Let me tell you, that I am highly qualified to write about what makes a great Dad. The reason? Because I grew up with a fantastic Daddy, or Dadoose as I more fondly call him. And that is how I know that my husband is going to fill those same shoes with our daughter. So what are some things that make a great Dad?
Involvement
To be a great parent, you must be involved with your child's life. It is impossible to see into the future, but I can go off of what Jacob has exhibited in the past. I couldn't have hand-picked a more involved husband. If I am doing something, he always wants to be there to support and help me. Spelling bee? He's there cheering me on in the crowd. School Title I nights? He's there calling out BINGO numbers or passing out prizes with me. Sewing nursery bedding (or any other craft project)? He is sitting with me and helping in any way he can from being there to talk to, helping stain wood, to ruffling fabric. I absolutely love having my husband as my best friend. It really does make life so much more fun! And because Jacob loves being involved in my life, I know that the same will be true for our daughter. We are two blessed and lucky girls.
Love
It's hard to even know where to start with this. As DC Talk said, "Love is a verb." Jacob shows me his tenderness and love for me on a daily basis. The depth of his love for me is almost overwhelming to think about and he exhibits it in so many different ways. It's one of the things that I have struggled with the most when thinking about having a baby...having to share his love. And after {almost} six years of marriage, I finally understand how people say that your love only gets sweeter as time passes. Jacob truly is the love of my life. Dedication
Jacob exhibits dedication in so many different ways. First, he is very dedicated to me (which goes hand in hand with involvement). He is also very dedicated to his job. Jacob goes out of his way to help others. And lastly, even when it isn't all that fun or when things aren't looking as good as they could, Jacob is dedicated to farming. His ultimate goal of full-time farming is never overshadowed by temporary circumstances. He takes care of the pigs at least 2 times a day (morning and evening) and does whatever it takes to make sure that they are well cared for. To the point that he has birthed pigs during an ice storm, brought sick pigs home to try nursing them back to health in our bathtub, dug holes and said his eulogy for each animal that has died (the standard ashes to ashes!), took extra time to rub and talk to the pigs, and the list goes on. Starting a business is hard work, but he never loses sight of his goals and is completely dedicated to making them a reality.
Those are just a tiny snippet of the character traits that make a good Dad. Those are some of the ones that my Dad was great at; and, I am 100% confident that Jacob will also be great at.
What's baby up to? Baby Morgan is the size of a head of cabbage. She is about 17 inches long and weighs just over 3 pounds. Her brain is busy developing this week. Total weight gain: 12 pounds according to my scale Maternity clothes? Pants, yes. Shirts, not necessarily depending on the style. Symptoms: Some back pain, sharp pain underneath my ribs....I called the doctor (per Jacob's orders) and they said that my uterus is growing up and out and that is to be expected at this gestation, haha! Stuffy nose- I have had a cold so I'm not sure if this is still cold related or back to my normal pregnancy congestion with nose bleeds. Sleep: Pretty good as long as I've got my husband, cat, and body pillow! Our queen size bed seems to have gotten smaller... Food cravings: None, although I would be completely fine with some Chinese food tonight. Food aversions: Nope :-) Movement? Every day Miss anything? Being able to move without grunting, groaning, and other funny noises. Sitting down without my boobs resting on my belly, and my belly resting on my legs. Best moment of the week: Working on the crib bedding! So far I've got 2 bumper pads completely finished.....only 4 more to go!
Worst moment of the week: Not to be a negative Nancy, but I added this in for this week! On 2/17 we had a minor ice storm which left about 1/4" of ice on everything....including power lines and tree branches. I am finally coming to terms, after 29 years of living in the South, that very rarely do we get snow. Instead, we always get ice. Anyways, that 1/4" froze on trees, which in turn fell on power lines. Multiple power lines, which resulted in a 24+ hour power outage for us in the FREEZING cold. And then on top of that, Jacob got sick with some kind of stomach related yuckiness. Fortunately we went to my in-laws and spent the night which meant a DELICIOUS steak dinner, hot showers, heat, and family.
