Like Daddy.

My mother-in-law gifted this outfit to me at my baby shower.  It was worn by not only my husband, but each of his three brothers, as well.  The tag said 6-9 months, but clearly, this boy is ahead in the game sporting it at 6 weeks. I couldn't wait for Lucas to wear it, and I know we'll treasure these pictures forever!

What I'm Loving Lately.

via

1. House of Cards.  This show (on Netflix-- we finally joined the modern world and have Netflix!), is IN.TENSE.  I'm usually a Keeping up with the Kardashian's, Real Housewives, Bachelor, Ellen.... you get the picture, kind of TV-watcher.  We watched the entire first season in about one week, and that was pacing ourselves.  Second season is due to come out on Feb. 14th.

2. Starbucks Chai Latte. I know, I know, I'm late in the game for this one. And I am embarrassed to admit, but I'm becoming a Starbucks junkie.  Also, this adds one more reason as to why I love Target.

3. Trader Joe's Cowboy Bark. An impulse buy, and so super delicious.  All my friends that are giving up sweets-- put this on your lists for later! It's dark chocolate with pieces of toffee, peanuts, almonds, jo-jo cookies, and pretzels, sprinkled with salt.  Yum.

4. Cartwheel app for Target.  If you shop at Target, you need this app! You search for items by category or name, then add coupons to your basket.  Some coupons last a few weeks, and others are for one day only.  After the cashier scans all of your items, have them scan the barcode on the app to receive the discount.  I tried to do this at self-checkout and it was a disaster-- just a warning. :)

5. Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil.  My face has been SO dry this winter.  I got a sample of this oil in a Black Friday purchase and have been using it ever since.  It takes just a TINY drop to do the job.  I usually put it on after a light moisturizer, and before foundation (if I'm wearing makeup that day...).  I think my sample will last a few months, which is good because the full size is not cheap! Good stuff.

6. This haircut. Do I take the plunge and chop my hair?!

Lucas:: One Month

Lucas Neal
ONE MONTH

Daily Routine:

Oh how I would love for there to be a "routine".  Generally, you eat every 2-3 hours during the day, with a good nap between. Eating is your forte', kiddo. If you're awake, it's only for about 15-20 minutes after you eat.  Just enough time to get a bath or some tummy time in there!  This awake time is growing longer each day. Overall, you are a happy baby!

You've been SLOWLY easing into somewhat of a routine just this past week.  Usually you wake up around 6am with the "grunts" as your dad likes to call it. You eat again at 7:30 then again around 11am, 2pm, 5pm and 7:30pm.  You've recently developed a fussy habit from around 7pm to 9pm where we have no idea how to console you.  We will pass you back and forth trying to find the right bounce, position, noise to get you to go to sleep.  Your dad (a genius!) discovered that the shower will instantly calm you down, so we've resorted to standing next to the running shower in desperate measures.  Once you're asleep for the night, you only wake up around 1am and 5am to eat, without any fight to go back to sleep!

Weight:

11lbs 15oz
Length:

22.5 inches
Diaper Size:

The newborns lasted about 2 weeks, and that was stretching it.  You're in size 1 now, but the Huggies size 1 might be a tad too small.
Clothes Size:

Newborn clothes lasted maaaaaaybe one week.  Most 0-3 month clothes are just right, but there are already some that are too short.  I know that some of your 3-6 month clothes would fit, but I can't bring myself to put those on you just yet!
Hair Color:
Still up for debate.  At birth, you had a full head of hair that looked auburn in the light.  Just this week you've lost most of the hair on the top of your head (bald baby!) and there are some little itty bitty blonde hairs underneath.  We shall see.
Eye color:
At birth, darker blue.  Now, a little lighter.

Health:

No real concerns-- we are so grateful! We did have a visit to the walk-in clinic at 9 days old after some icky gooey eye issues.  Turns out you have a clogged tear duct that could last for quite some time. You've also developed some baby acne, but it doesn't seem to bother you much.  I have a feeling you will have very sensitive skin, sorry dude. 

Eating:

Blame your dad for the nickname "Hungry Monster", but I must admit, it fits you well.  You've never had any issue eating, and I'm SO thankful for that!  I'm pretty sure you could eat all day if I let you... We gave you a bottle at about 2 weeks and you took it like a champ. You ate almost 4 ounces in about 5-10 minutes.  When you eat you are LOUD... grunting the whole time.  It is quite adorable.

