Martha Metzler.com

“That’s it, I give up.” I thought to myself after 8 days of bouncing on an exercise ball, dousing everything in Chalula, taking long walks, doing squats, dancing, eating 858 pineapples, and drinking raspberry tea. Oh, and lets not forget having my membranes stripped. I woke up that Friday morning with a peace that this baby was not going to be willed out by me. He has going to come when he and the good Lord were ready.

When I got up that morning, I decided to have a self-indulgent day. I walked up to Starbucks and got a Grande Decaf Caramel Frappuccino. I had been good all 9 months and decided to hell with it, I was going to eat like I was 9 months pregnant. So I did what any rational 9 month pregnant woman would do, I ordered a cinnamon roll to go with my  Grande Decaf Caramel Frappuccino. Then I went next door to the nail salon and asked for a deluxe pedicure. You see, these amazing women give a deluxe pedicure where they massage your feet and legs for an hour… even using hot stones! The best part is, it’s 22 bucks. Everyone in there stared at me in disbelief and finally one yelled, “Ok fine! I’ll be the one to ask… WHEN ARE YOU DUE?!” I laughed and answered, “8 days ago.”

The women then talked to each other in a language I didn’t understand but I’m pretty sure it was along the lines of “Holy s#$&! I’m not responsible for cleaning up this lady’s water if it breaks.”

I sat down in the giant massage chair (after looking like an 18 wheeler backing into a compact car parking spot), grabbed the cheesiest People magazine I could find, and sipped and slurped my frappuccino. It was heaven.

Afterwards I walked back to my house and got ready to pick my dad up from the airport. We picked him up around 1 and got back to the house around 3 thanks to I-5 traffic. We all decided to seize the sunny day (they are few and far between around here) and take them on our favorite hike. It was full of gorgeous views of the Puget Sound and wildflowers. It took us all the way through what seemed like a rain forest and led us down to the sound where we sat on and took in “cocktail hour” because Sam had snuck some beers in his hiking pack. Of course my cocktail of choice was a refreshing bottled water… I hear it’s all the rage in New York.

Daddy and me showing off the bellies

The hike before the contractions...

We hiked back and got ready for supper. We decided to eat at our new favorite restaurant in Steilacoom, Jake’s. We headed that way and on the drive I felt strange.I didn’t say anything because I had felt some tightness in the previous week only to be disappointed it was probably indigestion. We dropped my parents off and Sam and I parked the car. I looked at him and said, “I don’t want to get our hopes up, but I think I’m having contractions.” Of course, not knowing that contractions can last a very long time, Sam immediately went into protective mode. “What?! Why are we here? We should go home! Are you ok!?” I told him there was no need to get hot water and a tarp and that we should enjoy a nice supper… which would be our last calm supper in awhile. So we walked to the restaurant holding hands, knowing that our world would be changed forever in a matter of 24 hours.

These are the conversations that happen in our house in the wee hours of the morn:

(After the 4am feeding for Bud)

Sam: Everything ok?

Me: Yeah. He’s just being a pill. He’s totally grounded.

Sam: Until when?

Me: 16.

Sam: Ok, but I’ll probably break him out of the house because Dad is his friend.

Me: Good.

(Then again at 7am this morning)

Sam: What do you want to do tonight?

Me: Me and Bud want to go dancing.

Sam: I thought he was grounded.

Me: He is. I figured going to a club and dancing with his Mama is worse than being grounded.

Sam: That’s true. I think we should do that! Instead of grounding him, just subject him to public humiliation. Like, ‘yes son you can go to the party, but let me give you this haircut first’.

Me: Ha!! What if we got him all excited and told him he could go to the party and then we just showed up? Best. parents. ever.

This week has gone by so quickly! I feel like Bud has aged like crazy and I’m totally smitten with this little boy. I’m pretty sure he smiled at me today… like a real smile! Each time I got up close to his face today, his eyes got real big and he just smiled with this mouth wide open. I did it throughout the day to make sure it wasn’t a coincidence but perhaps I just give him gas when I get close to his face. I have that affect on people.

