I’ve concluded the second week of practicing gratitude every day this month for National Gratitude Month.

Here’s what I was thankful for:

Day 8: I’m thankful for my dogs. Y’all know how much I love these puppers, and even though we’ve had a rough time training Milo (and we still have a ways to go), they still bring me so much joy. I love how they keep me company in my office while I work during the days and cuddle on the couch in evenings while we’re watching TV. They help make my heart feel full.

Day 9: I’m thankful for the cheesy Christmas movies that are always playing this time of year. They’re always so positive and predictable, but that’s what I love about them; sometimes it’s exactly what my anxious mind needs. I’m grateful that on days like today, when things start to feel like they’re just a little too much, I can get lost in a fictional winter wonderland. Btw, Hallmark has the best ones but without cable I’m making due with those on Amazon and Netflix!

Day 10: I’m thankful for the opportunity to always learn new things, even if it’s stuff I have very little interest in or feel like I’ll never use in “real life.” There’s a world full of knowledge out there and getting to access even a fraction of it over a lifetime is pretty cool.

Day 11: I’m grateful for Nick. I know I probably sound like a broken record but he’s my rock and keeps me grounded. I’ve needed him more than ever lately and he always answers the call. And for that I am so thankful.

Day 12: I’m thankful for my parents! Today was their wedding anniversary so it’s fitting that I mention them today. They’ve always been so supportive of who I am and everything I’ve ever wanted to do. From both of them I’ve learned how to be smart, strong, and resilient. Kind, caring, and generous. How to stand up for myself and others, and most importantly how to stand back on my feet every time I get knocked down.

Day 13: I’m grateful for my support system. My husband, my family, and my friends who are all there for me and make it possible to take chances that make me feel like I can breathe again.

Day 14: I’m thankful for sleepy Saturday mornings when we’re all snuggled up and have nowhere to be and nothing to do so we can just relax. It’s the best feeling.

That’s it for week 2. What are you thankful for?

Read week 1 here.

I talked earlier about how gratitude is so good for every single one of us. I haven’t done a great job this year of staying positive and want to use National Gratitude Month to get into the habit of practicing gratitude on a daily basis. So here are the things I was grateful for this week:

Day 1: I’m grateful for the rain. Sometimes the rain feels right, even though it can be very dreary and it often keeps you stuck indoors. Without the rainy days, however, there would be no plants, no muddy puddles to splash in, and little appreciation for the sun. The next time you find yourself stuck in a downpour simply lift your head to sky, feel the drops landing on your nose, and try to appreciate the nature of life.

Day 2: I’m thankful for nachos for dinner. After a long day of work, laundry, and other errands, I decided to make cheesy chicken nachos for dinner. They were quick, easy, and delicious! They may not have been super healthy but it’s all about balance and letting yourself have a little fun. It’s also really simple: just buy all the ingredients you need from the store (I used  tortilla chips, already-cooked grilled chicken strips chopped into bite-sized pieces, black beans, black olives, shredded cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, jarred jalapeños, guacamole, and salsa), layer them up and bake them in the oven for a bit until the cheese is nice and melty. Yum!

Day 3: I’m grateful for Sebastian’s imagination and endless curiosity. I love watching him play and incorporate all of the things he’s learning in a way that makes sense to his three-year-old brain. I love laughing at his silly personality and watching him strike a pose in his favorite jammies and sunglasses or run around wearing clean underwear on his head like a hat. I love answering all of his questions and realizing that things we know “automatically” now are things we once had to learn, too. Childhood truly is magical and I’m so thankful that I get to experience it with him.

Day 4: I’m thankful for my friends. I get to talk to some of my friends almost daily, some I only see once a month, and some I only see once a year but I love them all the same. I’m incredibly lucky to have such amazing people in my life! I’m thankful for all of them, including the ones who are always there to talk, those who always support me, and those who send small gifts when I’m feeling down. They really are the best!

Day 5: I’m grateful for Soccer Shots. Sebastian loves running around on the field, chasing the ball, and I love that he’s learning new skills. Playing sports has a range of physical, emotional, and interpersonal benefits so I’m glad he’s into it from such an early age.

Day 6: I’m thankful for our cul de sac. It’s full of kids for Sebastian to play with and cool enough parents for Nick and I to play with–and right now by ‘play with’ I mean taking turns chasing our kids around and making sure they don’t bite it on the pavement on their scooters. It’s the village I’ve been wanting.

Day 7: I’m grateful for everyone who has worked so hard to end the reign of 45. In the very wise words of my friend Katie, “the election results give me hope, but I do not want to see this lead to complacency. I’m disappointed and confused by how close this election was. And I don’t expect to give Biden and Harris a free pass. They’ve been given a chance and, unlike the last four years, we need to keep our leaders accountable.” I couldn’t have said it better. But at least we’re starting to head in the right direction and the lives of so many people are significantly safer. For that, I am grateful.

That’s it for week 1. What are you thankful for?

Sebastian’s birth, much like my entire pregnancy, was pretty uneventful. Everything went so smoothly thanks to the amazing work of my medical care team, all of the information and preparation I received from my midwives leading up to birth, and the care we received from the labor and delivery nurses in the hospital. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. So, if you’re in need of a happy, positive story to ease your own nerves about labor and delivery, I gladly offer up mine. Just keep in mind that every person’s experience will be different.

