My First Time!

This is my first time ever writing a blog. I decided to do it for several reasons, from wanting to share my experiences and thoughts on different subjects to using it as an outlet. Kind of like a venting/me time type thing! Lol. So anyway, I’m going to try to post answers to questions I’ve been asked, feelings and thoughts on random subjects and I’ll also share milestones and personal progress I come across. Being a millennial and a mom is amazing, exciting, inspiring, tiring…I could go on and on lol. I’m so excited to share with you.

Remember Who You Are.

 

Wow, it feels good to be back. I love writing. Ever since I was a young girl. That and reading. A bore to some but exciting for me. I’m so happy I get to share some of me with you today! So this is what’s been going on.

I’ve been so consumed with being a mom of two littles, a wife, a professional and much, much more. My head has been spinning a lot lately. That’s not necessarily a bad thing but it sure is far from good.

My days are crazy. They can be long. Sometimes, I complain. Sometimes I don’t mind it. It depends. I cried on my husband’s shoulders the other day. He rubbed my feet and gave me his sour patch kids candy. The SWEETEST. Lol.

I sit and look at my life. I soak it all in. Sometimes I soak in too much and feel overwhelmed! You know. Sometimes, we young women try to do the most and can end up losing ourselves trying to be everything. You know what I mean! I haven’t lost myself but I know how some women can do so and breakdown.

We can’t be everything but we can be ourselves and with that, everything can have a part of who we are. Which is awesome!

No, I don’t have to focus on being the perfect mom, wife, friend, professional, etc…but all of those titles help make me, a better me. The perfect me. I embrace all of these changes and continue to grow from them.

I want to share some advice that helps me. Laugh and cry with people you trust. Do something nice for yourself and others. Do something you like on a regular basis. Read, dance to your favorite ratchet music and BREATHE. Life is awesome. Chaos and all. Lastly,

REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE. 😚

#MOMLIFE Take Two!

So, I did it!! Yup, that’s me you see. After about 1 day of contractions, 20 minutes after having my water broken, and 7 minutes of pushing, my baby girl Nova is here. I’m now a mom of two. How do I feel you ask…I don’t know yet. I feel like the expected answers would be tired and overwhelmed. I guess I’m a little tired but eh I’m okay. I have a little energy. I am more relaxed too now that I kind of know what to expect.

My birthing experience was great this time around. I knew how to breathe properly, I was preparing myself for the pain and I was a lot calmer during the contractions (though I did sweat profusely, cry and beg for the epidural about two minutes after the doctor broke my water LOL).

We came home after 1 day in the hospital. Thank Goodness ( because I missed my bed!)  We are adjusting well but will hopefully improve over time. One thing I think would make my life a little easier now that I have two little ones, is working on my own time management and with my hubby. I think right now we’re a little all over the place. One of the goals is to put Nova on a schedule like we did for our son, Aaron. Another is making sure we spend quality husband and wife time together! I think after the first month we should be on track but hey who’s counting lol.

Right now, I just want to take it easy. I want to enjoy my little family. I want to heal, relax then get up and going again whenever I’M ready. It’s going to be a great summer.

Thanks for reading. ❤

My Love Hate Relationship with Breastfeeding

(The picture below is my husband and I on our second year anniversary trip in Las Vegas. That’s my pump machine right on my arm!)

My name is Evelyn and I have a love hate relationship with breastfeeding!

When I was pregnant with my first, everything you could possibly think of was running through my mind. One of the major thoughts was whether or not I was going to breast feed or formula feed my sweet boy. After going to breast-feeding classes, speaking to my sister who chose that path, and speaking to my mom who chose to formula feed, I ultimately decided to give my son breast-milk.

Now, when my son was born, I did not produce much milk, so I gave him formula for the first few days without any second thought at all. Before I continue, I want all my mamas to know that if you feel like your baby is not eating enough or you are not producing enough, please, please, please give them formula and speak to your hospital’s lactation consultant. Breastfeeding and formula feeding is A PERSONAL CHOICE. There is no WRONG CHOICE! (You can also do both simultaneously!!)

I chose to exclusively pump with my son, Aaron. I liked the fact that I could see how much he was actually eating, my husband could help feed him throughout the night 😉 plus, the latching was hard for both me and baby and I went back to work pretty fast so there needed to be a big supply of milk at home while I was away.

