Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Happy Birthday Charles Lee!

Our second baby boy turns one month old tomorrow.
In honor of him being a whole month old I want to share his birth story with you all today.
{It's been a while since I have posted, getting used to a house with two little ones is quite an adjustment... more on that in another post}

The Thursday before baby number two was born I had my regular weekly check.
They did an ultrasound to check the baby as far as weight and fluids just to make sure he was doing alright.
{Oliver was born five weeks early and was a large baby which makes me think my doctor was just being safe}
Well, he was measuring small, not too small but small enough that they wanted to send me over to a specialist to get a more accurate weight check.

Andrew's off work on Mondays, so I had scheduled the weight ultrasound check for Monday July 27th so that he could be there. Due to his work and the office hours for our doctor he hadn't been able to make any other visits this time around and I wanted him there in case they told me something was wrong.

We spent our entire morning at the doctors, having ultrasound after ultrasound and each time I thought I was done, got all dressed, the nurse kept coming back, "Oh just one more thing, the doctor wants another reading."
Not to mention, I was STARVING at this point.
We had woken up early, got ready and dropped Oliver off with my Mom.
Our plan was, go to the doctor, get the all clear and go to lunch.
So I didn't eat a large breakfast, in fact I just had a Breakfast Essentials shake to tide me over.

Big mistake.

After an hour of ultrasounds the doctor finally came in.
She decided she wanted to take a look herself.
Once she was done she told us that the blood flowing through the umbilical cord was a little more stressed than she would have liked it to be.
She recommended that we had the baby that day.
Okay, so I wasn't all that surprised... We were already over 37 weeks and having only made it to 35 with Oliver, I was thrilled to give this baby a couple more weeks to grow.

At the hospital before anyone showed up, it was just the two of us :)

The office we were at for the ultrasound is connected to a hospital, not the hospital that we wanted to deliver at, however instead of sending us out to where I wanted to be, they had me take a non stress test to make sure the baby was okay enough to travel.
Had I not passed they were going to make us go straight to the ER at their hospital.
Thankfully we passed with flying colors, got in contact with my doctor who told us to go straight to the hospital of my choice.

I was so excited... Hungry as all get out but excited!
{Just ask Andrew, all day that was all I kept saying to him, I know he got super annoyed, but whatever, I was 37 weeks pregnant and wanted food}
Due to having a repeat C-Section I was not allowed to eat or drink anything.
It's funny, how you can go hours without eating or drinking anything on any normal day, but the second you are TOLD you can't, that's when it becomes unbearable.

Anyway, we called our parents and siblings to fill them in on what was going on.
It did work out that Oliver was already with my Mom.
To be honest I was afraid of going into labor, having to bring Oliver with us to the hospital and having baby number two before anyone could get up to the hospital to watch Oliver, and I would have to go into surgery alone.

We took our time getting to the hospital, as I wasn't actually in labor, there wasn't a huge rush.
This entire experience was totally different than Oliver's delivery.
I was relaxed and confident about what was going to happen.
I was nervous but excited and I was so ready to meet our new baby boy.

We got to the hospital, checked in and they took me to an operating room prep/recovery area.
Our families all showed up, even Andrew's brother came up and it was HIS birthday as well.
We got there a little after noon and the surgery was originally scheduled for 3pm but ended up getting pushed back to 5pm.
Since I wasn't in labor the wait wasn't physically painful at all... Getting the IV was the worst part.

For the next few hours we just hung out, Oliver was up there so I got to see him before going into surgery which was exactly what I needed and wanted.
He was super unsure as to what was going on and I think the room scared him.
At least his entire family, people he recognized were up there with him the whole time.

Around 4:15 they gave me all the medicines that I needed and that was when I lost it.
It was the weirdest feeling ever, that moment between feeling everything and feeling nothing.
They wanted me to turn over on my side and my muscles started to pull, I was in pain and I just started to cry.
I was so terrified the medicine wasn't going to work and I was going to end up feeling everything.

It's so hard not to compare both birth experiences.
With Oliver, I had labored from about 4am until 5pm before they decided to go ahead and do a CSection.
I had been pumped with medicine all day, pushed for multiple hours and was exhausted.
By the time I went in for surgery with Oliver, I was pretty much out of it.
I barely remember anything and unfortunately I don't even remember holding Oliver for the first time.

This time around, I was given different medicine due to the fact that I wasn't going to be laboring, just straight into surgery for the CSection.
I was totally with it.
I actually felt the "tugging" and "pulling" they said I would feel.
{Again, another thing I didn't feel with Oliver}
I remember everything about it, the doctor and nurses were all in a much more spirited and happy mood this time around as well.
No pressure, it was so much more relaxed.

The CSection was scheduled for 5pm and at 5:05pm I heard the most beautiful noise I could ever imagine.
Charles Lee LaRose cried.
He was here and he was healthy and perfect.



I actually remembering holding him.
I remember everything.
They even let me hold him from surgery into recovery and from recovery to a regular room.

In recovery

I didn't get to hold Oliver until I had been in recovery for a while.

