A regular Mom in a Pinterest world

I have a love/hate relationship with social media, particularly Pinterest.  I do owe that magical place many thanks for favorite recipes, cleaning tips, crafty ideas, "life hacks", and workout ideas.  I'd probably be safe in guessing that most moms have spent many hours lost in Pinterest land.  It's a wonderful place where we can design our dream home, put together our dream closet, and even make plans for our dream body.  If only all of those pins came with time and money...don't we wish?? ;)

I didn't allow myself on Pinterest until I became an official full-time homemaker just before having my first baby. I was hooked immediately!  It taught me how to cook, and more importantly how to enjoy cooking.  It helped me work on staying in shape before, during, and after babies.  It helped me learn how to fix up and decorate a home.  It's the first place I look for party ideas, new desserts, Halloween costumes, and makeup tips.  It's a great resource but I think it's a double edged sword.  This is a place where "do-it-all" moms shine and those of us who still feel like they're getting the hang of this mom thing often feel inadequate.  

I feel like sometimes we set the bar so unbelievably high to be the perfect chef, decorator,

do it yourself-er, seamstress, photographer, fitness guru.  Oh and on top of all that, try and look beautiful and stylish at all times. It's enough to make any woman lock herself in the closet away from all the pressure.

And who is it that's expecting us to be all of these things?? 

It's not our husbands...Morgan tells me I look beautiful even when I'm still rocking my pjs, bare face and topknot at the end of the day.  He loves me even when the house is messy and dinner means leftovers...again.

It's not our kids...they're happy as long as we feed them, play with them, and love them.

It's us.

I feel like as women we are always trying to outdo each other.  Where is the balance between being a good mom and wearing yourself ragged? I've spent many naptimes browsing Pinterest thinking, "How in the world can I do all of this??" But I will say, while there are cons to this social media craze, I do love the "cyber support" I feel as a mother.  I am loving the blog posts by moms confessing that they're not the perfect "Pinterest" mom and that it's ok. It's nice to know that other moms have those days where they're lucky everyone got fed that day.  I love that I can get advice and opinions of other moms who are dealing with thumb-suckers and tantrums and trying to lose baby weight.  Instead of social media being the place where we compare our efforts to the efforts of others, let's make it a place where struggling moms can lean on each other and build each other up.  {instert RAH RAH RAH! here} Let's remind each other that even on those days where all you have doesn't feel like enough, it is.  So go hug your kiddos, kiss your husband and tell yourself, "I am enough". Because you are!

The last year/Kate's story

Growing up with three years between the kids in my family I figured that's how I'd have my kids.  So I surprised myself when Reese was about 18 months old and I was wanting another baby.  We announced the big news to our families around Thanksgiving of 2013 that we were expecting our second baby.  My pregnancy with Reese was a breeze so I was surprised that the second time around my morning sickness was much worse, and not just in the morning.  That made for an interesting (and medicated) drive to Washington for Thanksgiving.

I also had a hyperactive thyroid, but luckily it resolved on its own.  And I'll admit while I was really hoping for a girl, I was pretty sure we were having another boy.  So we were really excited when she told us it was a baby girl! I asked our ultrasound tech to check again several times throughout the pregnancy because if we ended up bringing a baby boy home from the hospital he was coming home to a lot of pink until I could get some laundry done.  We had ideas for names, but one day I was reading an Arthur book to Reese and when I heard him say Baby Kate I melted and knew that's what I wanted to name our little girl.

20 weeks: it's a GIRL!!!

  

We had another little bump in the road when they diagnosed me with Gestational Diabetes.  I was devastated, not just because I knew what that meant as far as my health, checking blood sugars, counting carbs, and possible insulin injections, but I knew that it meant possible complications for our baby.  With diabetes running in Morgan's family and a sister-in-law who was a dietician and specialized in diabetes, I was set with all the information (and testers) I needed.  Luckily I never had to take insulin, and as hard as it was I stuck to a very careful diet and checked my blood sugars multiple times a day.  I was so blessed to have so much support from Morgan and his family, and friends who had been there before and offered advice and sympathy.  

3D ultrasound

31 weeks!

During this pregnancy there were some other big events in the family!  My sister Courtney left on her mission at the end of February and honestly I think the hardest part of saying goodbye was knowing that our little girl would be walking and talking before she got to meet her aunt. Thank goodness for emails :)

Reese hit a couple big milestones of his own.  He moved into his "big boy" room downstairs and turned two!  We (meaning me) were nervous about moving him downstairs but he did great! *Morgan you were right :) There wasn't even much of an adjustment...I was so proud!

Before:yikes

After: Reese loves his big boy room!

Shortly after we moved him downstairs, Reese turned two! The day he turned two, the dreaded terrible twos hit...but he's still one of the sweetest, funniest little boys I know!  He's quite the chatterbox and loves saying hi to anybody and everybody. His favorite word is "no" and his favorite question is "why?" He loves playing with tractors, reading books, and eating :) He'll try just about anything, and he usually likes it!  He's a great sleeper and still takes awesome naps (which made me feel a lot better with a baby on the way).  He loves hanging out on the farm with his dad and riding in tractors, and he already knows the difference between a tractor and a combine! Not bad for a two year old :) he also loves playing in the sandbox and hanging out with his cousins. "B" is still a nighttime necessity but he did outgrow thumb sucking all on his own!  Reese is really good at reading peoples' emotions.  And he understood a lot more about the baby in mommy's tummy than I thought he would, patting my tummy and saying "hi" to baby Kate.  We knew he'd make a great big brother.  He's so smart and sweet and we are so thankful he was sent to us!

