Beckett and Eli (2 1/2 years old) and Nash (5 months and 1 week)
This past weekend we headed to Houston for a few days. We stayed with our friends Texas family, the Riley clan (check out their blog HERE) and had such a relaxing and laid back weekend. We got in around 9:30pm on Friday night and headed back after church/lunch on Sunday. Here's my dozen favorite pics from our visit. We are so blessed to have such amazing friends in Texas. They're the kind of friends where you can do a buncha nothin' with and still have a blast.
Luann and Justin prepared some scrumptious and uber healthy home-cooked meals for us so we'll be featuring some of those recipes of Wednesday. Make sure to check back in for that, especially the crockpot chicken and quinoa. Luann is pretty active on Pinterest (follow her HERE) and has quite the following so she's always telling me about some new recipe, great pin or exceptional new blog she stumbled on. I'm always so appreciative for her insight because she's right on top of the trends.
I told her if I could just borrow her amazing web searching skills/brain for the day, I'd be chock-full of great info for the blog always. I adore when my friends tell me about their recent finds. They're so sweet to share. So needless to say, when you get the two of us together with an iPad, it equals some serious sharing and non-stop fun!
The boys were all sweet as pie the entire weekend, as was Zola. Our human and hairy baby were both exceptionally good on both legs of our trip. They both slept almost the entire way there. On the way back, we stopped two-thirds of the way (in Bastrop) at the Sonic. I needed to go potty and we had to get our half price slush on. Then the floodgates opened. Nash woke up. And then there was a carseat blowout situation. And then I had to nurse. And then I ordered sweet potato tots. And then Zola had to go potty. And then Walt. And then we were finally back on the road, ha! Never a dull moment over here...never!
It's actually a tradition that the day we get back from vacation, no matter how long (remind you this was only a 36 hour trek), we always get takeout or fast food. I know it's against our 'cook at home most of the time' mentality, but I love knowing that nobody has to be in the kitchen the evening we cruise back into town. We stopped by Pei Wei and got ourselves some dinner on the way back into town. It was awesome to have our suitcase unpacked, laundry started, cloth diapers folded and the house back in working order before dinnertime. And to know that we only had to reheat dinner was a glorious feeling.
Thank you Rileys for the amazing weekend. It was so great to see y'all. Always the gracious hosts, we left with yummy tummys, full hearts and splendid memories. It's so amazing to have friends that are like family when we're so far from both of ours. Check out some of my fave pics below!
Luann and I took her two boys to the Saturday morning Farmers Market while Walt/Justin took Nash and Zola for a walk around the Riley's neighborhood. We scored some scrumptious fresh veggies and ginger snap cookies for the boys.
Someone was a big fan of Beckett/Eli's trampoline. Jump, jump, jump...lil' man!
Now this is what I call relaxing. And Zola perched, obviously making herself right at home. The boys were all great nappers so we actually got to have some laid-back adult time too.
When two grown men are reading Snuggle Bunny to one tiny boy...I pretty much want to die at the cuteness level.
Yep, he's officially our baby. He's weathered the storm that is IKEA craziness. Our IKEA here in Austin is on the opposite side of the city, so quite a trek. Truthfully, I'm thankful it's so far away because I know if it was right down the street, we'd frequent it more often and spend more of our hard earned moolah. But I love making a big trip to IKEA 2-3 times a year and this time around, Nash joined me.
We hit it up on a school day so Walt was working and the crowds weren't as fierce as the weekend craziness. My neighbor/friend Heather is on maternity leave with her precious Elise. Remember I co-hosted her shower right here at CasaCullen. HERE'S the post on that. So Nash and I hopped in with them and we all headed north to IKEA! Here's the deets on our adventure and a rundown of all the new goodies I picked up, plus a product review too.
"IKEA? What's that? I'd much rather stay right here in my beloved Jumperoo! You go ahead without me"
- Nash, 4 1/2 months
Quickly, I realized, taking a trip up to IKEA is nothing like it once was. Diaper bag, car seat, Ergo carrier, car seat base and burp cloths galore. Babies really do have so much stuff.
Sweet Elise has her eyes open but Nash snoozed the entire way there.
Note to self, Maria at IKEA Round Rock is a much better greeter than she is photographer, hee hee. Both babies were happy as can be in their car seats so we started out with car seats IN the carts.
"Hey Mom, don't worry, I've got our IKEA Family Card right here! You know, mega discounts because I know how you like to save a buck or two!"
Have you gotten your family card yet? You get a free cup of coffee upon activating it (totally free, btw) and Heather had never heard of it and this month's specially discounted piece of furniture was the exact piece she was planning on purchasing. How much did the family card save her? I think around $40 off the regular purchase price. So make sure to sign up for this great freebie/perk before your next IKEA trip. HERE'S more info, bottom middle.
So guess what? Nash is usually a really laid back and go with the flow baby. On this very day, I must admit, he was cranker mc cranker pants. He was actually a pretty fussy lil' Bubs. So Heather was kind enough to help me adjust my Ergo to wear him in the back position and that appeased him for a while. I had her snap a pic because that little monkey man made me laugh just chillin' back there! We both stopped mid-way through our shopping trip to nurse and get our free coffee/tea (from our IKEA Family card) so that made for some happy ladies/babies too.
But by the time we were through the checkout and ready to head home, there was no way we were going to walk all the way back through the store to eat. So I just grabbed us both the two hot dogs, chips and a drink for $2 (love that deal) and we hit the road, back to southwest Austin. This was about a month ago, so if my memory serves me correctly, both kiddos were total angels the ENTIRE trip home too! We were smart planners with feeding times and car trips, aka: naps! Yay Team Mommy! A total success, except for my little man's fussiness. Teething, the pits.
