Ainsley Catherine: {One Month!}

Our little Ainsley Cate turned one month old this past Saturday, (yes, really.) I'm still in complete shock at how fast this first month has flown. Seriously, didn't we just bring her home from the hospital yesterday?

Ainsley Catherine, you are ONE MONTH old! Let's see what you're up to...

Weight: On January 2nd, I took her to the pediatrician and she weighed 6 lbs. 9 oz. I'll come back and update this when we find out for sure at her one-month appointment this week.

Length/Height: 18.75 in.

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Brown

Clothes: Mostly Newborn and a few Preemie pajamas

Diapers: Newborn size Pampers Swaddlers

Likes: Eating, eating and eating. She also likes to be swaddled tightly. And of course, just like her big sister Caroline, she loves her Wubbanub pacifier.

Dislikes: Getting put into her carseat, being burped, being bathed.

*I could write an entire post (and I likely will) about our feeding routine and the difference in nursing the second baby versus the first. 

Eating: I've been nursing Little Miss pretty much on demand. Ainsley averages 2-3 hours between feedings during the day and every 4 hours at night, (unless she wakes sooner.)

Nursing has been a whole different ballgame this time around - and in the best possible way. My milk came in on the Friday that I was discharged from the hospital, which was much sooner than last time. For the first thirty days, I only nursed her. My lactation consultant said this was the trick to really kicking off your supply to a great start, so I held off on pumping and bottle feeding.

I thought it would be hard, (and it was tiring), but I honestly found it a lot easier than pumping, then trying to transfer to bottles, then washing bottles...you get the drift. I pumped for the first time last week in order to build up a supply of breast milk in our freezer. (For inquiring minds, I'm using the Medela Pump in Style and it is AWESOME.)

Sleeping: Ainsley is sleeping a ton right now because, well, she's a newborn and that's pretty much what they do. I nurse her around 10:30 p.m, then the Mister and I head to bed. She'll generally wake for her first middle-of-the-night feeding around 1:30 or 2:30 a.m, then again around 6:00 a.m. Obviously there are nights when it seems she's up every hour, but thankfully, those have been the minority. She's a pretty good sleeper and we'll happily take four or five hour stretches at night.

Right now, she sleeps in her Rock and Play, then we'll transition her to her crib around three months, just like with Caroline.

Milestones: Well, she's four weeks old, so not really anything too noteworthy; ) Babies' eyesight begins to improve after the third week and she has started to make eye contact with us, which is also really fun.

If I had to describe our first month in one word, it would be: Survival.

I'm not going to sugar-coat things: being a mom to two babies is tough stuff. My days start before the sun comes up. It has been (and still very much is) a learning experience for the whole family. We just kept saying, "If we can survive this first month, we'll have accomplished something", ha! The first two weeks, I honestly felt like we were treading water.

The week of Christmas is a complete blur. I was literally shopping for gifts at 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

Week three was a tiny turning point. Things didn't seem quite as overwhelming.

Caroline is super active, running all over the place and trying to climb on everything : ) She is also really curious about the baby and wants to be involved, understandably. I try my best to include her in things like bathing Ainsley. Poor Caroline would cry and cry at first when I would nurse the baby, but that lasted about a week before she decided that was boring, ha!

Our life right now is diapers, bottles, boobs, burping, rocking, swaddling, soothing, aundry and cleaning. Macaroni in hair, tripping over toys at 3 a.m., take-out dinners, sleeping with our eyes open - all part of our everyday now. And we knew it would be.

But honestly y'all, my heart is so very full. I love those two little girls with all my being. And my husband - dear Lord, that man is my rock. As tiring as it has been, I've been on cloud nine. I said before that the happiest time of my life was after Caroline was born. I just felt this emotional high unlike anything. Same thing this time.

I think Stephen summed it up best one time when he said, "I really like our life."

Me too, husband. Me too.

Confessional Friday: {Link Up}

What's that?? Oh, it's Friday you say?

