Newborn Necessities

We are only into our fourth week of being parents, but we already have our favorite baby items. These products have helped make the last few weeks easier. (BTW--I'm not getting compensated for mentioning any of these. I just like them a whole lot.)

  Fisher-Price Rock 'n Play Sleeper


We decided to have Miss G sleep in our room for the first few months, and we use this sleeper as her bed. I love how the design cocoons her and makes things cozy for her to fall asleep. When she does fuss, her movements cause the sleeper to rock, soothing her without any action need by me or Dave. I also appreciate that it's light enough to move from the bedroom to our living room for daytime naps.

HALO Sleep Sack Swaddle



Again, I appreciate the coziness that this product promotes. I am a big fan of swaddles and sleep sacks, and this product combines both. Miss G likes being swaddled--but she loves having her arms free. It's funny to see how she escapes when we do wrap her up completely. She also likes to kick her legs a lot. The sleep sack swaddle allows us to wrap her up (minus her arms), still giving her room to kick. Because it's a sleep sack, we don't have to worry about her feet slipping out in the middle of the night and getting cold.

Pampers Swaddlers Diapers


We have our hospital to thank for getting us hooked on these diapers. The color change wetness indicator is my favorite part of this diaper, and I'm sad to hear that it is only available for the newborn size. This diaper also absorbs a lot and fits Miss G well. We've only had one oops moment. Once she outgrows the newborn size, we may start looking for another, less-expensive brand, but for now we're a Pampers household.

Gerber Flannel Receiving Blankets



This is such a shallow reason, but I really like these blankets because they're so cute. We requested mostly gender-neutral items so we can reuse them for any future children we may have, whether they're boys or girls. Most gender-neutral things are, in a word, boring. Yellow seems to be the common color, and although it's a fine color, I was getting a little tired of seeing it. When I opened up these blankets, I was pleasantly surprised to see the design and various colors. I also appreciate the thickness of the blanket--not too heavy and not too light. They are great to wrap Miss G in when she's taking a nap or too put on top of her when we put her in the air-conditioned car. She doesn't get overheated but is kept warm. 

So, there you have it--my list of must-haves for the first month of parenthood. I'm sure this list will evolve as we enter new stages of Miss G's life, but for now these are the items we love the most.

I Make My Own Sunshine

When I was in the hospital the day I had Miss G, Dave and I spent the entire morning watching the home improvement shows on HGTV. I was so grateful to have that channel available! Watching people demolish their bathrooms and kitchens was a good distraction from my contractions. Because we had the TV on for hours, we managed to see a Lowe's commercial about a bazillion times. Well, it felt like a bazillion times every time I saw the freaky frog in the commercial fly through the air.

I was done with that commercial by the end of our HGTV watching that day, but my opinion of it changed once we got home with the baby. Now, every time I see it on TV, I tear up because it reminds me of that very special day. Just so I don't forget, I wanted to post it here.



When I was looking up the commercial for this post, I discovered the full version of the song that appears in it. It's a catchy tune, and I really appreciate the lyrics. It's one of my summer favorites for 2012.

Crazy Mama

Before we found out we were expecting Baby G, I was well-known for being a worrier. It got so bad at one point that my body freaked out from the stress and my heart rate was affected enough that I had to visit urgent care and get hooked up to a heart monitor. When I found out about Baby G, something miraculous happened, and my typical worrying ways fell by the wayside. I became more relaxed and didn't obsessively worry about bad things happening during the pregnancy. It was a strange but amazing feeling being able to enjoy the pregnancy without being paralyzed by fear.

Once Miss G arrived, I figured that the worry would reappear. After all, here was a human being I was suddenly responsible for more than watching the foods I ate. I certainly wasn't worry free, but I enjoyed this new little person more than worried about her.

That is, until this past Wednesday night. As Miss G and I were enjoying each other's company on the couch while Dave was at a VBS meeting, I noticed there was an extra bump in Miss G's nostril that I hadn't remembered seeing before. I studied that bump for a long time; I couldn't stop looking. I noticed that it partially blocked her airway, and I worried that she wouldn't be able to breathe sufficiently. Suddenly, I had visions of some kind of laser surgery where doctors would have to go in and remove it. I fought the urge to call Dave at his meeting just to tell him what I discovered. I also fought the urge to cry because my daughter's nose wasn't perfect. Yeah, I went a little crazy.

