Thompson Life Update.

We're officially residing in Cincinnati, OH. This last month has been a whirlwind, for lack of a better descriptor. We moved across country, unloaded, went to Young Life camp, unpacked, went to Phoenix, AZ, unpacked, Jeff started his new job, had visitors from Hilton Head... and now here we are.

All the while I've been maintaining my Etsy Shop, Our Baby Thompson Love, AND officially become a stay at home mom. It's been so crazy and we're ready to start fresh as a family of three and "relearn" how to live in Cincinnati.

We are temporarily living in Jeff's grandpa's house for FREE, so we can't complain at all. But we are beginning to explore different areas within the city and decide where we want to buy our first home. We are both excited about this, and are hoping to find a house that needs some substantial renovations/updates. I'm sure that seems crazy, but there will never be another time that we are living for free with no strings attached, allowing us an unlimited timeline and extra resources to renovate and make a house our first home! I cannot even begin to describe how eager I am to start this process, but I am also practicing patience and know it will be in God's timing. Our plan is that our house hunt will officially begin in early November, and realistically will continue well into the spring.

In other news, I'm training for a marathon. Perfect timing, right? It's been going well so far, although it's hard to carve out the time, we {Jeff and I} are making it a priority and he's supporting me as much as he can. He is also LOVING the time he's getting with Sullivan one-on-one while I go running, especially since he's adjusting to only seeing her for 2 hours a day, before bedtime {and weekends of course}.

I have lots of projects in the working: painting a lot of furniture, reupholstering our new Craigslist dining room chairs, some general decorating, and my favorite- planning for Sullivan's FIRST birthday party. I don't want to start a habit of doing over the top parties EVERY year, but how could we not for her very first?

Here's a couple pictures from the past month or so:

My Breastfeeding Experience {and Pumping}.

Breastfeeding and pumping seems so simple, but it's really so complicated, mostly because every experience is different. I feel like I still have questions about it and I'm 6 months into it. I want to share my experience with the hope that someone can relate!

The first days... 

Sullivan was immediately an "aggressive" feeder, as the nurses told me. We never had a problem with her latching, which I am so thankful for. The problem we initially had was it didn't seem like colostrum was enough for her. The lactation specialist at the hospital said she would be fine, but when we got home she just didn't seem satisfied at all after feeding. She just seemed really hungry and would cry and couldn't settle down/fall asleep. I was sent home with some individual "bottles" of formula {just in case}, so finally after a day or so I caved and let Jeff feed her a 1oz of a 2oz bottle. I cried the whole time and had to leave the room because I felt like a failure that I wasn't "enough" for her. I also feel so lucky that I was never sore, or dealt with cracked or bleeding nipples.

I kept waiting for my milk to come in {which I guess the average is 3 days}, mine took a week {7 whole days}! It was so exciting when it finally happened, but I was so worried and stressed that entire week that I wasn't going to be able to breastfeed. One of our older friends down here told us an old school trick, and had Jeff buy me a dark beer. So I'm sitting in my rocking chair, nursing Sullivan, and drinking a Guinness. About an hour or two later MY MILK CAME IN! We were so excited! From that point on it's pretty much been smooth sailing, but I regret how stressed I was the first week of her life, and feel like I really missed out on just loving her and getting to know her.

I have also never experienced too much pain or that full feeling, except for when Sullivan started sleeping for 8 hours straight. I have always done a dream feed {feed her while she's still kind of sleeping} at 10:30PM then she sleeps until 7AM. The first few times she started sleeping for that large chunk I woke up in pain and had to instantly feed her or pump. After a week or so this eased up and my body adjusted to the new schedule.

Pumping... 
Pumping has been OK. From the start I could never pump more than 2oz {TOTAL, from both sides}. Everything I've read and the lactation specialist at the hospital all say that I'm the norm, but every person {really, every person} that I've talked to/know can pump gallons. It's been frustrating, but we've managed. She only needs a few bottles a week, but I just couldn't get ahead. I have two friends who have "donated" their milk for Sullivan. I don't know how people feel about that, I guess it's a little weird, but I'm so thankful! I had my wisdom teeth out, and couldn't nurse for 24 hours... my supply would have never lasted for all that milk, but fortunately I had my friends' as back up!

I have tried every size flange {the funnel part of the pump} because we thought maybe that was the issue, but I kept getting the same results.

