Life of a Conductor's Wife: Kids

With Christmas around the corner, my husband jumped on a turn that pays more and gets overtime, but it keeps him away for a few days at a time. Since our son was born, Ryan hasn't really worked out of town. When Evan was really young, he didn't notice daddy being gone so much. Lately, I've started noticing that Evan would become a little more defiant around the second day of Ryan being gone. It clicked with me one day when I realized that's the only thing that has changed lately in our day to day life. When Ryan's home, the normal routine is that he gets up with Evan and I sleep in. I am a natural night owl so I stay up to put Evan to bed, straighten things up,  and get chores done that I couldn't do during the day. Ryan likes to go to bed early so it works out perfectly for us. But I think Evan expects that time with daddy every morning. Not that he isn't excited when its me that walks into his room in the morning instead of daddy, but on the second and third day you can tell hes wondering where in the world his daddy is. He likes his routines like his momma does, ha-ha! Our son is never bad - he has the sweetest, happiest personality of any baby I have ever met and that isn't me being biased at all - its the truth. So when he starts to get a little defiant or agitated/whiny about things for no apparent reason, I know he is missing his daddy. Of course Ryan is missing Evan just as bad and can't wait to come home, and he doesn't wish for Evan to be difficult for me - but he loves that Evan misses him, it makes him feel good. And the excitement from Evan when daddy walks through the door is the cutest thing I have ever seen.

Our dog Annie is attached to Ryan at the hip. I am the discipline and the rule enforcer so she is on her best behavior around me usually. She likes me well enough, but she loooooves her daddy. She whines when he leaves and searches the house for him every time I let her outside and back in. When his car rounds the corner she is at the door, tail wagging, full of excitement. It kills her that she isn't the first to get his attention after he gets inside and puts his bags down. She doesn't wait very patiently but she eats it up. I'm not the first to get his attention either, I'm the third! Only because Annie is so dang impatient and she crowds, ha-ha!

And then there's our cat, Oakley. She could care less. She does as she pleases and doesn't care who's there to feed her and fall asleep on.

Railroad life definitely affects the kids, but so far I haven't considered it to be in a bad way. If anything, the time away results in more quality time together and that's never a bad thing. Evan gets his daddy's undivided attention while he's home and it's like they haven't skipped a beat.

The original Life of a Conductor's Wife post, click here!

Life of a Conductor's Wife: FAQ, click here!

Our Baby Turned 1!

 

What an awesome first year it has been with our little boy, Evan. It's hard to believe that it has already been a year, time has flown by! We had an awesome train themed party for Evan at our house. The 18th fell on a Saturday so we got to have it on his actual birthday. So many people came and he got so many presents he couldn't decide what to play with first! No one was surprised with the party theme, we are a train family after all! :) I found the cutest invites on Etsy and hand made 95% percent of the decorations. It was such a great day and I think Evan enjoyed himself quite a bit, especially the cake eating part!

Summertime Fried Zucchini

So this may be a little out of season now, but this is one my favorite things to eat in summer! I make a quick batter, slice the zucchini, dip them, and fry. The batter is easy to make, too!

All you need is:

Water

Flour

Egg

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Powder

I like to add other stuff too, but it depends on what I feel like and whats in my spice cabinet. I like to experiment and have fun with it. It always comes out delicious! What are some of your go-to spices??

DIY Ring Holders

My best friend is newly engaged and she was wanting a place to keep her ring when she has to take it off. I have always wanted to make one of these since I saw them on Pinterest. She mentioned doing it one day we were out shopping so we picked out some frames and made plans to do it. She came over a few days later with everything we needed.

Here's what you need and how to do it;

A picture frame

Scrapbook paper

Sticker jewels

Sticker letters

A pin, or a hook 

Thread or string

Tape

Pliers

1. Take the glass out of the frame

2. Cut the scrapbook paper to fit

3. Wrap the pin with the string (so your ring doesn't get scratched)

4. Push it through the paper and cardboard backing in the picture frame 

5. Bend the end of the pin flat and tape it in place

6. Stick the jewels and letters anywhere you'd like.

7. Bend the pin into a hook shape (if you didn't use a hook) so your ring wont slide off

Please share in the comments below if you have made one of these or do make one. I'd love to see yours!

