Hope you are having a great week! This week we went on our first family trip with Ella. As our family grows so does the cost of traveling. And though we love to travel it can get costly for families, so here are some tips below to help save money when going on family trips.
TIPS TO SAVING MONEY ON FAMILY TRIPS:
Go on the Off Season – Everything is less expensive from hotel room rates, gas prices, even plane tickets. Plus when you go on the off season it means less crowds which is great if you are traveling with kids.
Look For Family Friendly Discounts – There are tons of places that offer family discounts for people traveling with kids. Look for these discounts when looking for a place to visit.
Eat in – Instead of eating out every meal opt to eat in by buying everyday items like groceries and ready to eat meals at Walmart. Not only will it save you money but time, and the headache of having to wrangle your children at a restaurant.
Buy Snacks and everyday travel essentials atWalmart – Instead of buying at the resort or hotel, you can save money by buying water in bulk and other everyday essentials like snacks, napkins, and diapers at Walmart. Plus you can find a Walmart in almost every major city and town in the U.S. so you can utilize their drive thru pick up for even more convenience!
SHOP WALMART EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS:
I bought all of this at Walmart using their Online Grocery service on the Walmart App. Super easy and convenient for a busy mom like me who prefers not to shop in store with a newborn. It’s great because you can pick up from any local Walmart store near you, no matter where you travel.
New customers can use promo code TRIPLE10 to save $10 off their first three pickup or delivery orders. $50 min. Restrictions & fees apply.
Traveling with family doesn’t have to be stressful. There are ways to save on family trips and Walmart helps when it comes to saving money for families on everyday items like groceries. We always make sure to stop by Walmart to get our essentials when it comes to our family trips. I hope these tips help you save on your next family trip. Thanks for stopping by!
P.S. Subscribe for weekly newsletters so you never miss a single post!
This post is sponsored by Walmart. All thoughts and opinions are all mine.
Someone is ready for pumpkin season! Time is flying by so fast with our girl. I can’t believe Ella is four months old. She is growing in leaps and bounds. It’s crazy to think how fast she is growing. Check out her four month progress below!
Look at her little personality. She is seriously the happiest little baby. Always smiling and cooing, and kicking up a storm. Ella has been rolling around from her belly to her back, and even to her back to her belly. She is so strong for her age. I honestly think we have another little athlete on our hands.
Not only is she so active, but she is the best sleeper. Ya’ll like clock work. Down by 8pm and sleeps through the night. I honestly can’t believe how great she is with her schedule.
All of us in our matching Halloween pjs!
How adorable are here passport photos we took of her? I can’t with her cute little expressions. She is seriously so adorable. I can’t wait to see which one they pick for her passport photo.
Ella watching her big brother’s soccer game with her Honey Do! Her facial expression is priceless. She already knows she is going to be so spoiled by her Honey Do!
We are so blessed with four months with our sweet little girl. We love watching her little personality grow. She is absolutely precious! Can you guess what she will be for Halloween? Here’s a clue, it has something to do with her name.
P.S. Subscribe for weekly newsletters so you never miss a single post!
Hope you are doing well! Today I wanted to share a fun and easy game day snack tray that your family and friends will love as we get into football season. You can see the full DIY video on my Instagram! This easy to share snack tray is my family friendly take on charcuterie boards with all your favorite snack items from healthy veggies to sweet chocolate covered pretzels this easy game day snack tray has something for everyone. Plus I got everything for under $20 at Walmart. A perfect budget friendly snack idea for your family or friends.
I bought all of this at Walmart using their Online Grocery service on the Walmart App. Super easy and convenient for a busy mom like me who prefers not to shop in store with a newborn. You can save time by having our personal shoppers do the hard work for you. Plus they even offer delivery so it can be delivered straight to your door!
New customers can use promo code TRIPLE10 to save $10 off their first three pickup or delivery orders. $50 min. Restrictions & fees apply.
Below are the items I bought to make this tray. You can find already cut up cheeses and meats to save you time at Walmart. I love that I didn’t spend more than $20 on this, so not only did I save time but money too. Walmart offers quality products for a great low price for everyday grocery items for my family.
