Thanksgiving Thankfulness

This year we spent Thanksgiving with my family down in Charleston, SC. I truly love our home in Lake Wylie, but there is just something about the pluff mud and boiled peanuts that call me back each time. Brady's first Thanksgiving was super busy with visiting friends and family that we definitely ran short on naps. (*Note the picture below!)

I scored his "Gobble, Gobble" onesie at an after holiday sale for a whopping $0.97. Also, I am still swooning over his Minnetonka Fringe Boots. They were the perfect addition to his Thanksgiving outfit. Who says baby boys don't have any exciting outfit pieces? 

Thanksgiving dinner was absolutely delicious. It was completed with brown sugar glazed turkey and all the fixins'. My favorite will always and forever be my Mema's mac n cheese recipe. Also, no holiday is complete without lime margaritas in the Rabon household. It ain't just for summertime ya'll. 

We spent the rest of our days getting in the Christmas spirit with family and friends. Brady had multiple babysitting offers so Brian and I got a whopping three date nights out of house, baby-free. 

 

We are back home and getting our own household ready for Christmas. We will be hosting ALOT of family here on the home front. So like the crazy people we are, we un-packed the car and took off to the Christmas tree farm to cut down Brady's first Christmas tree. With all of the holiday planning loaded on top of our ever growing schedules I may just be recruiting some elves soon!  

Beautiful Chaos

I have been looking forward to this week for a while. Five full days off work and five full days with my baby boy! We are heading to Charleston for Thanksgiving and I couldn't wait for time with friends, family and more importantly food! The plan was to clean and pack up while Brian worked half a day. I was going to have a few cuddle sessions with Brady and pick up the house because I hate coming home to a dirty house after being out of town. Before hitting the road we were going to visit with some of our good friends from Houston. Today was going to be perfect! Oh, but today, my friends, has been far from perfect. 

My dear sweet Brady, who sleeps 10-12 hours a night mind you, has been awake since the crack of dawn. From the moment his little body came out of the crib he hasn't been happy. Nothing appealed to him. He simultaneously wanted to suck on the paci while throwing it across the room. All of his favorite spots became  tantrum locales. And he tried to "hulk smash" himself out of the K'tan wrap.  I finally decided that cleaning the house would just have to wait. The pic below is my morning in a snapshot. 

Finally, during a much needed nap for Brady, I was able to start laundry, grab a cup of coffee and mop the kitchen. The bags got packed and it seemed that things were finally moving in the right direction. Brady was quietly playing in his crib after his nap. I went upstairs to change his diaper and here was where the second showing of the Anderson Circus debuted. 

Not even five minutes after getting Brady cleaned up I came downstairs to a monstrosity. The dogs had decided to eat an entire cookie cake that we were going to share with our friends. So much for a freshly mopped floor! This is when I kicked the pan and knife and yelled at them to "just stay down there!" They much obliged. 

At this point in the day I was so done. I decided against nursing Brady. Call me lazy or a bad mom, but I just didn't feel like it. So I popped a drop-in into his formula bottle and went to shake it up. However, I discovered it had a hole in the bottom.  Not sure if it was my angry shaking or karma but it went EVERYWHERE. Brady was the only one that found it funny. 

Today was a day that made me want to pull my hair out. Thankfully the postpartum hair loss is already taking care of that for me. We are now on the road to Charleston with our entire entourage, dogs included. It is days like today that make me question how the hell we got here. But tomorrow when I am laughing at my dad's jokes, eating mom's mac n cheese, and loving on those close to me, I'll be so glad this is my beautiful chaos. 

Brady's First Wishlist

Well I tried to hold off as long as possible, but Christmas is officially here! Poor Thanksgiving is always the middle child when it comes to holidays, but the Andersons just couldn't wait any longer. We  got our tree farm invite in the mail and Brady had his Christmas card photos made today! And with the nippy weather among us it just felt like the right time to pull out the red and green decor and start making plans for Brady's very first Christmas.

All-natural Teether / Plaid Booties / Baby Boy Leggings

Alphablock Board Book / Wooden Rattle / Fox Stuffed Animal

Call me Scrooge, but I really don't want to start loading our house down with toys. (All those experienced parents can go ahead and roll their eyes at me now.) I know that it is going to come in time, but for right now Brian and I are trying to be as minimalistic as possible.That being said I still want to buy a few items that are fun for us to remember his first Christmas by. Many of these items will get used in our day-to-day routine. 

 Teething has hit hard and fast in our house. Brady really likes to chew on more cloth-like items. So the all natural teether from Cwtch Bug Etsy Shop looked liked a perfect stocking stuffer for him. She has a ton of cute patterns, as well as dribble bibs. Definitely check her shop out. We are also going to try a wooden rattle for play since he really loves his other one. Books are a big part of our play time here at home and he will be getting more of those than anything. The AlphaBlock book is adorable and has the cutest di-cuts inside! As for clothing Brady lives in leggings and pjs most of the time. Etsy has a ton of awesome patterns to choose from to. Plus who couldn't help but LOVE these plaid booties on baby. Not to mention they are a steal.  

