Jace: 4 and 5 Months

Something about the 4th month made everything easier! Jace started sleeping through the night consistently without waking up for the pacifier, and nap times got easier too! Since then it has just gotten better and more fun! We introduced solid foods right before 5 months and he has loved them. He started using his walker in the 4th month and LOVES it. He also has started sitting up independently and can roll both sides. At 4 months Jace went through a phase of getting startled by every loud noise and would poke his bottom lip out and scream. It was the cutest thing ever but we were a little worried he would be like that forever. Austin is always loud so this made us kind of nervous but turns out it was just a phase. I've realized that most things with kids are just phases and if you are patient and stay positive it will be over before you know it.

I went back to work after Jace turned 5 months and it has actually been a great transition. I am only working 1-2 days a week and Jace stays with my mom, mother in law, or Austin if it's the weekend. He is such a happy camper and has bonded even more closely with Austin and our family since having alone time with them. It is tough to be away but I'm thankful it is not very often and that we have such awesome family to spend time with him. I truly believe grandparents are so beneficial to children and provide a different source of comfort and mentorship that even parents can't give a child. I love that Jace has incredible grandparents to spend time with and look up to. I have also been shocked how anxious I was to leave Jace and being back at work has helped me realize he will be just fine if I have to step away. The 5th month also brought some belly laughter out of Jace and it is the absolute best sound in the world! Life with this little bud just gets better and more fun and I can't wait to see what he will do next. 

Jace: Three Months

On July 4th, our little man turned 3 months old! This month has been full of smiles and we are almost to the point of giggling. He loves to coo and baby talk all day long and is full of personality! We have settled into a nice little routine and he is sleeping 9-10 hours at night! 

Feeding:
Jace is still nursing and it has gotten a lot easier since starting him on medicine for acid reflux. At his 2 month appointment I told the doctor my concerns about him constantly arching his back and spitting up more. He is still spitting up a lot but the back arching and fussiness has slowed down a good deal. He typically nurses about 5-7 times a day and the typical times are 7am, 10am, 2pm, 5pm, and 8pm. He gained 1 pound this month and is up to 13 pounds but I think it's partially from when the reflux was an issue and partially from him not nursing as many times in a day. He is not that interested in feeding and would much rather play and look around most of the time. I have a feeling he is going to be a kid that I have to coax to eat because all he wants to do is move and play! He is so so wiggly and the slightest noise makes him pop off and want to look around. He is so curious and it is so hilarious to watch him struggle between wanting to eat and wanting to interact with everything around him. 

Sleep:
Jace has been a pretty good sleeper from the beginning and has started sleeping in longer stretches this month. We started doing bed time earlier because he's pretty fussy around 7pm on so we started our bedtime routine around then because I think the fussiness is just when he gets overtired. He takes 2-3 naps a day and they last anywhere from 1-2 hours. The morning nap is the easiest and he falls asleep almost immediately. We still swaddle for sleep and will probably transition out of that sometime this month. Right now he typically lays down for a nap around 8:30, 12, and 3 or 4. The last few days I have laid down with him around 5 for a 30-45 minute catnap and it is the absolute sweetest thing in the world! Around 7 or 7:15pm we start bath time (which he loves), then put on fresh pajamas, nurse, read a book, pray, swaddle and sleep! Sometimes he goes right to sleep, other times it takes several minutes of patting, rubbing his head for him to fall asleep. Lately that is the last feeding of the day and he hasn't been wanting a middle of the night feeding. He does wake up round 2 and 5 and wants the paci but goes right back to sleep. It has seemed like having a consistent bedtime and morning wake up time has helped him sleep through the night more than having consistent nap times. Nap time is still a struggle because some days I just can't be home all day and have to run errands. He doesn't nap as well out and about as he used to because he is so aware of all his surroundings and wants to take everything in!

Play:
Jace loves his bouncy seat and kicks his little legs like he is running a race when in it. He also started rolling from tummy to back this month and loves doing tummy time on the boppy. He is making eye contact and focusing a lot more and loves to grab anything with his hands. I have lost a lot of hair this month from his grabbing it and pulling at it! He loves interaction and will talk, coo and smile at you when you talk to him. He constantly has his hands in his mouth and drools all the time which I am wondering is an early sign of teething! Still loves his nuk pacifier as well and won't sleep without it. He hates being held against people's chest because he can't see what's going on and would much rather be held with his back to you so he can interact and stare at everything. We have been to the pool a few times this month and he loves the water and sleeps so good after swimming for a little while! Jace also visited the beach for the second time in his life and this kid loves the beach! He is so calm and content with the sound of the waves. He napped pretty much all day while we were there and then wanted to party all night! I learned that kids definitely get off schedule on vacation but it is so worth it for the memories and extra time with family! 