INGREDIENTS LIST:
CHARCUTERIE TRAYS:
Is your family excited for football season? I know the boys are. They can watch their football, have friends over, and snack on this delicious easy game day snack tray. I might not be interested in the game, but I will definitely be there for the food. And with the convenience of Walmart’s Online grocery shopping, it makes it that much easier for me to order through the app and pick it up that day. Or even better have it delivered! I hope you enjoyed this post. Thanks for stopping by!
P.S. Subscribe for weekly newsletters so you never miss a single post!
This post is sponsored by Walmart. All thoughts and opinions are all mine.
Hope you are doing well! I recently posted on Instagram this video of our baby must haves in our bedroom baby set up. It has been so helpful for my followers on Instagram that I thought I would share it on a blog post here. When setting up our bedroom for Ella’s first couple months with us I wanted to make sure I had items that I could easily use in other areas of our house, didn’t take up too much space, and also easily store away once she grew out of our room. As a second time mom I realized you don’t really need much when it comes to baby, so having items that are versatile and easy to move around was a must. Below are four of my must have items that we used daily in our bedroom baby set up.
SHOP POST:
Bedroom Baby Set Up:
Portable Waterproof Changing Mat– Instead of having a bulky changing station in our bedroom we opted for this portable waterproof changing mat instead. That way we could use it not only in our bed, but on our dresser, or on the floor if need be. And if she grows out of it in our bedroom, it’s great to stick in the diaper bag for traveling too.
Diaper Caddy – I love this diaper caddy because it was easy to put all her diaper essentials in one carry all caddy that could be easily stored under her bassinet or put on our dresser.
Baby Lounger – I loved this lounger for when we co-sleep with her. It gives her her own little bed that we could put in between us. Plus give us peace of mind that she wouldn’t roll around and get squished. We also used it in the bassinet as well because she loved sleeping in it.
Travel bedside bassinet – This is the best bedside bassinet ever. It can be used as a regular stand alone bassinet, but can also zip down and attach to our bed as a bedside bassinet. Plus it had wheels so we could roll it to any room in the house. And it also had storage underneath for burp rags and other essentials. It also came with a carrying case so you could bring it with you for traveling as well.
You don’t really need much when it comes to your bedroom set up for your baby. I love these items because it’s versatile and can be used for traveling too. I hope you found this post helpful in setting up your bedroom for baby. Thanks for stopping by!
P.S. Subscribe for weekly newsletters so you never miss a single post!
Hope you are doing well! I can’t believe our Ella girl is three months old already. Honestly she is the sweetest little angel baby, and so easy. I don’t ever remember it being this easy with Jayden. I’m not sure if it’s because she’s a girl or because we are second time parents, but this newborn stage is so enjoyable. If we had Ella first I think we would have had five kids by now lol.
This past month she has transitioned in her own room and has been sleeping 7-8 hour stretches through the night. It surprised me the first night that I didn’t sleep a wink because I was just waiting for her to wake up. We took the Taking Cara Babies 5 month bundle class when she was born and have implemented all those tips and tricks and it really helped! She is such a good sleeper and napper that she even puts herself to sleep. We don’t even have to rock her to sleep anymore. It is so crazy to think that she is sleeping in her own bed because with Jayden, he slept with us till he was five. Honestly I felt a little sad that Ella was already sleeping on her own. But at least I am still breast feeding her and occasionally we take naps together so I can get our cuddles in.
Ella had her two month check up a couple weeks ago and she is a tall skinny girl according to the charts. And she is also way advanced in her motor skills. She is already rolling over by herself! I think we might have another athlete on our hands like her brother. I was really hoping to have a chunky little baby with some rolls on her thighs. Guess we will have to see. Either way we are so thankful for our sweet little Ella, and love watching her grow!
Hope you are doing well! Today I wanted to share with you my postpartum essentials must haves that I have been using through my pregnancy. I found these items to be so helpful in my transition as a mom of a newborn. Check them out below!
Postpartum Essentials for Moms
SHOP ITEMS:
Since my body has changed so much, I need all the support I can get. These shapers and bras are perfect for my ever changing postpartum body.
SHOP ITEMS:
I use these pillows every day and swear by them! The body pillow is still something I used now when I go to bed. I’ve had my boppy nursing pillow for seven years and it is my most used pillow for everything from nursing, resting, and tummy time! Definitely a must have for your registry!
