Travelling by Air: How to Make People Really HATE You

The holidays have a way of bringing people together...and sometimes you have to hop on a plane to be with the ones you love. In order to keep the peace, I've put together this guide on what not to do while traveling. Consider this a how [not] to guide on all things air travel.

1. Wear Perfume on the Day of Travel. You know how when you go to test various perfumes in the fragrance department and you think to yourself, "Who would wear that?!" Well, someone thinks that exact same thought about your perfume. The ol' olfactory receptors are fickle things. That's why there's so many different bottles to choose from. So go ahead, and let everyone know your personal tastes and forget about the rest of the people that have to sit in the small, metal tube with recycled air now filled with your scent.

2. Stand to the Left on the Escalator.  You know how the passing lane is the left lane when you're driving? Well, that also applies to escalator etiquette. Not all of us have lengthy layovers. Not all of us have smooth flights where you don't have to sit for 15 minute taxiing by the gate. But no big deal--let them be late--you need your space and you reserved that entire escalator step.

3. Don't take a shower on day of travel. Just wait until you get to your destination. It's not like you'll be sitting in close quarters with recycled air. Yep, totally a great idea.

4. Bring the most aromatic food you can possibly get onto the flight with you. Don't worry about getting to the airport a little early so you can snag a meal before the flight. Just grab something on the way to your gate and eat it as soon as you board. Those other passengers can just open a window.

5.  Let parents know when their kids are being....kids. They're loud. They're in your personal space. They're crying. Let the parents know their kid is being a disruptor of the peace. They probably aren't aware of it and are certainly not stressed out by (a) traveling with children, or (b) knowing everyone hates them.

6. Take as long as possible with the TSAs and security. Don't get your laptop out in advance. Don't worry about having your liquids bag packed on top so you can easily remove it at security. Wear lace up boots so that it takes as long as possible to remove and put in the bin. Let those people behind you know that you're important and the world stops for you.

7. Put your purse & other luggage in the seat right beside you at the gate...especially if you're sitting next to a charging hub. After all, you forgot your cashmere blanket to lay down so your luggage doesn't touch the floor. And, let's be honest, it's not like anyone else waiting to board the flight needs to charge their electronics before the option is taken away.

8. Prop both of your elbows up on the armrests on either side of you. The people beside you don't need any space. If they wanted an armrest, they should have booked first class.

9. Fall asleep on the flight with your open mouth pointed towards the person sitting next to you. I'm sure they want to smell your breath. Just be prepared for them to take a selfie with you while you're sleeping and post all over social media. You deserve it.

So there you have it, folks. Now you can't claim ignorance when people are giving you hateful looks because you committed one of these terrible airport/flight sins.

The Novice's Guide to Visiting Oahu

  One of the many perks of a traveling gig is that sometimes you actually get to go to some cool places. Honolulu, and more specifically the entire island of Oahu, was definitely one of them. Conversely, one of the many downsides of a traveling gig is that you are often traveling alone. BUT I packed as much exploring in as I could before heading into the office.

  Alas, my beginners' guide to Oahu. My coworkers who live on the island were astounded by how much I was able to see and do during my time on the Big Island. I was fortunate enough to know several people who live or have lived in the area to give me the down and dirty on some areas to visit that you won't always find on Trip Advisor. 

1. Maunawili Falls: This was one of my favorite things I did in Hawaii! I'd heard a decent amount about Manoa Falls, but the locals steered me towards this excursion.  My GPS led the way in my rented Dodge Charger (seriously, I asked for economy and they gave me this massive, blinged out car). First off, it is not clear to first-timers where you should park and where you enter the trail. Fortunately, there were other people coming in and out of the trail so that gave me a pretty good indication of where to head. Parking is on the street...in front of houses...no big deal. Secondly, I originally felt like a moron for packing my serious hiking boots since everyone else I saw was in regular tennis shoes. My boots were big and bulky and not at all practical for strategic packing, BUT I'm so so SO glad I thought to bring them. The trail quickly turned extremely muddy....I mean mud bog muddy. I'm not sure if they had a torrential downpour before I arrived on the island or if it's always like that, but you definitely need hiking boots. My boots gave me the traction I needed to hike through the lava trails at a decent pace. I felt like a boss because I was passing everyone else, but really it was just boots doing most of the work for me. 

   The trails are physically taxing, but the views are so beautiful along the way. You feel like you're in a jungle. You're jumping over streams, climbing up stairs, and have I mentioned battling a lot of mud. Once you get to the Falls, it's time for relaxation. There are people jumping into the pool, swimming, and lazing around on the rocks. The water was a bit cold for me so there was no swimming, and the Falls were a little to high up for my sissy-self to take the plunge. 

  The ascent down is much easier than going up, but again, beware of slipping downhill in the mud. Overall, this is a must-do in my opinion. You don't need to be a master hiker to enjoy this trail. The trail is only 2 miles long, and you don't need to be in peak shape to to take it on.

