Whitney Rife

But I Do

My goodness I am so sorry that I am JUST now getting around to posting our newborn session with Rachel Wells (our gorgeous maternity session with Rachel was just featured on The Fount Collective, you can read our story here)!  I LOVE these pictures SO much and had so many plans and posts to write for these and well, I think everyone can relate, time just slipped by.  Bo turned 5 months old yesterday and I cannot believe how much he has changed/grown in these past 5 months.  To say it hasn’t been hard is an understatement, but I have loved every single second of being a new mommy.

I recently discovered Motherly and I have enjoyed reading the most amazing writings/posts over the last few months.  I wished I had known about this site when I found out I was pregnant and even in the days after I had Bo but I am thankful to have stumbled upon it when I did.  I wanted to share one for new moms and some other favorites I have found over time.

New mama: You may not believe you can do this, but I do by Justine Lorelle LoMonaco

I’m not sure I can do this.

The thought creeps up in those first few weeks (months??) of motherhood more often than I’d like to admit. It whispers at 4 a.m. after our fifth wakeup of the night. It taunts at 7 a.m. when I pass on my usual cup of lifeblood—that is, coffee—because it upsets my baby’s stomach. It screams at 6 p.m. while I bounce my crying baby, just trying to survive that final hour before my husband gets home.

I’m not sure I can do this.

It may as well be the unofficial anthem of new mamas. Overwhelmed, under-rested new mamas are the ultimate sink or swim social experiment.

But I’m here to tell you, from someone who has made it to the other side, yes, you can do this.

You can make it through the stormy days. When my daughter was first born, there were whole weeks when she would be going through some new developmental milestone and I would wonder if I could weather it. Suddenly her sleep patterns would change, or she would get a cold that sidelined everything, or it seemed like the fussing began from the moment she opened her eyes in the morning and didn’t end until she closed them again at night.

I would put my head in my hands and think, “I’m not sure I can do this.”

But that’s the funny thing about these tiny people who take over our lives—nothing ever stays the same. Just as quickly as I had thought I lost my sunny baby to this cranky, constantly crying creature, she would be back, happier than ever, and boasting a new skill or tooth she hadn’t had the week before.

Hold out for the sun, mama. It’s never far away.

You can make it through the self-doubt. Becoming a mom is packed with pressure. There is so much you are suddenly responsible for, and you get so little instruction.

I remember sitting outside the hospital after giving birth, waiting for my husband to pull up the car and staring down at this tiny, perfect face thinking, “You mean you’re just letting me leave? With something this important?” But the truth is, those hospital nurses already knew what would become so clear to me in a matter of days—I already had everything I needed.

I had a heart so full of love for this baby that I would never let anything bad happen to her. I had a drive to care for her so strong that I would either find a way to solve any problem that came up, or I would make one.

I would—and did—figure it out. And you will too, mama.

You can make it through the moments where you don’t know what to do. Oh, did I forget to mention those moments will happen? Unfortunately, uncertainty is one of those things that will always be part of life. (I know, our moms always looked like they knew exactly what to do! So misleading!)

But, mama? You can go ahead and cut yourself some slack. There will be moments when you just don’t know what to do—like the time your baby wakes up at 4 a.m. and is WIDE AWAKE. For seemingly no good reason at all.

Or like the time she suddenly develops a runny nose and cough and you’re not sure if it’s serious or just a cold. Or like the time she refuses to do anything but nurse for a solid day.

These are the moments when you learn the most sacred mom secret of all: You are not alone. Millions of women have and are going through the same thing you are. Ask your mom, your sister, your best friend, and they will be there for you the way mine were for me.

The thing is, even if everything goes wrong, even if you have to handle it all on your own, you can do this. You will figure it out. You will learn to trust yourself. And one day, you’ll find yourself saying these same things to another scared new mama about to embark on this great adventure.

The moments of “I’m not sure I can do this” might never fully go away. (Personally, I’m still a little nervous about the teenage years…) But with every hurdle you clear, every mountain you conquer, you’ll remind yourself that it doesn’t matter if you know you can do it or not. Because you’re already doing it, mama.

Other (recent) posts that I love, you can also LIKE them on Facebook for the best posts:
To the Exhausted Mama
Dear New Mama
What do new mothers do all day?
Tired New Mama

 

 

 

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Godspeed Little Man

 

My sweet baby is 11 weeks old this week and time is just flying by!
I wanted to share Bo’s sweet (lake) nursery with you all and these beautiful photos Rachel Wells captured for us!

My Dress (wearing size XS) | Bo’s Outfit | Shawn’s Shirt | Crib | Glider | Bedding |
Nightstand | Rug: Home Goods | Basket | Wall Quote | Throw | Quote (above crib)

Special Thank you to Ohh La La for Bo’s beautiful birth announcement!
Photography by Rachel Wells Photography

I wanted to take the time to answer questions I recently get or have gotten from you all! I cannot thank you enough for your constant sweet words and encouragement! Mom life definitely isn’t easy by any means, but it is SO worth it.