So here we are, back at CasaCullen with all our loot. Here's a rundown of what we scored. I gave myself an under $100 budget and stuck to it. I think I came in at about $80...cha-ching!
Ikea Goodies
Two throw pillows with covers for our Master bed
Three bulk food containers
Measuring cups
Two packages of bibs for Mr. Spitter Upper
Paper napkins for entertaining
Another green laptop tray
Stacking cups toy for the Bubs
Veggie/Fruit cleaner and strainer
So onto my product review of the last item. I saw it out of the corner of my eye in the kitchen section and once I started investigating what it even was, I knew it was something we'd totally use. Why? We are produce eating junkies and I wash all of it before we nosh. Read on about why I love this product and it's eco/green stamp of approval too!
I think this here IKEA gadget was around $12. It serves two purposes and I love any product like that.
A) It's a one stop washing machine for all our produce
B) It stores the water used so I can give my house plants a drink
I love that face that I'm not only being green and conserving water, but I'm also marking something off my to-do list, post every grocery store trip. We wash our produce, it's something we've always done. We try to buy mostly organic but sometimes the price/season means we opt for conventional. We obviously keep track of the dirty dozen (more on that HERE) and really try to always buy those organic. Even though it's organic doesn't mean you shouldn't still give it a good rinse before eating it.
So in one bucket of water I was able to wash a 3 lb. bag of organic apples and a 2 lb. bag of organic pears. But wait, there's more.
I was also able to wash 1 lb. of strawberries and a bunch of kale.
So when I removed the strainer, I called Walt over to show him. We were actually both pretty shocked at the amount of residue that we've washing off each time. That's some serious dirt, y'all! But then again, dirt don't hurt. I'm just happy to have fresh and clean produce in our fridge for quick picking and eating on the go.
And guess who else loves this new gadget? That's right...Fred and Wilma, on either side of our TV. They also reap the benefits of a bucket of water dumped on their heads! The only downside about this IKEA gadget is that pouring the water from the bottom bucket (which has cut outs for handles) is pretty tricky. The first few times I poured the water in my watering bucket, I got more on the counter (through those handle holes) than in our bucket. Boo! So now I have to cover the handle hole with my hand so all the dirty water doesn't escape. Other than that, it's a great and very ingenious 'two birds with one stone' product that I've already used a dozen times or more!
Look at this beauty. Seriously, it's a work of art. My Dad, get this, MADE THIS TRUNK for Nash's baptism. Remember the post HERE showing him in his man cave, working away. Well he diligently sanded, prepped, stained and nail gunned every night while we were there and voila, here is the finished product! I'm in awe of it's magnificence and my own father's craftsmanship. It'll be something that Nash can pass down to his own son one day and tell the story behind it. It's literally sitting in the center of our home, right at the bottom of the stairs and I smile at it every time I go upstairs or see it sitting proudly at the bottom when I come down.
Read on for more info on some of the special touches that my Dad included, Nash hanging out in his new treasure chest and some up close pics too.
Well of course we plopped him in his trunk and snapped a few pics the second it arrived. We shipped it from FL for a pretty penny just to make sure that it arrived safely, in one piece. Look at that expression, ha!
'Excuse me Zola, can you please go find your own treasure chest. This one's mine, sucka!'
- Nash, 4 months
So when you open the lid, my Dad made a removable tray so Nash can hide the really 'good stuff' underneath.
The tray is absolute perfection!
One of my favorite parts is that my Dad took one of his old leather belts and created 'hinges' for the lid so that it wouldn't slam down when Nash opens up his chest. It's a really sturdy chest so the lid is quite heavy. I love that Nash will have this piece that incorporates one of his Papa's belts too!
Again, in awe of my Dad's craftsmanship.
Ok, so get out your tissues. Mom and I were aware of what my Dad was making all week while Nash and I were there, though I didn't tell Walt because I wanted it to be a surprise when he arrived. When we all finally saw the finished product and it had this precious plaque on the front, I was astounded. My Dad actually went to Things Remembered and ordered this plaque and put it on there. It is absolutely amazing and what a sweet and thoughtful gesture, right?
So, of course a few days later when Nash officially turned 4 months old...we popped him in his treasure chest and took his monthly pictures. Remember months 1-3 HERE? We think these are the best photos yet!
So engaged with everything around him. He's a busy and interested little fella!
I want to eat my child's face off. That's ok, right?
And, per our usual, we threw in his hairy sister for added puppy cuteness and good measure!
Dear Dad,
I cannot express how special this gift will always be to our family. The time and energy you spent creating such an heirloom is something we'll never take for granted.
Watching you come home, numerous nights in a row, from a long day at work and get busy on this special piece...it pretty much melted my heart.
Nash (and Minnie) are so lucky to have a 'Papa' like you.
So our baby is almost 4 months old and we're still posting about his nursery updates from before he was born. Umm, yes...we call this, embarrassing. But better late than never and we actually are really smitten with our affordable and fun wall art choice for Nash's set of 6 white IKEA frames. We honestly had no idea what we were going to showcase in these frames and we threw out numerous different ideas.
Finally we were shopping nine days before Nash was born on South Congress in Austin and stumbled into one of our favorite stores, Uncommon Objects. I showed Walt some of the hilarious cards they had on display that I was contemplating framing for Nash's nursery. He immediately loved the idea so we picked out six together. Seriously, if someone would've told me this would be one of my last excursions with just my husband, I would've laughed...as we all know, Nash had other plans (more on that HERE.)
