I won't post a "before" pic until after some significant awesome changes start to happen, because I'm a little self conscious of my body at the moment. Lots of loose belly skin. But I'll tell you some stats from before pregnancy...
April 2015 (before pregnancy)
weight: 176.4 pounds
pants size: XL/10-12
shirt size: medium
January 2016 (during labor)
weight: 174 pounds
pants size: L (normal sizes)/ medium (maternity)
February 26, 2016 (current)
weight: 150 pounds
pants size: 8
shirt size: medium
There's some before measurements I guess. Before pregnancy, I was classified as overweight. Because I was. 5' 8" and 176 is overweight. Now I'm in normal range, but I still want to get to my goal of at least 130. I also want to get rid of all this loose skin and extra fat on my hips and thighs from pregnancy.
Last night I went to a yoga class at my gym and LOVED it! I did sweat, and it was a great workout. I also did the elliptical for a bit and the bike. I'm still a little too sore to do the bike for long though. (I'm a small person, and my son was born with a head in the 90th percentile... you can guess what happened.)
I did weekly updates on my blog when I was pregnant about updates with the baby, and now I'll do weekly updates tracking progress on weight loss and helping my body get healthy and less flappy. It's pretty gross to be able to grab your belly and stretch it out.
Anyway, like I said I will post pictures of my progress in a couple weeks. Maybe even next week.
.
Friday, February 26, 2016
Thursday, February 25, 2016
How to Get Your Infant to Sleep Through The Night
I don't claim to be any expert, but I know some moms who struggle to get their babies to sleep through the night. I managed to get mine to sleep by paying attention to his needs before my own and by observing his personality and instinctual traits. It was difficult at first, but now going to bed is a breeze as long as we stick to our schedule.
First of all, there really should be no such thing as an infant sleeping through the whole night. They need to be fed around every 3 hours. It doesn't matter if you're breastfeeding or bottle feeding. It will be hard to adjust your sleep to wake up every three hours at first, especially if you've been accustomed to sleeping all the way through the night for long stretches. It was very hard for me.
Second, it's different with every baby. You need to take a while to observe your baby and learn their personalities, habits, and instinctual traits. For example, my baby boy doesn't cry for no reason. Ever. He only ever cries if he is hungry, has peed his diaper, or if he has a diaper rash (which has only happened twice). He gets a little fussy when he wants snuggles. That's going to be different with everyone. My technique may not work for everyone because my son does not get upset unless he needs those things.
Third, babies sleep better at night the more you feed them during the day. For example, my son eats about every two hours during the day. Sometimes he will need to eat an hour after one feeding. At night he eats every 3-4 hours. It may take about a week for this to really become consistent. Especially with new newborns. But what you do is start during the day, and even if your baby isn't giving you hunger signals, offer them your breast or bottle every two hours after diaper changes. Every single time your baby has a dirty diaper, offer them your breast or a bottle. Feed them until they are done. Then burp them and let them play or do whatever you would normally do. Set a timer for two hours later, and repeat the process. It's okay if your baby wants to eat before the timer goes off.
Fourth (tidbit), it's easier to have a semblance of a schedule when you get into the routine of feeding your baby after every diaper change. It will seem like a lot, and require a lot of work. But it is worth it. Obviously there are some exemptions. For example, if there's a poo explosion, you obviously need to clean that up before feeding baby. Or if you changed their diaper, and you're feeding baby and you hear the nasty poo farts, you will obviously need to change their diaper to prevent diaper rash. (It may be frustrating, but always change as soon as you think they're done because diaper rashes make things more frustrating and complicated). You have two options with that situation: you can stop feeding right then and change their diaper, then go back to feeding. Or you can keep feeding until they are done and then change their diaper. Sometimes it depends on how hungry and sleepy baby is. What I do is if I'm feeding him and he poops while he's drinking, and he's sleepy I change his diaper right away and then keep feeding him until he's done. I do this because nursing helps him sleep better, and diaper changes can be stressful for him. So if I want him to sleep I do that. If he's wide awake, I let him finish nursing completely then change his diaper to keep him awake. Sometimes he'll need a couple more minutes of nursing after the diaper change because he's used to our schedule of feeding right after diaper change. It's really all about learning the signs and personality of your baby.
