The Book of Parenthood

So I had my first scary encounter with Bear yesterday am and of course it happens when Greg is traveling. He slept fine but when it came to have his 5:30am feeding he was refusing to eat. Scared me but I thought maybe he was just tired. Well sure enough come 8:30 he was screaming and refusing to eat.

Ugh, I was scared out of mind. I called the Ped, I was nervous that he may have the infamous stomach bug that got to Greg a week or so ago. Poor little guy was so fussy which is not like him and not happy! Of course we got to Ped's office and they were slammed with lots of screaming sick babies so we had to wait over an hour. UGH! He finally fed at the Ped office and then threw up, but sure enough it was confirmed that he had the BUG!

Poor little man was not his happy self. He just wanted to lay on mommy's chest and sleep. He has been wanting to eat again which is good, but still not back to himself yet. 

Hoping my little bear can kick this bug and start feeling better!

This is a cute little pic of him falling asleep last night after his bath

Hope you are your family can stay clear of this nasty bug.

Cheers!
JNK

Raise Your Glass!

Hard to believe it's been a year since Greg and I were standing in front of God, our family, and friends stating our vows to one another. We were both saying just the other day how we wish we could throw a party like that every year, especially because our friends and family our dispersed throughout the country and we don't get to see them enough!

 The year has flown by as we went thru a lot of changes in our little family this past  year. Moved to Toronto in July, the road trip was one for the record books, as we crossed the country with our dog Rex and prayed that he would not bark at the border patrol. (thank goodness for peanut butter and sedatives). After a short stint in Toronto, we located to Michigan in September. Made two moves in Michigan because of temporary housing and then finally found a place to lease in December and got our own furniture back! We were so sick of using corporate housing "stuff", especially being pregnant, I wanted my own bed, utensils, couch. (you get the drift...)


The best part of this past year besides living together again after being apart for two years, was that we welcomed Bear into our family! Bear is now five weeks old and this little bundle has brought more joy and worry(I'm that girl at the ped's office with a notebook of questions) than we could ever imagine. I love waking up and seeing the adorable little face staring right back at me. I am so excited to see Bear to develop into a young Man and to watch Greg and I evolve as parent's!

The past year like I said has been a chaotic one and we have definitely had our obstacles. But I am truly blessed to have such a great friend, husband, and dad to make this crazy journey with. I am so excited to see what the future holds for us. Since we can't be together on our anniversary we will be toasting to each other via face time! (Thank goodness for technology :))!

So Cheers Greg, to Another Year of Wedded Bliss!

XOXO

JNK

Our little Man!! We don't have a family photo yet :(!

Put it Down!

When we relocated to Michigan we experienced a large increase in our auto insurance, it more than doubled!!! After living here more than 6 months and driving on the roads here, I now know why. The drivers here are HORRIBLE!!! People run red lights like crazy, no one seems to follow the speed limit and they are the worst when it comes to the Cell Phone.

So although I think Michigan is home to some of the worst drivers, this blog post applies to all of you who are guilty of tweeting, texting, emailing, face booking, while driving! Today, I almost lost my cool as I was driving to the vet. I had a minivan complete with sports decals on the book come into my lane unannounced as I have to swerve into the next lane so she doesn't hit me, I go around her to find the lady is freaking on her cell, either texting or doing something. It scared the beegeezus out of me, especially because I'm one of those where my cell phone sits in my handbag either in the backseat or on the floor board. Needless to say I have precious cargo in my car now, and I will do anything in my power to keep him safe.

I mean are we that addicted to our cell phones that we can't put them away while we are driving? There have been too many accidents, and lives losts to people trying to send out some meaningless text, emails, or facebook status. For the sake of everyone around you and for your own life just please put your cell phone away in a place where it won't distract you while driving. We all pretty much have bluetooth in our cars, so if there is an emergency you can answer the cell via bluetooth and still have both hands on the wheel!

Please go ahead and take the pledge:

No Texting While Driving Pledge

Stop Stalking Me!