So in my situation, it took me about a week to start producing enough colostrum and milk to feed my baby amounts that I felt was sufficient enough for him. But that week was rough. I felt so discouraged. I remember pumping all day long only to see 2 to 4 ounces of milk. I remember everything I tried to do to up my supply. That included eating lots of oatmeal, which I hate, drinking a lot of water and mother’s tea, pumping every two hours no matter what and trying to remain stress free.  I remember giving my son my sister’s breast milk for a few days (she had given birth about 3 months before I had and was happy to share. I felt extremely comfortable using her milk, and returned the favor to her and her son later on down the road!) I also remember the feeling I had when I started producing loads of milk and my freezer was full! Now that felt great, knowing that I did not give up.

So now that Baby Johnson #2 is almost here, I know that I want to breastfeed again (because I believe breast is best!) but I hate the thought of having to pump all day and night, dumping my milk after having a margarita, and carrying that dag on breast pump bag EVERYWHERE. LOL. I am literally getting tired already! But seriously, to me those are the only “hard parts”. The pros greatly outweigh all of that (my own personal thoughts!)

I know my baby will be getting all the nutrients he or she needs to grow and be healthy, it will strengthen their immune system and may even protect them from allergies in the future. I know that I will potentially lose my baby weight fast again (Yes!) and keep my dreaded period from returning! It took about 10 months for me to get a cycle again after having my son. That was an amazing break!!

Also, don’t believe that you cannot bond with your baby if you do not breastfeed! NOT TRUE. Like I said, I exclusively pumped and bottle fed my son breast milk, no baby on boobie LOL and we bonded just fine!

There are many factors that go into making the decision of what is the right feeding option for you and your baby. Choose what makes YOU comfortable and what is best for you and baby.

Good luck to us all!!

 

Just Be A Good Mom.

I was talking to a lady the other day and our conversation turned to motherhood. She had raised three kids on her own. She was very proud of it too. I admired that. Her confidence and wisdom was inspiring, so I asked her, “What advice do you have for me, now that I’m expecting my second child?” Her response, simply, “Just be a good mom.”

Now that was the most generic response ever lol but I know what she meant.  I think society puts soooo much pressure on women to be a so called perfect mom. There’s no such thing. All you can do is be a good mom.  Being a good mom starts from the day you find out you’re pregnant. You immediately start caring for that tiny being inside of you.  No more sushi, Ibuprofen, and hardest of all, no more margaritas!! Lol

What does being a good mom mean to me?

It means:

1. Taking care of your child/children. Comforting them, guiding them, teaching them, protecting them and providing them of what they need.

2. Understanding that motherhood is not easy but still push through! You will get tired, you will need help,  you will need advice and it’s OKAY! (Don’t be ashamed to ask for help if you need it.)

3. Most importantly, taking care of yourself to the best of your ability. Try your best to be in good spirits, good physical health and mental health. Do what you have to do to get there. I for example, walk a lot, listen to 90’s music and tell my husband whenever I feel overwhelmed. Boy oh boy does that help. (Yes, I get very tired from life sometimes and I own it!) Be your best self as much as you can, then you can really focus on being the best mom you can be.

Being a mom is full time job. All we can do is keep trying our best, learn from our mistakes, and never quit.

Keep being good moms, ladies.  We should be very proud of ourselves! Moms to be, you should be proud too because motherhood starts from the day you get that positive result!!

Omg! Did you plan it?

Not too long ago, I was in the restroom and someone who I knew but hadn’t seen or spoken to in a while came up to me. She smiled, looked at my belly and said “Oh my God, you’re pregnant again, already? Did you plan this?” Now I know that some people ask and are truly excited and mean no harm. However, she and I are not friends and I thought her tone was a bit rude. Anyway, I answered with a smile “Yes. Kind of.”  But you know what people?? My husband and I 100% planned to get pregnant when AJ turned one. I knew I wanted my kids to be close in age, I knew for me personally I did not want to take a long break but wanted to extend my new motherhood experience. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Oh and I already know when I want to have my next babies. I have it all planned out. Lol. I say all this to say…if you want to have a thousand babies back to back, DO IT. If you want to wait ten years between having kids, DO IT. If you don’t want any kids…good for you! Do what works for you and your family. That’s what I’m doing and I’m proud of it! (P.S. I was sooo pregnant in this pic!)