I knew I was really a mom when…

WARNING: THIS POST IS NOT FOR PEOPLE WITH WEAK STOMACHS

I’ve been babysitting a sweet 6 month old boy a couple times a week which has been a good refresher on caring for an infant since I haven’t babysat one in a year or so. Today started out very uneventful. He woke, we played, we ate, he pooped, he napped. Then it began. He got fussy so I picked him up and held him on my shoulder to comfort him. Then, a fountain of puke erupted on my shoulder. I cleaned us off the best I could which basically meant stripping him and trying to wipe me up. At this point he was upset so I continued to hold him. Five minutes later. Another puke volcano. My hair. The floor. My clothes. Basically everywhere except on him. I started wiping up again and got the most of it then realized he just needs to be held. So I just sat there in his room in reach of the wipes and burp cloths and just held him.

I realized I was really a mom when the puke didn’t make me puke!! I have an extremely horrible gag reflex. If someone pukes at the very least I’m gagging. I always wondered what I was going to do when I had a child…how would I take care of them without getting sick myself?? I watched my mom take care of my sister and me and couldn’t figure out how she did it. She even took care of me through a stomach virus this past December. I’m 26 and not ashamed a bit of that.

Anyway, I did it! I didn’t gag, I didn’t get sick. And I realized that sometimes you just need to put the child ahead of your insane OCD ways. Sometimes just holding the baby when you’re both sticky with puke is more important than cleaning.

The happy ending to this story is that his mom arrived home 30 minutes after the eruption started so I got to leave and go home and shower. 🙂

Love,
Jess

Sneak Peek of Maternity Portraits

Here’s a link to a sneak peek of my maternity portraits taken by the wonderful Elizabeth at Almond Leaf Studios!

http://almondleafstudios.com/blog/?p=8210

While you’re there please take some time to visit the “our motivation” section of her blog!

Love,

Jess

Ahh…kids and pregnancy

As many of you know, I’m a nanny to two very inquisitive children who are 6 and 9. They’ve been excited about the baby and their new favorite game is 20 questions about the baby. The other day I was telling them that when he comes out he’ll recognize people by their voices. This got them super excited so they decided to introduce themselves to my belly…this alone was enough to bring a smile to my face. However, they were talking to him like he was a 90 year old with hearing loss- very slow and loud…now this almost made me pee my pants from laughter!

I hope you can picture this scene well enough that it brings a little funny to your day 🙂

Love,
Jess

Don’t google…and other things I’ve learned during pregnancy…

By far the best advice I’ve received during pregnancy was from one of the nurses at my ob’s office. DON’T GOOGLE! Occasionally you might get good advice but more often you’ll end up worrying yourself sick or ignoring symptoms that your doctor needs to know about!! The nurse told me to never hesitate and call them with any questions! They would much rather you call than google!

WHEN YOU FEEL ENERGETIC, TAKE ADVANTAGE! I’ve learned that this is especially important because you could be full of energy one day and dead on your feet the next. I’ve always heard that you’ll be more tired than usual during pregnancy, but nothing prepared me for the tiredness I experienced! One day I took 3 naps! And I guess while I’m discussing sleep (or need for), I’ll mention PILLOWS!! You can never have too many especially when you’re pregnant! Between the heartburn/acid reflux, hip pain, back pain, not being able to sleep on your back, and your ever growing belly, you’ll need a ton. Haha. I’ve been known to sleep with three under my head, one between my knees, one behind my back, and one to hug. Most recently I’ve had to add one to prop up my swelling feet! When I’m trying to roll over (which is a great process), I always imagine that I look like a beached whale.

And I should go ahead and mention that EVERY PREGNANCY IS DIFFERENT! So really, only the no googling advice might apply to you!

STOCK UP ON TOILET PAPER Actually, you should do this as soon as you see that second line. Don’t stop to tell anyone your good news. Go STRAIGHT to Sam’s Club, get a membership, and buy tp. You will need it. Lots of it.

Well, I’m done dispensing my wisdom (hehe) for the day!

Love,
Jess

Meet Clay Lucas!

Yes, that is my child all lopsided in there. All I can say is, I still have an innie! Love, Jess