AMAZING: TinyPrints.com

I knew I wanted to order my birth announcements from TinyPrints.com before I was even prego : ) Their site is gorgeous, and their announcements are totally adorable. Little did I know that they are also the BEST people to work with!! I took pictures of Paige last week, uploaded the photo into the announcement and submitted my order. Once I submitted, I had a bad feeling that the photo may be kind of blurry - but at that point, I figured it was too late. Two days later I received a voicemail from TinyPrints - they were letting me know that the photo I submitted WAS blurry, and instead of just processing the order and taking my money, they were giving me the chance to resubmit another photo. SERIOUSLY!? I have never experienced that level of customer service. It was surreal. So I submitted another photo the next day - and again got a call that the photo was blurry. This time they even took the time to explain WHY they thought it was blurry and give me tips on taking the perfect photo. I took their advice (I needed to make sure the flash was on and not too much extra light) and got a few more great shots. However - I had a dilemma. See, Paige has come down with a case of baby acne - YIKES! And it's not just a pimple or two - it's serious acne. BOO! (Come to find out after a little research that it's from my raging post-prego hormones - sorry, Paige!). I submitted the pictures anyway, and asked if they had any suggestions on minimizing the acne. Just two hours later I received a proof - they retouched off the acne!!! They also felt the picture would look best in sepia tone, so they did that too. The announcement is ADORABLE! I'm so happy with the results - and the amazing, caring customer service I received from TinyPrints - that I am a customer for life. Thanks TinyPrints.com!!!! You are my baby announcement heroes : )

Recovering From the Big C

To be 100% honest, I bounced back pretty quickly after my c-section. I actually think I recovered A LOT faster than I would have had I gone through a vaginal delivery. I was up and walking around within 12 hours. Sore - yes. But for me, I was thankful to just have a sore abdomen vs. a sore you-know-what. I know many women feel the opposite - that the recovery from a vaginal birth is preferred over a c-section. I think it helped a ton that I had been walking like it was my job in the 10 weeks before giving birth. I was in better shape than I had been, and my abdominal muscles were stronger thanks to the constant walking. Now almost 4 weeks post-surgery, I'm only dealing with one small part of the incision that won't close up. The rest was healed within one week - but the right side - about a 1.5 cm section - just won't close up! So every week I've been going to the OB for them to check on it and make sure it's not infected. This process also involves sticking silver nitrate directly into the wound to "help the healing process". Not sure if you've ever experienced the joys of silver nitrate, but it basically feels like a lit match is being shoved in - burns like heck! Maybe it's payback for a relatively smooth recovery otherwise. : ) But I really wanted to write this post to let all the soon-to-be-mamas know that a c-section doesn't have to be traumatic. Yes, I will have a scar. But it honestly is already invisible (minus the part that hasn't healed). I'm happy to answer questions about my c-section - just e-mail me! I know I was freaked out before hand, so I'm happy to let you know more about my experience to help ease your mind!

No Time to Pee

When I was pregnant, I spent a lot of time in the bathroom. When I drank the amount of water I was supposed to, I felt like I was in the bathroom every 15 minutes. Now Paige is here and I can multi-task pretty well with a baby in my arms - pumping, cleaning, walking the dog, making the bed. But there is one thing I just can't do - pee! As soon as my baby cries, I'm up and running towards her to cuddle and soothe. It's only once she is in my arms that I remember that I have to use the bathroom. And at that point, it's too late. There have been a number of times over the last 3+ weeks that I'm rocking back and forth not only to soothe the baby, but also to keep from peeing on myself : )  My sister, brother-in-law and niece were visiting this past week, and I think my bladder got spoiled. Now it's back to solo-mommy duty... any way I can get that catheter back in? Just kidding... kind of : )