Saturday, January 29, 2011

Better

"ahhhhh...." I've been saying that alot these days. Don't get me wrong this is not an "AHHHHH" It's a peaceful, sigh "ahhh...." I think I'm finally enjoying life again. I'm not nauseous at the site of food, I can hold my pee for long than an hour, my muscles/ligaments don't ache, I'm not carrying around a ginormous belly, I actually sleep in my bed now instead of the chair, my butt doesn't go numb anymore, my back doesn't hurt 99% of the day, I can put on and tie my shoes without becoming out of breath, AND my daughter decided she doesn't hate life which now means, I can sleep through the night, I don't cry during the day, I can smile back at her when she smiles, I don't want to run away when she cries, I love my husband again and think he is pretty amazing, and last but not least I can leave the house without panic that Jessa will misbehave. :)

BASICALLY, I'm just happy again! It's been almost a year since I have felt truly happy. I mean there are always things that I want to improve, my weight being one of them... but I'm happy! I just want to shout it out :)

I'm not sure I can put into words exactly what I felt in the weeks after Jessa was born. Here I thought that my 9 months I was pregnant for were hard, and then she was born. I'm still not 100% sure why she cried ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL the time! I just remember telling Nick "I really don't think this is normal." To be honest though, even though I listed all of those things in the beginning of this post, most of them are out of my head. Yes pregnancy sucked, but I want to do it again. Call me crazy but I absolutely LOVED labor, so yes I want to do that again. And yes the first 7 weeks of Jessa's life was complete and udder HELL but... I think I could do it again. WOW! I think God definitely has his hand in this one because for me to say that is just... wow! Everyone kept telling me during my pregnancy "keep your eyes on the prize." Well the prize I got wasn't the prize I was expecting and really, I wanted a different prize! But now... Now I look at this beautiful little girl I have and it just brings tears to my eyes. She is so perfect, so well behaved and she is MINE! ALL MINE! I find when I leave her for more than an hour I miss her. Or when I wake up when Nick leaves at 6:30am and she is still sleeping I want to go get her. She is everything I expected having a child would be like and more. BAH! I just want to gush about her all day long.

... Lets talk about something other than Jessa. Here is a challenge to myself to write about everything but her for the rest of this entry. Here I go...

So I've gotten back to going to the gym. It feels absolutely wonderful, except for the part where every time I start a workout program I end up gaining 10 lbs off the bat. I know this sounds crazy but it's true. And then I get really discouraged and quit and then end up 10 lbs heavier than when I started. This is honestly how I've gained about 30lbs in the last few years. I can't give up though, not this time! I must continue because I LOVE working out. I've always loved being active. I hate sitting still but it's what I have resorted to for a while now, this is got to change. I just need to be continually reminded about how good it feels to work out, which means I have to get my butt to the gym... end of story. :)

February/March is going to be a busy month and I'm more than ready for it. I have alot of visitors coming, like Jessica Garst, Annalee, My mom, Sara and Kaicey and believe it or not there are still room for more :) February holds for alot of birthdays and alot of celebrating. Nick's birthday/Valentines day presents are already picked out and I'm super excited for it.

Nick is buying a t.v in the next few days. He has managed to get $1,000 in gift cards to best buy. How can I really say no to that? I can't! So we will be joining the rest of you in the 21st century now. :) Goodbye 24in. box t.v! You have been wonderful to me! :)

I'm feeling more and more settled here in North Houston. I feel like I have a pretty solid group of friends, although it's just still not home. I miss my mom more than I ever thought I would and often day dream of packing up the car and just driving through the night to go see her. Nick would love that huh? haha. It's far, it's really really far! I miss being close to everyone that feels "safe." Friends and family that I can be 100% myself around, and have known me for longer than a year. I miss feeling comfortable! Even though I love my friends here, it's just not the same, someday I can hope it will be, but I think a part of my heart will always remain in Indiana. (and I think i'm OK with that?)

Ok enough writing for now. It feels so good to sit down and clear my mind. I don't even care if anyone ever reads this post for it's lack of enthusiasm or humor, it just feels good write.

