Brag time...

I have been thinking about writing this blog for a while and decided that now was the time. So, if you don't want to hear me go on an on about my wonderful husband then click on, but just fyi...it's gonna be good!

Justin Michael Johnson and I have been married now for 4 years and 4 months. We met at Lee University where we were just friends for about 2 years...until things changed of course. We got married, moved to Florida and started as youth Pastors all within about 3 months. So, needless to say, I was overwhelmed with the amount of life changes I had to go through. I admit I got depressed when we first moved here..you know...no friends, no family, nothing familiar. Justin and I just had each other. We did EVERYTHING together. We were never apart and looking back, I think it was the best thing for our marriage. We had to depend and rely on each other because that's all we had.

We moved to Orlando not knowing really what we were doing. Justin took a Youth Pastor position at the church we are still at, Christ Church of Orlando. He took this position after several grueling interviews. He didn't graduate from Lee with a "Ministry Major" or a theology degree. We were truly just following the call on our hearts to work with teens. I have to admit, shamefully, that I didn't know if we could do it. I doubted Justin and his ability to "be a Pastor". I even think I challenged him a bit, because I have a bit of a control problem, and finally realized that he IS AWESOME at what he does, how he connects with the teens, and I'm sure it's no thanks to me and my nagging. He is a dynamic, charismatic, entertaining, humorous speaker and sometimes I don't know where he pulls stuff from. I will admit I still get nervous every time he speaks. I never know what he will say, and he has embarrassed me and probably himself several times....It's scary when the microphone is in your hands! Regardless, he's done such a great job and I look forward to all that he'll do in the future as he continues to marinate in his calling. Yes, he works alot, but we knew what we signed up for.

I love to watch Justin with Judah. They always have so much fun together. They are constantly laughing and having a good time. I'm certain they'll be buddies. But, I will say that Justin is the disciplinarian of the family. (thank God!) He's firm with Judah and I think Judah respects him for that. When Justin watches Judah every Friday, they are always taking fun daddy/son field trips to places like Lowe's and Ikea. What a great daddy!

Justin constantly is encouraging me to be bold and step out of my box. He is the perfect balance for me. I can be a bit uptight and he knows how to calm me down. He encourages me when I'm having self image issues. I know I'm beautiful to him, because he tells me so. I know he's happy, because he tells me so. Thank God I married someone that complements my love languages! All in all, I married my best friend. I actually enjoy being around my husband (imagine that...lol).

Now, he's not perfect, as none of us are, but he's perfect for me! This is a bragging blog for goodness sakes. I'm proud of my hubby, my friend, my baby-daddy!

Chill out already!

So, I have a lot going on right now and have found myself waking up every hour at night. Why is it that we as women can't turn our brain off? I am in charge of the Thanksgiving basket drive, organization, and delivery for our church this weekend. I love doing this every year, just get so stressed about the details and will I have enough help and so on. Everything seems to work out just fine, but man, I wish I could just chill out!

I am also throwing a baby shower for a friend at church this weekend and feel the need to have a perfect girly party looming over my head. I don't know why I do this to myself or why everything seems to be planed for the same time or day!?

I think the fact that I'm also already planning Judah's first birthday party is stressing me out. When did my baby grow up so fast? One year already? Where has the time gone? I thought time went fast before I had a kid, now it's like twice as fast...crazy! I have ordered the invitations and we...I have decided to do a jungle theme. I'm excited about it and am constantly trying to come up with creative ideas that go with the theme. So, far I've got quite a few...I'll definitely share pictures afterwards...don't hold your breath though, it's not until January. (Obsessed much?)

I really don't' know why I do this to myself. I think it's because I LOVE to plan and do parties and think that everyone that knows that I love this expects something grand from me. I hope not to let them/you down, but first I just need to chill out already!!

Motherhood in the Raw, Part 4

1. Not a light Sleeper? You will be! Becoming a mother I guess requires that you become a light sleeper. I could have slept through a tornado before I had Judah, now I promise I could here him cough through 3 closed doors. Judah has just been diagnosed with Bronchiolitis and so he's been coughing throughout the night. Every time he would cough or whimper, I would jump up. (Justin on the other hand, doesn't budge...interesting!) Maybe it's something in a mom's subconscious that kicks in when little ones are sick. Who knows?

2. The taste of Freedom. Judah is now crawling almost faster than I can walk. I fear that he will be walking sooner than I'd like. I used to could put him in his pack-n-play and he would be continent. Now, he's tasted "freedom" and won't stand to be put in a toy or apparatus that allows ME to get things done around the house.

3. Habits. Rocking to sleep, holding the bottle, watching TV. I do all of these. The whole rocking thing is something I love to do because it's "OUR" time together. Well, the downside is that he won't go to sleep (easily) without being rocked. Yes, I still hold Judah's bottle for him. I have tried the sippy cups, but he doesn't know how to tilt them up. We're working on this. I didn't want Judah to watch TV until he was 2, but this is a bit impossible. We let him watch Praise Baby and he really loves it. (He smiles when he hears it come on. lol) I guess you could call these all habits. Are they bad ones? I guess time will tell.

