To The Little Boy Who Made Me A Mom

Dear August,

It's a few days shy of Mother's Day and as I think back over the last sixteen months of motherhood,  I can't help but feel that the thank you is actually owed to you.

Thank you, August, for making me your Momma. There is nothing I love in life more than being yours.
Thank you for making me live in the moment. I've spent much of my life working to always "be present" and you finally showed me the way.
Thank you for showing me what deep, all consuming love really is. My heart has never been so full.
Thank you for making me laugh every single day. You can turn any bad day to a good one in an instant.
Thank you, August, for humbling me. For showing me that the things I can't control are actually the best things in my life.
Thank you for showing me more patience than I have ever known in my life.
Thank you, August, for being my little boy. You are my moon and my stars and make me melt every time I hear your tiny voice say my name.


And finally....
Thank you for showing me that I can, in fact, survive on little to no sleep and be happy doing so.

I love you to the moon and back, sweet boy.

Love always,
Your Momma

August: Months 1, 2, & 3

How is it April and how is my baby boy already THREE MONTHS OLD!?!?! They don't lie when they say time really flies by once you have a kid!

In order to try to preserve/remember baby August, I'm planning to do little updates- sort of like my quarterly updates at work, but way cuter!

August: Month One

Coming home from the hospital with August was both wonderful and terrifying. We were officially on our own to take care of this teeny tiny adorable human. Fortunately, Mike's parents stayed with us for a few days and helped us out and then my parents and family stopped by in the weeks that followed to lend a hand. We are so grateful for all their help!

I'm not going to lie, the first few weeks were tough for this mom. I've always been go-go-go so staying inside with a baby all day was quite the change for me. However, I wouldn't trade that time with him for anything. I really became a mom in those first few weeks. Learning his cues, comforting him when he was upset and generally just being in awe of him. He really is just amazing!

As the first month ticked by, August definitely grew more and more alert. I noticed him perk up and try to pay attention to new faces when friends, family and grandparents came over. Right from the start, he LOVED bath time and by the end of month one he started to enjoy laying on his play mat for short periods of time too.

August: Month Two

Around 7 weeks or so, we moved his bassinet into his room and almost instantly all three of us started sleeping better. August cut down to only waking up once during the night, usually between 2:00a and 3:00a and Mike and I could finally roll over or use our master bath without fear of waking our little peanut.

I couldn't believe how quickly August grew and by his two month check up, he was already over 10 lbs!! I'm so glad he's taken to nursing so well and is such a good eater. Once he hit that 10 lb mark, we started using his cloth diapers which was something I was really looking forward to. They work great and are gentle on his skin.

This month, he started to smile and began to cry real tears. It's the absolute best feeling in the world to see his little gummy grin spread across his face but it certainly breaks my heart when he cries.

August: Month Three

Month three brought some big changes for the House of Schells. I went back to work and August started spending his weekday afternoons with his grandparents. It's been working out well for both of us. He loves snuggling and playing with his grandparents and I feel like I have become a more appreciative parent. When I was home all day with him, by the time Mike came home around 5:30p I needed a break to gather my thoughts or shower, but now I come home SO excited to see him and I can't wait to spend the evening together!

Another change this month was Augusts ability to stay content and entertained for longer periods of time. Never during the first two months could I have set him in his bouncy chair for 20 minutes while I did dishes or started the laundry, but by month three I easily could. He also became more and more interested in the animals on his play mat and started smiling at himself in the mirror- too cute! Towards the end of March, he started laughing as we got him ready for bath time each night. His tiny laugh melts my heart every time!

On March 26 the best change of them all happened... August started sleeping through the night! He's just like his momma, loves his sleep :)

Can't wait to see how much he's changed and grown by the time I post my next update in the summer!!

Hugs,
a

August's Birth Story

On January 2, 2015 August Michael Schell arrived! Here is his birth story...

At 9:00am on New Year's Eve, 38 weeks pregnant, I went in for an ultrasound to track The Bean's growth. Everything checked out, our baby scored 8/8 on the bio-profile and was finally above the 10th percentile and into the "normal" range for growth. Mike and I left to head back to work on cloud nine knowing our baby was doing great. Then to my complete surprise my water broke that afternoon. It wasn't a full break, but more like a trickle here or there. After calling Mike to tell him the good news, I called our doula, Joyce, for advice- sit down, relax and wait to see if contractions start. Since I was already 4cm dilated 80% effaced, I figured it wouldn't be long. 

