Stitch Fix #8 (Total Score!)-Review

Stitch fix #8 was a total score.  I kept all 5 items and finally got to use the 25% discount.  Yay!!  My stylist for this box was Jackie and I feel like she completely understood me.  She must have really looked at my Pinterest and took my pinned fashion pieces into account when she put my box together.  I love her and have already requested her for my next fix (next week).  She may end up being my permanent stylist in the future.

Here's what I got:

MAK JACLYNN 3/4 SLEEVE BUTTON-UP CARDIGAN - I saw this in three different colors on Stitch Fix's website and love all of them.  They sent me the dark coral one and it is so pretty.  It looks fabulous with my new chevron dress.

HONEY PUNCH HARRIET CHEVRON PRINT DETAIL DRESS - This dress is a tiny bit small in the chest area so I have to wear it without the bulk of a bra.  That's fine by me since I would prefer not to wear one anyway.  You can't see anything through the solid black top so no worries.  Love the chevron bottom and the inclusion of pockets.  Since it is black/off white, I can pair it up with any colorful cardigan or accessories.  It's very versatile.

TULLE BAIN CINCH-WAIST TEXTURED COTTON TANK  - The fabric on this tank has a pretty texture and is deep coral.  It is adorable.  The picture doesn't do it much justice.  It is very comfortable.  There are cute buttons on the back that I tried to get a photo of but it turned out blurry.

KUT FROM THE KLOTH DAUMIER DOT COTTON CHAMBRAY BLOUSE - This designer makes great clothes.  I tend to love a lot of their stuff and this one didn't disappoint.  I have had this shirt pinned on my Pinterest board for quite some time.  It is gorgeous!  While I am not a fan of chambray (or denim) tops, this shirt is simply striking.  It is fitted and feminine.  I can layer it under a sweater, wear it open with a tank top, or wear it all by itself.  It will be an essential piece for my wardrobe.

DANIEL RAINN ASHLEE SILK TAB SLEEVE BLOUSE - I admit to being disappointed when I saw this top listed on my content sheet.  I don't really like the feel or maintenance of silk.  It wrinkles horribly and is not wash&wear.  Well, I was so surprised when I saw this.  It doesn't have that weird suede-y feel of typical silk (though it is 100% silk).  It is really wrinkled in the photo because I had bunched it up in a pile the night before I took the above photos.  The fabric really doesn't wrinkle that easily though.  It is a beautiful mint color.  I will need to wear a tank top underneath because it is on the thin side.  I wasn't wearing a bra for the pic so I had to edit out my nipple-age, lol.

If you want to give STITCH FIX a chance to impress you with their mad styling skills, go for it!  I enjoy getting surprise packages in the mail.  It is so much fun.

Father's Day 2013

My 3 sweet guys

Father's Day was really awesome this year.  Clayton and I love to go big for holidays (wish I had remembered to post pics from my awesome surprise Mother's Day in uptown Charlotte).  The day started with black forest pancakes and we let him open gifts.  Emerson gave him 2 pieces of artwork and both boys made him a card.  E also drew him a "Bazinga" beer on his dry erase board, lol.  We gave him lots of candy, 4 sets of beer sampler paddles, and a new pair of shoes.  Let me tell you about the shoes.  First off, Clayton has an old pair similar to them that have started to fall apart.  I have been begging him to replace them but he is soooo picky.  He hasn't liked anything and we have tried everywhere.  Basically, all he wanted was a new pair just like the ones he needed to replace.  Sigh.  I went on a search for them.  Unfortunately, Gola does not make his old ones any longer and there is nothing available in the states that even come close to resembling them.  I found a very similar pair in the UK though.  After much deliberation, I decided to order them and hope for the best.  They got here and I was so happy when I saw how nice they were.  They were very close to his ones so I knew Clayton would love them.  It was the best gift I could have gotten him.  Yay!! 