Goodnight,
PS. I LOVE JESSA.... hahaha I almost made it!

Dear Jessa (month 3)

Baby Girl,

It's been awhile since I have had a chance to sit down and think about how big you are getting. You are 13 weeks and 2 days old today. You were swaddled up in your swing today and when I unswaddled you I was shocked, you looked like you grew 2 inches in the 2 hours you were sleeping!!! I'm not sure how much you weigh these days but I'm guessing somewhere around 13 pounds. Probably more, but we'll just say 13 for now ;)

You have changed so much in these short 13 weeks of your life. I'm both sad and grateful that those times are over for us. You were definitely a hand full, and because of that I feel like I missed out of such a sweet stage of your life. I know you are still itty bitty compared to what you will grow up to be, but it's becoming more and more rare for you to sleep on my chest which is something that I will greatly miss!

You are mostly on a schedule... well it's more like a routine. You are sleeping SOO SOO good at night and I can't thank you enough for those 7-11 hours I get each and every night! Once you get up you eat, play for an hour 1/2 and then go back to sleep for about an hour. Once bedtime comes, daddy and I give you a bath (which you LOVE!!!) we turn the lights out and the fan on and you eat in the dark, burp, get swaddled and fall fast asleep. I love this routine with you. Mainly I love finally knowing why you cry during the day. You haven't cried for more than 10 mins. at a time in almost a month. IT IS WONDERFUL! 99% of the time I can make you stop crying, and the other 1% I'm either busy or your just whinnying so I let you cry.. sorry? You have changed so much from the child I took home from the hospital.

You have been holding you head up strong for a while now. The other day I got your jumping toy (the frog) out and put it together for you. Your feet come about 3 inches from touching the ground and your body gets swallowed up in the seat, but you love just hanging out and looking at the world. You now eat dinner with us sitting in your bumbo at the table with us. That is fun! Recently I found a cow (the ugliest thing I have ever seen)in a pile of stuff that was given to you. Its is suppose to hide an air freshener but I believe it might become your new favorite toy. You love to sit in your bumbo and have conversations with it.

I'm having a hard time taking my eyes off you these days. Not because I'm scared for you, or because you are getting into anything but because I love you so much. Watching you is my most favorite activity I have ever done. I love watching you learn, listening to you try and talk, and watching your silly facial expressions when something happens. You are such an amazement to me!

These are some of your favorite things at the moment:
-You have to be swaddled to fall into a deep sleep
-You will sleep in your swing for hours upon hours if swaddled and the heartbeat sound is playing.
-You love sitting up and looking around
-You love music of all kinds. During the day the radio is always on!
-YOU LOVE BATHS! I will put you in the tub and you will just look at me and smile for like 5 mins. straight. After that you get so excited and kick and coo and make all kind of funny faces. This is my favorite time with you!
-You love when dad carry's you around the house. He will just walk/pace the house and you have the most content look on your face.
-You usually always respond to a smile with a smile now. It makes my heart melt.

I hope by these letters to you, I can look back and remember how sweet of a time this was. I love you more and more each day, it's kind of ridiculous. Just when I think I couldn't possibly love you more, you go and do something to steal more of my heat. You are by far the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. Thank you for finally settling down, and allowing me to love you. I am enjoying these days with you more than I ever thought possible.

I love you Jessalynn Jean Taube!
Love, Mommy!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

HELP!

I have no motivation. All of it has seemed to slip away and keeps running further and further. To start, I have absolutely no intention of changing my blog background despite my complete and udder dislike for my spools of ribbon picture. I mean really? Do I blog about being crafty? No. Do I even own a spool of ribbon in my house? ... Yes but only because it was on a gift at my baby shower. So why is the spool of ribbon my blog background image? Because i like the colors ok?? Get off my back ;)

Moving on, I have no motivation to clean the kitchen, do laundry, organize the office, hang pictures on the wall after living in this house for a year, or do anything else that sounds somewhat domestic today. Heck, the boys should consider themselves extremely lucky if they get dinner tonight.

