TRUE LIFE: Living with a Newborn

Living with a Newborn: It is both incredibly amazing and incredibly hard.

Incredibly Amazing: The little LIFE that you carried in your womb for 9 months and that you birthed into the world, is now safe and sound earth-side and is YOURS forever —— also incredibly amazing and could be another blog submission of its own is how stinkin’ CUTE they are — which, let’s be honest, is WHY they can get away with half the stunts they pull that make living with a newborn kinda sorta incredibly hard ;)

Incredibly Hard: That same little precious life now enjoys long bouts of crying for no reason, peeing on walls during diaper changes, and living like a vampire by sleeping during the day and wanting to party and stay up at night

Case in point — here is a typical day in our household that is shared by the following roommates:

Me, Hubby J, Two Labs Jackson and Bella, and then the star of the show, 3-Week-Old Lawson

7:00 AM - Lawson wakes and is ready to eat, Dogs are exhausted from a long night of wake ups and refuse to get out of bed - J getting up 

7:15 AM - Diaper Change, Clothes Change

7:30 AM - I attempt to pump while J gets ready for work and tends to Baby Law

8:00 AM - J has left for work and I am now solely in charge (Terrifying! What if I break him?)

8:15 AM - Baby in one hand, coffee in the other (maybe a couple of sips, if I’m lucky)

8:30 AM - Attempt to set Baby Law down as I try to make breakfast

8:32 AM - Baby Law caught on to my scheme and lets out a loud squeal - clearly not digging his swing!

8:33 - 8:45 AM Console and try to get Baby Law happy again

9:00 AM - Second and sometimes third attempt at breakfast (L is finally dozing off for a nap)

9:05 - 9:10 AM - Scarfing down breakfast (maybe a piece of toast - no time to make the the eggs) as fast as I can while I watch and wait for L to wake up at any moment

9:10 AM - Ahhhh, breakfast complete. L is sleeping. Time to get some chores done.

9:11 AM - “Yeah right, Mom” I imagine Baby Law thinking as he stirs from his slumber and reminds me that it’s time for his second breakfast. Chores can wait.

9:12 - 10 AM - Feeding, Diaper Change, Fresh pair of clothes, Singing, Rocking, Tummy time, Snuggles with Mom, and finally L drifts back to sleep

10 AM - 12 PM - An incredibly amazing 2 HOUR NAP (done by baby, not me)

Although this is when I should be sleeping, like a knucklehead I use this time to catch up on cleaning, laundry, work emails, etc -- Although lets not kid myself. I look at work emails and get distracted before I end up being able to reply to them. Must go wash the poop out of the baby blankets!

NOON - Another feeding, another diaper change, and quite possibly another fussy baby.

12:45 - 1:30 PM - Outdoor Vitamin D time via stroller in the backyard - pausing to play fetch with my other two children (Jackson and Bella - our just as needy labrador children)

1:30 - 2:00 PM - Baby decides he’s over the backyard and is hungry again — feeding, diaper changing, playing the staring game with momma ensues (I love this part!...as long as he stays happy!)

2:00 - 3:00 PM - L is wide awake. Not interested in a nap right now. Not interested in being sat down in a bouncer, in a swing, or on his tummy. He just wants to be held and burped and stare at his mom. I oblige :)

3:00 PM - It’s time for ELLEN! Yes, the TV show. No matter what kind of day I’m having, this gal always makes me smile and somehow makes it better. Fortunately, Baby Law seems to have a mutual respect for this because he loves to snuggle up and sleep on my chest for the hour-long program

4:00 - 7:00 PM - During this time frame is when J gets home from work and gets his well-deserved Daddy & Baby time. It’s also the time where I get to sit down and pee without a baby monitor, or without being in a frantic rush because I hear a crying baby in another room. I also even sneak in a couple of minutes in a hot shower and jam some loud Destiny’s Child tunes. Better hurry though. Is that a crying baby I hear? Following my shower and another feeding for L, J and I take turns handing off the baby to do things like cook dinner, check the mail, play with the doggies, pick up the house, etc. I also try to fit in another pumping session before bed, as we well as a quick walk around the neighborhood with the whole family. Once dinner is devoured (one-handed mind you - because again little babes is always up from a nap at the EXACT MOMENT we get sat down to have a meal), we then try to start winding down the day with some adult conversation, an oatmeal bath for L, another feeding, diaper change, and pre-bed swaddle session.