New School, An Accident, Homebrewed Beer, & A Date

Emerson and his unfortunate head injury

I know I haven't said anything about this on my blog but we have been very unhappy with my kids' districted elementary school.  I won't go into details but just know that the scores are horrible there.  When January rolled around this year, Clayton and I applied to every magnet and charter school that we could.  There is such a high demand for these alternative schools that everyone gets put into lotteries.  My boys got put on the waitlist for many schools before we finally got a phone call from our school district saying that both boys were invited to attend the new STEM magnet school that they were going to start in Fall.  Our county originally only had one STEM school (I will explain what that is, just let me get this story out first) but the demand was high enough to convert another regular elementary into a STEM school.  All of the kids on the current waitlist for the first one would be automatically accepted into the second one.  We were beyond thrilled!  Hayden was #2 for 5th grade so we thought he would get into STEM anyway but Emerson was #35 for 3rd grade.  Our prayers had been answered.  I truly believe my kids are meant to be in this new school.  It feels so right.  After we got this news, Hayden got accepted into a brand new charter school in Mooresville but we turned it down (it was crazy because he was drawn out of the lottery as #58 out of 69 future 5th graders and there was over 300 applicants for that grade).  We just know that STEM is the right way to go though so we didn't even consider it.

So, what the heck is STEM?  It is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.  They learn by doing rather than sitting quietly at a desk.  There is a heavy emphasis on project or problem based learning and it will be applied to all subjects.  My boys will love this method.  Math and science are their strongest subjects so it will be good to push them this direction.  Clayton is a chemical engineer and the boys will hopefully go the same direction in the future.  The thought is that there are too many kids getting degrees in the liberal arts and not enough getting degrees in engineering/tech fields.  Yes, it is a harder road but the demand to fulfill those jobs is shooting up.  There aren't enough kids wanting to go the extra distance in science/math to get those jobs.  This program is designed to help get kids interested in these fields in the future.  Yes, I want my kids to be NC State bound as they have a remarkable engineering program.  That would be a great thing!

So anyway, we went to an informational session at the new school last Tuesday.  While we were listening to the speakers in the gym, the boys were outside on the playground.  Emerson got hurt when a girl backed into him and it made him hit his noggin on a pole.  His skin split and a nurse said that he would need stitches.  He was brought into the gym to find us but he couldn't see us.  They stopped the session to ask who he belonged to (which I am sure embarrassed the poor guy).  I was shocked when I turned around to see him hurt.  Clayton took him out to look at him while I listened on.  He sent me a text saying we need to go to the ER and that sent me into panic mode.  We ended up going to urgent care and they closed it up with glue.  No stitches were necessary, thank the Lord!  

Clayton's custom labels are so cool

Hubby decided to host a beer brewing party with 3 of his fellow engineers from work in April.  They made an American pale ale that they named 5% (it's an inside joke amongst themselves).  It was bottled/kegged later that month.  It didn't last long at all!  Our keg ran dry quickly and now we only have one bottle (shown above) left from the 10 gallon batch.

new red ale fermenting in our guest shower

Clayton and Charles (an engineering co-worker) made the above red ale 2 weeks ago.  It's supposed to be like Fat Tire.  I am sure it will be kegged/bottled soon.  They made 10 gallons and it looks so good!

My cute date and my pretty Hawaiian martini

I took Hayden out on a mom-son date recently.  He loves Bonefish Grill so I surprised him with a trip to the one in Birkdale Village.  We went on a Wednesday because that is known as Bang Bang Wednesday.  We adore their bang bang shrimp.  Everything was yummy.  After we ate, we headed over to Barnes & Noble to get him a new book (he is an avid reader) and then to Ben & Jerry's for ice cream.  It was a fun evening.  He makes a great date. :) 

Stitch Fix #7---Can't decide what to keep

It's that time again!  I received my 7th Stitch Fix this past Saturday.  Jocelyn was my stylist.

B_envied: Wynn Front Pocket Blouse-Grrrrr, I have a note on my profile that says that I want color and that I find black boring.  Somehow, I ended up with a solid black blouse anyway.  To make matters worse, I also have it noted that I do not like gold metals.  There are two very gold buttons on the sleeves of this.  Ugh.  Regardless of color and the gold buttons, I love the fit of this blouse.  I just wish it had a pattern on it of some sort (stripes, polka dots, or SOMETHING).  Regardless of my disdain, I could actually use a black blouse since I don't already have one.  I am still thinking on this one.  BTW, I am well aware that the black blouse doesn't match the navy pants but I was too lazy to go upstairs to get something out of my closet.

Jack by BB Dakota: Dean Striped Hi-Low Tank-When I saw this folded in my box, I got angry.  I had already bought this dress so why did they send it again?  They were just kidding.  They sent me the top that matches a dress that I bought in fix #2.  I wondered why I would buy it since I already have something that is made with the same material but then I tried it on.  It is so cute and it feels so soft.  It would be perfect for summer in the hot south.  Regardless of how much I like it, it is a rather simple tank top that costs $48.  That just isn't happening. [I know I look weird with my hand over my boob in the pic but I wasn't wearing a bra.]

