Category / babies

by Bethe

The Latest, The End of Maternity Leave, & A Give-Away

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Sometimes I worry that all folks pull from this blog is that motherhood is hard, that baby has colic, that life is hectic, and I’m overwhelmed.

But our life is so much more than that. And let me tell you, Month Two with my baby girl has been So. Much. Fun. It’s like we woke up around Week 5 and everybody understood each other (I think the fact that we also started sleeping more has a lot to do with it). We have found a routine. She smiles and coos and is so cute I can barely stand it. She only wakes up once a night (PRAISE THE LORD, HALLELUJAH). And we’ve found some ways to help soothe the colicky spells – not totally eliminate them, but GREATLY reduce their frequency and duration.

But more about little Wrenn in her Two Month post, which will be soon. This post is just a hodge podge of what we’ve been up to.

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I’m back at the gym and loving it. Because my pregnancy was so darn difficult I hadn’t worked out a bit in 10 months, which meant that those first few workouts were humbling. Like, the first time I tried to do crunches and push-ups I could barely do five (those poor stomach muscles had been stretched to the max). But it’s amazing how quickly your body gets strong – each day I feel more and more like my old self.

I’ve never been one to love working out, but now going to the gym has become my “me time” and something I actually enjoy. I still haven’t figured out how I’m going to fit it in after I return to work, but we’ll take it one week at a time.

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In addition to working out, I’m also trying to eat healthier to drop the last 15 pounds of baby weight that I’m still holding onto. Mr. Right, his parents and I are doing the My Fitness Pal app on our phones, which tracks your fitness and food intake. I’m a fan because I get an extra 500 calories a day from nursing – which certainly helps when I feel like a little splurge.

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We took another roadtrip last week, this time to Midland to celebrate our niece and nephew’s birthdays (she’s four, he’s one). This time we felt like pros, knowing what to pack (and packing lighter), and Wrenn did great in the car. The only bad part was when she puked ALL OVER me (dripped down my shirt and gathered into a pool in my pocket) and Mr. Right was gone with the car and hotel key and I had to wear my vomit-soaked clothes for three hours. Yep, rookie mom mistake. I’m learning.

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Mr. Right and I have managed to have several fun date nights without Wrenn. As much as I love my baby, let’s face it – mama loves her date nights. I think Mr. Right kind of enjoys them too! Now that they’re less frequent, they seem to be “bigger” – we’ve done dinner at Reata (my fave) and Texas de Brazil (his favorite), as well as a night at a movie tavern (I think dinner WHILE watching a movie was invented for nursing moms who live in three-hour chunks of time).

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Speaking of nursing… (boys close your ears)… I’m now taking a few supplements because Little Miss has suddenly become a VERY good eater and frankly I’m having trouble keeping up. One of my vitamins makes you smell like maple syrup. All. The. Time. It’s like the International House of Pancakes over here in our home. But I guess there are worse things to smell like then my favorite kind of breakfast. (If you’re wondering, I’m taking Fenugreek and Mother’s Milk tea, along with chugging gallons of water.)

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I’m headed back to work tomorrow. I’m a little sad to leave Wrenn (a lot sad, actually), but also excited to see my work friends. I’m not really sure how the morning routine is going to go, and I’m pretty sure it’ll take me an hour to pack both of our bags tonight, but we’ll figure it out. I know it will get easier… but in the meantime you won’t waste a prayer on me this week. I’m determined not to cry!

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In honor of another transition, I’m holding a give-away for a free “Be Still” print in my shop. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post – it can be encouragement about going back to work, a motherhood tip, or just a random “hi” – whatever it is, just leave it and I’ll hold a drawing on Sunday.

PS–Mr. Right has added a few of his own creations to the shop – leather goods! Go check it out – I’ve used one like this one for almost two years now and LOVE it.

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Other places you can find Texas Lovely:
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/texaslovelyshop
On Instagram: texas_lovely
On Etsy

by Bethe

New in the shop – Ruffle Butt Onesies & a New Print

I’ll admit it – I’m a sucker for a baby with a ruffle butt. I just can’t help myself (also – that smile! makes a mama melt)…

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Which is why I’ve decided to make a few ruffle butt onesies for the shop. These particular onesies are size 0-3 months made of organic cotton and perfect for a baby gift for that next shower. I added a few yo-yo’s to the front because besides chevron and ruffles, well, yo-yo’s are one of my favorite things.