4. Testing Me. Lately, Judah has been pushing the limits. It's crazy how early they learn to test you as a parent. Will you give into that fit of rage because you took something away? Will you punish him for doing something you already said "No" to? Well, Justin calls me a softy, but I think I'm getting better at this. I can tell that he will be the disciplinarian in our family, but I'm working on my sternness.

5. 9 months on 9 months off. So the whole saying "It takes you 9 months to put on your baby weight and it will take you 9 months to get it off."? Well, for me this is true. I think I'm finally back down to my pre-baby weight/size. I'm able to wear my pre-Judah jeans and am so thrilled. One night I decided to try them on and came out doing the happy dance! (It's the little things, I guess.) So, don't be discouraged if the weight doesn't fall off, but also, your body WILL be completely different.

6. Time is limited. In January, I will go back to work full time. For those of you who don't know, I have had the pleasure this past year to take off Wednesdays every week to spend with my baby. Due to finances being so tight, I have to go back to 40 hrs. per week starting Jan. 1. I am so sad, but am so grateful for the time I've been able to spend with my baby. If you are able to reduce your hours, do it! It's been a tight squeeze financially this past year, but in my eyes, SO worth it.

Warm Fuzzies

I drafted the following post about a week ago and never posted, but thought I'd go ahead even though it's 95 degrees here now...

So cooler weather has finally reached this oven of a state! I cannot tell you how happy it has made me feel. I have been in such a great mood since the chill met the Florida state line. What is it about Fall that sends my endorphins throught he roof? Is it the crispness of the air or the fact that I can walk outside without sweating my makeup off due to humidity? Is it the thought of wearing sweaters or the thought that I won't have to see peope in shorts in mid-December? Whatever the reason, cooler weather makes me OH-SO-Happy!!!

In light of the Fall weather and We took Judah to his first Pumpkin Patch on Saturday and it was a lot of fun. All he wanted to do was stick the stems in his mouth-yuck! He had fun cralwing around, patting all the pumkins and eating hay. It was a fun day!

So break out the sweaters, turn on the heat, make the hot chocolate, and get outside it's Fall in Florida--let's hope it stays that way!

Things I miss...

1-I miss my friends and Family. Not that I don't have friends here in Orlando, or a church "family", but I miss my old friends and my family being close. I feel like we are in no-man's-land down here in FL. We are like, at least, a 5-6 hour drive from everyone (except Justin's family who is thankfully about 1 1/2 hours away).
2-I miss being spontaneous. Yeah, this pretty much goes out the window when you have kids. It's not a bad thing, you just have to plan, plan, plan!
3- I miss going shopping. It seems before we owned a house (and had a healthy mortgage), we would go shopping every to every other weekend. Not big ticket items, but none-the-less, we would drop money for clothes, decor, whatever! We never went outside our budget, but we did in fact have a budget for luxuries. So I guess I would also tie into this one that I miss date nights with my husband, since that is also a luxury. We used to go out every Friday night and spend time together at a restaurant or the movies. Now, it's limited to when we have a gift card or free babysitting. (both of which I am SO grateful for!)
4- I miss college days. In college it seemed then that I had SO much responsibility with taking care of the house my parents bought for Joyce and I, paying bills, cramming for finals, traveling all over with Campus Choir, having a part-time job, staying really involved with my Greek Club (shout out to my DZT sisters), and maintaining relationships. My, how the word RESPONSIBILITY has changed!!

I didn't decide to write this post in a woe-is-me way, or for sympathy from my few readers, I was simply reflecting about how my life has changed in the past 4-5 years. I realize life is full of changes and I wouldn't be moving forward unless things changed, but just wanted to reflect. I DO love my life, where it has taken me. I adore my hot husband and my precious baby Judah. I DO feel we are in God's will here in Orlando. But, I DO miss all of those things. What to you miss?

Gag me

Okay, so Judah is going on 9 months old and now has 6 teeth! I can't believe it. This child seems to be growing much faster than my pregnancy went by! I can't believe we are headed towards 1 year, it kinda makes me sad. But no worries, we are not planning for another one for quite some time so I'm obviously not TOO upset about it!

I got inspired for this topic based on my fellow blogger, Lindsay Mills, who wrote about her 8 month old who has NO teeth and she's giving him table/real -people food. Now, I admit I have been very cautious about giving Judah different foods. We have just now gone to chicken and turkey baby food. He is definitely a "texture" baby which I am afraid he gets from me. As soon as I gave him ground meat that I made for the first time, he gagged to kingdom come! I went out the next day and purchased canned meats, which the thought of canned meats disgusts me to the core! Well, it went over much better. He ate it but not without a questionable face. I am gradually giving him more and more. Hopefully we can move to beef soon...eww canned beef does it get any worse than that?

