Harper: One Week

Hello friends (: I just wanted to pop in and give you an update on our baby girl! She is absolutely perfect and we are so in love. Hopefully now that things are settling down and we're getting the hang of the whole parenthood thing, I'll be back to blogging more often. In the meantime, let me share Harper's first week with you lovely ladies!

Weight: Harper weighed 7 pounds and 12 ounces when she was born. The day we left the hospital Harper weighed 7 pounds and 5 ounces. We took her to the pediatrician on Monday for her one week check up and she weighed in at 7 pounds and 6 ounces.  I was a bit upset that she hadn't gained but an ounce over a three day period but her doctor assured us that she was perfectly healthy and if she weighed much more than that, he'd be concerned. Apparently, a newborn shouldn't regain their birth weight until they are two to three weeks old.  Who knew?!

Medical Issues: Harper is still being monitored for her hydronephrosis. Before leaving the hospital, the pediatricians did an ultrasound on her kidneys and bladder to compare it to another ultrasound she'll have at four weeks of age. In the meantime, she's been placed on Keflex to help prevent her from getting any infections. But to our relief, Harper pees a ton so it appears that her kidneys and bladder might just be correcting themselves! Woot woot! Also, when we left the hospital, Harper had a touch of jaundice. So on Sunday and on Tuesday, we had to take her to our local hospital and have her heel pricked to check her jaundice levels to make sure they were maintaining their current level and/or going down. Praise be to God on Tuesday, her tests came back great and she was given the all clear to have no further testing. 

Sleep: Harper slept like a champ while we were in the hospital. In fact, she slept from 10pm-5am and when we'd tried to wake her to nurse, it just didn't happen. When we came home, she started waking during the night to eat. When we first came home, she pretty much was sleeping all day and night and waking every 3-4 hours to eat and then would fall right back to sleep. Here in the last few days she's still been sleeping in 3-4 hour stretches but she likes to stay awake for an hour or two after her afternoon feeding and her early morning feeding.  And by early morning feeding, I mean from 12-2am. She is just as alert and happy as can be; whereas Mommy and Daddy are exhausted but we'll still take all the early morning snuggles and laughs we can with our little girl because we know it won't be like this for long. 

Clothes: Harper is wearing all newborn clothes with the exception of her onesies which she sleeps in at night. I remember thinking we wouldn't need many newborn clothes before she was born because of her predicted birth weight. However, I was wrong and so were the doctors! Harper has very few newborn outfits and I feel like I'm doing laundry every few days so she has something to wear. 

Visitors: We have been so blessed with an abundance of visitors. Harper has met both sets of her grandparents, her great grandparents, her aunts and uncles, her great aunts and uncles, and a variety of friends, family, and cousins.  Everyone is so taken with her and from the snuggling she does with each and every one of them, I'm pretty sure she's taken with them too!

Baby Gear Love:  One: We LOVE the Aden + Anais swaddle blankets. Unfortunately, Harper doesn't particularly care for being swaddled or wrapped in a blanket, so these work perfect for covering her up. They're lightweight and she doesn't seem to mind them laying on her like she does heavier blankets. They're also large enough that they're perfect for tossing over her carseat when we're out and about in public. Two:  I wouldn't trade in my Dr. Brown bottles for the world! Harper had a difficult time breastfeeding so we had to start supplementing with formula. At first we used some regular bottles that we were given but we noticed Harper was spitting up a lot with them. I switched over to using Dr. Brown's bottles and they've made a huge difference. She still spits up occasionally but it isn't nearly as bad as it was before. Three: We couldn't survive without her Fisher-Price Snugabunny Swing. She loves to just lay in it and watch the bird mobile go round and round. She pretty much spends her whole day napping in it while Mommy gets some stuff done around the house. 

Crying: I'm hoping I don't regret saying this but Harper is not a crier. She only gets fussy for one of two things. One being she's hungry; two being her feet are covered up and she can't move them.

Likes: Harper loves her bath time. She could just soak in her little tub for half an hour and her little heart is perfectly content. I'm pretty sure she's going to be a water baby like her Mommy and Daddy. She also loves to be on the move which fits our lifestyle perfectly since we're always on the go. 

