Baby Hobgood TWO!

Well, I thought maybe I should update the blog at least once before this sweet little one gets here for me to look back on! Where to start?

Heath and I found out we were expecting baby number two on our 4th wedding anniversary! It was such a perfect gift for us both!!! We were ready for another and felt this was such great timing between each kiddo. To add to finding out we were expecting again, we were closing on our first home in a matter of days. Which was another huge blessing but we were planning many renovations and changes to be done before we would be moving in. Well, I was a little disappointed I couldn't get my hands dirty with paint and everything else...but we had an army of friends and family who gave up their time and energy to help us work fast and somewhat finished before stuff was moved in. Actually, they moved our stuff in while Heath and I were in Lake Tahoe shooting a wedding. IT WAS A HUGE GIFT AND BLESSING, that I hope they know we are so freaking grateful for...(even though we couldn't find anything for a long while...and sometimes still can't, but lets be honest and say were still not all unpacked!) Our little fixer upper has become more than just a little "cosmetic" fixer upper and become a full blown fixer upper. Want a list of all of what we have fixed or has gone wrong since we moved in? 

-No air conditioner upstairs (where all our bedrooms are) August-October. (It also caused a leak on our new carpet!)
Why you might ask? Long story short. Because the previous owners put in a new one by an technician who did his job wrong and completely screwed up the new unit that was put in for our contract before we moved in. Thus us fighting to make sure they fixed the problem they left behind to us...then finally giving up and spending $6k on a new air conditioner...in October when it started to cool down. 
- Our island in our kitchen was completely torn out because of problems with sink and how cheaply made it was. We "had" to get a custom one made for us to replace it. (Better for resale right?) Which was done by Chad Ogelsby and we absolutely love it and recommend him for anything and it was totally worth it!! Then we come to find out the dishwasher was broken as well. We just bought a new dishwasher this weekend on Black Friday. #adulting Hand-washing dishes since we moved in. (I will never take clean dishes for granted!!!!!)
- Master shower leaked into our living room. - We have a hole in our ceiling of our living room now because the water is leaking through the tiles. This means gutting shower and completely redoing/retiling. Which we were planning on doing eventually...not now. Project on pause until after Christmas. ;-)
- Remember when it rained really hard those few days in October? Us too! Our new roof that was put on when we moved in did not have a vent that was was not sealed correctly. Leaked into our master bedroom. Woke up to dripping onto the ceiling fan at 2am! This is fixed thankfully. No more leaking, but there is now another ceiling to fix.
- Our heater went out on Friday morning when it froze and was raining ice. Thank goodness it was just the blower motor and we FINALLY got our home warranty to cover something!!!!!!! 
- Im sure that I have forgotten something but on top of that we have painted every wall in the house, replaced almost all the floors, scraped texture, had the electrical re-done, changed fixtures and cosmetically improved this poor little house and more to make it home for us. 

We are no where near done, it is such a process and we will love it and be so proud once we don't have a 203958034 things on our to-do list. There is still countertops to be replaced (or painted, cant decide!), fixtures to be changed, baseboards to be put in, outside/landscape to be changed but we have big plans that will someday come to fruitation. Or when we have more time. And money! But lord have mercy, the next house we buy will be built or NEW. One time fixer-upper, one time. HA! It has been a long few months and it has been not for the faint of heart. We wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of family and friends. So to say my first couple months of pregnancy were rough is an understandment. We were literally living in the middle of a construction zone, I was EXHAUSTED and so nauseous in the middle of all the ridiculous stress. Plus, I was in an extremely busy wedding season during it all. To say the least, I was a walking zombie who didn't want to get out of bed at all.

To say this pregnancy has been a world different than with Griffin would not be exaggerating. My first pregnancy was very smooth, I had a couple of weeks of nausea and exhaustion but it wasn't bad at all. I really felt amazing the whole 37 weeks besides having gestational hypertension and having to be on moderate bedrest towards the end. I really felt so great and loved being pregnant!

This time was 100% flipped from last time. I am not a person who likes to nap...it really makes me feel terrible when I do. I didn't even hardly nap with G was a newborn. But for those first 13 weeks, I napped every single freaking day and was still exhausted going to bed as soon as I laid Griffin down at night. As well as nauseous during the first trimester. This was way new and I don't do well when I feel like I needed to puke all day everyday. Luckily, I only did once. (Which I count my blessings on! Trust me!) But almost wished I did the whole time so maybe I would have felt a little better or something. I was on progesterone until 12 weeks for low levels in the beginning and I am blaming half of it on that. Because around 14 weeks I was feeling back to sort of "normal". I cooked dinner every night that week and finally didn't take a nap everyday for the first time.  Bless my sweet toddler heart, he watched more Mickey Mouse than I care to admit that first trimester. Now he LOVES "Meemo"! Whoops! 