SPLENDID.

Let's confess!

1) I confess that I ended up buying both the Miracle Blanket and the Woombie swaddles for Ainsley. Both are supposed to arrive this afternoon, so I'll let y'all know the verdict. Cheers to sleeping babies!

2) I confess that it feels great to be back to blogging after taking some time off for the baby's arrival in December! I have missed you girls so much. {Awkward hugs all around!}

3) I confess that the reason this link up didn't get published until 9 a.m. was because I FORGOT that today was link up day. I guess you could say I'm out of practice - whoops.

4) I confess that I tried on a pair of my non-maternity jeans yesterday and it wasn't exactly comfortable, (or attractive). I could button them using the old "lay on the bed and suck in like there's no tomorrow" technique, but I thought I was going to have to call Stephen to extract me from them. And good Lord - they certainly did no favors for my, um, silhouette. Still three weeks away from being released for exercise, so I think I'll stick to leggings and maternity jeans for a bit longer ; ) Or maybe indefinitely. Who knows?

By the end of the whole fiasco, I was beet red and sweating. I've also decided that the oh-so-cumbersome button fly must be the work of the devil. Elastic is where it's at, folks.

5) I confess that, with this second baby, modesty has completely gone out the window when it comes to breastfeeding. Now, I'll probably always use some sort of cover when I feed out in public just because I'm personally more comfortable that way, but there's a strange sense of liberation that comes with the second baby.

6) I confess that we survived our first week without any help here, as Stephen went back to work. I'd say, given the fact that it has been 16 degrees outside and we haven't been able to get out much, things went pretty well. I laugh to myself though because I remember right after we had Caroline and I thought, "Wow, this mom stuff is hard!" (And it is. Even one baby is so challenging. Parenthood is stressful/tiring/amazing no matter how many kiddos there are.) But, I realize now that I didn't know the meaning of tired then. Oh no, folks. I'd like to have told my naive self to try it with a 14 month old and a newborn. Most days, I'm sure we'll be a hot mess trying to get out of the house, but I know we'll settle into a groove eventually.

7) I pulled through the Sonic drive-thru Wednesday to get a coke and when I rolled down my window to order, noticed something in my hair. Upon further inspection, it was a piece of Caroline's macaroni left over from lunch.

If any of you would like a hair tutorial on THAT hairstyle, just let me know. It's an easy and delicious way to tell the world, "I've got my shizz together."

And that's that. Your confessions! (Actually mine.) Now tell me yours. 



   

    An InLinkz Link-up
   

Buy This - Not That: January Edition

It's time to play...say it with me now...Buy This, Not That! (applause in background)

Here are a few items that caught my eye recently and their waaaaaay more affordable dopplegangers. So gather round, ye vixens of the interwebs, and enjoy some morning window shopping.

Gianvito Rossi "Osaka" Knee Boot ($927)  vs.  Ivanka Trump "Sarena" Over-the-Knee Dress Boot (ON SALE NOW for $111.30!)

Sonia Kashuk Eye Shadow Quad in "Fair and Square" ($13.69)  vs.  Tom Ford Eye Color Quad ($96.92)

Dannijo Tessie Ear Jacket ($245)  vs.  Mariposa Ear Jackets ($32)

Lookbook Black Sequined Leggings ($29)  vs.  Juicy Couture Sequined Leggings ($138)

Mason Martin Margiela Wool Pullover ($815)  vs.  Metallic Pleat-Back Pullover in Gold/Bronze ($59)

Gum Drop Strand ($48)  vs. J.Crew Crystal Venus Flytrap Necklace ($98)

Rise and Shine Turtleneck Sweater Dress in Light Gray ($78)  vs.  Joie Sweater Dress in Gray ($226)

Wednesday Randoms

Hello, hello! It seems we've reached the middle of the week, which can only mean one thing...only two days 'til Friday - hooray and hoorah for that.