How do you manage to look so perfectly put  together constantly?
Oh boy, if you really saw what I looked like 95% of the time you would take this question back! He he! On days that I have help, I am able to shower and get fully ready, snap a few outfit photos for instagram and then throw my comfy clothes back on.  Don’t let these instagram moms make you believe we are always put together, BECAUSE WE ARE NOT! At least I am not. I would say 2 out of 7 days I will actually fully shower and get ready.  The other 5, I am lucky to brush my teeth and my hair-and I am ok with that!  IF I really do want to shower and attempt to get ready when I do not have help, I will shower before Shawn does and let him take care of Bo before he gets ready and heads to work.  Before we found the right formula for Bo, he wanted to be held 24/7 so there really was no time to get ready.  Once we found the right formula, I can put him in his swing for a couple of hours and get ready or do the things I need to do.  I think it is so important for moms to remember it is OKAY to take time for yourself! YOU deserve it!

What has been the most challenging thing to get used to?
The most challenging thing for me to get used to is staying home and not being able to “get ready” and go to work.  I have NEVER been one to stay home, in fact, I was back to work a couple days after I had Bo and then we left to come to Myrtle Beach.  I love being able to be with Bo 24/7 and I know when he is grown I will miss these days, but there are days I want to just cry all day because I just want to go to work and I can’t without getting in the car and driving 6.5 hours home.  When Shawn and I were engaged, we still had time to figure it all out and it was a lot easier to pack up and go see him, meet at the lake, or go to work.  Now, me going to work would take him away from his job or he would have to be away from Bo-and I don’t want him to not be with us overnight.

What are you most excited to watch him do? 
This is a big question! I often find myself wishing he was older, wishing he was bigger, especially over the holidays so he’d know Santa or that he was able to unwrap his presents or that we could have taken the boat out to see all the boats decorated for Christmas.  Then, I am often reminded to enjoy these sweet moments we have now as they will soon be gone and we will be enjoying all of those things wishing he was smaller again.  I look forward to hearing his sweet voice.  Like, what is his voice going to sound like?  I can’t wait to see what kind of boy he will be, stinky feet and all.  I look forward to seeing how he interacts with others.  I hope he is the best friend he can be to everyone and that he knows that he can do and be anything in this world that he wants to.  His dad and I love and support him more than he will ever fully understand, well-that is until he has his own kids one day.  I sometimes look down at his little finger and think one day he will wear a band on this hand and then I very quickly say “nahh-no girl is good enough for you my sweet Bo,” he he!  I hope he plays football when he is big enough, I often joke that I want him to get a scholarship to play for Alabama, ROLL TIDE, even tho Shawn is a Clemson fan and I am a Hokie, (he he, dad doesn’t like that very well).  I hope he rides go karts and wants to race cars.  I can’t wait to wear his # loud and proud whether in the stadium or on the court-I will always be his biggest fan.  Next summer will be a fun summer for us I think, especially when we get to introduce him to our favorite thing, being on the boat.

How do you find time to work and be the best mom to Bo you can be? 
Working is hard.  I am not going to lie, it is really hard to find time in between trying to be a mom, girlfriend, dog mom, business owner, blogger, plan a wedding, and do the bare minimum in straightening up the house.  However, I realize other moms have it way harder that I do or have multiple children.  THOSE are the moms that I don’t know just how they do it.  My biggest advice is you just have to find time.  When Shawn gets home in the evenings, he takes care of Bo while I catch up on work or upload things to the website, make schedules, purchase clothes, etc.  While he is at work, whenever Bo is asleep, I will work on my blog or do the day to day things that need to get done for the store.  It is a daily struggle of mine to accept this is how things will have to be for a while until we figure out our plan.  Bo of course is our number one priority, but I miss going to work.  I miss my store.  I miss my customers.  Most moms take time off and then go back to work.  This mom has taken time off but still worked since the day I left the hospital.  This mom doesn’t have the option to go back to work after 8 weeks as my work is 6.5 hours away and I don’t want Shawn missing a minute more than he has to of Bo growing up.  So for now, this is how it has to be.  Often I get asked if we are going to open a store in Myrtle Beach or Lake Norman.  As much as I would love to be a Lake Norman mom and have a store there, Myrtle Beach is our home.  It is where Shawn’s business is.  We have looked at a few properties in Myrtle Beach and right now taking it day by day.

