A few of our favorite things for baby

Camden is coming up on TWO months old so I thought now would be a great time to share a few of our favorite things! Although this list could go on and on (and on and on and on if cute little baby clothes were included!), I picked a few items we use most often. Every baby is different but these things are favorites for our little CamJammers :] 

1. Aden + Anais muslin swaddling blankets. These things are AWESOME. They're a little pricy for blankets but I promise you they are worth every cent. If you're like me and you worry about baby overheating at night (hello, increased risk of SIDS!), these are perfect for swaddling because they're still breathable. Plus, they're huuuuge which also makes them great for throwing over the carseat while grocery shopping in order to deter nosy people from poking at Camden. Seriously though strangers, keep your germy hands out of my baby's face, thank you very much. 

2. Wipe warmer. Everyone says "wipe warmers are a waste of money" but we love ours. When Camden was just a new little baby in the hospital he would scuuuhreeeam every time we changed his diaper. Specifically, he would scream when a cold wipe touched his buncakes. Jake and I went to Target when he was just a few days old and purchased this warmer. Now, little man no longer screams during diaper changes and that makes for two happy parents. 

3. Vaseline. Per the recommendation of a pediatrician, we put Vaseline (or generic petroleum jelly) on Camden's bottom every time we change his diaper. Yeah, it sounds like an annoyance but guess what? He has yet to get diaper rash! Not even a tiny bit. Now that's something to celebrate! And this stuff is so cheap it's more cost effective than having to use Destin or Bourdeaux's Butt Paste all the time (both of which we do have in our diaper bags and do use when we're out of the house). 

4. Gumdrop pacifier wipes. I have alllllways been grossed out when I see a parent pick a binkie up off the floor, stick it in their mouth and then give it back to their baby. Ack!! If I don't want those disgusting germs in my baby's mouth why would I want them in my own?! I know it's preferable for me to absorb the germs instead of Camden but ideally it would be nice for neither of us to eat those germs. Right? So I use these pacifier wipes religiously. And yes, even when Camden is screaming I still take the time to clean his binkie if it gets dropped. But he doesn't suck on his binkie often enough for this to be a problem. 

5. Lambs & Ivy mobile. Camden rooms with us and therefore doesn't have his own crib yet but I mounted this on the wall above his changing pad. Best. Decision. Ever. Camden absolutely loves it!! On nights when he is super fussy we lay him on his changing pad and he looks up at this and basically calms down instantly. It's a lifesaver. I don't know what it is about the thing but he sure does love it! I'm excited to see how it looks in his own room with the matching crib set (someday)! 

6. Snugabunny swing. This has been one of Camden's most favorite items since his second day home! I love that it is multi-directional so we can control which way it swings. He loves the music features because it helps lull him to sleep. We keep it upstairs in the living room and put him in it while we make meals, workout, and whatever else we need to do in that same general area. And it's super cute.

7. Red Sox binkies. In true Boston sports fan fashion, this was the only binkie Camden would take for the longest time. That is until we found the exact same binkies with a Bruins logo on them. He loves these.

8. Graco Pack 'n Play. Like I said, Camden shares a room with us and doesn't have a crib in here. So he sleeps in the newborn sleeper attachment of his pack 'n play. We like that it fits conveniently at the foot of our bed and the bottom of it provides a little extra room for storage (which we're very short on) for blankets, stuffed animals, and other little baby items. Obviously this thing is also perfect for travel, which we put to good use on our vacation last week. I would have to rank this as a must-have item for new parents. Even if your baby will have his/her own room, you'll probably want something like this for baby to co-room in the beginning. It's great. 

Well that's it! Like I said, every baby is different so every parent's list of favorite things varies accordingly. I just figured I'd throw this out there for any moms-to-be who might be looking for some registry inspiration. Coming up next- A few of our favorite things for momma! Stay tuned! :]

1 Month

My sweet little Camden is ONE month old! I can hardly believe it!! What a month this has been. I don't even have words to describe it, partly because the first month of motherhood is like nothing I've ever experienced before and partly because I'm very sleep deprived, haha. I'm going to continue using this blog to document Camden's milestones and just share about our new life as a family of three. So, what has happened this month?! Let's take a look :]

Camden's first month milestones-

• Camden had his first pediatrician appointment on March 21st. I was excited to find out that my old pediatrician would accept Camden as a new patient even though he was technically accepting new patients at the time. Even though he was on vacation for the first two weeks, I was happy to know that Camden would have a good pediatrician. At this first appointment our little man weighed in at 7lbs 1oz. When he was discharged from the hospital three days prior he weighed 6lbs 6oz- quite the weight gain! They also told us his length at this visit- I think it was 20 inches but I'm not entirely sure.
• Camden went through "cluster feeding" for awhile after birth. I put the term in quotes because that's what the doctors called his nursing schedule; but I assumed it was his natural demand/appetite because it lasted awhile. He nursed every 1-1.5 hours for most of his first month. Just recently did he start going longer between feedings. 
• Camden had his second pediatrician visit on March 28th, where he weighed in at 7lbs 15oz! Another 14oz gained in just one week!
• We brought Camden to church for the first time on Easter Sunday, March 31st. He was an angel through the whole service- he slept on my chest and didn't make a peep until the closing prayer. I also made Camden his first Easter basket this year! And we took our first nice family picture (nice in that we weren't in the hospital or looking like a mess, haha). 
• Camden's umbilical cord stump fell off sometime around March 26th-27th. I don't remember exactly because it was the middle of the night and I was rather confused at first when I found the little stump piece on my glider, haha. Needless to say, he got his first real bath shortly after that happened.
• Jacob fed Camden his first bottle on April 5th (not formula- pumped breast milk).
• Camden started with nightly fussy fits at three weeks. He gets fussy and cries inconsolably sometime between 1-5am. Sometimes it lasts just half an hour, other times it's hours on end. We're still dealing with this the best we can and figuring out how to console him. 
• Camden had his one month check up on April 16th. He finally met his pediatrician and was a champ through the whole appointment. He weighed in at 9lbs 15oz and measured 21 3/4 inches! That means he gained 2 pounds in as many weeks and grew by 2 inches since birth. This little guy is growing and changing so fast!! 

