Baby Hadley's Arrival

As I sit here in my bed, 3 weeks postpartum rocking my sweet little girl to sleep after an evening of cluster feeding... 

I can't help but thank God for this miracle he has blessed my husband and I with. 3 and half years into marriage, and after 5 years of being together, 1 year almost to the day of being homeowners & now we have begun our family.. 

Although if you ask my husband he would say "completed" not begun.  He's totally down for Hadley being an only child! And after the pregnancy and labor I went through I don't blame him! Right now, when my stitches haven't even fully dissolved I'm okay with having just one! But I know like most, as the years pass by I will miss these moments.. The newborn stages & long for more.. 

Maybe :)

This post is more for me to have so Hadley and I can look back and cherish the way she was brought into the world but I know some of you would love to hear the journey of her arrival.

I know like pregnancy, each one is different - so is every labor story.

 I am sure many have had it way worse than me, and I'm positive some have experienced something much easier ... But this is my story

It really all started when I was 33 weeks pregnant. I went in for one of my prenatal visits to discover some protein in my uriene & high blood pressure. My doctor referred to this as preeclampsia symptoms so to be cautious of what my BP was on a regular basis and to let her know of any other symptoms: 

Dizziness

Constant headaches 

Blurred vision 

Naseua 

And just all around not feeling good. 

My husband being the nurse that he is went out and bought a BP cuff so I could check it daily. 

It started spiking regularly. Which landed me in the hospital twice a week until Hadley was born for Non Stress Test, a 24 hour urine sample (that was fun- yeah not!) & multiple labs to check my blood. 

They classified it as gestational hypertension, but still were concerned with my health. 

My doctor no longer wanted to weigh the risks once I hit 37 weeks so I was induced at 36 weeks 5 days. Since the only cure for this was to deliver the placenta. 

So on February 19th, my husband and I finished packing our bags once he got home from work that Thursday & headed to "our last supper" as one of my co workers called it ... Haha

We wanted once last date night just the two of us.. Especially since we were going to meet our little girl 3 weeks before she was due.. Luckily we had the nursery done and everything was pretty much ready for her arrival.. 

We didn't have as much time left as we planned. We went to one of our favorite Cameron Mitchell places, Marcellas. 

Our first date was at Martini's another Cameron Mitchell restaurant.. So for our birthdays, anniversaries & special occasions we always go to one of his fine establishments. 

We spent all of dinner talking about how life would change, and what to expect. We wondered what she would look like, how my labor would go, I bet that Levi would cry when she was born (he lost!)

Around 7:30 that night we checked into our labor & delivery room at Grant Medical Center, where my husband actually works! It will be so neat to tell Hadley  one day that mommy was born there and daddy worked there! 

As we settled into the room, my nurse hooked my belly up to the machines to monitor mine & baby's heartbeat and make sure my BP was under control (which it wasn't, of course!)

8:30pm

I received my IV. Which if you know me well, you know this was a fear of mine I conquered. I have never been hospitalized or needed any major surgeries to the point of receiving and IV. Sounds so silly, but I was proud of myself. However when the woman was putting it in, I got a little flushed and became a little nervous then... This was all hitting me! 

Laying there in that hideous hospital gown (I had actually brought my own cute one- that I never had the chance to slip into) my new arm candy that ready my name and DOB - looking around the huge birthing suite I realized this is the exact space we are going to be bringing our daughter into this world .. 

After a brief moment of day dreaming c reality sank in and I realized she had to come out somehow.. That's when the nerves set in!

We waited around for the nurse to call my doctor and see how exactly she wanted to start my induction.. So I surfed channels and tried to pay attention to my weekly scandal episode but my mind was going a million miles a minute.   

10:00pm

The doctor on call came in an installed a cervical ballon that was to be in 12 hours along with a gel called cervadil that would help dialate me and soften my cervix overnight. 

She checked me right before and I was dialated to only a 1 but was starting to efface. 

11:30 pm

Levi was snoozing on the sofa next to me.. As I felt  this huge burst of what I thought was pee at first.. Except it just kept coming & I had no control over it. My water had officially broken on its own. 

I woke Levi .. He insisted I in fact did just pee myself. I swore I didn't and asked him to un-hook me and help me to the bathroom ...

As he did he noticed my trail of liquid and called my nurse ! She was surprised as well! She then proceeded to take out the balloon since he can't stay inside one your water has broke .. And called my doctor back to see what plan B was!

12:00 am 

My doctor wanted to let us wait out the night to see if my body would kick into high gear and just go into labor naturally.  

My nurse checked me again and I was now at a 3cm ! At least the balloon did something ! 

I spent the rest of the night watching prison break via Netflix on my iPad while my husband slept on & off. I had way too much excitement and nerves built

up to even think about sleeping. Looking back I wish I would have taken this opportunity to get some shut eye though. 

Aside from the excitement my contractions were too strong to sleep through at this point. They were about 3-5 mins apart, but not very long in length. 

5:00 am

My nurse came back to check me I was still at 3cm so she called my doctor and they decided to finally start me on pitocin. 