I felt amazing.
It was such an amazing feeling.
I am sad I didn't get to feel that way with Oliver.
However, our story is special as is mine with Charlie.
They are different but both so perfect.

One day old

He was born on July 27th 2015 at 5:05pm.
He weight 6lbs 9oz. and was 19 1/4 inches long.

He was and still is absolutely perfect.

Spending some time with big brother and daddy!

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

What's In My Hospital Bag - Baby and Me

When I was in the hospital for Oliver I realized that I had severely OVER packed my bag, which made it very difficult to find anything that I really wanted.

So this time around I made it very simple, all of our stuff combined fits into one nice overnight bag.

For the simple fact that I will be having another C-Section, which means multiple days and nights in the hospital, my bag may have a little bit more in it than a Mom who is going to be going home very soon after delivery.

Either way I hope this is at least a starting point for those of you out there who have no idea where to begin packing your bags :)

1. Robe - Not a bath robe but a night time robe. This is one of my absolute must haves for my hospital stay. I don't know about any other Mom's out there but after I had Oliver my body temperature fluctuated like crazy, one minute I was hotter than hot and the next I was freezing. Not only for the comfort factor but having something pink and pretty just helped me feel a little bit better about the fact that I was barely able to stand up, let alone shower, do my hair or any form of makeup.

2. Flip Flips - Or you could go with slippers, I don't own any slippers and personally don't care for them. I just wanted something under my feet to walk around on and not slip, making socks not an ideal candidate.

3. Yoga Pants - Now the majority of my stay I just wore my robe and a tank top and was perfectly fine. However there were a couple times when certain family members came to visit that I wanted to look a little more presentable and you know, have pants on. I brought a pair of maternity and regular yoga pants this time, my maternity ones didn't quite fit me last time so who knows!

4. Nursing Tank Tops - You could also go for regular tanks and a nursing bra, I will also have a few nursing bras with me as well, they're a little bit larger than my regular bras so they will probably end up fitting more comfortably than any of the regular ones I have packed away. Anyway, nursing tanks are the perfect tops to wear throughout your entire stay at the hospital. Easy access if you are attempting to breast feed, or just for comfort if you are not.

I will also have a few toiletries with me as well, shampoo and conditioner and body wash in case I feel up to showering at any point. I will probably throw a little bit of make up in my bag as well, just because in the moment I will feel optimistic about it and then throw the idea right out the window once the time comes when I would wear it. I will also have my toothbrush and toothpaste stowed away as well, basically anything you would bring in the toiletries department on a short weekend vacation will do in this case.



This was where I went crazy over board last time, packing for baby. Most of the time your little one will stay all swaddled up and perfectly content in just a diaper, or if you have a baby like my first, they will be jaundice and have to be kept under a light the entire time they are in the hospital wearing absolutely nothing but their diaper. In any case here are just a few things I threw into the bag for our next little man just in case I get the chance to play around with him more :)

1. Swaddle Blankets - I'm obsessed with this blankets, they are super thin and comfortable and can be used for just about everything. I would recommend bringing one or two max to the hospital with you.

2. Sleepers - In case you have a little one that will be able to stay in the room with you and you want to put them in a sleeper a night or so. I love this "LITTLE BROTHER" one I got from Target!

3. Onesies - For the visitors coming to the hospital, so you can have your little one all dressed up and looking handsome! Also, bringing along a cute onesie is perfect for the going home outfit as well!

4. Half Moon Shaped Burp Cloths - Just like the swaddle blankets I am obsessed with these. They just fit so perfectly over your shoulder and you don't have to mess with scrunching up a square burp cloth next to your ear. I have two in my bag ready to go!

Now I'm sure last minute I will feel the need to rush around the house grabbing things unnecessarily feeling very under prepared, however for now I feel like I have packed very conservatively and we will probably only end up using half of what I have packed!

Oh, and don't forget the Camera, Phone and Phone Chargers either!! Those are priceless items you will need with you too!!

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Monday, July 27, 2015

Weekend ~ Favorite Non-Maternity Wear

TOP {Forever 21 - Similar} // PANTS {Motherhood Maternity} // BRACELET {Nordstrom} // BRACELET {Park Lane} // SHOES {Target - Similar}

There's nothing like getting a little dressed up to make yourself feel better when all you want to do is crawl back under the covers in the morning and sleep all day. That's exactly what happened to me this weekend, being this far along with baby Charlie ti has become increasingly important I have some motivation to not sit around all day in my pajamas.

This top is actually a dress I purchased from Forever 21 three years ago for my cousins wedding. I have worn in only a handful of times and thought I would humor myself to see how it fit this weekend. To my surprise it became the perfect top to pair with my capris and some flats. This is definitely one of my favorite non-maternity items right now.

The rest of our weekend was pretty relaxing and we are soaking it all in. It's just a matter of time before Charlie arrives and all of our lives will be turned upside down. I, personally, am cherishing every bit of sleep I can get and doing my best to be as lazy as possible. It does help that Andrew is being beyond amazing and is pampering me like crazy.



