EvY at HomE

One of my favorite things to research as I was pregnant was what every mom considered her "newborn essentials". I being obsessed with gadgetry and preparedness was curious and spent a lot of time reading people's lists and then adding things to my registry that fit my general qualifications for a baby item being worth it. It couldn't be expensive unless someone swore to me up and down that it was worth the dough (like the mamaroo and the ergo carrier), it should ideally serve two purposes, and it had to be clever in its execution or purpose. For the things that serve two purposes for example, the pack and play is good, the top becomes a bassinet you can have in your room while the baby is wee and when the baby is bigger it's a portable crib and baby jail. GEAR AND BABY ITEMS spit up rags - At our Baby-Q Michelle had our friends decorate plain white cloth diapers and our friends made some very cute designs for Alice that we love seeing when we're cleaning ...

It's been an interesting few days around the Fredrich household with our lady. We're slowly getting a groove going, just in time for her to change it all I'm sure. Anyway… trying to make some time to type things but napping sounds like a better use of my time. In the meantime, enjoy this little pic from our newborn photo session. It's so nice having friends that are professional photographers.

First of all, I have been dreaming about breastfeeding my baby since I found out I was pregnant. I've been a staunch supporter of this most wonderful of things since well, my mother breastfed me for a year and to this day we all swear it's the reason I have such a great immune system. But I would literally have dreams where I was breastfeeding my baby and was really hoping I would be able to do it once Alice was born. Thankfully, it's happening. It happened right from the minute they placed her in my arms. She wasted no time and went right to the source. I was so relieved, especially since we didn't have that special snuggle time after the operation, I said hello and they whisked her away.  First off: I don't give a crap how you feed your baby. You do what you gotta do for your family. Right now we're going this route but let me tell you, it's HARD work. I am consumed by feeding this kid. At the moment we're going bottle-less and pacifier-less fo...

She's been extra hungry lately and I've been extra tired lately. Matt snapped this photo that reminds me that no matter how ravaged my body has been due to this girl, it is so worth it. - mobile blog post. spelling irrelevant.

In my research about labor & delivery I would keep ignoring the chapters about C-sections and C-section recovery because well OBVIOUSLY I wouldn't be having one because I was going to be an A+ student and birth my baby the way I wanted and within a short amount of time. Duh. Oh the arrogance! In Alice's birth story I described what it was like when I was wheeled into the OR and the general what happens when you get one and meet your baby for the first time so here's a few more details on the experience. You are only allowed one person in the room with you and for me that person was Matt. He was allowed in right before Alice was delivered and he stayed with her the whole time after she was born and brought her to me when she was cleaned up. Obviously you don't see much with a curtain about 1 foot from your face blocking the view so when your child is born you don't get to see them for a few minutes but you do get to hear them, which is a joyous sound you ...

Hey! We have been parents for a full week now can you believe it? - mobile blog post. spelling irrelevant.

As 07/07/14 came and went I was feeling very much like a grenade everyone was hoping to pull the pin on. That evening as nothing happened and we were just going stir crazy, Matt and I got dressed up and went out to dinner at Granville and went to see 22 Jump Street and walked around the mall. As we hoped it would be our last date just the two of us though not as we expected. That night as I showered I felt a trickle of water between my legs and I stepped away from the shower I could tell that I was peeing myself (it was yellow and definitely pee) but the warm trickle before I couldn't tell if it was my water breaking or just the shower. I gave it all night and I felt no contractions but the next day, 07/08/14 I was still leaking involuntarily. I had a 3pm appointment that day anyway but I called my doctor's office to see if they could see me earlier 'cause I didn't really want to go to the hospital. The doctor's office told me to go though I tried to insist I wasn...

As I am getting more sleep and able to use brain more I will be writing up a string of momma related posts for posterity. I'll just smack you with all of them every other day for the next week or so and then we'll attempt to think of things other than my beautiful baby girl. Which is pretty difficult I mean... Subjects will include but not limited to: - the full epic birth story - hospital births: the good and the sucky - all you never wanted to know about a c-section and c-section recovery (and general postpartum care) - nursery setups that work so far - how our house has changed to suit life with baby - my newborn essential supplies - breast of times: cause you totally want to hear about mom milking - musings on new motherhood - an update on life in general and rosy in particular I'll try to make it a fun read but I can't promise its for everyone. I do promise pictures though, lots and lots of pictures. - mobile blog post. spelling irrelevant.

Today we busted out of the hospital after being there for 5 days (1 night of labor, 3 nights of recovery, 1 morning). Immediately upon arrival, the nursery became my everything for this girl. I changed her diaper for the first time (matt's been doing it for me since i've been so weak), fed her in the glider and had her perfectly propped with the nursing pillow, set her down for a nap in her crib and she was out. As the day went on it became a huge relief that this room I have spent MONTHS planning and fussing with is just perfect because it is providing all we need within reach to easily care for our Rosy. I spent all day in here (except for a glorious shower and nap in my bed) and I am one very happy albeit insanely sore & swollen momma. We are all home now and oh man, there is no place like it. - mobile blog post. spelling irrelevant.

I'll tell the long story later but after thirty six hours of natural labor including 24 hours in the hospital, with insane pain and back labor, we had little progress with her making her way through the birth canal and though she was handling it like a champ, it was getting to the point of being stressful and dangerous for both of us. So, Alice Rosemary was born via c-section on 07/10/14 at 6:48pm. Not at all part of the plan but we made the right decision. The recovery is brutal on me but she is doing well and breastfeeding like a hungry bear at a jamboree. Our hearts are so full! mobile blog post. spelling irrelevant.