Keep reading for the easy DIY tutorial on how we added personalized wall art to Nash's room from a dictionary and printed greeting cards.
How the frames remained in his nursery for months. Hung, but nothing was in them! I actually loathe doing that...but we just couldn't make a decision on what we wanted!
Then I stumbled upon this massive dictionary at Savers (thrift store) and knew we were going to do something creative with the pages. Walt is a huge reader and looks forward to reading both TO and WITH Nash in the future. Yes we already read him books and he's hilarious cute and tries his best to pay attention...but I do hope Nash gets the obsessive reading gene from Walt, because I'm just not a huge reader like he is.
Frames removed from the wall so we could fill 'em up!
Ripped out Dictionary pages and using our straight edge cutter to remove the frayed edges.
We created a four page backdrop behind each mat. We overlapped the pages and even loved the tiny pictures that were highlighted on most pages too. Walt was searching for the best pictures to showcase. He had fun doing that.
Then we cut that back off the antique looking greeting cards and taped them on top of our Dictionary page collage and voila, instant baby wall art that's interesting and focuses on learning.
The man was hard at work...only days before Nash's arrival. Little did he know how close he was to being a Daddy!
Showing off the 'cup cake' finished product...LOVE IT!
Deciding where to put them on Nash's wall.
Done and done!
He surely is our little love bug!
So we have up there, starting on the upper left and moving clockwise; sweetie pie, love bug, teddy bear, cup cake, puppy love and monkey boy! LOVE THESE SO MUCH!
Today we're featuring another fun DIY wall art project we tackled for Nash's nursery. We always loved all the 'made in' signs we spotted all over the place but as soon as I spotted this star covered canvas at our local thrift store, I knew we had a DIY project up our sleeves! Read on for the tutorial!
SCORE! $4.99 at my local Savers Thrift!
Sketched out the words made and in on contact paper that we had laying around from our laundry room makeover HERE.
Cut them out and stuck them on the canvas.
Found a map of Texas on my iPhone and free handed it onto the contact paper too.
The finished product, pre-paint. Look at all those pencil marks, ha! It was actually really hard to get a good Texas!
Now Walt went to work spraying the whole canvas with black spray paint.
We let the paint dry overnight and I was literally giddy to rip off the contact paper and see how the project turned out. We figured we'd only be $4.99 in the hole if it was horrible. And then we'd use it regardless, because you know how we like to cover old canvases in fabric (more on that HERE!)
Peeling off the letters and we're lookin' good, people!
Creating our Austin star!
And voila, I'm in love.
Walt measuring where to hang our new art.
Check out how adorable it is in Bubba's little room!
Here's a closer look! Love this project and you could totally wrap a canvas in a star print fabric and do the same exact project for you wee one. I also think this doesn't have to only fall into the nursery art category...this would be a great piece of art in a living room art gallery display or a perfect conversation piece for your kitchen.
Guess who has fancy little closet organizers? Our Nash! I kept spotting them online and in stores but gawked at the price tag. I knew there wold be an easy DIY option. And there was. When I stumbled upon THIS example over on Pinterest (follow us HERE) I knew this was the project for us. So I set out to grab up the materials we didn't already own and we spent our last Sunday morning, the day before Nash was born, making his closet organizers. Read on for the instructions and how-to.
Grabbed some wooden O's from Hobby Lobby for $.99/pair.
Walt wanted to spray paint them white...now I wish we would've chosen a more contrast-y color. But I'm always thankful for his opinion and help.
Spray painting the wooden O's.
Scrapbook paper, enough to cover each side of the O's.
Tracing time. We did this while watching Sunday church online. It was a dreary and cold morning, perfect for three C's: crafting, coffee, church!
Taking form!
The preservative. How we attached said scrapbook paper to the wooden O divider.
First painted the O with the podge.
Then used my finger to secure the paper to the mod podge surface. Use your finger and smooth out any bumps right away.
Then I painted over the entire piece of paper with Mod Podge to seal it on. Oh, I just have to point out my lil' hairy helper in my sweatshirt...funny pup!
Walt was on tracing/cutting duty and he was such a smarty pants. Why? The engineer in him knew that each side tracing was a bit different so he labeled them like this for me. I'd match up the numbers for correct placement before Mod Podging them on. It was really helpful to keep them organized.
Our makeshift drying rack...door knobs!
What was I noshing on during all this pre-labor work? Our homemade granola (scrumptious recipe HERE) of course! If someone told me I would have a baby in less than 48 hours from this moment...I would've laughed in their face, ha!
Oh no she didn't! (Said in my Real Housewives of Atlanta voice, ha! You know you watch it, don't even lie!) Zola fell asleep on the job, yo! At least we had our internet church to keep us crafting along.
Finished products, sans numbers! LOVE THEM! We chose pseudo boy themed scrapbook paper for our dividers. I can only imagine the cuteness level you could do for a little girl too.
Adding the numbers...
0, 3, 6, 9 and 12! That should just about cover all his hanging clothes for a while!
Fast forward weeks later and I finally had the chance to add those dividers into his closet! Look WHO was spotted, in his crib, in a chair! Nasher Doodle Doo...snoozing away! Actually, my Mom and I were cleaning up the nursery after Nash's cousin Minnie 'broke it in' while staying with us!
In the closet, I die at the cuteness level! Such an easy, fun and crafty project. And a great way for him to not only be organized but also learn his numbers and match up clothes sizes, etc. Ok, maybe that won't even happen but a Mom can dream, right?
