If You Liked Bumptastic, You’ll Love…

…Jantastic?

…The Jansenator?

…The Weekly Photo?

…The Jansen Project?

I need a name. Help me, my dear creative readers! I decided I’d take weekly photos of Jansen to watch his growth, much like we took weekly photos of my belly. Then I saw that Young House Love takes pictures of their daughter on fun pieces of fabric. I loved that idea. They are fancy and Photoshop a weekly label on her onesie, but I don’t think I can copy that. We have a bunch of bright blankets so we’ll just take the photos on the blankets each week.

Today is Jansen’s 4 week birthday. As of this post, I have week one through three taken and I think they are looking good. I don’t have a good camera and I’m not very talented, but I have a cute subject… so that helps. My mother-in-law is also taking weekly pictures. Between the two of us, we’ll come up with something amazing!

Here are the first three weeks.

Week 1:

Week 2:

Week 3:

Pretty cute, huh? Give me a name so I can add a tab at the top of my blog. I don’t promise to update that tab each week. I’d be fooling myself if I thought I could pull that off. It’ll be hard enough to remember to change him into a white onesie and take a picture each week. I promise to do a post each month with monthly photos because I have some darn cute monthly onesies to show off! (A friend of mine MADE them for him! Uhhh, awesome!)

So while we are talking about pictures, I’ll show you a few more. As a thank you, you can give me some name ideas for his weekly photos.

He is probably the cutest baby that has ever existed. (I only say “probably” because I haven’t actually seen every baby that has ever existed.)

Do You Get Sick Of My Lists?

Here are some things.

– I watched Biggest Loser last night. It was hard for me to not take notes and share all of my thoughts and feelings with you. Even though we got off to a bad start last week, this episode reminded me how much I love this show. This week’s was one of my favorites- lots of vomit and screaming and crying. Would you like to share your thoughts and feelings?

– I went shopping with my mom and sister yesterday. It wore me out!

– Huggies suck. I bought a small pack to try them out. They were on sale and I had a $2 off coupon so I figured it was worth a shot. I started using them yesterday morning. He went through 4 outfits yesterday. Yeah, that’s not okay.

– Jansen is SO cute. I stare at him all the time. I can’t help it!! I know he’s my son and all, but I really do think he’s one of the cutest babies that has ever existed.

– Do y’all watch Modern Family? How many people do you think put salt in their chocolate milk this week? Stephen did! He thinks maybe he put too much salt in it… it just tasted like salty chocolate milk. Salt and chocolate are a magical combination, so it sounded intriguing to me. Has anyone else tried it?

– Jansen just got a camo onesie. Pictures to come.

– My sister is getting very close to adding some other items to her shop. I’ll let you know when they are listed but you can always check her site to see what’s new. (Click here.) I won’t tell you what new line of items she’ll be listing, but I will give you a hint: She’s taking a book binding class.

– Incase you haven’t heard, the weather here in Houston is awesome… but with that comes the allergies. I had a headache last night that I assume is from allergies. It’s not fun but I sortof want a pumpkin spice latte.

– Thanks to everyone who participated in Ten on Tuesday. From the looks of it, there were several new participants. I wish I had the energy and desire to read through them all! Hello all of you new people, leave a comment and say hello.

– What should be the first book I buy for my Kindle?

– I need more sleep.

Ten on Tuesday (48)

I didn’t remember to post the questions until about 8:20 last night, so I’m not sure how many participants we’ll have. Sorry about that y’all. My brain is elsewhere.

This week’s questions come from Elizabeth at Balentine’s Day. The theme is Favorites. Enjoy!

1. Growing up, what was one favorite item that you had to have with you at all times?
As a baby, it was my DiDi. (Pronounced Die Die.) They were just old burp cloths/ cloth diapers. I used them as my security blanket. I wasn’t attached to anything as a kid.

2. Being an adult, what is one favorite item that you have to have with you at all times, and what happens if you do not have it with you? Do you lose your sanity or just go back home to get it?
Chapstick. I cannot be without it. If I happen to forget it, I absolutely have to stop to buy a new one. This is a non-negotiable.