Milestones: 

One of the most amazing experiences as a mom was to watch you follow your dad's voice.  At birth we could tell you recognized us, and it completely melted my heart.  You are one strong fella! Lifting your head has never been impossible, but you are holding it up on your own for quite a few seconds these days.  When on your tummy, you can move your head from side to side (while screaming!). The ceiling is your favorite.  You love to stare up at the fan, the wall, the windows, whatever is UP! You follow objects that move across the room and startle when noises are abrupt or loud.  I love to watch you kick your legs and stretch your arms when you wake up.  Your dad (yet, again) nicknamed this move "SUPERMAN!", which you love to hear us say.  I'm so impressed with how much you've learned in these first few weeks, and I can't wait to watch you grow and learn! There is something new each day.

Your favorite toy: 

Hands down, the pacifier! Luckily, you are not picky. We have them everywhere, but if for some reason we can't find it, everything stops until we do. Generally, you like to be held up on mom's chest, so you spend lots of time in the baby carrier!

Firsts:

-Car Ride

-Bath

-Christmas

-New Year's

-Bottle

-Doctor's Visit

-Stroller Ride

Lucas, our love for you is greater than you could ever imagine! We can't wait to watch you grow and discover more and more in the world around you. You amaze us each and every day-- MUAH!

-m  

Lucas:: Weeks 1-4

Photo Dump:: One Month

0-1 Month

Mom and Baby Favorites :: 1 Month

Posts like this were so helpful while I was pregnant, so I thought I'd throw together

  a list of my favorite things from the first months. Enjoy!

1. Nursing pads. 
2. Water bottle.  So. Thirsty.
3. Nursing tank.  I have 3 of these and could easily use 2 more. 
4. Energy Bites. I made a ton of these before I was pregnant and put them in the freezer.  They are GREAT for a quick bite when I'm starving-- which is always.
5. Diaper bag.  Cute, good size and has so many great features: changing pad, clutch, bottle holder, wet bag, stroller straps, crossbody strap and easy-clean fabric.  I also appreciate the soft fabric as I can stuff it into any space!
6. (not pictured) Nursing cover. DIY (tutorial here)  This was really easy.  I literally sewed ONE line.  

1. Pottery Barn Hayden Stroller Blanket (no longer available).  This is the perfect size and weight; we use it ALL. THE. TIME.
2. Board Books.  On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman is a great one.
3. Pampers Swaddlers Diapers.  I recommend buying only a few.  We ended up having exactly enough newborn sized diapers-- they didn't last long!
4. Life Factory Bottle. We haven't had too many bottles yet, but I'm so happy with these.  I should also have listed my pump-- it's the insurance-provided Medela Double Pump (similar to Pump-in-Style).
5. Fisher Price Rock 'n Play.  This is great because it is so light we can easily move it from room to room-- even with a sleeping baby in it! I move it from my bedroom to bathroom every morning.
6. Footed Sleepers. This from Gap feels so comfy!
7. Summer Infant Bath.
8. Swaddle blanket. This by Jennifer Ann is my favorite.  I bought it because it is adorable (and it was his first something with his name!), but it has turned out to be my favorite swaddle because its so light and stretchy! 
9. Changing pad (boppy).  Babies are dirty, and I love not having to wash my one and only changing pad cover all the time.  These are so convenient.
10. (not pictured) Burp cloths.  I made about 12 burp cloths over the summer and thought I was going overboard.  I could use 12 more!  They are all over-- house, car, diaper bag, etc.

2014 Resolutions.

Writing your New Year's resolutions in January is not considered late, right?  (Still have a Christmas post to get up here, too... with time...)

2013 was quite the year! My resolutions last year were quite vague, and therefore difficult to measure. I started to think about making a resolution for 2014 (after January 1, mind you), and couldn't quite decide how I wanted them to look.  One benefit of getting this post up so late is that I've been able to take inspiration from other bloggers and their lists, and have stolen some of their ideas.

The Lettered Cottage chose a "word of 2014".  I spent some time thinking about what my "word" would be and BALANCE seems to sum up my goals for this stage of life.  As I begin my life as a mother, I want to be sure that I don't ignore other aspects of my life.  Not only am I a mother, but I am a wife, sister, daughter, friend, teacher, runner (well, I hope I still can run!), and more.  In one word, 2014, I hope to find BALANCE.

Randi wrote this post, which provided a fairly easy prompt for some good goals.

A bad habit I'm going to break:
Checking my phone constantly.  When I'm working, my phone is turned off.  That's 7am until about 4pm.  Now that I am home for a few weeks, I find myself constantly checking... the time, my email, facebook, instagram, texting.  It's gotta stop! I'll need to put it in the other room and only look at it when it DINGS to tell me I have a message.  

A new skill I'd like to learn:
Hm... I feel like I have a LOT to learn about being a mom, and a lot to re-learn about how to be me and a mom.  See above :)

A person I hope to be more like:
I'm copying Randi here, but my husband.  He's great about making everyone feel comfortable and is always up for a good laugh.  He takes life one step at a time and is incredibly loving.