Shortly after my parents arrived. I wanted my mom and husband to be the ones in the delivery room with me when our baby girl was born.

My mother and I have always had such a strong bond and I hope to recreate that with Hadley one day. 

Once the pitocin set in my contractions were in full force! But again, not lasting long enough. I had never felt pain like this, I am going to be honest. In most cases I have a very high pain tolerance, and these were by far taking my breath away. 

7:00 am

Thankfully after shift change at the hospital God blessed me with an AMAZING labor & delivery nurse whom has been doing this for 30+ years! 

Immediately she taught me the breathing techniques of Lamaze. She referred to the process of blowing out birthday cake candles, making quick short breaths. 

This helped tremendously! Though the pain was still severe, it was workable. 

8:30 am

3 & half hours after my pitocin my contractions were now happening every minute and were so intense I was almost in tears. When my mom tells the story she always says how there were moments during them, when her and Levi were doing the breathing techniques right along with me, and the look in my eyes was compete terror. 

There were times I didn't think I would make it through the next contraction. 

My nurse offered to give me a drug called newbane to help take the edge off. 

She checked me again to see what my progress was. Apparently you can not take the drug within two hours of labor, so she had to make sure I hadn't progressed too quickly for it .. 

I sure hadn't. 

I was only at 4 cm at this time ..  

She told me as she inserted it that I would feel a little light headed and maybe even tingling. 

And that it did! When she put it in my IV my whole body relaxed. The pain was far from gone, but I was able to  get some rest in between contractions and not tense up due to anticipateing the next one.. 

10:30 am

I had hit my breaking point. I was ready for my epidural. My nurse called for the CRNA and it seemed like it took for ever. By the time he got to me, my contractions were still a minute apart and the newbane had begun wearing off by now, so they were as strong as ever. 

I was so scared that it was going to be too late and I wasn't going to be able to get it. I remember asking Levi, begging him to make sure I still could - with tears in my eyes. 

But all was well! I got it , twice actually. When he installed the catheter portion of it the first time it was mid contraction and I must have jerked, because it fell out and he had to re install in a second time. That wasn't fun! But it was so worth it! 

Shortly after my contractions went from pure pain to slight pressure. Levi kept saying all day "Molly what's your favorite word?" And I would reply in an upbeat shouting voice "EPIDURAL!!!" Lol 

The rest of the afternoon seemed like a blur looking back on it. My doctor was in & out as she had scheduled surgeries that day in OR just down the hall from us. She encouraged me to rest and to save all my energy for pushing. 

I had family from both sides in & out of the room that day, and some of my closest friends. It was nice though to see so many loving, supporting, familiar faces in a time like this! 

I tried to nap, and was able to for a couple hours when everyone went to lunch. 

2:00 pm

My doctor came back at 2 to check me and see how I was progressing. I was now at 6 cm! Music to my ears! We were getting somewhere. 

Now days they don't consider "active labor" until you are 6cm + but let me tell you... It hurt wayyyyyy before then! I felt like at this point, epidural to thank for it, we were smooth sailing. 

Until I started to break into a cold sweat. My whole body started shivering. They had my nurse bring in some warm blankets and they wrapped me up like a cacoon. I couldn't control the trembling. 

My blood pressure was being taken every 15 minutes since I was admitted and the last few times it was getting a little to high for everyone's liking. 

I had formed a fever of 101.6 & rising. 

I began eating ice chips like crazy (since that's all you are allowed to consume during labor.) 

4:00 pm

Fever still going, they sent for my doctor and had her check me. I was now at 9cm! My left side of my cervix however wasn't softening like the other, so they had me roll over on my left side and sat the bed all the way up to allow gravity to pull Hadley down the birth canal even further, and hopes to soften the rest of my cervix by applying all that pressure. 

My epidural had started to wear off a little, because I could feel my contractions again- but only on my left side. They had given me a button to push throughout to release more, but my stupid machine wasn't working each time I hit it. We didn't even realize it until I was getting ready to push !

Back to my breathing & blowing out imaginary candles I went! 

A dear friend of mine had this beautiful blanket made with Hadley's name on it that we had drapped over a chair in the room, I kept staring at it during every contraction just trying to picture her face, and imagine what she was going to look like. 

If she was going to have my nose , or his lips! It really helped me push threw there at the end. 

4:45 pm

Go time! My nurse came in and said we were going to begin pushing to help move things along for my doctor until she got back. 

All day she was so calm and soothing. When it came time for me to begin pushing it was like a switch flipped in her! 

My husband said she was like a drill Sargent and was barking orders left and right and was on top of it! 

5:15 pm 

My doctor finally made it back and she joined the team as I pushed for about an hour & half. Each time her head would poke out and as soon as I stopped pushing it would suction back in! 

I remember them saying though "she has a full head of dark hair" I was shocked. We thought for sure she would be blonde! Since Levi and I were both born with blonde hair, however he is now a brunette and I am naturally that dirty dish water color. 

But I will admit I recall thinking "that heartburn wasn't all for nothing!" 

Wives tales say the more heartburn you have during pregnancy , the more hair your baby will be born with. 