8:00 - 10 PM - Lawson’s favorite time of the day to be fussy for no apparent reason. He has been nursed, been changed, been bathed, been loved on, been held, been snuggled, been bounced, been burped, been sang to, been hugged, been kissed, been prayed over, been kissed some more. The truth of the matter is, the kid just ISN’T tired at this time no matter what we try. And really, it’d be cool with me to stay up and party with him during this time if he was a chill little dude and wanted to catch up on Netflix with me. But no, these two hours are more often than not spent trying to console our loudly crying baby. Pacing the floors of our house with our two labs right on our heels making sure we aren’t harming him. Night owl, colic, or normal nighttime infant fussiness? Who knows. Who cares. It just breaks my heart when we can’t get our precious little person to stop crying for at times, what feels like hours on end.

11 PM - Okay, praise Jesus! Baby L is finally calm, content, swaddled and is laid down in his bassinet. Time for J and I to hurry and get to bed ourselves! Love you! Mean it! Goodnight!

1:00 - 1:45 AM - Baby Wakes, Feeding, Burp, Rock back to Sleep (J’s shift)

3:00 - 3:45 AM - Baby Wakes, Feeding, Burp, Rock back to Sleep (J’s shift)

5:00 - 5:45 AM - Baby Wakes, Feeding, Burp, Rock back to Sleep (My Shift)

NOTE: Not all feedings go smoothly as planned. Sometimes Lawson falls asleep mid-dining, or gets ultra fussy from gas filling up his tummy. So, some feedings to back down to sleep last about 45 minutes. But some last longer. Similarly, some nights Lawson goes longer between feeding sessions, and then other times, he wants to wake up every hour on the hour. Either way, I'm just happy as heck that I have the MOST AMAZING partner in all of this and helps me in every way he can.

7:00 AM — Time to wake up and start the day all over again!  Tired. Eyes Puffy. Hair a Mess. Breastmilk and Spit up all over PJs. Roll over and see the little angel face that makes every single moment of mommy-hood worth it.

There ya have it. An extremely generalized day for us. Some days are amazing and some days are incredibly hard. Some days I get through the day with all smiles, but then other days I break down and cry as often as my newborn. Regardless of how the day went, ALL DAYS are so appreciated. We are so in love with our little. We are so blessed to have him, hold him, and be his parents. I cannot imagine a more beautiful and precious little soul and I look so forward to being is momma and sharing a beautiful and precious little life with him.

First Time Mom: Birth Story

(FIRST ATTEMPT: FEB 18th - 10:02 AM CRYING BABY)

(SECOND ATTEMPT: FEB 21st - 1:37 PM BABY HAS HICCUPS; MUST BURP)

(THIRD ATTEMPT: FEB 23rd - 3:00 PM BABY DOWN FOR A NAP) I’ve attempted to write this blog post on several occasions now with no success. The moment that I find an ounce of free time, a comfortable seat to sit down in and open my laptop, our little Lawson always gives me a not-so-subtle reminder that he’s boss man around this house nowadays and that mommy’s blog posts can always wait. Touché, kid, touché.

But alas, I finally find a free moment where I think I can finally crank this out. “Free moment” meaning my child is sleeping inches away from me as I feverishly type and keep one eye on the computer screen and the other on the miniature warden that could wake up at any moment now and shut down this whole blogging party. So, I’ll get on with it. For both myself and anyone interested, I have wanted to recount a little of Lawson’s birth story here as well as his first weeks of living on this side of my belly bump and my postpartum recovery process. Because, let’s face it, it’s something he’s going to want to know about when he’s older. A big HA! to that, but I’ll continue.

