Lil Bit Is Now Big Bit

2 Weeks Postpartum

What I'm Wearing:

Ett Twa Split Ladder Tee

Gap camisole

AG Stevie Polka Dot Ankle

Rainbow sandals

Yesterday, my agenda only consisted of running to the grocery store in the morning and then to Noah's 2 week doctor's appointment in the afternoon, but I was still excited for the opportunity to get dressed up and put on some makeup. I think this is the first non-maternity outfit that I've managed to squeeze my post-baby body into and I will fully admit that I'm sucking it in in the picture above. However, I weighed myself while I was at the grocery store and I was pleased to find out that I had lost another 4 pounds, bringing my weight down to 128 (only 13 more pounds to lose before I'm back to my pre-baby weight!) 

So the day started off with the outfit you see above. Well, thanks to my son, who literally projectile pooped and peed all over me and the dresser (ah, motherhood), I had to change into another outfit (goodbye cream blouse...whatever was I thinking wearing you around a newborn). 

Later on in the day...

What I'm Wearing:

Gap tee

Daughters of the Liberation Openwork Army Jacket

So Noah's two-week checkup was yesterday. The doctor said everything looked good and he was healthy, but...he had gained an entire pound and the doctor informed us that this was above average.  A few days after birth, babies are supposed to lose a little bit of weight and then be back up to their birthweight by two weeks. Well, our son had instead gained weight. So the doctor suggested that we not feed him too much, which confuses me even more because he ALWAYS seems hungry, even when my maternal instincts tell me he's had enough (but goshdarn, I always give in to his hunger cues - smacking his lips, sticking his tongue out, gnawing on his hands). What's a mother to do?! Any advice is greatly appreciated!

I've started doing some research on parent directed feeding (PDF), which is basically a happy medium between hyperscheduling (feeding a baby every X number of hours no matter what) and demand feeding (feeding a baby every time he or she cries). I really want to start incorporating PDF so I can get Noah on a schedule and get him sleeping through the night (because mama needs her rest, too!) Wish me luck!

And now for what you all really came here for...pictures of Noah!

Sleeping in Daddy's arms.

Sleeping again.

As you can see, I don't have much luck capturing him when he's awake.

My little monkey man...on the way to his two-week checkup.

9 Months in Review

I thought it would be fun to put all my baby bump photos together in one place so I can easily see the progression, starting from week 14 all the way to week 39 (I really wanted to take a week 40 baby bump photo, but seeing as how I was in labor, well, I was a bit preoccupied). I remember writing in week 23 that I already felt my belly was so ginormous. Ha! Little did I know how big I would actually get...

I weighed myself yesterday at the grocery store and I'm happy to report that I'm down to 132 pounds (I've already lost half the weight I gained. Yay!) I started trying on some of my old clothes to see if I could fit into them. So far, pants are a no-go. I still can't quite button or zip them up, so I've gone back to using the 'ol hairband trick. I'm optimistic though. I mean, it's only been a week and I haven't hit the gym yet, so I imagine that once I start working out again, I'll tone back up. Wish me luck!

Noah Ephraim

Allow me to introduce you to...

Noah Ephraim

The love of my life

I'm already obsessed and John is completely smitten

Born 10/14/12 at 4:48 pm

Weight: 6.15 lbs

Height: 19.5 inches

Daddy is in love

Baby Bump and a New Car: Week 39

39 Weeks

With the upcoming birth of our first baby, John and I decided it was time to buy a new car. We opted for the Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE. I think this is the best car for us because we drive SO much and it's got great gas mileage (about 40 mpg). 

What I'm Wearing:

Shirt and shorts from the Gap

Sandals from American Eagle

I love that we took this picture. I think it will be a nice memory to share with Lil Bit one day when he gets older ("Look son! Here's Mom and Dad the day before your due date. We bought this car so we could have a safer ride for you - our first family car!") 

Due to my car accident, we decided to go ahead and trade in my 2000 Toyota Celica. We got a pretty decent trade-in value ($1000). We also received a $2600 check from the insurance company to fix the damages, but we decided to use that money as a down payment for the new car. My Mom says the accident was a blessing in disguise because we actually got a lot more for the Celica than we would have gotten in its pre-accident condition. John and I had been talking about buying a new car for months (probably even well over a year now), but the accident became the ultimate catalyst for us to make this all-important purchase.

We dropped the Celica off this morning at the dealership, where I gave it an emotional farewell. It was a feisty little car that's gotten me through a lot over the last 12 years. I've had it since I was 16 and I always told myself I would keep it for as long as it worked. Although still drivable, it was definitely time to let it go so I could get a safer, more practical car for Lil Bit. 

Push Present

39 Weeks

What I'm Wearing:

Dress by Banana Republic

Scarf by Missoni for Target

I read recently that Kristin Cavallari received an Hermes Birkin bag as a "push present." I'd never heard of a push present before, so I curiously looked it up. Apparently, it's a present that a "father gives a mother to mark the occasion of her giving birth to their child." When I read this, I thought, "Ooh! I get a present for this?!" So I got to thinking of a wish list. Here are some things I've been eyeing that I think will make excellent push presents (so John, if you're reading this, take notes!).

Michael Kors Fulton Harness Boots

$295

www.belk.com

I actually had my Mom try these on for me the other day since my feet are so swollen right now and I wouldn't be able to accurately assess whether these boots would fit me. Since we are the same shoe size, I figured she could tell me how they fit. I'd read several reviews online saying that the calf runs very narrow. Sure enough, my Mom (who has small calves) was unable to zip them up, even after sizing up 2 sizes. Who are they boots made for?! Anyway, I still love them and hope to try them for myself once the baby is born and the swelling goes down. I'm still holding out hope for these!