5:30 pm

My fever was increasing & Hadleys heart rate was now rising from her usual low 150's to high 180's +

My doctor informed me that she was going to let me try one more time pushing, but that she mostly likely was going to "help" me get her out. 

My husbands mind immediately went to c-section. Luckily I couldn't hear his thoughts or I'm sure I would have panicked a little ... 

She was referring to forceps. 

My mom actually had them used to remove me during labor. The ambilical cord was wrapped around my neck. 

Hadley's heart rate, mixed with my fever & high blood pressure wasn't something they wanted to mess around with. 

It all happened so fast from this point forward. 

It was like a hazmat team came out of no where. There were so many more nurses in the room all of a sudden, most from the NICU department. 

They took the bottom portion of the bed away and laid down this huge mat. My doctor and nurse put on gowns and hats and were covered from head to toe! 

Currently , I was glad I couldn't see what everyone else could see if this was how they were preparing ! 

My doctor gave me an episotimy and inserted the forcepts shortly after 

One of the NICU nurses saw Hadley's heart rate one the monitor and started panicking. She said "that baby needs to come out NOW , how long has it been like that?" My doctor quickly snapped back "what do you think I'm trying to do?"

6pm

I pushed. She pulled. A couple times. 

To my left was my husband holding my hand and pulling my leg back one second, then he would run down and see what they were doing to Hadley. He says to this day he is still tramatized from seeing them yank on her head with those forceps. 

My mom was at the bottom of the bed taking in the whole room, I could see it on her face. The joy, being seconds away from becoming a grandma. 

6:14 pm 

Hadley Renee was born! They laid her on my chest and she cried and squirmed, just as ever parent hopes to see right away. She was beautiful. So tiny! 

We had expected her to be on the larger side, since my husbands side of the family were all 9+ lbs babies. 

I think delivering 3 weeks early helped with that though because she only weigh 6lbs & 8.9 oz! She was 18 inches long

& had ten fingers and toes! And were they right about that hair! So dark and so much. 

I bawled like a baby! Looking up at Levi, he was to!! My mom was a given. She had been crying for 9 months at the drop of a hat when it came to anything Hadley related lol. 

They took her from me to clean her up , and Levi followed her over to across the room to watch! 

They began to deliver my placenta, which was going to be the thing to help cure my symptoms. My doctor stitched me up and told me how to car for myself and when she wanted to see me again. I just nodded and answered with vague "yeah, uh huh, play's" as all I could do was stare across the room at my husband, mother & BABY! 

I could hear her cry, which was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard! 

Levi ran out to tell everyone in the waiting room that had been anxiously awaiting her arrival all day there like us!

Our friends and family all came in from the waiting room to meet her! 

It was such a special moment & was amazing to share it with all our loved ones!

The rest of our hospital stay was anything but a breeze. When she was born she had a fever as well as me, so they kept a close eye on her. And since she was considered pre term her blood sugar was low so they had to price her foot every 3 hours to check her levels! 

Since your milk doesn't come in for a few days after birth and all you produce is colostrum she wasn't getting enough nutrients that she needed at such a young age. We actually had to resort to giving her some formula to bring her levels back up to where they needed to be! 

As we were getting ready to leave they noticed she was a little jaundice and wanted us to follow up with her pediatrician the next day! 

So once we came home, I made the appointment for the following morning. And they were right when she left the hospital her levels are at 9 and at the doctors they were 14.5 so they sent us home with a biliruben blanket she had to lay on and could only be taken off to eat or get her diaper changed. 

We had to do this for 2 days and had to take her to the children's ER near by our house to get blood drawn to check her levels for 3 days. 

It was very eventful, and exhausting for all! I just wanted it all to end. The poor babe had been poked and prodded for the last 6 days since she was born! 

But now we have such a happy healthy beautiful baby girl. She only cries of Denis hungry or has a dirty diaper. She needed up gaining 12 oz at her one week checkup, so I'd like to think nursing is going well! 

We will never ever forget the day she was born! I still can't believe it was already 3 weeks ago! It seems like just yesterday but at the same time it feels like she has been apart of our lives forever. 

Behind the Bump

Pregnancy is such a beautiful thing. 

When I stop and think about it, I get chills at the thought of this little human being, being formed inside of me. My body is on auto pilot and there isn't much I need to do in order to ensure her healthy arrival! Such a miracle. I am a week away from meeting our little princess & my family and I are over the moon. Such an exciting time in our lives.. 

But it hasn't been all rainbows and butterfly's.

There is so much they don't tell you about pregnancy!

Sure you hear about the "morning sickness" & the "heartburn"

But there is so much more in between, and off the wall things that can happen!

This pregnancy has been anything but easy for me. 

I have always been a positive person and I believe in the quote:

"fake it until you make it" thanks to my days educating at Paul Mitchell. 

So most of you haven't seen a glimpse of what I have been going through. 

So here is my 

"What really happens during pregancy speach" 

(According to my personal experience of course)

1st trimester:

During the 1st trimester you are all full of excitement and a roller coaster of emotions. 

It's such a happy time! Your mind begins to wonder, boy/girl? What should we name the baby?