In the beginning I never tried super hard to live on the pump, I was overwhelmed enough with how often and long she was nursing for, to then sit and spend another 15 minutes on the pump. I'm assuming if I would have been really disciplined with pumping in-between feedings that would have made the difference. It's definitely made things a little complicated. For example, our doctor recently said to give her MiraLAX, for constipation, by mixed in her milk once a day. That's an issue because I don't pump enough milk for a full feeding {or enough liquid to mix the MiraLAX with}, so I'm not sure what to do.

Other than needing more milk for convenience and so that I can leave her more, it's really easy to just let her nurse. She's super quick and efficient these days and there is no mess or clean up involved!

I hope this helps SOMEONE. Let me know if you have specific questions, I'd be happy to share more details and info. OH, and I've mentioned this before but I found a breastfeeding support group with a lactation specialist who is there every week- that was beyond helpful {for random questions/concerns those first 3 months}, not to mention she gives free products/pump accessories. I highly recommend it! 

Life Update

We've been busy! My mom came to visit, Jeff went to LA, we spent a day in Charleston with my mom {they overlapped each other one day}, Sullivan turned 6 months old, we spent the weekend at another Young Life camp, had Sullivan's 6 month pictures taken, celebrated my first official Mother's Day, and Jeff and I have been on this "21 Day Fix" with daily workouts and a meal plan to follow.

I won't go into depth about anything. What I will say is that WE MOVE IN 40 days!!!!! Whaaaaaat?

My mom came to visiting while Jeff was away in LA. She hadn't seen Sullie since Christmas. 

The baby rocking chair. Had to snap another picture in it!

Charleston day. 

Happiest girl. 

SIX MONTHS! Can't believe it. 

Young Life Family Camp Weekend @ Carolina Point

My mothers day present was her 6 month photo shoot!

Pretty Mother's Day flowers. 

My favorite thing right now, during out cleanse. 

Stay Home or Work.

As we are preparing to move back to Ohio {which I guess this is my official announcement, ha}, we are also faced with the BIG decision of whether or not I will work. I have so many mixed feelings about this. I have been VERY lucky that the past two years I've been able to work privately for a family {but still within a school setting}. I am a "private" intervention specialist at a preparatory school {and I coach cheerleading which took about 15-20 hours a week}.  I LOVE what I'm doing, but it's not technically a "real" job. I'm not paid by the school, I don't have benefits, no classroom or personal space. The school has really embraced my position and have treated me as if I'm a "real" teacher. They've even sent multiple families my way, to see if I'd be willing to take on another student.

Since having Sullivan I work 3 days a week {4 hours a day}. We don't pay for child care, because we have a wonderful friend who watches baby once a week. We have some other great women who are willing to occasionally watch her, and then Jeff keeps her one or two days. It has been such a blessing to have help when family isn't near by.

So the reasons we are even considering the idea of me working are strictly financial and planning for the future. I should mention that we want to have at least three kids, but REALLY want four. Plus we would love to adopt {at least one child}. If I could work for the next 3 years or so, it would really help us to "get ahead" and really prepare for our future goals and children. We definitely DON'T want me to work when we have multiple children, and in 3 years or so Jeff will be more established in his new career. So working for a few years when we only have one or two kids might be really helpful.

I wasn't even considering job searching or the idea of working until I had SEVERAL {possible} opportunities come my way. One of the jobs offers more flexibility {while still being full time} than a teaching career would. I can't bare the thought of Sullivan spending 40 hours a week with anyone else. Best case scenario, I would get off work by 4, by the time we got home and settled it'd probably be 5, and her bedtime routine starts at 7:15. That's MAYBE 20 hours with her Monday-Friday.

I know myself and I know that I will struggle with feelings of jealousy and bitterness towards whoever got the gift of spending so much time with her everyday. I would pick her up and THEY would be the one telling ME what her schedule is, what she liked, etc. I don't think I could handle it.

I may be wrong, I have NO prior experience in this area! ha. So if ANY has some insight PLEASE share. Right now I am leaning towards wanting to work {again temporarily, like three years}.

Hello... who WOULDN'T want to spend all day with this girl. {These are two moments I would have missed had I been at work}. 

Baby Food Making Essentials.