Looking forward to: Getting our furniture in (we're bringing it home in two weeks!) so we can start putting the nursery together. My baby showers that are coming up in March!!!! Not looking forward to: Maternity leave sub plans :-(
What's baby up to? Baby Morgan is the size of an eggplant. She weighs about EXACTLY (well, according to her measurements) 2 pounds and 13 ounces and is about 14 1/2 inches long. Baby's eyesight is getting increasingly more developed. She is focused on developing neurons in her brain and adding on body fat. Total weight gain: Exactly 10 pounds at my last appointment. An even bigger reason to celebrate-- my last appointment was first thing in the morning (and I've been weighing myself at home as soon as I get out of bed) and this appointment was late afternoon (around 4:30). Maternity clothes? Pants, yes. Shirts, not necessarily depending on the style. Symptoms: Some back pain Sleep: Pretty good as long as I've got my husband, cat, and body pillow! Our queen size bed seems to have gotten smaller... Food cravings: Not really! Food aversions: Nope :-) Movement? For sure. It's a feeling that has definitely grown on me because I didn't like the way it felt at first. I can definitely feel her kicking and jabbing, but one of my favorite feelings is when she shifts positions. Miss anything? My morning coffee with yummy creamers. And no, decaf is not the same. Best moment of the week: My doctor appointment yesterday. It went great! Baby girl was slightly uncooperative (but that's okay) for our ultrasound, but we definitely got to see her. Everything still looked good so we're praying for continued good news. She is measuring at the 57th percentile for weight, at 2 pounds, 13 ounces. Her heartbeat was 155 bpm. Have I said before that we LOVE our ultrasound technician? Currie is amazing! We hadn't seen her since our appointment in Greenville so she was asking us about that (even though she had already seen my chart). We told Currie about how we had bragged on her and how the head honcho ultrasound lady (who did my ultrasound) had told us all kinds of great things about her. At the end of the ultrasound, Currie got out the 3D probe and flipped over so we could get a little sneak peak. Of course, the little one didn't want to be seen so we didn't get very clear pictures. She was too busy attempting to hide her face be it with her feet, hands, or umbilical cord. Right now she is positioned underneath my left ribs with her hands, head, and feet all in the same general location. She is looking towards my left side. At this point she is breach, but Mandy was not at all concerned about that seeing as we have 12 (wait, what?? t.w.e.l.v.e.) weeks left.
Looking forward to: Selling our spare bedroom suit on Sunday. We found a buyer and she seems extremely excited. Bless her heart- she told me that she loves us via email- haha! Buy Buy Baby called today and all of our nursery furniture is in, so we can get it any time now. Oh yeah, between my mom and I, we are making all of the nursery bedding! Mom has already made a crib sheet and she is going to do a matching changing pad cover as well. I have delved into the crib bumper and hope to have it finished by the weekend! Not looking forward to: Maternity leave sub plans :-(
Her nose looks a little wonky because Currie had to crop out the umbilical cord
which was laying across the bridge of her nose.
...would we choose to cloth diaper? Well, there are a few very high and mighty answers...but in all honesty it comes down to one thing.
MONEY
Cloth diapering is significantly cheaper. Especially if you shop with coupons! Don't get me wrong...there are other really great reasons too. But, for now we'll just stick with money.
Seeing as we have pigs and both Jacob and I deal in a fair amount of poop every day, cloth diapering did not scare us in the least. Does it make for more laundry? Yes. 1 load a day (probably more like every other day) that takes maybe 1 minute to throw in the washer, and maybe 3 minutes to hang on a drying rack after they are done washing.
