It's all good

Thank you for the kind comments/texts/facebook messages of encouragement yesterday!

Turner and I made it through our first FULL day apart!

I was BEYOND excited to go pick his cutie butt up yesterday afternoon. I even called my mom screaming because I was so excited! He was sleeping when I picked him up but as soon as he was awake and saw me...he smiled which just melted my heart!

Our daycare lady sent me this picture of him yesterday...doing very good!!!

I only cried in the morning. I was pretty busy yesterday that it made the day go by very fast and before I knew it...I was off to go get my lil' hunk!

Now...it's FRIDAY which is sooo awesome!

 (I think all work weeks should be just 2 days...whose with me?!!)

I can't wait to go get him again and Turner will attend his first football game tonight...watching his daddy coach of course!!!

We will also be celebrating a very special birthday this weekend!

Miss Rylee Jane turned 3 on the 21st. We are sooo excited to celebrate another year with our Goddaughter on Sunday!!!

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

Worst day EVER

Today is the day I have dreaded for the last 80 days (yes...Turner is 80 days old today)!

I am a pretty positive person and like this blog to be pretty positive as well...but today is a day I would like to complain and not sugar coat anything!

I miss my buddy! Today is his first day @ daycare and even though he left the house smiling and Tate dropped him off and he was so excited...I still cry thinking I don't get to spend every waking moment with him.

I cried when Tate left, I cried on my way to work and now I cry sitting in my office writing this and pumping!

Everyone says it will get better...and I know it will! I just know today and tomorrow will be hard and probably next week since that will be my first full week back!

I'm grateful I have a job and we have an amazing person taking care of Turner...but that doesn't mean I don't miss him and want to be around to see all his smiling face!

Yesterday I tried to soak in every ounce of him! For one of his naps...we laid together on the couch. He had already fallen asleep and I just was starting to drift off...enjoying every second of it...when our stupid smoke detector decided to inform me that it had a low battery. HOW ANNOYING! I brushed it off thinking it will go off again in a few hours...NOPE!! Went off again a minute later and then another minute later.

Woke me up, woke Turner up and made Mya go in a frenzy.

So that ruined that moment because I had to get up and change the battery and Turner wasn't all about napping anymore then.

So I guess when I pick him up in the evenings and weekends...our time together is so much more precious! I can't wait to pick him up and hope he's super excited to see his mama!

 

 Note to any other new mama's out there who go back...there is no point in wearing makeup your first day back...it will all come off anyway!!!

PS...is it 4 yet?

  

TWI: Wine meets Art Festival

First things first...what do you guys think of the new blog design?

 

Kelly out did herself with this design and I just love how it looks! She did so good...reasonably priced and got it done so fast. It seriously would have taken me over a month to do what she did in one weekend (actually less than that). I love it I love it I love it!!! Did I mention I love it?

 

OK...now onto the weekend fun.

 

Tate's been SUPER busy with coaching football this last week that we haven't seen much of him. Then...this weekend he had a bachelor party to attend in the Dells. I didn't want to have just another day @ home with just Turner and I...so I called up my mom to see if she wanted to come visit. She of course jumped at the chance to get to hang with the lil' man.

 

We were planning on going to Lake Calhoun for the day, but Tate had called when he left work to head to the Dells and heard on the radio that there was horrible traffic in the cities, but he wasn't sure where. I looked online and sure enough, all roads to where we had to go were backed up with traffic.

 

I then looked online to see what Stillwater had to offer since we live so close. Sure enough...the St. Croix Vineyards was having a 'Wine meets Art Festival'. This is right up my mom's alley. She loves all things wine and throw in some craft booths...she's in heaven!

 

The wine tasting was great. For $5...you get to taste 6 different wines and they give you SO MUCH! Not just a tiny bit...like what I would consider a glass. I had to stop myself since I was still planning on breastfeeding Turner and I was hungry...if I wouldn't have cut myself off I would have been so drunk!

 

 

So the wine was great and Turner slept through the whole thing...he doesn't appreciate wine like his mom and Grandma do.

 

 

I breastfeed for the first time in a public place. I had a nice 'udder cover' so that I wasn't showing the goods to everyone. I wasn't a person that ever thought about doing it in public...but when his feeding time falls in line with us being there...really anything goes! Turner kind of runs the show :)

 

My mom also loved the goats! She is trying to convince my dad to let her get one for when they move up north (after they retire). She sure loves her farm animals!