3. Where is your favorite place to be to just hide away from everything and breathe for a moment?
In my house. That’s pretty much the only place I “hide.” If I need to hide from my whole life, I take a warm bath with a glass of wine. It’s My Time.

4. What is your favorite thing about your partner? (If you don’t have a partner, then someone who is very close and will always be in your life)
That’s really hard. I think my favorite thing about him is that he is extremely thoughtful. He always opens my door. He randomly rubs my feet. And he’s thoughtful when it comes to the other relationships in his life too. And also, he’s hot.

5. What is your favorite thing about your job? (If you don’t have a job, then what is your favorite thing that you do during your day?)
My favorite thing about my job is that I get paid.

6. What is your favorite lesson that your parents taught you growing up? Looking back, is it something that you want to use to teach your children when they reach that age?
I was raised in a Christian home and they taught me many valuable spiritual lessons. However, I think one of the most important things my parents taught me is money management. As a little kid I got an allowance and I gave a portion to church and a portion to savings. This has stuck with me and it’s now an important part of Stephen’s and my life. We will definitely teach our children this lesson. There is way too much debt and materialism in America these days. It’s disgusting. I hope our kids don’t get sucked into that world.

7. What is your favorite song, that will always bring a smile to your face and make you think of something happy?
I don’t have a favorite song but Cheyenne by George Strait is one of my favorites. I also love most David Crowder and Chris Tomlin songs.

8. What is your favorite things about being an American? (If you not American, what are you proud of in regards to your country)
I have no intelligent way to answer this. I’m sure I should say something about freedom and liberty, but I don’t know enough about other countries to know if life here is that much better.

9. What is your favorite meal that reminds you of being a child?
Apricot chicken or my mom’s meatloaf.

10. Name 3 things that other people would say are their favorite thing about you.
Stephen loves my legs… but I’m hoping that he’s the only one that thinks that. I don’t know. I’m dependable, a good listener, and a great emailer!

Here’s Mr Linky.

Another Monday List

1. It’s 11:30 on Monday night and, for the first time in almost two years, I forgot I had a blog. I suppose I should put something together for you guys. The two or three days I’ve posted late, I’ve gotten emails asking if I was alive. So hello, I am alive.

2. Jansen has gas. Not the painful screaming gas… the loud fart gas that is funny.

3. Some friends of ours got engaged this weekend. We are BEYOND thrilled for them. He proposed in a park and the pictures were beautiful. Then they went to another friends’ house and a bunch of us were there waiting to congratulate them. We had dinner and stared at her beautiful ring.

4. Rookie is going through her seasonal shedding stage. It’s disgusting. She always sheds but this is just ridiculous. Literally tufts of hair are coming out. I hate it.

5. This is all I’ve got.

6. ToT questions will be posted later.

7. Look at my baby.

8. Now that’s all I’ve got.

Seven Quick Takes

1.
Why is it already Friday???? Another week gone… another week closer to having to go back to work. That doesn’t make me a happy camper.

2.
My sister recently moved to a new apartment that is located closed to a Sprinkles Cupcake shop. For the most part I think that this cupcake trend is pretty ridiculous. HOWEVER, the mocha cupcake that they make is the most Heavenly baked good I’ve ever tasted. Ever.

3.
We are trying to sell our non-working car. I put it on Craigslist on Wednesday night. I got about 15 emails by Thursday morning at about 10:00. I think all but about 2 are spam. We’re unsure. Hopefully by the end of the weekend, we will be one non-working car poorer and $400 richer. Cross your fingers.

4.
I had an eye doctor appointment this week so I could reorder contacts. I don’t understand why contact prescriptions expire. It’s not like you can overdose or take too many contacts. It’s dumb. If my contacts aren’t the right prescription, I can tell you. But I had to go get my eyes checked and, sure enough, they hadn’t changed. Good thing I love my eye doctor. While I was there, I bought glasses. I haven’t worn glasses since I was in the 5th grade and swore I’d never wear them again. (I got glasses when I was 2. I felt that I’d paid my dues.) I had to wear glasses once or twice throughout high school and college when I got an infection in my eyes. But I’ve decided that I need them. And I’m a mother for crying out loud… I can look like a nerd if I want to!