Milestones: There are so many new milestones that we've experienced in Harper's first week of life. She's experienced her first bath, first car ride, first night at home, first trip to both sets of her grandparent's houses, first trip out in public, and so many others. Kevin and I have loved every minute of watching her take in the world through her eyes. 

Postpartum: I'm doing great! My postpartum recovery has been much easier than I expected. I'm not very sore or overly tired. I've only had two issues since I've came home. Earlier this week I had some trouble with my stitches bothering me but after spending a day taking it easy on the couch, the pain went away. The second issue I've had is every now and then my back will start bothering me. Apparently it's a side effect of the epidural I received. Little did I know the medicine can linger in your body and cause back pains for a month or so after delivery. The first few days it was pretty rough and I couldn't get up and down without Kevin helping me; however, I didn't have any problem with it once I got to moving around. Now, almost a week later, my back isn't bothering me too much. I just pop a couple ibuprofen if it feels like it's going to start hurting and then I'm good for about six hours. It's amazing what medicine can do!

She's here

Harper Londyn Holt arrived on Wednesday, May 8th at 11:14pm. She weighed 7 pounds & 12 ounces & was 20.5 inches long. She's absolutely beautiful & we're so smitten & in love! 

My Advice on Maternity Style

A few weeks ago, Jessica over at The Newly posted her thoughts on maternity clothes. I loved her post so much I decided to share my experiences and thoughts as well.

Tip #1: Don't Buy Maternity Clothes Until You Have To
Like Jessica suggested, don't buy maternity clothes until you have to. If you're like me, you probably didn't want to purchase maternity clothes. But then again, you may be one of those mamas that are so excited about the prospect of showing off that mini-bump that you're jumping at the seams to wear them. If that's the case, keep in mind that the size of your belly at week 16 is not going to be the size of your belly at week 36! Trust me on this. When I was around 20 weeks pregnant, I went to Target and they were having a massive clearance sale on maternity clothes. I ended up purchasing several dresses, skirts, and shirts for next to nothing and decided to put them up for when I really needed them. The problem was, when I decided my belly was big enough to wear them, the clothes no longer fit. I'd made the mistake of buying maternity clothes to fit at the time that I'd tried them on. I hadn't considered how big my belly would end up getting towards the end of my pregnancy. In the end, I had to return all of my great buys and spend twice as much on new maternity clothes so that I could get some that fit.

Tip #2: Regular Clothes Still Work For Preggo Mamas
One of the reasons I hated the idea of wearing maternity clothes is because they all look the same. They all are bland and no matter how cute the designers try to make them, they just don't compare to all the adorable items that are found in regular clothing stores. But the wonderful thing about the styles today are that most of them work great for preggo baby mamas and you don't have to sacrifice being cute just because you're pregnant. Here's a few tips that I discovered throughout my pregnancy.

• Tank Tops: Tank tops are life savers during pregnancy. You can wear them under you pre-preggo shirts and as they get shorter, no one notices since you have a layered look. For me, I wear a tank top almost everyday. So when I got pregnant, I knew I was going to need to invest in some new ones. However, I wasn't about to spend $20 for a maternity tank top. So I went to Forever 21 and purchased tank tops in every color in one to two sizes up. They were only $4 a piece and they worked great throughout my pregnancy. 
• Long Tees/ Tunics: Longer T-shirts and tunic style tops are really big right now. Throughout my pregnancy, I pretty much lived in these. I purchased quite a few tunic style tops from Old Navy and Walmart for less than $10 each. I also purchased tee shirts in every color from Walmart for $6 a piece and they worked great to dress up or down. I bought them each in a size up and they worked perfect with my growing belly because of the stretchy cotton and longer length. 
• Button Down Shirts & Cardigans: These work great to create layering looks! You can actually buy them in your normal size and wear them open with tank tops. They're also super easy to accessorize. 
• Jeans:  Instead of spending a fortune on maternity jeans, I went to American Eagle and purchased some low-rise jeans in a size larger than I normally wear. I was able to wear them throughout my pregnancy. By buying a size larger, it gave me room for those extra pounds that seemed to go to my thighs and allowed room for my hips to expand in preparation for childbirth. The low cut allowed my belly to fit over the buttons so they weren't tight. 
• Leggings: Leggings are amazing! They're comfortable, stretchy, and cheap. Just go up a size and there isn't a need to purchase maternity ones. 
• Maxi Dresses: Maxi dresses are perfect for pregnancy. With the exception of one maternity maxi dress, all of the maxi dresses I purchased while pregnant were non-maternity dresses. Maxi dresses all stretch and have so much fabric that they cover your baby bump perfectly. Better yet, you can still wear them after baby arrives and no one notices the difference! 
• Maxi Skirts: Maxi skirts are a huge hit right now and there are so many adorable ones in the stores. Because they have elastic waste bands, they also work great for pregnant mamas. I purchased several to wear during and after pregnancy. Because of the elastic waste band, I purchased the size I'd wear pre-pregnancy and just folded the band over under my belly so that I could wear them while pregnant. No one has ever known the difference. 