Fifth, keep baby awake at least 3 hours before you want to go to bed. There are a couple ways I do this. I put him on his belly for "tummy time" exercise. I will also do skin rolling baby massage (husband is a chinese medicine major. It's a technique he uses on his patients. Keeps them from getting sick.) I'll turn on Disney or Imagine Dragons on Pandora or bring up loud, happy songs that he loves. I also change his diaper more frequently. Or a bath. That's what works for him. But sometimes none of that works and we just have to adjust our schedule. I try to go to bed at 10:30. So I try to keep him awake after 7:30. But if he's really tired at 8:00, I take him to bed then and we work around it. As a stay at home mom, it's easy for me to do this. I took this semester off of school to be able to create these routines and schedules. I'm glad I did.
During the times in between feedings, if he's awake I turn on happy music and let him play. Sometimes we go on walks or I play with him too. But when it's nap time or sleep time, I let him be. I let him dictate (for the most part) what he needs. That's how I learned his personality and such at the beginning. With new babies, it's best to let them dictate your schedule if you can. This way you can learn about them and develop your own ways of "sleep training" and create a schedule.
This is what worked for me. It's really helpful because now he only wakes up about two times a night. We usually go to bed between 8:30-10:30 and wake up between 6:30 - 9:00. I get about 6-7 hours of sleep a night, and during the day I take naps when he does.
I hope this helps someone. It's important to remember that there is no "quick fix". The best thing to do is learn about your baby. It will help with other things and help you love who they are. :)
First of all, there really should be no such thing as an infant sleeping through the whole night. They need to be fed around every 3 hours. It doesn't matter if you're breastfeeding or bottle feeding. It will be hard to adjust your sleep to wake up every three hours at first, especially if you've been accustomed to sleeping all the way through the night for long stretches. It was very hard for me.
Second, it's different with every baby. You need to take a while to observe your baby and learn their personalities, habits, and instinctual traits. For example, my baby boy doesn't cry for no reason. Ever. He only ever cries if he is hungry, has peed his diaper, or if he has a diaper rash (which has only happened twice). He gets a little fussy when he wants snuggles. That's going to be different with everyone. My technique may not work for everyone because my son does not get upset unless he needs those things.
Third, babies sleep better at night the more you feed them during the day. For example, my son eats about every two hours during the day. Sometimes he will need to eat an hour after one feeding. At night he eats every 3-4 hours. It may take about a week for this to really become consistent. Especially with new newborns. But what you do is start during the day, and even if your baby isn't giving you hunger signals, offer them your breast or bottle every two hours after diaper changes. Every single time your baby has a dirty diaper, offer them your breast or a bottle. Feed them until they are done. Then burp them and let them play or do whatever you would normally do. Set a timer for two hours later, and repeat the process. It's okay if your baby wants to eat before the timer goes off.
Fourth (tidbit), it's easier to have a semblance of a schedule when you get into the routine of feeding your baby after every diaper change. It will seem like a lot, and require a lot of work. But it is worth it. Obviously there are some exemptions. For example, if there's a poo explosion, you obviously need to clean that up before feeding baby. Or if you changed their diaper, and you're feeding baby and you hear the nasty poo farts, you will obviously need to change their diaper to prevent diaper rash. (It may be frustrating, but always change as soon as you think they're done because diaper rashes make things more frustrating and complicated). You have two options with that situation: you can stop feeding right then and change their diaper, then go back to feeding. Or you can keep feeding until they are done and then change their diaper. Sometimes it depends on how hungry and sleepy baby is. What I do is if I'm feeding him and he poops while he's drinking, and he's sleepy I change his diaper right away and then keep feeding him until he's done. I do this because nursing helps him sleep better, and diaper changes can be stressful for him. So if I want him to sleep I do that. If he's wide awake, I let him finish nursing completely then change his diaper to keep him awake. Sometimes he'll need a couple more minutes of nursing after the diaper change because he's used to our schedule of feeding right after diaper change. It's really all about learning the signs and personality of your baby.