5.
I no longer shower every day. Will you still be my friend?

6.
Did you know that the new Kindles have 3G? I knew that because I HAVE ONE! Stephen bought me one for an “I love you” present! I can’t say that I will never buy another book again, I love the smell and the feel of books too much. But it’ll sure be convenient! AND I can access my Google Reader on it… which means I can read blogs! I can carry your blogs with me in my purse! How fun!

7.
My son is so cute. This is when he was sleeping in my arm nook.

And here he is in his swing. So freaking cute!

Like It Is (Part 2)

This is the second post in this two post series. If you missed Part 1 you can click here. Basically, this is an honest list of things you need to know about childbirth. In no way is this list meant to scare future moms. It’s purpose is actually the complete opposite… I want you to be prepared. NEWSFLASH: Some aspects of childbirth suck. If I’m the first to tell you that, well, you cannot be helped! Really though, it’s really not that bad. But if you scare easy, you shouldn’t read. All others, read on!

16. When people ask if Stephen stayed up by my face or down by my Baby Exit Zone, I wonder how they gave birth. Based on the position of my body as I was pushing, those places are so close that there isn’t much of an option. “Did he stay up by your face?” “Yes.” “Did he watch the whole thing?” “Yes.”

17. While in the hospital, you’re given some mesh undies. They are these one-size-fits-all thingies. They may look ridiculous but they are bliss. I wish I could wear them every day.

18. You bleed for weeks. Don’t like pads? Too bad!

19. Incase breastfeeding doesn’t suck enough, you also cramp while you feed. Your uterus literally contracts while you’re feeding. So you get to feel a very strong baby try to suck your boob off WHILE your entire belly aches.

20. Oh and you bleed while you breastfeed. And I don’t mean your boobs.

21. Stretch marks often show up AFTER you have the baby. I thought I only had two stretch marks. WRONGO.

22. Post pregnancy is much like your first trimester. You are always tired, seriously hungry, and if you don’t take stool softeners, you won’t poop for weeks.

23. Boobs leak. And they don’t care if there are visitors in the room. Around day 2 or 3, bra pads are extremely necessary.

24. All the pregnancy books tell you to pack this and that in your bag. I even went out and bought a nightgown and robe to bring with me. Not necessary. I lived in their gowns. I wasn’t about to ruin my new gown with all my blood and… other fluids. In my opinion, all you need is: socks, toiletries, an outfit to go home in, a sleeping nursing bra, bra pads, and some DVDs.

25. Don’t buy a nursing bra until you have the baby. There is no way of knowing what size your boobs will be ahead of time. (And don’t expect them to stay the same size from one hour to the next.) This excludes one sleeping bra. They are thin so just guess a size and it should work. You’ll want it once your boobs start behaving like a leaky faucet and you have to wear bra pads.

26. The first pee after childbirth is the longest pee of your life. It also takes a lot on concentration and it’s awkward because your nurse is there to help.

27. When they put your baby on your chest the very first time, it’s very odd. On one hand you want to hug him and stare at him. On the other hand, you are very aware that he is covered in white stuff and he’s still attached to something that is still inside you. So you kind of just lay there awkwardly while the rest goes down. And have no fear, your baby will look MUCH cuter in about 30 minutes.

28. Even when the seconds are slowly ticking and you’re on your second episode of Home Improvement and third episode of Cash Cab, time still flies. Take notes if you want to remember it.

29. The hospital runs on weird hours. They bring breakfast around 7:30 and dinner around 5:30. I don’t know why they think we function on those hours. Many a pot roast has been wasted because mommas aren’t ready for dinner at 5:30.

30. It’s a blur. It’s crazy. It’s not easy. But it is the best day of your life!

Like It Is (Part 1)

(I chose not to blog about Biggest Loser this season. It just seems unreasonable for me to try to take it on. But incase you want to know my thoughts and feelings on last night… I thought it was the worst first episode ever. I think it’s cruel to give people the hope that they are chosen and then rip it away. I wish it had been a real episode. And that’s all I’m going to say about that.)