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(link to listing in the shop)

yellow gray

(link to listing in the shop)

Everything on the onesie has finished edges, which means no fraying. If these sell quickly, I’ll be adding some more, but they’ll be slightly more expensive.

Also, if you’re in the market for a baby gift, don’t forget this print, which is available for instant download (which means no waiting for shipping):

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Now excuse me while I go kiss on my baby model some more…

by Bethe

Oh no! Not Colic!

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When I read my baby books (just two – I’m trying to be one of those laid-back mamas… ha), every time I came to the section on colicky babies, I would stop and pray, “Lord, please don’t let my baby have colic.” I think it was the part where they said the definition of colic was crying for three hours a day at least three days a week.

Whoa.

And what do you know, we are one of the 10% of babies who have colic. And you know what? It stinks. REALLY stinks. But you know what else? We’re getting through it, because just like everything else, you don’t have a choice. Kind of like that prayer I prayed before we got pregnant: “Lord, please don’t let me be one of those girls who gets morning sickness.” Yeah, we all know how that one turned out – six months of eating nothing but baked potatoes and tortilla chips and popping Zofran like the were Skittles.

Sometimes life throws you a curve ball, and you just have to adjust. Which is what we’re doing. We have a wonderfully delightful baby girl about 21 hours a day. She smiles and coos and is just so much fun. But the other three hours that happen every evening where the poor thing screams bloody murder, clinches her little fists and kicks her legs because her little tummy hurts her so badly?

That part really stinks.

I’ll admit – I’ve even shed a few tears along with my little Wrenn – it’s hard to watch your baby hurt, and I have yet to figure out how to tune out the crying. My more tenured mom friends have assured me that at some point you can ignore it – but right now it both grates on my nerves and breaks my heart at the same time.

I just want to make it better, you know?

So, fellow mamas, here’s where we need your help. We are willing to try almost anything to bring Baby Girl some comfort. So far we’ve tried:

1. Mylicon drops

2. Mommy Bliss/Gripe Water drops

3. Tummy massage

4. Baby Probiotics (we’re buying these today, so we’ll let you know if they help)

5. Swinging (sort of kind of occasionally helps a little)

6. Taking her outside (her favorite – but it’s 105 degrees outside so it’s not our best option for the whole three hours – mama gets kind of sweaty)

7. Driving her in the car (people keep suggesting this, but she just screams bloody murder, which just makes mama cry… so not our solution)

The number one thing that seems to soothe her is nursing, which means I typically nurse her off and on all evening – on several occasions she has nursed for 90 minutes straight (which wears this mama out). Her doctor said it was fine because my skinny mini could benefit from a little extra weight. Eventually the nursing makes her fall asleep, which is the only time she feels relief. Which is the point where mama and daddy then breathe a sigh of relief and consider taking up drinking.

I kid. Kind of.

The good news is that she gets so worn out from crying every evening that she sleeps like a CHAMP at night. She has started going six hours from her evening feeding to her first night feeding… and last night we only did one middle-of-the-night feeding. It was like Christmas, New Year’s and the 4th of July all wrapped in one. Wow. Thanks Baby Girl, your mama has missed her sleep! And if I had to choose, I guess sleeping through the night is worth a few hours of incessant crying.

So, fellow mamas who have walked this colicky road before me – do you have any other secrets? And how long did your baby’s colic last? Tell me it stops before they leave for college?

by Bethe

How to love and care for a new mom

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I have a confession. Caring for a newborn while recovering from childbirth while never sleeping more than 90 minutes at a time while serving as a round-the-clock drink dispenser is HARD.

Add in some crazy hormones and, well, it can be a little overwhelming.

Hello understatement of the year.

These past three weeks as a first-time mama have yielded some wonderful, precious moments of cuddling a content newborn against my chest, inhaling her new baby scent, of watching my sweet husband love on this itty bitty thing that we created together and kissing those tiny baby toes. The past three weeks have also brought me to the edge of a nervous breakdown, making me cry more tears than I knew was humanly possible. I have never been more tired, more run down, more worried and more unsure of myself than ever before.

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Obviously I’m rocking this motherhood thing… about 20 percent of the time. The rest of the time – when this cute baby was refusing to eat, crying hysterically in the middle of the night, or I was waking up drenched from hormonal night sweats while hurting in places I didn’t know could hurt… well, that’s a different story.