Organization tips?
AH, I am STILLL trying to figure this out! I literally take EVERYTHING with me in the diaper bag and I feel like everything is constantly a wreck.  Before Bo arrived, I had everything so neat and organized and kept telling myself things would stay this way if I just took time to keep it all straight-YEAH RIGHT! When he got here, we just figured out what was easiest and put things where they worked for us.  I soon learned that maybe being organized for me worked, but then it was hard for Shawn or my mom to find things or change him, etc.  So I made things very visible and said screw it, he’s only little for so long!  The ONLY thing that stays consistently organized is his changing table and that is because we have this organizer on there that holds the wipe warmer, diapers, lotions, butt paste, hand sanitizer etc.

I carry my LV Neverfull as a diaper bag and put this organizer in it.  I hope to one day be able to carry less in his diaper bag but for now, we take the entire house, he he.

Must Haves:
1. Boppy | Lounger:  I am not strong enough yet to hold him all the time, so the Boppy is nice to lay him on while I am feeding him or just sitting on the couch.  It is also nice for other people to use too as sometimes your arm does get a little tired. In the lounger, Bo can hang out on the couch or coffee table and watch TV with us.  Most of the time he will fall asleep while laying in it.
2. Wipe Warmer– We love love love this wipe warmer and so does Bo.  We even take it with us when we travel (Shawn can plug it in his truck).  Bo HATES when we are out in public and don’t have it, hehe.
3. Bottle Sterilizer– (even tho we are on our 2nd one, and some of our friends are on their 2nd and third, we couldn’t live without it! Makes life so much easier.) We use this brand but if it keeps messing up we may switch to one of these. Any other moms have this problem?
4. Burts Bees Burp Cloths– We have about 10 different kind of burp cloths and these are just my favorite.  They are soft, easy to throw in my purse or diaper bag and easy to wash!
5. Kic Kee Pants Footies– We loved gowns for Bo at nighttime-until we found these.  They are SOO soft and the zipper makes it so easy to change him at night time.  Most days, he wears these too.  Plus they have cute designs like airplanes and french bulldogs that I love.
6. Halo Sleepsack– Since babies cannot sleep with blankets or anything, and I was afraid Bo was freezing, these Sleepsacks are amazing and keeps him swaddled all night.  When I unzip him in the morning, it is so warm and cozy in there.  Sometimes when Bo is really fussy, it is the only thing to calm him down.
7. Halo Bassinet– Bo sleeps in the Dock-A-Tot, in the halo and sleeps about 5 hours at a time. It is SOO nice because it has multiple functions on it (it even vibrates) and it swivels right over your bed.
8. Boon Grass– Shawn puts all of the clean sterilized pieces on this grass and it’s wonderful for drying.  We have some of the other accessories that go with it and their nice too for the nipples and caps.
9. High Chair– We don’t get to have a sit down dinner often, but when we do this high chair is awesome! It has the same vibrating seat that the swing we have has and Bo loves to just lay in it.  It is so nice because it is on wheels too and you can store it away in a closet or your pantry easily when you’re not using it.
10. Diaper Pail– We have the Ubbi Diaper Pail at our home in Myrtle Beach and the Diaper Genie at our lake home and we like both.  So far we have gotten more use out of the Ubbi (we are in SC more) but would definitely recommend getting one!
11. Gripe Water- the BOMB dot com!

We didn’t register for but later bought and love:
1. Swing-Bo loves to be swung in his carseat and one day Shawn had swung him until he couldn’t anymore, so we went to Target about 10 pm and picked this up.  It has truly been a life saver.  It swings different ways, has a bouncer, plays music or white noise, and vibrates.
2. Wubbanub’s–  I was against letting Bo have a pacifier in the beginning but knew he was a thumb sucker as I could feel him sucking his thumb in my belly.  Many people recommend the “soothie” instead so we tried it and Bo LOVES it.  However, he literally only cries for it for about 30 minutes a day and then is over it, so hopefully he will outgrow it soon, hehe.
3. BABY SUSHER APP (best thing we have downloaded to our phones yet!)  The susher will calm him right down and most of the time put him right to sleep.  They make an actual susher you can purchase but I didn’t want something else to keep up with so got the app instead.
4. Calming Tub– Bo LOVES this bathtub (we had registered for the 4 moms one but like this one better) and it has fit him perfectly since he was a newborn.  As he grows you can remove the sling.
5. Pello– We received this at our baby shower and Bo LOVES to lay on it on the coffee table.  He will just lay and look around for hours.
6. Peanut Diaper Changer– One of the BEST gifts we were given! We put it on Bo’s diaper changing table and he will lay on it and look around the entire time we are changing his diaper.  Sometimes, he may accidentally have an accident on the table and this changer makes it SO easy to wipe off and not ruin the table.