Grab some coffee, sit back and enjoy a few random thoughts this morning ; )

1. If you're in the market for a cute pair of over-the-knee boots that won't break the bank, might I suggest the Ivanka Trump Sarena boot? I found them for $111 online, (regular $170), the best deal I've seen on these all winter. I used some of my Christmas moolah on these and I'm pretty pumped to bust them out for a date night, soon.  Anywhoodle, I thought I'd share the deal I found, in case you want them, too.

2. Confessional Friday WILL RETURN this Friday, January 9th! Be here ready to link up and spill your innermost thoughts. 

3. I posted this photo on Insta yesterday and got several questions about the lip color I was wearing. It's my all-time favorite: Estee Lauder gloss in Pink Innocence. Get it - you won't regret it.

(Don't worry, Mom. We were parked in the Starbies lot, not actually driving down the road.)

Estee Lauder Pure Color Lip Gloss in Pink Innocence

4. Has anyone tried the Miracle Blanket for their baby? I'm considering getting one for Ainsley because baby girl loves to be swaddled tightly. I've heard that these are complete game-changers. Honest momma reviews would be much appreciated!

5. We got a sneak peek of Ainsley's newborn photos that our friend/photog Bethany McGhehey captured on New Year's Day. I know she's mine and I'm obviously biased, but I think she's a beauty. So excited to see the rest of the pics Bethany took!

5. What is it about taking Christmas decorations down that makes you want to re-decorate your entire house? (Or in our case, decorate, ha!) Deep thoughts...

..................................

Y'all have yourselves a fantastic Wednesday. I'll see you back here tomorrow for January's "Buy This -- Not That", so if you've got Christmas gift cards or money that you're itching to spend, be back here in the morning. It's my personal favorite post to write each month because, let's face it, it gives me the chance to shop for myself - oops! ; )

Ainsley's Birth Story

Well, hello! I decided to take some time away from the blog during the weeks of Christmas and New Year's since I haven't had a spare minute to write a post. And I hate nothing more than just posting to post, ya know?

Today, I thought I'd kick off regular blogging again by sharing the little story of Ainsley's birthday. It was such a sweet and memorable day, and I'm more than happy to share it with you all.

...................................

I'll start by saying, we didn't really know that we'd be having her on December 10th. We had a bag packed just in case, and my parents came up earlier that week because I just knew that my body wasn't going to hold Ainsley in much longer.  However, we had no guarantee that Wednesday would be the day. 

The morning of December 10th, I had my regular twice-weekly appointment, as well as my (regular, twice-weekly) non-stress test. Ainsley hadn't been moving as much the night before -- something I immediately reported to my O.B.'s nurse when she was getting my vitals. After the non-stress test, which showed heavy contractions, (I could have told them this without a non-stress test, ha!), Dr. D came in and "checked" me. 

After a few seconds, he announced I had progressed significantly and he said Ainsley would likely have arrived within the next 48 hours anyway. Since this was a repeat C-section and I was considered a high-risk pregnancy due to my heart history, we decided to get her out that night at 5:00 p.m. (Dr. D likes to deliver his own babies whenever possible, especially his high-risk patients.) So, he called Labor & Delivery and told them to admit us. 

Ten minutes later, a nurse came into the exam room with a wheelchair and up to Floor 5 we went...

Apparently, there was a mass exodus of babies from uteruses (uteri?) across Northwest Arkansas that day because EVERY SINGLE ROOM was occupied. So, they had us wait in the L&D family waiting room while a space opened up. An hour or so later, they called us back.

Because Labor & Delivery was hopping that day, they had to set us up in one of the doctors' on-call rooms, (where the docs sleep when they're on call.) It was the size of a shoebox and had no windows, which gave both of us a little anxiety, but I was so excited that we were meeting Ainsley, that I'd have stayed in that tiny room for a week!

Our sweet nurse Mary assured us that one of the birthing suites would be ready for us as soon as the surgery was over, which was great because....windows. #necessarythings

By that time, it was about noon and our five hour wait to meet Ainsley began.