After a couple hours my contractions were extremely mild still. So mild that if it hadn't been for my water breaking I would have never known I was in labor. I kept in touch with my doula and midwife and since we were planning a natural birth, I stayed home for the night hoping that my contractions would pick up. Eventually, sleep set in and I was sure I'd wake up to feel my labor progressing.

As 7:00am arrived in January 1, 2015, my contractions still had not picked up and we knew it was time to head to the hospital to get checked out. We figured one of two things would happen- either my water didn't actually break OR I was going to have to be induced which was one of my biggest fears. When we got to the hospital I was relieved that my midwife, Shellie, was the midwife on call for the day. She checked me out and as it turned out, I wasn't crazy and my water had broken. Unfortunately, we were approaching the 24 hour mark which meant that I would have to be induced. Ugh! I would be a liar if I said I didn't have a breakdown at this point. I was terribly afraid that my birth plan would be thrown out the window and that due to the Pitocin I wouldn't be able to give birth to my baby naturally.  Mike, Shellie and Joyce all helped to calm me down and ensured me that we would take it slowly and that I could still delivery my baby the way I had intended.

At 12:00pm they started the Pitocin and shortly there after I began to feel slightly stronger contractions. For the next 6.5 hours my contractions progressively grew stronger and Joyce and Mike helped me work through them. Due to the IV and fetal monitor I couldn't get in the tub or shower. However, Joyce had an arsenal of positions to try. I really enjoyed using the birthing ball and the rocking chair. The movement of both was very soothing during each contraction.  Around 7:00, Shellie checked me and I had only progressed another centimeter! Discouraged, hungry and tired I had no idea how much would change over the next couple hours.

By 10:00 pm I could feel that I was getting really close to transition. My contractions were very strong and a lot closer together. In fact, the growing strength of each contraction had me doubt my own strength to work through them naturally. Fortunately, Joyce and Mike were my strength in those weak moments and reminded me that I was already doing it and that I could make it. The two of them were an incredible team!

By 11:40pm I shouted out to Shellie and Joyce "I need to push...NOW" and just like that I made it to the final stage of our baby's birth. After about 40 minutes of pushing, I heard a beautiful cry and Mike yell out "it's a boy"! He cut the cord and then placed our perfect son on my chest. It was the best moment of my life! I nourished a baby for 10 months, pushed him out of my body into the world just as I planned and here he was on my chest and filling my heart with a love I'd never known!

August Michael, you are an amazing little boy and you made our little family complete. Mom and Dad can't wait to show you the world. We love you!

August Michael Schell
January 2, 2015 12:22am
5lbs 14oz   19in

Showertime!

No, this post isn't about showering while pregnant :)

Last month, I was incredibly fortunate to have both Mike and my family each throw me a baby shower. They were beautiful and filled with wonderful family and friends. I am so grateful to have such an amazing support system throughout my whole pregnancy.

The first shower was in Cleveland with my family and friends from the area and my dear friend Ashlee who came in from New York. It was so wonderful to see every one and to celebrate The Bean with you all!

Here are some photos from the Cleveland shower at L'Albatros

Macaroons and Madeleines 

Mini versions of our wedding cupcakes

Onesie painting!

Posing for the obligatory "Bump Photo"

 Some Cleveland girlfriends, Katie and Liza

Re-gifted my beloved stuffed monkey from childhood, Minkey.

The following weekend, we traveled to Chicago for a shower with Mike's family. I've been so blessed to be welcomed into such a warm and loving family. It was so lovely to see everyone and I can't wait to bring The Bean to Chicago meet everyone. 

Here are some photos from the Chicago shower

31 week bump in Chicago

It's hard to read here, but the Hershey bar says "HE or SHE  how we wonder what you'll be" 

More delicious cupcakes!

My niece, Megan, made a calendar game to guess the baby's gender and due date

My Mother-in-Law, Sisters-in-Law and nieces who threw the beautiful shower!