SHOP ITEMS:
I need all the help I can get when it comes to breast feeding and these work wonders. I take the Sunflower Lencithin everyday. So far no mastitis. These lactation snacks are so delicious and great snack alternatives. I even have a reserve of breast milk from the past couple of months.
SHOP ITEMS:
Honestly can’t do without these pumping bras. So helpful in keeping me hands free! The one from Bodily is my favorite. So silky smooth and comfortable. I love my breast pumps. I even got the portable one to take on my recent trip!
For all you mamas or future mommas I hope you found my postpartum essentials helpful on your postpartum journey. Thanks for stopping by!
P.S. Subscribe for weekly newsletters so you never miss a single post!
Hope you are doing well! This past weekend I went to my dear friends bachelorette party in Seaside. It was probably one of the best well thought out bachelorette party. From the matching beach totes to the night around a bonfire it was one for the books. Plus not to mention it was a reunion of my favorite people from my high school days to my sorority days in college. I couldn’t have asked for a better first trip away from my babies than this one with my girl friends celebrating our bride to be! If you are planning a bachelorette party in Seaside check out more details of this amazing sbachelorette party below!
Seaside Bachelorette Party
WHERE TO STAY:
For our stay we rented this beautiful home that was walking distance to Seaside shops, restaurants, and beaches. It was six bedrooms, four baths, with an amazing kitchen and common space plus free bikes we could use during our stay! It was plenty of room for all of us girls and it was nice that we could decorate it for our bride to be. The kitchen was amazing complete with a bar so we could make drinks and breakfast which saved us money from going out.
WHAT TO DO:
There was so much to do during our stay there, but honestly we could have stayed at the beach all day if we could. That was probably our favorite part was going to the beach everyday. Plus the weather and the water was so nice. We stayed out there for hours! But if you are looking to do more than the beach here are a few of my favorite things to do as a bachelorette party.
1. Shopping – There are so many cute shops at the square. If you are looking for those popular and cute Seaside sweatshirts then you need to stop by The Seaside Style. They have something for everyone, even for your pets! Another cute boutique if you are looking for unique hats and shirts is Focus Lifestyle Boutique. My friend got the cutest trucker hat there!
2. Bike Riding – One of my favorite things we did was get our bikes and ride around town and to the beach. Our bikes were included in our rental which was a plus! However there are bike rentals in Seaside where you can rent bikes! Seaside is very bike and golf cart friendly. You can get anywhere on a bike there.
3. Beach Rentals – We went to the beach everyday and stayed all day. It was nice to have beach chairs and umbrellas reserved for us when we got there. It may be a little splurge, but it was nice and convenient not having to bring our own. You can reserve chairs, boogie boards and more through here!
4. Beach Bonfire – For our last night there, the girls booked a sunset bonfire at the beach! We roasted s’mores and enjoyed our last night bonding around the camp fire with the stars shining above us. We used this company which is a full service company that operates on several different beaches on 30A. It was definitely a one of a kind experience and great for large groups like a Seaside Bachelorette Party.
WHERE TO EAT:
1. Bud & Alleys – We went here for lunch on our first day and the food was so good! From pizzas to pasta it has something for everyone. It sits right on the beach and the view of the ocean is unbeatable!
2. It’s Heavenly – I first went here on our family trip five years ago and have every time we come back I always visit this gelato shop. The gelato is so good and just what you need for those hot summer days.
3. Surfing Deer – This was my favorite restaurant we ate for dinner. It’s very upscale and very trendy. But most of all the food is amazing. I would highly recommend the PESTO PAPPARDELLE. It was the best! I still can’t stop thinking about it.
4. Food Trailers – One of my favorite things about Seaside is the row of food trailers right in the center square. It’s great for casual eating and right next to the beach.
5. Eating In – One of the things we did to save time and money was eat in. We were right down the street from a Publix grocery store so we were able to grocery shop for our stay there. It was so convenient so we could sleep in in the morning. We even made our own charcuterie board to snack on.
SHOP THIS POST:
Seaside is one of my favorite summer vacation spots. Being able to experience this with my girl friends for a bachelorette party made me love it even more. It is such a beautiful family and bachelorette friendly beach town. I would one hundred percent recommend if you plan to visit. I hope you found this post helpful. Thanks for stopping by!