1. Mumi & Bubi Trays: These trays are awesome. They were an investment, but the company compares the purchase of the trays to a week of purchasing store bought baby food. The main things I wanted when looking for trays to freeze our baby food was that they were BPA free, had lids, wouldn't take up A LOT of space, and each "cube" size was 1 oz... VIOLA, these are perfect. This kit comes with two trays and two lids. When stacked they are 3in tall. Each tray holds 21oz. of baby food {thats 42oz total}. I really like these. Now, ice cube trays are another option, but I decided against it for various reasons. Plus these have a 1 year warranty, always an added bonus.

2. Food Processor: We had this 4 cup food processor for 3.5 years now, and I've used it once! So I was super excited to bust this bad boy out. Now these are sold in ALL kinds of cute colors {I'm kind of bummed I missed that boat}. You could use ANY blender or food processor you already have. Personally, I am not into the "baby bullet" type stuff, I feel like it's just extra expenses and kind of gimmicky.

3. Boon Squirt Spoon: This isn't to help MAKE food, but just another fun AND helpful product to add to feeding time. You put the food in the squeeze handle, and then you do just that... squeeze. It dispenses {squirts} food into the spoon. It also comes with a cute little cover for the spoon. This will be great for on the go feeding because it eliminates the need for a bowl! And check out the cute colors.

4. mOmma Straw Cup: Another straw cup, and it's SUPER cute {always a motivator for me}. The Playtex training cups I bought are fine, but you have to suck really hard on the straw to get a drink {Sullivan still hasn't learned}. This cup is much easier to drink from. Plus it has the two handles so it's great for her to hold and control, and of course it's spill proof.

5. Organic Frozen/Fresh Produce: There are MANY reasons why I am choosing to only give Sullivan organic foods. I will mostly be using organic frozen veggies and fruit, because studies have shown frozen produce is equally as good as fresh produce {in some cases BETTER, whaaaat?} I have to sites listed below, and both have great information specifically about baby food. Both sites {and many more} 100% agree that organic is the BEST for babies. If "regular" produce is used it has chemicals and pesticides from the growing processes. Organic removes all that.


How I decided to make our baby food: 
Pros: 
1. The other day I went to the baby isle at the grocery, I looked at baby foods and read the ingredient list. It was WILD all the crap that was listed! I have bought some store bought baby foods and under ingredients all it should say {all I want it to say} is ORGANIC PEAS or ORGANIC WHATEVER. nothing else should be listed/is necessary. When you make your own baby food... you know EXACTLY what's in it.
3. Fresh {no idea how long store-bought baby food has been sitting on the shelves/manufacturers}
2. Money saver {one jar or pouch of organic baby food at my grocery is $1.39 for 3.5oz, I made 14oz for $2.89}
3. Better for the environment {no jars/pouches}
4. NO waste {when you open a jar/pouch of baby food, it has to be thrown out within 48 hours, with homemade you can prepare a little at a time}

Cons: 
1. Time {which really is minimal}
2. Learning/researching how to prepare {I get nervous I'm doing it wrong, causing added stress}
3. Less convenient than grabbing a jar {duh}

Making baby food really is THIS simple. It took me less than 20 minutes to make 42oz. of baby food and only $6 {for three different kinds- I will post specific pictures and "recipes" later}. 
To start I researched as much as I could about what foods to start with. An interesting mindset to have when starting solids is that our goal of giving foods/solids isn't to supplement or stop babies from nursing or taking formula, it's to introduce babies to AS MANY different foods as possible before their first birthday {check out this video, my pediatrician recommended this site, and it's all research based and a doctor's perspective}. I personally decided to start with veggies. Babies don't have preference at this point, every taste is a new experience, and they can't possibly know what they do and don't like BUT introducing fruits first {because of the natural sugars and sweetness} could make babies prefer fruits to veggies {just a thought}. I read On Becoming Baby Wise: Book II and did A LOT of research on Wholesome Baby Food and Dr. Greene.com.

If you have any questions, advice, or fun recipes please share!

Starting Cereal Essentials.

We started giving Sullivan baby cereal Thursday, it's been so fun... but also ANOTHER learning curve in the world of baby raising. I felt like she was ready, she started waking some at night and she's become super interested in watching US eating.

1. Wakey Wakey Baby Cereal- The brand is Ella's Kitchen from Target. I get really great coupons from Target, because I joined their "baby club". The one I used was $3 off a purchase of $10 of Ella's Kitchen products. It's all organic and natural, plus reasonably priced. It got good reviews from other moms as well. I tasted it and it's actually pretty good.