Why is it that whenever you are on a budget or a diet, everything that you are trying to avoid keeps coming front and center??? Right now I'm on a budget meaning I really do not need to be shopping, as I'm not back into my old size and we have been spending soo much lately,that it's time to scale back. However, when I'm trying not to shop is when of course every brand/retailer that I love is having a sale, ugh!

I mean just this past week my inbox was flooded with friends and family for Theory and Saks. And then we have extra % of sale at Scoop, J Crew is 25% off, Cusp had a sale going on, even Bobbi Brown was doing a % off. Normally, I would have said out with the budget this is a sign and this girl needs retail therapy. However, I now have a CFO (aka my hubby) who sees everything that I purchase on the credit card which has paid dividends in me not going off the budget :). So my new form of retail therapy when I shouldn't be spending is what I call cart therapy. That's right, I'm a retailer's nightmare. I know this because I worked in a buying office and we always report on items left in cart, well that's me! 

Last night, I was up at 3am feeding Bear and started adding my wish list to my cart at Saks. I had one heck of a shopping cart and then just as I had felt fulfilled from my cart therapy I closed out of the page :)! I guess you could compare it to being on a diet and purchasing some of that dessert flavored gum instead of indulging in the dessert. You still get the same pay off but without the recourse!


Seriously, do you ever feel like sometimes you are just being tested? How much will power do you have? Well, I'm sticking to the no shopping policy, however I do have to make a run to Target tomorrow, YIKES! Target is like having a person on a diet work at Sprinkles Cupcakes for a day! But, I know I will prevail. I have Bear with me, so that keeps me on a mission so I can get in and out in no time! I did want to quickly browse the Kate Young section, however I have heard mixed reviews on her selection for Target.

If you however are not a budget, you should definitely check out J Crew, they  have an extra 25% and Saks Friends and Family :)! 

Bear and I did our morning errands this am only to realize we are back in 3o degree weather with snow flurries, YIKES!

The one person who has been getting new clothes is Bear of course. Here he is this am sporting his new cargo pants and stripes, boy is definitely on trend :)!

Happy Hump Day!!!

JNK

You got to move it move it!!

Ok, so the Bear is officially 4 weeks now, wow does time fly!! I promised myself I wouldn't get on the scale until he hit four weeks or even fret about this baby weight. I however did not up hold that agreement with myself and jumped on the scale last week. The number wasn't that bad, I ended up gaining almost 40 lbs with him. I was shocked I gained that much because I continued to watch what I ate and worked out daily. In fact, I walked 5 miles the day before my water broke. 

However, any weight gain was fine with me, as long as the little man was healthy and happy! I kept hearing oh the weight will come right off, you worked out daily etc. Well, I am right now at 12 lbs to lose to get to my pre pregnancy weight, which seems manageable (right???). I had to swear off googling losing baby weight, because I was getting so frustrated reading the blogs of girls who lost it in 30 days. Seriously? How is that possible? I mean your body changes so much, even if you lost it all it would still take some weights and gym time to get your body firm and back into shape. 

My goal is to lose a 1lb a week as long as Bear is still getting the amount of milk he is suppose to, and still gaining good weight. My friend Mallory told me that she had read that the last 5-10 lbs sometimes you won't lose until you quite breastfeeding. I am one of those people who working out keeps me sane, it's my me time! I am dying to get back to the gym, and especially Pilates. I began Pilates last year and it definitely transformed my body, I was in the best shape of my life between Pilates and Running. I had to quit Pilates at the end of my first trimester because doctor's orders said no more exercising on the back! 

