Thursday, April 26, 2012

i'm her mama.

i had a job interview this morning; for an amazing job as a clinic nurse. it was a job i had seen previously available, and hoped to apply in the future. working under a very renowned surgeon, full benefits, pay almost double what i was making previously, and a beautiful clinic with a pleasant staff. i was thrilled! i love the O.R., and was so excited to think that i'd be able to scrub in on very exciting surgeries and procedures. the interview went very well, so well that the office was prepared to offer me the position tomorrow. to think, i would be working under one of the best surgeons in the nation!  things were going great, right up until the woman mentioned that it was  36 hours a week. because it was listed as part time, i didn't realize it was still four days a week. so i turned down the job, The Job, my dream job. 

Because i'm a mama. Her mama. and i love being her mama.

i get paid in giggles and smiles and when she wraps her hands around my neck, my world stops.

i admit, i cried a little bit after i turned down that job, but i cried harder when i thought about leaving my baby for almost every hour she's awake during the daytime. (by the way, i am so blessed to be a stay at home mama. for this season in our lives, i am able to be her mama full time. i am so proud of my husband, who works so hard so i can stay home. he received a raise and promotion at work, and i know it reflects the hard work he has put into his job, even when its not the easiest work.)

see, i miss my days of working; i was good at my job. but i've realized much of it was so gratifying. when i did  a great job, i was commended. recognized. thanked. 


now, when i do a "great job", it means that instead of numerical data and statistics that show i am succeeding, i have dinner on the table and a clean floor. it means my husband comes home to a happy baby and a wife who managed to get makeup and clean clothes on. not every day is "great"...most days my husband comes home to a wife who smells slightly of spit up, or a baby who is whining because i'm trying to juggle making dinner and holding her. there are no "raises", or "promotions" in my new job, at this mysterious calling of being a mom. some days are thankless, tiresome battles with a tiny little girl who doesn't want to nap.

but every day...every single day, i get to be her mom! and she amazes me. my days of office work are behind me for now...i don't get to wear high heels and pretty outfits and sit at my desk and be "important" in the eyes of the world. i haven't touched the inside of an OR or scrubbed in alongside a big-shot doctor in a year now. i miss it sometimes.

but the tiny arms that wrap around my neck? the sweet, kissable cheeks? the giggles that greet me each morning? it's the Lord's way of reminding me that i'm important to Him, i'm important to my husband, i'm important to Emmersyn.

i'm her mama.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

5 Things Every New Mama Will Love!


Being a busy mama means that I LOVE anything that helps me manage my time better, or make my life more organized. Since having the little one, I've found there are a few things I absolutely love. I've had a few friends asking about what I liked/didn't like/didn't use, so here's the list!


I have really expanded my cooking repertoire with this website. It has a HUGE list of recipes. Some are NOT healthy, and I skip those, but for the most part, they have ingredients that can be subbed out for healthier fare. I always sub brown rice for white, and throw in veggies, etc. The site also has ready made meal plans for a week, but since I don't like all the recipes for a whole week, I don't use that part. But just having such a great "recipe box" has been so helpful. I was back to cooking at week 2, but only easy meals, and this helped sooo much.

2) The Medela Double Electric Pump!
Oh, how I love this pump! As weird as it sounds, this thing saved me from some miserable nursing complications at the very beginning. Thanks to the pump, I was nursing with no problems by day four, and it got me through mastitis as well. We got it used, but bought all new tubes/sterilized all the parts, etc. Ended up being under 100$ for all the parts plus the used pump. It's FAST (2-5 minutes for a 3 oz bottle for me), and gentle.
Buy it here.

3) This workout DVD!
I gained an abysmal amount of weight with Emmy-Grace...I was absolutely terrified after I had her; that I'd never lose it. Thankfully, a lot was water, and I dropped all but 10 pounds within two weeks simply from nursing! The last ten have been a real pain, but I have just 5 more to go, and am now right back in my pre pregnancy sizes! This DVD was a lifesaver, I've been doing it at home and it keeps me right on track for my goals. Chris Powell is a little too perky sometimes, but it does keep you motivated...to be done haha ;) *Don't start exercising without your doctor's consent, I started at 2 weeks post partum, but you may need to wait until week 6.


4) Stretch Mark Cream by Mederma
I was given this by a friend and it's AMAZING. Because I gained so much weight, and then dropped it so fast, I was left with some nasty stretch marks across my tummy. This cream has almost removed them completely! Well worth the $$. Use it after a shower/hot bath. Available on Amazon and Target.
Buy it here.

5) The Ergo by Petunia Pickle Bottom!
A girl at Drew's work recommended the Petunia line to me, and I was overjoyed to find the Ergo in the pretty Petunia print! Emmersyn adores the Ergo, and it has SAVED MY BACK. I have had tremendous back pain since about 32 weeks pregnant, and the Ergo is the one and only thing I can carry emmy in that I have good posture and no back pain in.

5) Nursing cover

My sister makes these beautiful covers, and I've used it EVERY SINGLE DAY. They have a plastic band so you can see your little one without exposing yourself to the world. The one I have is lightweight, folds up really small, and is a pretty way to cover up. They are pretty similar to these. My sister makes beautiful covers from pretty prints. They are washable and dry up great in the dryer, which makes for easy clean up from spit up! Contact me if you want a custom one.

12 weeks old!



How can it really have been 12 weeks since this precious girl entered our lives? Everyone was right; it goes by way too fast. She is growing up right before our eyes.

Here are some highlights of her sweet growth and learning:

-Finally outgrowing newborn diapers (not sure why it took so long, but I think it may have been that I hadn't noticed they were so small. Oops! :)

-Wearing 0-3 month jammies and clothes.

-Sitting in the Bumbo like a big girl! We just got this, and she really likes it.

-Sleep: 9-10 hours a night, five 1.5 hour naps a day, self soothing in her own crib. Absolutely silent bedtimes, and her ability to put herself right to bed without rocking or nursing to sleep is amazing...she's been pretty much doing that from the start!

-Seeing Grandma and Papa every Tuesday while mommy and daddy go on a date, and having fun babysitters like Miss Emily, and "Uncle" Brent and Debbie.

-Still trying to roll over, but not quite interested in it yet, just wiggling.

-Entertaining everyone, everywhere we go. Target, grocery store, Starbucks. (It's pretty sad when the barista knows your kid...). Singing and talking to herself loudly attracts quite a lot of admirers.

-Being an overall giggly, happy, content baby! She is so easy and fun!