The Mommy Woes of the Day

It seems time has gone a lot fast than I ever thought it could! Blogging seems to be the last thing on my mind, until I have something to talk about. Even then I think, well do I have time to write about it? Today, I do. Really I should be working on statistics homework, my practicum homework, or especially working on my homework for my class that's in a couple hours. But here I am, writing my thoughts as they come!

We're in the second week of the semester and it's been interesting. We're learning so much, including how to manage our time with school and our time focused on Porter. We thought we were doing pretty well until last night when little Porter Pie got stuck with some kind of virus. The fussiness started, the fever hit, and then came the rash. All night it was just screaming and crying. One of the hardest things I realized last night is seeing your child hurting and not being able to do anything about it. The tylenol wasn't working and he was just bawling. My poor baby boy.

After getting about 3 hours of sleep between Nic and I helping him stay calm, I had to wake up for class at 6:30. Dragging myself out of bed like I did when Porter was a newborn is not what I expected this morning. Walking to class I decided to call and make an appointment with the doctor just to make sure that it was just a virus. So, Nic picked me up from class, I dropped him off at class, and Porter and I headed to the doctors office. It was the perfect appointment time, in between a couple of my classes. The doctor checked his tummy, ears, throat, and his rash. He knew it was the hand, foot, and mouth virus pretty quickly. He said as he shined a light in Porter's throat as he was crying then he could see just tons of blisters lining covering his mouth and throat. My heart sank. I've never seen my little one in so much pain!

Since antibiotics wouldn't do anything, Porter and I still had time to go to Walgreens and find some sanitizer (I guess it's crazy contagious) all the pain medicine that we could give him. We're doing Tylenol and Motrin every 6 hours -- toggled, of course. I made sure to grab him a new toy car from the toy aisle because I just knew that's what my mom would do for me when I was sick as a child. I totally felt like my mom in that moment -- and I'm grateful that she loved me the way she did because I want my children to feel that love too. Being that sick deserves a new toy car and it sure kept him calm while I gave him some medicine.


So here we are now, I got home from class and traded off with Nic so he could go to class again. Porter Pie is asleep and I'm drinking Cocoa Bean hot cocoa. It's a fall day outside today. :) Let's hope Porter wakes up feeling a little better and I know that I'm going to let him watch ALL the Curious George that he wants. :) If he's willing, then we'll be sharing some cuddles under a blanket too. :) Then off to class I go after Nic gets home again.

We have faith in the Lord, we know that we are given what we can handle. It's been crazy, yes, but I know that crazy is sometimes better than dull. Let's just hope that we can make some tasty lemonade with all of our lemons! Because we all know that when life gives you lemons... you get the picture.

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Where did the time go? Almost 5 months!

Little Porter has turned into BIG Porter!! Weighing in at 17 pounds and almost 27 inches at his 4 month appointment, he is just growing too fast. Every day is so fun with him. I love his smile and I love that he is learning so much every day! It's crazy to know that he's learning everything from me and Nic. I want to be the best example for him. Even though he won't remember anything that we do when he's 5 months old, it's still so important to me to be a good example to him.

This Thanksgiving was with the McKinley family and it just so happened that Nic's family came to Utah for a wedding so we got to see them a little too. It was fun that we got to see everyone and that Porter got to hang out with his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and even cousins! I'm so glad that they got to see him because he is just growing up so fast. It's so important to cherish these little moments because before we know it, he'll be crawling and walking or whatever he wants to do next! We had a great Thanksgiving, except for the fact that Nic got crazy sick Thanksgiving night. It hit Nic first and then spread around to almost the entire family. How Porter and I came out unscathed, we'll never know, but I count it as a huge blessing. He's finally feeling better, thank goodness!!

We put up our tree a couple days ago and it's so nice to smell that fresh pine filling up our home. Porter will just stare and stare at the lights. It's the cutest.

Now we're back to campus and online classes, and I swear we feel like it will never end. Only 2 weeks of the semester left! It's so funny because Nic and I can't wait to graduate, but anyone I know that's graduated says, enjoy it while it lasts! I really do appreciate all of the amazing blessings that we've been given while being in school. Having a baby and being a senior in college isn't the easiest thing to do, but I know we're being blessed every day because of it. Little man will just sit in my lap and chill while I take my online tests and write my papers. (Too bad he can't tell me all the answers!) ;) He makes me learn more than I could ever just learn in a classroom and I'm so glad that I can get my degree and have a family at the same time.