2. Halona Blowhole: I decided to take a drive around the island which quickly got halted once I happened upon this beauty. This is by far the most spectacular and beautiful piece of nature I have yet to see with my own eyes. The water contains every shade of blue in the spectrum, and of course, who doesn't love seeing water slam against rocks and up into the air?! There is a small beach which you can enjoy when the water isn't too rough and a small cave for a quick exploration. 

3. The Beaches of the  North Shore: People say the North Shore is where you go to experience authentic Hawaii...or at least that was before its secret got out. This area is home to big waves, surf competitions, and shrimp trucks. I enjoyed sitting on the beach and watching the humongous waves. I've only experienced beaches along the east coast and Florida's panhandle so I'd never seen waves like these before. Truly mesmerizing! 

4. Giovanni's Shrimp Truck: This place is world famous. I'm going to be honest, I do not enjoy eating shrimp so I was on the fence about trying this place. I'm happy to say the food was great. A couple of things to note if you plan on going: be prepared to wait a LOONNNGGG time. I'm pretty sure I waited about 45 minutes to get my shrimp for ONE. Also, there are A LOT of flies. A lot. Lastly, they only accept cash so come  prepared.

5. The Dole Plantation: Let's be real, the Dole Plantation is definitely a tourist trap but I'm glad I went. I hopped aboard the train and learned all about the making of a pineapple and other fruits. I finished it off with some frozen pineapple whip (which I didn't feel was worth all the hype the Internet was giving it). We will definitely take August here when we take the whole fam to the Island.

6. Diamond Head: The view atop this extinct volcano is amazing! I went on an overcast gloomy day and it was still beautiful. I can only imagine how the view would look on a clear, sunny day! I'd heard the hike was rough, but I definitely didn't think so. Perhaps that's because I was battling Maunawili Falls earlier in the week and my expectations were a bit high. The stairs can wear you out, but they're at the very end so you forget all about them once you reach the top of the volcano.

7. Lanikai Beach: This beach is beyond beautiful and is absolutely a must-see! That's all I have to say about that.

8. Eat ALL the Poke:  If you're not familiar with the deliciousness of this dish, just imagine sushi and hibachi making a baby. That baby's name is poke.

This is definitely not a definitive list, but it's a great start! I made this trip almost a year ago, and it's still very vivid in my mind.

A couple of things on my bucket list for the next trip to the island:

• Iolani Palace
• Pearl Harbor
• Experience a Luau
• Catch a surf tournament

A few things I wish I'd known before my visit:

• Island time is a real thing. Be prepared to wait......and wait some more.....for everything. There's no such thing as grabbing a quick bite. No one is in a hurry but you.
• It's beach weather even at 6am. Again, I'm used to beach vacations in Florida where it's not warm and toasty until at least 10am. This is not the case in the Aloha state.
• Hawaii loves it's values and they sound different. It's nice to review the pronunciations so you'll be able to communicate roads you're on and whatnot. 
• A lot of parking is on the street so get used to parallel parking.

A Look Back on the Year of Hustle

 Rather than adopting resolutions for the new year, I started declaring a one-word theme that would consistently point me in the right direction throughout the year. Last year's word was HUSTLE, and hustle I did. 2016 is considered another great year in the books for the Bianchi fam, but I'm not going to lie, it was tough. It was a good  kind of tough in that we truly hustled towards our goals but not without challenge. For more details, challenges stated below.

• While I absolutely love my job, traveling every other week when you have a family can be hard. Sure, Mommy's not having to cook, getting to take up as much room in the bed as she wants, and taking a shower without disruption every time she goes on a vacation business trip. But rather than taking advantage of the city I'm in by exploring the sites or binge watching HGTV (which I NEVER get to do at home), I spend a good portion of the evening watching videos and combing through pictures of my child. I miss Anthony & August terribly while I'm away, but that's not something that was new to 2016. The tough part was the fact that August is now aware that Mommy's gone and is old enough to see my suitcase and say, "No leave, Mommy." Whew, that's tough y'all. 

• Anthony had a big year as well. Studying like a MADMAN for boards, taking boards, 30-day audition rotations away from home, and interview season. For those of you guys not in the know--that's A LOT of time away from home. You can't just take your boards anywhere--no, that would be too easy. You have to fly to Philadelphia--which was an AWESOME mini-vacation for Mommy and Daddy. Anthony did not live with us for 2 consecutive months while he was doing his audition rotations. That's right, I was single-momming it up. (Shoutout to the single moms out there. Respect!) As if that wasn't hard enough, we had to abruptly pull August from daycare and the ONLY respectable center that actually had an opening adds 2 hours to my daily commute. Whew! Hard times. But enough about how hard that was on me. This may be MY blog, but this post is about the fam. That's a lot of change for a 2 year old. He doesn't understand why Babbo isn't going to be  home in a little bit. He has no clue why he's being dropped off with all new people in a new place with a new schedule. Also, let's not forget to discuss the fact that poor Anthony doesn't get to come home to his family each night for TWO months. Let me remind you how ridiculous I am when I only have to leave for a couple of days. NO WAY I could handle two months. As soon as the audition rotation period was over, interview season began (which is also when the holiday season began.) Anthony and I wanted to tackle these interview trips together since we both need to feel a connection to the city and program since it will dictate our lives for the next five years. I wasn't able to go on all of the interview trips since I always double up on travel weeks for work during Nov and Dec because I don't want to be trying to prepare for my trips on holiday weeks. That alone can be enough to pull my hair out. But try this to really make you go cross-eyed: Monday: Board a flight to Texas. Thursday: Fly home. Well, not actually home. Fly to my parent's house so I can see August. Friday: Drive to Birmingham to see Anthony. Saturday: Board a flight to Kansas City for interview. Monday: Fly home to Birmingham. Tuesday: Fly to Charleston. Thursday night: Fly to Birmingham. Friday: Drive to get August and bring him home. Spend a couple days at home then drive to spend a few days with the fam for the holidays. That was our life for a while. Whew, that's tough y'all.