Staccato: Arriah Striped Hi-Lo Blouse-This blouse is pretty but isn't a perfect fit for me.  If I keep it, I will have to fix the shoulders a little bit.  They pucker awkwardly.  It wouldn't take much to correct but I really shouldn't have to do it when I spend so much on clothes.  The color in the photo looks bright orange/black but it is actually a nice salmon/navy.  I do not care for the hi-lo hemline but I could tuck it in.  The back has solid navy at the bottom.

Kensie: Johnny Skinny Jeans-My gosh, these pants rock my socks.  They fit perfectly and are so comfy!  Mine are a lovely deep navy blue. {KEEPING}

Tulle: Moritz Geo Print Sleeveless Dress-OK, I adore this cute dress but I have an OCD issue with it.  Across the bodice, the lines from the pattern do not align across horizontally.  You cannot see what I mean in the photo, but the lines slant down and look like a novice seamstress put this together.  I used to be a seamstress so it is driving me crazy that the pattern wasn't sewn straight across.  What's weird is that they managed to cut and sew the backside straight across. I wish they had managed to do that to the front also.  Anyway, it is only really noticeable if you are really close to me.  If you stand back, the pattern looks really cool and you can't see the lines.  It's hard to explain. I am in love with this dress so I have a request in to Stitch Fix to exchange it.  Oh, and I forgot to mention that the colors in the photo are look bad.  They are actually navy, coral, white, and mint.  It is such a pretty color combo.

I am still waiting to hear back about the dress exchange before I decide what to do.  The dress is the piece that will make it or break for a complete buy of the whole kit and kaboodle.  I would love to finally buy a whole fix for the 25% discount but I am not quite sure what I am going to do as of yet.  I will update this post as soon as I know.

If you are interested in this fun service, visit Stitch Fix's website at: Stitch Fix.

UPDATED: I ended up keeping the pants and sending everything else back.  I just couldn't come to terms with the dress and the tank was way too expensive for what it is.  I didn't like the fit of the salmon/blue striped blouse.  The black blouse looked good on but isn't anything special.  Next fix is schedule for 6/21. 

Stitch Fix #6 Review (Yes, I am addicted)

I got my 6th fix last week and I really enjoyed this one. Here's what I got and how I felt about each piece:

1) Just Black Carter Skinny Ankle-Length Jeans---These beautiful cantaloupe colored pants are amazing. They fit me perfectly in the waist and rear, but are a tad bit long in length. I will alter them soon myself. I love how comfortable these are. The fabric is super soft. *KEPT*

2) Nally and Millie Leeann Reversible Tank Dress---The color and basic design of this dress is nice but it does nothing for me in terms of fit. Without a belt, it has no shape whatsoever. I needed this a few months ago when I was full blown pregnant. :P

3) Daniel Rainn Liah Dot Print Cinched Waist Blouse---This shirt is very pretty but the print made Clayton and I both think of a giraffe. I would have kept it if it had been more colorful and wasn't so easy to wrinkle. Please ignore the cantaloupe pants. I know they don't match. 

4) Honey Punch Payge Striped Cross-Back Sweater---This sweater is so pretty. Lovely mint color and cool cross-back design. In the upper left pic, I wore it with a white tank underneath since it is fairly thin. In the pic of the back, the white thing you can see is the style card hanging from the tag. *KEPT*

5) Mia Melon Paloma Back Cutout Jersey Top---I have to say that I despise the back of this top. The bottom hem scallops like the shape of a butt and ended up making mine look huge. I don't like the back cutout or the loose fit. It does nothing for my figure. The color is beautiful and I really like the neckline though. The white thing that you see in the back is the style card hanging from the tag. Sorry I somehow deleted the pic of the card and I already sent it back to SF.