It's so crazy to look at Camden and see how different he is from when he was born! He's gotten so much bigger, he has a baby face instead of a newborn face, most of his hair has fallen out (that actually makes me really sad! I loved his fuzzy little baby hairs!). The itty bitty newborn that I brought home from the hospital has changed into this adorable little baby. Right before my eyes! I swear I fall in love with him a little more everyday. I could just stare at him and hold him all day. All. Day. It's so fun to watch him learn new things, like holding his head up. His neck is getting so strong! He gets held all the time around here, between me, Jacob, my parents, and my brothers, someone is almost always holding Camden (which he loves! This boy loves being held). And lots of times he gets held chest-to-chest. Now that his neck is stronger he'll pull his head back and look at our faces, then bonk his head right back down. We all joke that Camden likes to headbutt us, haha. It's so cute though.

This month has truly been amazing and life-changing. Not only was Camden born but so was my identity as a mother. And I'll tell you what, motherhood has already taught me so much. It has been extremely difficult at times but it is incredibly fulfilling and worthwhile! Here are some of the things I've learned this month-

• You can never have enough arms and hands. Seriously though. I wish I was like octo-mom or something. I'm sure this desire for more arms/hands will only grow stronger as Camden grows older, too. Two hands just doesn't seem like enough these days. Which brings me to my next lesson...
• Baby carriers/wraps/slings are wonderful. I have just recently discovered the joys of the Moby Wrap. Camden didn't like it the first time we tried it but he was a fan the second time. After I got him situated and he was nice and content my mom asked me what I was going to do now and I proudly declared that I was going to make myself a sandwich (side note- so happy to be able to eat lunchmeat again! I sure did miss ham and turkey sandwiches!). I think my Moby Wrap will be my new best friend and will allow me to at least have my two hands free to get some things done (though I could still use more hands). 
• When Camden is hungry I will do whatever it takes to feed him. Even if this means pulling over into a Dunkin Donuts parking lot and climbing in the backseat. Or standing in a restroom. That hungry cry just does something to me and I have to feed him. Right away. 
• When Camden is fussy and I'm trying everything I can think of to calm him down he will inevitably enjoy the movement that is the most tiring and difficult to do repetitively the most. Being raised slowly overhead and then returned slowly to my lap? Favorite. I'll chalk it up as part of my upper body workout for the day, I guess. My poor arms. Yet another example of how multiple arms/hands would be useful.
• When a meal is actually cooked and I finally sit down to eat, Camden will suddenly be ready to eat too. He has a sixth sense for my mealtimes. It's like he's going "hey, you're eating, I want to eat too!" Stinker. Also on that note, cereal is a totally acceptable dinner. Sometimes that's all we have energy for and that's okay. 
• Sleep isn't the most important thing. Even though it's really rough to be so tired and sleep deprived, Camden is worth every minute of lost sleep. I cherish the middle of the night snuggles when he falls asleep on my chest after nursing. It's so special! I try to remind myself that this phase will be over before I know it and I'll miss these days. I'll enjoy getting more sleep in the future but right now tending to my little man is most important and I'm happy to nurture him the best I can. 
• A mother's love is amazing. It is intense, ferocious even. Words cannot describe the depth of love I have for this baby. He has quickly become the center of my world and I wouldn't have it any other way! Camden makes me want to be the best person, the best mother, possible. I see hope and the brightest future in his eyes. He inspires me to do my best everyday in every facet of my life. He also reminds me of the unfathomable love of my Heavenly Father. It's impossible to comprehend the fact that God loves me more than I love my baby. Or even that He loves Camden more than I do! His love is truly amazing and I'm so thankful that I am reminded of it everyday when I look at Camden. 

There are probably other things I want to document and remember from this first month but I can't think of them right now. So I might add to this post later but for now I'll leave you with some adorable pictures of my little man :] 

Postpartum Reflections - The Early Days

Well, here we are- more than two weeks after Camden's grand entrance. These two weeks have seriously been a whirlwind! My days and nights have all blurred together into one exhausting but intensely gratifying experience. It's crazy how much my world has changed since Camden was born! Everything revolves around taking care of him now. It's challenging and I'm definitely still learning, but it's so incredible at the same time. I love being a Mom! I love Camden more than I ever knew possible. I just wanted to take a blog post to jot down some thoughts/experiences and share a little bit of our postpartum journey so far :]

March 16th. Camden Jacob- day one of life. We got moved from our delivery room to our recovery room sometime around 3am (Camden was born at 1:18am). We opted to have Camden room-in with us the whole time we stayed in the hospital. This first night (err, morning?) was pretty easy. Little man was in his recuperating-from-the-stress-of-birth state for the first day of his life. Basically, he slept a lot. He has been a good eater since his first nursing session during our skin-to-skin time right after he was born and he continued to nurse well that first day. Other than nursing, he slept. I was feeling pretty good this day- not really much pain. Every nurse offered me 600mg of Motrin but I turned them all down because my pain wasn't bad enough to want something. After going through the whole birth without any pain relief, the afterpains were nothing. It just felt like bad period cramps. My mom came to visit us in the hospital this day, which was great! She spent most of the day with us and even went and got us Subway (yay for finally being able to eat lunch meat again!). Jacob and I soaked up every minute of holding our sweet baby boy!