On the other hand, I am holding myself from going and waking Jessa up from sleeping in her swing just so we can play. :) I rocked her asleep for her nap went to put her down so I could eat some lunch, she wasn't having it so I did the unthinkable... I put her down in her swing with the heart beat sound on... she is now KNOCKED OUT! I should be jumping for joy that I can actually be able to get things done, but now I'm so disappointed because I don't have an excuse anymore for being a completely lazy fool today!.... So I'll blog instead! (that's a priority right?)

I am absolutely loving my days home with Jessa. Somedays I could use a friend, but mainly I'm really enjoying our alone time together in a quiet house. Having an extra boy around the house really makes a difference. For example, the t.v. is on from 3:15-bedtime EVERY SINGLE DAY! It doesn't even matter if someone is watching it or not, it's on and usually on ESPN or some other show that I have absolutely no desire to watch. I've really tried to put my foot down these last couple of days because it is literally driving me up the wall! If you need background noise, turn on the radio, and for heaven's sake if you doing something else, with your headphones on, or in the other room... TURN IT OFF! sdlkfj;alskdjfl;askdj;flkjasd;lfkjsd;lkjf That's how I feel about it. I'm wondering if my all of a sudden hatred for t.v. is because it now gets turned on at 3:15 instead of 6, or if it's because Jessa if finally here and I don't want her growing up thinking that t.v. is the other way to be entertained. She has already started seeking out the t.v. when playing on the floor, and I try to entertain her in another room, but by golly this is her house too. I know I should probably loosen up a bit but I can't...


... This blog was interrupted, most likely but a crying child.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Forever Changed

It's almost been a year since I became "forever changed." Having a child has by far been the greatest experience I have and will ever have. I would definitely say it triumphs my wedding and all other experiences that go along with that. That doesn't mean Nick takes the back burner, instead he takes the front seat because without him... a baby would not have been possible. We, myself and the man I will forever love more deeply than any earthly man, created a child. This child thrived and was nourished inside of me. I am still baffled at this idea every time my eyes meet the eyes of my child. "I created you."

(I feel like my head is going to explode it's going in so many different directions right now.)

I am, and will never again be, just Dayna. My life was Forever changed on March 1st, 2010. I no longer was only caring for myself but caring for a child as well. Before that date I had few cares in the world, but my biggest care was me. I slept when I wanted to sleep, I ate when I wanted to eat, I went where I wanted to go... I lived in an extremely selfish world, because I could. The thought of caring for another human being, one that totally relied on me was fascinating. I could do almost of the same things just with some limitations. October 28th, 2010 my world was turned completely upside down.

I would like to say I'm not complaining here, but maybe I am? Or maybe I'm just trying to sort out what it is I'm feeling? Whatever the case may be, I am completely and udderly amazed just how different life is with a child. She is my every thought and my every care. She not only controls when I eat, when I sleep and where I go but she also controls my emotions. When she laughs, I laugh. When she cries, it's hard not to cry along with her. She is my world, I would do anything for that little 13lbs. human. Do I miss those times where I could sleep in as late as I want to or go to gym without having to rush out the door because she needs to eat? Yes I do, more than I want to.

It's hard controlling you feelings into what you know you "should" or even want to be feeling. It is my greatest struggle as of lately. I can't figure out what to do about it. One thing I do know is that I can't hid it. Anyone who I can, I talk to about it because it's a huge burden that I can't seem to get rid of. I understand I am still in the Post-Postpartum stage, but it doesn't make it any easier knowing this.

I am striving to be the best wife, best mom, best sister, friend, relative... I don't want to waste this precious life I have been given doing things with an ungrateful heart... but I feel like that's where I am right now.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Changes

The Taube household has and will continue to go through new changes in 2011. Where do I start?

I should probably start by changing my green/red christmas themed blog to something more appropriate. It's crazy to think that Christmas and New Years is just a thing of the past now.