Things we registered/purchased for but wouldn’t register/purchase again:
1. Baby Breeza– we used it when Bo was first born, but haven’t since as he is on liquid formula.  To us, the breeza seemed to make the formula really thin and didn’t settle well with Bo.
2. Mamaroo– At first Bo LOVED the mamaroo, but now, I cannot get him to stay in it at all. He would rather be in the swing so I am thinking when he gets older (or bigger) he will enjoy it more.
3.  4-Moms Bathtub– We got this one as it had the built in thermometer.  We used it ONE time and the thermometer quit.  We then purchased this tub and LOVE it.
4. Dock-A-Tot– everyone raved about this and the reviews are fantastic, but I do not see the money spent for what it does? Bo sleeps in it because we put it in the bassinet but I am not sure it is worth the money.  Maybe as he gets older but I would recommend the boppy first before purchasing this.
5.  Bugaboo Stroller– This was my DREAM stroller and I just HAD to have it, but taking it out ONE time did me in.  Since, I have purchased the converter so I can use it with my carseat and it has helped a lot, but ideally I would love to shop with it and Bo lay in the bassinet but lets be honest, when we get to the mall and he is sleeping, no way I am waking him up!
6. Rock N Play– Everyone recommend these so I just had to have one, Bo has really only ever laid in it for a few minutes until he wanted to be held again.  Maybe when he gets older he will like it as ours plays a little movie but for now it is put away. If you were going to get one, I would recommend getting a basic one and not with so much stuff.  The stuff didn’t really do anything for Bo.

What bath time products do you use?
I am very traditional in the products we use.  We use Johnson products (WHAT?! I know, GASP-go ahead-start judging, but it is what they use in hospitals and our parents used on us) and I use Cetaphil baby face wash for his face (love the smell).  In the morning we use this wash/lotion.  For night time we use this lavender bath and I love it.  Bo smells sooooo good after and it seems to really calm him. I also use this baby lotion on his face. PS. I use Cetaphil face wash for myself.  I have since I was 13 years old.

Do you breast or bottle feed?
The dreadful question, do you breast or bottle feed? (here we go) This is something I struggled with doing before Bo was even born.  Other mothers would go on and on about their bond with their baby and so on.  I had it in my head (and I believe Shawn wanted me to breastfeed) that I had to breastfeed as “everyone was doing it.” When Bo arrived, he didn’t join us until after 11 pm back in the room and poor little guy was starving.  He wasn’t latching and I was exhausted as I hadn’t slept in 48 hours.  I wanted to try to breastfeed, but it just wasn’t happening (the nurse was slapping Bo’s face and feet trying to get him to latch and it left a sour taste in my mouth).  As days went on, we kept trying but Bo just wasn’t latching.  I honestly didn’t care because he was eating formula and sleeping and it was giving me time to rest.  I pumped for a couple weeks after we got home and we would supplement with formula.  After about two weeks, I had pumped all I could and decided to put the pump away and strictly use formula.  I do not regret my decision ONE bit and am proud to tell anyone my story as well as let them know that Bo is on Similac Alimentum (Ready-To-Feed) and there is NO WAY IN HELL our bond is ANY less than moms who breastfeed.  I am not going to lie either, as a working/stay at home mom, it is nice to sometimes let daddy or ganny help feed him.  God bless you moms who do choose to breastfeed!

Favorite Stores to shop at for Bo?
1. Janie and Jack
2. Shower Me With Love, Charlotte, NC
3. Mayoral
4. Nordstrom
5. Kissy Kissy
6. Feltman Brothers
7. The Wooden Soldier
8. Shrimp and Grits
9. The Best Dressed Child
10. Alex and Alexa

What brand of make up do I use (everyday)?
Foundation (#2) | Bronzer | Foundation Brush (1) Brush (2) | Powder Brush | Concealer (Chantilly)
I have worn both of these since I was 13 (my mom does too).

Pink sofa in my Instagram #selfies. (love this one too)

How did you market your business to gain good, quality customers and how did you survive your first few years in business?
I believe the way I marketed my business to gain quality customers is by being real.  I only purchase things for The Retail Therapist that I would wear and I think my customers appreciate that.  I do not shop for 100 different customers.  I shop for myself and a lot of the time the things I like are what you all like.  I am also real to my followers and customers.  If I don’t like something, I am not afraid to tell them and I do not follow any trend.  If I like something, I get it because I wanted it, not because it is what I feel like I should be getting/doing to make you all like me.

Surviving the first few years, shew, they were not easy, it’s still not easy!  My mom and I probably fought every single day but we couldn’t give up-we knew if we could just make it through that month or those slow days that we could make it.  There were many, many times we wanted to just throw in the towel, especially those slow January days but then we’d have a good day and see the light.  There were many, many days our account would over draw because too many things we had ordered at market were coming through or payroll and bills would all come out on the same day.  I honestly considered shutting the store down not long ago, and then the holiday season rolled around, so many happy customers were leaving the store, moms and daughters were shopping together, husbands were depending on us for the perfect Christmas gift for their wife and I was quickly reminded why I have the best job in the world.  It is tough, no matter what small business you are in but I promise if you just hang in there, it is so worth it.  There are still days we struggle, mom and I argue, we stress over money or how we are going to afford new clothes, pay payroll, etc. but you just figure out how to make it work.