I know there are lots of items to choose from for the kids' Christmas, but don't forget you can always buy family zoo/museum memberships, classes and date nights versus a tangible item. Experiences are always so much more memorable in the long run. As for our family, we will be doing some serving through church and our favorite charity, Hopematch, this year! Don't forget to be a bringer during this beautiful holiday season! 

Macie & Porter: A Perfect Waterbirth

Macie is a beautiful example of a strong wife and hard-working mama. She and her husband made a leap of faith by moving all the way from their home state of Maine to North Carolina. She has an unwavering strength and commitment to her family. So it came as no surprise to me that her birth story revealed the same qualities. If you are considering all-natural birth this is a must-read!

Hey there! My name is Macie. I'm wife to Greg and mom to our sweet baby boy Porter. For as long as I can remember my biggest dream in life was to be a mom. I feel so blessed that God answered my prayers and blessed me with my sweet boy on March 11, 2014. Here is the birth story of Porter David Perreault.

From the moment that we officially started trying to get pregnant I was a research fanatic. I read all of the books. I googled like crazy. I wasn't even pregnant yet but I knew exactly what I did and didn't want for my pregnancy, labor and delivery, and even my "parenting style." (Haha) I guess you could say I'm a planner. It's true. I knew that I wanted to do a 100% natural birth. I am not against epidurals or any other form of modern medicine used during labor and delivery- I just felt that a natural birth was something I really wanted to (and could) do.

It was our seventh month of trying to conceive when we found out that we had earned the new titles we longed for- Mom and Dad. The day that my husband and I found out we were pregnant with our first baby was by far one of the happiest days of my entire life. We had already decided that our baby would be born at Carolina Community Maternity Center in South Carolina. 

I had a very normal pregnancy in most ways. At our 8 week ultrasound I was told that I had placenta previa. I would be lying if I told you that it didn't worry me a little. But I resisted the urge to google it. We asked a few close friends to pray, we prayed, and we didn't speak another word about it. At our 15 week ultrasound the tech told us the problem was completely gone! Thank you Lord for answered prayers! The next nine weeks were smooth sailing for us. The baby measured perfectly, I was gaining enough weight, and every test came back normal. It was such a blessing to be one of those people that loved being pregnant. But at 34 weeks I got the flu. I am talking the REAL flu. I began vomiting and couldn't stop. It got to the point where I couldn't keep an ice chip down. I was so dehydrated. I was crying telling Greg I was just SO thirsty and weak. We tried everything to stop the vomiting, but finally I had to go to the ER. Thank God we went. When we arrived my heart rate was insanely high and the baby's was in the 180s. To make a long story short I went into pre-term labor. I was contracting every four minutes and was 3 cm dilated. I was devastated because this meant I wouldn't be able to have my baby at my birth center because I wasn't full term. Greg prayed over me in the hospital bed and we asked God to please give us four more weeks of pregnancy so we could go with our original birth plan and so that our baby would be bigger and stronger. God answered us with a "yes" again and I was on strict bed rest until I was full term- and I stayed pregnant until the day before my due date! Yay!

March 10th at 1030 p.m. 

We were at a business meeting. I was due two days later and I felt great! I didn't have any signs of labor but I was so ready for the baby to come. We went home and went to bed at about midnight. At 2:30 a.m. on the 11th I woke up with very strong contractions. I knew from the second I woke up that this was the real deal. We timed them and they were three to four minutes apart. I tried to sleep but the contractions were so intense that I couldn't. My plan was to do a large portion of my labor at home so I decided to get in the tub to try to relax. No early stage of labor for this girl! I guess God was making up for all of the relaxing I had gotten while on bedrest. :-) After ten minutes in the tub I started vomiting and shaking. I was already in transition after being in labor for just a couple of short hours. We called my midwife and she told us to get to the birth center ASAP. We packed up and hit the road.

I'll never forget how relaxed I felt when I arrived at the birth center at 6 a.m. It was still dark out, my midwife let us in and we went in to our birthing suite. It was a beautiful relaxing room. The lights were very dim. She already had the tub full of warm water and lavendar essential oils in the diffuser. She checked me and found that I was already almost 8cm dilated. I got in the tub and labored there for the next few hours. My contractions stayed steady. They were consistently 3-4 minutes apart and very intense. We had taken the Bradley method classes and that really helped me. I had worship music playing and just stayed silent for hours while I labored. I would breathe through my contractions then try to rest in between them. I loved how peaceful the birth center was. No beeping machines, no IVs, no nurses checking on me all of the time. I was able to stay relaxed, stay in my head, and focus on not letting the pain overtake me. There were times when I would begin to wonder if I could do it much longer but I never spoke it. Instead I would ask Greg to read our confession cards we had made. I would speak that I could do all things through Christ who gives me strength. My body was made to give birth. Greg continually prayed for me and spoke truth over me. At 12 pm I was finally at 10cm. People say when your body is really ready to push IT will push. This is SO true. There was literally nothing I could do to stop it. Our bodies are so amazing! I pushed for an hour and at 1 pm Porter was born in the water.