Fifth, keep baby awake at least 3 hours before you want to go to bed. There are a couple ways I do this. I put him on his belly for "tummy time" exercise. I will also do skin rolling baby massage (husband is a chinese medicine major. It's a technique he uses on his patients. Keeps them from getting sick.) I'll turn on Disney or Imagine Dragons on Pandora or bring up loud, happy songs that he loves. I also change his diaper more frequently. Or a bath. That's what works for him. But sometimes none of that works and we just have to adjust our schedule. I try to go to bed at 10:30. So I try to keep him awake after 7:30. But if he's really tired at 8:00, I take him to bed then and we work around it. As a stay at home mom, it's easy for me to do this. I took this semester off of school to be able to create these routines and schedules. I'm glad I did.
During the times in between feedings, if he's awake I turn on happy music and let him play. Sometimes we go on walks or I play with him too. But when it's nap time or sleep time, I let him be. I let him dictate (for the most part) what he needs. That's how I learned his personality and such at the beginning. With new babies, it's best to let them dictate your schedule if you can. This way you can learn about them and develop your own ways of "sleep training" and create a schedule.
This is what worked for me. It's really helpful because now he only wakes up about two times a night. We usually go to bed between 8:30-10:30 and wake up between 6:30 - 9:00. I get about 6-7 hours of sleep a night, and during the day I take naps when he does.
I hope this helps someone. It's important to remember that there is no "quick fix". The best thing to do is learn about your baby. It will help with other things and help you love who they are. :)
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
My first month as a mommy
-Postpartum depression. It is very real, and can be scary. I'm not ashamed to share a little about it because I hope maybe I can help someone who's experiencing it or will experience it. If you have a baby and all of a sudden you are crying for no reason, don't just call it the weepies and expect it to pass on its own. Seriously. Call your OB or midwife. Tell your husband. Get a counselor. Go get acupuncture. I wish I had the foresight to get help the first week. It was so difficult to get through, and I only just started feeling like myself again around week 5 after his birth. Acupuncture seriously has helped the most. My coping strategies have been to call my husband, a family member or friend as soon as I feel sad or realize I'm sad or resentful for no reason. Qi Gong is also a huge one. And getting out and going for a walk for half an hour everyday with or without baby. I am feeling a lot better, but it was a struggle to overcome.
-Lots of poop! I actually don't have a huge issue changing diapers. My only issue is when Broc pees or poops on me. It's usually in that brief moment between taking the protective wet wipe off his little parts and putting the diaper on that he lets it spray. And yes, I've been pooped on several times. I don't get angry, but I definitely sit there sometimes and go "okay, what now?" haha. I remember one time I was breastfeeding him, and he was laying on a Boppy pillow. All of a sudden I hear the nastiest poop fart and I look down to see him smile while he's eating. Then I felt it, warm and sticky running down to my stomach. Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. Corry lifted him up and it was absolutely EVERYWHERE. It was nasty. We definitely both sat there laughing because we had no idea how to clean it. :)
-The most incredible joy! Even though I had trouble with depression, I have felt the most incredible joy and love. When I got married, I thought "I don't know how I could ever love a human as much as I love my husband." Well, that love for him grew, but a new love came along and proved to me that there is always room to grow in your capacity to love. As I write this, I watch my son playing on his play mat with his little toys and listening to Pandora. He makes such sweet little "Happy sounds" as I call them. Little coos and giggles, with the occasional smile thrown in. This is one of my absolute favorite times of the day, is watching him discover his world and learn. Watching him be happy while he experiences these things. It's incredible.
-I took a semester off of school, and at first I regretted it. I was miserable at the thought of putting my education on hold. I was afraid because in the past when I put things like this on hold, I often leave them by the wayside. I was afraid I would lose the motivation to do school anymore if I took this semester off. But those insecurities quickly faded away when I realized that I am married to the man who helped me get into school to begin with. When we were first married, I expressed to him that I wanted to go to BYU Idaho. He did everything he could to help me get into BYU Idaho even with my crappy ACT score and a not so shining High School transcript. He always helps me with my education and it is not just my dream to graduate from college and get a good education. It's his dream for me as well.