Are you going on a honeymoon or family trip with Bo?
There is no denying Shawn and I love to travel.  We have our entire relationship, as well as Bo.  We have been fortunate enough to travel to some gorgeous places and stay at really beautiful resorts.  However, any trip we’ve been on, we find ourself missing the boat and wishing we had it.  We love the Florida Keys and so we have decided to rent a boat/house in the Keys and hang out for a little while (maybe even look into some real estate for ourselves down there).  Hopefully a few days in, someone can fly Bo down and he can spend the later half of our honeymoon fishing in the keys with daddy, he he.

Any wedding planning advice?
Hire a wedding planner and plan for ANYTHING to happen 🙂 He he.
We got engaged December 2016, set our date January 2017, found out we were pregnant March 2017, started remodeling our lake house April 2017, had a baby October 2017, moved to Myrtle Beach November 2017, working on building a house January 2018, and we are still getting married April 2018. Talk about a wild ride.

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The Evening Before You

 

 

 

 

 

My dress, Shoes, Earrings c/o, Shawn’s Shirt, Shawn’s Jeans

I never thought I would be one to be sitting here MISSING being pregnant!  AFTER the first 16 weeks, I am blessed to be able to say my pregnancy was pretty easy and I started to enjoy every second Bo was in my belly. I am not sure who is new or not to my blog, but would you believe me if I told you I was literally HOURS away from going into labor with our beautiful baby boy, Bo (you can read my birth story here)!  Looking though these pictures, I have never felt more beautiful or more at peace and I am not going to lie, I loved the way Shawn looked at me when I was pregnant.  Now, I think we are both a little exhausted and have focused all of those looks on Bo-I mean how could you not just stare at him all day?! HE’S PERFECT! A million thank you’s to Rachel Wells Photography! She recently shot our newborn photos at our lake home in North Carolina and I cannot WAIT to get those back.

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A Birth Story: Boeing Everett Becker

The last time I was riding down the road writing a blog post, mom, Brennan and I were on our way home from Myrtle Beach! Shawn and I had JUST GOT ENGAGED in New York City (see post here) and had flown back to Myrtle Beach to spend a couple of days there, so they greeted us at the airport and was my ride home back to Virginia.  While we were driving home, I worked on our “We’re ENGAGED” post.

Fast forward 10 months, and here I am writing Bo’s Birth Story as Shawn, Bo, and I are on our way to Myrtle Beach for the first time since he arrived.

As many of you know, Shawn lives in Myrtle Beach, SC and I live in Tazewell, VA. We have a lake house in Lake Norman, NC, as it is halfway between us. Hopefully after the first of the year, I will be able to spend most of my time in South Carolina, but for our entire relationship, it has been long distance.

For the last 9 months, life has been a little hectic, traveling while pregnant, working longer hours, and Shawn having to drive to Virginia for our doctors appointments.  We were so afraid I would go into labor and Shawn NOT be there. We talked about HOW I would tell Shawn IF I were to go into labor and who I would call to BRING Shawn to us quickly…Lord knows he doesn’t need anymore speeding tickets, lol.

We had our 38 week doctor appointment on Friday, October 20th, so we decided that Thursday, October 19th would be the last day for Shawn to work in SC and he would head to VA to be with us until Bo was born.  We still had some things to put together and figure out (the Halo bassinet, and we had to learn how to install a carseat, etc. hehe).  I am SO thankful Shawn decided to come then, because if we would have waited a couple more days, I would have had to make that phone call to Shawn.

On Friday, we got up, met my mom and headed to Dr. Edwards office.  It was like any other visit.  He checked to see if I was dilated, we chatted a little, and had planned on heading to the hospital to have Bo on October 30th about noon so we could start the labor process and hopefully have Bo on October 31st, his due date.  I was only 2cm dilated then and he said he didn’t think Bo would come sooner, but you never know.

We left the appointment and I went back to work and Shawn went to my apartment to set up his “office” in my dining room.  I was supposed to go get the Whooping Cough shot with my mom but didn’t really feel that great so I had her cancel it. Shawn and I had maternity photos that evening with Rachel Wells, so got my hair curled and then we headed do pictures around 5:30 pm.  My stomach was feeling a little different but I literally thought I had to go to the bathroom.

After pictures, my parents, Shawn and I headed to Cuz’s (one of my favorite local restaurants) to grab some dinner.  There, I didn’t really have an appetite so just ordered Mac & Cheese and ate some of my dads salad.  My stomach was really starting to hurt, and as we were casually sitting there chatting, I told them that it was time to go home, I needed to lay down.  I thought Bo was either moving a lot or I really had to go to the bathroom.

