Two Movies for Tonight

Guess what’s back?! Two Movies for Tonight!! I’ve been watching some great movies lately...

Looking for something to watch tonight? Maybe you have a long weekend? Well have no fear! Here's two movies that are worthy of your time. These two movies are very different but equally good to watch. Sit back, relax and watch these two movies.

Lakeview Terrace

When you buy a house, you hope for the best when it comes to your neighbors. We all don’t want those party people right beside us. So when newly married Lisa and Chris move into their new home and find out their neighbor is a police officer they figure their safe. As time goes on, Chris and Lisa begin to notice that their officer neighbor isn’t all he’s cracked up to be. When Chris suspects Abel (Samuel L. Jackson) of disapproving of his interracial marriage he rocks the boat with his neighbor. From then on out it becomes a war and since one of them is an LAPD officer, the deck isn’t split even. Watch to see how this movie unfolds between neighbors who just can’t get along.

 Gone Baby Gone

Boston Private Investigator Patrick (Casey Affleck) and his girlfriend and investigative partner Angie (Michelle Monaghan) watch a televised plea asking to bring an adbucted little girl home. When they meet with the grandparents, they decide to take on the case. Patrick uses his connections in the Boston crime underworld to find out that the girls mother is a drug mule for one of the local drug lords. He uncovers the families dirty secrets and along the way stumbles upon traces of the missing girl. What he uncovers is unexpected and not only threatens the life of the girl but his own life and his relationship.

Both movies are really good so if you need something to watch then I highly recommend both.

Beauty Finds

1. Kylighter- Kylie Cosmetics- Salted Caramel $22.00
2. Flawless Finish Foundation- Elf Cosmetics- Sand $6.00
3. Perfect Eyebrow Styling Duo- Avon Cosmetics- Auburn $8.00
4. Glitter & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow- Stila Cosmetics- Next to Notte $24.00
5. True Color Smooth Minerals Powder Foundation- Avon- Sand Beige- $12.00
6. In Extreme Dimension 3D Black Lash Mascara- Mac Cosmetics- $23.00
7. Naked 3 Eye Shadow Pallette- Urban Decay- $54.00
8. Poreless Face Primer- Elf Cosmetics- $10.00

These products are just some of the ones I’ve been using and loving. I’ve had the Naked 3 pallette for awhile now and I really like it. i also have the 2 and there’s a good mixture of colors in both. I can’t stay enough great things about the Stila Glitter and Glow eyeshadow. It’s easy to apply, stays on forever and doesn’t seem to crease. I have it in two colors and I wish I could afford to get all of them. Sephora also have some exclusive colors so check them out if you don’t see certain ones on the Stila site or at Ulta. I got the Next to Notte at Sephora and I believe it’s a color exclusive to their stores.

I also can’t say enough great things bout the Avon foundation. I know your thinking really? Avon? But it gives great coverage, isn’t expensive and blends really well.

What are some of your favorite beauty products?

Presley’s One Month Old

On March 15th, Presley turned one month old! I can’t believe time is flying and my little bear is growing and growing. He still sleeps a lot but has moments where he’s awake for long stretches of time. He’s up every 2-3 hours in the night still. He’s also grown 2 and a half inches in length! He weighed in at 8 lbs and .05 oz. His birth weight was 7lbs 1 oz so he’s gaining!

I take so many photos of him but I make sure to do his daily photo...Here’s his first month of 28 days since he was born in February he has a short month. Don’t worry I won’t subject you to all of them. 

 

 

 

Breast Feeding Struggles

Before I had Presley, I was adament that I was going to breastfeed for as long as I possibly could. Personally, I think it’s the best thing for a baby and it’s free. My mother breastfed me for over a year, granted I knew I probably couldn’t go a year but I was determined to do it for as long as I possibly could. Before he was born, my breast were getting ready. I was constantly leaking clear fluid for weeks before his birth.

