Rewind 8 months…

We were in the thick of summer in Atlanta and I was 8 months pregnant with my first child. I was hot, tired, cranky and most noticeably, swollen. My body apparently had enough as well because I developed a hive-like rash on my skin (formally known as PUPPPs). I wore gloves on my hands at night to keep from scratching and only gained a minimal level of comfort from ice cold showers. I was reduced to flip flops (feet were too swollen for my regular shoes) and I could only bear to sit in the same place, position for an hour at a time. In the final weeks, I selfishly cried and pleaded at my appointments to be induced — to no avail. (For the record, I was eventually induced at 40 weeks and it was not fun).

Needless to say, I was miserable, not considering conceiving again and convinced the universe was punishing me for gloating on a pain free and enjoyable first and second trimester.

And then, the most special, memorable, AMAZING day came and Cameron was born (screaming at the top of his lungs – oh, what a wonderful sound). He was happy, healthy, adorable and perfect.

Fast forward to present day…

I feel incredibly lucky to have experienced pregnancy and Cameron’s birth. He’s, without a doubt, the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me. How rewarding it is to be his mom!

At 7 months, he’s crawling, albeit backwards and has a small, little peg of a tooth poking through his bottom gum. He’s babbling what I think sounds a lot like mama and I could just melt. I love him, uncontrollably.

I now find myself longing for another baby but feel compelled to hold out so Cameron isn’t cheated out of our undivided attention. And maybe we’re not ready since we’re barely managing our new busy schedules. But it wouldn’t feel right without a little chaos.

What do you guys think? How did you know when you were ready for bump #2?

Thanks to Melissa Jackson on our team here at Graco for this beautiful photo and post!!

How do they do it?!

I honestly can barely get myself out of bed and ready in the morning.  So, over the next few weeks I’ll be featuring a different lovely lady that I have the pleasure to work beside.

First up!  Mrs. Desiree Wright.  Des is a textile CAD designer for Graco, but at heart, she is a full-blown creative junkie.  She is truly an amazing artist.  Not to mention she is a mom to 5 kids and has one of the most infectious laughs I have ever heard.  This is how she handles it all…

What’s your work schedule?

8:30 am-5:30 pm

How do you handle child care?

Either my husband or I drop off the two littlest ones (ages 21 months and 4 years) in the morning and my husband picks the girls up in the evening.  I chose a daycare that is right down the street, since I have to get my other children on the school bus.

Where do you work during the day? 

I work in an office.

What’s your favorite part of your work? 

Being creative…I am lucky enough to have a job that I desire to go to!  I made a passionate choice when I was a little girl that I would only work at a job if I love it and love what I do.  That was the number one factor that brought me here today and when I chose to have children…I would never leave my children to go to a job that didn’t put a smile on my face.

What do you like best about your current set-up?

I chose to move to Georgia for the family and work flexibility both in my career and my daycare.  In the past…I had absolutely no flexible schedule either way.  I managed to juggle daycare and work, but it was much more stressful.

What do you find difficult/tricky/comical about your current set-up?  What would you change if you had a magic wand? 

If I had a magic wand, I would turn my Toyota into an Invisible Jet like Wonder Woman and fly over all the traffic I get stuck in (both to and from work) and once that was complete, I would make one bus stop and one school stop instead of four, and I would appreciate if my son would stop getting detention in the morning before my day even begins.  Keep in mind…I have a high school-er, a middle school-er, an elementary child, a pre-K child and a baby….getting them all off to school/day care then jumping into the traffic to getting to work is definitely not the easiest part of the day.

What’s your favorite part of your home life?

Everything…I enjoy the chaos of my home life…from the noise in the morning till night.  I enjoy the sit down dinners of hearing about all their wonderful school days and what they did during the day since I am at work.  I enjoy the dancing, smiling, and I guess…just the “NON-QUIET” life I lead.  I appreciate just how lucky I am, even when all four of my girls get into a scream fest.

How does your partner contribute to managing the house/childcare? 

My partner is my husband David and he is the most laid-back, quiet person you have ever met.  He contributes 100% and I contribute 100%…there is no 50-50 with five kids, athletics and a full time job.  We all need to do teamwork.  Usually I do all the cooking and cleaning, but now my husband is learning to cook, so he helps, and we are cleaning  together since I have a larger house in Georgia than I did in the past.

Do you have time to yourself? What do you do with that time? 

Since I am an artist I always try to find time for myself to create…whether it be scrapbooking, magazine browsing or painting..the only down side is…I do not find time for myself until everything else is done, which means I am giving myself time at 11:00pm and later.  Also, I joined a tennis team to give myself a “set” time for myself to have.  I also try to go out on a late date with my husband once a month to give “us” some time together.  Those who know me well…tell me that I need more time for myself…and guess what..I will when my baby moves out..then I will get my toes done!

What advice would you give to other moms or first-time expectant parents about how to balance work and life? 