So, for the past couple of weeks I have started to feel like I have babied Judah too much in this area. I took my time introducing different stages of foods to him as I thought I was supposed to...now I'm questioning my method. It seems that other children his age are eating table food and loving it. So should I push him to eat things that make him gag and hope he gets used to the texture? I also give him oatmeal with every meal still, is this wrong? I thought it would act as a filler since he pretty much eats primarily fruits and veggies. Also, I wonder when kids start eliminating their afternoon bottle (3:30)? It seems Judah is doing that (or teething), so maybe I should just put together a healthy snack for that time of day. I will say he's getting quite good at picking up foods/snacks such as Cheerios and those melty snacks, but will NOT hold his own bottle or attempt a sippy cup. Moms out there any advise?

Attitude Check

Several weeks ago I have felt a little askew. I would just come home and dread having to do all that needed to be done ie: laundry, cleaning, dinner, dishes, feed Judah, bathe Judah...the list goes on and on!!! It was almost like I was bitter about it all. Like hello Lord, I need some help here; I can't balance it all! It's not even like Justin wasn't helping because he was, all I could focus on were the things that I needed to complete and how I felt like I couldn't rest and even when I wanted to rest. I wanted a tidy home and couldn't relax until it was that way. If I asked Justin to do something and it didn't get done by the time I came home, the first words out of my mouth would be "why didn't you do this?", not "Hey babe, how was your day?".

I know part of it was I wasn't spending time in the Word and with the Lord like I should have been. To me, that was just one more chore to add to my list and if the other things didn't get finished neither would it. (sad, but true) I finally decided to pick up a book that was given to me SEVERAL months ago. It's a small devotion book for mothers. Has it ever hit home! I have come to a new realization that I need to do things as if they were for the Lord. (1 Cor. 10:31) Including changing dirty diapers!!
Before it was like I was doing all the chores around the house while murmuring and hating every minute of it and not feeling appreciated at all. Now, had I asked Justin for help, he would have gladly done it, but no, I had to do it ALL myself and I did it and with a hard heart. I mean really, who wants to be around that?! Can we say control freak? I think part of this stems from being a partial perfectionist and a bit of post-pardon hormones. I have also come to the realization that the house doesn't have to be perfect and to just relax and spend time with my family because that is what matters most. If I stay so busy, **Cough**Martha, then I will miss out on golden moments in my life.

So attitude check yourself. Is everything that comes out of your mouth negative? Do you really want to be THAT draining person who can't find anything good to say? I don't. While I may not have time for an hour-long devotion, I have decided to find God in all the small things that I do daily. While cleaning the dishes I thank God for wiping clean all the sin from my life, while feeling Judah I thank God that He supplies our every need, while making the bed I thank God that HE is my resting place, while cleaning the house, I thank God that He knows everything about me...all my nooks and crannies. While it sounds a bit cheesy, it's so easy to find God in all that you do. Try it, you might like it!

First time flyer

I just got back from Atlanta where Judah and I flew to surprise my sister for her big 3-0 birthday! This was my first time flying with Judah and boy was it HARD!!! Let me explain my saga story of flying with a baby in arms...

First of all, I was by myself since Justin had to be here for Sunday services. This made things very interesting when going through the security line. I had to take Judah out of the stroller, hold him, while he was reaching for everything and pulling me with him, break down the stroller (with one hand) and pick it up and put it on the scanner roller thing. Not to mention, not one person offered to help! Geesh!

Then once on the plane Judah screamed for 30 min. Yes he was "THAT" baby. I felt awful! He was squirmy and was trying to crawl over my shoulder and the chair. You could tell he DID NOT want to be confined. I apologized profusely to everyone around me. Thankfully the guy next to me was a grandpa and said he understood and tried to help play with Judah and keep him entertained. Judah finally gave up and went to sleep. THANK GOD!!!

Once we got to the ATL, I was so exhausted. I think my nerves had just tensed up so much that my whole body was achy. By the time we got to Joyce's house it was 11pm and Judah was still passed out. When we walked through the door, she was SOOO surprised. It was priceless! We had a great time with Josh, Joyce, Madison and my parents!!

So finally, the flight home. I had much anxiety about the flight home only because I was so tired and knew that the flight time was right at Judah's dinner time. (Not to mention I had broken my toe over the weekend, so I was hobbling all over the airport.) Thankfully my parents went out and bought one of those baby harnesses for Judah to hang out in (literally) so I could have two hands. I have decided this is a MUST when traveling with a child. It was so wonderful. I kept him in it on the airplane and it helped him not be so wild and all over the place! He fussed a little in the beginning, but it was peanuts compared the the previous flight. I also, thankfully, sat next to a super-sweet Christian lady that talked to us and helped me the whole time. What a Godsend!

So all-in-all, I'm glad I got that under my belt. I guess Judah earned his first wings, but I earned confidence as a mama to know that I could do it again if I had to!





Note: I look exhausted, Judah is content, and if you look REALLY closely you can see my big black toe!

Motherhood in the Raw: Part 3

Well, here is Part 3 of my so-called Motherhood advise. As stated before, I am in NO WAY an expert on Mothering, but feel the need to share real life experiences that happen on a day-to-day basis or lessons I have already learned. So, here goes...