  Now don't you go feeling sorry for us. Anthony and I both went into all of this willingly. We are both very passionate about what we do and knew the pursuit of our dreams comes with some sacrifice. We knew 2016 would be a tough year. Hence, the HUSTLE theme. Looking back, it was the perfect word for that time in our lives. It took HUSTLE to get through it. 

Birmingham Views

  We moved to Birmingham about a month or so ago, and guys let me tell you, we absolutely love it here. Anthony lived here for six years getting his undergrad and grad degrees so it's like returning home for him. I've only visited Birmingham in small spurts for work or shopping.

  I was most excited that there's plenty to do around the city so there's no such thing as saying, "I'm bored." While we enjoyed our time in Dothan, there was plenty of times where we sat around because there was nothing to do other than a visit to Target.

  Even if you just want to go outside and check out the beautiful elevated views of the city or watch the sunset from our loft, it's a great place to be and good times to be had.

What To Do When Your Baby Wipes Dry Out

  We have a wonderful wipes warmer which we leave on 24/7. August doesn't really care if his wipes are chilled or warmed, but we have it so we use it. The only issue is that he's out of town once per month when he's visiting Grandparents and I'm traveling for work.
 
  We forget to turn the contraption off so, of course, the wipes dry out since they're continuously heated and not being used. Everyone who has ever had a baby knows there's nothing worse than having a serious Numero Dos on your hands and dry wipes. Without going into the details, it's just a mess.

  I finally had an A-ha moment today. I still have a travel-sized spritz bottle of witch hazel from post-delivery. It turns out August loves getting spritzed; who knew a good spray on the fanny was so fun? Double dudy (get it, du-dy?!), it's soothing to his newly developed diaper rash.

  Score!

In the Moment

  As I walk into the door from a long day's work, Anthony hands me our half-sleeping baby. I hold him, arms lazily wrapped around my neck and body melded to mine, and I melt. Heart and soul. I carefully walk to the rocking chair where I whisper hushed "I love yous" in his ear as I do my very best to memorize the feeling of 19.2 pounds of my baby boy sleeping on me. I know my mind will never be able to replicate this exact feeling so I remind myself to stop stressing that this moment is fleeting and banish the need to memorize it. I remind myself to be in the moment with him, to cherish it with all my heart.

2014 Made Me...

 2014 was a continuous string of treasured moments that flew by so quickly I'm not sure that I'll be able to remember all of it. We fit a good many milestones into 2014. It was beautiful. It was wonderful. It was epic, and it was life-altering.

  2014 made me a wife. I got to marry the most absolutely beautiful man. Anthony is seriously the most beautiful person I've ever met--outward,  and more importantly,  inward. He makes me a better person and our partnership brings out the best in me. I am so proud to be his Mrs.

  2014 made me a mama. The first half of the year was spent in preparation for our bundle of joy, and the remaining half was spent wrapped in parental bliss. This son of ours is such a blessing! He is so happy, so healthy, and so fun. I am so proud to be his Mommy.

  2014 made me a nervous wreck. I stressed more this year that in all my years on this earth combined. I have stressed about things that matter so much, and I've stressed about things that mattered not so much. In all that anxiety and worry, I learned a lesson that I hope to return to each and every day: God's got this. I remember talking with my Dad early in the year about all the stress. There were a million things on my plate at the time, and I had very little control over any of them. My Dad said something very simple and yet so profound that it didn't sound profound at all. He said, "Whatever is meant to happen will happen." At the time, I thought he was being so cavalier about it all, and I couldn't understand how he could seem to so nonchalant. But he was right, as most parents always are. Everything worked out in the best way it possibly could have. There was absolutely no point in my worry. Let go and let God.

  2014 made me an observer. I find myself observing others in their everyday lives and taking note. I watch spouses' interactions with one another, and try to learn something from it. I observe mothers with children older than mine. I try to wean as much knowledge and insight into the future as I possibly can because I am hyper-aware that mine and Anthony's choices today will shape our son's tomorrow. I can read all the books in the world and not learn as much as I could simply by observing my peers.

  2014 made me grateful. I have so much for which to be grateful; my cup runneth over.

  I hope each of you can look back on 2014 with fond memories. Whether it was the best or a wash, may 2015 be your year!

