Monday, November 25, 2013

Cutest Baltimore Ravens Fan EVER!!

After a 6 hour newborn photoshoot with the amazing Lisie, owner of Caught by a Flash Photography I got this as a "sneak peak"  I can not wait to see the rest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




Settling in...

Wednsday marked Anthony's THREE WEEK birthday!  I can't even believe how fast these days are going!  Everything has really been great!  Our first week home may have been the best time of my life.  I've never been so happy.  It's like I'm over here living in a love bubble with my husband and perfect baby.  All we did was basically stare at Anthony and repeat over and over about how amazingly gorgeous he is while passing him back and forth- I don't think we even turned on the tv the entire week!   Pat has been so great- especially while in the hospital and at home before he had to go back to work.  He never left my side, and never even blinked at his turn to change a poopie diaper!  And all he kept saying was he couldn't believe he was so in love with another dude! Lol. I think the best moment was on our fist night home I went to bed and Pat took the late shift- and as I lay in bed I overheard him giving the baby a tour of the house!! Haha. "This is the bathroom where you'll be taking your baths... This is your mothers pretty room, where she spends all her free time!" Lol that just about melted my heart. :)

So far everything elase is good-  he has been a great eater, and is on about a 4 hour feeding schedule which is major plus!  Im tired, but I'm so happy with my bundle of joy that it really hasn't phased me much.  Two days ago, I bumped up his formula intake to 4 ounces every feeding, and at night he's been sleeping in increments of about 5 hours- I just about sprung out of bed this morning when I realized that he had gone 5 1\2 hours!! woohoo!  I'm still trying to work out getting him on a schedule!

He has the strongest arms and hands, and doesn't know what to do with them!   The cutest thing is that he holds in his pacifier, and he acts like he is holding his bottle during feedings....  And most of the time they are all up in his face!  So we have been a big fan of mittens to protect him from scratching that beautiful face!  Well, Monday, I finally got up the nerve, with the help of my Mother to file down those fingernails and let his hands be free...  And I got a little thumb sucker!!!  I don't think there is anything cuter!


In the weeks Leading up to his arrival I was so nervous that I wouldn't know what to do, or how to do it when he got home, and every one assured me that my "motherly instincts" would just kick right in, and I think they were right!  How weird is it that they were all so right!?  There is nothing else I rather be doing!           

Monday, November 18, 2013

My Little Punkin'









The past two weeks in Photos & Firsts

Daddy's first Kiss 








Going home!!
.

We're Home!
First night home- Mommy can't sleep bc all she wants to do is STARE AT YOU!!!

Mommy's first glass of champagne!

Baby's first Bath

Anthony's first playdate with cousin Braylon & First Ravens Game!

Baby's first Faux Hawk


Countdown to Anthony

My chalkboard montage :)



The birth story...

It all started last Monday, October 27th.  My first day of maternity leave...  I was so excited to finally be off of work and do all of my last minute errands before baby!  I had big plans to shop and clean and beautify myself... Except when I woke up Monday morning that was NOT happening!  I felt so lazy and tired and completely unmotivated. I didn't even shower, just laid my large pregnant ass on the couch and watched all of my trashy reality TV shows, drank my raspberry leaf tea, and bounced on my ball during commercial breaks.  I was at the point where I was DONE!  Totally over being preggers and anxious that if I was going to have my Halloween baby, I would have to do it like ugh now!  After dinner Pat and I went on a long walk with the puppies around the neighborhood.  He went to bed early, and I stayed up watching the TLC movie (which was pretty good by the way lol.)  I started having what felt like period cramps.  They would come and go, and at first I didn't really pay them any mind.  And they kept coming and going, coming and going... then I thought to myself hmmm... Could this be what I think it is?  Could this be contractions?!  So I did what every person does when they aren't sure of something...  GOOGLE!  And it sounded like I really was having contractions, and that I needed to start timing them...  Well, did you know there is an app for that!?  Who needs a stop watch when you have an iPhone!?  They were few and far between and nothing serious.  So I went to bed, only to be viciously awaken at 2am with what again felt like BAD period cramps...  I laid on the couch all night and kept asking myself, is this happening?  Is this happening?  Is this really happening?  Is this really contractions?   They have to hurt more than this, on tv the woman are screaming!  I mean don't get me wrong, they were uncomfortable, but not yet horrific.  I didn't want to panic - #1 because I had already had a false alarm just a few days ago, and #2 I had my 38 week check up the very next morning at 10am.  So I decided not to wake up Pat, since he had to work in the morning and just really try to make sense of what was happening....  I called my mom at about 5am and told her what was going on and she told me to sit tight, breathe, try to rest, and she would be at my house to take me to my appointment.  And I woke Pat up for work around 7:30 and told him, of course he didn't want to go to work, but I forced the issue and told him to keep his phone close.