Homemade Lemonade

 

Homemade lemonade is so easy and it's one of my favorite things to make during these hot summer days! I buy a bag of large lemons, slice them in half, and run them over my electric juicer. I don't know what I'd do without that thing! While I'm doing all of that, I have a pan of water on the stove heating to a boil with about a cup to a cup and a half of sugar in it. The amount depends on the size of pitcher you are going to use. I like to to do this so the sugar dissolves and doesn't just sit at the bottom of the pitcher. Once that's done and all of the lemons have been juiced, mix everything together in your pitcher and add cold water to fill. That's it! Quick, easy, and delicious!

Tails of Annie and Oakley

We would be the crazy people who would get a dog and a cat at practically the same time, while having a (at the time) 7 month old baby.

When we found our house and were getting ready to close on it, my husband expressed his desire of getting a dog. Me myself had never had a dog. Ever. I think dogs are high maintenance and drool too much. I grew up only ever having cats and I loooove cats. Had I never met Ryan, I would have been content being the crazy cat lady. I've never minded other people's dogs I just never had the desire to have one of my own. But Ryan grew up with dogs. Huge dogs. Dogs the size of polar bears. I wasn't having that. So I told him that if we were going to entertain the idea of getting a dog, it would have to be a German Shepherd. I've always liked that breed of dog a lot for some reason. He agreed, liking that breed as well, so the search began. I already followed the local humane societies on Facebook, so I browsed through their pictures and found an older German Shepherd that I wanted to go visit. We went in and played with him, but we were too late to adopt him, someone had already put a hold on him. As bummed as I was, I couldn't help but be happy that he had found a home. I kept my eyes open and one day I saw a picture of a German Shepherd mix puppy named Apple Annie. We went in and visited her and she immediately took to our son, and I saw the look on my husband's face and knew we had to have her. We took her home that day. We were still a few weeks away from moving into our new house so she had to stay with my husbands parents on their farm because we lived in a rental that didn't allow any pets.

Fast forward to 2 days before our move. I was working on cleaning our rental and playing with Evan when I heard this pitiful crying sound. I picked up my son and walked outside to see if I could hear it better. We took a walk all the way down the hill and I found a little kitten. She was hiding and when I talked to her she came running over to us. She was shaking and scared but she let me pick her up so I took her back to our house. I immediately texted a picture of her to my husband saying "Look at what I just found!" He of course let me keep her, we couldn't just leave her on her own outside. His one condition was that he got to name her. He decided on Oakley, since we already had an Annie. My husband is funny like that. When I took her to the vet, they said she was barely 4 weeks old and lucky we found her when we did since she got separated from her mommy she wouldn't have made it. I hid her in the rental until we got moved a few days later. She was not an easy thing to hide either! She could squeeze her little body under doors, so I was always worried that the land lord would be over and she would make herself known. Luckily that never happened!

Once we got moved into our new house, we introduced Annie and Oakley to each other. They took right to each other but I had to keep an eye on them because Annie played too hard being so much bigger than Oakley. I'm so glad we got them young because they will grow up together and be buddies. That was one of the main reasons my husband wanted to get a puppy, so our son could grow up with it. I think it's sweet. :)



While they are a handful, I wouldn't trade them for anything. They are hilarious and Evan loves them! I have several funny stories coming your way so look for future 'Tails of Annie and Oakley' posts. Have any funny stories of your animals? Post a link in the comments below, I'd love to read them!


All My Love,
Lyndsay <3

A Little Update

What a crazy couple of months I've had! I keep meaning to sit down and blog and life keeps getting in the way. I have missed this SO much though! I posted last that we bought our first home, and since then we have gotten all moved in and have been working on making it our own. We have painted, organized, rearranged and made our house a home. I finally feel like we have a place for everything and its all been very fun to do!

We had a housewarming 4th of July party and a birthday party for my sister today here at our house. It is so cool to be able to host those kinds of things now. We are kind of centrally located and it works out perfect because I love to play hostess and throw parties.