Mike, The Bean and I are grateful for everyone who has reached out to us in one way or another over the last 8 months. The Bean is beyond blessed to have you all in his or her life. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

In other Bean related news, I am now at 36 weeks and ready to meet this baby! The Bean is still measuring a bit small but this is to be expected given my size. It turns out that while Dad's genetics will help to account for size as the kid grows up, Mom's body size primarily determines the baby's size while "on the inside". Otherwise, everything is perfect with The Bean. In fact, at my latest midwife appointment, I found out that I am already 80% effaced and starting to dilate. Maybe The Bean will make his or her grand entrance before the year is up and score ol' Mom and Dad a tax break ;) Or The Bean will be stubborn like Momma and arrive 10 days late. Eek!

At 36 Weeks...    

A festive 36 week bump!

Baby Schell is the length of: a head of Romaine Lettuce

Weighs: approx 5.5lbs

Heartbeat: 145bpm 

I'm feeling: Good but slow. Turns out this basketball attached to my belly has really slowed me down.

I'm craving: Chocolate and fruit non-stop. Good thing it's the holidays!

My belly looks: Round and out there

My bellybutton is: Flat as a pancake

Nursery progress: Just need to hang some art, get a glider in there and we will be all done! Pics to come soon :)

Happy Holidays from The House of Schells to yours! xoxo!

Nursery Progress

Yesterday I officially hit the two month mark. CRAZY! I can't believe how quickly my pregnancy has flown by. With the holidays just around the corner, January 12 will be here before I know it and honestly, at this point, I am more excited than anything. Sure, I'm a little nervous for delivery but knowing that the in the end I get to hold and snuggle our baby Bean keeps me pretty calm and relaxed (the Hypnobirthing practice has helped too). So, in a sentence most Clevelanders have NEVER said before, I just wish January would hurry up and get here!

With all the excitement surrounding The Bean's arrival, it seemed like a good time for a nursery update. Mike and I officially wrapped up the office renovation last month and started in on the nursery. There is still a long way to go, and I promise I will post a full nursery reveal once complete. In the mean time, here is what we've knocked out

• Painted the walls
• Main color: Behr Ivory Mist (it's a bit more beige in person than off white)
• Stripes: Behr Window Pane
• Assembled bookshelf
• Assembled crib
• Assembled dresser 

Here are some in progress photos...

crib and striped wall

bookshelf

Here is what's left on our To-Do list:

• Hang art (prints on bookshelf, plus more art that we're making)
• Hang mobiles (one over crib and one over changing table/dresser)
• Acquire glider
• Acquire rug
• Empty closet
• Hang blinds
• Hang wall shelves
• Find map or cool decal for wall above bookshelf

Still lots to do, but it should all come together pretty easily before The Bean's arrival.

31 week bump (and cute thanksgiving mantle)

At 31 weeks.....  

Baby Schell is the size of: a Coconut 

Weighs: approx 3lbs 

Heartbeat: 158bpm

I'm feeling: a little tired after a long day at work, but other than that I feel great still. No pains and still sleeping through the night like a champ. Fingers crossed we can keep this up for the next 9 weeks!

I'm craving: ALL the sweets and still eating a lot of fruit

My belly looks: like I've swallowed a basketball

Me bellybutton is: getting pretty flat

Nursery Progress: Halfway there! Yay!

This weekend we are Chicago bound for a baby shower with Mike's family, and this past weekend we had a shower in Cleveland with my family. We are so very grateful for all the love from our friends and family. The Bean is certainly one lucky baby! I'll be sure to post up soon about the showers too :)

Hugs!

Well Hello Third Trimester!

Monday marked the first day of my third trimester... how did that happen?!?!

It's hard to believe that there are only 3 more months of my pregnancy left so I thought I would do a little recap of the first 7 months.
Yes, yes, I know that adds up to 10 months not 9 months. It took me awhile to accept that pregnancy is a month longer than I spent my entire lifetime believing it was.

Looking back I have to say that I have been pleasantly surprised how enjoyable my pregnancy has been. I know a lot of ladies don't have it this easy and I am extremely grateful for my good fortune. Don't get me wrong, I certainly had a my few rough weeks of morning sickness and extreme exhaustion, but all in all I've been able to really enjoy this time in my life.