By the time Pat went off to work and my mom came to the house the contractions were definitely getting more intense...  We decided  to pack the car with all of our hospital bags just in case the doctor sent me to the hospital.  During my appointment, Dr Lim examined me and told me that I was still at 3 cm dilated and about 85-90% effaced.  And WOW did that hurt, it just about brought me to tears...   She told me that even though I was having contractions, since I was only at 38 weeks they could stop at any moment...  I could have the baby today, or 5 days from now!  She said you  never know-  That was a little discouraging!  I remember walking down that hallway out to the car and almost wanting to cry!  I hadn't slept a wink all night, and I was really just hoping she was going to tell us to meet her at the hospital!

So my mom and I attempted to go about our day-  We said we were going to go to Kohls, so we went, I wanted to walk around, and hopefully walk the baby out-  but we only lasted for about 5 minutes we basically walked in, used the bathroom and walked out - with me grasping on to a rack of clothes here and there to brace myself for the next contraction...  Now they were about 4 minutes or so apart and getting more and more intense...  Walking around in public just wasn't an option, so we went back to my house.

Thank god for my mom without her I dont know what I would have done!!!!  I literally rolled around on my couch for a few hours, bounced on my ball in between contractions, then rolled around in my bed, they were coming more and more fierce, to they point they were starting to bring me to tears-  My mom hands me my phone and says, its time, you're in active labor- call your husband- call your doctor we need to go to the hospital.    So I called Pat, and the second he answered the phone I just started crying and said come come please hurry it's time.  haha  I just remember him saying "Really!?"  "Are you sure?!"

By the time Pat got home, it was full force.  It felt like the longest car ride to the hospital EVER-  I just remember him holding my hand so tight- and of course we hit ever single light!!!!  Since we had that false alarm that Saturday I was really reluctant to go to the hospital too soon- I didn't wanted to be turned away for a second time!!!  I just remember telling Pat please don't be mad at me if they send us home- I'm sorry to make you leave work!  Pat pulled up the front of the hospital, lifted me into a wheelchair and basically ran me to the labor and delivery wing with my mother trailing not far behind.

When they got me into the room, it was roughly about 4:00 and there was no doubt that they were keeping me.  We we not leaving this hospital without a baby!  I was 4 cm dilated and 100% effaced.  They asked me if I wanted the epidural and I had decided to wait-  the contractions hurt, but I just felt like they could be worse!  I did NOT want it wearing off when it was time to push!  As the time went on, it got to the point that just about every contraction was bringing me to tears.  My poor grandmother and Mother in Law walked into my room during a contraction, full swing and I yelled that everyone needed to get the hell out!!!!!  I did not want people just sitting around staring at me!  So I got the epidural- I was nervous about getting it, but it was really a piece of cake!!!!  It didn't even hurt!  and shwewwwwwww it felt good!  Better than good!  It felt like I was floating lol!  My doctor then broke my water, and I was a happy little clam!  And by this time my entire family had gathered in the waiting room, so one by one they came in to visit me...  The only problem was, my contractions slowed down - so Dr. Lim gave me some pitocin to speed up the process. And now I was really feeling good!!

A bit of time had passed, then Dr Lim said that I was fully dilated and ready to go- only I wasn't  because of the epidural I was feeling no pain, and I told her that there was no way that I would be able to push!  So we waited a little bit longer... we turned off the lights and rested I was so tired!  About an hour later, she came in the room, gloves on and said, "OK Kristina, its time to push!"  OMG!  I looked at Pat- I was so scared, and thought to myself there was no way in hell I was going to be able to do this!  But with my husband, doctor, and nurse all cheering me on for about an hour and a half I did it!  I pushed out that sweet little baby boy at 2:37 am on October 30th, 2013 - I got my halloween wish!!! :)





Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Mr. Anthony Joseph Phipps

 Introducing... 
Mr. Anthony Joseph Phipps
Born October 30, 2013
2:37 am
7 lbs 1.6 oz
21.5" long

This photo is my most favorite picture I have ever taken in my entire life!  My family.  I have a family of my very own with the man I love and a perfectly beautiful healthy baby boy!!  Life does NOT get much better than this.