I was also involved in politics for a little while! My mother in law ran (and won!!) in the primaries to be the republican candidate for the general elections this fall to run for Ohio state representative. That was a new experience for me, as I am not interested in politics at all, but it was a lot of fun and kept us very busy!

Our baby boy is growing like crazy, crawling all over the place at high speed and walking along furniture and anything he can pull himself up on. We also got a puppy and a kitten all around the same time, and let me tell you - I have my hands full. So there's a quick little overview of whats been happening in our lives the past few months. I have several posts planned and I cant wait to get back into the blogesphere!


All My Love,
Lyndsay <3

Our First Home!

 

For years, my husband and I have been working towards being able to buy a house. It always seemed as if something was in the way and like it would never happen. I realized that I was being impatient and trying to do it on my own to make it happen. So I prayed one day and gave all my worry and frustration to the Lord. I knew that when I gave it to him and let it go, that things would happen exactly the way they He planned them.

 

We closed on our house today and we move in at the end of the month. Luckily, the house is move-in ready and we really don't have to do a thing to it if we don't want to. But if you know me, you know that I love to DIY and I have been dreaming of the day that we would have a house to make a home. So be prepared for lots of home posts to come. :) 

DIY Home Finances Organizer

I have had many ways of organizing our finances over the years, from a filing cabinet to different colored folders. If you know me, you know I never keep anything the same for very long. I like to change things up and tweak things to make the better and more user-friendly. I had in my mind that I wanted to try a binder system next and while at Target one day, I found some monthly calendars on clearance and a bunch of scrapbook paper. That's when what I had in my mind started taking form. This was rather easy to do, I already had a large binder so I picked some scrapbook paper out and mixed and matched until I was happy and I cut it to fit the front sleeve. I already had the stickers from a previous project (here and here) and that finished the front.

For the inside, I used the left over paper and covered over the tabs of dividers I already had. Then I labeled them with how I wanted everything to be sorted and voila! I use the monthly calendar as an overview of whats due each month and I place a check mark next to the biller once it is paid. On the actual bill, I write when it was paid, how I paid it (whether it was through our online bill pay, through the biller's website, or by phone), the confirmation number, and any other information I may need to look back at. I really like this system, there is the small hastle of hole punching but I do it as I get the bills in the mail and its not really that much of a hastle at all. I was a few months into the year when I decided to start this system so I had a lot of hole-punching to catch up on, haha.

But, that's our system and I love how everything is together and in chronological order and I have our bank statements in there as well to track our spending and make sure checks have cleared, etc. Plus, its just super cute to look at!

I'd love to hear or see your home finance organizing systems. Please share in the comments below!

Life of a Conductor's Wife: FAQ

I've gotten a lot of feedback from my original 'Life of a Conductor's Wife' post. I get asked a lot of questions and I thought since it's been a while since I've talked about it, I would do a FAQ post. These are all questions that I have been asked and my actual answers to those who asked them. :)

Q. How did you feel when your husband started to go into the freight conductor?
A. When he was offered the job and started the process, we were both very excited. I was nervous that he would be away for six weeks for training but I knew it was something he had to do in order to better our life together. It was definitely a huge adjustment but it has brought us closer and helped us to communicate better. When he's gone, we miss each other a lot but we get excited to see each other again and I feel like it makes us appreciate each other so much more. It will change your life, and it can be for the better if you let it

Q. Is it hard now that you guys have a baby?
A.  Actually, it hasn't been harder since we had our baby. He's home quite a bit, even if it's only 12 hours - that's time spent with us. Not all of the jobs take him out of town. But I don't feel like he's missing out on too much at all.

Q. You say he misses birthdays and holidays and anniversary's, how do you deal with that?
A. He has missed some holidays and other important days and it's disappointing but imagine how he feels about it. I really try not to make him feel worse and we just celebrate on a different day and he's pretty good about leaving surprises that I find or he sends flowers. He doesn't miss everything, so I'll take him missing a few things over missing everything.

Q. How has it changed your life?
A.  It has changed our life in the fact that we are more financially sound. After we had our son, I didn't have to return to work and I am able to stay home and care for him and raise him. My husband's job was an answer to prayers. It's a blessing to our lives.