 

10 Things I've Learned as a Working Mom

10 Things I've Learned as a Working Mom

1. Lunch breaks spent at the gym has become a laughable thought. Prior to becoming a mother, I could often be found at the nearby Pure Barre during my lunch hour. The thought of that happening now is more comical than Chelsea Handler's Instagram feed. Lunch breaks now consist of hooking myself up to a bunch of tubes to produce baby food while stuffing my face with enough food to produce a food-baby. But I guess the end results are the same, 500 calories burned. Take that Pure Barre!

2. There's no such thing as date nights. If you read mommy blogs or parenting articles, you know the importance stressed about making time for your spouse. But as working parents you already sacrifice your days with your child to go to work. You certainly don't want to give up a night, too. Our solution to this is date lunches where we each come home to lunch together. As I mentioned earlier, I'm hooked up to a bunch of tubes and stuffing my face at this time. Mmmm, romantic.

3. If you look really hard, you can find elastic-waisted dress pants. They do exist. Granted, they are as rare as a four-leaf clover, but again, you can find them if you look hard enough. Maternity pants ruin you for regular clothes. You get to spend 9 months of your life in the softest, stretchiest pants that were ever manufactured--you can't just go back to muffin-top producing pants cold turkey. It's not like riding a bike; it doesn't come back to you that easily. The best part is no one can tell that you and your baby basically have the same pants on. True story. 

4. Coffee never tasted so good.  If there's one thing we invest good money in around our home, it's good coffee. Well, that and good diapers. Well, those and good beer. Yep, those might just be our top priorities in the purchasing department. Never underestimate the power of a strong cup of Joe; it isn't quite the equivalent of a full night's sleep but it'll do.

5. Sacrifices have to be made. I'm not talking about time with your child; everyone knows that's an obvious sacrifice for the working mom. No, I'm talking about with your appearance. I can either spend my finite amount of time in the morning doing my hair or doing my makeup. You can't get both; there's only time for one or the other. Well, that's not true. You can get both, but I'm going to be late. Also, my child will still be in his pajamas. True story--I felt so triumphant the other day because I managed to do my hair and makeup and I was projected to arrive early to work. When I dropped August off at daycare, one of the little girls asked the daycare worker, "Why does August still have on his pajamas?" Triumph deflated. I had to stop myself from sitting down to teach the little girl a life lesson about making choices and the consequences of each choice made. The conversation went a little something like this in my mind. "Well, little girl, I chose to look like an actual professional at my profession today, and as a result, August gets to spend the day in his puppy-feeted pajamas. Just think of him as the class pet and cut me some slack."

6. Your house will look like a hoarder's home that just got struck by a tornado. As I sit here typing this, I'm looking around. The ratio of square inch of carpet to clothes/shoes/bibs/blankets is about 1:30. There just isn't enough time in the evenings to wash, dry, & fold laundry. We've got the washing and drying part down pat, but folding and putting away is just over-the-top. Sweeping and mopping? Ha, you've got jokes I see.

7. You will take extreme precautions to keep your child well. You have to; maternity leave ate all of your sick time. No, you cannot hold my baby. Don't even think about giving him a kiss, and I swear, if I even so much as sense a sneeze coming on I will whip out a tissue and hand-sanitizer faster than you can say, "Achoo".

8. Buns, updos, ponytails, & braids will become your best friend. These hairstyles have two characteristics that are great for the working mom. They're fast, which is great since investing time in your hair is a luxury you can no longer afford. Secondly, they require a bit of texture to hold the style. This is great since actually washing your hair when you get in the shower is basically a crap shoot. Seriously, I've grabbed the shower cap a time or two since having a baby because there's just not enough time to wash it, condition it, towel dry it, & brush out all the tangles. I feel comfortable saying this because I am literally sitting here with a deep conditioning treatment in from HOURS before. Yes, the directions say to wash it out after twenty minutes, but who has time to get in the shower TWICE in one day? For some really cute and quick hairstyles, check out Twist Me Pretty.

9. Suddenly, processed foods don't seem so toxic. We used to pride ourselves on using fresh produce and cutting processed foods from our diets. After having August, I've weighed the probability and decided that an occasional meal of Hamburger Helper is most likely not the way we're going to die. Of course, we want to make his baby food ourselves using organic fruits and veggies. During the incubation period that sounded great. Now that he's actually here, well, let's just say I'm not holding my breath for that one.

10. You eat your words. We found out about our little one pretty early so we basically had 8 1/2 months to prepare for his arrival. We spent hours reading family planning books and discussing how we wanted to raise our child. Fast-forward to the present when our child is nearing 5 months old, and I want to take that stupid parenting book and slap my former self across the head with it. Ridicuslousness. We set soft rules for our unborn child and learned just how soft they were upon his arrival. One of these was that we didn't want him watching television. Turns out, he loves it so guess who gets to watch it everyday? In fact, I walked in the living room today to find him watching Sports Center all by himself in his Bumbo seat. Sometimes plopping him in front of a good football game is the only way we can get the housework done. Crow, anyone?