That’s where our friends and family stepped in and helped keep me sane. Being a new mama means that every ounce of energy you have goes to caring for (and feeding) that adorable baby. It helps to have other people who want to care for (and feed) you so you can take care of your baby.  In that spirit, here are some ways to love and care for a new mom:

1. Offer to come watch the baby so she can sleep. This is by far the greatest gift folks gave me – friends, family, heck, at some point I would have welcomed a stranger off the street. They graciously offered to simply snuggle the baby so that I could take a 2-hour nap… uninterrupted, not worrying about every little peep she made. After several sleepless nights in a row, two hours of uninterrupted sleep is one of the sweetest things on earth.

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2. Bring snacks. Right after we came home from the hospital, some friends of ours came to visit and brought an entire gift bag full of snacks for me to eat while breastfeeding. Since the rumors are true – you really do drink like a camel and have the hunger of a lion – and you’re living in a fog where things like feeding yourself move to the bottom of the priority list, having a bag full of granola bars, fish crackers, wheat thins, and even candy (for those especially hard moments) handy to grab during a middle-of-the-night feeding helps so much.

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3. Bring take-out. I’m one of those who feels guilty when I bring a new mom take-out because by the time I get off work, make the dinner and deliver it, it would be 9:00 p.m. and no new mom wants to eat at 9:00. So, I typically just offer to pick up take-out from the restaurant right next to my work that carries EVERYTHING. Turns out – it’s a welcome treat.  I’ve found that it doesn’t matter if someone brings a home-cooked meal or something from McDonald’s, it’s just nice to not have to worry about feeding yourself, and I have welcomed the company on days where I was starting to get stir crazy. So go ahead, don’t feel guilty about not cooking. Mama cares more about having an adult conversation anyway.

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4. Send an encouraging note/email/text/Facebook message, and don’t expect a response. Like I’ve mentioned before, I have been blessed with so many notes of encouragement over these past three weeks. Folks have told me they’re praying for me. A friend I haven’t seen since high school told me that the best thing I can do to keep from getting run down is to keep myself fed and hydrated. Others sent encouragement about breastfeeding, told me about their own experiences with raging hormones, and shared that they had been there and knew exactly what I was going through… and told me that soon things would get easier. Those notes, which I usually read in the middle of the night, were so helpful. For most, I didn’t even have the mental energy to reply, but know that they meant SO much to this overwhelmed mama. So go ahead – send some encouragement, and don’t be offended if you don’t get a response back. Soon that mama will emerge from her fog and act like a normal human again.

5. Tell her she’s doing a good job. And that soon, things will get easier. And that she’s normal. (It’s also a good idea to tell her husband that she’s normal… I’m thankful for a few people who told Mr. Right what to expect so he wasn’t surprised to wake up to baby and mama both crying during a 3:00 a.m. feeding).

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In the meantime… things seem to be settling down a little and we’re starting to see glimpses of a routine. Yesterday I rocked her to sleep while singing along to lullabies on my Pandora station and had one of those “so THIS is motherhood” moments that made my heart swell. I got a mommy massage and Mr. Right gave her her first bottle (a success!). We spent yesterday making funny faces at each other and doing tummy time and she “supervised” while I quilted (meaning, she slept in her portable seat-thingy). She even slept in her nursery for the first time last night (a huge accomplishment for me… I’m not sure she noticed the difference).

This motherhood thing is already getting SO MUCH BETTER.

Mamas – what other ways did people love and care for you after you brought baby home? Share your ideas in the comments section so we can bless the next new mom.

by Bethe

Wrenn’s Nursery – the big reveal!

Holy cow, we are going to have a baby TOMORROW. Someone pinch me! It has been 239 days since we found out I was pregnant, and in ONE DAY we’re finally going to get to meet our Baby Girl.

Before I get all weepy and sentimental, I thought I’d give you a quick nursery tour so you can see what Miss Wrenn is coming home to. She may not actually stay in here for a few weeks, but I figure life is about to get crazy so I wanted everything to be (mostly) ready for her.

Here goes:

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We were pretty thrifty and used mostly hand-me-down and repurposed items, so we splurged on the glider – it’s from Buy Buy Baby with a custom fabric (I don’t see it on their website, but you can find it in stores). We used a 20% off coupon which helped.