14 weeks until now have been pretty smooth! I have felt a whole lot better and only feel nauseous every once and a while! The only difference I have had is round ligament pain at this point, leaving me feeling like an 85 year old lady wobbling around at the end of the day! Tummy growth is a whole lot quicker than last as well, thankful to be getting out of the awkward "I ate too much stage" and into it actually looks like I am pregnant! Oh, and I pee my pants all too often. 

At 16 weeks, we found out we were having another sweet little boy! With Griffin, I knew from the beginning he was a boy. No question. This time, I could not figure it out. I am not sure if it was because I had felt so different, which made me think maybe it was a girl. But my mind changed everyday between boy and girl. We were so happy to find out it was another boy! There was no doubt not even 10 seconds into the ultrasound. Haha! Before marriage and kids, I had always wanted all boys. So this is really a heart desire for me...but even so now that we have Griffin. So, I at least got two boys so far...and I am sure the rest will be boys as well! I am so excited to see how this brother relationship develops. Griffin has such a kind heart, I am confident in his leadership as a big brother in our family. I know that sounds silly to say about a two year old...but I believe it with everything I am! I cannot wait to see them together...wrestling, fighting and all! 

So baby boy number two, we cannot wait to meet you! 
Baker Owen Hobgood, you have been prayed for, for years and we are so excited to have you join our family! 

We have not had any problems thus far, baby is 100% healthy! Praise God! I have had some signs of high blood pressure again. We are monitoring at home, hoping it stays at bay! That is our only prayer request! 

I am sure I will start blowing up like a whale and swelling soon! You guys, its inevitable. If you remember last time. Dear lord. I have just accepted that I am just one of those girls who gets really puffy and swollen when pregnant. It is all so freaking WORTH IT for this precious babies. But pray for my poor husband. I am sure it is not easy to watch your poor wife grow into a wobbly and puffy marshmallow that looks like she is in pain when she smiles. LOL! I don't think it is avoidable. (crying laughing emoji inserted here!) Like I said, I do it for my babes and it probably (Lord willing!) won't be the last time either. 

Last but not least, Griffin is 23 months old and is doing amazing! He is the joy in our everyday! It is amazing how fast they learn and develop. He is talking to us and communicating like crazy! We love it! We cannot believe he will be 2 in one short month. We both feel so grateful we get to watch him grow and be loved by this little guy. We love him more than any words can say. He is kinda understanding that there is a baby somewhere? From the beginning, we asked him "Are you having a baby brother or baby sister?" EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. he said "Baby seester!" Soooo...we have been trying to tell him nope, "Baby brother!" Haha! I am sure he doesn't fully understand why his mommas belly is growing, but it has been fun to slowly teach him what is going on. 

20 weeks with Baker Owen!

Family Photos 2015 by Casey Lambert

This week, baby is the size of a: Ear of corn (11 inches & 1 pound)
Due date: End of March 2016!
How far along: 23 weeks
Next appointment: Tuesday, December 8th
Gender: Another sweet baby boy!<3
Total weight gain/loss: 10 pounds
Stretch marks: None.
Swelling: None...yet.
Symptoms: This time around my round ligament pain at this point is very existent by the end of the day! I waddle around the house once 7pm hits. I might have one day a week I feel nauseous.
Maternity clothes: Abso-freaking-lutely. They are too comfy to not wear them!
Belly button: Normal-ish. It will be flush sooner than last time I am sure.
Sleep: I am a weird sleeper outside of being pregnant so that still hasn't changed. But in my first trimester, I slept like a husband for the first 12 weeks. Now- I have a really good night of sleep then a tossing and turning night. That is normal for me even when I am not pregnant.
Food cravings/aversions: My first 13 weeks of this second pregnancy was straight nausea, so I didn't really want anything. Since then I haven't really craved a whole lot, lately I have wanted tomato basil soup from Market Street. But it hasn't been anything crazy this time around!
Movement: Yes! I started feeling him around 16 weeks and now he is doing flips and turns! He is an active little guy!
Wedding ring: On...for now.
Mood: I have been way more emotional and anxious this time around. Maybe it is because you know what you are getting yourself into this time. You know the love and how your life has completely changed for the better. Now, another little human will do it all over again to you and you are just emotional. I feel very grateful, I am so excited to be a momma to another sweet little boy!
What I miss: Not really!
What I’m loving: How fast this pregnancy has gone. Your second seriously flies by when you're busy chasing a toddler around!
What I’m looking forward to: Im enjoying this pregnancy, not wishing away minutes. Time is already flying way faster than with Griffin. He will be here when it is time for him to be. Enjoying Griffin while I can, he changes so much everyday! 