I

My Cat is More Popular Than Me

  If you haven't noticed from my Facebook wall or Instagram feed, I love my kitty. He is the absolute cutest and naughtiest little creature I've ever encountered. He is my first Persian cat, and I am utterly and irrevocably convinced that Persians are superior to any other breed of cat. This little guy is chock full of personality and somehow manages to remain a top conversation topic in our home, despite me having a demanding job, Anthony being in medical school, and our four month old. This cat....

  As much as we love him, ol' Georgey-boy has a habit of taking over everything. He takes up the bed; he takes up the bathroom. And now, he's taking over my Instagram. I looked through my photos the other day and realized that pretty much all of my photos are of  this cat, and I decided NO MORE. He now has his own so I can have my own once again. Feel free to follow Georgey__cat.

Start Soup Weather Off with Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

  Thank goodness Anthony loves soup as much as I do! Most people like to wait until the weather has a crisp to it before they break out the stock pot, but not our fam. Soup is a year round event in the Bianchi home...kinda like flip flops or house robes.
  Like many'a Pinterest user, I often pin recipes without ever taking the time to actually make it. I've been doing my best to start putting these pins to work in the kitchen, and they've all been a win for the most part.
   I stumbled upon the gem below a while back and immediately stuck it in my "Yummy Goodness" folder for later. I finally broke it out last night, and boy-oh-boy was it delicious. I think next time we'll add some slicked Italian sausage to make it a bit more hearty, but it was honestly perfect all on its own with a French baguette.
   It was ridiculously easy to make--which in my experience doesn't happen often with soups due to all the required slicing and dicing. Do yourself a favor and make this STAT!

Recipe Swagger's Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

Milk & Mountains

Not those types of mountains.....

   I'd liken nursing a babe to climbing Mount Everest. It's the challenge of your life, you don't hear of many people successfully completing it, and if you're not careful you could lose a body part. That last part might not be true, but it certainly feels like it's true for the first couple of weeks. Think 8 pound vampire with an appetite like no other.

  Fortunately there's no shortage of literature warning mothers of the perils of breastfeeding. No woman with curiosity and high speed internet can say she didn't know nursing a newborn would be taxing, both mentally and physically. More so mentally.

  But this entry isn't going to give you the gory details. I'll leave that to the other millions of bits about this subject on the world wide web. Of course, if you'd like to hear more details about my personal experience with this, feel free to message me and I'll tell you all about it.

 The purpose of this post is to tell you two things that you absolutely need to know if you're even going to attempt to nurse a baby.

(1) First and foremost, it is absolutely essential to have a cheerleader. Full disclosure, there is no way I would have made it this long without Anthony Bianchi. He has talked me down from the ledge of giving up and dragged me from anxiety-Hades so many times in the last 11 weeks. He has supported me, complimented me, and encouraged me every single day. I've heard comments from others such as, "You've given him a great start. You can switch to formula now.", "It shouldn't be this hard on you", and "Formula fed babies grow up to be as great as breastfed babies." While all statements may be true, we made a commitment to our child while he was still in the womb that we would give him the best start we could, come hell or high water. And there's been both. (Seriously, our apartment flooded the other week. It was grand.) For every one of these statements I hear, it takes five cheers from Anthony to bring me from the brink of switching to formula. Anthony's role is just as important as mine when it comes to nursing. So, mothers, if you're going to climb that mountain, make sure you have a partner to catch you when you feel like you can't go on. Because no matter how determined and committed you are, that time will come--more than once.

(2) The doody will hit the fan when your milk comes in. For me it was Day Four. There was nothing in the handbook for Day Four. Anthony and I both agreed that we have to get the word out for this Dooms Day. Our sweet baby turned into, well let's just say he was unpleasant, when that new milk hit his tummy. He was inconsolable. He wailed and he flailed for 24 hours straight until he got acclimated to his new food source. Just be prepared.

  With these two pieces of intel, I want you to know that I have nothing but respect for any mother who chooses to feed her newborn formula from the start. I have nothing against formula. After all, I never had a drop of breast milk and I turned out okay. It was simply our choice to breastfeed for the first few months of August's life, but there will come a day when I give up the ghost and hand Enfamil my debit card.

Birth Story Part 2

  Okay, so where were we? Oh yes, we made it to the hospital after having to drive back roads due to the phantom train.

  After all my threats tied to missing my window for an epidural, Anthony--smart man that he is--drops me off at the ER. I waddle in, gnashing my teeth and clenching my fists as I battle the increasing contractions while waiting on two thugs to empty their massive collection of cell phones out of their pockets. I tried to be patient, I really did. To no avail. I finally asked the security guard if I had to wait in line since I was in major labor. He--smart man that he is--let me bypass America's Most Wanted and check in.

  Contractions were awful. I mean truly and utterly awful. I thought those little twinges of pain I was experiencing back in Tallassee were uncomfortable. The ones at the hospital meant business. Once we got settled into the room I asked the nurse when I could get an epidural. I'm fairly certain she forgot about me because it was HOURS before I got one. Keep in mind I came to that dang hospital 3 cm dilated, 75% effaced, +1 baby position, and experiencing contractions for almost 3 hours. It finally got to the point where I begged for the epidural. (I have plenty to say about that nurse, but I will keep it to myself.) Fortunately, the original nurse's shift ended and we were assigned a pro. Seriously, if you give birth at Baptist East in Montgomery, Alabama then be sure to ask if Dawn is working. She's an angel in scrubs.