Oh the nursery! (& the planning begins) The first few appointments are so exciting, especially when you get to see your little peanut on the ultrasound screen. There is nothing like hearing the heartbeat for the first time!

However, along with those joys- come the morning sickness. 

When they say  "morning" they use that term loosely. At least for myself.

It lasted ALL day and I have actually had it during my entire pregnancy! It never went away

once I made it into the 2nd trimester, like it does for most. I tried 3 different medications prescribed by my doctor before we found the one that worked for me to help take the nausea away. Even then I had to make sure I had food in my system, but that my stomach wasn't to full because I would get sick, or it wasn't too empty because- YUP! You guessed it, I would get sick! 

In the beginning I lost 12 lbs from not being able to keep much down. 

Next up exhaustion! I have always been a big believer in naps! When I am able, I make sure to sneak one in! However once I got pregnant it's like I couldn't sleep enough. My husband always joked and said I was in a coma, he wasn't far off! If I was not at work, you could find me in bed or on the sofa catching some ZzZzZZ's. This never really went away as the pregnancy went on either. It just got worse. Especially now in my 3rd trimester. 

Ohhhhhhhh the heartburn. There is NOTHING that can prepare you for this! Tums, antacids, chews whatever you can take becomes your best friend. My purse looked like a heartburn bomb went off for months! I have multiple stashes all around the house! In the kitchen, next to my bed & some in the bathroom! So whenever it would strike I would be ready! This as well got worse the bigger I got. Which makes perfect sense, seeing as how the bigger baby Hadley gets, the less room there is in my belly causing everything I eat or drink to just sit at the top & create indigestion. 

2nd trimester:

Random symptoms can occur, and you can acquire an illness that you have never had before, and most likely will never have again after pregnancy. For me this started with carpel tunnel. 

I am a hair stylist, as most of you know... so I wasn't shocked when I discovered my wrists and hands tingling, going numb and having the worse burning sensation. It got to the point where I now sleep with wrist braces on, I have seen a massage therapist who worked on my hands and taught me tricks to help ease the pain. It would be one thing if you could take real pain medicine during pregnancy but Tylenol doesn't do much for me! Work got to be difficult as my hands would give out during a haircut or color service. Shampooing was the worst! My doctor feels this may be one thing that stays with me after delivery due to my line of work! So there may be a surgery in my near future! 

Which I am a-okay with if it gets rid of the pain. 

Even really attractive things like hemorrhoids can occur. 

We wont even go into detail about these, but know it can happen!

What a weak bladder you end up having! Potty breaks are more often than not! They even wake you from your sleep! They come on out of no where and sometimes you don't even make it to the bathroom! You can even pee a little when you cough or sneeze! I know, attractive right?! The potty breaks that wake you, I feel are just preparing me for those late night feedings. So I actually don't even get mad anymore. I just try to think about what it will be like when she's here and how excited I am to see her face!

Like I mentioned before the morning sickness, heartburn & exhaustion 

just increased during my 2nd trimester!

You even have the possibility of getting gestational diabetes, which I was so blessed to have skipped this symptom! Many woman I know have had it and actually get it during every pregnancy! You get the luxury of drinking a very sugary, syrup like drink an hour before they take blood work! That's how they determine your results or see if you need further testing! Most woman complain about how awful the drink taste, I myself didn't mind it! I had the orange flavor and felt that it just tasted like very sugary Hi-C! 

Swelling is no joke! I know I am on my feet all day doing hair so it doesn't help- but the sooner you start wearing compression socks, the better! So what if you feel like an old lady! I wish I would have started a long time again. I have no more ankles, and my feet can't even fit into most of my shoes & boots anymore. My ankles look like softballs when I get home and take my shoes and socks off! My hands and face have even swollen a little bit. I can no longer wear my wedding bands. I purchased a fake set at Wal-Mart for like $10 and I can occasionally squeeze it on if my hands aren't too bad, but most days I don't even bother!

3rd trimester:

Now keeping all those symptoms in mind, lets add just a few more!

Your body aches all over. But mostly in your lower back, hip's and pelvis where baby is now hanging out and making their way down to get ready for birth! You will feel so much pressure. I always joke that when I stand up she is going to fall out! (If only it were that easy, right ladies?!) You totally begin to waddle! My husband always mocks my walk when were hanging out around the house. He says I look like an old lady, with a hunchback, with bow legs. Such a sweetheart right? he he.

Turning over in bed becomes difficult, you have to pretty much lift your entire body up and re-adjust. 

Vomiting & Diarrhea have become a thing for me recently. Again so attractive right? I told my doctor and her response was "Yeah I didn't wanna tell you but usually if you are really sick in the beginning it comes back in the end ten times worse" So while I am still on my nausea medication I am occasionally throwing up again and spend a lot of time in the bathroom,  if ya catch my drift. 

I am sure you have heard about them, but braxton hicks are no fun! They are just false contractions, preparing your body for the real deal. But they still don't feel pleasant and can come in at anytime. Normally they go away if you drink some cold water, or you change positions. 