1. Waste not, want not. Hand-me-downs are a blessing, no doubt. I highly suggest if you are offered hand-me-downs to take them! I have done this and been very blessed with clothes for Judah. I think it's important to push your pride to the side and accept such generosity or to give generously. When they are infants, you only need a select few cute/nice clothes for Church. The rest will get puked, drooled, and pooped on, so why spend the money on nice clothes if you've been offered slightly used ones? Not to mention that these kids grow so quickly they may only where an outfit once or twice. Of course, I always imagined my kids would be in designer clothes and always dressed to the nines, but somehow baby Formula and food just seems more important on the budget end of things.



2. I just don't know. I have already had several times in Judah's life that I just didn't know what to do. No amount of reading can prepare you for everything that you will need to know for children. Frustrating! I sometimes think that I lack a motherly instinct. There are times that I just don't know. I cry about it, then pray about it and do what I can to help him. Most of the time, it's Justin that seems to come up with a solution or tells me to just calm down because usually it's not that big of a deal. And most of the time he's right. Oh and one more piece to this. Find a pediatrician that has a Triage nurse always on call. Lately this has been a life safer. They are quick to let me know if I'm overreacting or if my concerns are legitimate. Such a relief when you have NO idea what to do.

3. Teething Joys. Judah currently has his two bottom teeth, but is working on getting his two top ones. EVERYTHING changes when they are teething. The diapers get more runny, they loose their appetite, they don't nap or sleep well, and they are just miserable! This usually means you are miserable too. Poor little guy would wake up at 3 in the morning and scream for 2 hours straight. This from a child who ALWAYS sleeps at least 10-11 hrs. a night without fail! Normal soothers are Highlands teething tablets, Orajel or Tylenol. The tablets have chamomile in them that calm them down when they are worked up. Well, NONE of our tricks worked this go around. I ended up taking him to the Dr. b/c I was convinced that he had an ear infection. WRONG (see you later $25 copay) he's "Just Teething". OH Joy! So now we are able to give him Motrin which lasts up to 8 hours!! What a Godsend. Works like a charm and we are all now happy.

4. Baby Bullies. Undoubtedly there's always one in your nursery or daycare that will bully your child. Judah was just poked in the eye last night by a toddler. He has a busted blood vessel in his eye and it looks awful! Best thing to do - remain calm. Of course I was mad, but there's nothing I could do; the damage was done. Besides who's to say when you're child gets older he/she won't inflict pain on another child.

Through the Fire...

It's times like these that the reality and meaning of that phrase come alive to me. It's always so uncomfortable to go through trials and personal issues. I'm convinced that God is always with me, but yet I worry. Why is that? Is it because i don't have my full Trust in HIM? I cannot tell you how many times I have surrendered to the beast of WORRY. Why is it that the minute things get "hot" it rears it's ugly head?
Fire: (n) Destructive burning, continuous attack, a gem's brilliance.
Seriously, whoever wrote the dictionary must have been spirit-filled. (LOL) I love the last interpretation. I know that without going through the fire I can be refined like a fine gem. I know at the end of these trials I will shine with God's revelation to me. There is a reason it hurts, growing pains I guess. I pray I don't loose sight of WHO is in control. God make me stronger than I am and to fully depend on you, my Provider.

Roly Poly

Well, Judah is really growing! Much has happened lately. He will be 6 months old in 2 days. I cannot believe it. He is eating cereal and sweet potatoes now. He loves food! He's up to 18 pounds now! Judah started trying to crawl this past weekend. (Go to Justin's blog for the video.) I know he's going to be into everything very soon. Lord help! I'm SO not ready for that. Gone are the days of just laying Judah on the couch while I prep his bottle. He is rolling and scooting around everywhere!
Another trick we have been using since he has been fighting sleep like no other, is playing worship music in his room at night. We've always known that music puts him to sleep (it did when he was in my belly too!) so we've been doing that at night. If he doesn't fall asleep when I rock him and them put him down, we just lay him in is crib and he eventually will roll over get comfy and fall asleep to the music. He's also gotten really good at putting his pacifier back in his mouth, so that's good! Judah is also sleeping up to 10 or 11 hours at night. PTL!!
He really is such a sweetheart. His personality is really shining through. He will certainly be active though. I promise, he would get up and walk if he was strong enough. The bright side to that is, maybe with me chasing him I'll shed this extra weight that is STILL here after 6 months.
Can you tell I'm a little bitter about the weight thing. Seriously it's the most frustrating thing. I have never had a weight problem. It seems that this 10 lbs will just be there for-ev-er. I thought for sure it would fall off, especially after I stopped nursing. I guess I better start running it off now. It's just so darn hot and we can't afford a gym membership. Besides, I'm convinced it's hormone related. Even if I hardly eat anything, my number doesn't budge!! So frustrating. Oh well, I'm trying to stay positive that there is a way. Any suggestions out there? I'm open!

Pictures for you!

My Sweet Boy!
First time at the Beach, Memorial Day
Momma's Boy!
At Paula Deen's, the Lady and Son's
Eating Cereal for the first time...not very tasty!

You talking to me?