Only a few more weeks until I see the Doc and hopefully get cleared to resume working out! But until then I have started back on my food journal ( I have done a food journal ever since high school ), I quit the food journal during pregnancy because I was just too tired at the end of the day :). I have started taking Bear on longer walks throughout the neighborhood. My friend Melissa,gave me good advice she said put away all the maternity clothes, that way it's more motivating to get back into your old clothes!!!  I am able to fit into a few of my pre pregnancy jeans and purchased a couple pairs of jeans this weekend to rotate in the mix, until I'm back in more of my pre baby attire! I have made a decision to occasionally blog about the weight loss, because I can't stand reading about the girls who just said it comes off so easily and in 4 weeks. It's kind of like the people you hear about bragging because their kids slept thru the night at 3 weeks. Seriously, if that is you just smile and keep that set of information to yourself because you are not in the norm! :)!

I was elated to see our temp will hit 60 today only to look forward at the rest of the week and see snow flurries in the forecast on Friday, UGH!!! We had a great weekend here, as my Dad was in town.It's so nice to just have an extra set of hands to help out ! I just wish it would have been a little warmer so we could have been outside more!  I hope everyone has a great week this week!

Cheers!

JNK

The Word!

This has been such a horrible week for our great country. From the bombing on Monday to the horrific blast yesterday and now the manhunt underway for this bomber.  God always knows when to reach us, it's almost amazing isn't it? We have those rough weeks, hard days, sometimes we are at our breaking point and then God's grace shines through in the darkest of dark nights. I opened up my devotional this am to read a very appropriate message and thought I should share it on the blog today. It is even more ironic that I thought today was April 20th, and therefore I feel God really wanted me to read this message on the wrong day :). Like I said we serve an awesome God, who knows just when we need a little extra guidance.

The excerpt is from ,"Jesus Calling", by Sarah Young:

April 20th reads:
DO NOT BE AFRAID, for I am with you. Hear me saying,"Peace, be still," to your restless heart. No matter what happens, I will never leave you or forsake you. Let this assurance soak into your mind and heart until you overflow with Joy. Though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, you need not fear!

The media relentlessly proclaim bad news: for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A steady diet of their fare will sicken you. Instead of focusing on fickle, ever changing news broadcasts, tune in to the living Word-the One who is always the same. Let Scripture saturate your mind and heart, and you will walk steadily along the path of Life. Even though you don't know what will happen tomorrow, you can be absolutely sure of your ultimate destination. I hold you by your right hand, and afterward I will take you into Glory.

Then he arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.
Mark 4:39

I hope you enjoyed this devotional as much as I did. Today, I'm doing just what the devotional says focusing on God! Praying for all of these victims and law enforcement officials who risk their lives daily to protect us. I hope in the midst of all this tragedy we can focus on the overwhelming courage and bravery that our fellow citizens display in times of tragedy. 

On a lighter note, today is Bear's four week birthday! He has spent the morning resting on his Poppy's chest and giving mom a much needed hour plus to shower, get ready etc! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend with your loved ones!

JNK

Who Wears Short Shorts???

YEAH, it's finally above 50 degrees here!!! Of course I'm not going to look at my weekly weather forecast which has us back in the 30's again on Friday.ugh.Take me back to the South!!!

Ok, so since it's short weather( in the south at least), and J Crew has been running 25% off shorts and additional % of sale, it's time to have this debate.I can safely say that about 80% of my shorts are from J Crew. I think they have the best fit and lots of inch seams to choose from :). I'm hitting or have hit two big milestones this year: 1- Being a Mom!! and 2- Turning 30! I mention these milestones because I need to understand the length of short for my age/life! 

First of all, lets be real, I'm conservative you will not have to worry about this momma going out of the house in too short of shorts. Especially right now since I have about 13 lbs left to lose of baby weight, and these legs are whiter than white! I must admit though I am loving some of J Crew's 3" shorts, but nelly 3" that sounds way too short! However, if I get my butt in gear and get those Carrie Underwood legs (ha, yeah right!) then you better believe I'm rocking those 3" shorts. Even 5" sounds short to me, right?? Do you go back to the grade school rule and make sure your fingertips touch the end of the shorts?