Recently I had a preeclampscia scare. I went into my docs for my weekly visit and they detected protein in my urine. They told me to watch my blood pressure because when high BP is paired with protein in your urine it is a major sign for preeclampscia. Which means you can get seizures during pregnancy. Another one of those symptoms that come during these 40 weeks, and usually disappear after delivery. Other things that come along with this disease are horrible headaches that can't be taken away with Tylenol or caffeine. They may even blur your vision. You could become dizzy and lightheaded. I had multiple of those. 

Which lead to me doing a 24 HR urine test (let me tell you how NOT fun that was! Peeing in a jug EVERY time you had to go- for 24 hours), and had multiple blood test done. My results all came back okay but my doctor told me they were classifying my symptom as gestational hypertension, which just means high blood pressure during pregnancy. Therefore like preeclampscia the only "cure" for this is to deliver the placenta. 

So my doctor no longer wants to risk me going past my 37 week mark, meaning I will be induced and have baby girl 3 weeks early! We already have it scheduled and I have to go to the hospital for Non Stress Tests twice a week until she arrives to monitor her and I and make sure my BP doesn't rise. With gestational hypertension if your BP is all over the place like mine, it doesn't take much for it to switch to preeclampsia. Which can be very dangerous for mom! In most cases, baby is not affected. 

So I am on bed rest until she makes her arrival. They don't want me working any longer and just taking it easy so that we can make it to that 37 week mark so she is mature and considered full term. 

They recommend I lay on my left side as much as possible, as that is the ideal position for baby and I, to keep my BP normal. 

Now it is just a waiting game! 

Luckily I already had my amazing baby shower, which I will be blogging about later this week!

So I have all the things I NEED for baby! 

& Her nursery is all done !

(which I will also be blogging about soon, 

so you can all see what I have been working on the last 9 months)

We are ready for you Hadley Renee!

All the crazy symptoms in the world couldn't keep me from you.

& I know I haven't even met you yet, but I know I would do it all over again in a

heartbeat if the outcome was getting you!

<3

Halfway there

21weeks and counting...

For those of you not used to tracking your life by weeks, I'm almost 6 months pregnant !

I feel I am finally at the point in pregnancy where I can enjoy it.
I have not been feeling as sick the past couple weeks, and am very grateful for that!
I finally look pregnant, and not just like I've packed on a couple extra pounds for winter.

I am loving life.

Don't let that fool you though, I still have heartburn..
I still toss and turn every night and get little sleep..
There are plenty of foods I still shy away from because I know the outcome of eating them..

Pregnancy is not picture perfect like most moms make it out to be.
On their behalf I do believe whole heartedly that once that little babe is laid in your arms
after birth, all this discomfort is washed away from your memory and no longer seems "that bad".

I can not believe we are passed the half way mark. This is how we have been keep track of baby ing. Each week I change out the weeks and what size fruit she is ! I am 21 weeks and 3 days exactly. I have 18 weeks and 4 days left until Miss Hadley's due date.
Yes I said HADLEY! If you do not follow me on instagram or facebook, be sure to do so! I announced the name of our little one a few weeks back! I'm always keeping up with those two social media sites more than my blogs, so stay in the loop!

From the very beginning, before we even knew it was a girl Hadley was at the top of our list.
When I was still a stylist at Kenneth's, I was doing hair for a wedding party. I had just finished a couple bridesmaids and the bride when this sweet little girl hops in my chair.
She said "Hi my name is Haddy, what's yours?" with the biggest smile on my face, I replied "I'm Molly, nice to meet you Haddy." I turned to her mom and told her that was such a cute name, and she informed me "Well her name is Hadley but we all call her Haddy". From that moment on I always knew that name was going on my "list" for children names someday!

We had a harder time picking out boys names. That list seemed forever long, so it was nice to see pink when we cut into our cake, so there was no guessing.. we knew it was Hadley.

Renee is my middle name, and we wanted to keep it in the family, so we are passing it down to her.
Levi has his fathers middle name, and will pass it on one day if we have a son, so we figured it was fair to give our daughter mine.

Many things are happening here at the Ingram home to prepare for her.
Her nursery is coming together. We have most of the big things done, such as crib bought and put together. We had an old dresser we just painted to match the crib. We painted the walls as soon as we found out we were pregnant. They are a neutral creamy stonewashed color. There are these great valance boxes in all the rooms of our home above the windows that came with our home, we painted them coral to begin the theme for Hadley's nursery.

We are doing pops of grey, coral & gold...and glitter you can't forget the glitter!

There are two closet's in the room, we took the doors off of both, and are going to hang curtains instead. I like the openness of it, and how you can utilize more space. We are going to paint the inside of the closet's coral as well, for an extra pop of color. One of them is going to be turned into a reading/toy nook for now.. and someday we will transform it into a built in desk area for her to do her homework.

All we really need is a chair for me to nurse in, and some more decor for the walls & it will be complete. Her name that is sitting in the window seal will be hung above her crib eventually. 

Her closet and dresser is already full of clothes that have been bought by myself, friends and family or majority of it donated from aunts and uncles. I love walking by her room and seeing all the little clothes and shoes. As if I wasn't excited enough already..