We headed home and got all settled into bed.  Around 10:00 pm, I started having the worst stomach cramps I have ever had (I had never had a period cramp in my life so wasn’t sure what to expect).  I would go and sit on the toilet and literally bend over in so much pain.  I would grab the towel bar, lay in the floor, walk, you name it-I tried it.  These pains happened every 30 minutes for about 10 minutes.  I, of course, resorted to Google-DO NOT EVER DO, and texted my doctor.  He said I could be dehydrated, so be sure to drink plenty of water, as I had just seen him earlier that day.  So, I started CHUGGING bottles of water, and of course Googled some more.  At this point, I just assumed it was Braxton Hicks contractions since I hadn’t had them yet either. 1 am, 3 am, 5 am, 7am, all came and I was still experiencing these same pains.  At 8 am I texted my doctor again, and he said if they kept happening, to come on in to the L & D department and get checked.  Shawn woke up shortly after and I told him about all the pains I was having.  I didn’t wake him in the night because I knew IF something was going on, he needed to rest because who knows what would happen in the next 24 hours.  At about 9 am I called Bluefield Regional Medical Center and asked to speak to L & D Department.  I told the nurse that I was having sharp pains every 30 minutes and that they lasted about 7-10 minutes long.  She said there wasn’t much they could do until the contractions were about every 5 minutes, so to time them and come on in if they were.

I then decided to call my mom and tell her what was going on. She and my dad were supposed to head to Blacksburg to the Virginia Tech game but she told him to go on-that she didn’t think much was going on other than I was having some Braxton Hicks Contractions.  She came down and we started timing my contractions.  She would rub my back and that helped some, but for the most part it was very painful.  They were starting to happen every 5 minutes, at first when we started timing, it was 7 minutes then down to 5 minutes, and would last about 2-3 minutes.  Poor Dolly was up and down with me all night, she KNEW something was wrong.  We were sitting on the couch, she was on my moms lap and we were watching the Hallmark channel,  I was tearing up and I looked over at Dolly and God love her heart, a tear was coming down her face, it completely broke my heart.  I told mom I was going to text my doctor again.  I texted him that the contractions were about 5 minutes apart and were lasting about 2-3 minutes.  He immediately called me and our phone call went something like:

-Me: “Hey Dr. Edwards,”
-Dr. Edwards: “Hey Whitney, it sounds as if you may be in labor, how about you all grab all your bags, I will go ahead and let the hospital know you’re coming and I will see you in about an hour.”
-Me: “LABOR, Ooooh, ok, we will see you in a bit…”

Let me back up a little here, while we were timing our contractions, Shawn was finishing building the Halo Bassinet and trying to figure out how to install the carseat, the mirror to see Bo, and fasten the carseat.  When I got off the phone with Dr. Edwards I told Shawn that we were in labor and he needed to put our hospital bags (all 10 of them, lol) in the car.  I then started freaking out, bawling crying, and wondering WHAT IN THE WORLD I NEEDED TO DO!  We still had ANOTHER WEEK! I hadn’t washed my hair in 4 days let alone SHAVED, and poor Shawn didn’t even have time to shower.  My mom ran to her house to grab their “it’s Bo Time” t-shirts and we met her at my store.  Saying goodbye to Dolly was the HARDEST thing to do, oh my gosh, it had been just us two for her whole life.

At around noon, we were on our way to the hospital, all 10 of our hospital bags, Shawn, and my mom.  Mom was squeezed in the back of Shawn’s truck because we had the carseat in there too.  When we got to the hospital, we checked in and they wheeled me to the L & D department. The nurse up there said “we hear you are in just a little bit of pain.”  I followed up by “well, yeah, just a little bit,” and we all kind of giggled.  They sent me straight into a room and from there everything happened REALLY FAST.  A nurse came in and checked me.  She had barely put her fingers in (TMI, I’m sorry!) and said WELL, there’s his head, you are about 4cm-LOOKS LIKE WE ARE HAVING A BABY TODAY.  My mom says that my face had a look on it she will never forget.  I, of course, start crying again, and mom asked the nurse about what time she thought Bo would be here.  The nurse guesstimated by 11 pm he would be here.  We all then started letting people know he was coming and what time they thought he would be here. Shawn called his family, who was still in Myrtle Beach, and they all hit the road.  My dad was at the Virginia Tech game so mom texted him and he left the game. Now, if you all know my dad, this was a BIG DEAL as he NEVER leaves games early, lol.

The nurse came back a little while later to take my blood so they could start my epidural.  She said they would soon start the Pitocin.  She checked me again after Dr. Edwards had broke my water and they had started my epidural and I had went from 4cm to 8cm before they could even get the Pitocin started.  It wasn’t long after that Dr. Edwards came in and said that Bo should be here by around 8 pm.