Funny Story...

Okay, so I know I said I would post all pictures, but I had to share this quick little story with you all. I was sitting on the couch with Judah one day after work. As a rule, we don't really let Judah watch TV unless it's Praise Baby. Well he was laying there as I watched my TiVoed Oprah show. He looked over at the TV when it was a close up on Oprah and started laughing. He looked away, then looked back and smiled his gummy smile at her. I started laughing at him asking him who he thought it was...then it dawned on me! His teacher at daycare is the sweetest black lady named Miss Brenda. She is with him all day when he's at daycare and he just loves her...that's who he thought it was! I'm convinced he thought Oprah was Miss Brenda! Just wanted to share. Too Funny, huh?!

Busy Bee...

It's been a while since I last blogged. My life has been busy busy busy!! With all the graduations and summer events, we have been going non-stop! Judah is growing SOOO fast. I can't believe it..he will be 5 months on Monday. Here are a few new discoveries with Judah. He has discovered his feet and hands. I will find him in his swing just staring at his fingers...it's hilarious. He has cut 2 of his bottom teeth, this explains the incessant drooling! We switched pediatricians and I love our new Dr. He's young, sarcastic, and tells it like it is. Also, Judah is a squealer; he's certainly found his voice. He squeals all the time, it's so cute! Judah had his first trip to the beach on Memorial Day when we were in Savannah. We had the best time being with my family and spending quality time together, INSIDE, because it rained the entire time we were there!! Boo! Judah has gotten really good at rolling over from his belly to his back. I'll go to feed him in the mornings and he is either up on his elbows and looking up at me smiling or on his back, looking at me, like look what I did mom! I will post an all picture update next...stay tuned.

Shout-out to all the single moms!

So, Justin was out of town for 4 days this week. He went with the staff to a Conference in Atlanta. I, of course, was dreading being home alone without any help with Judah. I got a small taste of what being a single parent with no family around is like. Yikes! Needless to say I kept busy. Judah did great. I was exhausted. We had a good time together. It was so funny when Justin got home you could tell Judah was excited to see him. He started smiling and laughing as soon as he saw him. Daddy is more fun than Mommy! I think he knows when Justin comes around it's time to play.
So, I just wanted to give a shout-out to all you single moms! I don't know how you do it everyday, all day. Regardless of the circumstances that led you to be a single mom, I admire and respect you. Keep up the good work!

Motherhood in the Raw. Part 2

I have changed the name of my blog to "Fashionable Baby Fat" for a few reasons. First of all I do think that baby fat is fashionable. Judah is becoming quite the chunker. This picture is from Easter Sunday. I can't stand to see a skinny baby! Fat means Happy! I also am carrying around excess "baby fat" and as an esteem booster to help myself I am calling it "fashionable". (Partially kidding)

Here are some more tips of the motherhood trade...

1. Waiting list. Whenever you find out you are pregnant and you know you will be needing to render services from a childcare facility, start looking RIGHT THEN. When searching for a daycare for Judah, I was informed that there was a 1 year waiting list. So that means I would have had to be on a waiting list BEFORE I got pregnant. Crazy! Keep that in mind you mommies to be!

2. Intuition. Judah had his first ear infection last week. I knew something wasn't right because he would just SCREAM when it was time to eat and he would hardly eat anything at all. I tried switching formula, and I went up an nipple size on the bottle. Since I knew something was wrong, I took him to the dr. Sure enough he had an infection in his right ear. He never even ran a temperature!! So, moral of the story, if you think some thing's wrong, it probably is; trust your intuition. (God gives it to every mommy!) Bite the bullet, pay the copay and take your kid to the doctor. You will save your sanity, and sleepless nights by doing so!

3. Lights, Camera, Action. Keep that video camera close. Judah is now rolling over on his own and he has officially found his feet. He is grabbing them and pulling off his socks. I'm looking forward to when they make it to his mouth. NOT!

4. Drool is cool. I recently came to work wearing a very cute black blazer and my co-worker came to my desk giggling and proceeded to tell me that I had white spots all down my back and on my shoulder. Evidently Judah had left is mark on me. I have found that I've worn his drool more than knew. I would come home to change and see my little souvenirs. So, be a friend and tell someone if they have drool on them. A little dab of water will remedy the situation.

Smelly Beautiful Feet

I have always loathed Feet. They have never been cute or appealing to me. They usually are smelly and when people don’t take care of them…eww…I’ll stop there. Well, I have recently had an epiphany. I have found that no matter how overweight you are, unless you are retaining water, your feet remain the same size. What a beautiful thing. I have grown to appreciate my little toes, because they are just that, little. Not only are they little, they are pretty darn cute. Just thought I’d share my change in perspective with you. It’s time to start appreciating the little things.

Motherhood..in the raw

Okay, so I would be surprised if anyone even read this blog anymore. As you can imagine I have had my hands full. Precious Judah is growing so fast and is such a joy. He's on a marvelous schedule and is sleeping 8 hours at night! I am so thankful!
I figured I would take the opportunity to share what motherhood has been like these past 3 months. For those of you who will be mothers one day, hopefully this will help you out on your journey. The things I have to say may be the things that mom's don't normally tell you because they're not so glamorous...but I think you deserve to know. So here goes....