Many people have told me that they love my Pregnant Pause posts because I’m honest and tell it like it is. I see no point in hiding the fact that pregnancy causes stretch marks and constipation and sore feet. I think you should all know what you’re getting yourself into when you decide to expand your family. Yes, babies are cute and they are a blessing… but your thighs are going to blow up. And your butt? It gets it’s own zip code. And did you know that there is a stage in your pregnancy when you can no longer fit into your maternity clothes?? Yeah, that’s a fun time.

But I’m past that stage. Now it’s newborn time. So I thought I’d share some honest info with you about childbirth and these beginning stages of motherhood. If you are a male, feel free to leave. Also, I’ve been compiling this list for about a week and it got to be pretty long, so I’m going to post this in two parts.

1. Movies lie.

2. Not all contractions are brutal and not everyone’s water breaks on it’s own. It is totally possible that you could be having “good” contractions and you have no clue. (Yeah… More on that when I post the birth story.)

3. All nurses have the right to see and touch your lady parts. Be prepared for any nurse on duty to come “check” you… And on that note: Not all pelvic exams are created equal. Some are just awkward but some hurt like hell. Apparently there is a skill to it.

4. This is also true once the baby has made his arrival. Several times a day a nurse will come mush your belly and look in your panties. They act like this is a normal activity, it’s best if you act that way too.

5. A nurse even had me roll over so she could check to see if I had hemorrhoids. Thankfully she found nothing during her search. Her name was Pam, I will never forget.

6. Labor is pretty anti-climatic when you’ve got the drugs. It’s a waiting game. Once they break your water, they try not to check you unless it’s necessary because with every check comes the possibility of introducing bacteria to your Ladyness. So you just lay there and watch crappy shows on their crappy television that only goes channel up and only produces sound from a small remote attached to your bed.

7. When they say “Tell me if you feel like you need to have a bowel movement” what they DON’T mean is “Please don’t poop on the table.” What they DO mean is “When your baby is descending, you’re the only one that will know. So pay attention and let us know immediately. No pressure.”

8. Once you have the epidural, you lose all ability to hold in a fart. In fact, you will have no idea that you need to fart until you let out a “pfffft.” The first few times are shockingly, hilarious, and embarrassing. Eventually, you get used to it. Be sure your family is aware that you have no control over this. Your nurse won’t care.

9. The epidural sucks. SUCKS. Be prepared to repeat the prayer “Please relax me. Get me through this.” Over and over while tucked into your nurse’s chest. I hated it and I’m already dreading it for my next baby. However, I’m confident that it sucks less than the feeling of a human being coming out of my vagina. So I’ll take it! (More thoughts on epidurals during my birth story.)

10. When your nurse says that it’s baby time and you’re going to do some “practice pushing,” be aware that there is nothing “practice” about it. It’s real pushing, just without the doctor there.

11. I guess I probably should have realized this based on knowledge of what an epidural is, but you have to have a catheter. It sucks at first but it’s nice to not have to get up to pee every 15 minutes.

12. Another thing I should have known? When you have an epidural, you only push during contractions. Did y’all know this?? Okay so here’s the run down: You have time for three pushes during each contraction, then you have to wait. So…. breathe, breathe, push, breathe, push, breathe, push. Wait for 3 minutes. Repeat. What do you do during those 3 minutes? Nothing. Nothing at all. You twiddle your thumbs and try not to think about the fact that you are completely exposed under bright lights with 5 strangers and your husband in the room.

13. Breastfeeding sucks as much as people says it does. It’s also as wonderful as people say it is. I love that it’s MY time with Jansen… but it also hurts like hell.

14. When your milk comes in, your boobs turn into bowling balls. This is no exaggeration. They get about 4 times larger than normal and are hard as rocks. This is about the time you curse yourself for deciding to breastfeed. If I had been on the fence, I would have quit. It was frustrating. As my angel of a nurse said, “Well he is trying to latch on to a basketball, it’s almost impossible.” This stage only lasts about a day, if you can get through it, you can get through anything. (Note: This is a good time to learn to work your pump. It’ll save your life, your sanity, and your surroundings from an exploded boob.)

15. Also learned during this day before my wonderful nurse was on duty: Not all nurses are helpful.

Consider yourself educated… or at least halfway educated. The rest will come tomorrow.

Ten on Tuesday (47)

Hello ToTers!