I am still in total shock that we have a baby. We...have...a...baby! Total shock. And complete awe. I find myself staring at him, in disbelief, that he's all ours. Telling myself that we are in absolute control and care for this little tiny human. It's all quite scary but extremely empowering too. So before I get to the complete story, here are his stats. It's hilarious to me that I used to get sort of annoyed seeing my friend's baby stats splattered all over Facebook. I just didn't get it. Why would everyone want to know that? Now I understand that they do serve a purpose.
PS - Be warned, if birth stories aren't your thing, I'd leave now and come back for tomorrow's post. I haven't spilled all the beans but I'll admit it's pretty graphic. I wanted to make sure to journal as much detail as possible so we'll have this for our family, forever!
Stats
Name: Nash Quay
Birthday: November 14, 2011
Birth time: 7:46 pm
Birth location: Austin, Texas
Height: 20 1/2 inches
Weight: 6 lbs 8 oz
Eye color: Bluish grey
Hair color: Strawberry blonde
Oh and just for the record, I can't believe I'm actually sharing the first picture ever, above. But guess what, we totally keep it real over here at CasaCullen and I still think this was my favorite moment of the entire birth, looking into my baby's eyes for the first time. This picture was taken by Walt and I just love the raw emotion because I was truly in disbelief that this amazing creature was all mine, all ours. He wanted us, we cherished him...we were now a team. I will always love this pic, no matter how dreadful, tired and worn out I look. It marks the beginning of a very important journey...a lifetime of love. Click HERE to see more pics from Nash's first week.
The Morning Of
I woke up super tired Monday morning. No walk for me. I actually made myself a homemade mocha latte and plopped down on the couch to get some work done. I typed out our post all about the guest room curtain panels HERE. Then I got to work over on RunwayDaily HERE, chatting about knee high boots and socks and how it's a really fun way to mix up your fall fashion staples. I answered numerous emails from clients and then it was shower time around 11am. It was a slow and relaxing morning...just the way I like it.
My good friend Jenn, over at Bump Club Austin, actually asked if I'd attend a yoga class at Kula Yoga. I'd never been there but I love that this particular center focuses on family. The yoga class was for a local news channel spot and she just needed pre and post natal yogis in appearance. Of course I informed Jenn that, even when I'm not pregnant, I'm hopeless at even sitting indian style on the floor. I might be the most un-flexible person she's ever met. She said it didn't matter and they'd love to have me. As I showered that day, I laughed at the absurdity of attending a yoga class that far along in my pregnancy. Little did I know this was my last shower, sans baby.
I actually snapped a pic to text to my immediate family because I knew they'd get a good laugh. Attesting to the ridiculousness that I was going to a yoga class, they're texts back were great. All I've done is walk my entire pregnancy and I knew this would be hilarious. I shot it off to all of them and they showered me back with laughter and 'go get ems!' I love that I have a picture from my last morning carrying him. It actually brings tears to my eyes to even look at my bump now that he's no longer in there. My pregnancy was by no means text book and easy, but I did embrace my bump and loved feeling my daily wiggle worm.
Yoga - Yeah Right!
Everyone was wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed being around such a great group of women. There were about 15 of us and the center was inviting and warm. I laid down on my borrowed mat and really tried to do so many of the moves. I'd started to notice, during the weeks leading up to this day, that he was making things rather uncomfortable for me. I carried super low so there was so much that made me uncomfortable. I powered through it though and thoroughly enjoyed the conversations with other Moms/Preggos that also attended the class...such sweet women! There were snacks (Honest Tea and Kind bars) so I snatched up a few and headed out at about 2:30pm.
Extra! Found the footage from the Fox News special:
I had a BOGO entree gift certificate to Pei Wei that I needed to use that night. I decided to pop by a few nearby stores and then pick up some takeaway for us for dinner. I was too tired to cook. My list of errands consisted of: Play It Again Sports (I was searching for a weight set for Walt), Hobby Lobby, Savers and then Pei Wei. Once I made it to the shopping center, I decided I also wanted to pop into Neiman Marcus Last Call to see if they're sale was any good. Oh my gosh, it was great! I was hook...line...sinker, SOLD and totally reeled into the NMLC sale rack extravaganza.
Was That Just Tinkle?
So I've been scouring the racks for around 30 minutes, already filling my arms with items to try on and gifts to buy. I was on the search for Walt, my Mom and my sister and I had some really great options for all three slouched over my forearm when 'it' happened. I literally starting wetting my pants. As you can see from the yoga pic above, I was thankfully in black pants which gave me some sort of privacy as the situation unfolded.
I was also totally startled by the fact that I was tinkling my panties because I've had zero incontinence issues during my pregnancy. I literally threw all my goods over one of the racks and waddled as quickly as I could to the little ladies room. I sat down, went tinkle and realized...that wasn't the same feeling. That wasn't the same hole. Then the fear set in.
I exited the restroom at around 4pm and started towards the door. Everything seemed to move past me in slow motion. I rushed past the snakeskin Rebecca Minkoff clutches that I'd eye balled on the way in. A blonde lady glanced up at me as she added the Elizabeth and James cocktail dress in fuchsia that was also in my try-on pile. The bathroom, unfortunately, was at the back of the store so I definitely had some ground to cover before I was out in the parking lot and safe in my Xterra. All I could think over and over was, 'Was this really happening? Could this be it?'
I immediately got out my phone and called Walt. It was at this time that I realized that my water was breaking. It was broken. More and more kept gushing out of me as my waddle intensified. Holy smokes that was a very vivid, weird, scary and amazing feeling...all rolled into one. As soon as Walt picked up his phone, this conversation ensued. And yes, I even asked him for exact wording as his memory is much more clear than mine.
W: "Hey beautiful."