Q. How long has he been a freight conductor and does he have a somewhat regular schedule by now?
A.  He has been a freight conductor since he got hired a little over three years ago. He doesn't have what other people would call a regular schedule but it has become regular to us. They have a system that he can access from a computer or his smart phone where he can see the line up of who's to be called next. The more seasoned conductors with the most seniority are who hold the regular turns that are actually on a schedule.

Q. What is a "typical" week like? 
A.  A typical week is never the same from week to week. To explain the on-call board a little better, my husband gets called anytime a crew runs out of time and they need a re-crew. He gets called when a person on a regular turn takes off sick, takes a vacation day, etc. So he could get called for anything it just depends whats going on. They call 2 hours before he has to be at work so he has plenty of notice and time to get ready.


If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask! I love talking with other train wives (and girlfriends) and forming friendships with ladies that understand first hand what the lifestyle is like. :)

Original Life of a Conductor's Wife post, click here!

Life of a Conductor's Wife: Kids post, click here!

A New Essie Fave!

 If you follow me on Instagram (@mrslynzdennis) then you already saw this little gem. It is my new favorite color from Essie. My husband put it in my stocking for Christmas. His comment on it was, "I didn't like the color, so I knew you would." Haha!

What are some of your favorite Essie colors?

Saturday Archives

If you find yourself a little bored today and in need of some reading material, you've come to the right place.

Here are a few past posts that you might enjoy. :)

A Lesson of Love - 2010

God talks to you; just listen - 2011

How is school going?

I have been working like crazy since Evan was born to keep up with my classes and do well. I am taking my honors classes which are challenging but actually a lot of fun. School definitely keeps me busy, but now that I am a stay-at-home mommy, I can really structure my days better and focus more on school at times during the day that I couldn't when I was working. Evan makes a good study buddy, too. He likes to listen to me read my assigned chapters to him and he helps me type on the computer some. :)

*My planner is from Vera Bradley and I love it. And I'm picky with my planners. It is the 2013-2014 one, but they have the new ones out in super cute patterns!

DIY Jewelry Hanger

This was so much fun to make! I'd been hanging my necklaces in my closet from a pant hanger. I like having them in there next to my clothes because as I pick an outfit, a necklace is the first piece  of jewelry I pick out. Then I build the rest of my accessories around that. I'd been brainstorming ideas of what I could make to go in there and one night it hit me. I found an old shelf that went to a CD tower that we re-purposed and then everything else fell into place. I had all of the items I needed already so I went to work. This took me no time at all, the most lengthy process was figuring out how I wanted to place the nails. Oh and by the way, who needs plain old duct tape when you can get polka dot duct tape?!

So what do you think? Share some of your DIY projects in the comments below! :)

My Favorite Items for Baby!

        

Being first time parents, we really had no idea what we would end up really needing or using and what would just end up taking up space. These items are ones that I would suggest for any new parent and ones that we get the most use out of and Evan gets the most enjoyment out of.  :)

1. Swing

- Our swing is one with a mobile that turns, music, nature sounds, volume control and three different swing modes. My favorite feature is that it plugs into the wall instead of being ran by batteries. This was a gift from our cousin and I love it. I hardly ever put him down if I don't have to, but sometimes the only things that makes Evan happy is swinging in his swing.

2. Car Seat Cover

- This is a must have for cold weather. The one we have is the BabiesRUs brand. I liked it because it is fitted and stretched over the car seat without having to remove anything to put it on and take it off. I have a car seat for my vehicle and my husband has one for his, that way we don't have to mess with switching anything back and forth. This car seat cover is so easy to put on whichever car seat we are using and it keeps baby nice and warm.

3. Play Mat

- These are great for stimulating baby. Evan loves to lay under the arches and watch the lights flash and hit the toys that dangle. I ordered this off of Walmart.com and it was about $65. Everything you see pictures]d came with it, it is well worth the money. It has a mode that plays constant music and nature sounds, just music, just nature or a mode where baby can activate it himself while playing. It also has two volume settings. I absolutely love this. It has got him so excited every time he uses it and he has really started using his hands and reaching for things. You can take the arches off and use it as just a play mat and take it with you when you travel. It has little ribbons and things plus loops for toys on the mat as well.

