ and started sleeping a little bit longer this week.  He's been doing 4-6 hour stretches at night and his mamma is so happy about it!  I usually feed him between 10 or 11pm and he falls asleep while eating, then he wakes up about 5 1/2 hours later to eat again (if it's a good night).  However, after that 3 am feed he's usually pretty restless and I've noticed that's when he has the most gas! haha.  So funny but also sad.  If he won't settle down back to sleep I usually just pull him into bed with me and once we start snuggling he's out for another 4 hours or so.  I know I'm probably creating a "bad habit", but in the grand scheme of things I figure I won't get to snuggle my baby forever and I'll take it while I can get it! Anyone have any great tips on how to get him to fall back asleep?  

I'm trying not to get too hung up on the baby wise schedule, but having a little more structure has been really good for us (at least for me so that I can actually plan my day). Another book I just started that I've been loving called Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, has been super helpful.  It talks about wake-time and when to put your babe down.  This probably seems self explanatory but I feel like Braedon and I were missing his "window" and putting him down after too much wake-time.  He was overtired and therefore fussy, and taking longer to fall asleep. The book talks about signs that your baby is tired and if he gets to the "fussy" point, you've probably kept him up too long. We've been trying a few things from that book for the past week and he finally caught on Sunday night which is when he started sleeping better.  I've learned that Tally can really only handle being awake for around 45 minutes now, so after about 30 minutes of wake time we swaddle him, give him his binky, and I like to sit in the rocking chair and sing for a little before setting him down.  He still has at least one nap during the day that he fusses through though, so it's definitely a work in progress! 

The most helpful thing I've researched on sleep has actually been a video that I watched called Baby It's Bedtime.  I came across their Instagram and decided a video would be easier for me to get through than a whole book.  Plus, reading books about sleep were making ME soooo sleepy!!  haha.  I loved the Baby It's Bedtime video because she went through a whole day with her baby and what it should look like.  She also talks about the type of sleep your baby is getting, and a schedule based on your baby's temperament.  

Before having Tally I thought I'd be able to let my baby "cry it out", but since having him I feel like my parenting views have really changed.  I never would have thought that I'd allow "co-sleeping", or have my baby in our room for very long, but I'm actually a lot happier with him near us- and luckily so is Braedon!  There are so many parenting philosophies and opinions out there that can be really confusing.  I'll read something and think, "Is that how I should be doing it??" There is a lot of stress that can come from this new responsibility but right now we are just trying to do our best and what FEELS RIGHT (for us anyways). We are definitely learning as we go, and so far we honestly couldn't be happier.   

Newborn Photos + Thoughts

Talmage's amazing Nona Lise was sweet enough to take some newborn photos of our little family. You could say we had fun....we only took over 400 photos haha.  I'll spare you the time and post them in increments, these are just a few of my absolute favorites. Talmage was only a week and two days old in these pictures.  I had just nursed him before we started so he was in this cute milk drunk phase with his eyes all half open.  Towards the end of the shoot he totally fell asleep and it made for some adorable pictures!  I especially love all the pictures we took of his little details- his hands, his feet, his ears and his adorable cushy lips.  I love this little boy so much my heart feels like it could burst!  As cliche or as cheesy as you wanna call it, I literally could burst into tears at any moment thinking about how lucky I am.  I am one happy mamma, that's for sure.  

^^ the details ^^ 

^^ always sleeps with his mouth open- just like Daddy ^^ 

^^ I could kiss his toes all day ^^

^^ I can't wait to see what color those big eyes will be ^^ 

I adore those precious eyes!! 

^^ Angel baby ^^ 

^^ So in love with these two ^^

As I was nursing Talmage the other day my mind started thinking about the past few weeks and all of the things I don't ever want to forget.  So....some thoughts:

-During dinner the night Talmage was born Braedon told me he had thought of a name for our baby, but he was nervous to tell me since I had shot down almost every other one of his ideas.  After some prodding he finally told me the name, Talmage.  I told him, "I didn't hate it", and then jokingly said, "Well if he's born tonight then we can name him Talmage"!  Next thing we knew we had a baby boy in our arms few hours later.  While we were deciding on his name Braedon looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, "I don't care what we name him, we can name him whatever you want". 

-The first thing I ate after delivering was starbursts and fruity mentos.  Nothing else really sounded very appetizing and I didn't feel starving like most people said I would.  If anything, I didn't have much of an appetite.  My mom brought me a jamba juice the next morning and it tasted SO yummy.  It was the first "real" thing that I ate and enjoyed.  

-For the record, Talmage has officially pee'd on Dad during diaper changes WAY more than he's peed on mom. 

-Every once in a while Talmage will giggle in his sleep- I honestly think he's giggling, and a few people have witnessed it.  My nurse side worries at first that he's choking or not breathing right.  

-Talmage LOVES to be sung to.  Sing to him, and he is smitten.  Seriously, eyes wide open and he'll stare at you the whole time.  We do a lot of singing at our house now.  

-My first outing alone was to Target to get a few essentials for breastfeeding that I hadn't thought of before Talmage was born.  I couldn't even make it out of the door without tearing up, and I may or may not have bawled the whole car ride.  Call it hormones, but it was hard being away from my baby after being so close for so long!  