M: "Baby, I think my water broke. Where are you? I'm really scared."
W: "Ok, don't worry and don't get upset. This is really exciting. I'm way up in north Austin but I'll head that way now."
M: "I'm really, really scared. I'm not ready yet. I want him to bake longer than this. I can't believe this is happening."
W: "Have you talked to your Mom? Have you talked to the Doctor?"
M: "No, I'll call them both right now. Baby, I'm sitting on our Envirosax in the car and it just keeps coming out. I'm scared."
W: "Don't worry, don't worry. Call them and call me right back, ok?"
M: "Ok."
Blowin' Up
I called my Mom. She said to call the Doctor. I called the Doctor and the labor receptionist said head directly to the hospital. I called Walt, he said that he'd race home to get our perfectly packed hospital bags (we'd completed that task only a few days earlier) and he'd meet me at the hospital. Everyone that I spoke to made sure I was a-ok to drive and I felt confident that I was.
I called my Mom back and she proceeded to tell me that her first delivery (my older sister, Brittany) only took 4 hours. She worried that I might deliver similarly, so she suggested Walt come straight to the hospital. I called Walt back and told him the new plan. No hospital bag pickup from home and come directly to the hospital. He agreed. I'd see him in 45 minutes.
Then I called my Mom back and she actually talked to me the entire way to the hospital, which was about a 15 minute ride. I cried and told her how scared I was. She asked if my contractions were getting worse and I admitted that they were. She said that once your water breaks it all just starts happening. She also reminded me over and over again how special it was that Nash was coming on his own terms, on his own clock, in his own time, in his own way. We wouldn't have to be induced and this was ALL HIM. It gave me a huge sense of relief and she certainly was that voice of reason I needed at that exact moment.
Committed, I Mean...Admitted
I pulled into the hospital at about 4:30pm and this was, without a doubt, the most surreal parking job of my life. I must've looked like a deer in headlights because as I stumbled through the lobby, there were a few families gathered in the lobby. They all stared at me, through glazed eyes with blank stares. I wanted to scream, 'My water just broke and I'm scared to death.' I was waddling, clearly in some sort of pain. I was also squeezing every bit of my nether regions together in hopes of stopping the water flow. Into the elevator, up to the second floor...and down to labor and delivery I headed.
When I arrived, they immediately knew who I was and why I was there. Thankfully, the Doctor's office called ahead. I was taken into a room and they checked my fluid. Diana the nurse said, 'Well Morgan, it's surely amniotic. Looks like you're staying, lady. We'll move you down to room 217 and get you admitted and checked in.'
Hospital gown on, I met with Joanna from admittance who proceeded to ask me a million questions. While she did that, I actually caught up on some emails on my phone, in between contractions, while I waited for Walt to arrive. I knew I was in for hours of hard work ahead of me, so I was super thankful that I snatched up and ate two of those Kind bars from the yoga class. They'd be my only source of sustenance to come. I waited for Walt and emailed and waited and waited.
Finally he arrived at about 5:15pm and the nurse informed us that I was only 2 cm dilated, 80% effaced and Nash's noggin was at station +2. We had a ways to go. She suggested we get up and walk laps on the L&D floor for the next hour and half and then they'd re-check me then. I already felt like a crazy woman because of the pain. I had no idea how bad it would get.
Walk the Walk
Holy bonkers...we walked and talked and walked and then didn't talk for over an hour. I'd grab the handrail and do my breathing techniques, working through the harder contractions. Walt was the amazing support system I needed. By the time 6:30pm rolled around, I informed him that the contractions were getting too uncomfortable to walk around anymore. I wanted to go in the shower and feel the water beat on my back. I was experiencing some back labor and it was getting the best of me. We slowly walked back to the room, called the nurse and she explained the shower to Walt. She also suggested I get checked again.
It had only been 1 hour and 15 minutes and when she checked me, I had progressed to 5cm, 100% effaced and he was now at station 0. Diana kept praising how well I was doing to move from 2cm to 5cm in a little over an hour. She said that first time Moms only usually progress one cm an hour. If I kept going at this rate, I'd have a baby in 3 hours or less. That gave me hope. But I still wasn't sure if I could labor, naturally, through all this pain. My birth plan was a natural birth. No pain management, no epidural. I wanted that, I wanted it...bad!
Potty Mouth
Here's where the birth story takes a funny turn. So it's now 6:45 and Walt is preparing the shower and I inform him that there's no way I can get out of the hospital bed and make it to the shower. He looks at me in total shock. Ten minutes ago I was gung-ho shower. He walked across the room and rubbed my back and asked me what I needed. I tell him to stop touching me...please. And then I apologize for being crazy. He laughs and says it's fine. He's awesome, always.
The contractions have gotten so bad, so close and seriously painful. I'm was now in a fetal position, laying on my left side, with both hands firmly grasping the handrails on the hospital bed. I was longer speaking, except for explicit words mumbled over and over and over again, under my breath. I was breathing through every contraction with every bit of effort, concentration and intensity I could muster.
Cheryl (the night shift nurse) came in to check on me at 7pm and I inform her that I'm not going to make it. I need drugs and I need them now. I could barely even tell her this because the pain was so intense. All hopes of a natural birth were done. I couldn't labor like this anymore. The paint was unbearable, tears were streaming down my cheeks. I'm was done. Done!
I told Walt that I won't be a hero but I don't care. I want to remember this moment. The pain was now so strong I started seeing two of Walt. He asked me a questions but I entered back into my own little world of contraction pain again. I hear nothing. I say nothing. I see double. Breathing and cursing like a sailor, my two choice words rhymed with duck and pit. I said them over and over and over again. (Sidenote: This is a gal that barely ever even mutters a naughty word in everday life, fyi.) Walt knew it was serious when he heard these. We laugh now, but not then. It was 7pm.