  Things got a lot better after the epidural. I'd been in labor all night long, Anthony and I had gotten 0 hours of sleep, and I was gearing up for the workout of my life. Ironically when I was in the worst shape of my life. With the epidural came sweet rest. We were able to get a little bit of shut-eye in between nurse and family visits.

   I had been worried about how the actual delivery part being too much for me. It usually takes about 2-3 hours of pushing for first time moms, and I wasn't sure I'd have the stamina for all of that. Dawn told me it'd only take twenty minutes; I thought she was being highly optimistic. Fortunately, she meant what she said once the time came. I pushed for twenty minutes, with Anthony cheering me on and helping the nurses, and our sweet August arrived.

   I was so blessed to have an easy and smooth delivery. August was safe and healthy, and Anthony and I were officially parents. It was surreal to have him in my arms. It was....I don't even know the word for it...to see him in Anthony's arms. It was perfect. Heartbreakingly perfect.

  We stayed that way, a family of three, for about thirty minutes before inviting grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins into the room to meet the newest addition to the family.

  We were in the hospital for the customary time and received lots of visits from family and friends. It was wonderful and we were grateful.

I would imagine this was taken after the epidural, 

as I doubt I would have been able to even fake a smile before receiving one.

Anthony anxiously waiting for August's arrival

in his embroidered scrubs, his first Father's Day gift.

Birth Story Part 1

  As mentioned in an earlier post, my body started progressing towards labor at 37 weeks and my doctor said I had shaved 7 hours off of my upcoming labor already due to being 3 cm dilated, 75% effaced, and the baby's position being at +1. When I went for my last weekly appointment at 39 weeks I asked if I should go ahead and make another appointment for the following week just in case. He said it would probably be smart but he didn't think I would need it. For him to make a statement like that spoke volumes, as he usually erred on the side of caution so I wouldn't get my hopes up. This statement was like music to my ears because, again, I was 39 weeks pregnant, huge, and miserable. Oh yeah, and I wanted to meet our baby!

  I went around every single day for the past three weeks telling everyone, "Today is the day. I just know it!" and I'd end the day with a defeated look saying, "Today wasn't the day." And that was before the doc told me he didn't think I'd go over my due date. So you can imagine just how convicted I felt that "today would be the day" each and every single day of my 39th week. So much so that by Saturday (39 weeks and 6 days) I was so defeated that I'd given up on ever having the baby. Ridiculous I know, but again I was very pregnant. Those types of people aren't exactly known for being rational and pleasant. (Sorry ladies. It's not us, it's the hormones.) 

  My sister and brother-in-law came over and hung out in the pool with us all day in an effort to cheer me up. (Although watching them drink beer wasn't exactly the best way to cheer me up.) Kelly gave me a nice little pep talk about the power of thought and how my defeated outlook wasn't going to help the matter. So after getting nice and sunburned--I mean fried to a crisp--Anthony and I retired to watch some television before hitting the hay. 

  At about 11:00 I started having contractions. While these didn't feel like the Braxton Hicks contractions I so rarely felt during my pregnancy, I wasn't sure if these were laborious contractions. We had already been to the hospital a few weeks earlier because I just knew that I was going into labor so I was trying not to jump the gun again. We started timing the contractions and they were about a minute in duration and 3-5 minutes apart at first. Then they started jumping to 7 and 9 and back to 5 minutes apart. Despite the noticeable difference in type of contraction, I decided to just go to bed since they weren't rhythmic and it was now 12:30 in the morning and I was exhausted. Did I mention the hospital was 35 minutes away? No way I was going to make that drive just to be turned down yet again at the hospital. I told Anthony it'd be a different story if I had a clear cut sign like these weird contractions and my water breaking. So we got ready for bed, turned off the light, and I snuggled up to my GIANT body pillow. Pregnant ladies, you know what I'm talking about. It wasn't three minutes after turning off the light that I said, "Uh oh, my water just broke." 

  On came the light, and we got dressed and packed the hospital bag. (I know, I know, we were supposed to have it ready like 5 weeks ago, but whatevs.) Side note, I insisted on straightening my hair before going to bed just in case we actually had to go to the hospital. I knew I wouldn't care enough to put on makeup throughout my hospital stay, but dang it, my hair had to look decent. 

  My contractions got to be a lot more painful during the drive. We were almost to the interstate when we saw that the train rails were down and there was a line of cars....but NO train. We waited for a couple of minutes before turning around to go down back roads to the hospital. This meant adding at least another 20 minutes to our commute. You can imagine I wasn't a happy camper, but it's a good thing Anthony is a trooper. I made all sorts of threats on that ride. You better believe I was adamantly against having the baby in the car, and also, I wanted needed my bleepity-bleep epidural. 

  Fortunately we made it to the hospital in time....