I do love a good pair of bermudas, I think they can be a great compliment to a preppy or sporty outfit. I however think you have to have skinny long legs to look good in Bermudas. I think this Summer I'm going to go with the good ole' grade school rule of fingertips but I am not kidding you;if, no, let me rephrase that WHEN I get my prebaby body back I am going to treat myself to a(or a few) 3' pair of shorts. 

I am also loving lots of the cutoff shorts right now:

Mother has this great pair:
Mother Patchie Shorts
I think this will be my treat once I hit my preweight, or close enough to it :)

For a much cheaper version, I like this pair of Gap cut offs:

Gap Cut Off Shorts


Here is a pair of the J Crew 3" that I'm loving:

3" Anchor Shorts


The bear stirs, so that's it for this blog post. Our family has been hit with the stomach bug the past couple of days, so it's definitely going around! Stock up on Lysol and Bleach now, to prevent it from hitting your house!!

My dad aka Poppy arrives today, so we are soo excited!!! Maybe Poppy will treat us to some new shorts :)!!

JNK

Week 1- Check

Week 1 of being along is coming to an end, and Bear turns 3 weeks this evening at 8:26 :). We made it thru, not gonna lie this am and yesterday definitely put me to the test. I was stalking Greg, and poor guy has so much going on at work, and didn't get home until after 7. But, I was proud of myself, gave Bear a bath all by myself, and rocked that little man till we couldn't rock anymore to sleep! He slept his first 5 hour stint, it was from 6-11, but hey I'll take it. The bath is one of his favorite times, and he usually gives us a good sleep after bathtime. (knocking on wood as I type). This past week when my GF Mallory and I were chatting, we were saying how good our kiddos were doing and then, bam the next day it back fired in our faces. Lesson learned, do not brag or say how good they are doing, for the next day they will keep you on your toes. My mom did warn me, just when you think you begin to predict them, bam they hit you with a curve ball!

We made it through, and the weather here has been miserable, cold and rainy all week. But, the sun is suppose to be out this afternoon, so I plan to get this little man out of this house! I might be going crazy, because I did start a part time consultant gig for a retailer this week, yep you read that right... I know what was I thinking.. However, I have been able to dedicate about 2 hours of my time a day, and it has been nice to use that side of my brain again. However, I've already decided the minute I think it's too much or I'm just merely exhausted, I'm throwing in the towel! I have been good about trying to not do too much around the house while he sleeps, and try and get some rest in myself. I make sure I lie down every afternoon, even if it's only for 30 minutes. House chores, and laundry in the am, along with my project, and then the afternoon the bear and I both get a nap!!

I am excited about this weekend, as Greg and I are taking Bear to the mall and plan to get outside some!!

Hope everyone has a great weekend, here is a pic of Bear after our trip to Target this am. Shopping wears this boy out!

Paper???

So this next month as far as birthdays and anniversaries go is going to be a bit hectic. Therefore, I'm patting myself on the back for starting early :).  However, I'm struggling with the first anniversary gift for my husband. Paper, I mean what on earth do you get for a guy for the paper anniversary.  I feel like this is so easy for the guy to purchase, I love monograms. In my eyes, a girl can never have too much stationary :). Greg keeps having to tell me that Bear doesn't need his own monogrammed stationary yet, but I totally disagree :).

Now, before you judge me on one idea, I need you to read why I'm thinking this idea. So, Greg has been wanting a concealed handgun license for awhile. I figured hey that's paper and something he has been wanting, so why not. But, then again I start thinking, wow is this too redneck for a first anniversary gift??? HELP!  Our other option we have been talking about is just getting Rex more dog training. He is not adapting as well as I had hoped, although he gets better daily. One of my girlfriend's Melissa, said it best when she said that Rex is my Berkin Bag. SO TRUE!! He has had a couple of very expensive surgeries and more than one training class, which I may say are not cheap! But he is so worth it as long as he can learn to get along with Bear!

So, do you have any other ideas for a first anniversary gift for the hubby I'm struggling! Our anniversary will be here before I know it, as it's 4-28.

