May 2014

May this year brought a few things...

Nash turned 2 months old!!!

He more than doubled his birth weight and actually made it into the 5th percentile! (9 lbs 4 oz)
His head grew alot too...and we couldnt even fit the beanie they gave us at the hospital on his head.

"This chunk a monk is officially 2 months old today! Nash has grown so much...pretty sure doubling his birth weight. He has officially outgrown all preemie clothes, started liking bath time, hates getting his diaper changed, has graduated to sleeping part of the night in his cradle instead of just our arms, went from us forcing him to eat half an ounce of milk to sometimes eating 4 or 5 ounces a feeding. He has smiled a couple of times and we cant wait for him to just let loose with the smiles and giggles. Cant imagine my life without him! #nashcameron"

My dad turned 61!! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?! wow.

Jace turned 27!! I got one of his favorite pictures of Christ framed, a star wars tumbler glass, and we (Nash and I) took him out to lunch, and then shopping to get some new clothes. Things didnt exactly turn out the way I pictured but we made up for it by celebrating more at the cabin the next weekend.

Other random pics:

First Mother's Day!

So I finally celebrated my very first mothers day!!!

Jace surprised me with a mothers day/birthday gift of a very nice canon camera that I have been wishing I had money for for YEARS!

I finally will be taking LOTS AND LOTS of pictures!

Nash was super adorable and looked to cute in his outfit. Loved it.

Also, this was the first time I was able to fit into any closed toe shoes in about 5 months! Hazzah!

Cabin tine!!

So over Memorial weekend my family goes up to our Ranch typically. My brother Jeff offered to help my mom go a few days earlier than if she had to wait for my dad and his work schedule. Well, I was on maternity leave and so I decided to go up early with them as well! (Jace had work the same as my dad).

The weather was delightfully COLD!! I had packed some warmer clothes for nash, but not nearly enough!

Nash experienced his first long car ride...(2.5 hours)

He experienced his first change in altitude...

He experienced going and walking around in cooler/cold weather for the first time...

He experienced his first sprinkles as well!

Nash finally gained enough weight to fit the bjorn! We tried it out for the first time and it worked like a charm!! He loves the outdoors and the cabin is the perfect place to be outside!

He co-slept with me and he LOVES sleeping in big beds. 

We also celebrated Jace's birthday up there!

All in all, it was a super fun trip, although in my opinion too short!

 (Back home it was in the 100s....and we were sitting at 70 degrees...so not fair!)

We also had a rough time on our way home...the change in altitude didnt go as well as it did the first time. We kept feeding him...which resulted in LOTS OF messy diapers. We finally pulled over and changed him... ON THE TOP OF THE TRUNK. Oh yeah...we were THOSE people...

We cant wait to go back up for the 4th of July and experience our first fireworks! Woo hoo!

Nash's Blessing

Nash came a month early.

We decided to wait until he was at least 6 weeks old before we took him out really.

(he went to his grandparents houses and my doctor appointments as well as his own)

In our church instead of baptizing the baby, we give them a special blessing on the first Sunday of the month.

So, Sunday May 4th (Star Wars Day--Jace and his brothers LOVE that), Jace took our beautiful baby boy into his arms with his dad, my dad, his 2 brothers and my brother to bless him and give him his name.

It was a little chaotic to tell you the truth.

Nash was doing GREAT in the weight department from when we left the hospital, but he was STILL SO TINY. I was trying to find a white blessing outfit here for him to wear and I COULDN'T. Seriously. It was a nightmare. I went to 3 different malls--multiple stores in them. I went to 3 different christening places and baby boutiques. The only thing anyone had that MIGHT fit him was a sweater set! It was a hundred degrees! I was NOT putting my baby in that. So I was about to give up and just have the kid wear a white onsie. My mom remembered that she had my brother's blessing outfit in her cedar chest and I could try it if I wanted. We put it on Nash, and he had gained just enough weight to fit! MIRACLE!!! we had clothes.

Then there was the situation of my blood pressure. I was still on the medication they gave me right after Nash was born. It had done a good job at keeping my blood pressure lower and at bay. It was still higher than normal, and boy. I was still insanely swollen in my legs and feet. It also didnt help when I was stressed because I felt like my chest was going to explode.

Jace's family and my family all got there (it was my first Sunday back at church in a little over 2 months). We had all the kiddos there (Josh and Jamie's bunch takes a whole bench!) I was sitting next to the twins to help keep them quiet so we could hear the blessing. Too bad they didnt want me and only wanted their momma. That coupled with the fact that Jace was talking softly made it hard to hear what he was saying.

THANKFULLY! a week later we got a paper delivered to us. A couple in our ward had taken bullet point notes about what Jace blessed Nash with! It was so sweet, I totally started crying. 

"Nash Cameron Hunt

...We bless you with a healthy and strong body and mind...

...we bless you with a desire for education...

...bless you with a big heart and a desire to serve and help those around you...and to give service to your friends and family...

...we bless you to understand the gospel of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and his mission and calling...