TBC, my baby is sleeping and the clock is ticking until he wakes up again. This mama needs some rest. :)

Attention New Moms!

  There are several baby items that would be hard to live without, but if I had to choose only one item it would most definitely be our Snuza. It quite possibly saved August's life. I'm not being dramatic here--he seriously stopped breathing the other night while we were sleeping. I cannot bear to think of what might have happened had we not had the Snuza to alert us. Just thinking about it sends my heart to my ankles.
  SIDS is a very frightening but very real issue. Yes, there are lots of ways to help prevent it from happening to your child. Put the baby back to bed. Clear the crib of toys. Make sure the bumper is breathable if you choose to have one at all. But what happens if your baby simply stops breathing?
  There are many items you can purchase to alert you if your baby stops breathing. Angel Care products are a popular choice as they go under the crib mattress and monitor a child's movement. We chose not to go that route since August has several pieces of equipment in which he sleeps (none of which is the crib) and we are constantly going back and forth between our hometown and Dothan. We wanted something that could monitor him no matter what he sleeps in.
  Enter the Snuza Hero. It is a small device that clips onto the front side of his diaper and monitors his breathing. If the Snuza does not detect breathing within 15 seconds, it vibrates to stimulate breathing. If the child does not breathe within 5 seconds of the vibration (20 seconds in all), an alarm goes off to alert the parents that their child has stopped breathing.
  We heard that dreadful sound in the middle of the night this week. Anthony ran to August and jostled him awake so he could breathe. There are not enough words to tell you how grateful I am for this product!
  Not to get all doom and gloom on you, but this can happen to any baby--even your own. Be proactive and purchase this item. Best money I've ever spent. Link below.

http://www.amazon.com/Snuza-ILSHER-Baby-Monitor-Hero/dp/B008OJ7C6Y

What's in a Name?

  When first hearing our son's name, people always ask why we chose that particular name. I suppose it is a little different. It's not something you hear every day since the name reached its peak in popularity in the 1800's. For time's sake I usually tell people it's the only name Anthony and I could agree on, which is very true, but I'd like to think we put a little more oomph into it than that.

  Naming your child can be a very daunting task. It's a gift you will give them that they'll carry for the rest of their life. In Biblical times, people's names were indicative of who or what they'd become. For example, Abraham means "father of many". Remember the song Father Abraham? I'd say his mother was right on the money when naming him. Anyhoo, the meaning behind the name Anthony and I chose for our son was very important to us because we, too, wanted it to be indicative of the type of man he would grow to be. 

  We had a few names that we both liked, but the meaning didn't quite fit. For example, Anthony was a big fan of the name Orson, and I was okay with it but I didn't want our son to grow to be a "little bear". I mean, body hair is okay but to be compared to a bear?..... No thanks. ;)

  After considering names like Rivers, Alfonso, and Oso (Anthony's picks) as well as Jesse, Jasper, and Jonah (my picks), we settled on August. It means "great" with moral or wise overtones. Of course we'd like to raise our son to be a great man, full of wisdom and possessing good morals. We liked that it's not a name you hear too often and, for the most part, would be unique to our son. 

  The name also has a personal meaning for us as a couple. Last August marked a new chapter in our relationship with Anthony moving to Dothan and starting medical school. We went from spending every free moment together to seeing each other every other weekend. To say I was apprehensive about a long distance relationship would be an understatement. However, it was a very positive change in that it showed us how much we loved one another and proved to only strengthen our bond. We really liked the symbolism in naming our son August. He, too, marked a change in our relationship that makes our bond stronger. While this is not the reason we picked the name August, I sure do like that it makes the meaning of his name personal to us.

  Once we finally settled on a first name, we moved on to the middle name. Thankfully this process was a lot easier. My dad is the caboose of our family name so we thought it'd be nice for it to be carried on in some way. Also, Anthony's middle name is his mother's maiden name so it fit perfectly.

  So there ya' have it. August Floyd Bianchi. 

Third Trimester Part 2

  We are so fortunate and blessed to have so many wonderful family and friends who helped us get off to a great start in supplies for our little one. Two of our friends threw a diapers and wipes couple's party for us so we've been well stocked in our changing supplies. We also had a traditional baby shower and received a lot of great equipment and clothes.
   True to form, Anthony and I waited until the weekend before the baby came to decorate the nursery. We had put it on the back burner since we figured August was going to sleep in the same room as us for the first few weeks of his life. With school for Anthony and work for me, it just wasn't a priority. I was so glad to have most of it done before August's arrival though. (Mainly because it has been a complete wreck since then and it's the only time we got to see it looking pristine.)
  We decided to do a nautical theme--I'll post pictures when we finish doing the mounds of laundry  piled on the bed and put away some of the unused equipment lying around.
  Anthony finished up school at the end of May, and we moved back to Tallassee for the last few weeks of our pregnancy. My doctor was in Montgomery  so it just made sense to spend the remainder of our pregnancy closer to home.
  My body started progressing towards labor about three weeks prior to my due date. I started dilating 1 cm per week and my cervix started thinning. Those last three weeks were so uncomfortable, and I was so excited that my body was preparing for August's arrival.
  I woke up each day thinking "today is the day" only to go to bed saying in a disappointed voice "today was not the day." Until one day....[Birth Story in next post]