Feel free to check out my newest addiction to get your own stylist-selected box of fun clothes (with free shipping both ways and no obligation whatsoever!): Stitch Fix

disclaimer: I DO NOT get paid for writing these reviews. These are my own personal opinions and I have no connection to Stitch Fix, other than being a satisfied customer. :)

Hayden's Awesome 10th Birthday Party (from 1/21/13)

For Hayden's 10th birthday, we went all out. We rented the neighborhood clubhouse and invited a bunch of kids to play video games. No one knew what the party was going to be like because I kept it all a surprise. I had H and his guests eat pizza as soon as they showed up. While inside, I closed all the blinds so that they couldn't see the game truck setting up in the parking lot. They had no idea. When H was done eating, I took him out by himself to see it first. He was so excited when he realized what was going to happen. All the other kids were standing at the windows cheering by the time we took the above photo. It was hilarious listening to how excited they all were. We then opened the doors and they all flooded into the truck as quick as they could. They played all sorts of games against each other. The truck came equipped with 4 flat screen tvs and many different game consoles/games to choose from. It was awesome!! Those kids never left the truck the entire 2 hours of game time. In case they got bored, there were 2 game coaches that would lead the party and keep it exciting (I don't think they had to do anything because they never got bored, lol). It was the easiest and best birthday party that I have ever done. I was hugely pregnant at the time (this was back in January) and I just didn't have the energy to participate. With the game truck, I didn't have to do much of anything except feed them, lol. All the boys thanked me and genuinely seemed to enjoy themselves.

Yes, I made cupcakes rather than an elaborately decorated 3-tiered cake.  Believe me, I wanted to make an awesome cake. I was just too pregnant to make it so I took the easy way out. The boys didn't really seem to care anyway. They devoured the cupcakes.

Hayden's Birthday Party-more pics

We gave Hayden a much-requested metal detector, a soccer ball, and the Apples to Apples game.

Think Emerson has enough hats on? LOL

For Hayden's actual birthday on 1/29, he chose to eat at Red Robin. What a cute 10 year old I have!

Stitch Fix #5 and #4 Reviews

I am going to begin with my #5 fix that I just received this past Saturday.  If you have no clue what I am talking about or want to read about how the service works, check this previous post.  I adore this service and it excites me to get a box custom-designed for me every 2 weeks (that's how close I schedule my fixes but you can schedule one whenever you desire with no obligation).  To receive your own fixes, simply go to Stitch Fix and get started.  It's easy and fun!

Here's what I got in fix #5:

1) Kensie Lizzeth Polka Dot Sweater - Love this! It is thin and feels awesome. The color is more of a fall color though and I am looking for spring items now. If I had received this in September, I would have definitely kept it. It was hard sending it back!

2) Lasome Debbie Dot Print V-Neck Dress - I admit that I was underwhelmed when I pulled this out of the box. It lacked color and looked boring.  And then I put it on.  My opinion completely changed.  The fluttery sleeves and V-neck (on front and back) are so cute! LOVE this dress. It is super silky feeling and doesn't wrinkle at all. I wore it immediately after trying it on. I paired it with a tiny black belt and a magenta cardigan. It was perfect for my surprise trip to stay-the-night in Charlotte (the boys surprised me for Mother's Day for fun and good eats in the city).---KEPT 

3) Eight Sixty Arizona Striped Jersey Dress - I have another admission to make. I hated this when I saw it in the box. It's a good thing that these stylists really know what they are doing because I would have passed on this dress if I had seen it in a store. The pleats at the waistline and the scoop neckline in the back made it a winner. The fabric feels amazingly soft and the blue stripes are pretty. I wore this on Sunday to Mother's Day breakfast and was complimented. I wore a skinny black belt and a bright yellow cardigan.---KEPT 

4) Lasome Taylor Geo Print Cowl Neck Dress - The fabric on this dress is ugly, in my opinion. It looks like something someone in the 70's would have worn. Blech. I love the cowl neck feature but that's about it.

5) Very J Alaina Striped Button-Up Tank - This shirt felt so good that I wanted to keep it just for the comfort. Unfortunately, it was too loose and made me look pregnant again. The striped fabric colors are pretty but I disliked the blue trim fabric used on the collar. It was kinda holy and looked cheap. This shirt looks like it could have easily been bought at Wal-Mart so it was a big fat no.

Stitch Fix #4 - I tried all of these items on but didn't take pics. This fix was a total bust for me. The green skirt was cute but made me look a tad bit too wide (though that could be because I was only 5 weeks post-partum). I may request it to reappear in my next fix because I really liked it. I just hope that they have a larger size. The sweater was a no-go immediately. I hate gold metals and colors. I have that noted on my profile but I still got this, even though the stripes are a brownish gold. The chevron dress was a huge no-go for me. I dislike ikat patterns because they have rough edges (and usually weird color combos) and the chevrons on this had the rough edges that I despise. It also had a huge hi-low hemline and I have now made sure a note on my profile that I do not like that trend. The polka dot dress was absolutely lovely but fit me totally wrong. I wanted it to work so badly! The colors and print were so pretty. The waistline sit in a weird spot on me though and it didn't work. The lace top was nice but puckered at my chest. It wasn't very soft either so got sent back also. Sigh... that was the first time that I lost my $20 stylist fee. I learned a lot from this fix though so I have now updated my profile to reflect my preferences even more. My future fixes should be even more personalized now. :)