With the holidays quickly upon us I know the rest of this journey is going to fly by! I am so anxious for her arrival, but am trying to cherish these few months I have left carrying her.

Daddy is getting rather excited to! It has been so fun to watch him over the last 21 weeks.. the closer it gets, the more sentimental I believe he becomes. I can't wait until he is able to feel her move. I have noticed her little nudges and jabs for the past 3 weeks now, and it is so amazing! I feel as if I love her so much already, I can't imagine what it is going to feel like when she's born.


& so the journey continues..

Maternity style

Maternity Style- 101

I am no pro at this, seeing how this is my first pregnancy! However I have really enjoyed dressing my bump & can't wait to keep it up for the next few months! 

I figured this post would be appreciated since the majority of my friends and facebook feed is consumed by mommy to be's all due around the same time as me! 

I have been fortunate enough that most of my clothes still fit going into my 19th weeks. I have only purchased a couple new tops and a few pair of pants. Leggins are my favorite! 

Who knew maternity clothes were so comfy!!! 

Some of my usual beauty habbits have taken a back seat to my new daily beauty routine. Such a false lashes! I used to wear them daily, but just can't seem to find the energy to apply them every single day anymore. 

I recently have cut my hair off, which makes it easier for my to style each day as well! I'm learning the more simple I make life, the less stress I put on myself and my body. Even just by avoiding the little things. 

Below are some of my favorite outfits I have put together since being pregnant.  

Each week I take photos to track my bump, this was in my first trimester! 

I paired a pair of my regular black leggings, with a white tee from Victoria secrets, P!NK line! I belted a gray cardigan I got from the Lauren Conrad line @ kohls and finished my look with my go-to black Charlotte Russe boots. That is my favorite place to get cheap stylish boots each season! It's actually what I ask my hubby for each year for my birthday, since around fall they have but a pair, get a pair for $10! How can someone pass that deal up?? 

This is a little red dress I wore last Christmas that I belted to show off my bump! I threw on a black & gold scarf from Forever 21 & wore my black Charoltte Russe boots again. 

This was my last attempt to wear regular clothes. I actually took this pic while mom and I were shopping for my first maternity pieces, this was the first week of my 2nd trimester. I was having one of those "nothing fits me" days! My mother laughed historically when I walked out of the house in this! She swore I wouldn't be caught dead wearing something so quickly thrown together when I was younger. I told her "it must be a mom thing" 

I paired a regular pair of cropped leggings  from the Lauren Conrad line at kohl's with a red and white patterned swim suit cover up I got a Walmart during the summer, I finished the look with some old ankle boots I have had for years. They are so old I don't even remember where I got them! 

This was taken that same day, in the dressing room of Macy's! I'm wearing pea in the pod's brand maternity leggins, that are full coverage and have the stretchy elastic band that cover my entire stomach. The top is Jessica Simpsons line from motherhood. It's by far my favorite maternity purchase so far! The leggins are so comfy, and the top is too cute! My favorite part is the lace detailing on the shoulders. 

 Later that week I work this dress I got that same day, it is also Jessica Simpson from motherhood! It is hard to see in the photo but it is, stripped like that top but is navy blue and black! It ties in the back! I paired it with those same leggins, and some western looking calf height boots from DSW. 

Last weekend my husband and I made a trip to the outlet malls to do some shopping for his new job & the baby.  I found a motherhood store down there and snagged a couple more pairs of full coverage leggings, one in black, and then the ones in brown- pictured here. 

I'm wearing a regular white fitted tank, you know the ones with the built in bras. & I threw on this old blazer I had from kohls that I bought many moons ago but it's a light tan, and the cuffed sleeves are coral. If you know me well, and see me often then you have probably seen me in these tan cowboy boots I got from Charrtte Russe last season. I wear them almost everyday. The soles are falling apart and I will probably cry the day I can no longer wear them! 

I have found I feel more confident when I'm in clothes that are a little more fitted, not flowy. So that you can clearly see I am pregnant and not just packing on the pounds. 

Going into the fall & winter months I know layering is going to be my signature. 

Adding a belt I have found always helps dress up any outfit and separate your stomach from your chest, to again show off that baby bump!

Hope this helps & gives you many mommy to be's ideas!! 

Xo-

Molly. 

Lures or Lace: Gender Reveal Party!

What will baby "Ing" be!?

Boy or girl? 

Will daddy & I need 

fishing lures or lots of lace? 

Keep reading to find out...

Thanks to Pinterest, even before I was pregnant I was planning the perfect gender reveal party! 

If you know me well, then you know I am obsessed with hosting party's. I love everything about them from decorating details, to the menu & fun! 

Since the whole idea behind a Gender Reveal party was to find out the sex of your baby, I knew the fun part was already taken care of! 

When we were officially pregnant I searched and searched for the perfect theme for us! I came across the "lures or lace" idea! I knew it was meant to be!

For those of you that know my husband, know he would quit his day job in a heart beat to move out west and become a fishing guide if life let him! I spend most of my weekends off with him at Cabelas, Dicks Sporting Goods, and now thanks to Easton Town Center, Field & Stream picking out the perfect lure! 