My advice is “You bring that wonderful bundle of joy into your life…not the other way around!”  When I travel, my babies travel, when my schedule changes they change along with me.  I guess, because of my busy life and even when I was a new mom of just one… I always went with the flow of Motherhood.  I have brought my kids everywhere and done everything with them and - guess what? They are fine!  I do believe in consistency…so even if you are busy..try and keep the same bedtime, bedtime stories…etc…and most of all communication.  My other advice is…don’t feel bad about working, the most important thing is making every free minute you do have with your kids count!

……..

Wow!  What a great first interview!  I am already excited to hear more and see how everyone does things differently.  Thank you, Des, for being so open and willing to share with everyone.

After years of developing the Graco products so many of you love, Erin and her husband will be welcoming their very first little one in just a few weeks! We don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl yet, so we’re all anxiously awaiting the answer to this big surprise.

Any advice for the *very* soon-to-be parents?!

Congratulations, Erin – we couldn’t be more excited for you!!

Want to be next month’s Bump of the Month on Graco’s I Love My Baby Bump Facebook page? Find out how by checking out last month’s winner!

December’s Bump of the Month is Lindsay Bochek. We’ll feature her bump pic on the I Love My Baby Bump Facebook page for the rest of the month. Lindsay will also receive one of our highly sought-after “I Love My Baby Bump T-shirts!”

Check out last month’s winner here.

Want to be January’s Bump of the Month? Here’s how to win:

Every month, for the next five months, we’ll be selecting “bumps” to feature as the profile picture for our “I Love My Baby Bump” Facebook page.

Make baby famous before he or she is even born — I Love My Baby Bump has more than 13,000 fans!

And besides being featured as our “Bump of the Month,” remember the “I Love My Baby Bump” tee-shirts we gave away last year? Well, they’re back! We managed to get our hands on a few of them and our winners will each receive one!

1. Send us your “baby bump” photos to BumpOfTheMonth <at> Gmail <dot> com.

2. We’ll select one photo each month to be featured as the “Bump of the Month.” Take a look at December’s winner above to get an idea of what we’re looking for in a winning picture.

3. Our next “Bump of the Month” will go live January 1 as the profile picture for the “I Love My Baby Bump” Facebook page.

4. Check back for more chances to win!

We can’t wait to see those bumps! Good luck

Thanks to all the soon-to-be moms who submitted their “baby bump” pictures to win “Bump of the Month” on our I Love My Baby Bump Facebook page. Ladies, you’re all so beautiful!

November’s Bump of the Month is Dani Holdsworth. We’ll feature her bump pic on the I Love My Baby Bump Facebook page for the rest of the month. Dani will also receive one of our highly sought-after “I Love My Baby Bump T-shirts!”

Check out October’s winner here.

Want to be December’s Bump of the Month? Here’s how to win:

Every month, for the next six months, we’ll be selecting “bumps” to feature as the profile picture for our “I Love My Baby Bump” Facebook page.

Make baby famous before he or she is even born — I Love My Baby Bump has more than 13,000 fans!

And besides being featured as our “Bump of the Month,” remember the “I Love My Baby Bump” tee-shirts we gave away last year? Well, they’re back! We managed to get our hands on a few of them and our winners will each receive one!

1. Send us your “baby bump” photos to BumpOfTheMonth <at> Gmail <dot> com.

2. We’ll select one photo each month to be featured as the “Bump of the Month.” Take a look at November”s winner above to get an idea of what we’re looking for in a winning picture.

3. Our next “Bump of the Month” will go live December 1 as the profile picture for the “I Love My Baby Bump” Facebook page.

4. Check back for more chances to win!

We can’t wait to see those bumps! Good luck

It mostly focuses on the issue of infertility and how she and her husband lived through it – eventually to have a beautiful little girl.  Some of my nearest and dearest friends have struggled with pregnancy and it seems so lonely and heartbreaking.  I can’t even imagine the frustration and disappointment that these families endure.  The fear of not being able to conceive doesn’t scare me away from starting a family, but seeing others around me struggle reminds me how much of a blessing a healthy pregnancy can be.

Is this something that all pre-pregnancy people worry about?  I would love to know your thoughts…

Thanks to all the soon-to-be moms who submitted their “baby bump” pictures to win “Bump of the Month” on our  I Love My Baby Bump facebook page. Ladies, you’re all so beautiful!

October’s Bump of the Month is Nichole Villanueva. We’ll feature her bump pic on the I Love My Baby Bump Facebook page for the rest of the month. Nichole will also receive one of our highly sought-after “I Love My Baby Bump T-shirts!” Check out September’s winner here.

Want to be November’s Bump of the Month? Here’s how to win:

Every month, for the next seven months, we’ll be selecting “bumps” to feature as the profile picture for our “I Love My Baby Bump” Facebook page.

Make baby famous before he or she is even born — I Love My Baby Bump has more than 13,000 fans!

And besides being featured as our “Bump of the Month,” remember the “I Love My Baby Bump” tee-shirts we gave away last year? Well, they’re back! We managed to get our hands on a few of them and our winners will each receive one!

1. Send us your “baby bump” photos to BumpOfTheMonth <at> Gmail <dot> com.

2. We’ll select one photo each month to be featured as the “Bump of the Month.” Take a look at October”s winner above to get an idea of what we’re looking for in a winning picture.