Wanna check out Stitch Fix? Feel free to use my special link: Stitch Fix

Stitch Fix #3 {Review}

I happily received box #3 last week from Stitch Fix (if you have no clue what I am referring to, click this link to see my first post about it). I have my profile set to no accessories except scarves right now so I got 5 tops this go round. One of these tops ended up being instantly loved by me.  Can you guess which one?

The coral top featured in the middle of the collage{Camden Geo Print Side-Ruched Top} was the hands-down winner this time around. I almost kept the black/white striped top {Donna Tiered Striped Tank} but ultimately decided to send it back. The cardigan {Elias Striped Back Open Cardigan} would have been fine (it fit perfectly) but I didn't care for the striped back on it or the weird lapels on the front. The lapels were not cool at all in my opinion and my husband agreed. I absolutely hated the long blue top in the bottom right {Valdina Waist Cinch Tunic Top}. It is not my style at all. The fabric felt good but the uneven hemline is a big no for me. It also didn't fit underneath my arms correctly. I couldn't raise my arms. The sweater {Rocio Colorblock Cotton Knit Sweater} on the bottom left fit like a garbage bag according to Clayton, lol. Where was this top when I was pregnant 5 weeks ago? I love the colors of it but the cut is just horrible. I don't want to look pregnant now that I am finally post-partum. Geez... Anyway, this fix was fun but I expect my next one to be better. It's coming this week. I made lots of comments on my check-out form so hopefully they learned even more about what I like and don't like.

If you are interested in trying out this cool service, I highly recommend it. You will be put on a waiting list that can take a few hours to a few weeks so please be patient. Here is a link to it: Stitch Fix. I would love for those of you interested to use the link I just posted so that I can receive referral credit. It would be much appreciated. If you have any questions, please feel free to post them in my comments and I will get back to you.

I have not been paid or asked to write this review. I just really love this service!

Bouncing Back to Normal

I was severely worried about being able to lose the weight from this last pregnancy.  The past 4 pregnancies were a breeze when it came to transitioning back to my normal size but I had a feeling this one would be tough (I am older, my metabolism is slower, and I am lazier).  Thank the Lord, I was wrong.  I know pumping increases my metabolism but it is amazing how quickly I lost the belly yet again.  I can eat whatever I want and my body still burns off all the extra calories.  I may just ride this out for a while since the fun will end once I dry up my milk.  When I end production, I have to go back to counting calories and exercising to maintain my weight.  Ugh.  That sounds terrible right now as I am about to devour a Twix bar (my constant craving along with Wendy's frosties), lol.

The Newest Fun Way to Clothes Shop---Get Your Fix On! { A Stitch Fix Review }

I have to admit that I have been on a bit of a spending spree lately when it comes to my wardrobe. I have NEVER been like this in the past because I could always find something more important than clothes to buy. Fashion is something that has never interested me in the least. I love wearing jeans and a comfortable top on any given day. Well, my eyes have been opened to wearing more flattering, girlier, and trendier clothes. The one misconception that I have always had was that trendy/nice equates to uncomfortable/expensive. It doesn't have to be that way! Since I have no idea how to create a cute outfit on my own, I began searching on Pinterest and Google. It turns out that I don't have to knowledgeable about fashion, I just need a little direction. That's where an amazing company called Stitch Fix comes in.  They really fit the bill for someone like me. I get 5 items mailed to me whenever I desire (no monthly requirements) and they are chosen especially for me by a stylist that knows all my preferences and body type. Each item comes from a boutique designer and all pieces come with style cards affixed that show 2 ways to wear each garment. Since I am a fashion dummy, these cards are my saving grace on how to match things up.

Sorry for the photo quality and sizing.  I didn't have Clayton to help me so I used my iPhone and the guest room mirror to take these. To see it better, click on the images and the whole collage will enlarge. I will post better individual pics of my next fix.  I ended up keeping the red striped shirt and the navy striped skater dress shown above it. I wanted to keep the dress in the upper right corner but it washed me out horribly.  If it had been any other background color, I would have bought it. The scarf was gorgeous but too warm for this time of year so I sent it back reluctantly. The pistachio/black/white cardigan was a total no-go for me.  I hated the color, geometric design, and it puckered at my chest. 