It has been an emotional and crazy month. But as I always say lately, I wouldn't trade it for anything. It has been so amazing. I love being Broc's mom.
Here are some pictures from when we were in the hospital welcoming our little guy. One of the happiest days of my life :)
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| In labor. I think this was only half an hour after I was admitted to the hospital. Calling my dad to tell him the news, and holding a vomit bag. I don't know why, but I kept throwing up for the first half or so of labor. |
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| In labor still. Either just before or after a walk through the halls. I'm all sweaty and tired from throwing up at the same time. I remember feeling so swollen and tired. |
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| He's here and I'm so in love! And exhausted from the almost 21 hour labor. |
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| Meeting Grandpa. |
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| First bath, in the hospital from the pretty nurse he adored. |
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| About to get his footprints done on his birth certificate. He loved this nurse too. |
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| Getting his footprints on his birth certificate. |
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| Precious baby boy getting his footprints done. |
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| First picture with daddy. In his first outfit. His cute little Winnie the Pooh sleeper. This is about two hours after he was born. |
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| I love this picture, it's so sweet and tender. Father and Son. Corry loves this boy so much, and loves being a dad. I loved watching him hold his son. |
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| More sweet times with daddy. |
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
1 month!
My sweet baby boy is one month old. It's really interesting and won't make sense to most people, but this is something that relates to my mission. Lots of missionaries who experienced 2 months in the MTC in Provo will understand and relate to this. When I was on my mission, the days felt like weeks and the weeks felt like days. The best way I know how to describe this is that the days are so long because of the hard concentration on learning the language and how to teach the gospel. But then all of a sudden you look at how long you've been out and it feels like time went so fast. That's how I feel being a mom.
The first week with my little bear was hard. Breastfeeding, postpartum weepies, lack of sleep, and not knowing how to do anything. I learned so much in that week.
The second week was still hard. But a little easier than the first. That's how it's been going since the second week. Each week is a little easier than the previous one, but still a little stressful. Luckily now we have a semblance of some kind of schedule.
-Rolled over at 2 weeks old!
-We started using cloth diapers full time.
-He started noticing and playing with his toys. His favorite toy is this little giraffe (or maybe it's a cow?) that clips to his playmat.
-He makes happy cooing sounds when he plays with his toys or has tummy time.
-First walk in the stroller
-First superbowl! :)
-As of his 3 week appointment, he's 9 pounds 10 ounces. He's also one inch longer than when he was born.
-When you look at his hair in the sunlight, it looks like it's turning a coppery red. Looks like little bear might have gotten his mama's red hair!
-Umbilical cord fell off, and his little belly button looks like a swirl and I think it's an outie, which is interesting because I don't know of anyone on my side or Corry's side with an outie belly button.
Height: 22.5 inches
Weight: 9 pounds, 10 oz
Percentiles: Height: 90th, Everything else is 70th. He's a big boy!
Here are some pictures! :)
The first week with my little bear was hard. Breastfeeding, postpartum weepies, lack of sleep, and not knowing how to do anything. I learned so much in that week.
The second week was still hard. But a little easier than the first. That's how it's been going since the second week. Each week is a little easier than the previous one, but still a little stressful. Luckily now we have a semblance of some kind of schedule.
This month's milestones:
-Learned to lift his head even more, with more control.-Rolled over at 2 weeks old!
-We started using cloth diapers full time.
-He started noticing and playing with his toys. His favorite toy is this little giraffe (or maybe it's a cow?) that clips to his playmat.
-He makes happy cooing sounds when he plays with his toys or has tummy time.
-First walk in the stroller
-First superbowl! :)
-As of his 3 week appointment, he's 9 pounds 10 ounces. He's also one inch longer than when he was born.
-When you look at his hair in the sunlight, it looks like it's turning a coppery red. Looks like little bear might have gotten his mama's red hair!
-Umbilical cord fell off, and his little belly button looks like a swirl and I think it's an outie, which is interesting because I don't know of anyone on my side or Corry's side with an outie belly button.