Hope you are doing well! Can’t believe two months have flown by with our little Ella girl. She grows and changes every day. I love watching her grow. It’s crazy to think that she has only been her for two months. Just amazes me to think she was just in my belly growing, and now she is here making her way in this world. She is beyond precious and we can’t get enough of her. Check out her two month photos below!
Enjoying these newborn snuggles as much as I can. Even though we don’t get much sleep these days, I am thankful for these moments because I know it doesn’t last long. I see how fast Jayden has grown. To me it only feels like yesterday when he was a baby. Even though I take daily photos of Ella, it seems like it is never enough. I wish I could capture every memory so vividly as the moment it happened.
These past two months have been pure newborn bliss with our Ella girl. I am so thankful to be her mama and watch her grow with her big brother. Check out more Ella post below!
Today we celebrate our 8th Wedding anniversary and to commemorate that I wanted to share our first ever photoshoot as a family of four. There’s no greater gift of your love than the children that come from it. I am so thankful for our growing family and so thankful for the man I married to create it. I always say I don’t know how I can love my husband more every year, but every year my love grows with every year we are together. And for every child we bring into this world my heart grows even bigger. Check out our full family photoshoot below.
Can’t believe it’s already been eight years. Time flies when you are having fun. Our life is not perfect by any means, but it’s the best life I could ask for. I wouldn’t change a thing. We have been through so much together and through our ups and downs he is my rock, my soulmate through it all. Here’s to our 8th wedding anniversary and a lifetime of anniversaries to go.
Hope you are doing well! Today I am finally sharing Ella’s french garden nursery. We love getting her ready in her room and taking her naps there. This room is my dream nursery with all the yellow, teal, and gold accents. This nursery is very feminine and classic, and gives me all the french vibes. It’s so cozy and serene, and perfect for our little girl. Check out all the details below!
One of the first things we got was her metal crib. I love the style and how it goes perfectly with the theme. We got this customized crib bedding as a gift for our baby shower. My friend got her the cutest Atelier Choux Paris Blanket which added the perfect touch to her nursery. It’s so pretty I just use it as a display in her room.
I made this butterfly dream catcher mobile using this dreamcatcher kit and butterflies from Amazon. I knew I wanted something unique and fitting to Ella’s french garden nursery theme. It turned out perfectly! For her flower wall, I bought this floral backdrop set that we used for my baby shower and repurposed it in her room. Since we are renting right now, we didn’t want to do anything too permanent to the walls like painting or wall paper. This temporary flower wall was a perfect alternative!
We added this cute reading canopy in a corner in her hursery. I love this cute moon sign my friend got her. The rocking chair has been passed down from Ella’s grandma, and was in Jayden’s nursery, but now he has grown out of it we put it in her room. The bear was my favorite bear that I grew up with, that has lasted me thirty plus years. Jayden also had it in his room for awhile. I love having sentimental pieces from our family pasted down to our kiddos. The history of love makes it that much more special.
I love this cute outfit rack we got for Ella’s nursery. It is the perfect size for displaying her cute outfits.
For the changing table we did this fun $15 DIY for the dresser and the mirror to make it more personalized for her French Garden nursery theme.
I love these organizers for the the drawers. It was such a good deal, and worked perfectly in organizing all of Ella’s clothes. For her changing table I love these white pump bottles I got and added these custom labels for the lotion and hand sanitizer.
For her laundry and extra blanket storage I got these woven seagrass baskets that incorporate with the theme. Above I framed our family maternity shoot with these inexpensive gold frames to add to her wall. It turned out beautiful!
We added these floating shelves in her reading corner and added some of my favorite children’s book and her owlet camera. This swivel glider is my favorite. It is so comfortable and great for rocking and nursing baby girl. Plus it comes with an ottoman with a hidden storage!
This angel lamp was actually my childhood bedroom lamp my mom got me that I also used for Jayden’s nursery and now it’s passed down to Ella’s nursery. I love the sentimental and spiritual meaning behind it.
Cheeto loves Ella’s nursery. I can’t leave him unsupervised though because he loves to tear up her flower wall next to her crib. He’s cute but destructive lol.
Love my little family. Jayden is in love his new baby sister, and Rotel and Cheeto never leave her side. It’s the cutest thing.