The crib was FREE from Pottery Barn thanks to leftover gift certificates from our wedding two-and-a-half years ago (if you got us a gift card for our wedding – thank you!). The map picture is from Society 6 (we bought the 38″x26″ one). And the bedding – except for the sheet – was made by me. The sheet is from Target. We opted for no bumpers because (1) pediatricians now advise against them, and (2) it was one less thing to purchase or make. Score!

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Everything on this side of the room is repurposed. The mirror was free and came with the buffet we refinished in 2012. The dresser/changing table was a hand-me-down from my in-laws (we’re going to paint it and add funky knobs later…) and the armoire was a housewarming gift from my sisters back in 2006 that just got a fresh coat of paint, as well as some new shelves thanks to Mr. Right (including a hidden compartment at the bottom to store diapers – yea!).

We still lack hanging up a few photos, an an area rug, and some curtains. But let’s be honest – most of the windows in my house are missing curtains, so Baby Girl may have to wait awhile for those.

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And finally – here’s Wrenn’s bag packed and ready to go to the hospital! We check in tonight and get the party started first thing in the morning. Go ahead and say a prayer (or ten) for both of us that this delivery is safe, SWIFT, and a positive experience for all three of us.

See you tomorrow, Wrenn Olivia!

by Bethe

A giveaway

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I recently purchased some jewelry from Ily Couture (Can you tell that jewelry has been my favorite pregnancy accessory? It always fits!), and they sent me a few extra pieces to give away to YOU! I have both pieces and wear them constantly – the cross necklace can be worn very short/minimalist, and I love the chunkiness of the pink bracelet (I also have it in white and yellow).

Since I just launched the Texas Lovely Facebook Page earlier this week, I thought I’d give them away over there. Head on over and enter to win! I’ll be announcing the winner next week – I seem to have this important appointment that’s going to take up much of my week/weekend… hmmm, what was it again?

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Interested in seeing what’s offered in my online shop? Go visit me on Etsy!

by Bethe

New prints & a bedrest update

I’ve spent the past few days hanging out on the couch and in bed, watching TV and, well, designing new prints. The longer we wait for Wrenn to arrive, the more action this blog and my Etsy shop is going to see. If only I could sit down at my sewing machine and quilt… I’m going through some serious withdrawals.

We got good news from the doctor. They ran some more tests and things seem to be less worrisome than originally thought, so I’m off the “only get up to use the restroom” bedrest and instead on the “spend most of your time lying down but at least you’re allowed to walk around your house” version of bedrest. Which is good because I would have lost my mind on the other one.

I’ve had braxton hicks contractions since Sunday, and Thursday night they got really intense and 5-6 minutes apart. I really thought it was time, but they never got to that magic 5-minute mark required to go to the hospital. I slept a little that night, but spent much of the night up with pain. Friday… nothing. And so we continue to wait for that precious baby girl to arrive.

So, back to the prints – I designed two new prints for the shop this week. Both are available for instant download for just $10 each. This means as soon as you purchase it online, you’ll get a link to download the file so you can print it yourself – I’m hoping this adds some convenience (and speed) to my shoppers.

This print was inspired by a quote Mr. Right sent me a few months ago. I’m a bit of a reformed feminist, and it’s very important to me that I teach Wrenn that she can do anything she sets her mind to, but that she should also always conduct herself as a lady, and a humble one at that. It’s an important balance.

Lady

(Available here)

And this print is inspired by the scripture I’ve been meditating on all week. We’ve been studying David Platt’s new book in our Sunday School class, and he talks about duty vs. delight when it comes to our faith. I’ve been praying all week that God would help me to take a new delight in his Word… and thus this print came to be.

Her-delight

(Available here)

And one more thing… Texas Lovely now has a Facebook page! Do me a favor and go “like” it – I’ll be posting discount codes and links to new products.

by Bethe

That time I went on bedrest… and an induction date

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Tuesday I woke up feeling crummy and swollen. I weighed myself and realized I’d gained about 5 pounds in just a few days – probably water weight. My face, my feet, and my ankles were swollen, and as the day went on I felt worse and worse. No day is especially easy when you’re 38 weeks pregnant, but something was just off and I wasn’t sure what.

I finished the work day and started to drive home, then started thinking that maybe my blood pressure might be high. Since I work at a hospital, I circled back to work and asked someone to take my blood pressure – it was 169/79. I typically run really low (normal is 120/80 for most people, but I run lower than that).