After praying that God would remove it, I tried really hard to forget about the bump, but the next day I found myself studying it again. This time, it looked a little different--more like snot than cartilage. I attempted to remove it with the bulb syringe, but it wouldn't budge. Up and down my emotions went. First I was excited that it was a temporary blockage, then I was upset that it was indeed a growth when I couldn't remove it. Dave told me not to worry and took the baby upstairs to change her while I continued to fret.

A few minutes later, Dave called to me from the baby's room. Apparently, I hadn't been forceful enough with the bulb syringe. Dave's expert way of using it ended with our daughter's booger--not growth--being removed from her nostril.

I guess that means I have to work a little more on not worrying.

Baby Girl

Friday, May 18 began like any other day. Dave and I left for work, excited that it was Friday and looking forward to our final pre-baby date night to see What to Expect When You're Expecting that Saturday. My employer had a spring cleaning day, so I spent 8 hours sorting through every piece of paper and every book in my office. I joked that my nesting instinct hadn't kicked in at home, but it sure had kicked in at work. My friend and I went to Chick-fil-A, noting that it may be my last outing before the baby came. I was pretty sure I'd have a few weeks left for another Chick-fil-A lunch. After all, at my doctor's appointment the day before, there was absolutely no sign that I'd be going into labor any time soon. I was quite confident that I would make it to my June 12 due date after that.

That evening, Dave and I ran some errands so that I could gather the essentials for our upcoming hospital stay. At one point, we parked at one end of a large strip mall to pick something up at Old Navy. Then we walked all the way to the other end so Dave could check out Game Stop and I could stop at Bath and Body Works for some aromatherapy lotion I wanted. As I looked at the choices on the shelves, I started experiencing severe pain in my abdomen. It was unlike any Braxton Hicks contraction I'd had, but it didn't feel like what I thought a contraction should be. I gritted my teeth, bought the lotion, and headed to a bench outside to sit down. When the pain subsided enough for me to get up again, I walked over to Dave, told him we had to go, and then sat down again while he walked all the way back to the car.

We got home and immediately checked online resources about contractions, but everything we read convinced me that I wasn't in labor and that I must have simply overextended myself by walking too much. I went to bed that night comforted by the fact that I hadn't experienced another episode like the one I'd had earlier.

Then I woke up just before 3:30, and there was no doubt that the baby was on her way. I called the doctor, who told me to get to the hospital within the hour. I'd already woken Dave up to tell him what was happening, so we hurriedly cut tags off the things we'd just bought hours before, threw it all in a suitcase, and headed off to the hospital.

Right before we left for the hospital at 4 in the morning

I was still in denial that we would be having our daughter that day. I even told Dave not to bother requesting a sub for the next Monday and Tuesday at school, because I was certain we'd go to the hospital and be sent home. (I blame the middle-of-the-night wake up for that error.)

Sure enough, at the hospital, it was confirmed that I was in labor, and I was admitted. I spent the next several hours watching HGTV and sipping apple juice before it was banned and ice chips took its place. My parents drove up to say hi, and my mom served as my backup labor coach when Dave left for a quick lunch.  Finally, the labor was too intense for my liking, and I requested an epidural. Oh, sweet relief! I am of the belief that every woman should do what she feels is best for herself and her baby. That epidural was one of the best decisions I made that day. A few hours later, it was time to get serious about having this baby, and at 9:33 pm on Saturday, May 19, little Miss G was born. She was hurried over to the NICU team to get checked out because she was technically pre-term, but after they gave the okay, I got to hold my precious baby girl. With Dave beside us, I told her that we loved her and that Jesus loved her, and I prayed that she would grow up to love Jesus, too.

Our baby girl came much earlier than we'd expected, but I can't imagine waiting any longer to meet her. God knew exactly when she needed to be born, and she arrived at the perfect time according to His schedule.