Considering that I just had a baby 4 weeks ago today, I know that my boobs and waist are a little bigger than normal. I had to take that into account when buying these fitted pieces. I didn't want to note the larger sizes in my profile because then the stylists would send me clothes that would be too loose once I return to normal.

Here's how it works:

1. You fill out a short survey to get put onto the wait list. The wait can be anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks. They are still relatively new and their popularity is now skyrocketing thanks to bloggers and pinners raving about them. It may take some time to get off the wait list but it is totally worth it. I think I got off the list around 2 weeks.

2. Once you get off the wait list, you will fill out a rather extensive survey so that they can accurately define your style and sizing. The more detailed you are, the better your stylist can "fix" you.

3. Schedule a fix. You will receive it around or on the day that you choose. You do not have to sign up for monthly shipments so it is nice to be able to get a fix whenever you desire.

4. When you receive your box, try everything on and decide what to keep and what to send back. You will have 3 days to decide. There is a convenient prepaid mailer for you to send items back via USPS.  I just stick mine out in the mailbox and the mail girl picks it up. Easy peasy!

5. After making your selections, you will go to your account on Stitch Fix and check out. Each item will have a small survey to fill out so that you can comment about what you loved and what you didn't. That helps the designers understand your tastes/sizes even more for future fixes. Your first box can be hit or miss, but subsequent boxes get better and better thanks to understanding your preferences more.

The nitty gritty:

You will pay a $20 styling fee to the designer before you get your box. If you decide to keep any of the 5 items, that $20 will go towards your purchase. In addition, if you decide to keep all 5 items, you get a 25% discount on the whole shebang. Love that!

Just a sidenote-I did not get asked to write this review nor did I receive any kind of compensation for it. It is entirely my own opinion/experience. I just really enjoy the company! If you decide to give it a whirl, please click any of the links in my post (Stitch Fix) to give me credit for sending you there.  I would much appreciate it as I am addicted at this point, lol. I am getting fix #3 next week and cannot wait to see it. :)

Wolfie, New Braces, and Coffee Roasting

Hayden received a cool Wolfie from his Grandma Christie and he LOVES it.

Emerson got braces last month (3/12/13).  Yes, he is only 8 and only has 4 permanent teeth right now.  This is phase 1 of his treatment plan.  He has 4 brackets to make his front teeth go over his bottom ones.  He had a bad cross-bite and it needed to be fixed before all his permanent teeth come in.  When he is a teen, he will begin phase 2 of the plan and get an entire mouthful of brackets to straighten them up.

This pic of Clayton makes him look like his hands are tiny.  I assure you that it is just a weird angle, lol.  He has been roasting his own coffee beans lately and makes the best coffee with our awesome Jura machine.  Guess how he roasts them?  He uses an old popcorn machine from 1985 to do the work.  Who knew that an ancient popcorn machine could be so cool?

 

40 Weeks-My Due Date (3/10/13)

5 Days before Baby S was born

I never posted any pregnancy photos on my blog out of sheer laziness so I wanted to post one of the last pics that I took of my monstrous belly for posterity.  This was taken on my due date and I was HUGE.  It's hard to imagine that there was an almost 10 pound kid in there plus a placenta that was just as big as she was.  Even though I was large, it just doesn't seem possible to have all of that tucked into my body.  I am sad to see the belly all gone now but it sure does feel good to be able to breathe again.  I will post a before/after pic on Friday (that's when I will be 4 weeks post-partum).  All of the weight is gone but I still have to get everything back in shape.  The OB has me on restrictions until I see her so I cannot exercise or do anything strenuous just yet.  The anemia is kicking my butt but hopefully my energy will soon return as my iron levels go back up.

Greenwoods's On Green Street-My FAVE!!