Bud is pretty consistent with his 3 hour schedule. We do the eat-play-sleep routine and it’s working well. It’s been nice because I can predict when he’s going to be sleeping so we’ve actually gone out and been able to do things with people. Also… my friend Kate pointed out that Bud made it to happy hour before he made it to church. I wish I could say I’m ashamed…

This week has been fun because I’ve pulled out some new toys for Bud since he’s becoming more alert. I can’t believe he’s a month old.

Houses here don't have AC... no lie. So we switched to the Halo Sleep sack without swaddling Bud's arms, I'd say it worked.

Have I mentioned how smitten I am?

Oh hey Mary Grace, would you like to go to the Kappa Alpha mixer with me?

We pulled out the rocker this week! It chilled him out immediately.

Note to self: Bud HATES tummy time. He's on his tummy for about 1 minute before going his best Snookie impression. So we chill on our back with Roy.

Roy doesn't understand why Bud doesn't like tummy time.

Happy Monday yallzzzzz. We had a great and eventful weekend! It was full of fun time with new friends, relaxing snuggle time on the couch, and actually braving church for the first time!

On Friday, Sam’s coworkers had their usual happy hour after work. So I put Bud in an adorable Polo outfit and we met them at the restaurant/bar. He was a total flirt the whole time. The ladies there just all snuggled with him and he did so well! We were able to stay there for a few hours! Then we went over to friends’ house and hung out there until late! I fed him in between the bar and their house because they live around the corner from us and he just conked out in his car seat. When we got to their house I just put him in their bedroom and he slept until 12 when we left! Sam and I just laughed because normally that isn’t late for us but we hadn’t been up that late (by choice) in a month and felt totally exhausted…. one of the many changes we make as parents.

I wasn't joking about the baby acne yall!

Saturday we decided to have a date-day and hang out at home. We slept in (well, stayed in bed) because “sleeping in” now means going to get Bud out of the nursery when he wakes up and feeding him in our bed then all falling back asleep together. The rest of the day was spent on the couch watching movies, snuggling, and eating yummy pizza.

Sunday we went to church for the first time since Sam has moved out here and Bud was born! We went to Mars Hill Olympia and loved it. It’s a bit far away for us but it was just what we were looking for. It reminded us a lot of our church back in Raleigh which we still hold so dear. We took him to the nursery and I won’t lie, I was expecting our pager to go off  during the first set of songs. But it didn’t! It didn’t go off at all!! After the sermon, everyone goes to get their kids so the families can sing the last group of songs together so Sam went to go get Bud and we got to sing a couple of songs and take communion but then homeboy got hungry. So we just left and I nursed him in the car for a bit and we headed home…. SUCCESS!!

So all in all, it was an incredible weekend from beginning to end. Sam is even golfing as we speak so I know he’s a happy camper. Hope yall had a great one as well, I hope adventures were had by all!

My friend texted me the other day and asked how mommyhood was. Normally I throw the “Great, I love it!”  or “Super duper, just getting used to the new sleep schedule.” or “I really love smelling like breast milk instead of Clinique Happy Heart perfume.”. But I sat and thought about how I truly feel about motherhood before I answered. I wrote her back,

I’ve never felt more tired and more alive all at once

Being Bud’s mama is the second greatest thing that’s happened to me. (The first being marrying my husband… duh)

I love it. It’s exhilarating to see instincts take over, it’s an incredible test of faith, patience, and grace. But with that, I’ve never experienced a deeper connection to God as I ask Him to give me patience and a heart of grace for my son when things are tough. But the greatest thing is, those tough moments don’t happen often. What happens more are the moments that make me feel very alive. I feel my heart beat so loudly and with a purpose when I feed him and his little eyes just stare back up at me. Or when we are sitting on the couch just making faces at each other and mimicking each little sound that comes out of his mouth. Or dancing together to whatever hip hop song is on… what!? I’m teaching him culture! Or when he hears his daddy’s voice in the evenings and follows it with his little eyes and floppy head. Or when I get to pray over him during the day, talk to him about how grateful we are for a daddy that works so hard to provide for us. Or  when we talk about what he’ll be like when he’s older and I tell him he can be anything he wants… just not a Fox News correspondent.

I love being Bud’s mama. Am I tired? Yes. He loves to take his sweet time with his night feedings and makes me feel like an all-you-can-eat buffet during the day BUT…. there is a peace that rushes over me and makes me forget all of that as soon he smiles at his own baby poots.