And I am all for things burlap and lace! So that was a no brainer! 

We wanted to keep the guest list small and intimate so we just invited immediate family members and a select group of friends to share the moment with us! 

The morning of the party my parents met us at Ultrasona, a place in Columbus where you can go to find out the sex of the baby a few weeks before your doctor will actually tell you. 

The impatient libra's that my husband and I are, couldn't wait!

My mom went into the room with us! It was so peaceful and quiet. I got to lay on this huge comfy bed while they lounged on a huge leather sectional that could fit about 20 people! 

We got to see all sorts of angles of the baby on a big screen tv while the tech took measurements and pointed body parts out to us. 

Once it came time to find out the gender, they turned the big screen off & called my mom over to the monitor. We didn't want to find out until later that night at our party with everyone else!

They quickly discovered what baby Ing was, gave my mom some ultra sound pics with the sex on it, and she quickly made her escape to the car where my step dad was waiting for the news! 

We all went our separate way for the day, knowing not to talk to much or get to close in case my mom spilled the beans. 

Levi and I headed home to get the house ready for the party. While my parents went shopping!

Let the decorating begin...

I had a boy table full of things the old wives tales say you crave when your having a boy, which is mostly salty treats. 

I made a popcorn bar, where guest could make their own popcorn bags full of seasonings and snacks

My dear friend who has become our go to photographer captured so many precious details throughout the evening. This one being a favorite of mine... I made a banner of the ultrasound pictures from that morning to hang above the boy display... And this was our favorite photo of baby ing from that day! 

The girl craving table was outside, and it was stocked with cake pops and the main event, the cake which encased the gender of the baby! 

A friend and client of mine, actually made 2 cakes! My mom called her with the results, and she marked which one we needed to cut, but she made a boy & girl cake just incase! Inside each was pink or blue candies that would spill out once we cut into it!

I made this sign that welcomed guest as they came in the door, and my husband added his touch by putting all the lures on the top and the lace on the bottom!

We had a table set up where guest could vote for what they thought we were having, the results were mostly girl & only 3 boy guesses!

I also had a sign made that was of all the wives tales and according to them, I was having a girl 100% not one of them said boy! 

The anticipation was killing everyone! 

They kept begging me to cut the cake sooner. 

So once it finally came time, everyone gathered outside & I'll let this video do the rest of the explaining...

IT'S OBVIOUSLY A GIRL! 

I was a little excited to say the least. 

Don't mind the knife that falls toward my husbands foot, after I set it down. But how amazing is the look on his face in that photo. 

My friend Sarah, whom has been a best friend of mine since 5th grade is also pregnant and is due at the end of December this year. She is having a girl too ! So needless to say she was a little excited as well! We can't wait to raise our girls together and we hope they are BFF's just like us!

My mom, who had to keep the secret all day from me, was overwhelmed with joy when I finally heard the news. She knew how perfect a little girl would fit into our world and she is so excited that I get to have a daughter just like she did. 

This photo means more to me than I think our photograpaher even realizes as she captured all 3 of my parents & I in one shot.

 As I'm hugging my mom, standing next to my step dad & my father in the hat directing behind them. I am so blessed to have all three of them standing by me and supporting me with everything in life. They are more special to me than they know, because I no longer have any living grandparents, so as our daughter will not get to meet any of her great-grandparents on my side I know she will be so loved, blessed & SPOILED by these three grandparents!

As I mentioned before my mom went shopping as soon as she left our appointment and she knew what it was. So once things settled that evenin I had a present to open....

I mean what is cuter than this mini fur vest?

Oh wait, maybe this adorable rose outfit. 

& just because it wasn't a boy, doesn't mean daddy doesn't get his lure fix! 

How adorable is this little pink tackle box?

I can't even describe the joy I felt while embracing my husband once we knew it was LACE over lures. From the begginning he has said "It's a girl!" Not once has he thought it was a boy. As every man I'm sure longs for a son, he has been so excited and ready for his daddy's girl to get here!

Thanks for all the love and support already! We are so overwhelemed with joy. We sure have enjoyed spreading the news. 

As many of you have been asking, we do indeed have her name picked out. 

We are just keeping it to ourselves a little longer. 

----------------------------------------

Photo credits go to Justine of Justine Linn Photography & if you are local you better LOOK HER UP! You will not be disappointed.  She is so loving and good at what she does. She cares about her clients and it shows in her photos. 

Life in the first trimester

Before I jump into how things have been thus far..
I wanted to fill you in on Levi's reaction to finding out we were pregnant!

(If you haven't even read my reaction to find out yet, click here to read my previous post)


He got home from work late that night, walked in and just skipped all the excitement I had laid out on the table announcing to him! I had to remind him I had a surprise for him....

He walked over to the table.... skimmed right over the adorable onsie I made for him and picked up the preganncy test's. He cover his mouth and just kept repeating "omg, omg, omg, omg" with the biggest grin. He then began to ask if both said positive! I shook my head yes and squealed. It took him a moment to process but it was the cutest most guienue response I could have ever asked for.