March 24th was the magical date my son was expected to enter the world. I knew from the very beginning that he wouldn’t be born on his estimated due date, as only about 5% of babies are, and I truly believed he wouldn’t arrive until April based on more recent research for predicting when babies to first-time moms would be born. Nonetheless, I still felt a little disappointed when we watched March 24th come and go with no baby.

This was only two days passed my due date.

And then a week passed and the doctor’s appointments started to double up: two per week to check amniotic fluid and to perform non-stress tests to make sure the baby was doing all right. When the thought of my complication-free pregnancy turning into an emergency situation entered my mind and my midwives started talking about induction, I got really nervous and was even more ready for the baby to get here. And if he didn’t get here soon, I would be induced on April 6th, almost two weeks after my due date. Luckily, I wouldn’t have to wait much longer.

Non-stress test at 41 weeks

Saturday night, April 1, I started having light contractions around 11:30 pm. I had experienced some mild cramp-like sensations the previous week but they eventually faded away, so I didn’t want to get my hopes up this time around. However, when 4 AM rolled around and they weren’t going away, I knew it was the real thing. We alerted the family that it had begun. Although the contractions were getting slightly stronger, they were still few and far between. I labored at home for the majority of the day on Sunday, April 2, until about 7 PM when the contractions started hitting the sweet range of 4-1-1 (contractions happening every 4 minutes, each lasting 1 full minute, and have been that way for 1 hour) and we decided to head to the hospital. When we checked in and the midwife measured me, I was already dilated about 6 cm! I labored at the hospital for another 5 hours until my contractions were lasting about 2 minutes each and were about 2-3 minutes apart.

At this point, I had been progressively contracting for more than 24 hours and I was completely exhausted. The contractions felt much more painful when I was sitting or lying down so I stayed on my feet almost this whole time. I was walking around, swaying, and breathing through each one. Every time I would feel one coming on, I would grab Nick’s wrists and we would sway together while I breathed deeper than I have ever breathed in my life. I could tell he was getting tired, too, because he had to stand there and sway with me through each 2-minute contraction and then do it again less than 3 minutes later. I was seriously so tired that all I wanted to do was sit down, rest, and even sleep. The only way to do that was to get an epidural, which I had been against the entire 41 weeks I was pregnant.

But exhaustion is a powerful thing. It will make you act in ways you never thought you would, and for me, it was agreeing to get the epidural. Honestly, I’m not sure I would have had the energy or strength to bring my son into the world if I hadn’t. That’s not to say I didn’t struggle with the decision because I certainly did.

For hours I wrestled with whether I wanted it or not. I was tired, drained of energy, and I wanted to sleep but I was scared of the procedure and I thought it would make me feel like I had lost control of the situation. In the end, the exhaustion won and, around midnight on April 3rd, I asked for the epidural. And I have to admit to you now that this was THE. BEST. decision I could have made for myself. Sure, I lost all the feeling in my legs but I was able to sleep for about 6 hours and when the time came, I was more than ready to deliver my sweet baby boy.

I think the only real downsides to the epidural were that it made me feel a little nauseated and it slowed my contractions while I slept. I vomited once and the nurses gave me some anti-nausea medicine, which also helped me sleep. In the morning, when I woke up, they gave me a tiny bit of Pitocin to get the contractions back up to speed. Around 8 AM, the midwife checked me one final time and could actually see Sebastian’s head starting to make its way down! Everyone in the room – my midwife and nurse, my parents, Nick, and I – started to get ready for delivery. Amazingly, I only had to push for about 20 minutes or so and at 8:50 in the morning, he made his entrance into this world.

Welcome to the world, Sebastian!

Sebastian Armando was born on April 3, 2017, weighing 6 lbs 11 oz, measuring 21 inches long, and sporting a full head of hair. His eyes were open and he was completely alert when they laid him on my chest. He looked up at me and I smiled. Nick kissed his little head and the world just seemed to be right. It was the most breathtaking moment I think I’ve ever experienced in my life.

Sebastian’s birth day

He’s the most perfect little being in the whole world and I’m already so in love with him that it hurts. I love his hair, his smell, all of his adorable little sounds, and even his loud angry cries when he feels he isn’t being fed quickly enough. He’s so very chill just like his father but can get very feisty like me. He’s the absolute best! And I’m very excited to see where this journey is going to take us.

First night home, cuddles with daddy

Stay tuned for more of my adventures in mommy hood.

xo,
Nikki

*This post was originally published on 4/13/2017 and has been slightly updated in honor of Sebastian’s second birthday today.*

I’m still participating in the March Photo a Day Challenge,but because my Instagram photos feed into the blog widget about 1/3 of the way down the page for your viewing convenience, I’ve decided to post a weekly recap of photos instead of trying to post them here every day. So here are days 2-8 for this year’s challenge, and then below those are the same days for my challenge last year that I never did share on Nikki by example or on NBE’s instagram.

It has rained for almost two straight weeks in my world. Rain isn’t terrible, and I know we need it, and sometimes I even like it. Sometimes, the rain feels right. But not when it rains continuously for days on end. Luckily the sun came out this weekend and the earth is starting to dry up, but I just saw the weather forecast for this coming weekend and, guess what? It just might snow again!