Orla Kiely Multi Stem Microslim Umbrella

$59

www.orlakiely.com

What a great way to cheer up a rainy day.

Kate Spade Darian Jacket

On sale $162.50

www.katespade.com

I actually found this jacket while shopping at the Kate Spade outlet this weekend. I am obsessed! It's beyond adorable and I love the scalloped edges. It was marked at $325, but with an additional 50% off. They only had sizes 00, 8, and 12. I tried on the 00, which fit, but the armholes were just a tad bit tight, which wouldn't leave room for much layering underneath. I'm not sure if this will fit better after the baby is born and I get back in shape. I searched for a size 0, but since it was an outlet store, there weren't many options. I think I can make the 00 work though. It's just such a cute jacket!

J. Crew French Hen Sweater

$98

www.jcrew.com

I'm really enjoying this french hen print that J. Crew has been adorning their clothes with lately.

AG Stevie Ankle

$168

www.anthropologie.com

I have the AG Stevie Ankle jeans in several colors already - green, yellow, polka dot. But I don't have a classic denim pair in this cut. Seeing as how these are my favorite pants to wear, I would love to own them in a plain denim color.

Louis Vuitton Speedy 25 Bandouliere

$1,110

www.louisvuitton.com

A girl can dream right?

Contractions?

38 Weeks

What I'm Wearing:

Ruched Stripes Tank by Ella Moss

Jacket by Cartonnier

Maternity jeans by Joe's

Friday afternoon, I started to feel very weird. I started to have these stomach cramps and I thought, "Could this be it?" But then I wasn't so sure. Everyone keeps telling me that contractions will be obvious. And to me, these weren't obvious. The fact that I was still questioning what I was feeling left me thinking that it wasn't the real deal yet. But a lot of people also tell me it'll start out feeling like menstrual cramps, which is exactly how I felt. But they were so inconsistent and only lasted for about an hour. Since then, I've had them on and off all weekend, but again, very inconsistently. My friend Kelsey tells me these sound more like Braxton Hicks contractions. I have this Hello Baby app on my iPad that I read every week and it further confirms that what I'm feeling could very well just be Braxton Hicks contractions. It says "if the contractions are irregular and go away when you change position or walk around, you are probably experiencing false labor." Darn. I was getting really excited, thinking Lil Bit could make his debut tonight. But then I kept reading and it said "Don't be fooled by the name, though - false labor can turn into real labor in a matter of minutes." Yay! There's still hope. I'm just getting to the point where I'm feeling very nervous and anxious and I just wanna meet him already and hold him in my arms. 

Baby Bump: Week 38

38 weeks

Only about a week left before my due date! I'm so beyond excited to meet my little boy. John actually has a feeling he's going to come tonight. I guess we shall see :)

Healing

It's been about a week since my car accident and I think my eye is healing nicely.

It's still a little black and blue underneath, but many people haven't noticed because I wear lots of concealer and makeup to cover it up.

So far, we've had an appraiser look at my car to give me an estimate of the damages. John and I have also been on the phone a lot with our car insurance company. It's been a lot to take in and again, John has been so wonderful - he's really taken the reigns of the whole situation to help me feel less stressed out. After all, with only a week and a half before my due date, I've had a lot of other important things on my mind.

I had another doctor's appointment yesterday. They checked my blood pressure and, for the second week in a row, they told me I had high blood pressure. I guess I'm not that surprised since I've been  a bit stressed out lately with work, anxiously awaiting the arrival of Lil Bit, and of course, the accident. So John and I mentioned the car accident to our doctor and asked if everything was alright with the baby. She said that since they monitored me and the baby for several hours after the accident and didn't find anything wrong, then that meant everything was just fine with the baby and that we'd have nothing to worry about. We then listened to the heartbeat (such a wonderful sound) and she performed another vaginal exam. I'm 60% effaced and about 1 cm dilated. I then asked what would happen if I went past my due date. She said we'd still have our regularly-shceduled weekly appointment, where they would then do another vaginal exam and determine the next step to take, whether that be waiting a few more days or inducing labor. I'm just so excited and ready to meet this little guy!

Where There's a Will, There's a Way

I've had what you would probably call the most perfect pregnancy (please don't hate me). Aside from the backaches and exhaustion (which every pregnant woman gets anyway), I really haven't had anything to complain about. AND I never had morning sickness. Sure, there were times in my first trimester where I felt a bit nauseated, but I found that eating a small snack always helped.

When I first found out I was pregnant, I decided I was going to WILL myself not to get morning sickness. And whatdyaknow, it worked. Now, in no way am I saying that this is the ultimate cure for morning sickness, and I'm certainly not trying to downplay what millions of women have to go through everyday, but it doesn't hurt to go into pregnancy with a positive state-of-mind. I felt that telling myself everyday that I was NOT going to get sick somehow helped me subconsciously keep everything down. 

So I've decided that I'm going to will the following:

1. My son WILL be perfect.

2. He WILL sleep through the night by 9 weeks.

3. He WILL be nice and sweet and well-behaved and never throw tantrums or talk back to me.

4. Labor WILL be painless.

An overly ambitious list? Probably so. But the positive thoughts have gotten me through pregnancy so maybe they'll get me through labor and parenthood as well.