Tip #3 When Buying Maternity Clothes, Stick to Basics
I finally broke down and purchased more maternity clothes when I hit the third trimester. However, I had so many pre-preggo clothes that worked that I didn't need to purchase a lot. So I stuck to purchasing the basics so I could wear them next pregnancy too. For me the basics were as follows:

• Pair of Khakis
• Pair of Black dress slacks
• A few solid color tops in neutral colors 
• Two pairs of dark maternity jeans (one skinny leg pair and boot cut style)

Tip #4 You'll Need Maternity Shoes... Not Just Maternity Clothes

No one bothered to tell me that when you're pregnant you'll need to invest in maternity shoes as well as maternity clothes. The concept was completely foreign to me until I woke up one morning and had no shoes to wear because my feet were so swollen. Trust me, it'll happen. It may happen around 20 weeks it may happen at the end of your pregnancy around 36 weeks, but you will wake up one day and have no shoes to wear.  My suggestion is to hit up Target. They have cute shoes and they're relatively cheap. I purchased flats from Target in neutral colors in a size up and got them in a wide. It did the trick until it got warm enough that I could wear sandals. Thankfully, sandals work great for swollen feet because you can adjust the straps and make them different widths. So keep that in mind!

Tip #5 Accessorize

The best way to get the most bang for your buck when buying maternity clothes is to buy neutral items and stock up on a ton of accessories. Accessories are so inexpensive and you can really dress up an outfit or dress it down with them. I can't tell you how many scarfs, chunky necklaces, and bracelets I purchased while pregnant. I purchased a variety or prints, patterns, and colors of accessories so that I could mix and match them with a variety of different outfits. The wonderful thing was that I could wear a scarf with a black shirt one day and wear that same black shirt later in the week with a chunky necklace and no one had an idea it was the same shirt. Accessories allow for versatility and aren't just for when you're pregnant so you can get lots of use out of them!

What We're Taking to the Hospital

Over the last week, I've read list after list of things of things to pack for our hospital bags. And let me just say, it can be a bit overwhelming. Have any of you other soon-to-be mama's checked out some of these lists? I mean there are some that are so long and include more items on it than I'd take on a week long vacation! So with that said, after getting frustrated and having no clue what to take, I resorted to the people I should have asked first. I decided to ask my close friends who have given birth to adorable babies in the past year and their list of must haves were much shorter than some of those out there on pinterest and google. So here is what I've ended up with:

