sleeping

We don't get much of it.
I have to post simply to acknowledge that this angel slept 7 hours straight last night!

and look how happy she was when she woke up!

Most nights usually get a 4 hour stretch and then a 2-3 hour stretch and so far we've had a few 6 hour stretches, but last nights 7 whole hours was glorious!
I've had more energy today than I have in a while and I don't feel behind on sleep anymore.
The silly prayers of a desperate mom and dad were seriously answered.

Ok a little over the top, I know, but I think other parents will sympathize.
A few hours of sleep at night and maybe some snuck in during baby's nap times is no way to function!
(not to mention the internal debates of whether to be productive or nap when baby naps that naturally accompany nap times anyway)

Needless to say, today was an accomplishment and a great treat. Lets cross our fingers for more of those nights :)

realizations

Realization and reminding that I now have a responsibility to fulfill one of my highest callings as a mother.
Realizing and reminding myself that this precious early morning smile is my thing right now, and other things can wait :)

Quick side note/ real-time story:

Just this second Kevin was talking to Nora about welding and working in the shop and she was giving some not-so-interested faces. So for fun I just say out "horseback riding!" and the girl BEAMED! Not only a giant smile but a few seconds of excitement! Say what you want, this girl is mine! Little gem for the day :)

So along with what I'm needing to realize. That I can't do it all, and for now at least, I cannot expect to be as put together as I was before Nora.
I need to realize that laundry can wait and the house can be dirty for a day (or even two! yikes!).
She is what matters, she is where I need to spend my time.
Both caring for her physical needs as well as her emotional and developmental.
I love that girl more than I can describe.

I know I have places I want to improve and things I want to do, but now I need to remember it is ok to put them off without getting down on myself - I have more important things to take care of.
It's ok if I don't make three whole meals every day, and some days it's ok if not one gets made.
It's ok to not have every craft made on my Pinterest board.
It's ok if I don't wear makeup or do my hair most days.
It's ok that I am not dressed in the fashions, but rather dressed in spit-up marks.
It's ok that I'm not able to work out, my new body shows for a lot and I shouldn't be ashamed of it.
It's ok that every room in our house is not adorably decorated and that my house doesn't smell like fresh cleaned floors.
I think you get the idea ...
It's been more important to me lately than any other thoughts.
I don't need to be perfectly put together,

I do need to be the best, all-in mother I can be, all the time!

I love the baby smell (milk and wipes ;)
I love kissing her soft skin and seeing those big blue eyes all day
I love how she has changed our family
I need her love and I need to be a mom!

maybe I'll get the hang of it sometime ;)

NOT FUN

The past week of my life consisted of Scarlett Fever.

Sounds like some killer medieval sickness right?

Well, it seemed that bad! And sure did a number on my body!

Start with a fever of 102.6 and some nausea

add some red splotchy skin

then incessant itchiness all over

blisters on your lips, palms, and soles of your feet

then imagine not only your tongue, but the roof and inside of your mouth, as well as your throat, have all been scalded in some drink that was entirely too hot.

add a dash of a headache

and top with all over body swelling, and you've got Scarlett Fever!

Sounds fun right?? 

I hardly get sick, but when I do, I get it bad.

Nora's face sums up our feelings about it;

Picture me for the weekend stuck in bed because I can't walk on my swollen, blistered feet, surrounded with ice packs to keep my fever down, sneaking under layers of blankets when my husband leaves the room because I was freezing even before the ice packs were introduced.

Just to reiterate the general idea here, NOT FUN!

With all of this I had an intense internal battle raging! If anyone knows me, they know I am intensely independent and stubborn. Positive or negative traits, they are what they are, and because of them I was being mentally tortured almost as much as physically. 

I could not do anything with this sickness, it knocked me down and out.

I'm not even sure I was this helpless after delivering Nora.

I realized I need my independence - it is a bigger part of me than I thought.

Again, NOT FUN!

But the flip side to all this, (and here comes the mushy part) is that I have a husband and best friend who is more than I could have even wished for!

He has been, and still is, nursing me back to health, and helping me cope with needing a little help from him. 

He's really the bee's knees and more ;) and he sure helps me be a better person too!

So if I have to give up some independence sometime, I guess I'm thrilled it gets to be to depend on him a little bit more.

As an update, I am currently functioning on a shot in my rear end, two antibiotics, and never enough water and lotion. Fever is gone and I am feeling much better! The rash is going away, but not the itching. My whole body also now looks like I had a bad day at the beach and it's ALL peeling with that feeling like your skin is so dry but no amount of lotion will fix it. I have old lady palms and soles and I'm told they will entirely peel off in a week or so! 

But worst of all - I still have a tongue fresh out of too hot, hot chocolate! Can't taste or eat anything!

Dr also says that Nora and Kevin should be just fine being around me, but keep an eye out for sore throats. 

Not fun

Cross your fingers this road to recovery is a quick one!

saturday naps

Saturday naps.
One of life's treasures plain and simple :)

Not to mention the two I get to share those naps with!
The past two days I have been sick so that means a whole lot more naps and not even feeling guilty for it!








We all know I'm one who loves the little things and precious simplicities that make my life special, and today has been one of those days I've been able to stop and take them in.

My wonderful husband and little angel I get to call mine forever
Our humble little home here in Rexburg, ID
Date nights that consist of a Redbox movie and popcorn at home
My huge family across the states
Our daily walks to get the mail together

and one I'm really excited about ...
The fact that Nora has slept for over 6 HOUR stretches the past few nights!