Giddy Up
The epidural was ordered and I felt a huge sense of relief. Then Cheryl asked me to put my legs into the stirrups so she could check me. Put...my...legs...into...the...stirrups? Are you serious lady? It took a while to process it before I really got it. Then I couldn't decide if I wanted to scream obscenities at her or just start bawling. I could hardly raise my eyelids, let alone, move my legs. How in the world was I going to hoist them into said stirrups. One glance at Walt and I knew he'd save me. I quietly muttered to him to grab my legs and put them in. Again, he's awesome and just knew what to do.
I prayed silently that I'd at least be 7, possibly an 8. That would mean that I'd only have a bit more to go before he'd be here. I knew, with an epidural, I could do it. Cheryl headed down south again and literally, I saw her eyes bugged out. She said, 'Morgan, you're a 9 1/2. We're gonna have a baby in 10-15 minutes. The epidural isn't going to make it. I'm calling the Doctor.'
I know she was trying to remain cool but Cheryl was in pure shock. I could tell she was nervous even though I was seeing two of her. So what does this all really mean for me? I had actually labored through the most rugged, rigorous and painful part of labor...the transition. I now shudder at the mere sound of that word. I have a new-found respect and appreciation for it. But I was almost through it. I'd slayed the beast and didn't even know it. It was 7:15pm and Cheryl had left the room to go find help.
Red Button
I'm laying there, with just Walt in the room, and I can remember asking him over and over again if I'm dying. I'm also still cursing like a sailor and I still have my body twisted around in all sorts of ways because I was firmly grasping the left side rail with both hands while also keeping both feet in the stirrups. I told him at 7:30 that something was happening. He asks what I'm talking about. I just stare and repeat, 'Something is happening.' He doesn't understand.
I can't even speak. I stare at the double image of my husband. It was a feeling that I can only describe as something straight out of Alien. What was happening to my body? I felt a massive shift inside me that scared me, I start to think that he might be coming through my stomach. It's like a mini-hurricane going on inside me and it hurts like hell. The pain is indescribable...greater than hardcore crying or alligator tears. It's shocking, alarming and has me unable to even utter a phrase. Finally I muster the strength to have this conversation:
M: 'Baby, push the red button, he's coming!'
W: 'Are you sure?' (His expression was a combo of complete shock and total fear. And another sidenote, if a pregnant lady tells you to push the red button, don't ever question her judgment, ha! We will laugh about this for years to come!)
M: 'Walt, this baby is coming...push the red button now!'
He presses the red button and they ask what we need. Walt informs the nurse that I keep saying, over and over again, that the baby is coming. In 20 seconds Cheryl's back down below, checking my progress and she agrees, he's coming. She told me to hold strong and refrain from pushing.
This is where things get almost laughable. Really lady, refrain from pushing? At this point I can only describe the feeling as my vah jay jay dry heaving over and over again. You know when you get a stomach bug and you just keep throwing up but nothing is coming anymore. That's precisely what it felt like, down there. There was no stopping it, so I just started crying to Walt. I couldn't NOT push.
Cheryl raced out the door and swooped back in with my Doctor and a few other nurses. We can't recollect how many people were in the room at this moment, but it was a full house and I was spread eagle...nice. Still dry heaving down there and still being told to hold him in. This was one of the craziest feeling in the world, powerful indeed. Mother Nature, I'm your bitch.
Push It Real Good
Now this was what I had trained for all those months. This is what I had mentally and physically (walking, lunges and kegels) prepared for over and over again. Its the part I'd read about, the part I feared the most. This is what separates the good from the great, the weak from the strong. But now that I've been through it, I completely realize that's such a dumb way of looking at it. I wanted an epidural...but I was just too far along. I also caved to the pain, but there was nothing they could do. Now it was go time, no turning back.
Walt grabbed a leg, Cheryl grabbed a leg. My Doctor and another nurse were 'in place' and ready to rock. Doc told me to push for 10 seconds straight and don't stop pushing. We tried that once and she reiterated that I needed to hold the push for an entire 10 seconds. My second attempt was better but I still wasn't holding it the full 10 seconds. I was out of it, unable to even full grasp the directions she was telling me.
The third push was pathetic, I was in too much pain. On the fourth push Walt exclaimed, 'He has red hair baby!' Half of me wanted to slap him for his big beautiful smile and painless body and the other half wanted to leap out of bed and hug my awesome Irish man. I vaguely remember his expression, it was priceless. Something between elation, excitement and complete joy.
Now it was time for a 'talking to' from my Doctor.
Doc: 'Morgan, listen to me and listen to me closely. We're going to push three times in a row. Each one you will absolutely hold for 10 seconds and not let go. You'll take a few breaths in between but then push again. This baby is coming.'
M: 'Ok'
Ready, set, push. Fifth push and that lil' ginger haired squirt was almost out. Sixth push and hello 'ring of fire' pain and his head came through. One more push (that makes seven) and Mr. Nash Quay was in our world. Our boy, our son, our red-haired baby love monkey. He cried briefly and then he was totally alert and aware. He stared at both of us with huge dark blue eyes. Blinking and watching, taking it all in...he didn't even make a peep. I couldn't even imagine what he was thinking at that moment. I was head over heels, love at first sight. (Pic above)
I will never, ever forget Walt's expression when Nash came out. It radiated more joy than I'd ever seen from him. Even when I tried to re-explain it to my Mom yesterday in the car, I started tearing up. He repeated over and over again to me, how much he loved me and how proud he was of me. We both kept staring at our baby and saying 'Nash' over and over again. We laughed, our eyes watered...but most of all our hearts were taken from us. They were no longer just for each other. We now shared our hearts with someone else.