When Presley made his grand arrival. I started having colostrum instantly. He would latch on really well and stay on for just a few minutes. I was also manually expressing it (which is painful) and putting it into the syringes the hospital gives you for that purpose. The nurses also helped express it and let me tell you, you haven’t lived until about 15 different women have helped squeeze your breasts. Then my milk didn’t come in. It was probably 3-4 days later and it finally started to come in. It’s painful (at least for me) my breast felt like giant rocks and had to be massaged and put under hot water to find comfort. I also had developed a cracked nipple. Unfortunately, Presley was having some sugar regulating issues and was in the NICU. So I couldn’t really feed him on demand. We went there for feeding every 3 hours around the clock for 3 days. I would also sit in the NICU him and if he wanted to latch on he could. Due to the sugar issue they also had to give him some formula. I didn’t want to have to do it, but you have to do what you have to do.

Then Presley became a lazy latcher. He will latch on but after the first let down, he’s bored and over the sucking. Basically he was only staying on each breast for about 2-4 minutes. For your milk to come in at full capacity a baby should be staying latched on for 15-20 minutes each breasts. I met with lactation several times. They gave me different tips and advance with each different person that I talked to. Finally the last lady that I talked to gave me the most helpful advice. She told me to start pumping a minimum 9 times a day and only latch him on for comfort. She said do that for several days and that should help increase my milk supply. I did that for 5 days and my milk supply did increase. My precious, little Presley is still a little lazy when it comes to the sucking but he’s staying on now for about 7-9 minutes. So what am I doing? I’m pumping many times day and night and botteling it we are giving it to him that way. Because guess what... breast milk is breast milk. I don’t care if he gets it by latching on or bottle. He’s being fed either way.

Now... with that said.... we are having to supplement with some formula. He’s eating so much I can’t keep up. I’m still about 5-8 ounces a day short on breast milk so we are having to give him some formula. Did I want to do that? No, not really but again.... you do what you have to do. He’s hungry and needs to be fed. Do I think it’s wrong to give him formula no but do I feel like a big, fat failure every time I crack open one of those newborn formula bottles? Sure do! But with pumping way more, I feel better that he’s getting 16-20 ounces a day in breast milk.

It’s not easy. Breast feeding is definitely work. You have to seriously want to do it to make it work. Definitely if you have milk issues like me. Now, is it rewarding to see progress? Yes! While I have no idea what will happen when I go back to work, I’m going to keep pumping and feeding him as much as I can, for as long as I can. I put him on a few times a day and let him latch on for however, long he will and then I pump as many times as I can in a day. When I go to work I’ll pump as much as I can and feed him in the mornings and evenings as much as I can to keep the milk supply going.

Just know that if you have problems breast feeding... I get it. Keep pushing though it. You can do it. Buy those breast pads, get that breast soothing cream!
A plus side too.... you will drastically burn calories and lose that baby weight quickly!

Let’s Talk Bowels

One thing people tend to not talk about a lot after having a baby is your bowels. Specifically I’m talking about bowel movements. In my case the lack of movement in general that is taking place. Now I’m about to get real personal here with my bowel movements here so if this isn’t for you then stop reading now. No offense will be taken. Poop talk just isn’t for everyone, I get that...but if your a woman and you haven’t had a baby this might give you a little heads up. On the other side of the spectrum if you have had a baby then you might have experienced this too and can relate. 

I had our precious baby boy on February 15th via an emergency c section. However, I must say that I was in labor for almost 6 hours and I did dialate to 10 cm. The doctors did have me try to push for a minute to see if he was going to come out naturally but since he went into distress they made the decision he needed to come out ASAP. With all that said, I was already nervous bout the first bowel movement even before I went into labor. I knew that almost all hospitals require that you urinate and poop before they will discharge you. I knew that with pushing it could change the poop situation, however, with the c section I wasn’t for sure how much that was going to effect me in that department.

On the day of the c section they started me on stool softeners. I had to take two a day. Four days after having the c section, I still had not gone to the bathroom. The doctors and the nurses weren’t  concerned and all they wanted to know was if I was at least passing gas. Well I was passing gas but that was all that was moving. Finally I went to the bathroom and let me tell you I was scared to death. Having steri strips and a fresh incision, the last thing I wanted to do was grunt one out. Even with the stool softners it wasn’t pain free. It was painful and didn’t make me want to repeat it. I would sit there clutching my incision and praying that my grunting wasn’t going to pop me open (granted I’m sure it couldn’t). 

