It's all relevant

I can't believe it's already Monday again! Where did the weekend go?? Granted, we didn't hardly do anything. Although I'm starting to venture out with Harper a little more, I'm still not comfortable taking her tons of places- with all of the sickness and germs going around right now I'd rather keep her at home. Since Adam works all the time and barely gets to do the things he wants to do, he headed out to watch the Ga/Auburn game Saturday at a friends house, and I stayed home with the kiddos. I find it crazy that I freely admit to not giving a sh... about football, but have my TV on the game when Adam's not around. Heck, I even paused the game for a diaper change so as not to miss anything. Who am I?? This is cray.

I'm not gonna lie- I was experiencing some postpartum blues this weekend. At the top of the list- this post-preg bod. I am starting Weight Watchers today. Although I've lost all my baby weight (and a little more) I'm still pounds away from where I need to be. And it's not like I've been trying super hard- I'm not going to turn down a trip to ChickfilA or anything. I need to be putting baby girl in her stroller and walking while Aaron's at school. Maybe I'll start that today.....or tomorrow.

Another thing irking me? Shitty friends. Yep, I said it. I have had my feelings hurt not once, not twice, but three times over the past week over these so-called friends. I'm having a major case of "left outitis"- (tried to make that work). If you're reading, you know who you are. The people that host parties, dinners, etc. and only invite an exclusive group. How high school is that? Over it. FYI- I would never purposely leave anyone out because I would never want to hurt anyone's feelings. But I guess that's just the type of friend I am.

Damn. That felt good.

Anyway, this is not a "I'm feeling sorry for myself" post. This is a "taking notes- moving on" post.

In wonderful news, my good friend Brooke gave birth to her beautiful baby girl, Brinley, last Thursday. I had the pleasure of meeting her last night, and she's such a love muffin! Congrats Brookie!

Friday, while racking my brain for gift ideas for Brooke, I came up with this: a newborn survival kit:

 

Inside I included: a bottle of wine (standard), Dry Shampoo (because y'all know we don't have time to do this hurr), Mascara and Lip Gloss (because most of the time if you do get ready that's all you have time for), a pack of gum (let's be real: we're so sleep-deprived some days we can't remember if we brushed our teeth), and a magazine. These are things that helped me survived those first few weeks in the trenches. 

Hope all of you have a fabulous Monday! Gotta get my little buddy ready for school!

~LL

I will survive!

Up until I had Harper, getting up at 5:00 seemed almost laughable. Although I am technically "one of those morning people," getting up at any hour before 7 (pre-baby) was a lost cause.

Not anymore.

Every day around 5 AM, my little posse (Harper and Sophie May) and I sleepily walk the hallway, prepare bottles, coffee, etc. and begin our day. After Harper has her bottle and is settled back down, I head back to my room, stare longingly at my bed, and hop in the shower. Because as much as I want to crawl back into that comfy bed, I know that with a three year old waking up soon that ain't happening. 

And our day begins.

And you know what? I'm getting the hang of this (early) early bird thang. I must admit that it's nice running errands and getting them done before noon. It's nice not looking like a ragamuffin (most of the time) when I drop Aaron off at school. Of course, every time I think we're onto something, Harper throws a wrench into those plans. Days that I think to myself, "Girl, you got this- this is a piece of cake," Harper's fussy all day, doesn't nap, and decides to take a massive poop while I'm wearing her in the Moby at the grocery store. Ahhh....the life of the mom of a newborn- so glamorous!

We are surviving. We are making it- some days just barely. I know six months from now I'll barely remember the exhaustion of this time- I hope so, anyway! 

All this being said, she is such a little love. A mini, baby girl version of my Aaron Mo. I am crazy about her. Her hair's already getting long in the back (true story) and she's wearing three-month clothing (she likes to eat like Mom!). She's still sleeping in her Rock and Play sleeper in our room, and we're trying to transition her to her crib which is not easy. 