Porter just amazes us every day and there is always something new that he's trying to accomplish. He's definitely getting his own little personality - but I wouldn't call it little. He likes to be heard. He'll talk as loud as he can until Nic or I look over at him playing. At that point he'll just stare at us until we smile or laugh at him, and then he'll be okay again for a few minutes. He's also staring to want to be moving around. (ALWAYS!) Ever since he rolled over a couple days ago, he's been doing it non-stop. One thing about his little personality that I love is just how sweet he is. He is full of giggles and smiles. He will just look at us and stare. He's completely content with just playing on the floor and talking to himself. It's crazy how fast we work to become more independent. As he's rolling over and trying to crawl, I realize he's slowly becoming more independent from here on out. I'll let him make the decisions he wants, but I'm going to always want my snuggle time - even when he's 18 and possibly about to leave on a mission.

 10 Things About Porter

1. When we turn off the lights or it gets really dark all of a sudden, Porter will try and open his eyes REALLY BIG to make it so he can see better. 

2. When I go to grab him when he wakes up in the morning, he gives me the biggest smile, so happy to see me. 

3.  When Nic gets home and Porter will look to the door to see what the noise is. Then, Nic will walk over to him and he'll just start to crack up.

4. Porter rolls over and tries to sort of army crawl. He gets so frustrated that he can't grab the toys a foot in front of him yet!

5. In the morning, when we're all waking up, we'll just lay in bed with him, he'll look over at me to make sure I'm still awake - and smile when he sees my eyes open.

6.  He gets so excited when he sees a bottle. He'll see me shaking it and have this super stoked look on his face. :)

7. When he gets so excited, he just doesn't know what to do! He'll kick his legs, scream, and his eyes will get huge!

8.  When he wakes up from a nap, all he wants to do is cuddle. He'll nestle his head next to our necks and just lay their until he wakes up all the way - one of my favorite things.

9. He's been using his feet to grab the toys that dangle above him.

10. If I sing to him, he laughs like crazy! Whether or not that's because he likes music or just because he thinks my voice is funny, it's still the cutest thing ever.  

These are just a few of the things that I love that he does. I spare you the rest of them because they could take up an entire day reading. :) Now for the picture overload for the great-grandparents, grandparents, and anyone else that wants to see him!

Porter and his cuz Miles!

So special.

My bud!

The Nemo grandpa got him. :)

Just one of those nights...

At His 4 Month Appointment

LOVE my guys.

I know one thing for sure, and that's how much Nic means to me. He is the best dad, husband, and so much more. Love you tons babe. :)

Porter in Pictures

Newborn

1 Month

2 Months

2.5 Months

3 Months

3 Months

4 Months

4 Months

10 Fast Weeks!

There hasn't been a month that's ever gone faster than the past 2. Little Porter is our favorite buddy! :) He makes us smile all the time. We are smitten. Sooo in love.

Porter's skills this month:

SMILING! Our little man can smile, HUGE! He'll look at us sometimes like he wants to smile but he's waiting for us to give him a reason to. It just melts my heart. His favorite times to smile are after his nap, after he eats, after his bath, and when we take the time to stop and really talk to him. 

He loves to be talked to-and especially loves talking back. He'll babble with us, almost like he's trying to carry on a conversation. It's so fun. 

His other fun thing is opening up his eyes, not just regular, but HUGE. He'll open them up nice and big to look at everything around him. If Nic and I roll our tongues and make a high-pitched noise, he'll open his eyes super wide and flail his arms everywhere and then frantically look around the room to see where the noise came from. We could just laugh with Porter all day long.

He's sleeping well and eating like a champ. He was in the 90th percentile for both height and weight. We have a monster baby! Haha he's growing so fast and we love to watch it happen around us every day.

Now for other news!

We're in the 3rd week of classes and let's just say we're both already for it to be over! We get closer and closer to graduating every day. Nic's taking too many hard classes to handle-physics, calculus II, computer science, the list goes on and on. I'm taking online courses and one on campus. I am so lucky that my major is mostly available online for me if I need it. I'm now a Marriage and Family Relations major. I have been looking at going into counseling. Maybe an elementary school, social work? I just really want to work by interacting with people all the time. Who knows, but let's just say, I love learning about marriages and families and how they work. Not only how they simply work but how to make them better. I can only hope that I'll take the things that I learn to heart and apply it to my own life every day. 

Nic's playing on two flag football teams this semester and he loves it so far. It's fun to get Porter all bundled up and snuggle with him while we watch Nic play. Nic and I are going to join an ultimate frisbee team together so that'll be lots of fun. :)

We're getting excited for the fall! October is around the corner which means, halloween, then thanksgiving, and then before you know it, christmas! I love it all. The smells, the joy, the laughter. It's soo my favorite season! (Even though it means Rexburg is about to reach below zero) I was just telling Nic though that although the season can be sooo cold, it still somehow is the warmest. It's the warmest season to me because all of my memories are cuddled up next to a fire, drinking hot chocolate, wearing warm sweaters, being with my little family, and just doing service and being kind to others. There's no other season like it, and I think I'm just a littttlllleee excited! :)

Picture Overload, A necessity when you have a baby and a cute hubby :)

Leaving for Nic's Game

The second shirt Nic's gone through...