2. Munchkin White Hot Spoons: I don't really care about the "safety" feature, I just thought they were good colors and simple. The rubber tips are nice, and not super curved, so it's easy to get the food out. I wasn't a huge fan of the bright, plastic utensils. Plus they are pretty cheap. Dishwasher safe.

3. Aden + Anais Burp Bib: I love all their products. I bought these and have been using as burp cloths since Sullivan was born. You can drape them around babies neck and there's a snap in the back to secure and it becomes a bib! I'm all about minimizing, so I love the dual purpose. And boy is a bib necessary, she gets super messy... something I'm going to need to cope with as we venture into eating solids.
4.  PBK Gingham Bowls: So cute. They have grips on the bottom so the bowls won't slide around. They are BPA free, and the perfect kid size. Dishwasher safe, but NOT recommended for the microwave, which is a slight down side. They are perfect for now though.

5. Playtex Training Cups: We aren't really using these much but just putting a little water and letting Sullivan play around with it. I read that 2 oz. of water a day is OK for babies. I also read that straw cups are better than sippy/tilt cups. Apparently straw cups are easier to learn, it eliminates the "tipping" step. With a sippy cup you have to hold, tilt, suck, and swallow. With a straw cup you just have to hold, suck, and swallow {no tilt/tipping}. It made good sense to me. I also read that you want to introduce a cup by 8 months old.

The weird thing has been her poop frequency has drastically decreased, and the consistency has also changed. I know rice cereals can cause constipation, and the cereal we have has both brown rice and whole grains. She's only pooped TWICE in 4 days, which before she was going FOUR times a day. I've stopped giving it to her twice a day, and am trying just in mornings. I'm nervous because its hard to diagnose a baby being constipated, because some can go 8-10 days without, and that's considered normal. It's so confusing to me! I don't know if I should stop completely and try again in a few weeks {when she's the recommended 6 months}.

If anyone has any advice or feedback by all means, share your experience!

I have some more fun products I've ordered/found for food making and feeding, and am excited to use them and post!

Easter Preparations.

My newest craft and holiday garland for Easter! The glitter "Happy Easter" garland is from Pottery Barn Kids, found here. The patterned bunny garland is inspired from this, that is now sold out. When I saw it I REEEALLY wanted it, but I also could NOT spend $50 total on Easter garland. It looked simple enough, so I made it!

Supplies: cute spring paper, twine, cotton balls, needle, glue, and scissors.

The hardest part was making a stencil of the bunny. I traced them onto the paper and cut out. I used 10 bunnies (2 of each pattern). I measured the twine, and decided how spaced out the bunnies needed to be. I used the needle and went through the front of one ear, and up the back of the next, then add a knot to secure. At the end I took one cotton ball and pulled apart and fluffed up, to make the cute little cotton tail. A dot of hot glue for the tail and your done. And it literally cost less than $1, compared to the $26 price tag at PBK. And maybe 30 minutes of my life.

Five Months Old.

Sullivan turned 5 months on March 30th. 

At five months old....
As of March 10th you became a roller, then took a 2 week break, but it has become your favorite! You can roll from your back to your tummy, but haven't figured out the other way yet. You laugh so hard at things, it's the cutest ever! You weigh 13.3 pounds and we found out your head is in the 2nd percentile {little head like mom}! You still sleep well at night. The corner of your first tooth is starting to come in {bottom left}. You got sick for the first time on your 5 month birthday, throwing up and really weak. We were worried but you were such a champ. When mama works and you get a bottle, you hold it all by yourself! You reach and grab for things all the time, and you especially love electronics {phones and the tv remote}. 

We love you soo so much Sullie Girl. Xo

These pictures are a little blurry, and the shadowing is weird.

Short Hair, Don't Care.

I finally did it. After growing my hair out for six+ years, I chopped it off and donated it! I originally started growing my hair out to donate it, but to be honest I started to like it... and got possessive. I procrastinated this haircut for three years. I really wanted to do something new, and when better to chop off all your hair than right after you have a baby, right? Part of me DIDN'T want to get the haircut right now, for that exact reason... everyone thinking it's a #typicalmom move. ha. Luckily I decided I didn't really care what people thought. 

I went into the salon with all my picture of "the look" I was going for {I really shouldn't bother, it never looks like Jennifer Aniston anyways}. Although I could have kept my hair pretty long and still donated the 10 inch minimum, I decided to go more drastic.