In an effort to not let Laughing Lolly be ALL about baby, let's catch up on some other stuff:

- I need a new car. That '98 Toyota Avalon (AKA: The Mamakat) is not cutting it anymore. It especially looks gangster right now because a routine oil change turned into having to put on my full-size spare tire as my back passenger side tire was about to blow due to a nail that's obviously been there for ages. That wouldn't be bad, except for the fact that they didn't put the tire back on my car's actual rim, and instead put in on a random black rim. Who am I? Joker's Wild?? Jesus. Headed back to the car shop today. In the meantime, Adam and I have made an executive decision that I need a "newer" car, in other words used but like new. So begins the car search....

- Hunger Games: Catching Fire starts next Friday. Aghhhhhh!!!! Who's going with me? I must admit, I've pretty much left JHutch in the dust and have now jumped the Liam H bandwagon- he's so much hotter to me now that he's dumped that twerking, foam-finger Miley; however, I will always be Team Peeta, y'all. Ride or die.

- I've been pretty bored with Walking Dead this season (all those body fluids are seriously grossing me out) and made my dissatisfaction known on FB but had to retract my statement as "The Guv-Nah" is back. And you know, I'm just gonna say it, I think he's hot. There. I said it. Hatas gonna hate!

Gotta go now. I will *attempt* to update sooner than later. Enjoy your day, friends!

~LL

Hello, 4 weeks!

Well, it's official- I've had a new baby for four weeks now. My little princess will be a month old tomorrow! We've survived the first 29 days. I'm just so glad she's here; I just stare at her all day soaking her in. I'm madly in love- so is Adam. We love her dark, black hair and sweet, nubby nose. I smooch her little lips all the time....I can't help it. She's so alert (when she's not sleeping) and she's mesmerized by her big brother. Sweetness. She completes our little family perfectly. I think about Luke all the time, and I know he had a hand in sending her to us. It still breaks my heart into pieces when I think about him. I know he would have loved being a little brother to Aaron and big brother to Harper, but instead he's their guardian angel. One day I'll tell Aaron and Harper about their brother when they can understand. In the meantime, I know he'll be with all of us every step of the way. <3

While this past month has been completely wonderful, it's also been very hard. I threw in the breastfeeding towel yesterday. It wasn't without a lot of tears, I will say. Breastfeeding is THE hardest thing I've ever done,. I was constantly in a panic; "Is the latch correct? Is she getting enough? Is she crying because she's hungry or she wants to be held?" The constant insecurity was too much to deal with; time supposed to be spent enjoying her, I was crying my makeup off to Adam, my mom, or Natalie about breastfeeding. Y'all, I was doing it all: nursing, pumping, supplementing with both breastmilk and formula. It was effin' exhausting. I've read so many articles on Kellymom I can practically quote them in my sleep. I've taken Fenugreek, drank Mother's Milk tea and dark beer, etc. Hell, I even dropped thirty-five bucks on Tia and Tamera's cash cow, Milky (hope Adam doesn't read this). None of it worked for me in increasing my supply. I gave it my all. I finally gave her a full 3 ounce bottle of formula yesterday and she sucked it dry- there's my sign. I'm sure I was probably doing something wrong, but having my boob out all day was just not working for me. I have a husband that works out of town, and a 3 1/2 year old. I've got shit to do. I prayed about my decision, and haven't cried in 2 days- that's a record considering I've spent 27 of those 29 days sobbing and stressed about breastmilk. Harper nursed and had her last breastmilk bottle yesterday; I made it 4 weeks- that's twice as long as I made it with Aaron. I'm proud of what I was able to give her. I'm happier; therefore, she's happier. Please only words of support- this was not an easy pill to swallow, but I am at peace about my decision. I will say, all mothers rock- breastfeeding or not breastfeeding, natural birth or caesarean, epidural or no medication- being a mom is the hardest job on the planet. Let's support each other!

Here's a glimpse of the past week:

First post-preg date night!

"Hewwo"

Spidey! (with his eyes closed) 😳

First attempt at Moby wrap: not successful.

Enjoy this beautiful fall weekend!

~LL

Taking it day by day.....