March 17th- day two (St. Patrick's Day!). Camden's first actual night with us (Saturday into Sunday the 17th) was rough. At this point Camden finally realized that he was born and he wasn't too happy about it, haha. We were up late to begin with- we went to the nursery with Camden for his vitals check around 1am then Jake went to Dunkin Donuts to get us something to eat (side note- it sucked that the hospital stopped serving food after 6pm!). Once we got back from the nursery, ate our food, and all went to bed, Camden got really fussy. I'd nurse him, swaddle him, get him to sleep and put him in his bassinet only to have him start screaming again almost instantaneously. He just was NOT happy. He kept rooting and showing other signs of hunger so I kept nursing him. But as soon as he'd finish and fall asleep, I'd move him to his bassinet and he would wake up again and we'd start all over. It was overwhelming and frustrating and enough to make me feel like a failure. That was a rough night. I was up with him until about 5am just trying to get him to sleep a little. Our nurse offered to take him to the nursery so I could sleep but I didn't feel right about sending him (and I really didn't want him given a bottle with formula and was worried that would happen if they took him). We did end up trying to give him a pacifier at one point but he wouldn't take it. Around 5am the phlebotomist came to draw my blood (I needed to be checked for anemia since I lost a lot of blood after labor and for whatever it is that determines how much rhogam I needed since I'm O- and Camden turned out O+). I handed Camden off to Jake while I got my blood drawn then tried to get a little bit of sleep. Jake decided to have Camden taken to the nursery so that I could sleep. He had gotten some sleep throughout the night but he knew I was exhausted and thought sending Camden to the nursery would be best. I think Jake even went and watched him most of the time he was in there. I got woken back up around 7am when the nurses changed shift. This new nurse was super nice (not that any of the nurses were mean- this one was just awesome, haha) and she made me feel a little better about our rough night and sending Camden to the nursery. I took her up on the offer for Motrin because my body was so thoroughly exhausted at this point that I needed something to help me out. I also got to meet with a lactation consultant this day, which was great. She was awesome, too, and explained that cluster feeding (what Camden was doing that night) is totally normal and expectable at that point. I wish someone had told me that sooner! I spent awhile talking to her about all things nursing related. Lucky for me, Camden is a natural so his latch hasn't really been an issue. But it was still nice to have the LC there to watch and help us out a bit. My parents and brothers also came to visit that afternoon! It was nice to see all of them. We watched the Bruins game together and my parents brought us some much needed food. Yes, Yaki Soba was included in that food ;] haha. Not too long after they left my aunt and memere showed up to visit. They both got to hold Camden while I shared my birth experience with them. After they left, two of my best friends came by to meet my little man! They hung out for awhile and provided some much needed laughs and entertainment. It made me so happy to have some visitors this day! And that's pretty much it for the highlights... This night with Camden was much better- he slept more and so did I. 

March 18th- day three. Going home day! I started the day off with another 5am blood draw since someone forgot to chart that I needed an extra vial drawn for the rH negative thing. I was NOT too happy about that! I hate blood draws so having to get them done two mornings in a row sucked. I still have a huge bruise from it! But after that was over we started the whole process of getting discharged. This ended up being a bit of a headache for us because they don't usually discharge babies without them having a pediatrician and a 48hr follow-up visit scheduled. Well, we didn't have either of those because we didn't have Camden enrolled in DEERS or put on Jake's insurance yet. We must've explained the whole thing at least a dozen times to various nurses and doctors but they made us meet with the head pediatrician to explain it to him. But once that was all cleared up and I got my rhogam shot, we were set to go home! Camden did not like being strapped into his carseat for the first time. He screamed. A lot. Then he calmed right down once we started moving him. It was nice to get out of the hospital but a little unnerving at the same time. My mom had valet parked our car and they valet guys were nice enough to not charge us! I was happy about that. Yay free parking! We made a couple stops on the way home- one for a brick oven pizza and another to am Army base to ask if we could enroll Camden in DEERS there (no such luck). Then it was home to eat and snuggle and spend a lot of quality time together as a little family. Our first night home was, oh how should I put it... awful. Camden was back to cluster feeding and wanting to eat every 40ish minutes. I was totally drained, running a fever of 100.4 and fighting the chills. No fun. I don't know why but I felt like death this night. It was bad. But we got through it and we haven't had a night that bad since (knock on wood)! 

After that first night home things all start blurring together. We got a snowstorm on Tuesday (19th) so we all relaxed and napped a lot trying to recuperate from the rough night (Jake had a fever too, oddly enough). We went out to Westover Air Reserve Base on Wednesday (20th) to get all the DEERS/Tricare stuff sorted out. That was actually a really good outing! We had lunch at Panera and grabbed Starbucks while we were out and Camden was great the whole time. Thursday (21st) we had Camden's first pediatrician visit! Oh, cool side note- Camden has the same pediatrician that I had my entire childhood! I was told that he wasn't accepting new patients but when I said that he was my pedi they told me he always takes new 2nd generation patients so he would accept Camden! We found out that Camden had gained a whopping 11oz in 3 days! He was 6lbs 6oz when we were discharged from the hospital on Monday and was up to 7lb 1oz on Thursday! Told ya he was nursing A LOT, haha. 