I donated my 15 inch {super thin} pony tail to Locks of Love. It was super easy, the salon I went to handled everything for me! 

Here's some pictures: before, during, and after! {So funny and random, but a friend happened to be at the salon too and took a few pictures! So great!} Also, excuse the creepy {school closet/bathroom where I use my breast pump} selfies. I just wanted to make sure I officially documented the length of my hair RIGHT before. 

J. Crew Factory tee//old J.Crew necklace similar here
Also- I didn't get highlights, haven't colored my hair in YEARS. 

Wisdom-less.

I had my wisdom teeth {all 4} out a week ago {from tomorrow}. Yes, I'm 25 and just now having them removed... why? because my childhood dentist was apparently not good at reading X-rays. I was told I was in the clear for getting my wisdom teeth extracted, but obviously not. I found out while I was pregnant that I needed to have them... how? because they were coming in! I needed to wait until I had Sullivan to go get the X-rays and get the ball rolling.

I didn't know what to expect with the procedure. I was NOT expecting to need an IV for the anesthesia. I HATE them! Surprisingly, the surgery took less than an hour. I was literally in and out in 45 minutes, that was also unexpected. 

I wasn't super funny afterwards, no David after dentist over here, but I did send a few funny videos to family/friends and had a good time in the Starbucks drive thru! The recovery was fine- I wasn't able to nurse Sullivan for 24 hours and I only ate soup and apple sauce for 3 days. A bruise showed up on my jaw on day 3 too. 

All in all I think I'm pretty lucky. No dry socket, pretty quick recovery, and minimal puffiness. I never  needed took any of the pain meds either, just toughed it out with Tylenol. Here's a series of embarrassing pictures of me after...

On another note, my mother-in-law and Jeff's aunt came for a long weekend. It was great to have them here and they were able to help with Sullivan while I took extra naps during my "recovery". It's crazy that they hadn't seen her since Christmas because she has changed SO much!

All Things Green.

headband// Gymboree pants// designer tutu 

This is definitely overdue, but we had a pretty fun weekend {LAST WEEKEND} over here. Friday and Saturday were very chill. Sunday Jeff and I served at church, then went straight to friends' house {my only friend down here with a baby}. We had cabbage and brisket then headed out for the St. Patrick's Day parade. We'd never been before during out 3 years living here, so it was a fun experience. Here is something I learned... parades are really an excuse for adults to get wild. My mistake, I thought they were for kids and families.

St. Patty's Day.

I used to care very much little about holidays, but I think that having Sullivan has made me want to celebrate EVERYTHING. I've recently been really excited about decorating for each upcoming holiday. I'm definitely thrifty and have to be selective with what I spend money on... so, when I see really cute decorative stuff, my first thought is always "how can I make or recreate this?" I don't like cliche and predictable decorations for holidays, but just simple, cute touches. I have especially been diggin' garland, it adds JUST enough festiveness to our home. I do wish we had a mantel to decorate and hang garland from, and as we are beginning to look at future homes... a fireplace/mantel is definitely on my {wish} list. 

Here's the DIY St. Patty's Day garland I currently have hanging from our kitchen pass-through window. These were super easy to make and I think it looks so fun! 

I actually got this quick "tassel" idea from the Factory J. Crew store. When they reset the floor for spring they had these cute, homemade tassels hanging above all the wardrobes. I loved it and made up my own process to recreate! I am also always on Etsy looking at all of the creative things people make. 

Quick directions for tassel garland: 1. measure twine and decide how many tassels you need 2. accordion fold cardstock {mine is standard sized paper, 8.5in by 11in cut in half horizontally} 3. staple the tops to keep secure and then fan out 4. take a thick sewing needle and twine and threaded through tassel {this can be difficult because of thickness} 5. put a not knot after each tassel to keep from sliding. 6. loop each end and tie and hang around clear thumb tacks 

Quick directions for gold glitter circle garland: 1. measure twine and decide how spaced you want the circles 2. punch out circles from the cardstock {I used this 2" circle craft punch} 3. using a large sewing needle thread twine through each circle 4. put knot to secure 5. repeat over and over 6. tie loops on both ends 7. hang around secured clear thumb tacks

I am no craft guru and I obviously didn't do a step by step pictures documenting the process. But please let me know if something is unclear or you have questions! 

You can see all my birthday cards displayed. When we move I want to come up with a cute way to display cards.