3. Our next “Bump of the Month” will go live November 1 as the profile picture for the “I Love My Baby Bump” Facebook page.

4. Check back for more chances to win!

We can’t wait to see those bumps! Good luck

September’s Bump of the Month is Alexandra Nelson. We’ll feature her bump pic on the I Love My Baby Bump Facebook page for the rest of the month. Alexandra  will also receive one of our highly sought-after “I Love My Baby Bump T-shirts!”

Want to be October’s Bump of the Month? Here’s how to win:

Every month, for the next eight months, we’ll be selecting “bumps” to feature as the profile picture for our “I Love My Baby Bump” Facebook page.

Make baby famous before he or she is even born — I Love My Baby Bump has more than 12,000 fans!

And besides being featured as our “Bump of the Month,” remember the “I Love My Baby Bump” tee-shirts we gave away last year? Well, they’re back! We managed to get our hands on a few of them and our winners will each receive one!

1. Send us your “baby bump” photos to BumpOfTheMonth <at> Gmail <dot> com.

2. We’ll select one photo each month to be featured as the “Bump of the Month.” Take a look at September’s winner above to get an idea of what we’re looking for in a winning picture.

3. Our second “Bump of the Month” will go live October 1 as the profile picture for the “I Love My Baby Bump” Facebook page.

4. Check back for more chances to win!

We can’t wait to see those bumps! Good luck

In preparation for writing this post I did a little web-research, and all the statistics are there to reinforce the whole age issue.  But, would anyone else agree with me that the most important factor in deciding whether or not to have a child is your willingness to be responsible for the life of another human being?  Instead of trying to rationalize this evolutionary or cultural concern (wherever it’s coming from) that I’m creeping up in age, maybe I should be preparing myself to take on such a huge life-change by  focusing on building my relationship with my husband and building my own confidence.

I know there is true and real evidence that age does impact your fertility, and I’m not trying to ignore it – I just want my decision to become a mother and my husband’s decision to become a father to be less about the threat of my age and more about our willingness to experience the next phase in our lives together.

Recently, we got a chance to visit some friends of ours and see their beautiful newborn baby girl. She was wrapped up nice and cozy with her parents watching her every moment, trying to decipher the needs of each little cry and it took me back to our time in the hospital almost 2 years ago.

We were once in their shoes, watching our son lovingly and beaming like proud new parents every time someone came in. Yes, that’s how things are during the first couple of hours of accepting your new role as a parent.

Then, there comes a point when all of that newness fades away and reality hits you.

I think our new mom friend said it best when she looked at me and asked “So what do I do when she cries and it’s just the two of us?” It was funny that she asked that because on the way into the hospital, my son’s dad and I saw a couple taking their newborn home and he mentioned that the moment when we took our son home from the hospital was one of the scariest moments of his life. Once we took him home, he was truly ours and there were no doctors or nurses that we could push a button and have run into the room if his sneeze sounded funny or if he didn’t latch on properly. That nervous feeling is one that a majority of new parents feel.

Now that I’ve been a mom for two years, I finally feel confident enough to share some tips that I learned from my experiences as a first time parent.
- It’s okay to fear the first diaper change. I think I did a good job, considering my son’s diaper was the first that I ever remember changing…EVER! Plus, if I did it wrong, I knew Mr. A would let me know sooner versus later.
- It’s alright to use the diaper bag as a purse too. I found this out the hard way when I tried to take my purse, the diaper bag, and the newborn to his first doctor’s appointment. Talk about a juggling act. Now, I will say ladies, if you’re going to do this, just remember to remove your keys and wallet from the diaper bag when you drop your child off at daycare. Otherwise, you may not be able to get back in your car or buy lunch.
- The first blowout diaper is a thing that CAN be feared! Trust me…it’s not as cute as the diaper commercials try and make them seem. Add a confused, wriggly baby and material that you didn’t even know could be washed and you know exactly what I’m talking about.
- The first night home is not an indicator of the rest of your lives together. I’m just going to say that we swore that Mr. A hated our apartment and I’m glad we had a chance to get 2.5 hours of sleep in the hospital.
- It’s okay to be nervous about the first time you’re alone with your child. Trust me, there were a lot of tears when my mom had to leave and Mr. A’s dad was still at work. I’m not quite sure what Mr. A was crying about but after a while he and I both got the hang of our roles and we’re pretty okay being alone now. I think we play nicely together (sans this whole “mine” phase he’s going through right now).

All in all, we made it through the long nights and ridiculously short days intact. Our little guy is almost 2 and I don’t think I would trade any of the moments we’ve had.

So if you are a new parent or parent-to-be don’t stress about trying to be the perfect parent. Do what works best for you and your child and get plenty of rest and help when it is offered. Everything will work out fine because at the end of the day, when you look at your child and see that they are happy and in love with you as much as you are with them, that’s all that really matters. Or at least that’s all that matters in the world of Surprised Mama and Mr. A.

What were your first few weeks with your little one like?