That basically sums it up for the first few days postpartum. Like I said, it's been challenging and exhausting but so totally amazing at the same time! It's crazy how much Camden has changed already! He's such a sweet and content baby. He rarely cries, he loves being held. There's so much more I could say about him but I'll save that for another post :] I really think that my birthing experience and really how I approached my whole pregnancy did a lot to help Camden be a happy baby. I tried my best to stay active and healthy throughout my pregnancy and that in turn helped me have a good labor (at least that's what I believe). Camden's birth was, overall, very peaceful. The atmosphere in my room was quiet and calm- I didn't yell or anything like that at all. I had great support from Jacob, Stefanie, my parents (who were there while I labored but not while I pushed), and my labor nurse. I worked through my contractions quietly while relying on my support people. It was good. Jake had the Muppets on his laptop during my earlier labor and switched it over to some acoustic music once my labor got really intense. I was very happy with the atmosphere in my room during my labor. I think it really matched my disposition. And I think Camden inherited that laid-back disposition as well. I don't care if that sounds silly or like a coincidence. I truly believe that everything I did throughout my pregnancy and labor had an impact on Camden, even in something like his general disposition.

Okay okay. I'm exhausted and could ramble on and on forever. But I'm going to stop here. Sorry if this post is a little hard to follow! I'm going to try to blog a little more over the next few weeks to share more of my experiences with my little man and document some of his firsts. Oh and the blog will be getting a makeover as soon as I can find the time for it. But for now, it's off to bed for me and Camden!

Camden's Birth Story

My memory of Camden's birth is already starting to get a little fuzzy so I'm going to try and record it the best that I can. It's going to be long and detailed because I want to remember everything about this life-changing event. It also might get a little graphic, for those of you who would rather not read the grizzly details. Here we go!

I was having contractions when I went to bed on Thursday night (March 14th). They weren't very strong or consistent so I ignored them. I had been getting contractions off and on like this for about two weeks so I figured they'd go away while I slept, like all the others. Well, Friday morning (March 15th) rolled around and my contractions were strong enough to wake me up. Luckily I had slept about 7 hours so I was still feeling good. I started timing my contractions around 9am and they were 8-10 minutes apart. At that point I had a strong feeling that this was it- I was in labor. I woke Jake up and told him that I thought we'd be having a baby that day and then told him to sleep as much as he could. Like I said, I still felt good at this point so I had some breakfast and took a shower. I was determined to labor at home for as long as possible so that's exactly what I did. Around noon my contractions were down to 5 minutes apart. I got in touch with my doula and called my doctor's office. The office was closed for a meeting so I waited an hour to call back. By then my contractions were consistently 3 1/2-4 minutes apart and I was told to head in to labor and delivery. My doula, Stefanie, met us at the house and followed us to the hospital. We left the house right around 2pm. I was still feeling pretty good at this point- active labor was really just starting. I did cry when we got out into the car and all set to go. The reality of the situation really hit me then and I was overwhelmed! I felt excited, nervous, in disbelief- a big range of emotions going on. 

So we got to the hospital and l&d was really busy. We waited in the hallway for half an hour before I was even able to check in (a little frustrating considering I was pre-registered and the only one waiting who was in active labor). A nurse brought me back to a triage bed to be evaluated and Jake went with me since they would only allow one other person in the tiny room. They checked my cervix and told me I was 4-5cm dilated and they wanted me to walk around for an hour to see if I made any progress. So Jake and I roamed the halls for awhile hoping to speed my labor up a bit. This part went by pretty quickly for me- walking felt good and Stefanie taught Jake how to do counter-pressure on my hips during a contraction which was my best friend at this point (and up until the end, really). This is when things start to get a little fuzzy... I remember seeing my actual OB since she was working l&d that day. I think she checked me and said I was 6cm and she could feel my bag of water. I got my IV of penicillin for my GBS and was officially admitted. We waited a little while for an actual room but once we got in there my contractions were strong and pretty painful. My labor nurse was great, though, and got me hooked up to wireless monitors so I could still move around while they kept an eye on Camden's heart rate. I know at this point I settled into a really good rhythm for handling contractions- I would stand and rock back and forth, leaning forward on Jake while Stefanie applied counter-pressure to my hips. I got through the majority of my contractions this way. Standing felt the best for me then. After monitoring Camden for a bit and getting my penicillin I was released from the IV and monitors to get in the shower. I'll tell you what, I've never loved hot water more in my life than I did while I was in labor! It was wonderful. Jake was such a trooper and climbed in the shower with me (I'm so glad I packed him a hospital bag equipped with swim trunks!) and held me up through the contractions. He was really an amazing coach through the entire process. He would guide my breathing, encourage me, tell me when I was on the downside of a contractions, and do anything else that helped me. It was honestly incredible how in-tune he was to my pain and my needs. He amazed me! It was great to have him there to support me throughout the entire experience. 