 

 

Even though Turner slept 90% of the time we were there...we did use some of his awake time to show him some of the cool items! Like this toadstool...he wasn't really having it though!

 

 

My mom and I had fun...more like my mom had a BLAST and I just loved getting out of the house!

 

Sunday was a day of getting things done and hanging out with daddy! Yard work was performed, house was cleaned and we hung out as a family! It was nice to have dad around for a bit before he starts up another hectic week of football! Luckily...it won't be like last week!

 

I hope you all had a great weekend!!!

 

 

 

 

Turner - 2 months

August 2, 2013

 

Turner turns two months old. My lil' man is growing SO FAST!!!

Baby Stats:
Weight

 12.9 pounds (73%ile)

Length
24" (87%ile)

Sleep
The time between night feeding keeps growing and I can't wait until I get a  SOLID 7 hours of sleep. Right now he wakes 6 hours after his bed time feeding. Getting closer to that 7 hour mark. I am hoping that by the time I go back to work, he is not waking at all during the night.

Daily Routine
We are still on our Eat, Activity, Sleep schedule. He has his feeding, then we play and then down for a nap. This is all in a 3 hour cycle unless he is having a growth spurt and he becomes hungry sooner.

Feeding
It seems like Turner sometimes doesn't know what he wants. We've been trying to introduce a bottle more than once a day and all the sudden he decides he doesn't want a bottle @ all. Then the next day, he doesn't want the boob and only wants the bottle. He's so confusing at times. Then we have days he will take the bottle whenever we give it and will breastfeed just fine. Everyone keeps telling me to not worry and he will take the bottle @ daycare when he's hungry enough.

Diaper Size
We are FINALLY using the cloth diapers. Turner's cord fell off during his 2nd month and we started using the cloth diapers RIGHT AWAY! I'm loving it. The first week was a bit of trial and error getting use to them, but we got it down now and it's going well. I will sure to be post soon all about it.

Turner in his cloth diaper @ the doctor office before he was about to get his shots!!

Clothes Size
I think he has maybe 2 newborn outfits that he could fit into, but for the most part, he is in 0-3 month clothing and some 3 months also. His PJ's that are 0-3 are getting short on him.

Hair Color
Still a light brown color.

Eye Color
He's our lil' blue eye boy for right now!

Milestones
- at 5 weeks + 1 day, your umbilical cord fell off

- you have found your hands/fists and love sucking and putting the whole thing in your mouth


- you are smiling like crazy now and we LOVE it! You love to laugh and show off your gums!

- you have 3 weddings under your belt already...thankfully we are done for the year on those!

 

- people say you either looks just like me, just like your dad or a mix of both...we hear it all!

 

 

 

Turner,
Wow...2 months already!!! Life just gets better and better everyday with you! I'm sad to think that by the time I do your 3 month post, I will be back at work but I know you are in the best care possible! It will be good for you to be around other people. I do love that anytime you are fussy or upset, that if I just hold you it calms you down. You have so many people that love you so much and you bring such joy to their lives. You are such a good baby...even when you have your moments. I look forward to bringing you to your first football game in a few weeks when your daddy is coaching! Keep smiling like crazy because it seriously just melts your dad and my heart! Love you so much lil' man!!!

xoxo,
Your mama
 

  

#themayers wedding - 4th of July

Finally getting around to recapping our long 4th of July vacation in WI. Having my lil' guy...all I really want to do all day is play with him, nap when he does or get things done that I have on my to do list (this post has been on my to-do list for many weeks now...that's how fast I get to things)!

 

We headed out of town on the 3rd for a nice long vacation in WI so Tate's family could meet Turner and celebrate the love & wedding of one of Tate's best friends from high school. Packing for an infant for that long requires LOTS of things. Along with our stuff plus the dog...we had a FULL car.

Mya loved having the front seat!! I swear people that drove by us thought my husband loves our dog more than me...unless they saw the car seat and then understood, I would hope :)

 

We got to town around dinner time on Wednesday and went straight to where we were staying which was a good friend of Tate's from high school and his girlfriends home. They have a dog also...so it's fun for Mya to be able to have fun with another of her own :)

Boys went to go pick up their tuxes for the wedding and us girls and Turner just hung out. We just planned on grilling some food and hanging out there for the night as the next few days were going to be super busy.