For Mommy:
- Robe: I packed a robe for two reasons. One being that I didn't want to have to walk around the hospital trying to get contractions going and showing my rear end to the whole labor and delivery floor. The second reason being that if I didn't feel like wearing pajama bottoms, I could throw on a cami and put this over it so when I stood up I wouldn't be flashing visitors.
- Comfy Pajamas/ Lounge Clothes: I'm not a big pajama person as I usually sleep in athletic clothes. So I packed a pair of loose yoga pants and a nursing cami to wear with them. I figured if I didn't feel up to wearing the pants, I could throw on the robe over the cami as I moved around. I also packed a nursing gown that I purchased from Motherhood but many of my friends suggested sticking to the hospital gown so that I didn't end up ruining my new gown due to those extra "fluids" I'll be losing.
- Nursing Bras: I packed two. Originally I had only intended to include one in my bag but a friend suggested packing two just in case I was in the hospital longer than the traditional stay.
- Pack of Cheap Hanes Briefs: Oh the mesh undies! I know everyone knows about these. Some people like them, some people hate them. Just to be safe, I grabbed a cheap 8-pack of Hanes cotton briefs (yes, granny panties and I got them one size bigger than I normally wear) that I wouldn't mind throwing away if they were ruined. I decided to include them in my bag in case I wasn't a fan of the mesh undies.
- Overnight Pads: Again, I know we've all heard about the massive pads that the hospital gives you post-delivery. Like the mesh undies, some people love them and some people hate them. Just to be on the safe side, I picked up a pack of giant overnight pads to try out if I didn't particularly care for the hospital's pads.
- Nursing Gear: Just in case we have to stay at the hospital longer than planned and my milk were to come in, I threw in a few pairs of nursing pads. I also threw in some lanolin and a nursing cover in case we have visitors when it's time for Harper to eat.
- Cheap Flip Flops: I refuse to walk around the hospital in my bare feet or just socks so I picked up a cheap pair of $1 flip flops from Walmart to wear to walk around in. I also figure they'll be perfect for the shower. The great thing is they're also stretchy so if I get to experience that wonderful post-partum swelling, I know they'll fit!
- Make Up & Toiletries: Every mama I know suggested taking my own make up and toiletries. They all encouraged me to throw on a little make up each day to make me feel more human. So I packed a small make up case with the bare essentials, a travel size package of make up remover wipes, a bottle of shampoo, a travel size bottle of shower gel, a loofa, my toothbrush, toothpaste, and some deodorant.
- Towel: I was told hospital towels stink because they're super thin and not very big so I decided to throw in my own bath towel just in case the towels sucked. After all, I really don't want to use a towel that feels like sand paper after my skin is already sore and dry from delivery.
- Going Home Outfit: I decided to take a maxi skirt, cami, and button down shirt. I figure a skirt would be my best bet just in case I'm sore or end up having to have a c-section. A skirt would be loose and I can wear it higher to avoid rubbing on my stitches.

For Daddy:
- Lounge Clothes: Since Kevin will be lounging around throughout the day, he packed a couple pair of athletic shorts and t-shirts. Not only will they serve as his daily wear but he'll just sleep in them too.
- Going Home Outfit: Kevin packed a nicer outfit to wear on our way home. But nothing too nice. Just a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and polo.
- Toiletries: Kevin threw in his toothbrush, a travel size bottle of shower gel, and a stick of deodorant in with my toiletries. We'll share the toothpaste, shampoo, and loofa sponge.
- Cheap Flip Flops: I made Kevin take his cheap flip flops to wear in the shower as well.

For Harper Doodle:
Thanks to the hospital providing pretty much everything, Harper gets to pack light. I'm not even taking her diaper bag.
- 3 Outfits: The average hospital stay is 2-3 days so I figured Harper would need at least two outfits and I threw in an extra just in case she was to mess up one while in the hospital
- Pacifiers: I'm not going to be one of those mama's that refuses to give her baby a pacifier until their baby is three weeks old. So many of the mamas I know started giving their babies pacifiers in the hospital so I went on and threw in a few types in Harper's bag to try out while we're there.

Other Items:
- Chapstick: I read on tons of lists to include chapstick. I thought it was kind of a crazy idea but after spending four hours in the hospital a couple of weeks ago, I totally saw what the fuss was about. It truly is super dry in the hospital and just in those four hours that I was there, my lips felt like sandpaper. So I've definitely threw in a tube in my bag!
- Boppy Pillow: We've packed Harper's boppy pillow but are going to leave it in the car until we see if we need it. Several people suggested learning to nurse with a pillow; whereas, some suggested learning to nurse with a boppy so I decided to bring ours along just in case plan A doesn't work.
- Personal Pillows: Kevin and I are both taking our own pillows. Afterall, when the nurse at the hospital tells you the only thing you need to bring is your own personal pillow, you better take the warning and do it.
- Camera/ Camera Charger/ Camera Card: Do I even need to explain?
- Cell Phone & Chargers: Definitely don't want to forget those!
- Laptop & Two movies: Since I'm being induced and have to be admitted into the hospital the night before, Kevin and I know we're having a long night ahead of us so we decided to go prepared. So we're taking my laptop and we packed two movies we've been saving to watch for the occasion...Guilt Trip & Parental Guidance.
-Book: For the same reason as the movies, I decided to throw in a book in my bag. I'm sure I'm not going to get any sleep the night before I'm induced so I figured I might as well take something to do. Afterall, there won't be much on tv at 2am.