1. Inter tube tubby. It's true what they say, you're life completely changes, but what many people may not tell you is so does your body. Not ever having a weight issue in life, I thought the 35 lbs. that I gained in 9 months would just melt away after having a baby - WRONG! There's a stubborn 10 lbs. that likes to linger in the midsection of your body. Seriously, this has been so frustrating to me. Not that I'm exercising like I should, but man, when I look at pictures of myself...Yuck I don't like what i see.

2. No period. Seriously, I haven't had a period in a year. What a blessing. I thought it would come back the month after having the baby, but still no period. Sorry if this is TMI.

3. Cracked and bleeding. This describes my breasts for the first 2 months of Judah's life....I stopped breastfeeding at 6 weeks. Need I say more?

4. Racing stripe. You get this during the 2nd trimester of your pregnancy. It's that dark line that goes down your belly. Well, it's still there. Will it ever go away?

5. Boy Pee. So I learned that you have to point "it" down in the diaper or he'll pee on himself every time. This bit of information would have been helpful the first day of his life, not the 2nd month!

6. Baby Swing. Invest in one. There is nothing better than Judah's swing. He takes naps in it, plays in it and will stay occupied while I get other things done...ie: dinner, laundry, shower.

7. Bills, bills, bills. Not something I was thinking about while at home with my new bundle of joy until they started flooding in about the 6th week of his life. Not only are you paying for your delivery, and just so you know it runs about 30K to have a kid, you're paying his doctors as well. There are 2 separate hospital bills, they send them about 2 weeks apart. I think this is to let the shock and agony wear off from the first one. Sorry, I guess I just ruined it for you. Brace yourself. Personally we'll be paying for his delivery for 2 years. So when people ask when am I going to have another one. It certainly won't be until "he" is paid off.

8. Maternity Leave explained. Make sure your work gives ample explanation of your pay while on maternity leave. My work screwed up my paycheck 3 times while I was out. SO stressful.

9. You'll melt for him. Your husband that is. It's such an amazing gift to see Justin with Judah. He is a natural with him. He's so gentle with him, yet he plays with him like he's his best buddy. I know they will have an incredible bond.

10. What about me? Prepare to love your child more than you could ever imagine. Also prepare for others to feel that same way. It's Hello Judah. How's Judah? Seriously this is fine with me, it's just a drastic change from all the questions and attention you get being pregnant.

11. Pride. Even if your child looks funny to others, he or she will be the most beautiful thing to you. If I even here a negative word about my son, I'm ready to pounce on them and defend Judah with all that I am. I have never felt so strongly about anyone or anything except my faith and God.

12. Formula and Coupons. Save them! Even if you plan on breastfeeding you never know! In my case, it didn't work out. You will get tons of free formula and coupons from places tried to get you to use their product. Save them. Even if you can't use them a friend might be able to. Speaking of...does anyone have any Similac coupons they'd be willing to part with??!

13. Journal. Keep a daily journal. I have been doing this since I got home from the hospital. It has been so wonderful. I use it to keep track of my feeding schedule for Judah and then I write about our day together and the milestones he accomplishes on a daily basis. So much happens the first couple of months, you could easily loose track. Keep that journal close.

14. Mylicon. This is a gas medicine. For the baby not you. It's a life saver. Keep it with you no matter where you go.

15. Hold him/her as much as you can. I have heard so many opinions about this. Here's my point of view. Children need affection to thrive, they won't let you hold them for long, and you could cuddle them all day, so DO it! He'll let you know if he wants to be put down.

16. Talk to him. He will respond sooner than you think. You may feel silly doing this when they are so young, but it increases their IQ. Read to them...they will love it.

17. Liquids. Keep a burp clothe close. The drool starts soon.

That's all for now. I am certainly not an expert at this point, but I wanted to share my experiences thus far. I'll have more to share...so stay tuned, as they say.

Back to the grind...

So this week I went back to work. I have to say I'm pretty proud of myself. I didn't even cry!!! It was hard, but I did it. I think the fact that Justin's mom is watching Judah for the next couple of weeks helps. I'm so glad to have that kind of transition before he goes to daycare...boo! Work was extremely busy it was a bit stressful after being out for 2 months. The good thing is that I'm only working 30 hours a week instead of 40 so I get to have one day with my baby!!

We went for Judah's 2 month check up and all went well!! He is in the 75% for his height and weight. (what a chub!) He is up to 12lbs. 10oz. He got 2 of his 4 shots. We go back in 4 weeks for the other 2. I just couldn't bear to give him all 4 at once! He did really well with the shots...he only fussed for a minute and then was fine. The Dr. seemed really impressed with how wide-eyed and strong he is. It was a good visit!! He's getting so big, it seems like he grows more every time I come home from work. I couldn't be happier with our baby boy. He is such a great baby and is really responding and smiling. We are so blessed!

