Celebrating Baby Jadyn!

Sunday it was ALL about the pink as we celebrated Jadyn Marie who will HOPEFULLY make her appearance into the world in about 2 months!

To say we can’t wait is an understatement!

Isn’t that just the cutest little mama to be!?!?

I got there a little early to help set up and NOT to my surprise her mom and sister had it going on! Everything was as cute as could be and complete opposite from my chaotic “oh my god we only have 5 more minutes” hosting abilities- they were as cool as a cucumber! 

I really want them to adopt me but i struggle with committing to being 5090lbs…. honestly they cook the best food and all i wanted to do was eat everything! 

Baby girl’s diaper cake! Time for presents! Notice Lola and her new BFF Baybay!

Lola gave Jadyn a matching outfit!

Krista made Lance the cutest “Daddy Survival kit” complete with tong and a mask for the poopy diapers!

Girlfriend in the middle of it all- shocker!

We are SO, so very happy and excited for you!!

Kayla you are in the best hands with these two mama bears and between the three of us, you will have plenty of volunteering baby sitters for sure!!

Mrs. Woody asked me during the shower “If you had any advice for new parents, what would it be”. She is always good at things like that and I’m just not good at summing things up- long winded is maybe a better term ;) I’m sure the answer to that very question is in this blog somewhere….

So anyway the last few days I was thinking about that question (and thinking i should do a blog on that along with MUST HAVE items for baby and hospital bag). 

Oh God, just when i thought i was catching up in blog world,  now I’m overwhelmed again!

After days of thinking I have still come to the same answer, there is no short answer.

Currently, I would say after the chaos of the first few weeks subsides a bit to find your “thing” especially as a mama. It also helps to have a “thing” where you don’t have to leave the house from your girl- that gave me more anxiety. It could be enjoying  a long relaxing bath, gardening, cooking, reading, watching a trashy tv show-  whatever it is, make it something you enjoy and find time to do it when daddy Lance gets home!

It helps if they have a “routine thing” to do at this time too because it will be their independent special bonding time” Like daddy is in charge of bath because that’s when mommy gets her own bath! ALONE!

Don’t get me wrong, I was terrible at this whole do something for yourself thing, I still am! I’m getting better though, it was the hardest when i worked all day and felt like i was gone from her enough so “alone time” during her waking hours was out of the question!

The other struggle we still have with this is that we love doing everything together with her so it’s hard to walk out and do your own thing when he walks in but just make time and not just after she goes to bed because by then you will crash!

No need to worry sweet friends! You won’t remember any advice, artice you read or tips from the doctors when you are loving on that sweet baby girl anyway! Honestly, you will be the best parents just by loving on that baby girl! 

Aside from the “make time for yourself illusion” I thin the most important thing to have  before becoming new parents is something that happens way before you become new parents. It’s communication and appreciating your partner. It’s being forced into the car to get a pedicure when you initially refuse a much needed break your partners offers. It’s knowing each others expectations and it’s respecting each others abilities and decisions to do the right thing. It’s being able to “let go” and trust each other with THE MOST VALUABLE thing in each of your lives. It’s not being able to describe “who you love more’' now, the new baby or your new love for  your partner the new baby brought to your lives.

Alex has always been a care taker, always. Naturally I am too but when Lola came it was both of us being pushed to our max! I remember living in the hospital (because we were snowed in) and being in complete chaos with being head over heels in love, care taking for a brand new baby, watching every breath (especially after her initial choke) trying to remember the feedings, diaper changes, decisions on paper work and thinking pictures of her every move.

Even in the chaos we laughed, literally laughed at our inabilities to do ANYTHING! We would be up at 5 or 6 am and try to go get breakfast… we usually ate cheeseburgers from the cafeteria around 4 pm because we never made it in time for real breakfast food! I remember thinking “Oh god any other time we were this inefficient I would be so aggravated”, I guess it was the endorphins and hormones- in both of us- we thought EVERYTHING was hilarious and frankly, your just too in love to care)!

I remember the nurses walking in and asking “has baby  pooped today, peed,  how much did she eat, what time did you nurse, how long did you nurse for….ON EACH SIDE, did you decide to do this vaccination, did you get the results from her examination, have you seen this doctor yet or that doctor yet… I would look at them with a blank stare. I didn’t know the answers to ANYTHING.

I didn’t know what day it was and hell, I didn’t even know who the president was.

I had a brand new baby girl to love on and apparently Alex knew that. He had documented everything, literally. Timed every feeding, changed every diaper (the first 5 ay or so), wrote down the poops and pee’s, researched and read about every single piece of paper that came in that room. The list honestly goes on and on a while refusing to sleep due to her choking incident.

Parenting is a lot like marriage. Their are no tricks, you both just use your strengths and when you feel like you don’t have any strengths because it’s just one of those “I’m a terrible mommy days”, listen to your better half and go get the damn pedicure!

You will never believe me and you can’t prepare for it but you already have everything you need to be the best parents possible to that sweet baby girl!

Yes, there is chaos, yes, there are sleeepless nights, yes, you may never sit down again, watch a movie again or hell even a 30 minute tv show again but when you see what you gain in return you will laugh (probably deliriously) at the thought of doing anything else but “her” anyway!

She will be so loved, spoiled (yes Lance, we’re spoiling her) and happy and she will give you more of love than you ever knew was possible.

That little angel will sweep you off your feet in an instant and as soon as i get the phone call i will be there to remind you who the president is ;)

That’s what fiends are for right! Well that and the poopy diaper changes (and restocking your granola bar stash in your nightstand)!