Well that's it. It seems like a lot but in reality, we were able to get it all in two weekender bags (one for each of us) with the exception of our pillows!

I'll let you know what I ended up using and not using after Harper arrives!

40 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 40 Weeks!!!

Baby Size: According to my BabyBump app, Harper should be about the size of a small pumpkin. She should be around 20 inches long and weigh approximately 7.5 pounds. Since she's weighing in at more than the typical baby, I'm going to guess she's somewhere around 8-8.5 pounds at this point. 

Total Weight Gain: My weight gain fluctuates but I'm guessing I've gained between 35-40 pounds total this pregnancy. 

Maternity Clothes: Still half and half. At home, I lounge in all of my old t-shirts and Kev's sweatpants. In public, I stick to maternity pants and maternity tops for the most part. But if I'm wearing a dress or skirt, most of them are pre-preggo items. 

Stretch Marks? I'm happy to report that I've successfully made it throughout this pregnancy without any stretch marks even close to my stomach! I only have the few on my left hip! I owe it all to Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Butter lotion. It's a miracle worker! I highly recommend it to all of you preggo mama-to-be's!

Sleep: I've been able to sleep amazingly well lately! I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow and I sleep all night. I usually get up around 4:30-5:30 and potty then I climb back in bed and fall right back to sleep. Then I wake sometime around 7. Needless to say, I've been soaking up as much sleep as I possibly can!

Best Moment This Week: Finishing up everything in preparation for Harper's arrival! Everything is done. Now we just need her to get here!

Miss Anything? Regular clothes, cute shoes, and normal size feet/legs/ankles. 

Movement: Harper is constantly moving. But now she moves the most during the day and less and less at night! Hallelujah! Maybe our baby girl has finally gotten herself on a normal schedule...  just in time for her arrival?! I hope so!

Food Cravings: Ice cold drinks, bean and bacon soup, and hot dogs... needless to say, we've been eating at Mayberry's a lot over the last week!

Gender: A Girl {Harper Londyn Holt}

Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks contractions, lower back pain, and some tightening!

Symptoms: I'm still swelling in my legs, ankles, and feet. My acid reflux has gotten worse... guess I jinxed myself when I was bragging on it getting better last week. I've been nesting non-stop! Like seriously, it's gotten out of hand. I've cleaned, reorganized, did all the laundry and dishes, and vacuumed almost every day in the last few days! My greatest fear was that Harper would come and I'd have to leave my house in a mess! Lord knows when we return home we'll have lots of visitors and I know I'll have no energy to worry about cleaning and straightening up!

Belly Button In or Out? It's still in!

Wedding Rings On or Off?  Still off just in case my fingers were to swell! 

Mood: Getting anxious and excited!!

Looking forward to: Meeting our baby girl! We go in to the hospital tonight and start the induction process. The plan is to start me on Cervadil tonight at 7:15pm to soften my cervix. Then at 7am tomorrow morning they'll start my pitocin. By tomorrow evening, we should be holding our baby girl in our arms!!! (: 

Just a Side Note: I'm going to take a week or so off from the blogging world to get the hang of life with our baby girl. In the meantime, I've wrote a few blogs ahead of time to be published each day and keep you ladies entertained. If I feel up to it, I'll try to get on here and share some pictures of our baby girl when she arrives. But just in case if I don't have time or feel up to it, feel free to follow me on instagram at saramholt or on facebook at facebook.com/semoore2. I'm sure I'll be updating those two sites on a more regular basis. 

Keep us in your prayers ladies and I'll check back in in a week or so!