3 week doctor visit
Height: 22.5 inchesWeight: 9 pounds, 10 oz
Percentiles: Height: 90th, Everything else is 70th. He's a big boy!
Here are some pictures! :)
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Here he is at about 3-4 days old. I love him so much. This picture is one of my favorites from the first few days. We took a ton of pictures those first few days. |
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Here's his one month picture. Each month, I am going to put him in a white onesie and take a picture of him next to his bear (since I call him little bear.) I can't wait to see him grow more! :) |
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Smart and Strong!
Well, it happened. Little bear rolled over for the first time the other day at 4:30 in the morning. Daddy was taking care of him, trying to get him to go to sleep. He had a ton of energy and didn't want to though. It was really cute. I was trying to sleep a little before the next feeding, and all of a sudden I hear "Honey! He rolled over!" He had rolled over from his belly to his back. I am so proud. He's a strong little guy. He'll be crawling in a few months, I guarantee it. His Uncle Casin also rolled over at 2 weeks (so I hear).
My sweet little boy is 3 weeks old tomorrow (Tuesday the 2nd). It's hard to believe it's been 3 weeks. He already looks like he's a couple months old rather than 3 weeks. I decided to post monthly pictures showing how he's grown. I'm using this pose each month to compare:
Another amazing part of being a mom that I have seen today is that he really is learning. It's such a blessing and brings so much joy to see him learning little things. For example, he has a pacifier that has a little beanie baby on the end of it. He LOVES that thing. But it frustrates him and makes him cry when it falls out of his mouth. So ever since we got it, I tell him "let's hug doggy when the pacifier is in your mouth ok?" As I wrap his cute little arm around the beanie baby (a dalmation.) Today I went to do the same thing as I gave him the pacifier, and he did that all by himself. As soon as I put the pacifier part in his mouth, he lifted his arm and hugged the little dog close to him. It's incredible to see this sweet little soul learn things for the first time. And even though it's something as simple and insignificant as learning to hold something, it's significant for me and to him. It makes me happy to see success as a new mommy. You can't always see the fruits of your labors as a new parent. That's why I cherish little things like that.
We've had lots of adventures together, and parenting for me really is an adventure. I took this semester off to learn how to be a good one. I have learned so much about myself and gained confidence and self esteem I've never had before. I still have a long way to go, but this sweet boy is really helping me build myself up and become a strong woman. I love him so much and I am so proud to be a full time mommy this semester. It's the best and most rewarding job out there. I even put it on things as my current occupation. I love it.
My sweet little boy is 3 weeks old tomorrow (Tuesday the 2nd). It's hard to believe it's been 3 weeks. He already looks like he's a couple months old rather than 3 weeks. I decided to post monthly pictures showing how he's grown. I'm using this pose each month to compare:
Another amazing part of being a mom that I have seen today is that he really is learning. It's such a blessing and brings so much joy to see him learning little things. For example, he has a pacifier that has a little beanie baby on the end of it. He LOVES that thing. But it frustrates him and makes him cry when it falls out of his mouth. So ever since we got it, I tell him "let's hug doggy when the pacifier is in your mouth ok?" As I wrap his cute little arm around the beanie baby (a dalmation.) Today I went to do the same thing as I gave him the pacifier, and he did that all by himself. As soon as I put the pacifier part in his mouth, he lifted his arm and hugged the little dog close to him. It's incredible to see this sweet little soul learn things for the first time. And even though it's something as simple and insignificant as learning to hold something, it's significant for me and to him. It makes me happy to see success as a new mommy. You can't always see the fruits of your labors as a new parent. That's why I cherish little things like that.
We've had lots of adventures together, and parenting for me really is an adventure. I took this semester off to learn how to be a good one. I have learned so much about myself and gained confidence and self esteem I've never had before. I still have a long way to go, but this sweet boy is really helping me build myself up and become a strong woman. I love him so much and I am so proud to be a full time mommy this semester. It's the best and most rewarding job out there. I even put it on things as my current occupation. I love it.
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