The nurse started my IV, had me sign approximately 150 papers and change into the oh-so-chic hospital gown. 

Those five hours of waiting were amazing, though. Stephen and I had time to laugh and talk, watch some TV, make calls to some friends and family, and just enjoy each other's company. We also had ample time to really talk to our nurses, the anesthesiology team and our doctor for any last-minute questions. I mean it when I say, I've never been that calm about such a huge event. 

Around 3:30, the anesthesiologist came in to start my epidural. Just like last time, because of some issues surrounding my heart and blood pressure, a spinal wasn't a possibility. I was nervous about that and told him the story of what happened during Caroline's birth. I'll never forget what he said next:

Well, I'm running this show today and that won't happen again. I promise. Believe me?

I did. Fully. 

He told me that the reason (at least he thought) that the epi didn't work the last time was because they didn't give it enough time to kick in completely. So, he brought his little cart of needles in and the fun began...

I'll be honest, it hurt. Well, the numbing shot, anyway. The sensation of the epidural going in was just weird. Stephen was able to sit beside me and hold my hand, and my nurse held my shoulders and reminded me to breathe, ha! The entire thing took less than four minutes. The last epidural took 20 minutes to place. So yeah, it was already making out to be a better experience. 

After that, a nurse from the nursery came in to let me know who the on-call pediatrician would be, as well as find out what our birth plan was. Our hospital is amazingly respectful of mommas' wishes for those crucial moments right after the baby is born, whether it's a C-section or regular delivery. I LOVE that they ask even the C-section mommas how they'd like things to go. I told her that I wanted to hold Ainsley skin-to-skin ASAP in recovery, as well as let her nurse immediately. 

Around 4:40, Dr. D came in and handed Stephen a pair of scrubs to wear in the O.R. - it was go time!

Stephen and I gave each other a quick kiss and they wheeled me across the hall to the operating room. Until then, I hadn't been that nervous, but it hit me like a ton of bricks then. Thankfully, everyone was so sweet and reassuring, plus I could tell the epidural was really kicking in. 

After testing me to make sure I was completely numb, they let Stephen come in and the surgery was underway!

I felt a whoooooole lot of pulling and tugging - it was so weird. But strangely, nothing hurt. (Stephen told me later that night that he was shocked at how rough they have to be to get the baby out!) 

Just moments after they began, I heard Dr. D say, "Ready to meet her?"

Before I could answer yes, I heard a beautiful, mighty cry fill the room. 

It was Ainsley. 

My baby girl was born. 

I'm serious when I say, it was one of the most surreal moments of my life. 

They weighed her and announced that she weighed 5 lbs., 13 oz. - a tiny little thing with a big, healthy set of lungs! While they checked her out, they finished my surgery, which felt like it took forever. I was so ready to hold my girl!

Stephen joined me in recovery almost immediately and, just a few minutes later, they brought Ains in for some skin-to-skin bonding and breastfeeding. I couldn't get over how teeny and delicate she was! I just kept saying, "She's beautiful!"

We enjoyed a few quiet minutes with just the three of us before they took us to our room.

It was a perfect birth experience. 

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Soon thereafter, Stephen's mom brought Caroline into the room to meet Ainsley. She immediately smiled when she saw Ains, then started to whimper when she saw me. I think she was a little scared of all the tubes and machines in the room. After a few minutes though, she was totally fine. It was so neat to have our family of four all together!

The hospital stay was smooth and FAST. We really only spent a couple days there. (Wednesday evening, Thursday and a few hours on Friday morning.) Ainsley was nursing well, she passed all her newborn screenings with flying colors and I was recovering quickly. That Friday morning, they discharged us and we took our second baby girl home!

If you read all of that, props to you ; ) If you didn't, I can't say I blame you, ha! 

Thanks so much for indulging my momma-ness and letting me tell Ainsley's birth story. I treat this blog like a journal for our life, so I wanted to jot this down while it was still fresh.