Biggg Yawn! On our trip to Salt Lake.

After all that hard tummy time, he just wants to sleep. Right where he's at!

Nic has these exact same dimples!

Porter and his friend Paisley who I watch for a little bit some days.

 

Porter Nicholas

Yes, HE'S HERE! Our little bundle is here and we are SO in love. I can't say that enough. We look at him and wonder how we could accomplish making something so amazing. From fingers to toes, he's ours. We made him and we love him.

3 Days Old - Photo credit to my friend, K Joy Photography.

He's 3 and a half weeks old! I know to mostly everyone that is still a tiny newborn but to us, he's grown SO much. He's now about 10 lbs and is starting to outgrow his newborn clothes! He went from sleeping almost every second to just laying down next to us and staring at us forever. He'll stare at us as we talk the most extreme baby talk you've ever heard. It's like we think if we use "baby talk," he can actually understand us ha ha. We can see a smile slowly starting to develop and we can't wait until he can laugh at all of our baby talk. :) We've been calling him a ton of little nicknames. I like to call him my 'little Nic' and 'The Portster' has been coming about.

Birth Story

We went for my 38 week check-up and we found out that I was being induced the next day. It was such a surprise. I called my mom and just said, I'm being induced TOMORROW! She was freaking out and we were going crazy thinking of stuff that we had to do. She said that they were going to be here and they were driving all night long to get here. I'm soo happy they did because having them here was the best!! I was induced at 6 am, making the night before the longest night EVER! Knowing that we were going to be parents the next day made it impossible to sleep. Instead, we were cleaning, watching movies, and just freaking out because of how crazy the next day was going to be. So, after a couple hours of sleep, I called the hospital and they said it was good for me to come in! They started me on Pitocin right away and the contractions started coming, hard. When I got to the hospital I was already 3 cm dialted so that helped me a ton because before I knew it, I was a 5 and I was SO ready for an epidural. The nurse said to ask her for one right when I started to even think about getting one because it took a while to get ready. Good thing I asked for one when I did because right when the anestitist walked in, a contraction hit that I never even knew was possible to feel. He was reading all the risks to me as I was breathing through it. That's one way to make a woman fearless about the epidural ha ha. Just read all the risks when she's about to scream in pain. ;) After he finished the epidural, it was almost instant relief. I was lucky he was fast at what he did because trying to sit still during a contraction would've been impossible.

At about 12:15, I told my family to get out of the room because all of a sudden, I knew the baby was coming out. I tried to calmly tell the nurse I thought something felt different and I think that was a mistake. I should have freaked out to her because she calmly walked around the bed and said she'd be right back to check me. I remember thinking, BE RIGHT BACK?? Be right back?? My baby might be here by the time you get back. She finally got back to check me and she said, Oh, yep, I'm pretty sure your ready. And before I could even get a second to think about what that means, the other nurse came in and said, let's start to push. I looked at Nic and remember thinking, oh man, this is it!! Well, after some pressure and pain, at about 1:00 pm out came Porter. :) I looked up at Nic when I heard the doctor say "He's here" and he had tears in his eyes. If you know Nic well, you'd know he only cries on rare occasions. :) It brought so much joy to me to see my sweet husband and baby, all of us together for the first time. Nic cut the cord and that was that. Porter was cleaned on top of my chest and was just wailing. Feeling a precious new spirit right on my chest was the best feeling in the world. So warm and perfect, I knew I was one lucky lady. He went to the NICU just for a half hour to calm his heart rate and then was brought right back to us to stare at and love. Just about 8 lbs and almost 21 inches. He's amazing.

One Day Old.

Now, 3.5 weeks later, we've seen him grow before our eyes. Eyes opened wide, he loves to look around this new world. We just feel so blessed in every way. When we have to wake up every couple hours during the night to feed, change, and love, it's all worth it because we made him and he's all ours. I am so glad that his spirit was born into an eternal marriage and family that is ready to love him and do anything for him. Now, I don't often talk about too many things about our church on this blog, but I am full of gratitude for the blessings that it has brought to our lives, marriage, and now family. I know it is true and I get reminded of that every day. I hope Porter can learn, in his own way, to love this gospel and our Savior as much as we do so that he, too, can reap the many blessings that are waiting for him.