Now, being a new mom, it is so hard to get up and get yourself ready. However, I have been trying very hard to get up and put on some makeup and an outfit that does not consist of sweats. I did fail yesterday, but today is a new day. After being jolted out of the shower by Bear's crying, it may have taken me a good two hours later to throw my hair and put on a tad bit of makeup along with an outfit.

So, here is my outfit option for the day. I'm sporting snakeskin leggings (yep, you got it.. I maybe a new mom who is still in maternity clothes, but doesn't mean I can't rock some snakeskin leggings :). I've paired my leggings with a black BCBG tunic that I love. I've been struggling with wearing some of my old tops because I don't want them to stretch out but this one is already a little baggy! I know many of you have been to Target probably in the past week if not 24 hours, so I will tell you I'm loving and living in their $8 boyfriend tees. They have a great color palate and for me right now it's a perfect cheap tee that I can breastfeed in!

It's really hard to see the leggings in this pic, it's because we don't have a good full length mirror in this house and the lighting is bad! I'm hoping you can't tell that I'm sporting the belly bandit, but shoot I will try anything to get my body back into shape as soon as possible! Plus, Kourtney Kardishian swears it by it, then it must work, right?? :)

And of course here is such a cute pic of Bear this am during tummy time and story time:

Friday Finds- Our Little Man!!!

I apologize for my delay in blogging, but you see there is this little man that arrived on 3/22/13 at 8:26pm, and I can't seem to want to do anything else but spend time with him...

I have decided to refer to our little man as "Bear" on the blog. Just two weeks ago, I was leaving the dr's office and having to make an appointment for a stress test on Sunday, March 24th because I was certain our little one was going to make a late arrival. But on Friday am, I was awakened by what I thought was my water breaking. But given that I had thought this once before I called my mom and sister gave them the signs and thought I will wait and see. Well when the water kept coming down my leg (trying to not be too graphic), I decided I better call my husband home from work and call the doctor, I was pretty sure this was it!!

We arrived at the hospital to have it confirmed that my water had broken and I was in labor. How exciting, the text messages and phone calls started :)!! I was on top of the moon, in that I really wasn't feeling any pain and I was talking,laughing, making my laps around the labor and delivery ward. Oh, how that would change when I received the Petusin :). I"m sure some of you mom's know that feeling. My labor went really fast, I received the epidural at 4pm and 3 hours later I was pushing. This is something that I will never forget, especially since I was one of the lucky ones where the epidural didn't take on my left side. 

I will never forget the look on my husband's face when the doctor said, " It's a Boy!".Greg was shocked, as he was certain it was a little girl. I had a feeling all along it was a boy, and we even had a family pool going. The ironic thing is I had my due date as 3/22 and sex as a boy. So I guess the learning for all of our family members is don't go against a mother's intuition.... :).

I love our little Bear, it has been so much fun with him the past two weeks , watching him grow, smile, cry, and be more alert to his surroundings. He is growing so fast, we brought him home 2 weeks ago at 6 lbs, 11 oz and I went to the lactation consultant yesterday only to find out he is already 8lbs!! Our little Bear is an eater! I have been blessed to have my Mom (Nana) and Greg's mom in town helping out with Bear.  To be completely honest, I'm so nervous for them to leave this weekend, but excited about my time alone. It has been nice though calling my mom in the middle of the night to come upstairs if I can't seem to rock him back to sleep, she has the magical touch! 

Motherhood is a feeling I just can't describe. When Bear smiles, it melts my heart and brings tears to my eyes especially right now with all of my hormones :)!

I have posted some pictures of our little Bear for you guys to witness how cute he is :)! (Of course my husband is loving everyone saying, he looks just like Greg and he is sooo cute! :)

Bear's first picture!!! I will always cherish this moment!

Daddy is the family photographer so these are all some of the 1,000 pictures that Greg took for Bear's newborn shoot!

We are just so blessed to have this little one and can't wait to share his adventures and our adventures as parent's on the blog!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, and please pray for us as we transition from grandparent help to being self sufficient :)!

Cheers!
JNK