Dr. Edwards is a fantastic doctor and I will never forget the care and compassion not only he gave to all of us but his entire staff.  I was literally sad to leave the hospital because for the short time we were there, they had all became like family to us.  Dr. Edwards, like the rest even wore an “it’s Bo time” shirt during delivery.

Delivery was so surreal.  I really had no idea what to expect, you always only hear horror stories, but for me, it was not bad at all.  As weird as this may sound, labor was by far the most incredible experience.  With every push, Shawn pushed too, lol, and he was most definitely my strength through it all.  I remember Dr. Edwards telling Shawn to look at Bo’s headful of dark hair.  He then asked me if I wanted to look in a mirror-NO WAY!  Bo was kind of stuck so Dr. Edwards used what looked like a plunger that went on Bo’s head to help pull him out.  All of the sudden it popped off of his head and I thought Bo’s head popped off too, lol.  When Bo arrived, it was like nothing I have ever known in my life.  It was the most overwhelming feeling of love when they placed him on my chest.  It is so true what they say about labor being the only blind date where you know you will meet the love of your life.  After Bo and I had our hour of skin to skin, the nurse and Shawn took him to the nursery to get his weight, length, give him a bath, and let everybody see him through the glass window.  While I was giving birth, I didn’t realize there was a pizza party going on in what would be my room.  My dad, Susan, Johnny, Vicki, and Madison, Veronica and Cooper (Shawn’s sister and nephew), his mom and dad, my best friend Mary Ann, my cousin Kristen and aunt Keela all were there to welcome Bo when he arrived, texting me pictures of him inside the nursery.  My brother couldn’t be there, so my mom had him on FaceTime.  After they got me cleaned up, everyone came into visit and congratulate us on our beautiful baby boy.  There is no greater feeling than seeing so many loved ones so happy, in their “it’s Bo Time” shirts.  Shortly after, I was then moved to my own room where we would stay until it was time to go home.  Everyone left (we had him at 8:54 PM and by the time they finished with him in the nursery, visiting hours were over-so everyone who wasn’t in the delivery room with me had to go home and come back the next day to meet him) and they brought Bo into our room.  Shawn and I were both excited, worn out (I hadn’t slept in over 24 hours), and hungry but all we wanted to do was stare at Bo.  He was the most precious thing we had ever seen and he belonged to us.  

For anyone contemplating whether to have a birth photographer or not, DO IT! I LOVE looking at these pictures (obviously I did not post them all), and every time I do I swear I feel different emotions.  Blythe Glover Photography was our birth photographer and I am SO lucky we had her in the room with us.  I texted her and her mom (one of my FAVORITE people in the world) to let them know we were in labor and she responded back immediately “ON MY WAY”.  I was so nervous to get a response from her because 1. it was a Saturday and 2. we were EARLY!  I kept telling Dr. Edwards, “we cannot have this baby until SHE gets here” (as she had a 2.5 hour drive)! Blythe arrived, with plenty of time to spare, ha ha.  She kept us all laughing and somehow, was able to keep us all calm.  She was able to capture the real emotion of Shawn, my mom, and the first time we got to see Bo.  Reliving his birth over and over through these images is something I will forever be grateful for.

Saturday, October 21, 2017 is a day I will forever cherish and I feel so blessed to be the mama of my sweet Bo Becker.  I am so thankful for my labor and delivery experience and I know I am so blessed to be able to say that.  I cannot thank you all enough for your sweet comments, messages, emails, texts, etc.  It truly means the world to me.

To my darling Bo, I love you more than anything in this world.

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Celebrating Bo’s Due Date

Today was your due date little Bo.  As much as I wanted you to be a Halloween baby, I couldn’t imagine life without you this past week.  I couldn’t imagine not sitting in here in your nursery writing this post with Alexa playing nursery rhymes and you sleeping so peacefully in your crib.  Before having you, I was SCARED to death, and often feared I wouldn’t have the “motherly instinct” or that “instant love” all of these moms would tell me about-I want you to know, I never knew I could love anything in this world like the love I have for you.  Right before you were born, it was just my mom and I in the delivery room-your dad had went to get our hospital bags- I was crying and didn’t know what to expect, I thought we had another week, Ganny assured me that you would be the best thing in my entire world.  That doesn’t even begin to describe what it’s like having you.

I wanted to share with you all, while I am working on Bo’s birth story (BTW, for you mommas debating on whether or not to have a birth photographer-DO IT! We had Blythe Glover Photography and WOW, I look at these photos EVERYDAY and relive these moments and emotions every time), some of the sweet photos Shawn was able to get while we were in the hospital.  We had planned on Rachel Wells being there, but with Bo coming early, and so late in the evening-we were unsure as to when we would be released, etc. so we decided to have her do some pictures in his nursery later this month.  Right before we found out we were pregnant, I talked Shawn into getting the Canon 5D Mark IV for “my blog photos” and I think we did about 4-5 outfit posts and my morning sickness sat in for 16 weeks, sooo we kind of put all that on pause.  Can I just say I am SOO thankful we had this camera!!! Shawn is no photographer by any means (if he doesn’t make it developing land tho…haha!) but I am IN LOVE with these pictures!!!