 

4. Rocking Glider Chair

- There is nothing like rocking your baby to sleep. I got that chair from Walmart for about $130. It is comparable to one from BabiesRUs, but this one is a much better price. It comes with a glider stool included. It has pockets on each side for mommy must-haves and it is very comfortable.

5. Board Books

- Your baby is never too young to read to! They like looking at the images and I've read that it helps them learn to communicate. You want to start with board books because as they start to discover their hands, they can reach for the pages as you turn them or to touch the pictures and you don't have to worry about tearing or wrinkling and they wipe clean. I have to read Evan a book several times or read more than one sometimes because he gets fussy if I'm done before he is!

 

6. Stuffed Animal Binky

- We got this as a gift and Evan loves it! He actually hardly ever sucks on binkies but at bed time he rubs his face against his giraffe and if he does get fussy he finds whatever part of him he can and puts it in his mouth. He always sucks on his fist, which has become his way of self-soothing but there is just something about his Giraffe binky that he loves.

What are some of your favorite baby items that you would suggest to new moms? Share them in the comments below! :)

My Labor & Delivery Experience - Part 3

If you're just now 'tuning in', make sure you don't miss the first two parts!

Click here to read part 1!

Click here to read part 2!

So the time has come to push! I really wasn't ready for this part because everything I had read up to that point didn't make it sound very pleasant with or without an epidural. I'll tell you what, that delivery bed breaks right down, the stirrups come out from underneath, and they hit this switch and the ceiling opens up and a huge light comes down. No joke! Ryan thought that was pretty cool. Then once we were all set, right before we started, the computer monitor showing my contractions went out. They had switched out the monitor in the middle of the night because it was acting up too. We still had the paper printing out showing my contractions so my nurse said we could go from that. She had me start pushing and I was expecting to feel all kinds of painful things but all I felt was a little pressure. We started out fine but she realized the printer was delayed in showing my contractions. So she asked me to try and feel through my epidural for my contractions so I would know when to start pushing and we could get the best out of my contractions. If I really concentrated, I could tell when I was having one so we got into a rhythm. Dr. Cooper had been in and out at this point checking on progress and telling me how well I was doing. Ryan who had previously said he wanted to stay right next to my head and not see a thing was down checking out what was going on. They asked me if I wanted a mirror to watch and I said no. I don't think I would have been able to concentrate.

So I pushed and pushed and prayed for the Lord to give me the strength and pushed and pushed prayed that everything would happen how it was supposed to and pushed some more. Evan got right to the end but would not crown. They had to put oxygen on me because I was exhausted and at times Evans heart rate would go down. So we changed the amount of repetitions I would push during a contraction and sometimes we would let a contraction go by just to give me and baby a break. Ryan was so wonderful through out, he rubbed my back, encouraged me, reassured me and even complimented me. It was such a special experience for him and I to share together. Finally Dr. Cooper came in and said it was time Evan made his appearance and he was going to give him a little assistance. He said I just had a little work left to do, so after they got the suction placed on baby's head we waited for a contraction and Dr. Cooper told me to push when he pulled. At this point, Dr. Cooper realized he wasn't coming out without tearing me so he prepared to make the cut. I had a moment of panic when I felt the scissors touch me, I could feel the cold of the metal and I thought, "Oh my gosh, this is going to hurt." But thankfully I didn't feel it!

I can't explain to you how it felt when I could feel Evan's head and then shoulders make their way out of my body. I have sat and tried to describe it but there are no words. It wasn't pain but it was pressure, like a bone stretching pressure. I was so concentrated on what was happening, I only remember hearing Ryan say, "Here he comes babe, look there he is!" and Evan was born at 2:50 pm. I was in awe, just pure amazement that that little human being just made his way from my body. I was so over-joyed that tears just silently flowed from my eyes. I watched them take him over to the warmer and I watched Ryan staring at him with a look of happiness that just made me feel like the luckiest woman in the world. I prayed and thanked the Lord. Evan got cleaned off and swaddled and handed to Ryan while I delivered the afterbirth, got stitches and they cleaned me up and put everything back the way it was before. Ryan looked so proud and so much like a dad, like he had been meant to be one his whole life! Then he handed him to me and I was speechless for a moment. I said, "Hi Evan, I'm your mommy. You are our little miracle, you know that? Our little gift from God, I prayed for you for so long." and I kissed his little face and smiled up at my amazing husband.