This weekend we are going to Hilton Head's St. Patty's Day parade, which will be a first for us! I'm so excited for Sullivan to have her first St. Patrick's Day celebration! Can't wait to share pictures. 

Four Month Well Visit.

Yesterday we had Sullivan's four month well child visit. I should mention that I wasn't even at this appointment {I know, I almost died not being there} but Jeff {Daddy of the Year} took her and sent me the play by play through texts. We made this appointment forever ago, before I started back at work. The ONLY problem with my job, is that it's not salary nor do I get "sick days", if I don't work for any reason I don't get paid, so...

We're almost 2 weeks behind on her check-ups because we were in Cincy when she should have had her two month appointment. Yesterday was all pretty standard stuff. We did find out that her head is TINY. I put her baby fedora hat on {size 0-6months} and it looked like it could fit me {which it probably could, because my head is tiny too}. The doctor said {again} that Sullivan is simply a petite baby. Her head is in the 2nd percentile {15 1/4 inches}! What does that mean? Take a hundred babies and ONLY one baby would beat her for the title of smallest head. She weighs 12 pounds 11 ounces and she is 24 inches long. {there is a slight discrepancy in length, because apparently our hospital and pediatrician always have a one inch difference so based off her birth length and hospital measurements, she's 25 inches. WHO KNOWS!}

We found out that she will continue taking her blood pressure medicine {for her hemangioma} until around 10 months. In a couple months we will slightly increase the dosage. This treatment is not to get rid of it, but to prevent it from growing. She will probably have the hemangioma on her nose until she is in early elementary school. 

The shots went well. She only screamed for a couple seconds, and by the time they put the bandaids on she was already distracted by chewing on her hands... of course. 

Our pediatrician recommended that we wait as close to 6 months as we can before starting solids. He also shared this website, and said it had lots of good info, from Doctors... not random people's opinions {like me!} ha. I haven't gotten to really explore and look at it, but I figured I'd share.

Another exciting thing... Sullivan rolled over for the first time on Monday! She rolled three times from back to front. Today she rolled over twice from front to back. She's well on her way to moving. We've also had PERFECT weather this week, so lots of family walks. 

Quarter of a Century.

Yep, I'm 25. I'd say I've accomplished a lot in my life already. I think I'm a little ahead of the game, and I like it. I am SO thankful that I met Jesus while still in high school, that I gave my life to Him early on. I didn't have to begin adulthood lost and hopeless. I was able to start my adult life and make all the important decisions that came my way, with Christ on my side. I was confident that I had a purpose.. to serve Him in all that I do.

So, instead of wandering into adulthood uncertain, confused, and searching- I got married, THEN graduated college, moved, started my career, ended my career, started a family, and then decided to move again {I believe it's what the Lord had for MY life, everyone's path is different}. I didn't have to experiment to find my purpose or path, because I have Christ lighting the way and walking with me through life.

As I reflect back on these 25 year, I feel proud and I feel blessed, very blessed. He has certainly provided in HUGE ways, and given me a lot of responsibility, even when I feel unworthy. If ALL of these things have happened in just the first quarter of my life, I am literally ecstatic about what the other three-quarters of life has in store {assuming my life span is 100 years- HA}.

I literally feel like I was twenty-four 12 yesterday. Time is going so quickly, Sullivan is growing up SO fast. I want to appreciate, rejoice, and serve EACH and EVERY day that I am given to add on to this 25 years.

CHEER TO ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL 25 YEARS!! xoxo

great friends who threw me a SURPRISE birthday party! 

Sullie REALLY interested in my birthday breakfast pancakes

A year ago, life changed.

So exactly a year ago from today we discovered we were pregnant {and by we I mean I}. About a week earlier, I finally went to the store and bought an at home test- a box of three. Of course it was the kind with the pink lines... The first test I THINK said "no you're not pregnant" but those blurred lines {Robin Thicker anyone} are pretty tricky. So a week later, on Wednesday {3/6/13}, I took a second test. This time that second blurry pink line was definitely making an appearance. When I told Jeff he said "you probably did it wrong" and started googling about false positives. So later that night I too the last of my three tests, and that third test DEFINITELY confirmed that indeed, I was pregnant. But Mr. Skeptic wasn't so positive. The next day he was out of town all day, so I went and bought a DIFFERENT brand, the kind that literally says "pregnant" or "not pregnant", pretty cut and dry.  Sure enough my screen said "pregnant". I took a picture of that and text Jeff saying "I'm calling the Doctor".