Days would go bye and nothing. I was a once/twice a day pooper and then to go once only every 4 days. Geez.... that’s rough people. So now I’m almost 5 weeks out post partum and I’ve just now started to be able to go without having to sit there and think about it and try to grunt one out. I’m also consuming about 90-100 ounces of water a day, eating tons of apples and trying to move around a little bit more. It’s noticeably helped and while it’s still been a little painful when I go the frequency of how many times I’m going is getting better. I’m about to every other day.

I know talking about poop isn’t glamourous but I’m just keeping it real and hey... it could mentally prepare someone if their going to have a c-section and go through something similar. 

Let Me Introduce You

Introducing... Presley James

Born February 15, 2018 at 5:06 a.m.

Weighing 7 lbs. 1 oz.

18 1/2 inches long.

 

 

 

Our Birth Story

Two weeks out from having our precious baby boy, I thought it was finally time that I sit down and explain how he made his grand entrance into the world. It happened very quickly and not in a way I had ever wished or wanted but he's here and healthy. That's what matters!

On Valentine’s Day around 11:30 p.m. my stomach started cramping. I had been having random contractions a few days before so I knew what they felt like but hadn’t been having enough of them in a row to warrant going to the hospital yet.  On my appointment with my doctor three days before I was already measuring 2cm dilated. When my stomach would start cramping, it made me feel like I had to go to the bathroom so when I went to the bathroom and wiped I was completely freaked out to see period like blood. This wasn’t my mucus plug coming out because that had happened a minimum of a week before. This also wasn’t the “bloody show” because that had happened 4 days before. 

I came out of the bathroom and told my husband that I was concerned. I continued to start having more cramping and contractions. I called the Labor and Delivery line and asked them if I should come in and get checked out. They said it wouldn’t hurt. So we took our GO bag just incase and and headed to the hospital. By the time I got to the hospital, which is only about 15 mins from our house, I knew I was having major contractions. I could barely walk into the labor and delivery area. They were coming only about 5 minutes apart and they were more painful that the ones I had previously been feeling.

They got me checked into a room to get evaluated and a midwife came in and checked me. I was indeed in labor and at 4cm. It was now 12:30 a.m. and I was being admitted. The contractions were so strong and coming on quicker. I had known all along that I wanted an epidural. I know my pain tolerance and this was not something I could do without it. So they got that ordered and I was moved to the room that I would deliver in. By the time the epidural lady got there I was almost at 6cm. My husband was constantly on the phone with my mom trying to work out her travel plans. We knew that I was moving too fast for her to make it in time for the actual delivery.

The contractions were coming on top of each other and holding still for the epidural was the hardest part. All I wanted to do was rock back and forth because the pain from the contractions. My poor husband at this point could only stand and watch in horror as they stuck me with the needles. Frankly I didn’t care because the contractions felt far worse to me than that needle going into my spine. I clutched my pillow and kept my back curled. I knew that once I got the epidural the pain would ease up and I was doing all I could do to get that put into place.

Once the epidural took effect it was pure magic. I could feel the pressure of the contractions but not the pain. I was surprised that I could move my legs. I had always thought you couldn’t move your legs once you had an epidural but I was wrong because I could move my legs. Were they strong enough to stand on? No but I could move them... and move them I would. 

I don’t know what time it was but around 8cm, my nurse made a call and within a minute there was 10 people in my room. My sweet baby boy had went into distress and his heart rate dropped drastically low. They had me change positions, take deep breaths etc and thankfully it returned to normal numbers. At this point the doctors flat out told me, if this happens again they wouldn’t be able to chance it and I’d have to have a c-section. They had me sign paperwork and told me that they would do everything they could to help me have a natural delivery. I stressed to them I would rather push for three hours than have a c section if that's what it took to have a vaginal delivery.