A good deed I'm going to do:
People have been so thoughtful and kind to me and my family throughout my pregnancy (so many wonderful showers!) and since Lucas has been born (dinners and visits and gifts galore!).  I hope to reciprocate that same kindness in some way another to each of those individuals and families this year.  

A place I'd like to visit:
We've briefly talked about taking a vacation to the east coast this summer with friends.  I would love that! We're also toying with the idea of hitting the slopes next fall. 

A book I'd like to read:
Sad to admit, I don't read very often.  Suggestions please?!
 A letter I'm going to write:
Not really a letter, but I am hoping to complete 12 months of updates on Lucas, with weekly pictures!
  
A new food I'd like to try:
Going off track a little here, too, but I'd like to eat "clean" at least breakfast and lunch 5 days each week.  I feel so much better when I stick to good, healthy food!

I'm going to do better at:

Not procrastinating.  If I think of something I need to do, and I have time to do it, I should just do it! Right then.  I know there are times when I can sit around and wait, but I think it would ease my mind in the end if I did more rather than worrying about doing more :)

The following is a somewhat random list (shock!) of other things I'd like to accomplish throughout the next 12 months:

1. Organize and store all photos
2. Unsubscribe from spam emails, blogs I don't read
3. Donate unused clothes and housewares to Goodwill
4. Run 5k (Mother's Day), 8k (Memorial Day) 10k (Fourth of July), 1/2 marathon (Fall)
5. Incorporate strength training weekly
6. Complete a summer bucket list
7. Call far away friends at least 1/week
8. Host a dinner party

Meeting Lucas Neal.

December 10th came and went. As did December 11th, 12th and 13th.  December 14th, 2013 is now the most special day of my entire life.  Everyone says it, but it is so true: I have never loved anything as much as I love my son!  We met Lucas Neal at 9:50am on Saturday, December 14th.  He weighed in at a whopping 9 pounds 2 ounces and was 21 inches long.  We are completely smitten with this new addition to our family.

For those of you interested in his birth story, (birds chirping, yes?)  keep reading (and maybe grab some coffee).  The rest of you, just look at the pictures :)

During the last week of my pregnancy, I was reading any birth story I came across thinking to myself, will mine be like that?  What if ____ happens? How will I know if it's really time?  So for the other anxious pregnant ladies out there, here is one more to make you go crazy.  You're welcome.

40 weeks 2 days

I feel very lucky to have had a healthy, full term pregnancy.  Each week brought with it new feelings of excitement and worry, along with many new aches, pains, kicks and jabs. It goes without saying that the last week was particularly exciting as I knew it could be any moment that we would get to meet our son.  It was also extremely scary as I had NO IDEA what labor would be like.

If you know me, you know I'm a bit of a hypochondriac.  I'd prefer to refer to it as "in tune with my body". :) If I feel a tinge of pain, I'm convinced it's going to be bad.  I sneeze- I have the flu.  A student comes to my desk asking for a pass to the nurse- I write it, and then douse myself in hand sanitizer.  (if they say its their stomach-- forget the pass, RUN!)  That being said, I had many nights and mornings with an ache in my back, or an "off" feeling where I thought "this is it!", only to feel perfectly normal during the day.

Each day I would arrive at school, it seemed like every which way I looked someone was looking at my huge belly saying, "You're STILL here?!".  I left school each day with specific sub plans laid out, hoping to not be back the next morning.  On Friday morning, I woke up at 2am, which I had done MANY nights.  I got up, had a snack, but could not get back to sleep.  My back was so achy.  I finally fell back asleep for about an hour before I went ahead and got ready for school.  Before I left, I told J to keep his phone close.  I wasn't sure I was going to stay the whole day- just feeling "off".

It was freezing rain outside, and Friday the 13th.  It was bound to be a weird day! I walked into school at 6:55am to about 5 students waiting for help.  I was giving a test that day. Luckily, I don't have students until 3rd hour. I knew before school even started that I would be headed home.  I could barely walk normally! Every time I tried to walk "fast", I had to stop for a break.  I wasn't in pain... just uncomfortable.  I quickly did some last minute errands around the school (well "quickly" being relative) before heading to the office to have them call my sub. I was so glad I was able to see her in person and talk her through the plans before I left. All the staff were SO nice as I left.  It was a strange feeling leaving, knowing I wouldn't be back for 3 months! I miss the students and staff already.

J met me at home and I camped out on the couch all day. Contractions were there, but were not painful.  Probably about 15-20 minutes apart. I got ready for my doctor's appointment at 4:00, fully prepared to be admitted to the hospital right then! I was having contractions, and was starting to feel them! She checked me, 1 cm dilated (bummer!). We scheduled an induction for December 18th.