___________________________________*______________________________________


I have actually looked forward to being pregnant and growing that baby bump for years now.
The moment my hubby and I said "I do" somewhere in the back of my mind baby mode kicked in.

But us both being Libra's allowed for lots of planning, and we both agreed in waiting to have kids for a few years. We wanted to enjoy those first few years alone and just enjoy each others company.

From the start we always said "We're on the 5 year plan!"
My mother always replied with.."I hope that doesn't work out for you!"
As an only child, my parents have been anxiously waiting the last 3 years for grandchildren.
Looks like my mom got that wish, as we are two years shy of our "plan"

If I have learned anything about becoming parents, it's that you are never REALLY ready.
There is no set time, no way to prepare completely.

This first trimester has kicked my you know what!
I thought pregnancy would be all butterflies, and baby talk. Full of yummy foods, and cute maternity clothes. Little did I know it would consist of all day "morning sickness", exhaustion like I've never felt, and no bump at all! Just bloating :)

Whoever decided to name the nausea attacks "morning sickness" was seriously mistaken. I know every woman and every pregnancy is different. So as my first, I am already looking forward to my second hoping this portion is smoother. I have tried all the tricks in the books from saltine crackers, ginger, preggie pops, eating small frequent meals like a toddler, and natural remedies. Nothing seemed to be doing the trick. I decided to seek help from my doctor who prescribed me two medications, the second after the first wasn't working for 3 weeks. I have been on the second medication for a couple days now and it has helped the most so far of everything I have tried, but
I still can't go a day without barring my face in the toilet.

My husband always jokes with the doctor and family whenever someone asks how tired I am. He rants about how I was a "napper" before pregnancy so you can only imagine me now! I have to admit, he is kinda right. But you will never catch me complain about this symptom. I am taking advantage of all this sleep, while I still can!!

As it is still too early to determined the gender of the baby, every day is a guessing game.
I have done the Chinese gender calculator, compared my symptoms to all the old wives tales, tied my wedding bands to a string and dangled them over my belly, and gone over possible baby names a million times!
We are planning on doing a gender reveal party next month with our immediate family and close friends! So stay tuned if you are just as anxious as we are!

I am coming to the end of my first trimester and am looking forward to see what the second brings! Praying that bump I've always dreamt of rocking! Through the good and the bad, I am so blessed to be able to be carrying a child. I know so many woman can't...and my heart truly breaks for them.
Everyone should be able to experience this journey...

The Day I Discovered You

SUNDAY JULY 6TH, 2014

Wow.
What a whirl wind this whole day has been.
Started out like an ordinary Sunday.
The hubby and I woke up, got ready, made our way to church with our usual stop at starbucks.
I Normally get a Venti iced black tea and occasionally banana nut bread.
This morning I was feeling extra hungry and went for a bagel with cream cheese and my tea!

Church was amazing, as always.
We have found a home in a new church in New Albany, Ohio
where we lived shortly after married life. We look forward to our Sundays.

Afterwards we stopped by a store at Easton so the hubby could exchange something.
I waited in the car and just played on my phone. I was starting to feel a little nauseous.
But this didn't seem out of the norm for me, as I get car sick easily.

Headed home, and had a great talk about planning a family and parenting beliefs.
I was 11 days late, and didn't think much of this either, as I am always irregular.

(yeah look at me missing all the sings)

But we decided I should probably call the gyno in AM to see about our options since we
were officially trying to get pregnant. The hubby told me to take a test today, since that would be the first thing they are going to ask!

As he left for work, I Kissed him goodbye and headed to the grocery store.

Got everything on our list and the pregnancy test!
Remember thinking to myself as it was scanned at the register
"aw I will have to think of something cute to do tonight to surprise Levi when he gets home
to tell him were PREGNANT!" quickly shaking that thought away and laughing at myself saying.."I'm not pregnant"

Got home, took the test and laid it flat like instructions say.
I have taken test's before due to scares and usually look right away.
But this time, I turned it over and walked into the kitchen to unload grocery's.

I got distracted by telling a friend I was waiting on test results. We got caught up in the moment and excitement and I forgot to check the test for a little while. I went back to it finally, and it was clear as can be ...... PLUS SIGNSSS FOR DAYS!

I quickly call the friend back and started crying!
She squealed and said she was on her knees praying the entire time!

I jumped for joy, and cried some more, and then said "crap I have to call my mom"

My mom answered the phone and I said " you are going to be a grandma!" she couldn't even form sentences, as she was eager to be a grandma!

She barley said much more before saying "Pee on another one, I'm coming over" and hanging up without even saying goodbye!

We cried, and hugged! Once the excitment had died down a little, we headed to the store to buy some things to make that "surprise" I had initially thought about so that once the hubby got home from work I could shower him with the good news.

......Its now 10:30 pm, he is on his way home, and I am sitting here very impatiently lol.

I have already began pinning my life away! & according to all the apps in the world and usual estimating procedures, I am almost 6 weeks pregnant and "Baby Ing" is the size of an Appleseed!

I can't describe the emotions I am feeling.
I can promise you this has not even sunk in yet!

So enjoy this photo of How Levi will find out, while I keep processing all this excitement!