On a productive note, Andrew did paint Oliver's room over the weekend as well. We still don't have any furniture for Oliver's big boy room and he's still sleeping in his crib, that will sooner than later be Charlie's room. It's crazy, we are so close to our C-Section date and we still have no furniture for Oliver to transition to and it isn't even stressing me out. I can't explain it, last time I needed everything to be done right away and this time, it's incredibly different. I guess that's the difference between pregnancy number one and two. Any other Mom's out there experience this?!

Today I'm linking up with
MEGHAN and BIANA for {Weekending}
&
ERIN for {Weekend Snapshots}

Until Next Time,
<3 <3 <3
Melissa

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Saturday, July 25, 2015

Happy Weekend - Nordstrom Sale Favorite

BLOUSE {Nordstroms} // PANTS {Jessica Simpson Maternity} // SHOES {Target-Similar} // PURSE {Coach-Similar} // BRACELET {Nordstroms} // BRACELET {Park Lane}

Happy Saturday everyone.
I'm sitting here writing this, 37 weeks pregnant, and absolutely ready to meet our new little man.

If you've been following my Instagram you saw this outfit I wore a few days back and I have to say it is one of my favorites, and most comfortable!
I went through my Nordstrom wishlist and purchased this shirt {in white and black} with the thoughts of wearing it after baby, however once it arrived I realized it could be easily worn right now as well.
I'm looking forward to styling this shirt later on this Fall, but for now it is my go to shirt that flows perfectly over the baby bump! There's nothing better than an item that you can style both while pregnant and after as well.

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

Until Next Time,
<3 <3 <3
Melissa

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Thursday, July 23, 2015

Shop My Closet at Poshmark!

So I recently signed up for Poshmark and to say that I'm a little obsessed would be an understatement.

The fact that I'm currently pregnant {or by the time you're reading this I may have just had our second baby} has made the itch to shop for new clothes all the more intense.

I can't wait to have our little bundle of joy here, to play with and cuddle with, but also so I can get back into shape and start making some purchases!!

Of course before I can buy anything myself I decided to go ahead and sell some clothes that I know I will never be wearing again, even though for a little while now I have convinced myself I needed these items. I'm trying to stop living in denial and clean out the closet!



Most of these items have only been worn once or twice, a few have been worn a handful of times but all are in great condition and have been well cared for!

If you have any questions or want to share your closets please leave the link to your closet in the comments!

Happy Poshing!

Until Next Time,
<3 <3 <3
Melissa

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Monday, July 20, 2015

Our Weekend

Our weekend was pretty relaxed and low key.
Being on Baby Watch has very much limited the amount of time we feel comfortable spending away from the house.

Today I'm linking up with
MEGHAN and BIANA for {Weekending}
&
ERIN for {Weekend Snapshots}

On Thursday I got to write this post.


Little did I know that when I wrote that post that I was only going to be going to work once more.
We made the decision that I needed to scale back, stay home and relax as much as possible.
With Oliver, since we delivered so early, and are currently over a week further this time around, it just made sense for me to be as relaxed as possible the next couple weeks.
Hopefully we can make it to the scheduled C-Section date of August 10th!

Friday I went to work just like normal, and honestly had every intention of being there longer.
This decision came up once I got home from work, contractions started getting closer together and the more I did, the worse they became.
Shirt (Motherhood Maternity) // Leggings (Motherhood Maternity)

Friday night Oliver made quite the mess while eating dinner.
Whatever keeps a seventeen month old happy, right?

Saturday we just relaxed and hung out at the house.
I also ended up making some home made chicken noodle soup.
The broth and all, it turned out way better than I expected it to!

I also received our maternity pictures, and I shared this one on Instagram!
I can't wait to share more in the days to come!

Sunday was per the usual, family day.
This Sunday Andrew's mom came out to the house for a while and then we went to my parents for dinner.
I haven't been feeling that great as of late so I decided to dress a little nicer in attempts to make myself feel a little better.
Shirt (Stitch Fix, Similar) // Jeans (Jessica Simspon Maternity) // Shoes (Similar) // Bracelet (Park Lane)

This morning I tweeted this...
Does the "Are you still watching" feature of Netflix drive anyone else crazy, or is it just me?

Happy Monday Everyone!!

Until Next Time,
<3 <3 <3
Melissa

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Friday, July 17, 2015

My Nordstrom Sale Favorites

Happy Friday everyone!!!

Today I'm linking up with
APRIL for {5 on Friday}
AMY and KARLI for {Oh Hey Friday}
AMANDA for {Friday Favorites}

Along with many other Non-Card Holders I have been drooling over my Nordstrom's Wishlist just waiting for the sale to go public.

I know I'm supposed to only share 5 but it was too hard to narrow down so I am sharing 7 of my favorites for these link ups today :)

So here are my FAVORITES for this event and I'm hoping to be able to add a few of these items to my closet:


{Pink Hush} {Red Poinsettia} {Black}
{Ivory} {Olive}

What's on your Wish List?!

Until Next Time,
<3 <3 <3
Melissa

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