3rd Month/October

3 months/October

Tea turned 3 months on the 3rd. She loves her hands, Little Buddy the pink giraffe, the bumbo chair, talking, and blowing bubbles. She's getting ready to try the jumparoo. Tummy time is better on the exercise ball, and her right arm is getting better as well. She only wakes up once at 3am and sometimes sleeps thought the night. It's amazing how the past 3 months have flown by. 

Of course it's also October, normally my most hated month. I started this blog because of October. My mom passed away Oct 2009 and we suffered our miscarriage Oct 2010. I thought Oct 2011 was a bad one too because my bloodwork came back negative for ovulation, and I thought we'd have to start Clomid. Little did I know, somehow we conceived Tea that month. So I suppose Oct 2011 was the start of good Octobers. I like to think my mom had a hand in that. So I say thanks to her. 

The weather is also changing. Yay for cold weather, hoodies, fuzzy socks, and soup. I'm changing as well. I see everything differently thanks to Tea and I'm looking to make some more changes. I hate being away from her. I'm not sure what this means yet for me. I suppose I'll have to do what my dear friend Katie does and pray about it. :) I have been praying more lately. I worry about Tea so much that I need backup only the Big Guy can provide. And as my new favorite song "A Drop in the Ocean" by Ron Pope says "heaven doesn't seem far away anymore." Tea and Terry really are my heaven on Earth. 

First week as a working mom

Lessons from the First Week as a Mom/Teacher

1. It's my daily mood that makes the weather.

I heard this quote in our inservice, and it really stuck with me. At 6 weeks postpartum, my hormones are still slightly off balance. I when through the gamut of emotions sometimes at the same time: sadness for leaving my baby, excitement for seeing my students, exhaustion from trying to do everything that needs to be done. The more I dwelled on the negative things, the worse I felt. So I had to remind myself of this saying and choose to have good moods and sunny days.

2. Let me help.

I am SO blessed to have the support system I do. My amazing husband, dad, stepdad, and father-in-law have been beyond helpful this week. Every time I start to feel overwhelmed, one of them steps in with this phrase. And surprisingly it's hard to let them help sometimes. I want to be there for Teagan when I'm home. I want to be the teacher I always have been. I want to keep every routine the same. Luckily, they are willing to ignore my stubbornness and pitch in anyway. 

3. Sleep.

Whenever. Wherever. However. Seriously.

Overall, I think that this year will be one of the hardest and most rewarding years of my life. I love Tea and my job and feel so lucky to get to have my cake and eat it too. Yay cake!

Bloggity changes from Tea

You'll notice I changed my bloggity. Tea has taken over my life and changed so much, I figured why not let her change this too. Sweet Tea is Teagan's nickname in case you didn't know.

Tea hit the four week mark yesterday. She has received her first piece of mail (yay official documents), kicks butt at PT twice a week, traveled to Houston and Dallas, saw her first Olympics, and met two of her BFF's. She sleeps alot, but she's waking more and more everyday. She loves to make funny faces and adorable faces and pouty faces. She loves Wubba the pacifier. When she smiles she looks like Daddy, and when she's angry she looks like me.  

I am tired and overwhelmed at times, but as soon as I look at her beautiful face, it is all worth it. I am also becoming a little more domestic. Pinterest is helping me with meal plans, budgeting, and craftiness. Some of my bloggity posts will hopefully be some of my attempts at domestic type activities. These will probably be hilarious. 

Terry is the most amazing husband and father I have ever seen. He is so patient and loving with both Tea and I. When I am completely worn out and frazzled, he comes in and takes over with a smile. I could not imagine anyone else staying home with Tea and helping her grow. 

The Grandpa Crew is the sweetest bunch of men you have ever seen. They gravitate around Tea. There haven't been many moments that at least one of them hasn't been around to pitch in or give some snuggle time. Tea may be short in the grandma department, but these three won't ever let her know it.

Uncle Bobo calls Tea "Squeaker" because she's always squeaking at him. He won't let her sit down for long and he brings Aunt Sarah for visits. Aunt Heather, Uncle Shane, and Kelsey are over all the time snuggling and showering her with gifts. Aunt Krissie finally got to get her hands on Tea and never wanted to let her go.