At this point, my labor stalled a little. I was in a pretty significant amount of pain and it seemed like this part lasted forever. I remember the anesthesiologist coming in and talking to me about an epidural, which I refused. I planned to have a completely drug-free, natural birth. And everyone knew that since my birth plan was in my chart. However, it's hospital protocol to have the anesthesiologist explain all the pain meds and have me sign a consent form in case there's an emergency. I was sitting down at this point and getting monitored again while I got my second round of penicillin (it has to be given every four hours and that much time had elapsed since my first dose). I remember my contractions really starting to get hard to handle at this point. I was having bad back labor which raised some concerns about Camden possibly being face up. So I labored in an all fours position for awhile because Stefanie explained to me how that can sometimes help baby turn face down. I also had a little breakdown around this time- I was feeling overwhelmed like I couldn't do this anymore. That was the one and only time I cried through my whole labor and delivery. I was checked around this time, too, and told I was 8cm dilated (we blamed transition for the water-works). After I finished my penicillin I got back in the shower. I still felt best standing up at this point, even though my feet were starting to get really sore as we rounded 8 hours of active labor. The hot water still helped a lot and Jake was awesome with helping me through this really strong contractions. After maybe 20 minutes I was feeling a lot of pressure in my bottom. Jake told the nurse and she had me get out of the shower since feeling pressure like that means we're getting really close to pushing. Now at this point the pain was basically excruciating. I actually bit Jake's shoulder during a contraction, haha. That's super funny looking back but at the time I was just in so much pain that I didn't know what to do. I didn't bite him hard, don't worry. The doctor checked my cervix again and told me I was at 9 1/2cm and was almost ready to push. My water still hadn't ruptured at this point so we elected to have them break it for me. Well, I couldn't make a decision at this point so Jake made the decision to have it broken and I'm glad he did. It was just a matter of a couple contractions after that and I felt the urge to push. I think they had me wait a couple more contractions, checked me again and I was finally 10cm and +1. 

I originally wanted to push from a squatting position so the bed was set up with the bar to do so. But when I was ready to push I did NOT want to be sitting up. I did squat for a couple contractions but I just couldn't maintain that position for pushing. I tried at one point and it just wasn't happening. So I pushed from a seated position, which was much better for me. I did end up reclining progressively as I pushed since the labor nurse told me that would be best. At that point I was just going along with however I was instructed. Anyways, I started pushing at 12:01am (March 16th). I was really glad that no one was doing the obnoxious counting to ten thing while pushing. That's annoying. I pushed three times per contractions, sometimes four times. I remember being so zoned in that I really couldn't even talk. Luckily Jake was so in-tune to me that all I had to do was look at him and he knew another contraction was coming and I needed to push. He kept a cold washcloth on my head between contractions and took it off before I pushed. I don't remember a whole lot during this time besides a lot of pain and pressure and the coaching of Jake, Stefanie and my labor nurse. Before I knew it the nurse was calling in the doctors because Camden was starting to crown! Jake and I were both able to feel a little spot on his head and that was just incredible! I remember thinking "he's right there! I'm going to get him out!". I kept pushing the best I could and next thing I knew, at 1:18am, Camden's little head emerged and out slid the rest of his body! Because of the semi-reclined seated position I was in I was actually able to watch Camden be born! It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my life. I was in this state of total awe and disbelief. I was SO overcome with emotions and I really wanted to cry but I couldn't. It was a weird feeling. Camden was placed directly on my chest for skin-to-skin immediately after birth, which was the most important thing I wanted in my birth plan. He cried for like a minute then settled down. Man, just thinking about it makes me tear up! It was unbelievably amazing. Jake and I both just stared at him for about an hour. Amazing. So amazing. Camden was great and even began breastfeeding during our initial skin-to-skin after birth. I think this was super important in establishing breastfeeding because he has been great with it the whole time.

After our hour of skin-to-skin, the nurses took Camden to weigh him and all that good stuff. He weighed in at 6 pounds 12.6 ounces and was 19 3/4 inches long. His 1 & 5 minutes APGAR scores were 8 & 9 respectively. I was happy that they did all of this right in the room next to me. His temperature was a little low so they put him under the warmer for a bit. But overall he was perfect! No jaundice or anything. I wasn't paying much attention to myself at this point but I do remember the doctors being concerned that I was losing a lot of blood. They put me on a round of Pitocin to help my uterus contract and stop the bleeding. I wasn't too thrilled about having more drugs pushed through my IV but we really needed to get the bleeding under control. I also remember the nurse massaging my belly and that hurt. On a happier note this is also when I found out that I hadn't torn at all. Not gonna lie, I was really surprised by that! It hurt so bad to push but since Camden emerged rather slowly everything stretched instead of tearing. And even though I pushed for over an hour the time went by really fast for me. I didn't realize it had been that long! I was so tuned in to every contraction and completely focused that it went by fast for me.

Overall, I had a very positive birth experience. I was able to have a completely natural, drug-free birth like I wanted. I had no medical intervention, aside from the penicillin I had to have and the Pitocin to stop the bleeding after delivery. I didn't even take the Motrin I was offered when we got moved to our recovery room. My labor nurse and the two doctors who delivered Camden were great and followed my birth plan to a T. Even though my regular OB wasn't there to deliver Camden I was happy with the doctors that I had. I could go on and on about the rest of my experience at the hospital but this is already so long that I'm going to stop here. I might write another blog about my first few days postpartum, we'll see. There's just so much that I want to remember about the whole experience! It was good. And I feel really good, better than I expected. I thought I'd be in a lot more pain and just feel crappy but I don't. Even my first day after giving birth, I wasn't in much pain at all. At least not enough to take anything for it. I'm so happy that I want the natural route. I truly think that was the best for me and Camden and I'm very happy with and proud of the birthing experience that we had :]

40 Weeks!

How far along? 40 weeks & 3 days!!! Little man is overdue! 
How big is baby estimated to be? Still around the size of a large watermelon, I guess? Come out so we can know for sure, Camden!! ;]
Total weight gain: I may have broken the 19lbs gained mark and be up by a whole 21lbs at this point! My weigh in at the doctor's office this morning had me at 145lbs. So that would put me +21lbs. I'm not surprised- Jake and I have been eating really well since he got home, haha.  

