I am a very organized, by the book, on the verge of obsessive compulsive type of person.  I love lists, calendars and discipline. I like being on time, or even a bit early. If you want something planned down to the detail, I’m your girl.

Then I became a mom.

Wow, did it all change instantly.  I’m now at LEAST 30 minutes late to everything we do (I was an hour and a half late to meeting up with friends yesterday…seriously…who am I!?!). My house is more of a mess than ever.  I am looking at little cities of dust growing on my tv, and actually forgot to put something in my calendar this week and almost missed an appointment.

I’m being stretched, and honestly I’m ok with that.  I am a way more laid back mom than I ever expected to be.  There’s something about that little person that makes me throw the rules out the window and just enjoy her.  It’s the greatest thing in the world! Sure, it’s a learned flexibilty and I’m slowly becoming ok with our new lifestyle, but loving every second of it.

Luckily, my daughter is as obsessed with her daily schedule at 4 months old as I am with mine.  That’s my girl.

Did becoming a mom or dad change you in this way? Did it make you more or less flexible?

If I’ve learned anything about being a mom, it’s that you can’t always get what you want.  It’s not about you anymore, and everything you do is for this tiny little person.  But I’ve also learned to not set expectations.  This is where I failed myself.  I went through {an extremely rough} pregnancy expecting it to all end once the baby arrived.  But then there was healing from a c-section, losing weigh, a whole new dose of hormones…and breastfeeding.

Yikes.

I expected this to be easy.  I actually remember saying that it would come easily and be no problem.  No one really tells you that it might not go as perfectly as planned.  The first few days went great and I thought it was going to be great for us…then it all exploded.  Munchkin destroyed me.  I got two rounds of mastitis, and even ended up in the emergency room.  A lingering infection for 4 months that no doctors could explain.  We finally got to the point that it was too much torture, and my sanity was hanging by a thread.

Although it was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done, I don’t regret it for a second.  My baby got a great start.  It literally broke my heart to put her on formula, but I know it’s the best thing for both of us.  I’m thankful that I did everything I possibly could to make it work, even though it didn’t work out for us.

No you can’t always get what you want…but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need.  Munchkin will always get what she needs, even if it’s not what I want.

I put on a little more weight than expected with my pregnancy. Since everything but chocolate made me puke, I pretty much lived on peanut butter sandwiches and chocolate milk…and a TON of it. I still have 10lbs to go, and am working my tush off to get there. I hate workout videos, but decided to give in and try out the 30 Day Shred.

Bad decision.

Ok, maybe not that bad. But I’ve never wanted to quit something more and never been so sore. Having to do the workout every single day is brutal and exhausting on my extremely out of shape body. But I’m actually beginning to see results which is really exciting! Today is Day 20, and the last day of Level 2. Tomorrow I begin Level 3, which might actually destroy me.

Jillian, you’re killing me here.

As I was preparing to become a mommy, I was constantly asking people what their favorites were of certain things, trying to decide what I would use. Now I find people asking me! So here are my top 10 lifesavers, must haves and favorites for baby 0-3 Months. In no particular order.

1. Moby Wrap – Great wrap! A little hard to get used to wrapping, but you figure it out pretty quick. Keeps baby close to you, and a good way to get some stuff done!

2. Happiest Baby on The Block – This is genius.  No, we did not have the happiest or easiest baby on the block, but these methods sure helped to calm her. A must watch. (Just watch the DVD unless you’re a big reader and have the time to read!)

3. Swadler – I swear by these.  Our girl was sleeping through the night by 3 weeks, and I’m convinced it’s because of this.  A cheap way to regain your sanity

4. Dr. Brown’s Bottles - I love these bottles.  They come in a thousand pieces, but I really do think they helped with the gas in her belly.

5. Gripe Water - This stuff really does work…or it did for us at least. Some people swear by the mylicon drops, but they didn’t seem to do anything for us. (Help with gas in the belly)

6. Swing - It’s like an extra set of arms around the house! I really don’t know what I would have done without my swing.  It will be one of the best investments you ever make.

NURSING:

7. Tanks – I live in these things. Nursing bras can get really expensive, and sometimes I just need to be more comfortable, so these were the bomb diggity. I use these.

8. Udder Covers – So cute!!! These were my fav!

9. Lansinoh – They have the best stuff in my opinion.  Lanolin cream. Breast Pads. Milk Storage Bags. I use it all.

10. Avent Manual Hand Pump – I use a big electric pump most of the time, but this little pump is amazing for quick on the go relief.