Check out the best video ever! (Obviously, I'm biased.) Nash would've been only a few minutes old in this video. Apologies for the quality of video/pics because our camera was in our hospital bag, still at the house. This was all done from my new iPhone which we're super thankful I had with me. (PS - click the Youtube link on the bottom right of the video if the stupid ads annoy you!)
Hotel Seton, I mean...Hospital
Here's some of my favorite pics (below) from our hospital stay which was actually totally blissful and beyond enjoyable. All the nurses kept laughing and making jokes about how relaxed Nash was. They said they'd never seen a baby so alert and also so relaxed.
The one funny thing about baby boy Nash for the first week was the fact that he was cool as a cucumber in most circumstances (ie: blood draws, circumcision, etc) but the second you try to change his clothes or diaper...he screams bloody murder. I mean the only way I can describe the shriek that comes from is tiny mouth is ear piercingly abrubt. We've now deemed it, 'Baby Pterodactyl!' He is not fooling around when those pipes get going!
Now he's totally a-ok and much better with diaper and clothing changes but all the nurses got a kick out of the fact that our boy, was all boy. He wanted to be in dirty clothes and he didn't want his diaper changed, ha!
We're settling into some sort of routine and we think we've figured out only one feeding from midnight to 8am. So that gives us two huge chunks of sleep, which are much appreciated these days! Hope you enjoyed his birth story as we're still dying laughing about my water breaking at Neiman Marcus Last Call. That would happen to me!
Also, if you would've bet me one million dollars about his birth time being 3 hours and 46 minutes after my water breaking...I would've laughed HARD! This little man was ready to come meet us, that's for sure. Maybe we should've named him Mario...Mario Andretti! I could go on and on and on about our love and adoration for this amazing little man, but I won't bore you with all that jazz. Just know that we're totally smitten and completely overwhelmed by our the level of adoration we have for this blessed bundle of baby boy joy.
Ok, the first rule of motherhood...don't promise something you can't deliver, ugh! I'm just not able to get the post up about his birth story, sorry. I just feel the need to take this second week off and enjoy my baby and my visiting family. So I totally apologize to the readers, family and friends whom I told we'd have the story up today. It's just not going to happen. But I can guarantee it'll be live on here in one week, so pop back by then and we'll back to our regularly scheduled programming. You will NOT even believe this story, it's really wild!
As we get used to life with baby, we're so enjoying every single second and are amazed by the daily changes and milestones. Y'all, I can't even believe the love we feel for this little man. This evening, at 7:46pm, he'll actually be one week old. Seems hard to believe it has already been a week because it has literally flown by. We are really overwhelmed by how much we love and adore him.
I still just NEED this week to just get used to everything and prepare myself to not only juggle motherhood but also blogging and the wonderful clients I have on board too. I've realized my most important job is mothering this tiny little man and that is such a gorgeous and empowering feeling. Please just be patient as we figure it out and I promise to be totally honest about any changes to the site, etc...but I don't foresee any, just a break right now! Truly, these two weeks of 'maternity leave' are exactly what this family needs.
We can't wait to share his birth story next week and even some really great DIY projects we've tackled for his nursery recently too. Below I wanted to share some of my most favorite pics so far from our week with him. We've already had so many amazing moments and truthfully the time in the hospital and our first few days at home were just shy of magical.
I already have some of my family in town to celebrate his birth, meet him and also enjoy Thanksgiving week. CasaCullen will be overflowing with love, blessing and Thanksgiving fun this week. I feel so lucky to have almost my entire family here around me. We hope your turkey week is just as blessed and we're sending warm energy your way. We are so thankful for our readers and all that they bring to our lives. So...thankful...for...you! Hugs and we'll be back on Monday!
Much bloggie blog love...Walt, Mo, Nash and Zo
A Few of My Favorite First Week Moments:
Really truly holding him for the FIRST TIME! I loved when they laid him on my chest and I just looked into his big bluish grey blinking eyes and just said, 'You're my baby and I've so wanted to meet you!' He was super calm, very alert and just stared at me. It was magical. This was after they got him all cleaned up but I just had no idea the love rush I'd experience when I first met him. My Nash.
Of course there is something so special about the fact that Nash is a mini-Walt. I mean, right down to hair color, features and yep, even his toes. It's hilarious! I love seeing my two men together because it's just like Walt and his Mini-Me. This is a good shot of his sweet ginger, peach-fuzz hair...and I'm completely bonkers in love with it. I don't even care if it changes, but for now...I'm hooked!
Heading home from the hospital. It was actually a really blissful and surreal stay. We delivered a smaller hospital in Austin and I kid you not, it was like staying at a hotel. Two words: complimentary massage! I'm not kidding you, all new Moms are given a complimentary massage. Yep, LOVED IT!
This was literally only 10 minutes after Nash and Zola met. Zola immediately took on the protective big sister role and has been by our side ever since. She's super curious, loves to kiss his head and fingers and is wagging her tail more everyday. The first few days were a little rough and we were getting concerned but Zola has turned a corner and is slowly getting back to her great puppy self. She and Nash are going to be the best buds ever!
And finally, at his first pediatrician visit. Is this one relaxed baby or what? I think he looks like the Priceline gnome in this pic, ha! Plus I love how comfortable, secure, safe and completely at ease he is in his Daddy's arms. Magical...completely and utterly, magical!
