What I have learned in 11 days

Nash is 11 days old today. It's hard to believe he's already been with us that long. He is so sweet and overall a wonderful baby. Motherhood thus far is pretty surreal. I still feel like I am just in survival mode, and am guessing that will continue for a few more weeks as we adjust. There is so much I have left to learn about him and about caring for a baby, but I have learned quite a bit in just the past 11 days. Here are a few snippets:


1. Postpartum recovery is a lot more difficult that I imagined.
I had assumed I would have Nash one day and feel the sudden relief of not being pregnant any more coupled with overall physical rejuvenation once I gave birth. Nobody really prepped me for how my body would feel after having a baby. The pain and physical fatigue were unexpected and made me extremely thankful that my mom was able to stay for a week to help care for Nash while I recovered. Luckily, I am feeling loads better and have kicked the pain meds by now.

2. I can do more than I ever imagined possible on just 3 hours of sleep.
Every parent warned us that the first few months are absolutely exhausting. They didn't lie. It's truly amazing how much you can really do on just a few hours of sleep. I have also learned the joys of a well-positioned power nap. Luckily, Nathan is an early morning person while I am a late night gal. It's 6:36pm right now, and Nathan has already gone off to bed to get some solid sleep before he takes the 1:00 - 7:00am shifts.

3. You have to do what is right for your family.
Everyone has a lot of opinions when it comes to parenting - particularly parenting a newborn. From breastfeeding to co-sleeping to soothing techniques. I have learned that you have to do what is right for your family and not worry so much about what "they" say. A baby needs unconditional love and care, and you can't give that if you are trying to fit into a mold that only frustrates your family. If you do what is right for your family dynamic, everyone - including baby - will be happier.

4. I now believe in love at first sight.
I cannot express how much I truly love this little boy. I wish my arms and back could stand to hold him more - I would never put him down. The first major "Mom moment" I had was in the hospital right after Nash was circumcised. They brought him back to us and the scream he let out when he got shifted the wrong way was one that brought tears to my eyes so fast and made me want to do anything in my power to make him not be in pain any more. I'm sure I will have many more moments of wanting to save my baby from pain, heart ache, and loss over the coming years. I just pray I have the strength!

I know there are millions of lessons left to come over the course of the next 18+ years. We're so excited to have him in our life and begin building a family.

AROMA

I had the great privilege of having lunch with our new COO at work this past week, and he shared some advice on raising a family. It resonated so much with Nathan and I that I thought I would post it here as well. He told me that his family philosophy is to create a good AROMA in their household. AROMA stands for:

Affection - Between Mom & Dad, towards the kids and between the kids
Respect - Everyone has a level of respect for each other
Order - There are family rules and obligations that govern the household
Merriment - Laughter, joy, and fun!
Affirmation - Everyone is accepted and celebrated just as they are


Great stuff and very inspiring as we begin to build our family. This is one of those concepts that I know will stay with Nathan and me the same way that Love & Respect has guided our marriage to date.

Quick baby update: Nash is now 32 weeks old and the size of a honeydew, weigh approximately 4.5 pounds. We are getting so anxious to meet him. He could be here as soon as 5 weeks! We decorated the house for Christmas in preparation for his arrival this past weekend. I know it's early, but we wanted to be able to enjoy it and have it ready just in case Nash makes an early arrival. :)

Count Down Begins

We've officially entered the phase of the pregnancy where we are counting down the weeks instead of up. In just 10 weeks, we will be bringing home baby Pyles. With each passing day, the excitement is building. Everything is still going smoothly. My back, legs, and feet ache all of the time, but that's to be expected! I had a wonderful pregnancy massage at Wellquest today - it was wonderful!

It has been so neat to watch Nash get more active. His movements are much more controlled and strong, making my belly move in ways that seem very unnatural. :) Nathan has finally been able to feel - and see - him moving.

Last weekend, we had our first shower here in NWA. We felt so blessed to have great friends, co-workers, and family who showered Nash will all sorts of goodies! My sister flew in from Florida to throw the shindig. Below are some of the pictures from the day.


Awesome petit fours from Chuck's Cake Shoppe!


Me with Mom & Meghan, my sister.


The great spread Meghan pulled together.


The amazing quilt my mother-in-law made.

27 Weeks: The Beginning of the End

I have officially entered the 3rd trimester. It gets more real every day, particularly when a co-worker pointed out that Nash could come as early as 10 weeks and still be full term. I don't know if we're ready for that! Nash has now grown to the size of a head of cauliflower and weighs in at 2.5 pounds.




No other updates - all is well. Mom and baby are healthy and growing rapidly (both of us!). I never thought I would look forward to a Jillian Michaels work out...can't wait to get my body back, although it hasn't been too bad sharing it with something so sweet. :)

It's a boy!!

We found out on Tuesday that Nugget is indeed a healthy baby boy. We are so happy to be able to call him by name now - Nash Douglas Pyles. He was very active during the ultrasound, doing all sorts of dance moves and showing off his stuff. It was precious. We've enjoyed re-watching the DVD with our parents - they are very proud Grandmas and Grandpas.

Once I finally knew what the gender was, the Nesting bug hit in full force! I have been looking at bedding, paint colors, nursery themes, and everything in between. Today we bought some of Nash's first outfits - and he is going to be so cute. We also purchased his bedding today from Pottery Barn Kids.