BIRTH STORY —-

Due date fell on a Saturday and went by like any other day. I slept an impressive and rare 10 hours, got up, had breakfast, spent the day antiquing and running errands with Juston, stopped by the gym for a work out, and swung by our favorite Italian restaurant for take out before coming home for the evening. Around 9 o’ clock, I started to feel some cramping in my stomach that felt very similar to monthly menstrual cramps. They weren’t painful really, just annoying. As the hours went by, the cramps started to increase in intensity and started to come on more swiftly and in closer intervals to one another. Could these be contractions, I thought? Around 11 PM, we started to time the duration of the cramps. By midnight they were coming every 3 minutes and lasting around 30-45 seconds. By 1 AM, we decided that hospital was close enough in proximity that we might as well go and get checked to see if what I’m feeling is anywhere near progressing to the real smackdown of labor. Yikes!

2 AM - Made it to the maternity ward of the hospital and was hooked up to a contraction monitor and had my cervix checked by one of the nurses. I was only dilated to 2 CM (what I had been for the past two weeks). Bummer, dude!  But on the upside - it was confirmed that those ‘cramps’ I was feeling were in fact true contractions. Which to me translated to: this show is getting on the road! Which then translated to the reality of: waiting for an undisclosed amount of time until further dilation when the “real” show starts. For anybody out there who knows anything about labor, you know It could be anywhere from a couple of hours, to a couple of days. There’s really no way of knowing until you live it. 

3 AM - With that in mind, I got permission from the doc to get unhooked from the contraction monitor and was allowed to walk around in an effort to progress dilation naturally. After a couple hours had passed spent taking long strolls bouncing up and down the hallways of the hospital with no progress of sorts down under, we then decided with the doctor to go ahead and move forward with inducing my labor. I was in pain and already 40 weeks pregnant and DID NOT want to go home and have to start this process all over again on another day. Baby was done baking, it was time for him to come out of this momma. 

5 AM -  Got checked in to our delivery suite and the cramping had now moved it’s way to my lower back and was beginning to radiate up my spine and down to my legs. It was a sensation I had never felt before. A sensation I had not anticipated contractions could feel like. I consider myself to be a tough cookie with a high pain tolerance, but this was a pain that despite my best effort of positioning, could not be alleviated. The only way to cope was to literally stand straight up and just bear it until it passed. It was a pain that even physically made me sick to my stomach. No joke, I ralphed (old school word for vomit) about 3-4 times in between contractions and my awkward bouncing dance across the room. 

(WRITING STOPPED - BABY WOKE UP FROM NAP- PAUSED UNTIL ANOTHER DAY)

(FOURTH ATTEMPT: Feb 24th - 9:12 AM BABY FED & ASLEEP IN MY LAP - COULD WAKE UP AT ANY MOMENT NOW - SHHH!)

Where was I? Oh yeah, in the middle of explaining the beauty of contractions! So, there I was, dancing across the room of our delivery suite and half-pretending to watch an episode of “Friends” on the television to distract me from the pain radiating up and down my body. J was splitting his time between massaging my lower back, cracking a few jokes, and making runs for ice chips since I was unable to eat or drink anything. What a guy, what a guy!

BY 7 AM - I crawled into the hospital bed and was given the Pitocin (to induce labor). At this time, I also made it abundantly clear I wanted the “good stuff” — i.e. an epidural. Prior to this, I never made any promises to myself about having a natural birth, but I wanted to leave opportunity open to experience if I felt like in the moment it was something I could handle and it wouldn’t interfere with my delivery. Hahahahaha is all I have to say to that now. There was no way I was going to be able to continue forward with a natural birth. Not only were my back contractions excruciating, but they were making me physically ill. I couldn’t fathom the thought of bearing down through a contraction, throwing up, and then concentrating on pushing out a little life. Pride aside, I needed some assistance. In the smallest way, I wanted to be able to enjoy my birthing experiencing. ENTER: Epidural to save the day! (Shout out to those natural birthing mommas though! I salute you!))

AT 8 AM - The sweet and precious soul that is the anesthesiologist came in and administered the epidural. Shortly after, my doc came in and broke my water. I was then told I would be able to rest while we waited for my cervix to further dilate.