Honey Peppered Fried Chicken

Fish of the Day with Lemon Chive Butter

Sweet Potatoes, Cheese Grits, Lemon Chive Butter

For Clayton's birthday last year, I arranged an early surprise trip to Atlanta for the weekend.  My parents took the boys so we got to spend some quality time together.  I got a deal at the Ritz Carlton downtown so that is where we stayed.  Clayton needed new clothes so I bought him 2 new outfits from Brooks Brothers.  Everything was packed and loaded into the car without his knowledge.  He was surprised when we got in the car and I told him to head south, lol.  We went to the Georgia Aquarium and ate at several good restaurants.  We lived in Atlanta from 2000-2002, so we also made it a point to ride around and see all the places we used to frequent.  Our favorite restaurant down there is Greenwood's.  They serve up amazing southern food in an old yellow house in Roswell.  It is a hidden gem that you would never notice while driving in town.  They don't seem to advertise and the only way to be in the know is word-of-mouth.  Back in the day, we watched our neighbors' cats while they were out of town and they gave us a gift certificate to this place.  I am so thankful for them because Greenwood's is my all-time favorite restaurant.  Nothing can top it.  I would give my right arm for the recipes to their honey peppered fried chicken, cheese grits, and lemon chive butter.  Yummmmm...

Self Portrait (by Emerson-age 8)

Emerson draws on his dry erase board all the time.  When I saw his latest creation, it gave me a chuckle.  Adorable!

My Own Dairy...Moo!

My life is consumed by lactation at the moment.  I have been pumping a lot lately to try and establish my milk supply.  It has been a little harder this time around.  My supply isn't as good as it has been after the other 4 births.  My IPs rented me a hospital grade Medela pump today which should really help as my Medela Pump In Style is about to kick the dust.  The hope is to send out the first cooler next week.  Wish me luck!

BTW, thanks to lactation, I am only 1.5 pounds away from my normal weight.  My metabolism soars when I pump so I reap the benefits of eating what I want and dropping pounds quickly.  Love it!

Surrobaby #3's Birth Story---3/15/2013

Yes, it is true.  My uterus is no longer occupied! I know this is a bit overdue but I have had a tough recovery following the birth.  The actual delivery was easy but the events that happened afterward were a bit crazy.

After going crazy waiting for baby S to make her appearance in the final weeks, she FINALLY came into the world on Friday, 3/15 at 4:14pm. I was 40 weeks and 5 days pregnant.  Baby girl was a HUGE 9lb., 11oz. and 22 inches long. Get this-NO STITCHES!! I am a small girl so that was completely shocking. It maybe took me 10 minutes to push her out. Everything was great up until it was realized that she wasn't breathing and I was hemorrhaging. I wrote out most of the details on Facebook so read the bottom two posts if you want to hear about my traumatic experience. Thankfully, baby girl and I are both healthy and good now. My IPs missed the birth but at least they didn't have to witness the blood bath that occurred in the delivery room. They are totally enthralled with her and she is a sweet little thing. I miss her already. 

Post #1 from Facebook (Friday night 3/15):I have had such a traumatic delivery. Baby came out blue and stunned. She wouldn't cry and we heard the OB ask for someone in respiratory to get in there quick. Clayton and I both freaked but thankfully she started to breathe on her own after a minute or so. Then we find out that her shoulder is displaced due to her huge size and my small birth canal. I felt so bad but it has been corrected. As I was watching her get cleaned up, I noticed my OB fretting while she was working on me. I was bleeding profusely and she was digging around painfully inside of me. The placenta was out (and it was humongous!) but she thought I had more pieces inside. I ended up being quickly wheeled to the OR and they did a D&C under general anesthesia. They also proceeded to put a balloon inside me to try and cut off the bleeding. When I woke up an hour later, I was just being put back in my delivery room. I had tubes and lines everywhere (still do). I started begging for water but they wouldn't let me. It was awful. They told Clayton (because I was so drugged up) that if the balloon didn't work, I would have to have some horrid procedure that involved going through my femoral artery or a hysterectomy. Egad. They began 1 of 2 blood transfusions on me. I was in a lot of pain and so they began morphine. I had been on pitocin ever since delivery to try and help shrink my uterus (still am on it). It feels like I am in labor all over again. Now I have Toradol, Lortabs, pitocin, an IV, a catheter, and the balloon with a drainage tube. It's crazy! I just now got the ok to drink liquids again and I am happy. Hope this post all made sense as I am a bit loopy, lol. Thanks everyone for the support/prayers. I feel so loved and special!! 