We're not sure about colors or theme yet, but know we want to do something simple and timeless that he can grow into. It's been so fun to look at all the different options and pretty overwhelming. We'll have to keep ourselves in check because there is so much you can buy but not necessarily things he actually needs. I'm sure that is something we will be reminding ourselves of many times throughout the coming years. :)

20 weeks down - 20 more to go!

Mango Mania

We are officially to the Mango phase. That's right, Nugget is the size of a mango now. I feel like he/she should be so much bigger considering the size of my stomach...and well, really, the rest of me. We find out on Tuesday (yes, 2 days away!) whether Nugget is a boy or a girl. I cannot wait! We shopped the web for baby bedding and decorations this weekend. While either gender would be wonderful, I have to admit that girls' stuff is way more fun and cute. Look at this amazing bedding we found on Target.com:


Lizzie by Cotton Tale

Everyone asks if I have a hunch or intuition about whether it's a boy or a girl. The truth is, I really don't. I'm not sure that I have allowed myself to really get attached to either one since we don't know what God has in store. I have been afraid to think, "Oh, yes, it's definitely a girl" for fear that I might be disappointed if it is really a boy (or vice versa). I really think either would be wonderful. And at the end of the day, what I want really doesn't matter, does it?

In 48 hours, we will know!

A little flutter...

Tonight I felt my first little flutter from Nugget. What a neat feeling! It's nice to know he/she is really in there. I cannot wait to call them by name - just 11 more days to go until we find out. We started registering 2 weekends ago in Oklahoma with my parents. It was fun to see all the different products out there - for like 2 minutes and then it was just overwhelming! There are so many things to see and think about. It's hard to know what is essential and what is just really good shopper marketing. Thus far, we have only started our Babys R Us registry. We also made our first function-over-fashion furniture purchase at Mathis Brothers (love that store!) while we were in Oklahoma. We got this amazing recliner:

Beautiful? Not at all. But amazingly comfortable. It hugs you and reclines almost completely to 180 degrees. There will be many nights spent in this comfy chair rocking a precious baby.

Nugget is currently the size of a sweet potato. I decided to compare this to my belly at the grocery store this week.


(sorry - lookin' a little rough in the pic but you get the idea)


To end this post, I will leave you with a group opinion poll. Is Nugget a boy or a girl? :)

Week 16

Yesterday, Nathan and I ordered Nugget's nursery furniture. We cannot wait to find out if it's a he or she so we can really start setting up the nursery. We got the set below in an espresso wood color. We got the crib, the double dresser, and the hutch. Can't wait!


Baby's Dream - Legendary Collection


Everything is going smoothly with the pregnancy - I felt the first little flutter in my belly last night, which was just amazing. I know that I will be able to feel it more strongly in the coming weeks which is exciting to think about. I seem to be getting bigger each day!

Last week we had some dear friends to our house who just moved back to the area. They brought with them their precious little 9 month old girl. It was the first time we've had a baby in our house and it was so fun to watch and experience a glimpse of what it will be like when our baby arrives. Of course, we won't have a little one who is crawling and exploring right from day one. :) The dogs were a whole nother story, though. They were so interested in her and wanted to make friends quickly. Unfortunately, they were a little over eager. We'll have to work on them getting used to a new family member in a more calm way! I'll leave you with a picture of my precious pups - our babies for now. :)

Week 14

Entering week 14 this week - which means a close to the 1st trimester, and hopefully all of its pesky symptoms.

Since I've been pregnant, I have traveled more than I ever have surprisingly. Nugget is already becoming a world traveler. We made our way to Phoenix for a couple days and even hopped the border to Montreal, Quebec for about 4 days. In another week or so, we're going to go check out New Orleans. :)

Nathan and I have definitely entered into the "really?" phase. While I can see myself getting bigger - everywhere - and we have seen our baby do all sorts of dance moves on a monitor, I still feel like it isn't real. Like there isn't really a baby growing inside me and that our life isn't really about to drastically change. We don't even know where to begin to prepare! I cannot wait to feel him/her move to give me reassurance that there is a life in there or to find out if it's a boy or girl so I can feel like I can really start planning. Just a few more weeks!

-A

Introducing...Nugget!

On Mother's Day, Nathan and I got the great surprise that we would be welcoming a new addition to our family. :) It seems only fitting that we publicly announce "Nugget" (as we are calling baby Pyles) on Father's Day.

This weekend we went to Cushing to have our first ultrasound by Dr. Tracy (my Father-in-Law). It was the coolest experience for many reasons. One, it confirmed that there really is a person growing inside there and I'm not just getting fat. Two, we were able to share it with both of our parents. And three, Nugget was doing all sorts of moves - I'm convinced he/she will be a great dancer! Below are some of the better shots we got.



I think this one looks like an alien. :)



How precious is that profile?!


The official due date is 1/7/2011. I am currently 11 weeks along and finishing out the first trimester. So far, I've been somewhat nauseous but not as bad as the horror stories I have heard. Mainly I am just exhausted and have way less energy than I am used to. Both me and the baby are healthy, though, and that is all that matters. Nathan and I couldn't be more excited!

Life's about to get interesting...