9 AM - All was calm in the world! The lights were dimmed in our suite, J was snoozing on the couch, and I was feeling completely blissful, pain-free, and was now even able to laugh through an episode of Friends without feeling a contraction. After an hour of resting, the nurse came back in to check my cervix and I had dilated to 4 CM by 10 AM. “I’ll keep coming back every hour or so to check your progress,” I remember her saying. Cool! I was finally going to be able to sleep for a couple of hours while my cervix does it’s thing. “Just wake me up when it’s ‘GO’ time,” I remember muttering to her as she left the room.

11 AM - I felt the blankets move from on top of me and the cold hands of the nurse. “Sorry, Marissa, it’s just me again checking your progress.” After I realized it was just my good ole pal doing the hourly check up down there, I set my head back down on the pillow with the intention to fall asleep for another couple of hours. However, Baby Lawson had other plans. “Oh my God, you’re at a 10!” the nurse squealed. “I am going to get the doctor. Girlfriend you are ready to push!” 

Wait, whaaaaaat? Come again? I was just about to go to sleep. I had went from 4 - 10 CM in an hour? That’s crazy talk, I thought. Even crazier was what went down in the next 41 minutes following that breaking news. What can now be referred to as the fastest 41 minutes of my life.

11 AM

• J woke up to the 10 CM dilation news. Hooray! 
• Blankets were removed from me and my bed was being rolled forward in the room.
• Nurses started to pile in.
• The overhead lights were turned on.
• Stirrups were being attached to the foot of the bed.
• My legs were situated up in said stirrups.
• J made his way to my bedside and grabbed my hand.
• The doctor (a new one now on shift)  came in and introduced herself
• With my legs spread as a wide as Texas, I teased: “Sorry I’m meeting you this way”
• She laughed and then snapped on her latex gloves
• At an estimated 11:20 AM, I heard the words “We already see his hair! On three, you’re going to start pushing momma”
• I took one last look at my hubby, to the episode of Friends I had been watching, and then closed my eyes to get to work
• At exactly 11:41 AM, my pushing came to a close when I heard the sweet shrill of my baby boy and opened my eyes to see his perfect little self being laid on my chest.

That was it. 20 min of pushing and he was HERE! I did it! I gave birth to our son. I just delivered a tiny little human. The world stopped. My breathing even stopped. Hysterical waterworks ensued, along with a ton of celebratory high-fives.

So there ya have it. Started from the womb and now he’s here!

Lawson Thomas Dosser

Born 11:41 AM February 7th  7 lb 8 oz19.5 inches long

Whew, it's a miracle I got that all out. Going to go love on my little dude now and save the ultra fun postpartum blog post for another time ;)

Packing List for Hospital Delivery

Eek! Baby is on the way and it’s time to get those bags packed for your upcoming hospital stay. Here is a quick go-to guide of what I’m packing and what you may consider packing for you and your family as well. Just NOTE: I'm a first-time mom, so this list may be a little exhaustive ;)

FOR BABY:

• Going Home Outfit
• Large Blanket (for snuggling)
• Small Blanket (for extra warmth)
• Swaddle Set (blanket & hat)
• Socks
• Mittens
• Extra Onesies (footless)
• Diapers
• Wipes
• Burp Cloths
• Nursing Pillow
• Nursing Cover (for family entry if breastfeeding)
• Pacifers
• Pacifer Clip
• Lotion
• Diaper Cream
• Small Plush Toy
• Diaper Bag (for all of your goodies!)
• Car Seat
• Car Seat Cover

FOR DAD:

• Pajamas
• Going Home Outfit
• Sweatshirt/Sweat Pants
• Socks
• Slippers
• Hat
• Blanket & Pillow (to attempt sleeping)
• Shampoo/Conditioner/Hair Gel
• Towel
• Cologne
• Razor
• Deodorant
• Toothbrush/Toothpaste/Floss
• Wallet (dad + mom)
• Insurance Cards
• Laptop
• Camera + SD Cards
• Phone
• Chargers (Laptop + Phone)
• Cooler (for snacks + drinks)
• Dollar Bills (for vending machine + tipping me for my baby delivery services - JK!)
• Bluetooth Speaker (for music during labor + delivery)
• Baby Binder (includes birth plan, hospital registration forms, etc)