Change #1: NEW YEAR! (duh!)
Happy 2011! It gives me butterflies in my stomach to see what kind of new adventures 2011 will bring! Before Nick and I were married I told him I wanted in a kid in 2010. I gave up that dream a while back realizing that it was never going to happen, but to my surprise God had other plans for me and filled my dream in 2010! While I don't have some crazy dream for this year, I know it will be filled with so many crazy adventures of being a new parents I can hardly wait! :)

Change #2: New and improved Mommy and Daughter
Jessa has improved her sleep habits and her attitude. :) She is happy 90% of the time she is awake now which has improved my attitude eminently! I no longer dread waking up in the morning, or feel the need to run screaming down the street and never return to my house. I am falling more and more in love with her every time she lays her eyes on me! She has started "cooing" but I prefer to call it talking. It so fun to watch, and soon I hope she will start talking to me, rather than just her lights on her toys! :) It's almost hard to put into words how much better I feel! I look back at the first 8 weeks of her life and really just don't want to remember them. Besides her birth, i'm not sure there is anything I want to remember from the first few weeks of her life. Awful, maybe? Truthful, Yes!


Change #3: Family of 4
Some of you have heard, others have not but in 2010 we became of Family of three and in 2011 we became a family of 4! Nick's brother (16) has moved in with us! It's going to be an adventure, that I know for sure. I can only hope and pray that we all have made the right decision regarding this change. We all will be experiencing new things as we learn to change, adapt and build our new lives around this situation.

Change#3.5: Home remodel
Ok, not really a remodel but I couldn't figure out what to call it. This weekend hopefully we are moving the office into the dining room so Jake can have his own room, and we can keep the guest room, well... the GUEST room :) It will be strange and definitely a change not to have someplace where I can do my internet surfing without interrupts (such as a t.v) but it's a very necessary move and because of that, I will live ;)

Potential Change#4: Weight Loss
This has got to be the year! That's pretty much the end of story. I say that after I consumed almost on my own a whole bag of Oreo Heads and Tails yesterday. ;) (they are AMAZING!) Anyway though. Pregnancy has added 10 lbs on me that I can seem to shed. I just went back to the gym on Wednesday and it couldn't have felt better. Nick and I have seemed to come up with a system of me going to the gym Mon/Wed/Fri. nights and him Tues/Thurs. until Jessa can go into their day care there. We will see how long this last. Anyway though, this weight has got to come off! The thought of becoming pregnant at my current weight... well it just can't happen. It can't even be a thought because it just CAN NOT happen! Hopefully, I can start cooking more regularly and healthy as well as get to the gym as much as possible. I'm extremely excited!

I think that's it. I'm sure there are other small changes occurring, as well as big changes that will continue to happen throughout the year, but overall I'm just excited about 2011. :)

Dear Jessa, (2.5months)

(Dear blog readers: This is a rather boring blog. Don't say you weren't warned!)

Dear Jessalynn Jean,

I'm not sure it's ever going to get old saying your name. During the pregnancy I wasn't 100% sure that Jessa would fit, but Daddy and I had agreed upon it and every time I asked him "do you still like Jessa for a girl?" he always replied "yes." We knew we wanted Lynn in your name as well because I just really loved the way it sounded. A few weeks before you were born I approached Dad and said "I really don't think we are having a girl, BUT if we do I've decided I really want her name to be Jessalynn instead of Jessa Lynn." He agreed, along with your middle name being Jean and you came out Jessalynn Jean Taube. I told Uncle Jake the other day it going to be really fun to yell at you someday because you have so many syllables in your name. :)

Enough about your name! You are 10 weeks old as of yesterday! You have changed so much in the last few weeks I have trouble even talking about it. You took your first plane ride on Christmas Eve! Daddy and I (but mostly I) spent about 2 whole days packing for our trip because we didn't want to forget anything! We (but mostly I) was worried on how this trip was going to go. We flew into Chicago and you were the most well behaved baby in the whole entire world! You slept mostly the whole way there, woke up to be changed and eat and then went back to sleep. Grandma and Uncle Zac picked us up at the airport, and you slept most of the way back to Grandma/Grandpa's house. You were amazing! Thank you! The next few days were absolutely wonderful as well. You started sleeping about 9 hours at night, ahhh it felt so good! You were very unsure of the mass amounts of people that wanted to hold you at first, but you soon warmed up to each and every one of them. You continued to enjoy the rest of our Indiana trip in Richmond. I was going to list everyone you met on your Indiana trip, but decided it would probably take too long. Lets just say the number is probably way over 50! and the amount of stuff you received was extreme as well! Our flight home, you had a pretty bad tummy ache. I took you to the bathroom on the plane to change you so I could go back and fed you, but when we got back to our seat you pooped your pants and I had to go change you again, clothes included. You ate but then continued you cry afterward. Overall, you weren't awful, but we had no where near as good of a time as we had the first flight. :) Other than experiencing your flight plane ride, and meeting more people than you can possibly imagine you also got to see your first snow, and you even sat in it! Overall, we had an amazing trip :) Thank you!