Happy Friday, Friends!

TGIF, amiright?! This week's fall-like weather has been great, but I'm so excited to see the sunshine! There are only so many gray days I can take without wanting to curl up in bed and just sleep. Sleep, you ask? Why yes- I'm napping at least once, if not twice a day to catch up on lack of zzzz's at night. Rough, but I know this being up every 2 hours at night will be gone in the blink of an eye, and soon I'll have another 3 1/2 year old. #perspective

Not to say that I'm cool as a cucumber- I'm totally far from it. I've had at least 3 breastfeeding meltdowns this week, I've lost my sh*t with Aaron more times than I want to admit, and I've had my moments of being majorly hein to my hubby. Trying to keep myself in check. You forget how hard this time is because the good SO outweighs the bad. Luckily, I'm blessed with such amazing family and friends that are always there when I need a shoulder to cry on, advice, to rant, etc. Every day I get one step closer to my pre-preg self, and I'm not only trying be patient with everyone, but patient with myself as well. 

Tomorrow night my awesome mother-in-law is driving up to babysit the kiddos while Adam and I have a much-needed date night. SO.EXCITED. We'll probably only go to dinner and a movie, but the thought of curling my hair, putting on a cute top, and NOT wearing flip-flops almost sends me over the edge. And yes, I do plan on drinking an adult beverage. Sky's the limit, y'all!

Here's some cuteness from our week:

"Pump, pump, pump it up!"

Walker-stalker like her mama!

She's delicious.

My world.

Have a great weekend!!

~LL

2 weeks later.....

Hey friends!

Sorry it's been awhile. I've been adjusting to a newborn and the extreme tiredness from lack of sleep that accompanies the precious bundle.  All worth it, nonetheless.

Harper Elizabeth Mosely was born at 7:53 AM, Friday, September 27th. Next to Aaron's birth- the best moment of our lives for sure. She came out kicking and screaming, and the first thing my Doc said was "we have hair!" All I could do was laugh and cry, at the same time! She looked huge when she came out from all the fluids, but weighed exactly the same as Aaron (7 pounds/13 ounces). It took them awhile to get her to me from all the fluids, but they said that was common with section babies since they don't actually travel through the birth canal. Once we were in recovery and settled down they finally brought her to me- pure perfection. We are so madly in love with this gift from above!

My c section went without a hitch- thank goodness! The day before, "pre-op day," I was a nervous wreck. After signing all the forms, getting my blood drawn, and hearing about the procedure I literally went home, got in the bed, and pulled the covers over my head. Nervous.wreck. We had to be at the hospital at 6 on the big day, and since we're an hour away we were out the door by 5. It didn't matter- I only slept an hour that night anyway. Surprisingly, I was pretty calm that morning. I got up, showered, curled my hair, put a little makeup on, and we were out the door. On the way there we listened to Hall & Oates radio on Pandora (per my request- who doesn't love "Maneater??" ). Once we arrived we signed in ("Good morning! We're here to have a baby!"), was taken to recovery where I put on that oh-so-attractive hospital gown, got my IV, and waited for my Doc to arrive to start surgery. Funny coincidence: my nurse this go-round was the same nurse I had when I delivered Aaron- we love her! Once my Doc came strolling in, coffee in hand, to check on us before surgery, we were ready! Adam had to wait outside the room while I got my epidural/spinal block, and once I was all good, numb, and laid out on the table they let him in. The only time I ever felt uncomfortable during surgery was when I got nauseous (which was pretty much immediately as soon as I laid down- my BP had dropped). Luckily, my nurse anesthetist pumped my IV full of nausea meds. At last, we were in business. I swear it wasn't five minutes later when my Doc announced, "we're gonna have a baby in about 20 seconds!" Most amazing moment ever. A moment not so amazing? Adam "forgetting" to charge his phone, and only videotaping the moments before Harper was pulled out before his phone died. Nice one, babe! At that time, my awesome nurse anesthetist handed over her iPhone and let us use it to document the big moment. The rest of the surgery was pretty boring; Adam went with my nurse to check on Harper, and I laid on the table getting my stomach stitched back up while listening to my Doc (and another Doc from the same practice who came in to help) talk everything from Georgia football to teasing me about taking home my placenta (I didn't). 