Judah's Dedication

March 1, 2009 was the day that we Formally dedicated Judah to the Lord. My prayer for Judah is to that he will love the Lord and follow His plan for his life. If I raise my son to fear and love the Lord then I have done what I am called to do as a mother. It's a heck of a calling, but I pray I can full fill it. Judah did so great during his dedication; I was so proud. I tried to take in every moment and every word.

It was also a bittersweet day for us. It was sweet because of the formality of what we were doing and having family there to witness it..the bitter part of the day was when Justin's Nana Bussell had a stroke as we were leaving lunch. She is on the mend right now, but has a long road ahead of her. We all feel that if this had to happen to her then this was the best case scenario. We were all there together...I mean she could have been driving or alone. She is in a great hospital here and is out of the ICU unit. If you think about it please say a prayer...her name is Shirley Bussell.

Say Cheese!!

Judah is 6 weeks old now and really filling out. We now have him on Soy Formula since we think he was allergic to my milk. He has been so much more pleasant. I am still pumping to build up a supply just in case. He also is getting over having Thrush, which is a yeast infection in his mouth...poor buddy. He's doing well sleeping and is cooing and smiling so much. Here is a picture of Judah in the adorable outfit Joyce, Josh and Madison gave him. I'm so glad he got to wear it. Justin had him laughing so much. I love it!!!

1 month

Judah is one month old. I can't believe it. This means that the time is drawing nearer for me to return to work and leave my baby boy. I am SO not looking forward to that. He seems to be growing and his face is changing. He is just precious and I feel like I'm getting a better handle on him and his cries.

We just got back from Savannah. My mom and sister threw a shower for me since I couldn't make it there when I was pregnant. It was so nice. It was a "Sip and See" and I got to see so many old friends that I haven't seen since my wedding. Judah did really well. We got lots of great things. I feel so blessed to have had so many showers. Seriously who has 4 showers??!! What a blessing. We also gave Judah his first bottle this weekend. I have been putting off pumping, but it is so nice. It's faster that feeding him and others get to help feed him!!

Pics: Justin feeding Judah for the first time. Madison meeting Judah for the first time. (She kept saying "He's so tute!") My best friend Brooke holding Judah at the shower.

Update

It's been 3 weeks and things are going well. It's not to say I haven't had my bad days, but we are learning each other and everyday gets better and better. Judah is so bright-eyed, up to 8 lbs. 6 oz. and growing like a weed. He has a bit of acid reflux so he's on baby Zantac. He also has a really stuffy nose right now and snores like crazy. Poor thing. I feel so helpless when he can't breathe.
I am currently nursing him and that seems to be going well. It is sometimes really draining but I know it's best for him so I'm trying to endure.
Justin has been AMAZING. He is the best dad ever. When I can't get Judah to calm down, he takes over and like magic he's fine. He changes diapers without me asking, he takes the night shift so i can get some rest...I am so blessed to have an involved husband that cares so much!!! Check out his blog for more pictures of Judah.
We are heading to Savannah (my hometown) for a "Sip and See" shower. I couldn't make it there while I was preggo, so now we get to show him off to old family and friends. It should be interesting traveling with him and probably everything but the kitchen sink! Ha.
Gotta go for now...

My delivery experience

Well, I thought I would fill everyone in on the somewhat traumatic delivery experience. I went in at 3:30 am to be induced. They started the Pitocin (sp?) at 5:30 and then the fun began. My contractions got stronger but completely bearable. My Dr. came in at 7:30 and decided to break my water. That was A LOT of pressure. From then on the contractions intensified more and more!! I decided I wanted to get the epidural by about 10:30 am when I started to shake from the pain and couldn't take it any more. (Honestly if I HAD to, I could have gone longer but the anesthesiologist was there and i wanted to stay ahead of the pain.) Once I got the epidural i was very comfortable. I tried to get some shut eye (next to impossible in the hospital). I was so blessed with amazing nurses (definitely something I prayed for)! My nurse kept checking me and I just wasn't progressing. By 4:30 my Dr. decided to perform a c-section on me. Everything from then on went really fast. They started prepping me for surgery and I got really emotional. I'm so glad my family was there for support and Justin was a rock during the whole process.

I got into the operating room by 5:20 and Judah was out by 5:34 weighing 7lbs 9.5 oz and 20 inches long. Then the horrific part began. My doctor started sewing me up and I began to feel it. I told the anesthesiologist that I could feel what they were doing and she said, "OH, I'm sure it's just pressure." I reassured her it wasn't and she just brushed me off and pumped more meds into my drip. I was then rolled to Recovery. I told my nurse that I was in a ton of pain. They kept pumping stuff into my epidural drip. Still NO relief. Finally my nurse decided to roll me over and check on the epidural on my back. To her surprise, it was completely out...my epidural had come completely out probably before my surgery. They decided to give me several different types of pain meds NONE of which were working. I was shaking from pain and getting groggy from the medicine. Then the nurse proceeded to push on my abdomen. (they do this to prevent clots and to help the uterus contract) I have NEVER EVER been in so much pain. Poor Justin didn't know what to do. I was miserable and we were there from 5:45 to 10:00 pm. Finally they moved me to my room. I got no rest that night. The nurses kept coming in checking on me and trying to show me how to nurse. I was overwhelmed with pain and emotions.