Anyways, on to the cost savings. We have decided to fully stock with the same cloth diaper just in case our little lady goes to daycare and we can find someone who will accommodate us. That way it is easier on them. We decided to go with the Bumgenius (BG) Freetime All-in-Ones (AIO). Side note: the world of cloth diapering has MORE acronyms than education. It's ridiculous! These diapers are one size (OS) so we will be able to use them from 12 pounds (though the packaging says 8) up to 35 pounds. Many, many people have advised us to get newborn diapers because they fit better, less leaks, and less bulk.
Up to this point, I have bought 6 Freetime cloth diapers and spent $102. I estimate the total cost of the remaining diapers to be $270. We will use those once she gets to be around 12 pounds. Until then, we will use the newborn BG AIOs. They are absolutely precious. I placed my order today and am SO excited to get them in the mail. We bought 24 newborn diapers for $290 which is quite the steal ($12.08 each). Typically these little babies go for $14.95 each. We had originally planned on doing a newborn diaper rental, but when we started cost comparing, decided that we would actually come out cheaper to purchase the diapers new. Why? Because we are planning on reselling them. Even if we can only get $5/diaper (which is SUPER cheap....they are going for around $10/diaper in Excellent Used Condition--EUC) we will come out even with the diaper rental program and disposable diapering. Anyways, this is what I am waiting on to come in the mail:
Armadillo
Clementine
Countess
Dazzle
Grasshopper
Hummingbird
Mirror
Moonbeam
Noodle
Sassy
Twilight
We ordered two of each color except the white and patterned (Marie). We only got 1 white and 1 Marie.
After doing some research, this is what we have figured out in regards to cost savings in the first 12 weeks ALONE. Assuming the average newborn goes through 10 diapers a day (obviously some will be more, some less-- but this is what most websites have said).....
Length of Wear- 12 weeks
Days in a Week- 7
Number of Changes/Day- 10
12 weeks x 7 days in a week x 10 changes= 840 diapers in 12 weeks
Cost of newborn cloth diapers- $290
$290/840 diapers= .35 per diaper change
Cost of disposable diapers (on subscription) from Amazon Mom- $43.69 for 216 count
$43.69/216 diapers= .20 per diaper change
Now....add in the cost of reselling the diapers (which we plan to do).
$5/diaper x 24 diapers= $120 back
$290 total spent on cloth dipes - $120 money back= $170 overall cost
$170 overall cost/840 diapers = .20 per diaper change
That's our break even price.
But if we get $10 which is more reasonable for the resell market....
$10 x 24 diapers = $240 back
$290 total spent on cloth dipes -$240 money back= $50 overall cost
$50 overall cost/840 diapers= .06 per diaper change
Total cost of disposables for 12 weeks- $168
Total cost of cloth for 12 weeks- $50.40
Savings- $117.60 (assuming we can resell for $10/diaper)
So we could cloth diaper for 12 weeks for $50 total, making it a grand total of .06 per diaper change. It may not be the biggest savings (though to us $117 is totally worth it), but that's only for 12 weeks. We're excited to see how much we will save over the long haul (2 years)!
How far along? 27 weeks-- let me just say that I'm not exactly sure where time has gone
What's baby up to? Baby Morgan weighs about 2 pounds and is about 14 1/2 inches long. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and maybe even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, her brain is very active now. Total weight gain: 10 pounds according to my scale....hoping to hold it at 10 lbs. by my appointment on Monday. Maternity clothes? Pants, yes. Shirts, not necessarily. Symptoms: Some back pain Sleep: Not too shabby if I don't drink caffeine! Food cravings: Not really! Food aversions: Spoiled milk?? So it is totally my fault....but I had my very first puking episode while pregnant this week. I smelled the milk in the fridge and thought, "Hmm. This could go either way." So, what did I do? Tipped it up and taste tested it. I regularly am not a fan of milk, so why I thought this was a good idea I'll never know. Next thing you know, I was running to the bathroom (fortunately that isn't too far away in a single wide trailer!). After throwing up 3 times, I was still a little queasy. Let me just say again and again how thankful I am that I haven't battled morning sickness (like the actual puking kind) my entire pregnancy. Movement? Yes! She is moving all around, flipping, kicking, or something like that! It is crazy to feel and even crazier to watch. Miss anything? Laying on my back Best moment of the week: Getting our house rearranged. My parents are coming to help get our storage shed switched over (we have outgrown our current one) this weekend. We're in the process of trying to sell our spare bedroom furniture because we have no room!! But it felt really good to start the process this week.