As we headed home, all I could think was, "How am I going to function like this for the next FOUR days?!". By 5:00, the contractions were painful.  By 7:00, they were 8-9 minutes apart.  I lost track of time, but before 8:00 I was begging J to take me to the hospital! My parents came to the house and got our dog. We waited (myself, impatiently!) until about 10pm before heading to the hospital.  I was SO glad I had the car packed.  There was no way I would have been able to function well enough to pack it at that point!

It was not a fun ride, but we made it.  We were checked into triage where they monitored me for an hour and a half before admitting me to labor and delivery.  Time was going SO. SLOWLY. When the nurse walked out and said she'd be back in an hour, I couldn't believe it.  She just strapped me up to monitors and left me in there screaming through contractions every 3-4 minutes! Labor hurts :)  After another, even more painful hour and a half in the new room, I opted for the epidural.  At that point I was 5cm dilated.  After the epidural (about 30 minutes), I was at 9cm.  That was about 2:30am.  The pain was almost immediately gone, and I could THINK! and BREATHE! even SLEEP! It was glorious.  I slept on and off for the next 3 hours as I was not progressing past 9cm.  At one point during that time, there was a brief scare with Lucas's heart rate.  It dropped rapidly and the nurse and doctor rushed in asking me to turn from side to side. His heart rate increased and the doctor told me then that I was about 2 minutes from an emergency C-section! Scary.  They inserted a more precise monitor on Lucas at that time. About 6am I was given Pitocin to speed things along.  At 7:30 I was 10cm, and now had a new doctor and new nurse (LOVED her!).

Around 9:30, the nurse called the doctor to the room for delivery.  Her phone conversation sounded like this: "We're ready for you!... Okay...What should I do?... How long?... What are the options?..." Yeah, I'm a little worried at that point.Turns out the doctor had been called to a C-section.  I was to wait for the on-call mid-wife to arrive in about 15 minutes.  Little drama never hurts? She showed up and moments later I met my son.

Healthy and strong, beautiful. He is perfect and so loved! I'm one lucky mama.

My husband was absolutely incredible throughout this entire experience. He was more patient, loving, comforting, confident and compassionate that I've ever known anyone could be.  He counseled me through each contraction, held my hand, fed me ice, and didn't flinch when I would scream.  His love for me and our family was BEAMING this day.  I know 100% I married the right guy, and 100% that he is the BEST father for our son.  I am beyond proud. How did I get so lucky?

We were blessed to have many visitors throughout our 2-night stay at the hospital.  Family and friends have given my family so much love, and I am forever grateful for that.  

Congrats if you're still reading! :) We have been home about 3 weeks now and are settling into our new life as a family of 3.  Thank you to all of you for your love and support throughout my pregnancy, and as I've ventured into motherhood!
-m

Newborn Photos.

Photos by Allison Corrin Photography.

Nursery:
Rug- IKEA
Curtains- World Market
Crib- Young America Tribute
Glider- Best Chairs Inc., Storytime Collection
Changing Table- Local Consignment
Giraffe- Melissa & Doug
Letters- Hobby Lobby

Hello 2014!

Happy New Year!

image

I'm kicking off 2014 in my new role as mom and am just settling into a new routine.  I've been thinking about what I want this little space on the internet to look like as I move forward, and honestly, I still haven't quite figured it out.  Finding time to update the blog is my biggest struggle, but I hope to make documenting my family's life a priority this year.  I'm getting worse with keeping track of papers and photos, so this blog seems to be a great solution to jot down these memories that are fleeting by so fast! "Savoring the Sweet Stuff" will not be short on baby pictures, that is for certain!  Here's a list (yeah, I can't help it) of some ideas I hope to write about this year.

1. Monthly Baby Updates. Wipe the shocked look off of your face.... ;)  I've committed to taking a weekly photo of the new man (thank goodness he was born on a Saturday, I don't think I could manage a week day photo!), and I think a monthly update for the first year should be feasible.

2. Family Events, Travels and Holidays.  Hopefully I'll actually take pictures of this kind of thing this year!

3. Exercise/Fitness Goals.  I'm planning a separate post for my 2014 resolutions, but basically, I want to RUN!

4. Monthly "What I'm Loving Lately" Posts.  For all the material things that I feel the need to blab about.

5. New Closet Additions. I think it'd be fun to see what all I add to my wardrobe over the year... could be scary, but maybe I'll be more aware of what I already have and what I really need if I'm documenting it publicly!  

Here's to a happy, healthy and FUN 2014! Wishing all of you the happiest of New Year's!

-m