Wearing maternity clothes? Yes. Still a few regular items mixed in there. But a lot of my regular tops don't fit anymore. I tried to squeeze into a few this week and it just didn't work. Too short. Oh well. I might as well wear the maternity clothes I have since I won't be needing them much longer at all!

Symptoms this week: Still having contractions off and on. Nothing really consistent. I've given up timing them. I figure, I'm not going to miss labor by not paying attention to every contraction. So why drive myself nuts by timing them only to have them disappear?! I'll realize it when they're steady and close together. So for now I'm just ignoring what I can. And I can now officially say that I have started to enter the "uncomfortable" phase, haha. Don't hate me, all you preggers who were uncomfortable for weeks on end! And seriously, it isn't that bad. My back has been stiff- I've been getting back cramps. I hope that means labor is near. Still struggling with some insomnia. Though having my husband next to me helps exponentially! It's incredible how well I sleep in his arms. For real. So overall, pregnancy life is still good! :]

Food cravings: My appetite has been weird lately... I've had some nasty nausea! Not like "I'm going to throw up" nausea; more like "I don't even want to think about eating anything" nausea. It's been pretty bad. So I've been eating a lot of lighter things, for the most part. Yogurt, apples with peanut butter, cereal.. Jake and I have had some really yummy meals this week, though! When my appetite isn't being finicky I eat really well!

Food aversions: I can't think of anything... 

Any movement from baby? Yeah man! He's still kicking and wiggling around in there! He's tight on space, but that just means I get more funny shapes out of my stomach, haha. I love when he's wiggly at night and Jake gets to lay beside me with his hands on my tummy... gosh, it makes me smile just thinking about it! We both love feeling CJ move!

Gender: Little man!! <3 

Emotions and experiences this week: It was such a good week!! I love having Jacob home!! Seriously. LOVE. And that is an understatement!! It's just so amazing to share this last bit of my pregnancy with him. And I'll tell you what, he is amazing!! He painted my toe nails since I have a really hard time reaching them these days :] What a sweetheart to take the time to give me a pedicure! He also ties my shoes for me. And helps me get up when I find myself struggling off the couch or out of bed. And makes sure I eat good meals. And just spoils me in general. He's so good to me!! Being a military wife, I'm pretty used to being self-sufficient but it's really, really great to have my hubby here to take care of me during these last few days/weeks of my pregnancy! It's nice to have him at my prenatal appointments again as well! At my appointment today we found out that I am 70% effaced and 3cm dilated! Last week I was 50% and 2cm. Yay for progress! The doctor also stripped my membranes this morning and said that can jump-start labor! She said sometimes within 24hrs labor will begin. I'm really hoping that's true and my labor starts soon!! I'm starting to feel really ready to hold our babyboy in my arms instead of my tummy. I don't mind that he's already late and I'd be fine with him being a St. Patrick's Day baby like Jake wants ;] but I'm getting anxious and super excited for his arrival! All along I was hoping he'd be late so that he would be as young as possible when Jake got home. Now that Jake is home already I'm pretty much ready for Camden to come! I'm still nervous... but gosh, I can't wait to meet our baby!! On Sunday night we thought CJ might be making his grand entrance really soon. I had some leakage and thought maybe my water had broken. I called my doctor's office and the on-call doctor told me to come in and be checked, so that's what we did. Turns out it was a false alarm and apparently it's normal to have small gushes of fluid that aren't amniotic fluid. I didn't think that happened but whatever! I was honestly super relieved that it wasn't my water! I want to labor at home and have as natural of a birth as possible and I knew that if that was my water I'd end up getting induced if I didn't go into labor within 24 hours. I DO NOT was to be induced! No no no thank you! So I felt a little dumb for going in to get checked when it was really nothing but I'm glad to know for sure that it wasn't my water rupturing. One good thing about our triage visit- we had an ultrasound to check the fluid around Camden and Jake and I got to see his little foot! He kicks my right side alllllll the time. You can pinch his foot or push it back in and he'll stick it out in the same general area again. It's cute and he does it all the time. So while we were getting the ultrasound done CJ decided he didn't like it and literally kicked the transmitter thingy while it was pressed against my right side. Jake and I both caught the glimpse of his foot- so clear and perfect! That was cool. And rather funny. It was especially nice since Jake hasn't been home for an ultrasound since September. I guess that was the little silver lining of our triage visit this time. But man, next time I'm in the hospital I am not leaving without my baby out of my belly! Haha. 

Looking forward to: At this point, I'm just anxiously waiting for Camden's arrival!! So many emotions. Mostly excitement, though. Lots of excitement! I have an ultrasound scheduled on Friday afternoon if I'm still pregnant. I'm hoping I'm not, though! I'd love to have CJ this week. I was hoping for a 3/13/13 birthday but no such luck with that. Maybe he will be our St. Patty's Day baby after all! I just hope he comes on his own very soon!

39 Weeks

How far along? 39 weeks & 1 day!  
How big is baby estimated to be? He's around the size of a watermelon or a pumpkin still, I guess. I'm curious to find out how big he is whenever he decides to arrive!
Total weight gain: I'm still hanging around 19lbs gained. My body seems to like being 143lbs right now. 