Looking forward to: Our ultrasound on Monday. This is the first ultrasound that I have actually been excited about (sad to say). Our first ultrasound (around 8 weeks) was terrifying. I was scared and in complete denial. Our second ultrasound (around 16 weeks) was checking to see if there were markers for Down Syndrome. Again, I was terrified and almost paralyzed with fear. Our third ultrasound (around 18 weeks) was a Level 2 ultrasound again checking for markers for genetic disorders. I was not as scared at this one, but I definitely can't say I was excited either. So I am happy to say that our fourth ultrasound (at 28 weeks) is coming up and I am very excited. This ultrasound is still to check for progress of genetic markers, but I am feeling very at peace. We will definitely have at least 1 more ultrasound, possibly 2 according to my midwife. Not looking forward to: My Rhogam shot on Monday.
Jacob and I have always been more of the "making memories" type of people than the "giving presents" type of people. Early on we agreed that while it would be nice to get jewelry, clothes, roses, or the like for an anniversary, we would really rather spend time together. So every year, since our honeymoon, we have gone on a anniversary vacation together. Our honeymoon was amazing and quite extravagant (think...1 day in Savannah, 3 days in Disney World, and 4 days on a Disney Cruise to the Bahamas). Since then our anniversary trips have been a little more affordable and we have gone to Atlantic Beach, NC (1 year), Gatlinburg, TN (2 years), Hilton Head Island, SC (3 & 4 years...what can we say- We love it!), and Myrtle Beach, SC (5 years).
This year for Christmas, we decided to forgo the presents for each other and use our Christmas budget to take a mini-vacay (we'll call it a babymoon) back to one of our favorite spots...Hilton Head Island! Now before you go thinking, we could never afford that....let me change your mind. It doesn't take a lot of money at all! I bid on our room on Priceline (there are some tips/tricks) and had it narrowed down that we would either be staying at the Omni Hotel & Resort or the Sonesta Spa & Resort....both of which we were more than okay with. I ended up winning the bid and paying a whopping $72/night for a 4 star resort. Amazing.
Saturday
So, Saturday morning we struck out on the 5 1/2 hour trip to Hilton Head! When we finally got there we were pleasantly surprised with beautiful accommodations including a newly renovated king room.
After arriving and getting our luggage unloaded, we struck out for a walk on the beach! Even though it was a little chilly and very windy, the view was gorgeous. Afterwards, we headed out to the Tanger Outlets in Bluffton and shopped around a little bit mostly killing time before we headed out to dinner. For dinner we ate at one of our go-to joints for any vacation, Mellow Mushroom! After eating some pretzels and pepperoni pizza, we headed to Sweet Frog and got some frozen yogurt.
This whole day, I'll mention, that my stomach had been a little off. I attributed it to way too much soda, not enough water, and generally unhealthy food (Bojangles for breakfast, McDonald's for lunch, Mellow Mushroom for dinner). More to come on Sunday....
After dinner we hung out at the hotel and played Ticket to Ride, a super fun board game. We played a total of 4 times and Jacob beat me....four.times. Ridiculous! But, we still had a lot of fun!
Sunday
Sunday morning I woke up and my stomach was still all out of whack so I called the BCBS 24 hr. nurse line. After asking me a series of questions, the nurse on the phone had decided that my symptoms were either due to: 1) pre-term labor or 2) C. Diff (Clostridium Difficile) and that I should go to the nearest Urgent Care or Emergency Room immediately. Um, HELLO?! I am in South Carolina and on vacation!! Well, of course, I freaked out and started crying. I tried to call my OBGYN for a second opinion and apparently, they no longer have a doctor on call phone line (something about new federal guidelines). I asked Jacob what he thought, I asked my parents what they thought. Then, I ultimately decided to do something that I don't like to do.....annoy my midwife. I texted her what was going on and she almost immediately texted me back. She said to take some Imodium, drink TONS of fluid, and see how I progressed throughout the day. Well, obviously I progressed just fine and things cleared up. Thank the Lord for midwives who go above and beyond.