After having done both a "natural" birth and now a c section, I can say both have their pros and cons. I loved the convenience of just showing up to have a kid, and not having to labor. I didn't like the fact that it felt like my uterus was going to fall out of me when I got out of bed the next day. 

One thing is for sure, I'm glad I'm not pregnant anymore. It feels so good to wear non-maternity tops (I'm still in maternity jeans- let's not get ahead of ourselves here!).  I've finished all of my pain meds, and for the most part I feel like myself- maybe a more zombie version of myself right now. I'm still a little sore/tender around my incision, but no biggie. I'm still breastfeeding, and I have to say it's the hardest thing I've ever done. I only made it 2 1/2 weeks with Aaron before switching to formula, and I'm determined to make it longer with Harper. As much as I love our pediatrician, it's amazing how quick they are to push formula. Granted, Harper's not quite up to her birth weight, so we are supplementing two formula bottles a day until we get her back up. I'm hoping that at that point we can go back to breastfeeding exclusively. I'm also pumping, which I like a lot because I can see what I'm putting out. They say once you make it to 3 weeks it gets easier- here's hoping!

Here are some pics from the last couple of weeks. We are so in love with our sweet, beautiful girl! Our hearts are complete. :)

Thanking God for this baby girl!

~LL

Dear Harper

My precious Harper,

We are anxiously awaiting your arrival! Only three more days until we get to kiss your squishy face, rub your soft hands, and put a big, froufrou bow on your head. We've been waiting for you for quite awhile!

We are so excited to expand our family of three into four!

We like to have fun. Some of our favorite things to do include: going to the beach, playing outside, watching movies, and playing with Sophie May (our puppy girl). We probably eat ChickfilA too much (although you won't mind that), and we should go to church more often (we're working on that). You have a big family. You already have 8 cousins, and you happen to be the only girl grandchild on your Dad's side- have fun with that, sister! You have more aunts and uncles than I can count, and you have both sets of great-grandparents! Plus, you have six- that's right- 6 grandparents! *You will totally rack up at Christmas, btw.*. You're entering into a big, busy bunch, but I promise you'll like it, my sweet. 

I've been dreaming about your face for so long. So far we think you look like your big brother with your chubby cheeks. We know you have hair; we saw it on your ultrasound and it's very evident by the insane amount of Tums I consume on a daily basis. Most importantly, we know that you are you- our precious Harper Elizabeth. 

In just a few days we finally get to meet you! We are counting down the minutes. We loved you before we knew you, and we are so blessed to welcome you into this big, exciting world. 

We love you, Harper Elizabeth Mosely. Welcome to the planet. :)

"For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him." - 1 Samuel 1:27

~LL

Harper's Nursery

We're a week out, y'all! My c-section is scheduled for next Friday and we are so excited! I can't wait to kiss those sweet lips and chubby cheeks, and tell her how long we've been waiting for her. As much as I'm ready to meet her, I want her to stay in this big belly until next Friday. Keep on growing and getting fatter, my little love! 

I'm posting pictures of Harper's nursery, although I still have some last minute touches I want to add before next Friday. I love it! It's so pink and precious, and I think it's perfect for her. 

Pottery Barn bedding in Penelope with Mia bed skirt. So girly!!

I fell in love with the framed "Hello's" from the amazing blog: 6th Street Design School. I saw this over a year ago and knew if I ever had a girl I was going to copy. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, right? 

A peek inside her already full closet.

Her bag's packed, the diaper wreath is ready, the nursing pillow's on standby, and her photo book is just waiting for her sweet footprints. We love you, Harper Elizabeth!!

Like I said, I still need another piece of furniture for the bare wall beside her door, a rug in front of her crib, and some other pieces of wall decor, but other than that we're ready!

7 more days to go.......agh!!!

~LL