SHOP POST:
I love how Ella’s French Garden nursery turned out. It is my favorite room in the house, and I love rocking Ella in her room everyday. It brings me so much joy every time I walk in there, and I hope Ella loves in just as much as I do. You can see her full Nursery Inspiration in ths pos
Can you believe it? Ella is one month old! Time flies by when you have a newborn. They grow so much in just a few weeks. It still amazes me to think we have had her for a whole month. Ella is a doll and we just can’t get enough of her. Below are some photos of her during her first month as well as a recap of her milestones.
SHOP POST:
Ella’s One Month Old Update:
Our precious Ella girl loves to eat and sleep. She smiles for us when she is full and satisfied. Ella is so easy going and only cries when she’s hungry, and boy does she let us know she’s hungry. She eats very well and is probably why she’s in the 8oth percentile. She is growing like a weed. I hope she gets some rolls in her long legs. We currently do a mix of breastfeeding and formula feeding with Ella. It allows me to have more freedom to do things and not be stuck with a strict breastfeeding schedule.
We have been using Taking Cara Baby sleep tips and schedule and it has helped so much in getting a routine. Ella currently sleeps in a bassinet in our room, and occasionally in our bed when she needs a little extra cuddles. We have been using her nursery for nap times during the day and she does so well sleeping on her own. Night times are still rough as we still only get 3-4 hour stretches which is normal in the first few months for newborns. Luckily Josh has been home and has taken over all the night time duties, so I get extra sleep in. I’m definitely worried when he goes back to work next month if I’ll be able to handle it on my own.
Ella loves listening to her big brother and daddy crack jokes, and is always up to play and dance with them. We have been out and about with her and she does so well in public, and will sleep through just about anything. Loud restaurants, baseball games, ect. The girl is so laid back and only cries if she’s hungry. I’ve been able to breast feed her in public with no problem. I actually prefer it over bottle feeding because it helps prevent my boobs from leaking lol!
Cheeto loves being around Ella. He and Rotel (our dog) are her little protectors. It’s the cutest thing. Jayden is doing amazing at being a Big brother. He is so helpful around the house and helping with his little sister. I love watching their relationship grow!
Ella is definitely Josh’s twin, and a Daddy’s girl. Look at these two. She didn’t want to sleep in her bassinet so Josh has been sleeping with her in his arms. It’s the cutest thing!
Look at those lips. I can’t get enough of the newborn snuggles and all of her cute little sleep faces.
This past month has been a whirl wind watching our Ella girl grow. We have loved every second being home with her. She is truly a blessing, and I am so thankful to be her momma. I can’t wait to see what the next month will bring! I hope you enjoyed this post. Thanks for stopping by!
Hope you are doing well! It will be almost been a month since we had our little babe Ella Dawn. Today I am finally sharing Ella’s birth story. It’s still crazy to look back and think all of what happened actually happened. It almost feels surreal to think I almost lost my life at one point. Ella’s birth story was nothing I expected, but it changed my life in so many ways. It has made me stronger in my faith and helped me appreciate the little things more. Read more of Ella’s birth story below.
It all started Thursday May 26th. It was Jayden’s last day of school and I was had my 37 week appointment with my doctor that day. My doctor told me she had found protein in my urine and if my blood pressure was past 140 to call Labor and delivery because I might have preeclampsia. At my appointment and all my previous appointments my blood pressure was normal so this was the first time she had mentioned it. But I was swollen so that could have been another symptom of preeclampsia too.
After our doctor appointment we bought a blood pressure checker so we could monitor my blood pressure at home. Luckily we did because later that night we would check it and it was over 150! I knew something was off because I was more lethargic than normal and I wasn’t very hungry. I didn’t feel like my normal self. We called the hospital and they told us to come in that night. My mom came to pick up Jayden to stay the night at my parents house since it was late.
At the hospital they did a blood test, urine test, and checked my blood pressure and all came positive for preeclampsia. The on call doctor said we would have to be induced and have our baby ASAP as that would be the only cure for preeclampsia. If left untreated could be fatal for the mom and baby. So midnight Thursday night we were admitted to labor and delivery where they started me on twelve hours of the first of my labor inducing treatment.