So that's the crew. Closely followed by a long line of amazing friends and neighbors who have been so helpful and will show up often in the bloggity. Hopefully I will not be so crazy that I forget to update. Please enjoy this crazy adventure with me and Tea.

First week of Motherhood

9 days ago life changed forever when Teagan Noelle, or Sweet Tea, was born. It has been a crazy week. So here are my thoughts on being a new mommy done with song titles of course. 1. All You Need Is Love  I spent the past month nesting and freaking out that I didn't have everything I needed. Then I brought her home and figured out what everyone (except those damn baby product people) kept saying. You don't need any of that crap. Here is my super basic list of things we've used this week. -Boobs or bottles: For me, it's boobs. Along with boobs, I use a pump (the Medela Harmony is so easy for a quick manual and I really like the Lansinoh Double Affinity), lanolin, and lots of burp cloths, and Milk storage bags. the Boppy is nice, but pillows will work fine. -Diapers: I'm using disposables right now till she fits in my cloth dipes. The ones with the indicator stripe for wetness are amazing! Also, wipes and Walmart bags for keeping the stinky in.  -Sleepytime: We're using the Pack-N-Play in our room right now. It has the bassinet and changing table built in and is great. She also sleeps in the Nap Nanny (not needed but loved) and the swing.  -Clothes: Before we had to wrap her arm, we used onesies, rompers, and sacks. She wears pretty much anything except socks but LOVES to be swaddled and have a hat on. I recommend the Aden+Anais blankets. They are large and lightweight.  -This is my complete list. Everything else sits in her room waiting to be used.  2. Questions My dad always said "If you don't know, ask." No matter how many classes you go to or books you read, you can't be an expert. Especially as a first time mom. I tried to escape the hospital as soon as humanly possible. Every time a nurse or dr asked if I needed anything, I'd say no. Well, then you get home and all these questions pop up. Find someone to ask: family, friends, those dr and nurses. I finally did and that question to my lactation consultant helped us discover that Tea has nerve damage. It kills me to think what could've happened had I not asked the question.  3. I Never Promised You a Rose Garden My mom sang this song to me all the time. Usually when I was whining. Well there have been some whiny moments this week. Sleep deprivation can do that. Talking to people will help; they can keep you positive. That's the best advice at all. Stay positive and snuggle that sweet baby. And take lots of pictures. 

Here is the story of how Miss Teagan Noelle came into the world: 

Teagan has measured big almost my entire pregnancy. My last ultrasound showed 7.5lbs and head growth still in 96%. By my 37 week appt Dr said "She's still a big baby, and you're 1cm dilated, cervix is softened, and she's low. Come in next time you start having any regular contractions." Fast forward to Monday.

Monday I spent the day writing lesson plans since I'm no longer taking maternity leave. We went to bed at !0 and at 11:30 I of course had to visit the bathroom. I felt a pop and then fluid but Teagan has been known to punch down there so I ignored it. Then the worst backache I have ever had began. Tried to wake Terry but of course he was out. By 12 he was awake and by 12:30 I was waddling to my bed in L&D. 

They found out that yes my water had broken AND I was already 3cm, 90%effaced and -1station. When asked if I was going natural, I sheepishly answered "Yes?" Well, 4 hours later I was already 6cm, 100% effaced and the epidural sounded great. I felt like a failure. I spent $150 on hypnobabies and hypnobirthing books/cds. What about the bubble of peace?!

The bubble of peace must've been in my epidural needle because I have never felt such instant relief! Terry managed to get hilarious before/after pics in case epidurals ever ned advertisement. Everyone was wonderful and supportive especially my nurse whose name was Tammy. I even managed to get 2 hours of sleep before the dr woke me up to say I was ready to push. Yikes!

I remember watching them set up for delivery thinking "It can't be this easy!" Well, I suppose the powers that be felt sorry for all the big head jokes and terrifying growth u/s appts and took pity on me. At 5:58am after 51 min of pushing and a 2nd degree tear, sweet Teagan was here! Only 6lbs14oz and 19 1/2in! She swallowed some meconium and her O2 sat was low, but she was only in the nursery for a couple of hours while I snuck in some more sleep. 