...take that to preach his gospel and serve a mission and touch the hearts of those you serve...

...We bless you to know how much you are loved by the Savior and your family."

((Thank you Vaterlaus'!!! You'll never know how much having this means to me!))

After the blessing and our meeting I had everyone go outside to take some pictures. We had a few people show up to show us some love other than our immediate family! Becky and Scott and their kids, Julie and Tommy and their girls, Carol and Karl, Ann and Pat, Chris and Angie (who is pregnant!), and Jimmy and Bre! We felt very loved.

Our family!!

In order of age: Grace (7), Corbin (5), Aly (4), Jane (2), Alaric and Ryker (1), Nash (6 weeks)

I wanted a pic with all of my nieces and nephews! Just missing Calvin in Utah and baby Samantha in her mommy's tummy still.

Grace has been dying to hold Nash, but he was still too tiny. I looked at her and said, "Hes big enough now, do you want to hold him for the picture?!" Her eyes lit up and said "Yes!" She is a great big cousin.

Our families! Missing Joe on his mission in Mexico and Randy at home, and Jen, Ken, and Calvin in Utah.

Papa, Mama, Nash, Mommy, Daddy, Pop, and Nana

My world.

Jace's sister Jen had a little boy 4 days before Nash was born. He got blessed the same day!! Little twinners.

Ken, Jennifer, and Calvin.

All in all, it was a great day. After all church meetings we had everyone over to my parents house to do dinner and hold "baby mash!" (My nieces Alyssandra and Jane call him 'Mash"...kinda adorable.) Thank you to everyone who made it special and have helped me with Nash among all of my health issues and his own! We love you!

The truth about pumping

So. I am writing this down...
Writing a blog post about pumping...
When I should be sleeping.

Because Nash is napping. And that is RARE.

However.

The truth needs to come out about pumping.

I have almost been exclusively pumping my breast milk.

Nash was so tiny and early enough that his sucking hadn't developed. So I pumped. And supplemented for the first month--getting his weight up. Since he was 1 month old he has been on breast milk alone. HOLLA.

Here's the thing.
No one told me pumping was awful. It is. There is no way to sugar coat it.

I hurt ALL the time. And no, the suction isn't too high--thank you. Yes, my nipples are in there correctly. Thanks. FYI your nipples are not going to feel okay or the same or even slightly normal when you are VACUUMING them every few hours.

Also, lets talk about the fact that they don't go back down after you pump. They poke straight out--right through your bra and all of your layers. And if you try to rub them to go back down---don't even talk to me about how much that hurts.

Lets talk about missing out on the bonding that you are supposed to be able to have while breastfeeding. I'm missing that. Its not fair. There are so many things that are just supposed to be able to happen--like get pregnant on your own and then be able to feed your child. Somehow, my body missed the boat or orientation on being a woman/mother and I have hard times trying to do these things. I get really upset at myself and my body for this. Then I realize that I am being really hard on this body of mine. Its life and this is the hand that was dealt to me. I know this. But still.

Nash doesn't associate only me with feeding because everyone can feed him. He takes that bottle like a champ. Do I kinda resent that?...sort of. Sometimes I don't feel like I'm enough special that he'll choose me or want me over someone else. That breaks my little momma's heart.

I LOATHE pumping. At least pumping exclusively. I am TETHERED to an outlet. Forget being able to go somewhere and "because he's still on the tits, I can cart him anywhere" attitude. ((thats from Sweet Home Alabama by the way)) I have to DRAG my pump with me, where ever I go--and I have to have an outlet with a semi private room--because hello. Have you tried to double pump WITHOUT looking?! If you arent watching those nipples in those thing, they will slip, break suction, all that jazz and you wont collect ANYTHING. Meanwhile, you are supposed to pump when your baby is hungry. That way your lift isnt consumed with feeding little persons, then pumping, then feeding little persons, pumping, etc. However, little persons DO NOT LIKE TO BE SITTING NEXT TO YOU WHILE YOU ARE PUMPING BECAUSE THEY WANT THE ATTENTION/BOOB/WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE.

((pump is attached to me here and nash was sitting on the couch next to me on the left....he looks much happier than he was that I wasnt giving him my attention))

So...you put off pumping until he is taken care of because its EASIER. Except, oh wait, you're now in pain because you are becoming engorged.

For heavens sake.

I have to keep reminding myself how BLESSED AND BLESSED AND BLESSED we are to have the option for Nash to receive my breast milk. He has GROWN AND GROWN AND GROWN because of it.

I am so lucky to HAVE milk...

I am so lucky that my friend Lindsey was getting rid of her double electric pump the month before I gave birth...and I'm lucky that I bought it even though I fully expected to be nursing and not pumping only.

But man alive. Pumping is the hardest thing I think I've done in a consecutive manner. I truthfully don't know how long I'll be able to solely pump for Nash.

And I wish someone would have told me the truth about pumping before. So this is for anyone out there who is interested in "the truth".

Haha sorry if it was too much information for anyone else out there.