I called up to the Labor & Delivery Department to see what they thought, and they told me I should come in to get monitored. So, Mr. Right and I grabbed my overnight bag (just in case) and went up for about four hours of tests and monitoring. Turns out I was also having contractions 2-4 minutes apart (I could barely feel them), and Mr. Right climbed in bed with me and we watched our favorite show while we waited to see if we were going to have a baby that night.

We didn’t. Turns out the contractions were just braxton hicks, and my blood pressure finally went back down, and my lab tests came back good, so we got discharged and headed back home.

I went back to the doctor this morning, and she decided to put me on strict bed rest (aka – only get up to go to the bathroom, must be lying down at all times) until Baby Girl arrives. Which, we found out, will be no later than July 11. So, we’ll be holding our little girl within a week! I can’t believe it.

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In the meantime, I’m hanging out on the couch watching TV and movies. Expect a lot of blogging, some new prints in the shop (including this one I designed today), and at least one give-away. Feel free to leave a comment – or a hundred – to give me some much-needed human interaction.

In the meantime, we wait for that precious Baby Girl’s arrival!

by Bethe

The big reveal! Wrenn’s Baby Quilt!

I’ve made a lot of baby quilts in the five years that I’ve had this little hobby of mine. But I must say that this one was the most special by far, because this time it was for MY baby girl and not someone else’s. Squeal!

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Mr. Right helped me pick out the fabrics, because we used them as a jumping off point for the rest of our nursery. The bright colors are a tribute to my man and his love of color. I probably have the only husband who has been to a quilting store… multiple times! Such a trooper, that man.

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I realize I’ve maxed out on my use of chevron, but it’s still my favorite pattern, and I wanted it for my baby girl, so she got it. Plus, I tried a few different patterns and this fabric just begged for chevron. (Yes, sometimes fabric begs to be sewn a certain way – it’s the truth.)

Speaking of chevron – I’ve had several people ask me for a tutorial on chevron quilts. Someday I will do some tutorials, but right now life is a bit nutty, so I thought I’d point you toward other people’s tutorials. I learned a lot of my sewing through blogs and YouTube, so never be afraid to just google something. Two ways to do chevron – or any triangle quilt –  are this way (my way is the first way they listed) and that way (I don’t do it this way, but it looks efficient so I may give it a try someday). Also, typically I cut my squares to 6 inches, simply because I like the finished look – not too big, not too small. They’re closer to 5 inches once sewn with a 1/4 inch seam allowance.

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I quilted everything with white thread (I almost always use white – that way I can just stock up on it in advance) and I loosely followed a chevron pattern. I’ve found that quilts are a lot softer and more snuggly if you quilt them more loosely – the more stitches, the stiffer it will be.

I love this crazy zebra backing and bright turquoise binding. I wanted this quilt to scream fabulous and fun and not necessarily just baby.

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I hope this is one of those things she keeps the rest of her life. I still have the quilt my grandmother made for me when I was a baby. As I did my sewing I imagined my little blonde-haired girl dragging this all over our house, snuggling with it at night, and having it as a forever reminder that her mama loves her dearly.

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Interested in seeing my other quilts? Click here. Interested in seeing what’s offered in my online shop? Go visit me on Etsy!

by Bethe

Looks like she’ll be staying awhile longer

At our 38 week doctor appointment yesterday, our doctor was just a little bit concerned that my belly hasn’t grown in several weeks now. After measuring ahead for so long, I was now measuring a bit behind, and the doctor was concerned that little Wrenn might not be growing anymore, or I might not have enough amniotic fluid. Or, there was a chance that maybe Baby Girl was just petite.

If findings weren’t ideal, they were going to induce early. Like, tomorrow.

Which means Will and I were half giddy, and a tiny bit concerned. But mostly giddy to get to meet Wrenn sooner rather than later.

So tonight we went in for a sonogram (our first in about 18 weeks), and turns out Wrenn is perfectly fine. We are SO thankful that she’s healthy, and we’re content to keep on waiting until she gets here. What’s another week… or two… or three, right?

PS–They think she’s approximately 7.2 pounds. I realize that’s just an estimate and could be off by a pound. But regardless, looks like she’s a very healthy size!

On to the important part… the pictures. Here is her little face, viewed straight on. You can see her eyes, nose, pouty lips and big cheeks.

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Here is her profile – you can see her nose, and her hands are up next to her face.

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And here’s her foot.

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It was such a treat to see our Baby Girl… I can’t wait to hold her in my arms sometime in the next 2-3 weeks! Hurry Wrenn, we want to meet you!