-At Talmage's 3 day pediatrician appointment he weighed 6 lbs 14 oz and was 20 inches long.  His birth weight was 7 lbs 3 oz and 18.5 inches long.  We are pretty sure they measured the birth length wrong in the hospital haha.  At his 2 week appointment he weighed 8 lbs even, and measured 21 inches long.  I may be tooting my own horn but it made me proud to think that was all my doing!  I feel lucky that nursing has gone so well for us.  

-Late at night when I'm nursing instead of looking at Facebook or Instagram, or playing candy crush (guilty), I just stare at his little face.  I don't think it will ever get old.  This boy is as sweet as sweet gets, and everyone that meets him feels the same way.  Can't believe how happy and content I feel with life right now, he has changed our world and most definitely for the better!  

-I might change my mind or think I was crazy for saying this later, but right now at this moment I feel like I was meant to be a mom, and I can't wait to have more kids.  I'm perfectly happy focusing on this new little peanut for a while, but I know I'm gonna crave labor, delivery, and the newborn phase again and again. I'm one lucky girl! 

Bump Date // 32 weeks

How Far Along: 32 weeks

Weight Gain: Yes.  Everywhere.  It's super hot.  

Maternity Clothes:  Are so smart.  Whoever thought of them is awesome.  

Sleep: I'm back to sleeping great!  I don't if it was just playing so hard in Hawaii that helped but I'm happy to be back to my "sleep like a rock" self.  I'm sure Braedon is happier too as I'm much more pleasant to be around.  

Best moment this week: Feeling baby getting stronger and stronger.  We were spoiled and got to go to Hawaii for my sister in law Whitney's wedding.  While sitting on the beach baby was going crazy!  My whole belly was wiggling.  I kept wanting to tell everyone but a part of me loved having the moment all to myself.  I told Braedon that baby loves the beach.  He says baby was probably just happy cause mommy was relaxed and "in her element".  He might be right but I still think it's a good excuse to introduce him to the beach early on!    

Weird pregnancy moment: I'm still getting charlie horses at night if I try to stretch out my legs too hard. Baby is now big and strong enough that I can feel him up under my ribs and in my diaphragm.  It literally takes my breath away and sometimes not in a good way haha.  

Movement: See above.      

 Food Cravings: Honestly nothing really stands out to me as a "craving".  I think I just like my usuals which includes cereal and Chobani coconut yogurt. However right before we left for hawaii I had an intense craving for pancakes.  I made german pancakes for dinner that night and the craving was satisfied!    

Anything making you queasy: Only sometimes when baby is curled up strange in my belly.  He must be crushing some sort of important organ that's making me nauseous haha.   

Gender: BOY

What I'm looking forward to: Finishing the nursery!  It's getting there.  Also, my cute girlfriends are throwing me a shower this week and my friend Whitney is even flying in from Arizona to be there.  I have the best friends and I can't wait for some girl time!   

Probably an accurate depiction of what baby will look like...

Real Talk + 27 weeks

I struggled coming up with the first sentence for this post, and rewrote it about a million times, so I'm just gonna get it out.  Gaining weight during pregnancy is HARD.  Not hard like it's hard to put on the pounds, hard like you don't feel like yourself when you've put on all those extra pounds.  There I said it.  Now go tell all your friends how I'm gonna be a bad mom cause I'm a little sad when I see another pound racking up on the scale, or wonder, "Who is that woman?" when I catch a glimpse of my own ever-changing body at a "bad angle".   

But you know what? I'm making a baby.  What an incredible privilege.  Am I worthy of it? No.  Am I amazed by it? Yes.  Am I infinitely changed forever because of it?  Definitely.   

We were blessed to be able to create life, and a tiny baby boy is snuggling deep inside of me, close to my heart, relying on ME, and our Heavenly Father to keep growing, to keep developing, and to keep being loved.  Oh, he is SO loved, oh how he has my whole heart.    

I recently attended a fireside where Elaine S. Dalton addressed the Relief Society and Young Women.  You wanna know what she talked about?  Our bodies.  What is the one thing that makes us all unique?  The one thing that Heavenly Father created individually, every detail, even perfectly?  Our bodies.  What is the main attack on women in the world today?  You guessed it, it's on the woman and her body.  Sister Dalton cautioned, "Stop looking at Instagram and saying to yourself, I don't measure up, STOP!"

There are times when I come home from a long 12 hr shift at work feeling tired, feeling at my largest because of my "full" tummy, and after beating myself up for this flaw or that flaw, I lay down in bed and close my eyes eager to begin a fresh day, and promise myself that I'll "try again tomorrow".  And then my baby does a little dance in my belly. And a smile breaks out on my face.  And then I want to kick myself.  How could I be so selfish??  How can I be sad that my thighs are a little thicker when there's a healthy, happy, baby growing INSIDE of me??  

I swear, he knows when his mamma is sad.  Cause when I'm feeling down, he stretches as far as he can, letting me feel his body rub up against mine, and he reminds me that I've been given the greatest privilege of all time.  I'm carrying a baby, and I'm gonna be a mamma.  

So now, with every pound, with every new dimple in my legs, with every new curve I've never seen on my body before, I'm gonna smile.  I'm gonna say to it, "Thanks for keeping my baby happy and healthy, you don't have to stay forever, but thanks for reminding me that what is happening inside of my body is incredible".   

“Motherhood, is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to the angels.”