It's funny thinking back because at this point I was working out a lot and was running a 10 mile race on that Saturay {3/9/13} the day after my birthday! But I had eaten an entire LARGE jar of whole pickles from Sams Club in two days. I mentioned that to friends at school and of course their reaction was "uhhh sounds like you're prego". To which I responded "no my body must just need extra sodium from running so much"- WHAT? I ran a full marathon a couple years ago and NEVER needed a extra large family sized jar of pickles {and juice}. 

So all of it came together to mean only one thing- WE WERE MOST CERTAINLY PREGNANT. I kid you not, after all of this Jeff was STILL not convinced. That's Friday we had a 2.5 hour drive to Jacksonville to celebrate my birthday and for the race. The whole way Jeff kept saying "well IF we're pregnant" "if we really are...." Finally I couldn't take anymore denial and let him have it. ha. 

Little did I know a year Iater our baby girl would be 4 months old and the sweetest, happiest, and BEST thing that would ever happen to us.  Life has changed drastically. We can't stay out past 7:30pm, we have to plan out our weeks down to the littlest details, and we would have a new purpose in life. Nothing we do can be without thoughtful consideration of Sullivan and what would be best for HER. It's wild to think that for the rest of our life we will put her {and all other children} best interest ahead of our own. WHOA. 

Funny story- after I ran that race last year, we got back to the hotel and the concierge asked how I did. At that exact moment I had the sudden urge to puke... And the only option was a bush right there. So I throw up in the bush, look back at the concierge, and run away crying. All while Jeff is standing there witnessing this hugely embarrassing moment. His response is "she's pregnant" and comes to find me hiding in the lobby. That was one of three times I puked during my pregnancy. 

Month Three & Four: Need-to-Haves

  

1. Bumbo Floor Seat: Now that Sullie Girl is sitting up {with support obviously}, it's been fun to put her on the counter while cooking in the kitchen, sitting at the dinner table with us while we eat, or in the bathroom while I'm getting ready {yes, we watch her carefully}.
2. Activity Very Hungry Caterpillar: This is super cute and so fun! I typically hang it from our baby carrier. It has so many fun features and it so bright. This always distracts baby, in the car and at the grocery store!
3. Burt's Bees Baby Bee Face & Hand Wipes: These are great, especially since Sullivan has discovered she has hands and loves to shove them into her mouth at any opportunity! I also started to realize that people love to touch babies hands... so now I'm constantly cleaning them. I also use these to wipe her face off when she takes her medicine {it's sticky and sometimes drips out of the corners of her mouth}.
4. HoMedics Sound Spa: I personally sleep to the sound of the ocean every night, and so Sullivan did for the first couple months of her life while she was still sleeping in our room! When we moved Sullivan to her room {right around 3 months} I knew I wanted something soothing for her and it helps drown out any other noises {although she doesn't typically wake from loud noises}. I put this on for naps and nighttime, and I think she's starting to make the connection that the ocean means sleep. Hopefully this summer she can stay awake when we go to the beach.
5. Philips In.Sight Wireless Baby Monitor: Once we moved Sullivan to her own room this was essential. To be honest, I'm not sure if this is the BEST video monitor out there, but I do recommend a video monitor of some kind! This monitor has to be hooked up through wifi, the problem with that is wifi {at least ours} is it can be so inconsistent sometimes. I worry that one night it won't work, and we won't hear our little baby crying since she's on the other side of the house. BUT I do like that we can use our phones from ANYWHERE. For nighttime, it has a feature "always listening" which is just audio. The monitor tells you the temperature and humidity of the room AND has a night vision feature, you can also set notifications but I got super annoyed by them.
6. Sophie the Giraffe Teether & Go GaGa Squeeze & Teethe Elephant: Since three months Sullivan began showing signs of teething. She drools EVERYWHERE and literally chokes herself by shoving her hand so far in her mouth. We were given Sophie the Giraffe as a gift {so thankful, because everyone says it's a must have item}. As a member of the Target Baby Club we get coupons in the mail, and one was $2.50 off Kiki the Elephant- so I figured why not! Sullivan loves both! She still doesn't have the best control over her hands, so they fall a lot but she really likes chewing on her "friends". They both have a squeaking feature, and she could take it or leave it. Overall, I like these as alternatives to her hand!

And as always, so pictures to prove these items are our faves...