So, we spent a little time that morning scouring the island for Imodium, eating McD's for breakfast (I had their fruit/maple oatmeal and it was delicious), and playing Ticket to Ride. And the good news is that I finally beat Jacob!! Afterwards, we went for another walk on the beach and the weather did not disappoint. Gorgeous sunny skies, little to no wind, and about 65 degree temps.
On our walk, we even got to see some of these...
One of our favorite places on Hilton Head Island is Lawton Stables. It is a gorgeous farm located smack dab in the middle up an uppity, gated neighborhood that makes guests pay to get in! In the middle of the highfalutin folks' community is a beautiful horse farm. But even better than that....chickens, goats, cows, a pet deer (yes, you read correctly- her name is Callie), and PIGS! You can walk through their farm, go on horseback rides, and pet/feed the animals.
After going through Sea Pines, we headed back over to the Tanger Outlets to pick up a few cute outfits that I had spotted during our first round through. As to not be impulsive, I waited it out a day before buying them! Let's just say that I LOVE Carter's & Janie and Jack :-)
For dinner, we went to The Crazy Crab which sits right on Jarvis Creek (the sound). While we can always count on this being the most expensive meal of the trip (around $65 with tip), it is always worth it. Delicious food, great customer service, great views! Unfortunately, that wasn't the case this time. Let's just say that it was way less than wonderful. Terrible service, cold to lukewarm food....and that is just skimming over it. Well, we paid the bill and were about to leave when I noticed one more thing with the bill that tipped me over the edge. So, I went and talked to the manager, very calmly but very matter-of-factly. We didn't expect it at all, but she ended up taking one of the entrees off of our bill as well as the surcharge for macaroni and cheese (which is what tipped me over the edge)! We walked out with a bill of $25 instead of $50. Jacob (notice I did not say "we" here) generously tipped our waitress $10 saying that we should always offer grace because we don't know her situation. True? Probably. But still, she gave terrible service.
After dinner, we headed back home, relaxed, watched Bridesmaids on TV, and played a few more rounds of Ticket to Ride (all of which I won)!
One of our favorite scenes....I mean what is not to love here? Privacy (short i), That's from my undercarriage. HAHA! WHAT?! I mean, so wrong....yet so hilarious.
Monday
Sadly, Monday morning meant that it was going home time. We slept in until around 8:30 and then headed out to the beach for one last walk. It was definitely difficult to leave because the beach was at its best.
The beach was littered with sand dollars. We saw at least six and there were families finding them everywhere as well. It was so exciting and so of course, we had to take some home! We took the ones that were clearly already dead because they were up near the sand dunes and had already turned greenish. You can see in the pictures above, that the beach in Hilton Head has a very gradual slope. No crazy drop offs or sand bars like you find in Atlantic Beach. And, the sand is packed firm so the wind doesn't blow it everywhere. This means that when the tide comes in, it is all the way up to the bottoms of the dunes; yet, when the tide goes out there is at least 500 yards of packed sand. This makes it an ideal vacation beach because it can be slammed packed and you still feel as though you have all the space in the world.
After our walk, we headed back to the car and left the beloved island. There may have been some hormonal tears spilling down my face. It was an end. And end to our vacation, an end to this one last vacation as a couple of two (even if we vacation alone in the future, we'll always be a family of 3). But I got it together quickly when Jacob took me to Chick-Fil-A for a CFA biscuit and...ice cream! At 10:30 in the morning :)
We had a wonderful time in Hilton Head and will definitely be going back soon...
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