We spent the next 24 hours surrounded by family and friends and nurses that were willing to put up with my stubbornness. I was determined to go home the next day even if the dr on call said no. Luckily the nurses had my back and we got to spend the evening of July 4th at home.

Side note: my birth plan may have been a bust, but the birth playlist = huge success. All the nurses commented on it AND there were 3 memorable moments that Im glad had a soundtrack.

1. When I decided on the epidural, the song "I Need a Doctor" started. Terry got a huge kick out of this. I was still pre-epi so it wasn't funny yet.

2. My nurse was amazing! When I was getting the epidural, she called me baby and stroked my hair so when I looked down and saw her name was Tammy I was pretty sappy, but the song that was playing was "Mamma Mia" by ABBA, one of  my mom's favorites.

3. Teagan only cried a little bit when she came out, but the song that was playing was "Chiquitita" ABBA, another one of my mom's favorites. 

Overall, life has changed in a big way. Teagan is beautiful and brings out all the best in Terry and myself. I didn't really believe that when I was looking at the clock at 5am thinking "It can't be this easy." But it is easy. Easy to change, easy to love. Maybe not easy to get up every 3 hours for feedings and diaper changes…:)

Overwhelmed

Exciting times in the Wright household. Teagan is at 36 weeks. Dr. appt last week looked good. She's still big and low. Doc said 3 weeks tops so we'll see how it's going Friday. My due date was July 24 but since we knew that wasn't going to happen, it is nice to have some time frame to work on. It does freak me out to know she will be here any day now. So of course I began frantically trying to get the house in perfect order. I do limit myself to one area per day and lots of folks come babysit me daily to ensure that I am not a knucklehead. I have heard rumors that I am "stubborn."  One reason I had to clean up was because my house has been the happening place to be lately. First, my baby shower was June 9, and it was a huge success. I was beyond blessed to visit with my family and friends, and Teagan received some amazing gifts. My aunt even gifted a nursery rhyme book that my mom bought for me. Of course that brought on the waterworks. I am NOT a cryer, but it was touching that she found a way to make my mom a part of the day. And seester Krissie got to Facetime the party. And Holly made super tasty carrot zucchini bread. And my S'port girls got to spend the weekend with me.  Then Terry's bff and Teagan's godfather Ken got to come visit for the week from Nebraska. Then Krissie snuck in for a Father's Day surprise visit for Pops. So the house got lots of use, and I got an excuse to declutter. Sammy also got to come home and surprised me by finishing up my registries and helping finish the nursery. It is beautiful and I couldn't have done it without him. He also bought an RV so he can spend more time close to home and grandbaby when he's not working. I love that Teagan has 3 super grandpas.  I know I haven't bloggitied in a while, and this one isn't particularly clever. I am just overwhelmed with excitement, curiosity, nerves, and the most amazing feeling of love. Everyone around us has truly gone above and beyond to support our growing family, and there is no way to express how grateful I am. I know that our moms may not be a part of our lives, but everyone has managed to fill any holes. Teagan is already so loved by so many people, and I can't wait to share her with the world. I love her,  and I love all of you. Thank you.

Change is a comin...

Yet again, I find myself far too long from the bloggity blog. School is winding down. (12 more days!) I am trying to prepare my classroom and myself for maternity leave. It's scary thinking I won't be in my classroom for the first six weeks of school. Scary but exciting. 

That is the story of my life this week. We had our first baby shower Friday from my coworkers. They are so great. Teagan is already spoiled rotten. This led to lots of work in the nursery. Terry and Casey installed shelves and a ceiling fan and I organized the cutesy stuff. 

We also had our 29 week appointment. Teagan is measuring 5 weeks ahead. They did an ultrasound to check for extra fluid, but it seems she is just a big baby. She is already 3lb 12oz and in the 96th percentile.  Doc seemed to get a good laugh out of the situation. He said that she might not make it till July which is a little scary. You put alot of stock into due dates, even though they say not to. I'm trying my best to be ready whenever she wants to make her big debut. 

Finally, today was my first Mother's Day or so everyone keeps telling me. It feels weird to celebrate again after skipping the past couple of years. It also feels weird because Teagan isn't here for me to share with everyone and snuggle. Too bad everyone can't feel her kicks and wiggles. Hang in there guys and she'll be here to kick and wiggle for you soon.