Trimester 1:
After getting over the initial shock that I was going to have a baby (read: I have to birth a child out of my petite frame, eek!), I decided to sit back and enjoy the ride. The first few weeks were pretty uneventful and for a little bit of time I even entertained the thought that I would avoid morning sickness all together. Then we found out that our dates were about 3 weeks off and sure enough on week 6 (originally week 9) she reared her ugly queasy head. So week 6 and on were spent feeling like I was just getting over the flu, until one day somewhere in week 10 I woke up and didn't feel crummy. After that, it was back to enjoying the ride. We started planning how to reveal to the world that Baby Schell was on the way, we cooked up the idea for this blog, and then we started tossing around names and nursery ideas.
It was a really cool final few weeks of my first trimester when only us and our immediate family members knew about The Bean :)

Trimester 2:
My second trimester, just like my third, began while we were in Chicago which made it the perfect time to tell the world we were expecting! We sent out announcements to family and friends, then used the internet to spread it to the far corners. For the most part during my second trimester, I felt like my usual self, sometimes to the point I would completely forget I was pregnant. Then, the belly arrived, and as you all know, I struggled a little bit with my expanding waistline/need to purchase maternity clothes. However, by the end of month 6 I'd become pretty fond of my little belly and all the kicks that came from the inside. It's safe to say that I will miss the quiet moments in the morning when The Bean and I sit down to work with a cup of tea and count kicks, punches and squirms. It's just been such a special time in my life to share that moment every day with our baby.
By the end of trimester #2, we had settled on a nursery plan and picked out names. Finally!

Trimester 3:
Here we are, a few days into my third trimester and while I am still content with being pregnant, I am starting to get a bit antsy to meet The Bean. My insides are also getting a little tired of sharing space and of the beating The Bean gives them throughout the day.
While I know the next three months will fly by, it still seems so far away. I just can't wait to hold our little baby, find out if its a mister or miss, and bring The Bean home to their wonderful family!

27 week bump! 

At 27 weeks... 

Baby Schell is the size of: a Rutabaga

Weighs: approx 2lbs

Heartbeat: 150bpm

I'm feeling: We're getting a little tight on space in there, but otherwise I feel great!

I'm craving: CHOCOLATE, fruit, pastries and cupcakes

My belly looks: Like I swallowed a soccer ball

Nursery Progress: New office is complete. Yay! We should be starting in on painting the nursery this weekend, and I'll be sure to post our progress.

And the Old Wives say....

Since we aren't finding out the sex of The Bean, we decided it would be fun to test out the Old Wives and their tales. Turns out there a bunch of different tales to try, so here are the ones we picked:

Heartbeat: Above 140bmp it's a girl, below 140bpm it's a boy.
Baby Schell: GIRL

Sleep Position: Right side is a girl and left side is a boy.
Baby Schell: GIRL

Ring Test: Circles = boy and Side to Side = girl
Baby Schell: GIRL

Cravings: Salty foods for a little boy and sweets and fruits for a little girl

Baby Schell: GIRL 

For the first time in my life I'm craving sweets, especially chocolate. Also, since about week 6 I've been able eat my weight in fruit (pre-pregnancy weight of course- hehe). 

Chinese Gender Chart: Mothers age at conception and month in which conception occurred.

Baby Schell: GIRL

Acne:  If you're breaking out, it's a girl and if you've got clear skin, it's a boy

Baby Schell: BOY 

Thank you good genetics (and possibly a baby boy) for my clear skin.

Morning Sickness: No sickness and it's a boy. Nauseous and it's a girl

Baby Schell: GIRL
Granted, I wasn't as sick as some ladies wind up; for which I am very grateful. 

Baby Names: The sex you can think of names for is the one your having.

Baby Schell: BOY 

We have a bunch of boys names we love and can't really find a girls name that we're excited about.

Total GIRL: 6

Total BOY: 2

The Old Wives say: IT'S A GIRL
This is obviously very scientific and 100% accurate ;) Only kidding!

23 week bump in front of my garden

At 23 weeks...  

Baby Schell is the size of: a Spaghetti Squash (11 inches long from head to heel)

Weighs: approx: a little over ONE POUND!!!

Heartbeat: 157 bpm

I'm feeling: Great! The Bean is definitely getting stronger and I can feel he or she dancing around in there all the time now. It's so cool!

I'm craving: CHOCOLATE, fruit, pastries and the cheesecake Mike made for my birthday.