How awesome is this? Hahaha! Today we're giving you a sneak peek at some more nursery wall art, that we've added on the fly, that didn't break the bank. Two pieces that make us smile and we know our lil' man will just love (or be reminded of) too. Read on for how/where we scored these sweet deals.
We scored this awesome Hammerpress print from Urban Outfitters for half off. I literally stared at it for about ten minutes and couldn't decide if I wanted to spend $17 on it, or not. Then I realized how ridiculously frugal I was being and how much it absolutely made me smile. So before I had a chance to talk myself out of it, I quickly raced to the register and busted out my wallet. Done and done! It was the only one on sale and was totally meant for his room.
Here's a snippet about Hammerpress...a company I love.
We scored this great frame from Michael's on super sale...it was only $11. So in total, this piece of wall art only set us back about $30, so worth it.
Why I love Hammerpress! Little nuggets of pressed paper goodness and you can actually see how the print is raised, very cool!
Walt trimmed the edges for us and it fit perfectly in our new frame. Love this!
And here's the image in all its nursery hanging glory. It's sitting above two storage ottomans and a tray (more on that HERE) in the corner of this nursery.
Here's the other piece of wall art we've added. We spied this at IKEA when my parents were here but they didn't have any more in stock. I waited a few weeks and Walt popped by when he was near our IKEA and low and behold, they had it. It's a $10 piece and totally great, right? So worth it! We'll have to name her something extra special...like Mabel. Other suggestions are being accepted.
And I love how the cow print actually sits off the wall like a museum piece. It comes with these great brackets already attached for super easy wall mounting. That made Walt super happy, of course.
Here's a sneak peek at where we are. We still DO have so many other ideas we'd like to tackle before his arrival but it's coming, fast and furiously. We know his nursery will always be a work in progress and we hope to share the room, in its entirety, next week. Maybe in a video and multiple picture form so get ready for that. We have a few more creative projects up our sleeves that we'll tackle (in the next few days) and share soon but then we're hunkering down nad just enjoying the space, for now.
So I've always known that I wanted a changing table topper for lil' man's nursery. I just didn't want to pay the price. I started checking them out online at Pottery Barn Kids and I liked the Kendall version HERE (and above) for $119. One hundred and nineteen dollars, ummm...no thanks. I knew we could DIY it for much less but I just wasn't sure how inexpensively we could do it. Since we have so much scrap wood and goodies laying around in the man cave...then when you pair this with Walt's ingenuity, the final price was a whopping - FREE! Keep reading for the full story!
So one night I was heading out to my women's group at church and Walt asked me if there was anything I'd like him to do on the nursery while I was gone. I hate and love this question. On one hand, it's the sweetest question in the world. On the other hand, it means I won't be here to document (aka: take pics) whatever cool transformation/project my man opts to tackle. On this night, I decided to show him the Kendall changing table topper picture and this was the convo that followed.
Walt: Oh, that's so easy! I can have that done before you get home!
Me: You have got to be kidding me. Are you serious? We have everything you need?
Walt: Yeah, I'll just use some of that old plywood and some old wood I have.
Me: Wait, but will it look good or ghetto.
Walt: Ghetto isn't my aim. I hope it looks good.
Me: Send me a text picture when you're done...oh wait, pictures for CasaCullen. We'll just tackle it this weekend, don't worry about it.
Walt: I can take some pics while I make it.
Me: You mean, you'll totally stop working, bust out the camera and at least capture some of the process for me.
Walt: I'll give it my best effort.
Me: Ok, but remember to hold the camera super still when you take the pic. Sometimes you take really blurry pictures.
Walt: And now begins the micro-managing, ha!
Me: Haha, ok...I'm outta here...and YOU ROCK!
And sure enough, just like that, I hopped in the car after and was off to my women's group. I just knew I'd return to a finished product and a man saying, 'Whoops, I totally forgot to take pics!' But bam, a great pic popped up on my cell phone screen of this perfectly made changing pad topper. To say I was impressed is the biggest understatement of my life. Seriously, he only took one look at the picture above and knew exactly what I wanted. I have to give full credit to Walt for this project because he not only took 75% of the pictures but he also did 100% all the work. Now if only he read CasaCullen every once in a while, haha!
Read on for the pseudo picture tutorial and if you have any questions about the process, leave them in the comment section below and I'll get those answers from him, pronto!
Show me what you're working with? I snapped a few pics before I headed out. I really didn't have much hope for this here, table toppin' project, after spying this board right here. But I held my tongue and trusted that he knew what we needed/wanted.
When I came back outside to hop in the car and saw this...I was a true believer! It really is amazing what a little sanding can do for some wood, isn't it?
And now for Walt's photo taking skills. Here's the base of the topper, pre-cut.
And post-cut to our measurements in order to perfectly house the changing pad.
Cutting down the side rails since they were a bit too tall to start with.
Using the nail gun to hold everything together.
And this is precisely the pic I got via text from Walt and I about lost my breath. Seriously, I'm still so impressed with his handiwork on this one. And, not to mention, the fact that he actually snapped some great pics in such dim lighting.
Said topper with pad placed in and score, it's a fit!
Here's the topper, sitting all handsome and regal, atop baby boy's changing table. We have yet to decide if we'll stain or paint the topper, so we'll be sure to update you on that choice. We also still want to add little skid-free feet on the bottom of the topper so it doesn't slide around. So those are two additions we have yet to do and they're on our to-do list for this weekend.
And here's a closer look for those that like the detail shots. Oh glorious, free changing table topper...I seriously love you! Little baby boy's bottom is also going to appreciate you too!
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