ALSO… we totally went to the grocery store TWICE this week! NO MORE CABIN FEVER!!!

My in-laws are in town meeting their grandson so I’ll have to be brief but I thought I’d share how we spend most of our days here in the Metzler household. It includes baby carrying, snuggles, and baby acne. Excuse the pictures, they aren’t edited… get over it!

Snuggles after nursing

Baby carrying so I can clean the kitchen with 2 hands

Bird's Eye View of baby carrying!

OMG! Bud totes got acne before the big dance!

Now BobbySue will NEVER ask me to the Sadie Hawkins dance!

The first 2 weeks have flown by!  I decided to post some things that I could not have gone without the first 2 weeks of having a newborn. If anyone is about to have a baby or is in the first few days, here are some things that have helped us but everyone has their own “necessities” I have come to find out. So here are ours:

Aden and Anais blankets. We LOVE these blankets. They are light enough so they don’t make him too sweaty and hot but they’re huge so they’re perfect for swaddling.

Feeding app: When you’re feeding around the clock and have no sense of time like I do, downloading a nursing app on my ipod touch was crucial. I’d sit down and think it’d been 15 minutes and then check the clock… “TWO MINUTES?!!” So… the app helps me see how long I’ve been nursing, which side I’ve been nursing on, when the next one should be, and keeps a log of average feeding times. I use “ibaby feed”.

Water bottle: hydration is key when fluids are being sucked out of you and despite that they are being spit back on you or peed on you… you still need to replenish. I keep mine next to me at all times.

Gas drops: Bud loves to gulp down the milk so a lot of times he gets super gassy. We use Milicon.

Boppy lounger: We love this thing! We just put Bud in it for awake time, when Mama needs to get stuff done, for some daytime naps, or to eat dinner with the big kids. He loves it.

Boppy: LOVE this thing for nursing. It keeps me from slouching.

A good book: I don’t want to have the TV on all the time so I’ve been reading while I nurse. Sometimes I read out loud for Bud or just to myself but it keeps me entertained. Right now I finishing up Pat Conroy’s The Water is Wide.

Lansinoh: Do I really need to explain?

Breast pads: Lets just say unless you feel like starting a new style in which you change your normal shirt into a polka dotted shirt, then you need these.

Diapers and wipes: Sweet Moses, Bud goes through a RIDICULOUS amount of diapers and wipes.

Tons of easy to put on outfits: He pees, poops, everything in between and so I change outfits a lot. A.LOT.

Glider: I LOVE my glider. I spend the late night hours nursing Bud in this glider. Some of my favorite moments have been singing songs with Bud while rocking him in the glider.

Infant car seat adapter for the stroller: I have the Graco Snugride 35 and I got the car seat adapter for my Bob stroller. This has allowed me to actually get out of the house for walks which has been my saving grace!

Glow seahorse: This apparently has some sort of magic powers to make Bud stop crying and he stares at it like he’s been watching Fantasia after drinking 15 Zimas.

Nursing bras and hooter hider: SO necessary and convenient. I had to feed him at the doctor’s office the other day because I had to wait FOREVER and this thing came in so handy. Only Sam gets to see my goodies.

Then there is the baby monitor, diaper rash ointment, infant tub, baby carrier, Johnson and Johnson’s baby wash/shampoo, wash clothes, a fun quilt or blanket for “tummy time”, and your camera. Some of our besties, Ashley and John gave us a Flip camera… YEAH I KNOW! And I’ve been grabbing it to remember all his little sounds and faces. Such a great thing to have!

I’m sure I’ll think of others but those are some of the things I’ve loved having these 2 weeks. Anything I’m forgetting? Oh yeah…. a sense of humor!

Hey everyone! I hope you had a great weekend. We held it down Metzler style over here. Summer apparently does not exist here in the state of Washington so it was chilly and rainy all weekend. But we tried to make the best of it and even had our first outing on Friday night! Sam’s coworkers were having happy hour at a local bar so I slapped the breast pads on and some real shoes and we met up with them. Bud did great and just slept the whole time in his carseat. The cool thing is that 2 weeks ago from that night we were at the exact same restaurant when I started going into labor. It was funny thinking the last time I was there Bud hadn’t entered the world yet but he was trying his best! Sam of course kept wondering (out loud) if Bud would remember and start freaking out… I informed him that just would not be allowed.