So there you have it! What are some of your must haves or things that gave you a bit of sanity that I need to try out as baby gets a little older?

We have a lot of defining moments in our lives. Things that make us who we are, and mold us into the person we are to become.  I had a defining moment as a mother this weekend.  A moment I will never forget, one that made me realize “i’m a mom”.

I got pooped AND peed on at the same time. That’s right. All over me. All over the floor. All over the dishwasher.  Just all over.

It was bath time and I stood holding my precious naked baby, about to plop her in the tub when everything exploded. I realized in that moment…this is my life.  I’m a mom. Funny thing is…it didn’t really phase me in the least, because I had the most adorable little girl cracking up at me. Yes, she thought it was funny so I got over it very quickly.

Oh…and Daddy got to clean that one up once he was done laughing at me.

What was your “defining moment” as a parent?

I’m a bit distracted.  A BIT. It’s been a while since I’ve written a blog that wasn’t me bragging on how cool my kid is. But I have that right. I’m a new mom.  I’ve been through a lot.  I’m exhausted.  I’m learning and growing everyday how to be a better mom.  Patience really is a virtue and thankfully it’s something the Lord is blessing me with an abundance of.

So all that to say… I’m distracted.  Distracted by the sweetest smile in the world.  Distracted by a laugh that melts my heart.  Distracted by dirty diapers. Distracted by lots of crying…wow there’s lots of crying.  Distracted by drool…wow there’s even more drool.

Hanging at the beach with mommy

It’s the most wonderful distraction in the world.  So bear with me, one of these days I’ll be back to my normal blogging.  For now, I choose my distractions.

Now that I am two months postpartum…I feel it is time to start working on this lovely body I have received from pregnancy.  I know I moaned and groaned for 9 months, and actually thought once it was over all would be wonderful and back to normal.

What was I thinking?

So, here I am a few pounds heavier than I would like to be.  Yikes.  Since the pregnancy was so rough, I ate a few more gallons of ice cream than I probably should have and now have about 15 extra pounds to lose. I’m just not a huge fan of my new “mom body”.

Please help me out! What are some good things to do??  I can’t diet and count calories (due to breastfeeding).  I can’t join a gym because that costs money and we are a single income family now. I’m not very good at workout videos, but I think I could give them another shot if I had something good. Basically this is not my cup-o-tea, but I gotta do something! I need my body back!

What are your recommendations for someone that hates working out and loves chocolate chip cookies a little too much?

Yesterday I gave my resignation to House of Blues.  I loved my job there, and its hard to give that up, but today I start a new job.

This new job will be the most difficult job I’ve ever had, but the most rewarding. I am on call 24/7. I don’t get weekends or holidays.  I must always be on my A game and there is no slacking off.  It will have it’s good days and it will have it’s bad.  Some days I will want to quit, but there is no resigning from this job.

Plus I have the cutest boss of all time.

As of today, I am officially a full time, stay at home mom. 

Bring. It. On.

I wash little people’s clothes.

I am a housekeeper.

I no longer have the body of the younger me.

I don’t shower every day.

I throw my outfits together.

I don’t sleep through the night.

I rock the ponytail almost daily.

I am no longer phased by poo, spit up and drool.

I talk baby talk all day long.

I sacrifice for my family.

I am forever changed by a tiny smile.

I am mommy.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Well…it’s been a while. I’m exhausted. Shocking huh? I took a bit of a break from the blog for a while, but I am attempting to return. Every time I would have a few minutes to sit and write, I would always weigh my options: blog or sleep? Sleep won every single time.

We are beginning to settle into a bit of a routine. We are figuring out this parenting stuff a little. It hasn’t been the easiest road for me, I’ve been sick a lot and dealing with a number of things. Throw in the hormones and lack of sleep and I’m a mess at times. Luckily I have an amazing husband who picks up the slack for me when I reach my breaking point.

Having a new baby is not really what I expected. Some of the things I expected, but there is really no way to prepare yourself for this. I really don’t sleep, she really does cry a lot and poop a LOT. It’s the most exhausting experience of my life.

But it’s also the most rewarding.

I love being a mom. I adore this little girl. I can stare at her for hours and I’m still in shock that she came out of me (mostly shocked by that because she’s so big!) I see so much of me in her already and I hope and pray that’s a good thing!

I can’t thank you enough for all your prayers and support lately. It’s very difficult doing this with no family around. But the love and support we feel helps us through each day. Yes, it’s hard now and we are still figuring things out.

But each day is better than before… and we will sleep when she’s 30.