Me and my little girl a week after she was born

In This Moment

The macaroni pasta is boiling in the pot for our favorite macaroni and cheese recipe.

A steady drip of water is falling into our paint bucket behind the refrigerator, thanks to another leak in the line going to the ice maker. (The plumber will be coming tomorrow to repair that and replace all the plumbing under of sink. Oh, the joys of owning your own home!)

A stack of thank-you cards waits for me to write in and address. Last week, we were incredibly blessed by the  people I work with at my first baby shower.

My mind is thinking of God's provision, and my heart is trusting Him to lead the way as we seek His plan for our little family.

Dave is in the room next door playing a video game. It's his way of winding down after a day spent teaching middle school students.

Dandelions continue to grow in our yard. This year I'm not too bothered about lawncare because of other priorities (like taking care of a newborn), but next year I hope our lawn can be dandelion free.

Little Mrs. Homebody

As my pregnancy has progressed, I've read the daily e-mails from What to Expect and heard many stories from previously pregnant friends about their experiences. I knew I'd be more tired after the blissful, energy-filled second trimester. I knew soon Baby G's feet would be settling under my ribs. I'm still anticipating the nesting instinct to kick in so we can get the baby's room decorated and things organized. But what I hadn't expected was this sudden strong urge to stay home as much as possible.

I still love going to work every day. But once the clock says it's time to leave the office, all I want to do is head straight for home. I don't nap when I return. I don't feel the need to stay on the couch or recliner all night to watch TV (although putting my feet up is a nice benefit of that). I just enjoy spending another evening with my husband in our humble home.

Perhaps it's God's way of preparing me for the many days when I'll be home once Baby G is here. Maybe it's a result of, for the most part, settling in to our new, cozy home. All I know is that the thought of leaving here for any major event isn't as appealing as it used to be.

I thought I was alone in feeling this way, but I talked to a pregnant friend who is only a few weeks ahead of me in her pregnancy. She actually told her husband that from this point on, they weren't going to schedule anything else on the calendar. The next few weeks will be a time to relax and enjoy their family just the way it is before their newest member comes along.

I like that approach. I like the idea of taking the next 6 weeks or so to spend time with Dave and enjoy life with just the two of us before the baby arrives. I suppose some may see this as a time to get out and pack in as much of an adventurous, social life as they possibly can before a baby comes and cramps their style. But I see this as a time to quietly prepare for the arrival of our child and cherish the final days of just Dave and me.

Feeling Sentimental

We said good-bye to our apartment on Saturday. The furniture that inhabited its rooms is no longer there, and the only things that remain are pictures we haven't taken down from the walls, one closet full of miscellaneous things we haven't packed up yet, and our food in the cupboards.

We now spend our evenings at our new house, a place we are so blessed to have! The house-buying process came up unexpectedly around Christmas when we crunched numbers and realized we could indeed buy a home that would better accommodate our soon-to-be family of three. After one false start on a house that had serious foundation issues and scary flood potential, we found what is now our current home. It is perfect for us! We now have a dedicated office, a room for the baby, an enormous kitchen that, I hope, will host plenty of guests, and many other features that make this house a great one.

As excited as I am about creating this new home, I can't help but be a little sentimental about the apartment we've moved out of. That cute one-bedroom unit on the third floor was where we spent our first (almost) four years of married life. It's where we learned how to live together, how to laugh together, and yes, how to argue together. It's where we were entertained by the many drunk patrons of the pub next door and where our evenings were punctuated by the sirens and traffic of the nearby major thoroughfare. We hosted parties, out-of-town guests, and small groups in that little apartment too. So many memories were made there.

On Sunday, our first "normal" day at the new house, Dave noticed that I was unusually quiet. It was his first time seeing me become a little sad about living in a new place. I've always been like this. Every year at college, I'd take a few days to re-adjust to the new surroundings after a summer at home. When I moved into the apartment two months before our wedding, I often thought about how much I missed my parents and the comforts of home. This move has generated the same feelings for me. But give me a few more days, and I'll be back to my normal self, settled into the new routine of living in a new house and turning it into a home that will fill up with new memories.