So I've kind of been neglecting this blog. I've been so busy updating my other blog, Nourish, and I'm finding it difficult to keep up with both so you probably won't be seeing too much action on this one but please check out Nourish if you haven't already. I promise to have plenty of Bishop eye candy on it!

10 Year High School Reunion!

This past weekend was my 10 year high school reunion and it was so much fun! Friday night we went to the homecoming game and then Saturday night was the cocktail party. Bishop made an appearance Friday night and was a hit! How could you not love a mohawk having, Ed Hardy t-shirt wearing baby?!

It was great seeing old friends again and meeting their significant others but honestly I think I was most excited about having a night out. That is an extremely rare occurrence these days. As you can see from my ear to ear smile in the pictures it was much needed and well spent.

cousins

These might be the first black and white pictures I've posted on here because I usually prefer lots and lots of color but I love the way these turned out. The bond between Bishop and his sweet cousin Avery is captured perfectly here. Bishop is so loved and so fortunate to have such a great family surrounding him...especially little miss personality above. I don't think I could love that girl more even if I had given birth to her!

I love the way Bishop looks when he first wakes up. His hairy is messy, his brow is furrowed and his eyes are still sleepy. I was able to catch it on camera the other day after his nap. I just love everything about this sweet little face!

BabyLegs

This month I am offering 20% off of BabyLegs at the boutique so to announce the sale I had to enlist the help of my favorite model. I just had to dangle a flower over his head to get these adorable shots.

Nourish Baby Organics

I am proud to announce the launch of Nourish Baby Organics, my 100% organic skin care line made specifically with sensitive skin babies in mind. After trying unsuccessfully with multiple skin care products to soothe my baby's eczema I decided to formulate my own. I have been so happy with the results that I am now sharing them with other mama's. I use organic olive, pumpkin seed and sunflower seed oil for their high content of omega fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. My oil is infused with Calendula and Chamomile Flowers for their healing herbal benefits and when mixed with Lavender essential oil it takes on a heavenly scent. Massage daily onto your babies skin and add to their bathwater for best results. Great for children and mamas too! Oil comes in 8oz and 4oz bottles and retails for 21.50 (8oz) and 16.50 (4oz). My baby oil is packaged in round amber glass bottles to avoid chemicals from plastic and to keep them preserved longer. You can find them by going to the boutique here.

Last month we went to the Sounds game for my dad's 64th birthday! He was so funny singing "When I'm 64" by The Beatles all day. This was Bishop's first time at the ball field or ball park...not quite sure what you call it I'm obviously not a sports fan. Bishop apparently isn't either atleast not yet. He starts getting sleepy as early as 5 some days so it was really pushing his bed time to get there at 7. We didn't stay for the whole game which was fine with me.

We had another first that night...nursing while driving down the interstate, don't worry I wasn't driving. Bishop was so mad on the way home the only thing I knew to do to calm him down was to nurse him so I climbed into the backseat and positioned myself over his carseat and nursed my sweet baby. He was asleep within a minute! Thankfully Jeremy's windows are tinted. :)

I no longer shop for toys in the toy department...Bishop prefers the kitchen department by far.

daydreaming....

I'm so blessed and thankful for all that I have but I still can't help but to daydream a little bit. I crave the country life. Living in my dream house (pictured above) on acres and acres of green land with lots of adorable farm animals running around would be so dreamy. I would have my own organic garden and even a goat to milk! Bishop would love exploring and helping around the farm.