This week’s questions were provided by Jessica at Road to Anywhere. Go visit her! Once again, I’m opting to not answer, but Mr. Linky is down there for all of you who are participating.

1. What’s the one thing you always do when you’re stressed?
2. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done for a friend?
3. What cleaning supply could you not live without?
4. How long do you plan on living where you currently reside?
5. Do you usually vote straight party, a mixture, or not at all?
6. What’s something that you love to do, but seem to never make time for?
7. What’s your favorite store to buy things for other people?
8. What’s the weather like around you today?
9. What’s the worst book you’ve ever bought and read?
10. What’s the closest thing to you that is yellow?

A Monday List

1. Yesterday was September 19. Also known as “Jansen’s Due Date.” Can you believe it? He’s been here for 2.5 weeks. I sort of can’t remember my life before he was here. Everything is different. Everyone always said that once you have a baby, every aspect of your life changes. Everyone is right.

2. Jansen had his 2 week check up on Friday. He gained a pound since we left the hospital, so now he weighs 8 pounds 8 ounces. He also grew an inch, so now he is 21 inches. He’s currently in the 50th percentile for weight and 74th percentile for length. We have a tall, skinny boy on our hands!

3. I am always thirsty.

4. I will post Ten on Tuesday questions. I’m not sure if I will be participating, but I’ll definitely post them. I need more questions, I’m running low. So if you come up with a set of 10, email me at chelsea @ rootsandrings dot com.

5. Yesterday we gave Jansen his first real bath. Previously we’d just been allowed to give him sponge baths since he still had his cord. His cord is gone so we gave him a big boy bath in his whale. He cried a bit but not like he did with the sponge baths. He was so cute when he was all wrapped up in his towel with wet hair. No, we didn’t get a picture. We aren’t that good yet. It was hard enough to bathe him while convincing Stephen that baby pee wouldn’t kill him.

6. Yesterday was fantastic. It was the first day that Stephen, Jansen, and I spent ALL day together ALL alone. It was bliss. I want more days like that. I understand that Jansen is the cutest baby in the world and everyone wants to see him and cuddle him, but it was very necessary for us to have that time alone before I had a melt down. Maybe I’m hormonal and imbalanced… or maybe I’m just a mom who is desperate for time alone with her husband and her baby. Now I want more of those days.

7. Moms, what is your favorite brand of diaper? Does it change based on the baby’s size?

8. Biggest Loser starts tomorrow. I haven’t decided if I’m going to be blogging recaps. I don’t have DVR so I’ll have to watch it live… and I really don’t know how reasonable that’s going to be with a baby. Thoughts and feelings?! I know there are several of you who only read my blog for the recaps. Although if that’s the case, you won’t be reading this post and can’t give me your two cents.

9. We have rice weevils. Gross. They are in our pantry so we are having to go through and throw almost everything out.

10. This is all.

Seven Quick Takes

I’m too lazy to post the Seven Quick Takes logo and link up. I’m actually typing with one hand because I don’t want to put Jansen down. He looks way too comfortable.

See?

1.
Yesterday my baby turned 2 weeks old. I wish time would slow down.

2.
Jansen has his two week check up this morning. I’m anxious to see how much weight he’s gained. A week and a half ago he weighed 7 pounds 8 ounces. I’m not sure how quickly babies gain weight but I’m assuming he’s in the 8 pound range now.

3.
I weighed myself yesterday. In two weeks I have lost 30 pounds. I can’t even put into words how shocking this is. I think that maybe I would have had a few more gallons of Blue Bell or a couple more packages of Oreos if I knew how easy it was going to come off!

4.
I’d really like to win the lottery. I’d really like to never go back to work. I’d like to stay home with my baby and cuddle him and talk to him.

5.
I have plans to write a post all about the things people don’t tell you about having a baby. I feel that I was pretty honest with you throughout my pregnancy, it’s only fitting that I tell you the truth now that it’s all over as well. Right?

6.
80% of my day is spent either changing diapers or with a baby attached to my chest. Time has never flown faster. When your day is broken up by feedings every 3-4 hours, there doesn’t seem to be much time for anything else.

7.
Whoa. My life is different.