Third Trimester Part 1

  I started showing at the close of the second trimester. I remember being so excited to buy my first maternity clothes. I wanted to bask in my pregnant state and the fact that my body was finally starting to reflect the miracle that was happening inside of me. I went to Motherhood after work and wore one of my newly purchased blouses the next day. As I was crossing the street and feeling maternal, a [very unpregnant] woman stopped me in the crosswalk to compliment my blouse and ask where I got it. Normally this would be taken as a compliment, but this devastated me and deflated my mood. I just knew I had reached the point of perfect strangers looking at my belly and smiling, but nope. Apparently I was still in the in-between stage where perfect strangers just thought I'd been drinking too much beer.

  This trimester was marked by getting to see our sweet babe in 3 and 4D. We decided to use an ultrasound boutique so that we could share the moment with our families. We drove to Montgomery for the event and were so excited to see what our son was going to look like. Who was he going to look like? Whose nose would he have? Would the heartburn predictions be correct and he would have a lot of hair? Did he have chubby cheeks? All of these questions and more were swirling through out minds, and we were elated to once again know a little more about our son.
  We got a few pictures of his sweet face, but he was more interested in chewing on his umbilical cord and sucking on his toes. After a few shots, he turned his face to the side and covered the exposed side with his sweet little baby hand. We took a break and walked around East Chase for about an hour in hopes that he would change position. We went back and found out that our little man was not a performer. We scheduled another visit in a couple of weeks. Again, we got a couple of shot but he wasn't up to performing.

  Ultimately, we were happy with the pictures we had and went about putting them in frames to decorate our apartment. :)
   I received a lot of unsolicited advice from people during this trimester. It's amazing how much negativity people like to dole out when they find out someone is expecting. It's almost like a game-let's see how much we can freak this prego out. People seem to think they can say negative things about pregnancy and motherhood and it's okay as long as they end their little rant with a positive statement. All of this is said under the guise of trying to prepare the expectant mother for what is coming. Truthfully, it casts a dark shadow over this milestone and creates a cloud of anxiety and worry over what is to come. Statements like, "It's the hardest job you'll ever have" and "You'll feel like you'll never sleep again....and you won't" are heard over and over again by expectant mothers. While it is a lovely thought for people to try and prepare you for the hardships of motherhood, it just gets old. Each person may only tell you that once (I'm lying, they tell you over and over again each time they see you.), what they don't realize is that everyone is telling you the same thing, and it starts to take a toll on you after hearing it for the 100th (more like 1,000,000,000th) time. For goodness sake, anyone who's ever been around a baby can figure out that taking care of one is no easy task. There's no need to point out the obvious, Captain.
   I guess I looked really pregnant once I got to the final month because people felt the need to point out my pregnant belly at all times. This didn't bother me in the least since I loved being pregnant....until the last three weeks. Then I started hearing comments like "Suck in that gut [followed by self-amusing chuckles]" and "Lordy, you're about to pop". Yep, these were made from strangers. Every single day. These comments didn't bother me either, but they led me to believe that I might have the baby early since it looked like I was "going to pop". Did I mention I suffered from delusion during that last month?

 

1st and 2nd Trimesters

  There's not a whole lot to say about the first trimester. It was pretty much spent in my bed with Dexter. Anthony and I decided to keep the pregnancy to ourselves until the first trimester had come to a close. Keeping something as big as that can take a toll on you. Couple that with the lethargy that comes with the first trimester and you've got a recipe for spending a lot of time in bed with Netflix.

  We actually found out the sex before telling our family and friends. Because I wasn't sharing my condition with anyone and I wasn't showing or experiencing most of the symptoms of pregnancy, I was desperate to connect with my baby in some way. When I found out that we could find out the sex early, I was so excited and started counting down the weeks until our appointment. We were both really hoping for a boy but tried not to get our hopes up. Tears were quietly streaming down my face once the technician announced we were having a son. We were both overjoyed, and it was such a nice feeling to know a little about the sweet baby that was inside of me.

  We told our families and friends at the beginning of the second trimester. No one tells you how mentally and physically exhausting telling everyone is going to be. News like pregnancy scatters faster than wildfire so it's literally a race to tell everyone you want to tell in person before they find out from someone else. It took me a solid week of visits to cross most people off of my list. I was so wiped out after a week that I resorted to making phone calls for the remainder and let gossip do the rest. I'm not sure how quickly the news spread, but I figured it would work its way around our small town within a very short time.

   I made cards for Kelly, Aubrey, and Jenna when I told them. The front said "How Do You Feel About" and had a line of ants crawling across the card. The inside said "There's Only One Right Answer" and flipped open to reveal an ultrasound picture. I had a lot of fun making them and even more fun passing them out.

  Knowing I wouldn't be able to travel after a certain point in my pregnancy, I did a lot of travelling for work in the second trimester. Pair that with getting married and moving to Dothan and you'll understand how quickly the "honeymoon" trimester went.