Saturday we took it easy and watched a movie. I will say that I have the best hottie hubby ever. Saturday morning we got up and our tradition is to make waffles. Well Sam told me to sit my booty down and he made me BANANA FOSTERS WAFFLES YALL!!!!!!! Yeah I know… be jealous. I don’t know how he thought of it or how he made it happen but dang, I’m glad he did.

Sunday we listened to a sermon online from our friend and old pastor Tyler Jones because I’m too chicken to try to go to church yet. When did yall first try going out with a newborn?? They’re so unpredictable!

Here are some 2 week pictures of our boy. We love him so much!

I cannot believe that Bud will be 2 weeks old tomorrow!! We have had our good days when the schedule works out, he gets a full feeding on both bazoombas, and he doesn’t scream his head off. We have also had our bad days when I get peed and pooped on (yeah, the poop explosion happened on this Mama as she was changing a diaper), he screams for no reason, and he does his best Twilight impression when he wants to sleep all day and be up all night. I just hope he’s on team Edward, Jacob’s hairless chest freaks me out.

But even on those hard days, I love it.

We had a rough night last night and the thing that keeps me sane during those late night hours is prayer. I find myself in the middle of the night just praying for people as they are laid on my heart, praying for my son, praying for my husband, and praying that God’s strength is made perfect in my weakness. I sing hymns to him and praise God that we have a healthy son who has very strong vocal chords. I may or may not have thrown a prayer up that his strong vocal chords means he’ll be a singer like his mama. Bud was up last night from 12:30 until 3:30 only to wake back up at 4:45. He would cycle between crying and staring at me WIDE AWAKE.  But I kept praising the Lord that He had chosen me to be Bud’s mama and that I was the one to be able to help him last night. This season is so short (which I’m trying not to wish away) and I want to soak it in; the good/the bad/the poop explosions.

Sam came in this morning from PT and asked how I was. I said, “Well, we gotta have some rough nights because it makes me appreciate the good ones.” Hubbs reminded me that as long as I kept that attitude, then we’ll make it.

So email me if you have any prayer requests! I’ve got the time! Here are some pictures from yesterday, enjoy! It’s the freakin’ WEEKEND BABY I’m about to have me some fun… ok well, I’m about to have me some decaf coffee and a hershey’s bar.

I seriously can't get enough of this kid

Roy likes to join in on tummy time

We like to use "awake time" for very serious thinking. Who am I kidding, I think this is right before he pooped on me

Yawwwnnnn.... he's totally over watching Tour de France

late night soothing captured by my amazing husband. it doesn't get dark until after 10 here even though the sun is on strike

My view every time I nurse. And yes, I inappropriately find myself singing 'my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard' when everyone sits around me as I feed Bud

And  by the way, can we give a shout out to breast feeding?? I have eaten like Chunk from the Goonies, only gone on a couple of walks, sat on my butt all day feeding a child and I was able to put my normal jeans on yesterday!!! Thank you breast feeding for freeing me from the Belly Band and elastic waistbands.

I posted some pictures awhile ago of our downstairs in the new house. Here are some shots of the upstairs.

Where I spend a lot of my nights rocking Bud back to sleep

Guest room.. come visit!

Hallway into our master bedroom

Where the magic happens people... and by magic, I mean where hubby snores

My aunt's chest that I LOVE, it welcomes me in the upstairs hallway

On other news, we had a hot minute of sunshine out here so the boy and I went for a quick walk but then it started raining… shocking. He slept like a champ last night and I was so proud! I think he is trying to win back my graces because on Monday night he had his first meltdown. He always fusses before he has to go to sleep but I can usually calm him down after 10 minutes or so. But my brother (Gruncle) and his fiance Nomi surprised us at supper which was AMAZING but apparently, Bud has performance anxiety and decided to flip his shizzle as soon as they got here. He screamed bloody murder for  an hour and a half. I had fed him, changed him, and burped him. So eventually after trying all the usual tricks, I had to just leave him in his crib for a bit. It broke my heart but I knew he was ok and I had done everything I could. He eventually chilled out and we snuggled and I grounded him until he was 15.

Meltdown #1 of probably 5000 : 1

Martha: 0