The End Beginning. <3




I hope if you are getting ready to have your own baby or you are thinking about starting a family, that in me sharing my story, it helps you see that it doesn't have to be scary. Every pregnancy and every delivery are different. But just know that with a strong partner, a supportive family, and most importantly faith in the Lord - it can be the most amazing, eye opening, beautiful experience of your life. It truly is a miracle. :)

My Labor & Delivery Experience - Part 2

If you are just now 'tuning in', then you may have missed part one.
Click here to read part 1!

Now on to part two...

So I had been started on Pitocin and my water had been broken. Bring on full labor pains. I'm a little blurry on exact times but around 8:30-9 they checked me and I was only dilated to a 3 1/2 to a 4. I hadn't progressed hardly at all considering the amount of contractions I was having and as painful as they were. I knew before ever going in that I wanted an epidural. I had talked to Dr. Cooper in detail about it several times and he felt it was the best route for pain control with my heart problem. He didn't see me having any problems at all. At this point I had a new nurse for the day shift. She was the nicest, soft spoken girl and I really liked her and felt comfortable with her. She was very good at explaining everything she was doing and why. So when she told me I was almost a four and could get my epidural, I asked her if she thought it was too soon. She said no, that's its when most women get them and that it would probably relax my body enough so that I would progress. I asked Ryan if he thought I should go ahead and he said that I was the one going through the pain and if I wanted it to get it, he just wanted me to be able to relax. I decided I would, because at that point I had reached my goal of getting to feel what labor was like and I didn't want to risk the anesthesiologist getting tied up and not making it before it was too late for me to get one. (I had a horrible dream that that had happened haha) Another nurse walked in  and started to say, "At this hospital we sometimes have stud.." Knowing she was going to ask if students could watch, I cut her off and sternly said no. I had already told Dr. Cooper how I felt about that. She started to ask me if I was sure and I said I didn't want a single person in there that didn't have an active role in the delivery of our baby. My nurse (who already knew my wishes) cut in and told her that she was going to put in orders for my epidural. The second nurse looked at me and back at my nurse and said, "Already??"

This instantly upset me. The second nurse walked out and I asked my nurse if I was getting it too soon. I looked at my husband and asked him if I was being a wuss because I wanted it already. Emotional as I was already, that woman made me doubt myself and my decision. She instantly made me feel weak. My nurse spoke up and told me that it is my body and if I feel like I am ready for the pain to go away then it is no sooner than the right time. I told her to go ahead and order it, that I wanted it. When she left, I looked over at my husband and the anger started coming to me. I said, "She is not in my position, she had no right to question that. I'd like to see her in my place right now and tell me she doesn't want one yet."My husband said, "I know, if she does anything like that again we will tell them we don't want her coming back in." I didn't realize up to that point that that was an option so when he said that it made me feel a lot better. I didn't need negative people or people making me question myself in one of the most emotional and painful times of my life. I needed positivity and that's what I got thanks to my husband and my wonderful nurse.

It felt like an eternity before the anesthesiologist got to my room. I laid there and clenched my fists and squeezed my eyes shut and kept saying "Ooooh I hope he gets here soon." My husband did such a wonderful job coaching me through my contractions. I had told him I didn't want any of that "Hee Hee, Hoo Hoo, Breath Breath Breath" crap they told him to do in class. I just needed him to tell me he loved me and hold my hand and occasionally brush his hand across my forehead. When I'd get through a contraction, I'd open my eyes to him staring at me with wonder. I asked him what he was thinking and he just said that I was amazing. I told him I didn't feel too amazing at the moment and smiled. Finally the anesthesiologist came. I was pretty nervous because people had decided to tell me all kinds of horror stories while I was pregnant about epidurals and I made a conscious effort to push them all out of my head. He was a very nice man and got right to work. He talked me through everything he was doing, what I would feel, how long I would feel it, even what I might taste. Getting the epidural did NOT hurt at all! I felt the smallest pinch, like a bee sting, when he first numbed me to actually do the epidural and that was it. I had to sit perfectly still while contracting - that was the hardest part. But I will tell you, sitting up curled around my pillow like that, the contractions were easier to get through. Relief was pretty quick, I told him he was an amazing man and that his wife was a lucky woman.