We spent the late morning and early afternoon at Tate's Grandma's house with his family. They all wanted to meet Turner so we had a lil' BBQ. This not only is the first grandchild on Tate's side, but also his Grandma's first great-grandchild.

Tate's Dad - Tate's brother Nate - Tate's brother Luke

After we enjoyed family time, we went over to a friends place to enjoy more BBQ and yard games.

Turner was really excited for his first 4th!!!

 

Our lil' fam on the 4th!

 

When it was time to watch the fireworks, Tate and I loaded up the car and drove over to the park where we could watch. It was Turner's feeding time so we parked the car, I fed Turner while watching the fireworks. It worked out good being in the car away from the loud noise and bugs.

 

After the fireworks, we called it a night and headed home while everyone else headed to the bar. Life most definitely does change when you have a baby...WI trip use to be bar, beer and cheese :)

 

Tate woke up early on Friday morning to go golfing with the boys in the wedding party. They were able to golf @ the country club that the reception was and he wouldn't stop talking about how nice the course was. He was in heaven!!!

 

Turner and I had a play date with Leslie and Wyatt. Wyatt was born back in mid April. Tate went to high school with Leslie and her husband, Matt. Tate and Matt were both wrestlers, so now they talk about the boys being wrestlers and who could take who!!! Boys...always being competitive.

 

Leslie and I couldn't stop laughing at them just chillin' on the floor...so cute!!!

 

The remainder of Friday was spend relaxing and getting ready for the wedding. Tate attended the rehearsal @ the church and I met up with everyone after @ the dinner where we ate some delicious food. Tate spent a majority of the night hanging out with the groom and his buddies while Turner and I returned home to get a good nights rest before the big day.

 

Saturday was the big wedding day!! I was so excited for this couple as they had been dating for 10 years and were FINALLY getting hitched!!! I was also super excited to dress Turner up in his wedding attire that I had purchased when I was pregnant with him knowing this wedding was happening.

 

Turner did good during the ceremony...I did have to go into the lobby to prevent him from crying. It was better this way since the lobby had AC but the church did not. I could still see and hear everything!

 

The very beautiful bride and handsome groom!

The groom injured himself a month before the wedding playing basketball and had to wear a boot...he did great walking on it during the ceremony and dances (even though he shouldn't have been)!

 

Could Turner not be any cuter in his bow tie outfit?!?! I couldn't get enough of him and his adorableness #gloatingmama

 

The gorgeous view from the reception location...right on the lake!

 

The reception was loads of fun. Each table had the table number and written on the bottom of the block that the number was on was a song...when the DJ played that song during dinner, that table had to get up and dance. Our table had the 'Cupid Shuffle' as our song. It was fun and I loved that idea.

 

The bride & groom after the 1st dance

Miss Erin...cutest southern belle who was 34 pregnant at the time (can't wait for his arrival)

Turner not sure what to think of everything :)

 

For the wedding party dance, the bride and groom purchased a load of stuff from the local thrift shop and gave each person something to wear and they danced to 'Thrift Shop'. It was so fun and hilarious to watch!!!

 

 

We had a great time back in WI for the extra long weekend and loved spending it with many family and friends. Turner did great on the long trip and loved meeting all the WI people in our lives!

 

Alison and Mark - so excited that we got to share in your special day and we are beyond excited for what the future holds for you 2 lovebirds. We can't wait to come back again and spend time with you both and lil' Miss Lola!! Even though you had been together 10 years before your special day...the true fun does really begin now. Savor each day and memory! We love you!!! Tate, Bridget, Turner & Mya!!

 

PS...Turner is looking for either his bball lovin, vest wearing bestie or a girl for him to drool over...no pressure ;)

 

 

My top newborn items

Turner is 7 weeks old and in that short amount of time, I have fallen in love with a few of our baby items and I thought I would share my top items!!!

 

 

1. Bright Starts Spots & Stripes Safari Gym - Turner LOVES this thing! We are on this thing everyday, multiple times a day. If you follow me on Instagram (@lifeasbridget21), you have probably seen many photos and even videos of him on this thing. He loves hitting and kicking the items! I am beyond happy this item was gifted to us!!
 