All for the better.

I am sitting in my living room floor staring at the wall thinking about how I should be working, doing laundry, vacuuming up the head full of hair in the carpet (damn you, postpartum hair loss), cleaning out my car, picking up my wrecked house while the babe is napping...but all I can think about is that I am almost a month away from celebrating my first borns first birthday. Wait...how did that happen? Where did the last eleven months go? In the blink of an eye, I will have a toddler. Typing that made my heart skip a beat.

Sigh.

Not only will I be celebrating Griff's first year of life but I will be able to celebrate the new life I have had the chance of living myself in the past year. I am celebrating my first year of motherhood. The very teensy beginning of a journey to nurture Griffin (and any other 3+ tiny little humans the Lord might bless us with someday) Also- my husband probably rolled his eyes and shook his head at the 3+ comment if he read this. If I had it my way, I would have many many babes. But that isn't just up to me!

In a year of being momma bear to Griff...I have learned...a lot. About everything. Before Griff, I read article after article, blog posts, do's & dont's of babyhood, advice, warnings...practically everything an expectant mother can read or hear. As most expectant momma's do of course. We want to prepare our minds and hearts for what is to come. Before, you are most definitely expectant of many things. Am I right? Obviously...the baby. But were you expectant of the routine you were about to enter into? The  diaper changes 939 times a day in the first months, change your clothes 5 times from spit up, using dry shampoo 4 days in a row and nursing every minute of everyday. Don't forget about how many times you would have poop on your hands or arm and forget to wash it off. And pee in your eye. (Girl moms count your blessings!) That is just having to do with the baby. What about the mountain of laundry that piled up and your husband has to wear dirty work clothes because you forgot to wash it all over the weekend? Or maybe you remembered to wash the laundry but it sat in the washer from Friday-Monday and never made it to the dryer. :-) Did I mention the bottles and breast pump parts filling the sink to the brim? We look good if we make it out of the house without snot stained sleeves and yoga pants on.

Lord have mercy on us people. We are all a hot mess.

I know for me I anticipated those things. I knew things were going to be different. Being a free spirit helped a little and I think I am able to thrive in the crazy moments. But really, until your in the heat of it. You don't know the reality. There is no preparing people. I think we are all naive until it actually happens. In my opinion, motherhood looks nothing like those articles and blogs you read. It looks nothing like what you see on Pinterest or that Instagram account of the perfect mom of 5 you might follow.

My how my little blue-eyed boy changed me. I remember the first few weeks of Griffin's life I worried myself sick wondering if I was doing it all "right" and by the book.
Was I feeding him enough and the correct way?
Should we give him a bottle or will he get nipple confusion?
I should lay him down while he naps.
No, we're not going to give him a paci yet.
Hell ya, I am going to nurse him to sleep.
Cry it out...no way!
Pureed foods or baby-led weaning?

I think mostly, I did everything completely different than one might read in a book. I did what it took to survive.
I nursed him on demand, he is healthy and growing.
We gave him a bottle within the first week of his life.
I cuddled him for every nap until he was 4 months old.
Paci in the third week.
I still nurse him to bed every night. And during the night. Yes, that's right...he still doesn't sleep through the night...so what. I don't mind!
He can cry it out for a few minutes. I know what cry means "Mom, I need you."
We tried both at 6 months. He still hardly eats anything. He likes his milk!

What I didn't read was how I could just do what worked for Griffin. Or me. Without guilt or disappointment in your heart from the books or how other mommas were doing it. I wish I would have read that I was going to make a million mistakes and worry enough for everyone in the world...but I was going to choose what was best for my family and that was enough.

So that is what I am going to tell you, expectant mommas.