I could tell the epidural was working because my contractions were duller than they were. They have you lay on your back after and I started noticing that my left side was completely numb, but I could still feel contractions on my right side. That was a weird feeling. But I will take half of a contraction over a full one any day! They had me roll onto my right side because epidurals work with gravity. After about an hour I was numb on both sides and they rolled me back on to my back. Now, I always thought with an epidural you literally would not feel a thing, but I could. I could feel that people touched my legs and I could feel the weight of them, but no pain. It was wonderful. At this point, my mom and sister had gotten to the hospital and were in the room with us and she couldn't believe I couldn't feel a thing. We were looking at my contractions on the printout and they were literally off the charts. A few hours had passed and they came in to check me again. I had dilated to a 7! The epidural was exactly what I needed for my body to relax so it could do it's job. An hour and a half later I was a 9, and 20 minutes after that it was time to start pushing. My dad had barely made it to the hospital from work in time to see me before I cleared everyone out of the room. We thought as slow as I was progressing that morning, that he wouldn't need to leave work until 2:30 but he had to leave at 12! I asked everyone to pray with Ryan and I before they left to go to the waiting room. Then my dad hugged me and whispered words of strength and encouragement to me.




And this folks, is the end of part 2! :)
Stay tuned for part 3 tomorrow when I talk about pushing, episiotomy, and meeting our brand new baby boy!

My Labor & Delivery Experience - Part 1

Before I was ever pregnant, the thought of labor and delivery petrified me. I couldn't wrap my mind around the process that my body would have to go through. When we finally conceived, my fears disappeared. That is, until the birthing classes. They showed videos. It was a two day class which took place on Saturday and Sunday. My husband had to miss the first one because he got called to work, so I took my mom. I sat quietly and watched and listened. My mom kept asking me if I was okay and I was. When I got home that day though, I really got to thinking about it all and I started crying. And when I started, I couldn't stop! My husband finally got home and I cried to him and told him I couldn't do this. I was scared and it looked really gross and I did not want to do that at all, that I wasn't strong enough. This stumped him and all he could say was, "Well, I'll be right there with you and you are way stronger than you give yourself credit for. There's really no turning back now anyways. He has to come out some how!" So that made me laugh and brightened up my mood a little. We went to the second class together the next day and he got to see videos. I didn't feel so bad after that.

My due date was October 16th and that day came and went. I had a scheduled appointment with my doctor the next day and was a little nervous to go because I knew that we would more than likely be scheduling me to be induced. I had really been hoping to experience the water breaking moment that I would call my husband and say, "Honey, its time!" But we went into see my doctor, Dr. Cooper and his first question was, "Well, Lyndsay are we ready to get this show on the road? How do you feel about having a baby tomorrow?" I just looked at my husband and we both shrugged and said, "Lets do it!" So that meant going home and gathering everything we needed and 'checking in' to the hospital that evening. The drive home was exciting. All we kept saying were things like, "We get to meet our son tomorrow!" "We are having a baby!"

I ended up really liking that fact that I knew when it was going to happen and could plan. So we gathered everything together and then watched the clock tick by slowly. Finally the time came to make our way to the hospital. The drive there was surreal. We knew big things were about to happen and we were so excited I don't think anyone could have even slapped the smiles off of our faces. We get to the hospital and they get us checked in to our huge delivery room. That's when things got serious. I got changed into my hospital attire and they started hooking me up to things to monitor this and that and the baby. They came in to give me my IV and couldn't get it into my wrist area and instead put it into my hand, which really hurt! I had a really nice nurse though who I immediately clicked with and we chatted and joked and it helped ease my nerves. Then she came in to give me the Cervadil to soften my uterus and hopefully get the process going. As she was placing it, she checked my dilation and then proceeded to try and stretch my cervix to 'help things along'. That hurt SO BAD. I cried even though I tried not to and she felt so bad but kept saying that it was really going to help things. My husband at this point, wasn't expecting pain yet and if you knew him, you'd know that he does not know what to say in certain situations, like when I am sick. So all he does is stare at me with the most worried look on his face and keeps asking me if I am okay. I was okay after a few minutes, but the tears wouldn't stop flowing. All I could think was that if that hurt that bad, I could only imagine what contractions were going to feel like!