2. Halo SleepSack Swaddle - These things are AWESOME! We were given 3 newborn size swaddles from the hospital (1 in my room, 2 from the NICU), 1 size small as a gift and 3 other type of swaddles. These are great because our lil' guy is pretty strong and can break out a blanket swaddle no problem and these are made with Velcro so he can't bust out.  These are great in helping babies sleep so that their limbs don't wake them up.
 

3. AngelCare Deluxe Movement and Sound Monitor - This helps parents sleep better at night. I don't have to worry if he's not breathing because this picks up his movement and if there is 20 seconds of no movement, then an alarm goes off. We had a couple false alarms the first week because we had the sensitivity too low, but since we moved it, no false alarms. The sound monitor portion is obviously great also so we as parents can go outside or other parts of the house and still know he's OK in his nursery.
 

4. Graco Pack-n-Play - Turner slept in the bassinet for the first few weeks of his life. Even though he doesn't sleep in this anymore, we love this thing for travel purposes. Since he is still small, we don't pack up the whole thing, we just take out the bassinet portion and bring that with for him to sleep in. We put it between us in the bed. We've traveled so much since he was born and will use it again this weekend for wedding #3 that we will be attending with him. Once he outgrows the bassinet, we will then pack up the whole pack-n-play and bring that with for traveling.

5. Medela Dual Electric Breast Pump - This isn't the exact one I have because mine was purchased from a medical supply store since my insurance covered it, but it is a Medela brand and is a dual electric pump. Having a pump allows mom to have a life outside of feeding baby. I was able to be a bridesmaid in a wedding when Turner was just 2 weeks old. I pumped every time Tate would text me that he was feeding Turner. We continue to feed Turner one bottle a day and I pump during that time. I will also be using the pump all day when I return to work.

 

6. Boppy Pillow - This thing is great for breastfeeding. I used it a lot at the beginning. After a few weeks, I had to try to breastfeed without it because I knew there would be times I would have to feed  him and not have the pillow, so I stopped using it for a bit. Now that I feel like I can breastfeed him with and without it, I use it at home to make feeding easier on me and more comfortable for him.

 

7. SnugaBunny Swing - Turner really likes his swing but is not reliant on it. We use it if he wakes from his nap early and need him to go back to sleep. We just put him in it and back to sleep he goes. We also use it to keep him occupied if we are eating dinner or doing other things that require both hands and can't hold him! 

Do you have any newborn items that you LOVE that I should try?!?!

Linking up again for Baby Talk Tuesday with Kristin.
 

 

 

 

Eyota Days 2013

This weekend was a fun one...well they all are so I guess this is just another one to add to the books!

 

Friday night we went to dinner with some friends. We were planning on just enjoying some family time at home since this week was hectic and we were going to be gone all day on Saturday, but one of Tate's good friends is moving away for a job and we enjoyed a dinner with him and other friends before he left this weekend. 

Turner meeting Cammi & Mike for the first time!

 

Early on Saturday morning, we headed down to my parents for Eyota Days. Tate and I had missed the last 2 years because we had weddings on that same weekend, but were excited to enjoy some of the festivities this year and show Turner my hometown.

 

We got to town just in time to feed Turner and then hang out while people arrived to my parents. We then walked a block to get a seat to enjoy the parade!

 

Dover Eyota Dance Team float...as an alum, I had to take a photo!

 

Turner slept through the whole parade! Even with the loud sirens, music and marching band!

 

After the parade, we headed to the legion for the chicken feed!

 

Tate enjoyed carrying Turner around like this! Turner wasn't happy that everyone was referring to him as 'Carlos'

{if you don't know what movie that is from, crawl out from under the rock your living under} :)

 

After the chicken feed, we headed back to the house to play yard games, drink and hang out.

 

Hanging out with these twins definitely made the day a lot brighter!

 

Rylee made every one smile because she is dang cute!

 

All those girls belong to my bestie...who I ALWAYS get excited to see! She loved giving Turner many kisses!

 

The boys playing Kubb...never heard of it?!?! It's a super fun yard game that only uses wood! You can just Google it and learn all about it.

 

I enjoyed carrying Turner around like this for awhile, until he fell asleep!

 

Then he just wanted to nap in Mama's lap!

 

We had a SUPER fun time celebrating my hometown! We didn't spend the night or go to the street dance...Turner is just still too young for me to leave him yet! We headed back right after his dinner feeding and got back in time for to feed Mya, give Turner a bath and put him down for the night.

 

I look forward to next year!!!