We got back to Houston on January 4th. When we came home you would not let daddy or I put you down. You had to continuously be held until you finally fell asleep. Every time we would put you down you would start looking around with a scared/puzzled look on your face and then start crying. We think you were just trying to adjust and remember that this is your home.

Uncle Jake came to live with us the day we returned to. You haven't quite warmed up to him yet, but I can tell he's very in love with you so I'm sure you will soon become best of friends with him. :)

Jessa, the last few days have been absolutely amazing with you, which is why I have decided to write you this letter. You are pretty much sleeping through the night, have established your own little schedule and have almost completely stopped crying for no reason at all. We have have 2 near perfect days together and I have fallen more in love with you every second that goes by. Yesterday I put you in your swing so I could eat some lunch. I noticed a strange sound coming from your swing and when I looked over at you to see what it was, you were making a clicking sound with your tongue. Over and over you just kept clicking! I could have watched and listened to that all day. It amazes me how fast you are growing and learning. Later I sat you in your blue bumbo seat for the first time. Your head control is amazing, but I was still somewhat supporting you just in case. Once I sat you in your chair you looked at me and smiled a huge smile! My heart completely melted. You are going to be sitting up on your own in no time! At night you were starting to get alittle bit cranky and it wasn't quite bedtime yet so I decided to give you a bath. I set you in your crib to run your bath water and turned your mobile on. As I was running your water I noticed you had stopped crying and started talking. I came to look at you and you were just very contently watching the characters and lighted stars move around in a circle. You have never before looked at them! It's amazing what kind of new things you can find if you open your eyes!

You have been talking non-stop the last few days. I find myself reaching for the video camera alot trying to capture these moments because I know they will soon just be memories. I am so proud of you already, I can't imagine what I will feel when you win your first sports game, or perform at your first dance recital. :)

Overall, I am so glad we are over crying nonstop all day long. I looked at some videos of you today, and as much as I loved seeing you so little I hope those memories I have from those days where I couldn't do anything to make you happy will fade away and I will only remember the days like today where I can't help but smile when I look at you all day long.

You bring such joy to my life!
Love, Mommy!

Friday, December 31, 2010

Merry 2011

I have alot to be thankful for, but no it's not thanksgiving. I haven't had much time to sit back and relax and think about all this year has brought me but one thing I know for sure is throughout all the pain and craziness, this has by far been the best year of my life, mainly because of Jessa. :) 2008 was a good year too just because of Nick and I's wedding, however looking at my little sweet girl asleep in her bed makes me realize that this year surpasses ever year of my life by far. Jan 28th marked the date I officially became an adult and put myself in debt for practically the rest of my life... aka the day I purchased our house. And shortly after March 1st Nick and I had the best news of our life.

It's been a year of such ups and downs. A hard and painful pregnancy turned into a hard and painful first month of a family of three. Nevertheless I have the most beautiful sweet pretty wonderful daughter. I love her more than anything and each day she becomes so much sweeter. I can end this year knowing I have officially checked my biggest life goal off the list, giving birth to a beautiful child. I love knowing I have been through this experience, but am so sad for those who can't experience everything that goes along with giving birth.

So to recap, I love my husband, I love my house, I love my daughter... and I also love my friends and family. 2010 has been such an amazing year filled with so many crazy emotions I've never known I could feel. I can only hope that 2011 treats the New and Improved Taube family as well as 2010 has.

:)