FOR MAMA CLOTHING:

• Delivery Clothes (if not using hospital gown)
• 2 Robes (for nursing + comfort)
• Pajama Lounge Pants
• Yoga Pants
• Flowy Tops 
• Zip Up Jacket (for breastfeeding)
• Nursing Bras
• Cozy Socks
• Comfortable Underwear
• House Slippers
• Going Home Outfit

FOR MAMA TOILETRIES:

• Face Wash
• Face Lotion
• Face Wipes
• Perfume
• Dry Shampoo
• Cotton Balls/ Q-Tips
• Tooth Paste/Tooth Brush/Floss
• Shampoo/Conditioner/ Body Wash
• Velcro Towel Wrap
• Make Up
• Small Mirror
• Bobby Bins/Clips/Hair Ties/Headband
• Hair Brush
• Blow Dryer/Straightener
• Chapstick/Lip Gloss
• Prenatal Vitamins
• Lavender Oil (for massaging)
• Hand-Sanitizing Gel
• Aloe Vera
• Nipple Cream/ Nipple Shields/ Nipple Pads (if breastfeeding)
• Tucks Wipes (look it up, you’ll want them!)
• Dermoblast (look it up, you’ll want it!)
• Depends Adult Underwear (for extra protection & comfort -- I'm not too cool for these)
• Spray Bottle (wiping could get uncomfortable - spritzing water to clean instead!)
• Wipes

FOR MAMA ENTERTAINMENT/COMFORT:

• Phone
• Phone Charger
• Book (my choice: What to Expect the First Year + Bible)
• Crochet
• Coloring Book + Crayons
• Gum
• Pillow + Blanket

I know, I know. It’s a hearty list. But for the planner in me, it eases my mind to be prepared and attempt to make our time spent at the hospital as comfortable as it can be…pending that whole process of labor and delivery part :) Hope you enjoyed the list and please comment below with your additions if you have any!

Baby Boy Nursery - Rustic Inspired

Lawson Thomas Dosser's

Rustic-Inspired Nursery

Projected Due Date: Feb. 6, 2016

For all decor sources - please send inquires on Instagram @lifeoftwotexans

I'm be happy to share!

Circle your Prayers - 2015 Year in Review

God is FAITHFUL. The ultimate message of this post can summed up in those three words. GOD. IS. FAITHFUL. On the night before the ball dropped to ring in 2015, I sat with my journal and scribbled down a plethora of ideas, visions, dreams and intentions I had planned for myself and my little family in the upcoming New Year. As I wrote, I remember keeping a couple of things in mind:

• Nothing is TOO BIG for God, but nothing is also too small
• God wants us to get to where God wants us to go more than WE WANT to go where God wants us to go
• We can’t perform miracles, all we can do is pray for them

And finally,the reminder from Proverbs 16:9 that we can make our plans, but it is God that is directing our steps.

Bearing those truths in mind, I created my “2015 Intentions List”, read them aloud when finished ,prayed over every line item and fully submitted each intention to the Big Man Upstairs. BOOM. The year has come and gone. To say that each intention was fulfilled (or not fulfilled) the way I had originally anticipated would be a lie. Most everything I had envisioned has come to fruition this year - and even the things I may have hoped for that didn’t pan out resulted in an outcome far better than I could have dreamed. 

Here are some items from my 2015 list and their individual outcomes:

WANDERLUST TRAVEL - 

Blessed to have been able to see and experience these places this year…

• Steamboat, Colorado
• Yosemite National Park, California
• Napa Valley, California
• San Francisco, California
• Red River, New Mexico
• Moab, Utah
• Telluride, Colorado
• Cancun, Mexico
• Louisville, Kentucky

(because of a sick puppy, missed out on a trip to New Orleans and Florida, but thankful for the time spent snuggling and nursing my furry son back to health!)