Jacey boy, you are the light of our lives! You are getting so much hair and have the most adorable button nose I have ever seen. I absolutely adore your big, gummy smile and can't wait to hear you belly laugh. You have a very passionate cry when you are upset and your I think you might have inherited some of your mom's intense personality :)! But most of the time you are happy and content to play and move those legs! You look so darn cute when you cry with your little scrunched up nose and red cheeks. If you are really upset you will grab onto your mama with as your tiny little fists and it is so precious. I absolutely love when you want to snuggle because mostly you want to play and look around so when I get the chance to rock you to sleep, I do it! We can worry about "self-soothing" later I guess! You saw your first fireworks this month and couldn't stop staring at them. You LOVE having your head rubbed and it is the cutest thing to watch your eyes get so heavy when we rub your little forehead. I can't wait to watch what God does with you kiddo and I pray all the time that He will give me insight into your little soul. We love you so very much little boy!

Jace: Two Months

Two months old and this month has been full of smiles and even a few giggles! It is so fun to see Jace's little personality come out, we can't get enough of him! He is up to 12lbs and 23 inches long and changes a little more every day. He really has the sweetest temperament and is pretty calm and content most of the day until right before bedtime. He tends to fuss and wear himself out the last hour of the day but is sleeping 8-9 hours once he falls asleep so we can't really complain. 

He has cut back on feeding times a day and I typically nurse him 6-7 times per day. As much as I loved the constant snuggling/nursing the first few weeks, it is nice to have a little longer stretches between feedings to get more done. We are trying hard to have some semblance of a schedule, but some days we just go with the flow. He sleeps in his crib every night and does great! I try to get at least one of his daytime naps in the crib, but sometimes I put him down and he just smiles up at me and I can't help but let him nap on my chest! I always remind myself that he will never be this young again and I will never have only one baby again. The next time a little newborn is in this house our attention will be bit more divided between that baby and Jace. 

Here is what a typical day lately looks like for us...

6am- wake up and feeding

6:30- take him into our room and let him sleep on Austin's chest for an hour before Austin leaves for work. Definitely one of the best parts of the day! I use this time to pump to help build up my freezer supply for when I go back to work. 

7:30-9- naps with me in bed while I do quiet time/drink coffee.

9am- feeding

9:30-10- play time and awake

10- down for a nap

12- feeding

12:30-3- this is time I run errands, meet a friend for lunch, shop, etc. Jace usually sleeps in the stroller on and off 

3- nurse

3:30-5:30- nap

5:30- feed

6-8- usually fussy during this time so I like to wear him in the baby wrap while I get dinner ready or we go sit outside with him in the rocking chair. Austin gets home during this time too and he usually takes over to give me a break. 

8 (sometime between 8-9)- bed time routine. Our bed time routine starts with a bath (which he loves!), then I feed him, swaddle him, read a few books, and put him in the crib. It usually takes a few time of going back in to comfort him before he falls asleep, and every once in a while he wants to feed again. After he is settled he is usually down for the night. I guess you could say we "sleep-trained" him but really, he has always been a great sleeper and took to it naturally. I do love having a bedtime routine to get him settled in for the night. 

Eventually I would like to get him to where he sleeps from 7:30pm-7am, but for now I really like the schedule we are on. I have always been an early bird and love the 6am time with him. Early morning snuggles are the best and I love the quiet alone time with my little guy to think and pray over him. I keep the schedule fairly loose because life is busy and sometimes he wants to nurse way more, but I do like having an idea of how my day is going to go. Our mom's will watch him when I go back to work a few days a week and I really wanted them to have a little schedule to go by to make it easier. 

We have had a full month of Jace's first trip to the beach, traveling to Alabama to see family, meeting his Oma in South Georgia, and seeing a lot of old friends. Summer is such a wonderful time because it brings all of our old high school friends together. The ones who have moved away usually come to visit at some point and it has been wonderful to catch up with friends we have known for over a decade! 

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from Jace's 2nd month of life...

Pediatrician's office for our 2 month checkup!

Sure do love these sweet smiles!