Post #2 from Facebook (Sunday 3/17):
Yesterday was kinda rough so I rested as much as I could. Friday night was tough as the pain meds didn't touch the contraction pain stemming from the use of pitocin and the saline-filled balloon in my uterus. Luckily, the balloon procedure worked and my uterine hemorrhage repaired itself. The worst part of the whole deal was when they removed everything. It was less than 18 hours since birthing chunky monkey and yet my OB had to stick her arm up in me to remove 2 large sponge pieces (they helped hold the contraption in place). It took her a while and she really had to dig. The pain from that was excruciating. Once those were removed, she emptied the balloon (which was expanded to about size of a large grapefruit). After deflation, it was pulled through as my cervix screamed in revolt. Heck, I may have screamed too, lol. It felt so good after that though. I finally quit having contractions and felt unpregnant again. Ahhhh, the relief. They prodded me every 15 minutes for the next hour to ensure that I wouldn't hemorrhage again and then removed my catheter. Besides 1 saline drip, I felt like a free woman without all those dang tubes and lines connected to me. After 32 hours of fun, I was allowed to eat again and things really started to get better from there. I got released to the recovery floor around 1pm yesterday. Since everything went so crazy, I didn't get to really visit with the baby until yesterday evening and I could not wait to get my hands on her. She is the sweetest thing. The IPs let Clayton and I keep her with us for a while so that we could cuddle her. It was awesome and I am so privileged to have had that honor. My IM noted how baby S knew me as soon as I got her. She had been upset and settled down immediately when I touched her face. It's crazy how babies can sense who carried them. I told IM not to worry as she will forget. Soon, she will be settled in at home and she will know exactly who her parents and sister are. So now I am getting better and may get released today. In the meantime, I am pumping colostrum to give Miss Thang some immunity before she goes home.

BTW, Clayton babied her after the birth and he kept her taken care of while waiting for the parents to arrive. They got here around 6 or 7pm and she had been born at 4:14pm. I got wheeled back into my delivery room after an hour in the OR (maybe 5:30pm?) but couldn't really visit with her. Clayton was sweet enough to carry her over to my bed and he tried to lay her beside me so that I could really get a good look at her. That was great but I was unfortunately too drugged up to hold her at that point. Regardless, it was still a special moment and I won't forget it. Seeing her made the whole journey worthwhile.

So, that's the story in a nutshell.  I am pumping milk for Miss Thang #2 and getting better with every passing day.  Last week was really hard but this week is noticeably better.  I am down 25 pounds and only 6 pounds away from my normal weight.  The magic lactation diet is in full effect.  I can eat all the junk I want and yet still shed the pounds.  It is going to be a long while before I give my dairy up, lol.  

Love this!

 

Old pics from Father's Day 2012

 

I have had these 2 sweet pics of Clayton and Emerson sitting on my computer for a long time now.  I meant to post them last June but I just now got around to it.  Aren't they the cutest?

Emerson's 8th Birthday Party at Great Wolf Lodge (11/7-11/8/12)

The insides of the cupcakes were so bright and colorful.  The kids loved them.

My completed cupcakes for the party.  I topped each one with chocolate frosting and then covered each with a fondant circle to make the Ugly Doll faces.  They were super easy to make.  

The room was impossible to get a good photo of.  We could have upgraded and got a super nice suite but I decided to go with this one because I just knew that the kids would love the kid cabin inside of it.  They had their own space, complete with bunk beds and tv.  It only had 3 beds in it but that was no biggie since E's guests couldn't stay the night anyway (they had school the next day and I opted to keep my kiddos out).  

Hayden chilling on the top bunk in the cabin

So, I got this great deal for GWL a couple of months ago and booked it for Emerson's surprise birthday party.  He really had no clue.  I showed up in the room before he got there to decorate it.  Clayton said that he was still clueless when they drove into the parking lot.  When they showed up at the door, E was amazed when he saw the room decked out for his special day.  He was super excited and the look of happiness that he had made it all worth it.  Shortly after he arrived, his guests showed up.  We took off immediately to play in the water park and it was pretty much deserted.  They had the place practically to themselves.  There was maybe 15 total swimmers in the whole park.  Gosh, it really is beneficial to live only 10 minutes down the road so that we could go on a weekday.  The boys played hard and then had some nasty pizza from one of the eateries in GWL.  It was beyond terrible but it didn't seem to phase them.  After the park closed, we headed back to the room for cupcakes and snacks.  The guests left and we went to bed.

The next day, which was Emerson's actual birthday, Clayton had to go to work so I took the kiddos to breakfast.  We then did MagiQuest until lunch time.  I took them out to lunch and then we hit the water park again.  They played all afternoon until Clayton got back from work.  Emerson was hungry for steak so we had his birthday dinner at Texas Land & Cattle.  All in all, I think E had a wonderful birthday. :)      

 

Ryan, Emerson, and Aaron (Big E is making a wish)

 

One happy 8 year old :)