This photo was taken Friday morning before starting Pitocin, getting my epidural, and having my water broken. The inducing process was easy and much more relaxed than my first labor experienced. We had a game plan, our room was very nice, and the nurses were very kind and accommodating. I didn’t feel rushed so I felt like we could enjoy the process more.
The only thing that worried me was that my doctor who I was seeing and delivered Jayden would not be on call to deliver our baby girl. This was the only downside with being part of a bigger hospital group was the inflexibility for OBGYN’s to deliver their own patients. I had heard too many horror stories of births gone wrong because the doctor who delivered was not the original doctor and had no prior relationship with the patient. A horror story that I would soon live through that night…
It was early Saturday morning I would deliver my baby girl at 3:16 AM. The labor process had been easy. I had been with wonderful nurses through the whole process. I had only met the on call delivery doctor once prior to delivering to adjust the position of Ella’s head during the labor process. I was in the final pushes when the doctor returned, and I remember it was the hardest five minutes of pushing of my life. I could actually feel it this time around and I almost thought I would quit during the worse of it. But then Josh told me he could see her head, and that gave me the last momentum to push her out. It was one of the happiest moments of my life.
Ella was born perfectly healthy. I did not have any tears nor require any stitches. But it went downhill from there. After the delivery everything happened so quickly. I remember, not even moments after her birth, the delivery doctor cutting her umbilical cord and tearing the placenta out of me. It was a different experience from my original doctor who delivered Jayden. She allowed me to have skin on skin with Jayden while he was still attached to my placenta, and I was able to deliver my placenta naturally.
After taking out my placenta my body kept on bleeding and I was gushing out huge blood clots. Josh said it looked like a murder scene. My body had not stopped laboring so when she removed the placenta it was continuing to bleed. This photo below was the last photo my husband took of me holding Ella before they had to wheel me to the OR to stop the bleeding.
Josh said it was the longest four hours of his life. He was all alone with Ella not knowing what had happened to me. Apparently I had lost so much blood that I had to have a blood transfusion. They also had to preform a D&C but realized that didn’t stop the bleeding. There was no tears, nothing wrong with my uterus physically other than the fact that wouldn’t stop bleeding. The only solution that worked was blowing up a balloon in my uterus to stop the bleeding.
After the OR they wheeled me to ICU for recovery. I woke up to feeling myself uncontrollably defecating on the hospital bed because of the medication they gave. My poor husband was by my side with tears in his eyes from worry and fear of losing me. For two nights I stayed in the ICU while they monitored to make sure I did not have any internal bleeding. I had to have the balloon in me for almost two days to make sure it stopped the bleeding before they removed it. If it didn’t work I would have to go into surgery again, and or possibly get a hysterectomy which would mean I wouldn’t be able to have another baby. But thankfully that was not the case.
During my time in the ICU, my mom, mother in law, and grandmother in law came to take shifts to stay with Ella in labor and delivery since Josh wouldn’t leave my side. I only got to see Ella a couple times during my stay when they would roll her down so I could breast feed her. It wasn’t until Monday when they discharged me from the ICU that I got to spend my first full day and night with her.
I don’t know what I would have done without our family being there to help us. It made us thankful that we decided to stay close versus build a house an hour away from our family. I don’t think I ever want to be far away from my family again. They did so much for us. Brought us meals, made sure Ella had all the love and attention she could get while her parents were in the ICU. God showed us how truly important family is during one of the toughest times of our life.
During this whole crazy ordeal also made me appreciate my husband so much more. He really stepped it up. Since I was bed ridden I couldn’t get up to take care of Ella. Josh did it all. The late night feedings, diaper changes, and helped me when I needed to breast feed her. He made sure I had everything I needed, and waited on me hand and foot while taking care of our little girl. God truly blessed me with the best husband. I honestly don’t know what I would do without him.
Monday, several hours after taking this picture and thinking we would be going home we were told I would need to stay two more days, where I would be administered a twenty four hour magnesium treatment in order to prevent me from having a brain seizure from high blood pressure due to my Preeclampsia turning into severe preeclampsia. It was so hard for me to comprehend that I just almost died once from severe blood loss, but I could also die from having a stroke.