What did I tell ya about the terrible twos??

So at my 38 week appointment my doctor told me I had made enough progress that I could be induced if I wanted to and I said "yes please"!  I was induced with Reese and loved it! No big surprises, so midnight scramble to get someone to the house so we could go to the hospital.  I was thrilled!  

The second best thing that happened that week was getting to go to the temple with my brother as he prepared to go on his mission.  We went Thursday night, the night before being induced and I felt so close to our sweet baby girl.  I felt like I was the closest I could be here on earth to where she was coming from. Then after the temple, Morgan, my dad, and Tanner gave me a blessing.  Can I just say I am so thankful to be surrounded by worthy Priesthood holders! I received several blessings throughout this pregnancy and I have no doubt that the power of the Priesthood is so real!

So Friday morning came and my sister Nikelle came to watch Reese since he was still sleeping.  We got to the hospital about 8 o'clock and were all hooked up with monitors and Pitocin by 9.  Before I continue I need to give a shoutout to Morgan! When I'm in labor he becomes a coach, masseuse, a snack go-fer, my distracter, spokesman and ice chip master. 

This is my "ouch it hurts!" face

Getting ready for drugs...yay!

 I lasted until 12:30 before I got an epidural. *I am not ashamed by the way.  Epidurals are one of the many blessings of modern medicine which I am very grateful for! And shoutout to the amazing anesthesiologists at Mountain View...they are fabulous!* Anyway apparently my "epidural canal" or whatever veers off to the right a little?? so my right leg went totally numb. That was kind of annoying/bizarre but even with all that I was a happy camper! Dr. Huggins came and broke my water about 2:30. Then about 3 o'clock (I was about at a 6) they started watching Kate's heart rate really close because during contractions it was dropping, which meant the cord was probably wrapped around her neck. They moved me around quite a bit to see if it released any tension for her (this is where a numb stump for a leg was a real pain). They also put me on oxygen which really made me nervous because that meant she wasn't getting enough. Then I started feeling some of the contractions and I thought "you have got to be kidding me! If this happens again I'll be so mad!" (It quit during my last hour of labor with Reese and they couldn't get anything else to work which meant a painful delivery) So the anesthesiologist came in and gave me a shot of something else and it took it right away. I could have kissed him! **just a figure of speech Morgan :) Then the nurse checked me and she said, "Oh wow you're at a 10...you're ready to have this baby!" Turns out that explained what they call "breakthrough pain" and that explained her being in distress because I was progressing so fast. Dr. Huggins was delivering a baby next door so I waited a few minutes while she finished up with the other mom. My nurse said "lets do a few practice pushes" so I tried one and she said "Stop! Don't push!" I guess little Kate was about ready to slip right out :) then Dr. Huggins got there, I gave 2 good pushes and she was here! It was a completely different experience than with Reese. She cried for about 10 seconds, they put her on my chest and she just laid there, hardly making a peep. 

 I was shocked by all her hair and she was so much smaller than we expected! She weighed 5 lbs 13 oz and was 18 inches long. She had long skinny fingers like me and the cutest little button nose!  With both Reese and Kate we took our time with our sweet new baby before inviting family to come in and I'm so glad we did!  It's such a precious, indescribable feeling, meeting your baby for the first time and I was in no hurry for it to end.  The nurses were so great to do her little checkup without taking her out of my arms.  She knew right away how to nurse and ate like a champ! 

Then when we were ready our families came in and Reese got to meet his little sister! Everyone was smitten with sweet baby Kate

Kisses for sister :)

First family picture!

"Damma" (as Reese says) and Papa

Little gift for new big brother

Morgan gave me a beautiful necklace that someday I will give to Kate

Dodo Jensen

Grandma and Grandpa Smith

"Damma LeAnn"

Pa

When Dr. Baker came to check her out he noticed she had a "hip click" which just meant her socket was still a little loose (by 3 months it had resolved thanks to good old fashioned "double diapering") And luckily she passed all of her blood sugar tests so after the first night in the hospital we were good to go home :)

Already getting spoiled by daddy

She had him wrapped around her finger from the minute she got here

She looked so tiny in her big carseat!

Such a beautiful and happy baby! Just in her 3 short months she's been to the cabin several times, to a family reunion, a drive-in movie, I was even brave enough to take her to a movie just the two of us while Morgan and Reese were on a father-son campout!  She was blessed on August 3rd by Morgan with grandpa's, great-grandpa's and uncles standing in the circle.  It was a beautiful blessing and what stood out to me the most was that she was blessed to be a peacemaker, which we've already seen in our home.  We also went to the Ogden temple open house and went with my family to drop off Tanner at the MTC.  And now every time we get in the car Reese asks if we're going to the temple...I love it!

First night home

Meeting my grandparents for the first time

One month old!

First big smile caught on camera

Such a beautiful girl!

She sure loves him! He's such a sweet brother to her and he helps me out getting burpies and blankets and throwing away diapers.  Reese gives her little kisses on her head and checks on her once in a while and brings her toys when she's fussy :)

  Now she's three months old, weighs over 12 pounds, smiles and giggles and loves watching Reese.  She sleeps through the night, takes great naps, and LOVES being swaddled!  She has been such a sweet addition to our family and we are so thankful she chose us!