Memorial Day weekend we traveled to Huntsville to see Austin's nana and family! When we came home Jace gained a new Aunt when Austin's little brother proposed to his beautiful girlfriend Emily! We are so excited! We also got to play a little tennis and see some of our oldest and best friends from high school!

Meeting Oma Sonia for the first time!

Snuggling with his Pop pop!

First trip to Home Depot! We are working on a raised bed veggie garden in our backyard. Austin is always helping me keep the Joanna Gaines dream alive!

Early morning sweetness with dad!

Where we end up every night before bedtime...

We sure do love you, our happy boy! Every day with you is better than the last! You are our treasure! 

Life Lately: May

A few pictures of what we've been up to lately..

Austin and I on our first date night away from Jace. I only checked my phone 1 (or 5) times!

This kid loves sleeping with his hands spread out or up in the air and every time he does it it cracks me up!

He also loves being outside! Jace is pretty fussy right around dinner time every night so we take him outside to distract him!

My best friend Stacy and her family were in town from Arkansas for a few weeks to celebrate her baby girl Camryn turning 1! This year has flown by and I can't believe that precious little girl is already 1!

Another one of my good friends from nursing school was in town from Florida. Caitlin and our other friend Marlee and I spent a few hours sitting on the couch and drinking coffee while catching up. It was so refreshing! I really have the greatest friends!

Girls night out to celebrate my beautiful friend Elizabeth (center) turning 26! She has an adorable little apartment downtown and manages a cute clothing boutique. Her life is The Hills. Any day now I expect her to tell me she's besties with LC and Lo. 

Walking up Kennesaw Mountain with our buddies Amy and Oliver! Amy and I literally go through everything together. Middle school, nursing school, two jobs, married the same year, and babies who will be in the same grade! If she ever moves away I may just have to pack up and go with her. I tell her all the time I don't know how to be an adult without her.

My friend Nataley is due with her baby boy Brooks in just a few short weeks. She has the most adorable 15 month old son and I am so glad she has 2 precious boys for Jace to be best buddies with! Megan and I threw a baby sprinke for Brooks and after all these babies and weddings, I think we have showers down to a science. 

Love my precious mom and how she loves on my friends! 

We have been getting SO many smiles lately and O.M.G. I might just combust from this much cuteness!

Every morning after Jace wakes up I take him out of his crib and he snuggles with Austin for about an hour before Austin leaves for work. These two kill me!

 I have been reading to Jace at bedtime and so far he just falls asleep while I read. Maybe one day he will love books as much as momma does!

Bath time might be the best part of the day. Baby robes are just about the cutest baby invention ever made! 

I see now why parents go little overboard on pictures and scrapbooking. I'm wishing I could just have a camera man follow me around everywhere so I don't forget a single thing. These are the sweetest days. 

Pool Days and Thoughts On Friendship

We took Jace to the pool for the first time last night with our friends Joel and Brittanie and their little (almost) 6 month old baby Brantley. It was so fun dipping his little toes in the water and seeing his reaction. I am so excited for the day when Jace and Brantley are old enough to play together and enjoy the water! I thought about all of the hours I will probably spend by the pool with my little buddy and his friends. It is amazing to have friends with little kids around your age and friendship is one of the things I pray for Jace the most. 

Austin and I both grew up with pretty incredible friends and we think it is one of the main things that kept us on track. Proverbs 13:20 says it clear as day that if you walk with the wise, you become wise. You end up going where the people you're with are going. I pray that Jace would develop friends that encourage him, sharpen him, and run the race with him. I pray that Jace would be a friend that shows compassion, grace and understanding to his friends. I pray that he would be a good listener and make wise choices about the people he spends his time with. 

It is never too early (or too late) to start praying for your kids. My heart for prayer has totally changed since this little buddy came along. I feel helpless sometimes thinking of all of the things I need to instill in him, so I just constantly turn to prayer. My prayers range from concern over congestion, to praying he has a tender heart and a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. I wrote this verse down on a notecard and think I may want to have it blown up on my wall as a constant reminder-

Isaiah 40:11- "He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young."

Tend to my sweet boy like a shepherd Lord and gather him in your arms! It's not all up to me. Before Jace was my son, he was God's. The love I feel for him absolutely pales in comparison to the love the Father has for him. I am so thankful that He gently leads me on this path of motherhood.

Postpartum Recovery Tips

Compared to some of the horror stories I have seen and heard, I feel like I had a great recovery experience. Most of it was probably just the grace of God but I did have a little bit of knowledge under my belt being a postpartum nurse that helped me. There were a few key things I did that I felt like made all of the difference. 