Above is a photo of me on my magnesium treatment. Out of all the days I was at the hospital, this was the worse. I thought my face was on fire, and I felt like I had a severe case of the flu which were all normal symptoms of my magnesium treatment. Luckily I had these cooling cat face sheet mask in my toiletry bag because it gave me temporary relief from my face feeling like it was burning.
It was hard for me to mentally cope with the fact that I was purposely making myself feel like sick in order to prevent myself from having a seizure. At one point I had a panic attack because I couldn’t sleep, and my nose was so stuffed I couldn’t breath. I felt like the room was closing in on me, and I thought would never leave the hospital. I thought if I fell asleep I wouldn’t wake up and wouldn’t get to see Jayden again. Josh had to comfort me and I eventually fell asleep after the nurses gave me Benadryl. I never prayed so hard in my life that I could make it out of the hospital and finally get home to be with all my babies. That day truly tested my faith.
During my whole time at the hospital and for two months before Ella’s birth I listened to Christian Hypnobirthing App. It helped me focus on my faith over fear and gave me strength when I needed it the most. I would 100% recommend it. It helped me get through one of the most scary times of my life.
Below is Josh massaging my feet while I was bed ridden and in the worse state of my life. Nothing test your love and makes it grow stronger than having a husband who is there and won’t leave your side when you are at your worse.
So glad I brought my Boppy pillow, and my favorite $5 plush doggy blanket I got in Montana when we visited Yellowstone last year. It made my six day hospital stay more comfortable. Those hospital beds are not very comfortable especially when you are attached to so many wires and an IV! Below are my other hospital essentials which I would highly recommend bringing:
This Mama robe and breast feeding friendly gownwas so much more comfortable to be in than my hospital gown the last couple days I was in the hospital. I also brought this cute night shirtwhich I ended up using when I had to extend my stay at the hospital. I would definitely recommend bringing extra clothing just in case you end up staying longer. There was nothing more refreshing than being able to take a shower and change into nice comfortable clothing after giving birth.
I had to share this photo of this door ornament my mom made for Ella because of the story behind it. During my stay there were two other women who gave birth to girls who stayed next to me. They already had names picked out so they had these cute custom name decor for their doors. My mom thought the hospital made them for the patients, and because I didn’t have a name picked out for Ella I didn’t have one on my door. So while she was staying with Ella in our room in the maternity ward while I was in the ICU, she would constantly text me name ideas for Ella and tell me I needed to pick out a name so I could get a cute name tag for our room. Finally when I was transferred back to the maternity ward, I asked the nurses if they made those cute name decor for the doors. They clarified they didn’t and the patient’s brought it themselves. I didn’t know that was a thing, but apparently it is now days. So when my mom found out she went straight to Hobby Lobby and made us one for our door. How cute did it turn out? My mom always goes out her way to make things extra special.
You can read more about the meaning behind Ella’s name and our special contribution to my mom:
The happiest day of my life, finally getting out of the hospital and going home to be with both my babies. I missed Jayden the most during my six days at the hospital. It still brings tears to my eyes when I think about the possibility of never seeing him again. I still look back and remember praying so hard to just get through the day so I could be reunited with my son. It was the longest six days of my life being away from him. I thank God everyday for answering my prayers and keeping alive so I could come home to my babies. They are my everything.
Jayden meeting and holding his little sister for the first time. He said that was the best day of his life for his family to be home. I will never forget his little face and excitement. This is a moment I will cherish forever.
Can you believe at three weeks early Ella was as big as Jayden who came almost a week late? Imagine how big she would be if she came out full term? She definitely takes after her daddy in appearance and size! I’m so glad she came out when she did. Plus that was three extra weeks we got to spend with her, and we have soaked up every moment of it!
They say nothing is stronger than a mom, and that’s the truth! Birth is a beautiful thing but it also can be scary. Preeclampsia is no joke, and it can happen to anyone at anytime. I was one of the luckier ones who was able to catch it early. Thankful for the doctors and nurses who took care of me.
Ella’s birth story was one of the happiest and scariest days of my life. That experience has made me appreciate my time at home with my babies so much more. I look back and can’t help but just be thankful for my family, for all that God has given me. It was truly an experience that has strengthened my faith and made me stronger.
How adorable are here passport photos we took of her? I can’t with her cute little expressions. She is seriously so adorable. I can’t wait to see which one they pick for her passport photo.
SHOP POST:
