Just Chillin'

Our cute Ty boy:

Introducing...

Ty David BradyBorn: Monday, September 19, 2011

Weight: 9 lbs 6 oz
Length: 21 in. long

I have to say that a repeat c-section was scarier than I thought it would be. With my first c-section I had about ten minutes to prepare, we were worried about Jay, and I already had an epidural in. It was over before I even knew what had happened. This time I knew three days in advance and had about 2 hours of prep at the hospital before the surgery. I had to have a spinal block put in while sitting up. (Now this was not as painful as I thought it would be but I was up really high on a small operating table and it took ten minutes. I'm not a needle person and I wanted to pass out.) Before surgery began I got really scared and almost ran for the door. Luckily my legs were numb by this point and I couldn't move. Then, by some miracle, the surgery began and I was completely calm. I felt this wave of peace rush over me and within two minutes I heard Ty cry for the first time.

(Here's my first time seeing him.) He was huge but perfect.

Watching Joe become a Daddy to two boys has been really fun. He's in heaven. And Jay loves having a little brother. (This was a shock to me.)

He loves how everything about Ty is little and he is always trying to "help" by giving him his pacifier, waking him up when he's been sleeping too long, and putting toys in Ty's swing so he can be happy.

I love my little family. Oh and I'm healing well. I'm still in pain but this recovery is cake compared to the first time!

It's Official

Baby Boy Brady will be born, one way or another, by this Monday. The doctor was worried that he was big so we did an ultrasound yesterday (that's where this cute picture came from) and it measured him at 9 lb. 4 oz.! They said that their machines are accurate to a pound, meaning that this baby is anywhere from 8.4 to 10.4. They also hooked me up to some monitors and confirmed that I am in fact having real, regular contractions but I'm not progressing.

So the decision was made that I would give my body until Monday to have this boy and if not, it's c-section #2. I asked about some kind of slow induction but the doctor said that the failure rate of induced Vbacs is 75%... not so good. Also the chances of having a baby this size as a Vbac are not great... not impossible... but not great.

Anyhow, I'm very excited to meet our sweet boy. And to finally name him! Wish me luck.

Scenic Saturday - Kolob Reservoir

Well, I was tired of sitting around waiting to go into labor so we packed up and went for a drive. Joe decided to take me on a road behind Zion National Park (to Kolob Reservoir) and I'm glad he did. It was gorgeous and perfect picture taking light and weather. Good job Joe.

Now I'm ready to be taking pictures of my baby... so come... now... anytime. Really.

Budget Luxury

A few years ago I became addicted to Dove body wash... the expensive kind. Now I didn't pay the $6.00 or more per bottle because I was extreme couponing. I think I paid around $2.50 a bottle. Life became a little less wonderful when I ran out. Since then I've been buying the cheap stuff at Walmart that still costs over $3.00. Boo.

Today my life became a little more sunny. I am back to using dove body wash. But, again, I didn't pay $6.00. I figured out how to make it myself for only $1.72 a bottle! I know you may instantly be skeptical of how you could replicate the lavish liquid but really it's the exact same thing! How?...

All you do is reconstitute dove bar soap. That's it. Really. I bought a six pack of the Dove Go Fresh Burst Beauty Bars ($6.88). I grated three of those bars into six cups of water in a pot on my stove. Then I turned it on to medium and waited for the soap to dissolve (be patient). I transferred the resulting liquid into a glass bowl with an airtight lid until it was cool enough to pour into plastic bottles (it thickens as it cools). It is a little thinner than the real stuff but works and feels the exact same! I promise.

In the end it made twice as much as a normal bottle for half the price! (48 oz. for $3.44) And just in case you are not convinced this is worth it... this makes body wash for $0.07/oz. Even the cheapest Walmart body wash is $0.18/oz. No brainer people.

Next I'm going to make some yummy boy soap for Joe. I HATE the little pieces of bar soap left all over the shower and the residue that you have to scrape off.
Now I just need to find a manly loofah!

UPDATE: I've been receiving a lot of pinterest traffic so I thought I'd mention something. This works wonderfully for DOVE bar soap. If you are trying it with another non-moisturizing bar soap this recipe will be way too thick! That doesn't mean you can't figure out your own amount of water for the kind of soap you like. Just start with only one bar of soap if you are not using Dove.

Growing Pains

It's early and I can't sleep.
I have so many thoughts running through my head.

Now that we're finally in our new house and I can begin to prepare for this new baby (3 weeks!), I can tell that all of this change has been hard on Jay. He's become incredibly clingy and doesn't understand why baby gets to use all of his old stuff that he isn't allowed to play with anymore.

To be honest, though, I'm having a hard time too. Having a child like Jay makes me terrified of what this next baby may bring. I remember in High School, when my brother died, I thought that I'd been through the worst thing ever and that Heavenly Father wouldn't put me through something like that again. But after the first trip to the ER, frantically running my barely breathing child into St. Lukes hoping someone could save him, I realized life wasn't that simple. Bad things happen. Multiple times.

I wish that the normal second time mom fears were the only fears that I had to face... How will I get enough sleep with this one? What if they don't get along? etc. But this morning I find myself wanting to go into Jay's bedroom, hold him close, and tell him things that he can't possibly understand... things like "Mommy will still do her best to protect you Jay."

I was talking to my mom the other day, possibly one of the only people who can really understand my fear, having lost a child herself. My mom is really strong and smart. I told her how I loved Jay so much that it hurt. How I didn't know I could love a child so much and at the same time be so afraid of losing them every second of every day. And most importantly, I told her that I didn't think I could do it again... worry so much, cry myself to sleep, take another child to the ER begging the doctor to please just make him better. I told her sometimes I'm angry with God. She didn't judge me for that last one. I'm sure that she sometimes felt the same way. But she told me not to borrow sorrow. She said that she thinks Heavenly Father allows things to happen in our lives more than He causes them to happen. I needed to hear that. It helped with my anger issue.

So here I am. Still scared but working on having a better perspective. I hope and pray this child is perfectly normal but if not... I'll make it. At least I know that whatever happens, he's mine forever.

Craigslist Project

I have a love-hate relationship with Craigslist... mostly because I hate cheap creepsters coming to my house to look at my stuff even if they do end up buying it. But today's tale is a love story.

I found this: For only $50!!!

And I turned it into this:

For only $20 more!
(Fabric and Old English... Oh and the fabric is not stapled on yet so don't look too close.)

The house we are moving into has almost no closet space so this was a miracle find. Also, growing up, my parents had a cedar chest where it seemed like they stored very important, secret items. I think the fact that it was always locked and felt forbidden made me want one in my house someday to torture my own kids. Just kidding but I do feel very important now.