READ SOMETHING NEW EVERY MONTH -

Blessed to have had the time to read a book/publication per month that fed me on many levels spiritually, mentally, and creatively.

CHASE A DREAM -

Blessed to have made a leap of faith with J and open up a small handmade furniture and home decor business, Dosser Design & Decor, and to have secured a small retail space in the Antique Gallery of Spring — and actually turn a profit each month!

GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE -

The Lord tested me a lot on this one, but ultimately, leaning “in” and leaning “on” him totally paid off. With the help of his supernatural strength and courage breathed in me, I was able to:

• Start a side-business with my hubs (a wild dream that requires crazy faith and sacrifice)
• Enroll in a yoga class (it was awkward and unfamiliar to me, but I did it!)
• Joined a local women’s bible study (was vulnerable & in fellowship with other women)
• Said “No” (resisted the constant need to please and respected personal time boundaries)
• Practiced authenticity and anti-perfectionism (cut the BS & was intentionally more transparent with myself and with others)
• Spoke at a Christian Women’s Conference (shared my passion for fitness and caring for the human body like the gift from God and temple that it is ——crazy scary and crazy gratifying)
• Shifted my Perspective -adopted a GRATITUDE ATTITUDE — was intentional about making myself shift my negative and defeated thoughts to hope for positive outcomes

FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED — (IN PROJECT WORLD)

• With the help of my handy hubs, I was able to check off and complete (most, but not all) DIY projects I have had tucked away in my mind or chicken scratched on memo boards for both our house and our decor booth. The projects that have been altered or may never come to pass are being prayed over. As in, everything happens for a reason and so does everything that doesn’t. What I need, God will equip me to make happen. And what I don’t, he’ll be there protecting me from it. I’ve slowly but surely gotten better at accepting that, being at peace about it, and moving on. 

BLESS OTHERS - SMALL WAYS WITH BIG IMPACT

• Whether it was smiling at a stranger, listening instead of speaking, making coffee dates with friends, offering an all new fitness boot camp in a new location of Houston, or launching my own virtual bible study for women, I wanted to find ways to bless others (women specifically) in even the teeniest tiniest of ways. 

START A FAMILY 

• Received the blessing of pregnancy news in May - Welcoming our first born son in February!

LOVE  YOURSELF, LOVE OTHERS, LOVE FOR WHATEVER LIFE BRINGS

• Simply just made the choice to choose "love" every.single.day. --- It was about choosing a mindset that serves to make me better, push me further, elevate me, and help me evolve

There you have it. Proof of prayers answered and unanswered, but nonetheless still #blessed. There is more to my list, but good gravy, we will stop there. Reminiscing and sharing this with you all has me even more excited now to prepare my 2016 List and surrender all those intentions to our Heavenly Father and his will. “Intentions” not rules. “Intentions” not regulations. “Intentions” not restrictions. In this New Year, I pray that both you and I continue to have goals and a driven focus, but that ultimately we watch for his signs, listen to his words, obey his instruction, trust his judgement, and follow where he leads us (whether it's where we had anticipated on going or not)

Jot down those dreams, those intentions and those plans, friends! I just know God is going to bless you and use you in wonderful, inspiring, and surprising ways in the year of 2016!

XOXO,

Marissa

Our Guest Bedroom Accommodations

Because our bun in the oven is due in 6 weeks, J and I hosted family at our house throughout this holiday season. Before their cute faces arrived at our doorstop, I wanted to add few things to the guest bedroom in order to add a little comfort and help accommodate their needs. With some scrap shiplap we had in our garage, we were able to build a sweet little shelving unit with hangers for bathroom towels. In addition to that quick DIY project, I created a little vanity area atop a vintage sewing table with cotton balls, Q-tips, and a yummy smelling candle nestled in a salvaged kitchen tray. A luggage stool, laundry basket, and ottoman were also added to our small guest room. In the end, I love how cozy, yet functional it turned out to be! Hope you like it, too!

  

Our Country Christmas 2015