My Birth Story

I loved giving birth. I know some of you think that is crazy or that I am lying but it's true. It was the single most amazing experience of my life. It was fun and challenging! Kind of like how some people get a high off of running a marathon or climbing a mountain. Giving birth gave me that kind of high. You hear all the horror stories from moms who were in labor for 3 days or had to have an emergency cesarean and for some reason when you are pregnant they feel the need to share their stories with you. I don't know how many times I was asked "You're getting an epidural right?!?!" Even if I wasn't going to get one I don't think I would have told them just so I wouldn't have to listen to what a mistake it would be for me not to. I did get an epidural and I think that the scariest part of my delivery was anticipating them injecting me with it. In hindsight I wish I hadn't and I wish that I hadn't been induced but thankfully I was able to still have a beautiful delivery. I decided to get induced because my doctor encouraged me to and I really trusted his opinion. Bishop was a week late and we all thought that I was going to give birth to a baby sumo wrestler because I was so big ...I mean BIG. I was retaining water like the Hoover Dam! One day when I went in to see my sweet OB for a checkup at about 7 months he jumped back startled and said "You blew up like a balloon!" I only continued to get bigger. Even towards the end when most people stop gaining I was still packing on 3 pounds a week! By the time Bishop came I was over 200 pounds! My maternity clothes didn't even fit and all the extra weight had put so much strain on all my joints. In the mornings my fingers would be locked in a curl position. I had to physically straighten each one out with the other hand. I was dangerously close to getting preclampsia from the high blood pressure and weight gain and after my due date came and went we all agreed that I should be induced. So on the morning of October 30th we went to Baptist Hospital for my induction. My water was broke at around 9 and I started to receive my pitocine. At about noon I caved and asked for the epidural. I wanted to stick it out but the pitocine can make you have some mean contractions and I didn't want to miss my window of opportunity. After about a half hour I was completely numb from the waist down which is a very strange and annoying feeling. Then it was just time to wait. Thankfully my mom, sister, Jeremy and Lori a.k.a. Moppa were there to keep me company and the time flew by. After several hours I started feeling the contractions again so the nurse checked me and said that I was at 8 cm dilated and it was about time for me to start pushing! At 4:45 I started pushing with my sister holding one leg, Jeremy the other and my mom at the end of me with a very uncomfortable worried look on her face. I was in no pain only frustrated because I was so thirsty. Jeremy was so great by putting wet wash cloths on my head, getting me my chapstick and not annoying me. I told him before we got there that I didn't want him to look below my waist but once the nurse said that Bishop's head was visible I didn't want him to miss a thing. After what seemed like no time at all Bishop entered this world at 5:32 p.m. He made quite an entrance too with all his high pitched screaming! They immediately plopped him up on my chest and for a couple seconds I wasn't able to see him. I had been pushing so hard that my contacts were lost somewhere in my eyes. Finally when I regained my vision I looked down at the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen. There are no words to describe the overwhelming feeling of love, happiness and just pure awe. I knew that from that moment on my life would never be the same. It was like now that your here how did I ever live without you?!

He's a rollercoaster of emotions...

9 months

Bishop had his 9 month check up yesterday and he weighed 19.7 lbs (36.4%tile) and measured 30.5" (97.24%tile)! I couldn't believe he long he was! He is sleeping in his crib but he's teething really bad so he wakes up every couple hours. I don't think I've ever experienced pure exhaustion like this. Please pray for my sanity!

Bishop has 6 top teeth coming in right now but that hasn't slowed him down. All he wants is to crawl and explore and he's so fast! You can't let him out of your site for one minute or he'll have a flip flop or something gross in his mouth. He's eating lots of different fruits and veggies like winter squash, apples and carrots which seem to be his favorite. He loves bananas too but still prefers his mommy's milk to anything else. He has been napping in his crib and sleeping there for the first half of the night too which is huge because only two weeks ago he acted like he was allergic to it. Next week we have his 9 month check so I will update with some more specifics.

I have been busy working on my skin care line, Nourish Baby Organics. I'm using 100% organic oils and herbs and formulating it specifically for sensitive skin...like my sweet baby's. This week I had 11 lbs of organic beeswax and 5 gallons of oil delivered to the house. Jeremy called me a mad scientist when I was in the kitchen mixing it up. Last week I took a time out to have my girlfriends over. We had a fun night playing games, drinking wine (except the 3 who are preggers) and chatting. I love those girls they have been there for me through thick and thin.

Feed Me!

Seriously woman FEED ME!!!

Bishop had his first boating experience and he did great! He is a natural born boater or boatsman...whatever you would call them. For father's day we went out on Moppa and Poppa's boat. He loved feeling the breeze through his hair. The only thing that he did not like was his life jacket. I can't blame him that thing was huge! I know that it had to be uncomfortable. Overall we had a great time and it was nice to be out on the water. I even took part in some water activities. I think I screamed the entire time. It was so much fun! I don't think that the float was used to someone my size though. It didn't float right after I had my turn on it.

Father's Day/Jeremy's B Day

Father's Day was really special for Jeremy because it was his first and also because it was his birthday. He is truly the greatest father I could have ever hoped for for my baby boy. He is so gentle, patient and sweet with Bishop. They have such a loving bond between them. Bishop lights up when he sees his Da Da. I love to watch the two of them together. I'm so blessed to have them both.