It was such an amazing experience all around. I loved being in a birth center as opposed to a hospital. I loved being able to have such a special, intimate birth experience with my husband. I loved the personal relationship that I built with my midwife throughout my whole pregnancy. I loved the way that our sweet baby boy was brought in to this world. I have such fond memories of his birth. And reflecting back on the whole thing I love that I can see the Lord's hand moving over us. Every prayer that he answered. Every nerve that he calmed. Our pregnancy, delivery, and our sweet Porter are all blessings from above!

Halloween Outtakes

Halloween definitely snuck up on us this year.  Between heading back to work and finishing up our master bedroom remodel I didn't plan as much as I thought I would. I did end up putting together a really cute outfit for Brady's first Halloween. I had items around the house that I repurposed to create him a cute little scuba diver outfit. However, when I got home Friday evening Brian had decided to take another route. Cue mad scientist baby and his crazy professor daddy. Oh the joys of being the only girl in the house.

We took it easy the rest of the evening. We had friends come over while we passed out candy, had a few beers and played with the pups. All-in-all it was a pretty low key Halloween.... just how we like it! 

Happy Halloween 2014

Four Months & Favorites

We are officially out of the baby, baby stage. Brady has truly begun to form his personality and I feel that we are having some real fun now! We are trying new things like sitting up for longer periods of time and even eating solids.

I see so much of his daddy in him.  He can be a little slow and careful when taking on a task; however, he is sure to analyze everything while taking in all of his surroundings. Brady is definitely going to be a learner.   Now that I am back at work I find that I am intentionally paying attention to all of his little moves and quirks, as I am not with him all day.  

He has found his voice and shrieks when Brian and I talk. It is like he is saying, "HEY! I am here and I wanna be a part of the conversation!". He has also discovered his feet and hands. I laugh when I see him realize his hands are his. His eyes get really big and intense. He will stare for a minute and then the biggest smile will spread across his face! It is one of my favorite things. 

So many milestones have been hit and growing has been done this past month. It is truly our joy, as parents, to watch Brady flourish. 

Length: 27.5 inches (90th Percentile)

Weight: 13 lb. 9 oz. (15th Percentile)

Perfectly shaped head (words from the dr.'s mouth)

Sleeping: 10-12 Hours each night

Eating: Still eating like a champ

(We will see if that changes once more solids are introduced.)

Likes:

Wubbanub.... still

Using his voice to interact

Being tickled

Bath time

Peek-a-boo

Being in any wrap or chest carrier

Cuddling with mama

Tummy Time

Any rattle toys

Avacados

Dislikes:

Being in one scene too long

Wearing a dirty diaper for more than a minute

The swing 

Photo Shoots by mama

Loud noises from the pups or tv

                       

1. Medela Bottles These are great quality and I love that they come with the small yellow caps for milk storage in the refrigerator.

2. Hanging Car Seat Toy Brady has definitely become more alert while in the car. He recently started to fuss because of the lack of scenery (I think?). I found one very similiar to this toy in his play basket and decided to give it a go. It was a huge hit and he loves trying to touch it with his hands and feet.

3. H&M Sweatshirt I LOVE these sweaters.  They are so soft and can be dressed up or down without sacrificing baby's comfort. They are also gender neutral enough that you could throw on a cute headband and some glittery boots on baby girl and make it work.

4. K'TAN Carrier This is another item from our registry favs. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to channel my inner hippie to get used to a cloth carrier, but oh, how I love this thing.  In the early days Brady was able to cuddle and sleep in the kangaroo position. I think he felt like he was in the womb again. Plus it gave me both hands to do what I needed to do around the house. Since then he has changed to the front facing position and loves it. This carrier is breathable and also pretty affordable for all of the carrying options it offers as baby grows.

5. My big animal book This has become one of Brady's favorite books. It is HUGE and there are so many bright and fun pictures. The pages are nice and thick so he can "help" turn the pages.

6. Bottle Koozie I know, I know. My kid does not need a bottle koozie! We received his first one as a gift and I thought how fun. Now I am seeing the practical side of this. As he transitions into childcare it is important to keep up with which bottles are his. These are a cute and fun way to personalize bottles as he starts to mingle with other kiddos. Not to mention how cool do babes look with koozies!?

7. Baby Lips Moisturizer My skin and lips can easily get chapped and for whatever reason having a baby heightened that. Baby Lips smell so good and are the perfect combo of moisturizer and lip color. There are tons of colors to choose from and you can find them at virtually any big store retailer or drugstore.

Fall Photos

All photo credits: Kristin Dustman Photography