At this point, I was also feeling a ton of pressure down there and after checking me again, I was told my sac was bulging and they were going to break my water. When they broke my water it was a moment of relief. I had been feeling so much pressure down there it was aching even through the epidural. They also placed a monitor on his head to better gauge his heart rate since we had the distress scare.

I don’t know what time but some time later around 4:45 a.m. I got to 10cm and then his heart rate dropped again. The 10 people rushed into the room again and they positioned me to try to push. I started pushing and the doctor said he was still at a zero stage and not a two (which is apparently needed). She made the call right then that I was having an emergency c-section because our baby boy needed to come out right now. I was unplugged from some machines and immediately pushed down the hall into the operating room. All the while, I'm asking for my husband and to get him as soon as possible.

I, of course was scared to death. A c-section was something I had said the entire pregnancy that I never wanted. It was my worst case scenario. The thought of getting sliced open completely put me into a panic. Now here I was being wheeled into the OR faster than nascar drivers cross the finish line. The whole time I’m asking for my husband (who they couldn’t allow in yet because they were getting me prepped and getting his in sterile gear. 

I’m laying there and now a new anesthesia guy is asking me questions and their asking me if I can feel them touch me. I could only move my head and then the curtain was put up which completely terrified me more. I laid there staring into the big circle light and prayed that I was going to be ok and so would our son. I heard the doctor say that they could slow down a little bit because his heart rate was returning to a normal number. I asked if this meant we could stop the c section and they adamantly said no, he needed to come out right now.

After what felt like an eternity my husband was brought in and he stood by my head. All I could say over and over was that I was so scared. Just a few seconds later, the doctors started talking to me telling me that I was going to feel a lot of pressure on my chest. Then our baby boy was outside of me. I couldn’t hear him cry at first so I started asking if he was ok and then the cries came. He was born at 5:06 a.m.

My husband was able to go over to where he was and make sure he was ok. Sadly he couldn’t cut the cord because he couldn’t go over there to that side of my curtain because I was still open and they had to keep it sterile. 

My husband kept telling me, he’s ok! Your ok! Then finally they brought him over to me and laid him on my chest. He seemed so big and so tiny all at the same moment. I couldn’t even raise my arm up to hold him at first. After a few minutes they had to take him to look him over and my husband went with him. 

I remained on the table as they closed me up and got me ready to go into recovery. I remember my mouth being so dry, I just kept asking for water. I was literally begging for a drink of water which they wouldn’t give me. I also asked how long I would have to lay there. I had no idea it takes so long to close you back up. I probably laid there for a good 45 minutes while they stitched me closed. The doctor did talk to me some during this time and informed me that my pelvis is very narrow and there was no way he was going to come out of me no matter how many hours I pushed.

When we got back to the recovery room they had our son in the room and a nurse to stay with me for several hours to make sure I was ok. She would only allow me gum to chew. I was fine with that, I needed any moisture they could give me. I was also still completely numb from my chest down. I eventually graduated to ice chips and then water. 

As the day went on, the medicine started to wear off and some of the effects of anesthesia started hitting me. Some of our poor visitors witnessed me vomiting in bed but I equate that to all the events of the day and nothing in my stomach. Then I dreaded it but they had me stand up and oh boy... that was rough. 

They also moved us to our room which we would live out of for 3 days. Thankfully it had a full bed for my husband and a couch for guests. We were also able to keep our baby boy with us in the room. On the 3rd day in the hospital we discovered he was having some issues controlling and regulating his sugar so we spent another 2 days in the NICU. Thankfully he started regulating his sugars and we were released on Monday. So we entered the hospital in the wee hours of Thursday and finally broke out on Monday afternoon. I was never so happy to leave a place! 

We’ve been home since then and we are both doing well!  He had his two day wellness check once we were home and he only lost 2% of his weight which apparently is a good thing. His two week appointment is next week and I'm hoping we get good reviews again! Me... well I'm still recovering from the C-section. The days are slowly starting to get better and I'm trying to move around more. I still can't drive or do a lot around the house but I'm doing the important thing like feeding, changing and taking care of our baby.