Wearing maternity clothes? Still just some... Same as usual! I'm going to miss wearing some of my cute maternity clothes after Camden is born! I think I'll keep the leggings out but I know my colored cords won't fit. So I'm trying to wear that stuff now while I still can. 

Symptoms this week: Lots of contractions! I had some on Thursday night that were about 15-20 minutes apart, lasting 40ish seconds for about an hour and a half. Then they got down to 14 minutes apart for another hour or so... Then they disappeared when I got distracted by Jacob's homecoming! They really weren't painful at all. Just mild and uncomfortable. My mom was convinced that I was in labor but I wasn't quite as sure since I really didn't feel bad. If that makes sense, haha. I had more steady contractions about 8.5-10 minutes apart, lasting 40-50 seconds, on Saturday night. But those went away once I went to sleep... It seems like my body can't decide if it wants to have Camden yet or not, lol. Other than the contractions, I've been having more insomnia. It stinks not being able to sleep! And that coupled with Jacob's current jet-lag that has him waking up around 7am is rather exhausting. Last night I was up until about 3am because I just could not fall asleep. My appetite has also been weird this past week. I haven't been as ravenously hungry as usual. I had zero appetite one day. My back is a little sore today but I just think that's from adjusting to sharing my bed again. I definitely won't complain about that! Totally worth it to have my hubby back! And I'm still feeling really good overall.

Food cravings: Only one strong craving this week- frozen yogurt! Not just any fro yo- the kind from those awesome places that do the self-serve soft serve fro yo with all the toppings selections. Yum! I could go for more right now just writing about it ;]

Food aversions: Nothing!

Any movement from baby? Yes! I pay pretty close attention to Camden's activity level these days. He's still an active little guy! I know he's running out of room but he wiggles around a lot. And he's back to getting the hiccups frequently :] He also has his own jam these days. Whenever he's awake and I play "It'z Just What We Do" by Florida Georgia Line, he goes crazy! He wiggles all over like he's dancing, hahaha. It's hilarious and wonderful. That's how Jake got to feel him move for the first time. Camden's jam, haha.

Gender: Boy!

Emotions and experiences this week: JACOB CAME HOME THIS WEEK!!!!!!!! Oh my gosh, words cannot express how thoroughly happy I am to have my hubby back!!!! I knew that he was approved for early release from his deployment and I knew his fly out date... but I wasn't exactly sure what day he would be back here in Massachusetts with me. He ended up getting all of his in-processing done in Dover in one day, Thursday, then drove up here. But he told me he was going to come up Friday so I was very surprised to see him Thursday night! The situation is actually kind of a funny story... Jake told me that he would be spending the night in DE because he wasn't feeling too well and didn't have the energy to drive. I understood that he was tired and needed his rest but I was really disappointed at the same time. I just wanted him home right away! But I was happy to know I'd see him the next day and tried to do my best to just keep myself busy the rest of the evening. That meant watching the Bruins game, of course, haha. I was having contractions for a couple hours and started freaking out a little bit that I might be going into labor. So at about 10pm I texted Jake to let him know what was going on. He told me he'd leave right away and be there as soon as he could. I know that drive is like 6-7 hours so I expecting him to get in around 4am. Well, Jake called me at about 11pm and this is how our conversation went:

Jacob: I have a joke for you. Want to hear it?

Me: Sure... 

Jacob: Knock knock.

Me: Who's there?

Jacob: ManBear.

Me: ManBear who?

Jacob: ManBear's home!!!

Me: WHAT?!!?

Yeah, I was so shocked!! I couldn't even believe it! I ran outside and jumped on him. Yes, pregnant belly and all :P  It was amazing to finally be back in his arms!! It was just perfect. PERFECT. It's SO nice having him home!! He's gotten to feel Camden wiggle all around and get the hiccups a couple times. I think he likes it ;] Gahhh, I'm just completely happy to have Jacob back!!! Other than that major highlight, my week was good! Wednesday was my birthday. I got my hair cut (short mom hair, yay!) and a gel manicure, which was great. Then my daddy made lobster for lunch (my favorite!) and my parents treated me to Wholly Cannoli for dessert. I opted for a chunk of chocolate tiramisu instead of a cannoli and it was a very good decision, haha. So yummy! This was honestly a really awesome week, topped off with the best surprise ever with my hubby coming home :D

Looking forward to: Camden's arrival!! Now that Jake is home we're just waiting for our little guy to decide it's time to arrive. I'm hoping he comes on his due date or later. I'm really enjoying the time I have to just be with Jacob after 5 months apart. I'm not quite ready for everything to change with Camden's arrival yet... But I am very excited for him to come! I have a prenatal appointment tomorrow morning so I'm looking forward to that, too. I'm happy that Jake can be there for it! And I'm really curious to know if my contractions have helped my dilation progress. Ahhh, it's so crazy that I'm having a baby any day now!! 

38 Weeks

How far along? 38 weeks & 2 days!  
How big is baby estimated to be? The size of a pumpkin! Hehe, my little pumpkin baby! :D 
Total weight gain: Officially, I have gained 19 pounds. Yes, that is all. And yes, I eat NONSTOP. For real. I weighed in at 144lbs a few weeks ago, then I went down to 143.8lbs, then 143lbs even, and now I'm at 143.2lbs. I know the differences aren't big but my weight keeps lingering right around that 19lbs gained mark. I asked my doctor about it today and she said that 19lbs is acceptable. It's on the low side but she said that Camden is/has been growing like he should so it isn't a concern. She also told me to get used to eating a lot because I'm going to be one of those women who has to eat practically nonstop to keep up with breastfeeding, haha. She was like "you're going to lose so much weight when he's born, you'll have to eat a lot to keep up!" Fine by me! As long as CJ is healthy I am one happy mama!