Now for a picture overload. :) It's really easy to take a ton of pictures of someone soo adorable. :)

Nic using the Moby Wrap :)

 We love you Portster. :)

7 Months!!

Wow, time is flying by!! I am now 27 weeks and completely smitten by this little guy growing inside of me. Everyday his kicks seem to get stronger and he just wants to make sure Nic and I know that he's having fun in there!! Last night I was laying in bed and I was rubbing my tummy like the magic bottle from Aladdin (which I seem to do a lot now :) and I realized that sticking out beneath my rib was a little foot. No joke, Nic and I could feel the shape of a little foot relaxing inside of me. It's one of the coolest/weirdest feelings in the world! We're SO excited for our little man to join our family and for some reason, even though my belly gets bigger every day, it still kind of feels like the stork is going to drop him off in the hospital to meet us!

Some cool little things about being 27 weeks:

• Third Trimester!

• He's dreaming now :) I wonder what he could be dreaming about.

• He's 2.5 pounds and 17 inches long!!! Getting ready to pack on the chub!

• He's finally opening his eyes and starting to blink!

• Uterus is the size of a basketball! (and still not near big enough for the baby!)

• Baby wakes me up at night when he wakes up.

• My fingers and toes have a new size-swollen! (ciao to wedding ring for 3 more months :(

• Hello, sciatica! Baby's been sitting on my sciatic nerve for a good little while!

• HICCUPS! no joke, I can feel hiccups at least every day. They last for a few minutes until he can start relaxing again.

26 Weeks!

Here's a picture of me last week for all the family out there who hasn't been on facebook! I was 26 weeks in this picture. (trust me, a week can make a difference in how big this belly is)

I'm so lucky to have an awesome hubby who will pour me a glass of water when I'm finally comfortable on the couch and realize I'm thirsty. :) He's taken me to get ice cream, milk shakes, and plenty of dinners to make my tummy and this little guy satisfied. I've gained about 22 pounds and I am freaking out a little! It's hard watching the number on the scale go up and up and still knowing it's only going to go up for 2-3 months! Nic has been my rock, getting me through my crazy hormonal and emotional days. Haha, and there's been a fair share. :)

We went to a concert last night!! We saw Diamond Rio, a country band from the 80-90's. They're still making awesome songs today. Nic and I love country music and we love how diamond Rio played a wide variety from bluegrass to 70's classic rock (with a twang ;) and of course, their own classics. Our little guy seemed to like it too, he was kicking the whole time they were playing. :) There's so many great songs and I thought I should just attach one of my favorites to let you all know what they're like.

Can anyone say, BIG NEWS?!

It's been a while since I've found time to blog because a lot has been happening here at the Barnes. As some people may know, after we got home from thanksgiving, we found out we're expecting our first new little member of the family!!!!! No joke. We're really having a baby! :) The truth is out, let it be heard, a new little Barnes baby is on the way. It's still crazy to us! I'm due August 3rd!

We've been trucking along as I've tackled slight morning sickness, cravings like crazy, and a growing belly that seems to not stop growing. I'm 20 weeks (5 months) along so it's been quite a little while since we've found out, we're half way to having our baby!!! On our anniversary, we were able to see our growing little one and found out the gender!

It's a BOY!!!!!!

 Right now he's about 8 inches long and about 12 ounces. That's his little hand in a fist by his head, it's like he was trying to shade his eyes the whole time. :) We saw little feet, hands, and even saw him yawn! He's getting bigger and bigger! Trust me, I can tell by the kicks. :) Nic and I went and bought one onesie each just for a little celebration. Nic bought an Oregon Ducks football tee. Haha it was the cutest. We're sooo excited! And a little boy will be a great addition to our fam bam.

Our anniversary was on March 12th! We've been married now for a year and in May, it will have been two years since Nic and I met. It's crazy how time flies so fast! This year has been full of so much joy and I can thank my wonderful husband for all of that.

To celebrate our first anniversary, we headed to Jackson, Wyoming for a quick trip to Jackson Hole. Jackson Hole is a fun tourist/skiing town about an hour and a half away so it's the perfect place to have some fun for our anniversary and do something special before the baby comes. We went to Ripley's Believe it or Not, just walked around town, and got a yummy dinner.

 

This belly is a little hidden but here I am at 20 weeks!

Being pregnant and all, there's really no way to ski right now. :( I LOVE snow sports so this was a disappointment but definitely worth it. :) Nic and I were joking saying the mountains were just taunting us, saying "SKI ME!!" haha we passed THREE awesome ski resorts on the way to town. Nic and I are just going to have to wait to hit the slopes until next winter. :)

 

We're loving this nice weather, Spring is definitely on the way!!! We love it. We're heading to Salt Lake for conference weekend on the March 31st so we're excited to see some family and finally be able to go to general conference! I'm so grateful for the great support from our awesome families and we are so lucky to be having a baby. It's such a blessing and a gift, we couldn't be more grateful.