I also know that some of you readers are getting ready to be mommas, I wanted to let you know of 10 things we couldn’t live without over a week in 🙂 :

  1. Halo Bassinet– The Halo Bassinet is by far the coolest bassinet there is.  It swivels over our bed (any size) and can play nursery rhymes, white noise, rain, heartbeat, and vibrate.  It also has a night light which is great when all the lights are off.  We fall asleep to the rain falling and it is very soothing for Bo and us.  Right now he has been sleeping about 5 hours straight in the night.
  2. DockATot– We put the DockATot in the Halo Bassinet as it doesn’t allow Bo to move around and keeps him snug.  The DockATot is also nice as you can lay it in the bed as well or carry it around to the couch, etc.
  3. Halo Sleepsack– Since babies cannot sleep with blankets or anything, and I was afraid Bo was freezing, these Sleepsacks are amazing and keeps him swaddled all night.  When I unzip him in the morning, it is so warm and cozy in there.
  4. Munchkin Wipe Warmer– When we were at my apartment, all we had were cold wipes as our Wipe Warmer was set up in his nursery.  With the cold wipes, poor little guy would cry and freak out when the cold wipe hit him.  Now that we have the wipe warmer, I swear he doesn’t even pay attention that we are changing him.  It is seriously the best money spent!
  5. Munchkin Sterilizer– I have yet to use it, but I do know the couple of days we were at my apartment we didn’t have it and boiling the water and sterilizing all the bottles, soothies, breast pump parts, etc. got old REALLY fast.  This sterilizer is so nice as it’s done in minutes!
  6. Boon Grass–  Shawn puts all of the clean sterilized pieces on this grass and it’s wonderful for drying.  We have some of the other accessories that go with it and their nice too for the nipples and caps.
  7. Baby Brezza– I am pumping but we are also supplementing formula as there isn’t enough breastmilk and this formula maker is THE BOMB! You literally fill it with formula and water, hit how many ounces and the temperature and boom, a few seconds later you have a perfect bottle for your baby.
  8. Wubbanub– I was against letting Bo have a pacifier in the beginning but knew he was a thumb sucker as I could feel him sucking his thumb in my belly.  Many people recommend the “soothie” instead so we tried it and Bo LOVES it.  However, he literally only cries for it for about 30 minutes a day and then is over it, so hopefully he will outgrow it soon, hehe.
  9. Boppy Nursing Pillow– I am not strong enough yet to hold him all the time, so the Boppy is nice to lay him on while I am feeding him or just sitting on the couch.  It is also nice for other people to use too as sometimes your arm does get a little tired.
  10. GRANDPARENTS– Yes, Yes, Yes!  My gosh, this weekend Shawns parents and my parents were both here so it was so nice to be able to do things around the house or have them help do things around the house, work, hold Bo, watch him while we did somethings that needed to be done or just love on him.  Watching Shawns mom or my mom with Bo is so amazing and it is great to be able to have them with us and have them reassure us we are doing things right.  People always told me “don’t feel bad for letting people help you” and I have to say we are so blessed to have the BEST help.

Also, new moms, the nursing bras/cami’s from Target are AMAZING and definitely worth buying.  I haven’t worn anything else since giving birth and put on immediately following birth.  This is the bra’s I have and these are the cami’s I bought.  Also, you’re going to want to get these underwear!  New dads-I don’t have much advice to give you other than hang in there!  Mom is going to have moments where she just needs to cry, let her.  She will act aggravated at you and make snippy comments-she’s not mad at you, she’s tired, and we know you are too-but sometimes we are selfish.  She will give ALL her attention (and kisses) to your new baby-she still loves you, she just doesn’t want to miss a smirk, or yawn, or sneeze, or really anything.  Bo and I are beyond blessed to have a daddy like Shawn!  He has fixed, cleaned and sterilized every bottle, set up or brought me my “operating table supplies”-hehe that is what we call the changing table :O, cleaned the house-and my apartment, cooked, moved things around, driven us where we needed to go, went to the grocery store or WalMart/Target 100 times, you name it-he has done it.  We want you to know that you are the best daddy in the world and we are thankful for everything you do.

If you all have any questions-please just comment them on my instagram or email me at whitneynrife@gmail.com! I would be HAPPY to answer them for you! And again, thank you all so much for your sweet comments, emails, messages, phone calls, and constant support.  It means THE WORLD to me!!!

 

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