Your heart is going double in size. You will feel the most happy and content you might have ever felt in your life. I found myself in a tiny human being...you might too. The love you enter into is going to be a messy love. A nursing every two hours, spit-up on, dark bags under the eyes, beautiful kind of love. You will cry in the middle of the night because you're so tired. But the moment you make eye contact with your littlest love, the exhaustion and frustration melts away. There will be adoration in both of your eyes. There is only going to be a few years of this...hold on tight to the memory of those moments. Be humble enough to ask for help. You can't do it all on your own...that angel will thank you for it. They deserve our best. There is one million different choice to make for your little one. Trust your heart, prayerfully consider what is best for your family. There will be books and people who disagree and do the opposite. Ignore it and be supportive of every mother. You are all in this for the same thing. We all want our kids to be safe, loved and accepted. Let it start with accepting the mom who choices are opposite of yours. There is love and unity in acceptance. All those brand name baby things...who cares. Just pick one. Lord knows, the babies don't care. If they have arms to lay in and a million kisses on their cheeks, you're good to go. You are going to lose small pieces of yourself. But for good. You wont care what you look like, you might even forget that you gained those 20+ pound because you will be so enamored in love with your child. That is okay! And it is okay that you may not have lost all your baby weight either. You are still sexy as hell if you are confident in your new role as a mother. It is a new kind of sexy...with a baby on your hip. You are going to sacrifice yourself in ways you never imagined and you aren't going to blink an eye. You are going to understand Christ's love for you in a whole new way. You are going to love with wreckless abandon. You are going to be loved by this tiny human in a big undeserving way somedays. With one look of those big innocent eyes, you will be changed.

All for the better.

There is still going to be mountains of laundry and you won't have showered in 3 days. And you won't give a damn.

September 2014 : 8 months

Baby Hobgood: One month!

Griffin Parker, you are one month old. 

One month ago was one of the most precious days of my life. I met you, on the outside, for the first time. I remember holding you close to me on my chest, like it was yesterday. And now, here we are---a whole month, sweet boy!

Griffin, you are an independent and easy-going baby. You love your cuddle time with mom and dad but you also don't mind laying on the floor by yourself and falling right to sleep. I have a feeling you will be a leader someday, a son of God. Your name means "strong in faith" and I think you do and will embody that meaning well. 

You are still wearing newborn clothes and diapers and have some room to grow in them. You were a bitty little guy when you were born! You sleep like a champ most nights in between feedings. (Thank you!) Even when you decide to wake up and play in the middle of the night, I don't mind. I am still pretty enamored by you. You eat every two hours day and night right now. But if it means your growing then I am more than willing to let you do that! 

Sweet Griff, I stare at you all the time. I just love holding you, and spend many a nap times with you in my arms. I want to soak in all your sweet babyness, because it's so stinkin' precious and I just adore you so much. Looking forward to the next month!

Things he loves: 

His wubbanub (Wilson the Giraffe!)- You should invest in these sweet little pacifiers mommas-to-be. My favorite thing is when he falls asleep...the paci falls out of his mouth and he is usually cuddling the sweet stuffed animal attached to it! By accident maybe...but its adorable.

Play mat- All the bright colors and patterns he just stares at!

The floor- He is so content just laying on the floor kicking his little legs and looking around. He especially loves a fuzzy green blanket we have that we lay him on. He loves to rub his arms all over the fuzzy!

Bath time- But only when dad fills up the bath! I have a tendency of making the water too cold because I think it might be too hot for him. But Heath does it just right every time. I can't wait for him to be able to splash and have fun in the bath!

Swing- The mamaroo has been something that soothes him right to sleep or keeps him asleep when we need to put him down. So this is a Griffin love and a mom and dad love! ;-)

Grunting and squeaking- This has been the funniest thing ever. He makes the best noises. You know he has woken up when he starts grunting and stretching. Which all happens before the crying...so its a great cue for us to know its time to eat/diaper change/etc.

Eating!- This sweet little boy had no problem eating from the very beginning. Our first month, he ate every two hours, sometimes less than that. Which was tough at first, especially at night, but it got easier and we both really grew to love nursing. 

Things he dislikes:

Swaddling- He didn't want to be swaddled from the very beginning. He sleeps with his arms up and by his head! He loves to stretch out!

Diaper Changes- Only in the middle of the night when he is hungry and its time to eat!

This first month has been bliss. Here is a (BIG!) picture update of the past month!

A couple of days after we brought him home. Found his thumb!

The morning Griff met his puppy brothers!

Loving on his Honey!

that yittle hand :')

One week old!

Sigh...I just love him so much!

First time to do tummy time!

One month old!

My world.

Griffin's Nursery!

Griffin's Newborn photos

Brianna Brewer Photography