Wearing maternity clothes? Some! Gosh, I feel like that's all I ever say, haha. I really am glad that I didn't invest in a lot of maternity clothes. This bump of mine just hasn't gotten big enough to demand only maternity clothes! It's nice, though. I like being able to wear a lot of my regular clothes- especially hoodies, tank tops, and t-shirts! But at the same time I'm trying to wear all my maternity stuff before he's born and I really have no need for it.

Symptoms this week: Still getting sharp pains and cramps in my hips/hip flexors. They've been pretty bad a couple times this week! Camden must be pinching off nerves because it's such a sudden pain. It's weird. Usually it goes away pretty quickly but I had some linger the other day. I'm dealing with it, though. I also had some nausea the other day. But that didn't linger, thank goodness. I'm still feeling good! Sleep has been rather elusive this week, which is strange. Last week all I wanted to do was sleep sleep sleep! This week, my body seems to be boycotting sleep. Or at least not letting me get more than 5-7 hours a night (whereas I was sleeping 10-12 a night last week!). It's strange, though. I'll fall asleep just fine, stay asleep for 20-45 minutes then suddenly find myself wiiiide awake. Then I don't fall back asleep until about 4am. Weird. Hopefully I'm able to shake this odd insomnia soon and get plenty of extra rest before CJ decides to arrive! Everything else is great and I still love being pregnant!

Food cravings: I was dyinggg for hard boiled eggs a couple nights ago! And I had to have Wawa coffee and a chargrilled chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A while I was in Delaware, haha. I can't think of anything else other than that. My taste buds are definitely gearing up for my birthday dinner, though ;] My parents are making me lobster (my favorite!) then we're going to Wholly Cannoli for dessert. Such a win meal, I'm excited. 

Food aversions: None.

Any movement from baby? Oh yeah! Little man is getting so big- I feel him move all over my stomach all the time! While I was driving home from PA the other day he kept pushing his little foot against my side and making my stomach bulge out. I'd pinch it or gently push it back in to my stomach and he'd move it to another spot and push again! It was like he was playing with me! It was SO CUTE. He did it to my mom, too, when she pressed back against his foot. He kept this up for over an hour! Haha. I love it. Another thing- I've noticed that Camden reacts to Jacob's voice. It's so sweet it could really make me cry. We don't get to talk to Jake everyday (we usually Skype once or twice a week) but I have a Build-A-Bear with a recording from Jake in it that I sleep with (don't judge me!). Every night I squeeze Berry's hand (the bear) and listen to the sweet little message from Jake, then I put my hand on my tummy and tell Camden that his Daddy loves him. This has been part of my nightly routine since Jacob left (oh so many days ago). Lately I've noticed that Camden gets really active and wiggly for a couple minutes after I do this! His activity doesn't usually last very long- just a few minutes- but I swear it's because he recognizes Jake's voice. Say what you want, but I truly believe that Camden know his Daddy's voice and likes hearing it just as much as I do! Gosh, I'm going to be so incredible happy when I finally have both my guys in my arms! 

Gender: Little man <3 

Emotions and experiences this week: It ended up being a busier week than I expected, but it was good! My mom and I took a trip down to Delaware and Pennsylvania for a couple days. I needed to drop Jake's car off at his base so he has a way of getting home after his deployment in case I can't make it down there with the baby. Obviously we didn't leave a car to begin with since I dropped him off but for whatever reason I didn't think about him needing a car until this past week, haha. So my mom drove his car down and I drove mine. We spent one night in DE and one night in PA. It was a really nice little getaway!! It was great to be back in that area- I miss it a lot! But it was bittersweet at the same time since I miss my hubby... The trip was good, though! I got permission from my doctor and tried to take it easy. I'm not gonna lie, the trip was a little more exhausting than I expected it to be! I felt rather crappy once I got back home on Saturday night. I don't know why, I just felt gross. Too much time in the car, I suppose. But the trip was worth it! Other than that, my stomach has started to drop a little this week! I haven't had the full "lightening" thing happen yet but I can feel my stomach moving down. And with that comes the whole Camden pinching off nerves in my hips thing. It's all good, though ;] I'm glad that Camden and my body are getting ready for birth. I'm still nervous about it and I'm still really hoping to have him late... but I am getting more and more excited to hold my little man! I had a prenatal appointment this morning and found out that I am 1 centimeter dilated and 50% effaced! I know that doesn't mean much since I could stay at 1cm for weeks or suddenly dilate really fast, but it's still nice to know that my body is doing what it's supposed to do! At the same time it's hard to believe that I'm actually getting ready to have this baby!! It's crazy. CRAZY. I'm super excited but it feels surreal! Gosh. So much to process, haha.

Looking forward to: My birthday tomorrow!! I'm getting my nails done and my hair chopped off! Plus, I get to have lobster and a cannoli! It's going to be a lot of fun. It's the first birthday I haven't spent with my hubby in 5 years, so that'll be sad... but I'll just add it to the list of things to celebrate together once he gets home! Other than that it's the same story- I'm looking forward to our countdowns shrinking! My baby boy will be here so soon!! Then I'll get my hubby back!! These next couple months are going to be so busy, challenging, emotional, and overall amazing! Looking forward, I'm pretty excited and happy :]