Timing being as it was, I had a final due for my college class. So to distract my mind, I worked on it most of the night. The nurses came in periodically to check on me and see how I was progressing. I was at about a 2 to 3 the whole night. Finally 6am came and they came in to start the Pitocin.  It was not very long after that, that I started to feel contractions. I had always wondered what they felt like, and I asked several women to explain it to me and no one really could. I will tell you, having experienced contractions, I cannot explain to you what it feels like. There is nothing to compare it to. It is just so painful and amazing. I mean, what your body does to prepare to give birth is amazing. Shortly after that, Dr. Cooper came into break my water. That was the weirdest feeling in the world. The little hook he used and breaking the membranes, it just felt weird. But when he broke my water, I only leaked. Hardly anything came out so they thought that the baby's head was sort of serving as a cork and that when I would eventually start pushing, the fluid would makes its way out. So now, I was in full on labor. It was not fun. I remember my father-in-law coming into see us. He is a doctor and was making his rounds that morning with his patients. He saw how much pain I was in and did not stay long, he just wanted to make sure we were OK. I would have made a quick exit too haha! I do have to say that I am proud of myself for that fact that I was NOT one of those crazy screaming women like in the movies.



Well that is all for part one!! Stayed tuned for part two and read about the nurse who made me doubt myself and the amazing-ness of an epidural! :)

After Christmas DIY ornaments

If you like to DIY, after Christmas is the best time to buy supplies. Everything is marked way down. Especially if you are making your own ornaments. A while ago I had posted about wanting to start making my own ornaments. So after Christmas last year, I went to Crafts2000 and bought a bunch of stuff to do it. The five pictures above were my favorites out of all that I made. I plan on doing it again this year and if I make enough of them, I might try selling them at some of our local craft shows. As you can tell, I liked the angels. I thought it looked neat that they dangled above the 'snow'. But my favorite favorite ones are the ones with the big snowflakes in them. I'd like to do more of those. I love how they look with the sparkle balls behind them, it really makes the snowflakes pop. :)

What are some crafty things you like to make? Have a craft you've posted about? Link up below so we can check it out!

How to fold a fitted sheet!

If you're anything like me, the thought of even folding a fitted sheet is frustrating. I would pull it out of the dryer and try and try and end up just throwing it on the ground and stomping on it until it looked somewhat  folded and would fit into my dresser. But I didn't give up, I knew there had to be a way to fold those dang things and I figured it out! (Okay so maybe I watched a video on YouTube) But once you know how, don't brag about it - people who can't do it get mad. Get ready to have your mind blown because once you see how easy it actually is, you will wonder how you didn't know sooner!

 1. Get your fitted sheet and throw it on a flat surface. I did mine on my bed.

2. Find the two corners on the short side of the fitted sheet. (It would be the corners that go either at the top of the bed or the bottom). Lay them flat right side out and smooth out the sheet.

3. Get the other two corners, which would now be at the bottom and pull them up and turn them inside out. You are going to tuck them into the upper corners.

4. Tuck everything in and smooth the sheet out. It will kind of be folded over it self and the elastic should be in the middle as shown above.

5. Now take the right side and keeping whats already tucked together, turn it inside out. You are going to tuck it into the left side.

6.  Your sheet should now look like this. Smooth everything out so that the elastic is folded over as shown above.

7. Fold the top section down as shown.

8. Fold the bottom section up.

9. The left side will be a little thicker so I fold it over towards the middle first. Then fold the right side over.

And here is the finished product! All in all, this takes me maybe five minutes. Not only does it look so much better than balling it up and throwing it somewhere - you don't have wrinkling and you save so much room in your closet or drawer!

You are welcome. :)