The hospital I delivered in is one of the top 4 women and baby hospitals in the nation. I was so blessed with amazing care and didn't feel like I was at the hospital at all. The aesthetics in the hospital are so warm and it felt like I was in a hotel room. We were blessed to have lots of visitors come up and the nurses joked that they had seen my whole church come through there. Oh well, we definitely felt the love.

Sorry this post was so long, but I figured some of you might want to know the details of my delivery. I will say it was traumatic but so worth it to have Judah here. He is such a sweet boy and we feel so blessed. (especially since he slept 5 hours last night!!!) Thanks for all the prayers and sweet comments.

Welcome Baby Judah!

Well, I came home today from the hospital. I was so glad and scared to be home. The nurses at the hospital were so helpful I was a bit hesitant to leave. We came home and my mom had a huge sign in the yard as a birth announcement. It was so sweet, the house was clean and my mom had been cooking a roast for my welcome home meal!!! I have felt to blessed to have all of my family here for this amazing process. Joyce even got to come and stayed through today!!! We had a plethora of visitors and all the nurses kept commenting on all the people that came through there. We felt so loved!
Judah is such a sweet baby and I still can't believe he's ours! He has the most beautiful boy I have ever seen. (I'm a bit biased I know.) He has the biggest blue eyes and seems to be really even keeled. He's tiny but loves to eat. I will post more about my labor and delivery, but let's just say it was less than ideal but so worth it!! Thanks for all the prayers and love. More to come about my new life as a mother.

Journal Entry

Here is an excert from my journal. I figured I'd post one more time before I'm officially a mom tomorrow!!

Jan. 7, 2008

"Well it's the night before my induction and I'm home alone. It's Wed. so Justin has to preach. We did get to eat dinner together though. I picked up Outback and took it to the church. I got a Joey steak, sweet potato, salad, and managed to down a whole loaf of bread. This is my last meal until Judah is born. I am on a fast for the induction.
The induction is scheduled for 4:00am tomorrow, Jan. 8th 2009 (5 days after my due date). We have to be there at 3:30 to get registered so I'm planning on trying to get some sleep. (yeah right)
I stayed home from work today. I have been so uncomfortable, swollen and having back pain. I hate to complain though because this has been such a smooth pregnancy. I am truly blessed.
I couldn't help but feel so much anxiety today as I tried to relax. It seems that everything in the past 9 months and possibly my whole life has been leading up to tomorrow. I will be a mother. What an incredible gift! I almost don't feel worthy...or maybe it's that I'm scared and overwhelmed at the incredible responsiblity. I hope i do a good job. I certainly am clueless though. No matter how many books I've read, I'm sure nothing can fully prepare me for the love, joy, and responsiblity I will soon have.
Justin seems very excited and so laid back about the whole thing. He doesn't understand why I'm so emotional or anxious. Men and women are wired so differently! I know he will be an incredible father. He's so loving, patient, understanding and giving. He'll be a great friend and father to Judah.
We are both so looking forward to holding our baby boy. We pray for him to be healthy, for the labor to go smoothly and quickly, and for God's perfect will for his life."

Sike...

We went to Triage this morning at 7:00 am as ordered by our Doctor for a Non-Stress Test. We got there and only had to wait maybe 10 minutes and they took us back. They hooked me up to the monitor and said this should only take about 30 minutes. Well, 30 mins. came and went. It showed me having contractions, which I knew I was and the nurse said well maybe you'll get to stay today if these keep up. (Oh, I was hoping so!!) The nurse came in and had me readjust so maybe Judah might start moving more. (For someone who was doing summersaults in my belly the night before, he picked a fine time to be still...I think I'm seeing a pattern here with the stubborness!! lol) The nurse then ordered for me to have a diagnostic screening (I think that's what they called it), in other words a sonogram to check the baby and make sure he looked okay. I was excited about this!! We got into the sonogram room and the technician said it was a 30 min. test to count 10 movements. He had moved 10 times in a matter of like 5 mins. He looked really squished in there and we saw part of his face. It looks like he has really cubby cheeks and my pointy chin. Aaa...I'm so ready to meet him!!!

So, my doctor read the strip of paper that had the baby's heartbeat and my contractions and told me to come into his office. That's right...I had to leave the hospital. I didn't get to stay. He checked me and I'm the exact same as I have been for the past 3 weeks. NO PROGRESS. Geez. Well at least there is an end in sight. Thursday, Jan. 8th will hopefully, most certainly be baby Judah's grand entrance into the world. I can't wait!!!!

Judah's Nursery

Well, yesterday was Judah's due date and I'm still hanging out. Seriously I feel like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment. Ha. I go to the doctor bright and early tomorrow so I'll let you know how that goes and if there is any progress. I thought I'd take a second and post some pictures of Judah's room. Everything is ready and waiting for him. I can't wait to meet him!!