1. Get out of bed. 

This is especially true when recovering from a c-section. After surgery get out of bed as soon as they will let you, ideally within 12 hours of surgery. You have medicine still pumping through you for the first 24 hours of your recovery and that is the best time to get up and moving. So much of the pain is related to gas trapped in your abdomen and the movement helps get it out. I got up and walked as soon as they let me and did a few laps in the hall every day I was in the hospital and it helped so much!

2. Drink tons of water.

They gave me this huge water cup in the hospital and I probably drank 10 of them a day. I could not get enough and have continued to drink a ton of water since Jace has arrived. I think this helped a lot with my energy levels, healing, and milk supply. Not only does breastfeeding take a lot of liquid out of you but the first few weeks after having a baby your body is undergoing a major fluid shift to reestablish your normal blood volume. I would wake up in the middle of the night soaked in my own sweat so I had to replenish some of that water I was losing. 

3. Get comfort gels and nipple cream.

Medela and lanolin make these awesome comfort gels that are a cool hydrogel pad you can tuck into your bra. They seriously feel SO good. If you really want to be in heaven, put them in the freezer for a few minutes before using them. No matter what the experts tell you, you will most likely be at least a little sore. Especially with your first baby it is a learning curve for both of you and you aren't likely to get the "perfect latch" every single time. Buy a nipple cream that's safe for baby to ingest so you don't have to wipe your tender nipples and keep the comfort gels on. I found some that stuck onto my leak pads and wore them constantly for the first 2 weeks. They also keep your nipples from sticking to your bra which is great! 

4. Find a way to enjoy the night feedings.

Keep a yummy protein snack by your bed for the 3am feeding. Your milk supply is really high the first few hours of the morning and I eat the majority of my calories before lunch because I'm so hungry in the morning. Eating a little snack kept me from getting to the point of being famished. I've also started listening to audiobooks in the middle of the night. They keep me awake and I always look forward to picking up where I left off. It makes it so much more enjoyable to sit in a cozy chair, eat a yummy snack, and listen to my book while feeding my boy.

5. Buy some new jeans.

I referenced this in a previous post but I'll say it again, buy some new jeans. Even just one pair. I lost a good bit of weight really quickly but still can't shimmy into my old jeans. For a while I just wore maternity leggings every day and then finally I bought jeans and a few tops a few sizes bigger then normal. It felt so amazing to be in normal clothes again and way more flattering then pregnancy clothes. Also if you plan on having more kids those in between sizes will be great for the awkward early pregnant days where you just feel chubby and bloated. 

6. Call your pediatrician.

You will have questions about your baby and you will have concerns and I would highly advise you, skip google and pinterest and call the pediatrician! My head was literally spinning at one point of all the millions of things I should do differently and I made the mistake of going to everyone but my pediatrician. Once I went to the pediatrician, he cleared up all of my concerns in 5 minutes. I wish that I would have skipped every other way of getting advice and gone to him first. Every little problem feels like it's the end of the world when you have a new baby and your pediatrician will help you distinguish what's actually worth worrying about. Talking to every well-meaning person about your concerns will only magnify them and make them a bigger deal then they are. 

These are just a few of the things that really seemed to help me! Sleep when you can, get a good support system, and snuggle that sweet baby as much as possible. We are almost 7 weeks in and Jace changes every day. I seriously cannot get enough of him and remind myself constantly that everything is a phase. Even fussy periods are just a phase and next thing I know he will be 25 and I will give anything to have just one more moment cuddling with my little baby. The days may be long, but the years are short! You got this momma!

Old Friends

Old friends are like your favorite old t-shirt. Like they are made just for you and so comforting and comfortable. You don't have to adjust to a new fit or new fabric, or be someone you're not. These girls are my friends like these. Almost 10 years ago we started girls night every Saturday night which later translated to Saturday breakfast dates watching every Beth Moore bible study we could get our hands on. Those years were some of the times I have watched God move more then ever before. We would share our biggest desires and needs, pray for each other, and watch things happen. It was a time we all experienced restoration and favor like never before. We know the good, bad and ugly of each other. 

We have been through our share of heartbreak and triumph together. It has been a long time since we have all seen each other, but getting back together was like putting on that favorite t-shirt. We laughed so hard and I was reminded of just how important old friends are. Having people that know the insides of you better then the outside of you. No pretense or expectations. People who know your history and understand why your highs are high and your lows are low. These girls are those friends for me.