I know it's cliche, but the life I have been given truly is a treasure!
Sure, there's plenty of improvements to be made and growth that can be done, but I sure am one of the lucky ones, and I can say I am so very happy with where I'm at :)

she's growing up!

So I'm writing this late in the night, when I should be sleeping because my baby is ... but I guess such is the life of a new mom :) (the best job ever!)

Our baby girl is already one month old! I can't believe how time is flying and I already find myself dreading her growing up, I already want her to stop growing up!

She is already holding her head up and her vision is sure improving.

She knows mom and dads faces and I think Grandma Lissa's too! 

During "tummy time" she is even moving around, so close to scooting herself around! 

It's so exciting to see her developing as a parent - it really is so much different from watching someone else's baby growing, 

so much more meaning. 

I am so beyond grateful!

She likes:

baths (loves!)

outside

car rides

walks

Mommy singing "you are my sunshine"

running water (a lifesaver - I think our water bill must be bigger now!)

recently, her rattle

ocean wave sounds

nursing (all day, every day)

Facetime with Grandma Lissa

She does not like:

diaper changes

sleep - fights it with all her might!

laying on her back - she's a tummy girl

She sure is our little gem! The need and the love and the patience she teaches are amazing. I want so much for her - I want the world for my world! 

Grateful for such a blessed and happy life :)

how our lives have changed

So life has changed in a big way.
and we couldn't be happier about it!
The long nights, spurts of sleep, endless diapers, anything now becoming five times more complicated, and spit up splotched clothes are all so worth it and even a pretty adorable.
We've got our little Nora on a loose schedule already (super exciting!) so that makes things a little easier.
Because of her voracious growth it seems like I spend all day every day in my recliner nursing (and thats not far from the literal truth) but those are some of the sweetest moments as well. I really cherish the quiet moments spent with her, just looking at this sweet gift we have been entrusted with.
The family moments in the night or during bedtime or first thing in the morning all snuggled in bed together during that peaceful time before our day starts are my favorite. Nora already adores her daddy and loves his voice. (I'm convinced I'm still just the milk-man ;)
We Facetime Grandma 'Lissa almost daily and Nora loves it! She will stare at the screen and listen to her Grandma's familiar voice forever! (until she gets hungry - about every 5 minutes)

This has been one of the most emotional times of my life for obvious reasons, and yet I cannot figure out a way to describe it.
To be so utterly depended on my such a sweet thing, and yet feel like you are dependent on her now too is really the closest I can come to describing it. The fear and excitement and the sudden need to make sure your future is the best it can be because it is no longer just the two of you going through life - things seem to matter a little bit more.

So here we go on this new adventure!
I sure have been blessed with the little family God has given me :)

here goes nothin'

Well the my little bug is napping (a big "no no" if we want any form of sleep tonight, but sometimes a little me time is necessary) on the couch next to me and so I thought I could use this time to start a much needed blog.
Both for the family across the miles and anyone who cares, but mostly for my memory, as a journal of sorts :)
I'm a sucker for memories, but easily the worst at recording them!

Currently, our lives in the Dill home have changed forever and for the better.

Meet Nora Nicole

She was born Sunday, July 14th, 2013 at 3:48pm. 7 pounds 10 ounces and 20 inches long
Biggest blessing EVER!

Pregnancy, labor, and delivery all went so great for me, I was definitely prepping myself for worse.

I really only started feeling pregnant at about 7 or 8 months and even then I only slowed down and got a little sore in the hips. I endured only about 4 weeks of light morning sickness in the beginning and the rest was a breeze! No heartburn, swollen anything, or other typical ailments of pregnancy - and I am so grateful for that!
I stayed really active during the whole thing working at the schools Livestock Center and going to school, and I'm sure that was a big help.

And now for the birth story.
Saturday night Kevin and I went out with some of our best friends, Chris and Koryn Rice, trying to squeeze in one last date night. We went to the $3 theater to see "The Internship", spending most of the night talking about how we wished the baby would come already! We had a hunch it would happen mostly because my mom was away down in Utah and my Dad had gone back to CA just for two days and the rest of the family were waiting back home in CA too, so naturally she would come when it was least convenient for those around us ;)
I started feeling contractions at about 1:30am and right away they were about 3 minutes apart. I went through about 2 or 3 hours of that at home then decided to call my doctor and head up to Madison Memorial hospital around 4:00am. When we checked in I was dilated to about a 3 and progressed quickly after that. At about 8:30am I got an epidural and finally got some sleep for the first time in two days! Went through check-ups and naps until about 3:20 or 3:30pm and we started pushing and she came quickly after that. I had my husband and my mom in the room along with one of my besties, Koryn, who was amazing and took pictures through the labor and delivery.
Postpartum recovery and adjusting to baby have gone great too and we have new adventures every day! Mom's and family and friends have been the biggest help :)

Some of my favorites from Koryn.












It's insane to think in just a couple days our little bug is going to be a month already!! It's amazing to see how much she's already changed and how much she already has her own personality. And seeing Kevin being such a great dad has to be the sweetest/most attractive thing ever! He's the best :)

On a less life-changing note, I also finally finished and graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho with by second degree!! I am officially done! I now have an Associates in Veterinary Technology (and waiting on my state licensing) and a Bachelors of Science in Animal Sciences.

Now I get to be a mom and work for the university as adjunct faculty in the animal science department starting in the fall.

Life is grand and only getting better!