My belly looks: Round and out there :)

Nursery Progress: YES! Well, sort of. We started construction on my new office space and once that is complete we can begin the nursery. We did pick out a crib and we bought a book shelf for The Bean. Baby steps ;)

BEANGATE! - Week 19

This week we had our anatomy ultrasound. Which for anyone who isn't hip, is when you can find out the sex of your baby. We however, opted out.

Whenever someone finds out we are expecting, the second question after "how are you feeling" is inevitably "do you know what you're having".  Our usual response is "no, it's a surprise" but sometimes we go with the slightly more humorous "it's a human". This part of the conversation is almost always  followed by "why don't you want to find out" or "aren't you dying to know what it is". So here's the long and short of it...

Sure, we're antsy to know if Baby Schell is a going to be a handsome musical fellow like his Daddy or a sweet petite artist like her Momma, but honestly for right now, we are just over to moon to know that our bean is perfect! Not to mention, how many real surprises are left in life? Yes yes, it's only 50/50 odds so it's not THAT much of a surprise, but still it's wonderful to have that anticipation to add to this already incredible experience.

The bean at 19 weeks. What do you think? Boy or Girl?

Outside of not finding out if the bean is a mister or miss, everything checked out perfectly at our appointment and we're right on track for a January 12th due date still.  The bean is measuring a bit smaller than average but since Mom is only 4'11" thats to be expected. As our doctor said, you can't fit a horse inside a pony! :)





At 19 weeks...

Baby Schell is the size of: an Heirloom Tomato
Weighs: approx 8.5 oz
Heartbeat: 157 bpm
I'm feeling: Great! Loving all the little kicks from the bean.
I'm craving: Anything fresh! Oh, and chocolate still.
My belly looks: A bit bigger than at 17 weeks. There's definitely no hiding it now.
Nursery Progress: About that... ;)








Next week marks a couple of milestones for me. Not only is it the halfway point of my pregnancy (when did that happen?!?), but it's also my 30th birthday! Since, I won't be indulging in a delicious glass of cabernet or a fresh gin gimlet, I ask all of you to have one for me! Cheers!


hugs,
a

17 weeks and POP!

Monday marked the start of week 17 and the first day I proudly showed off my baby bump. Eek!

While on vacation last week, I came to the realization that rubber banding my jeans shut might not be working anymore. I'm not sure if it was the second broken rubber band or the squashing feeling of my waistband, but halfway through our trip I decided it was time to order some maternity clothes... ugh.

Honestly, I had been dreading this moment. I guess since I'm a pretty tiny person, I assumed that I could make my pre-pregnancy wardrobe last until, I don't know, month 7?! I know, it was a crazy delusional thought, but I just wasn't quite ready to accept my expanding waistline (albeit for a wonderful cause). Anyway, when we arrived home from our trip all of my online maternity purchases had arrived and I'm not going to lie, I was actually a little bit excited to try them on.

So here we are on day three of rocking my very cute m-jeans and LOVING THEM (I'm still not too keen on the phrase maternity clothes, it just sounds too frumpy for a 29 year old gal). It turns out replacing my usual waistband with a stretchy belly panel was the greatest idea ever. I've pretty much equated wearing my new jeans to wearing my PJs all day, and let's be honest, who doesn't want to do that?!

In other belly related news, I can honestly say these days that I feel pregnant. When I bend over to pick something up or squat down to pet our ridiculously short dog I can tell that there's a bean baking in there. I've also started to notice a fluttering feeling periodically throughout the day that I'm assuming is the bean moving, which is pretty much the coolest thing ever! Eeeeee!!!

It's crazy what a difference 4 weeks makes!

At 17 weeks... 

Baby Schell is the size of: an Onion
Weighs: approx 5oz
Heartbeat: 158 bpm at July appointment (next appointment is on Friday)
I am feeling: Pregnant and super happy!
I'm craving: Thai food, Chinese food and chocolate
My belly looks: Like I'm pregnant. Finally!
Nursery Progress: Not yet started, but we have plans to start moving my office to the guest room this month.



Hope everyone is having a great week and stay tuned for more updates!

Hugs!

13 weeks and one trimester down

Well here we are, week 13. One trimester down, two to go.

On Monday, we had another ultrasound. Baby Schell looks perfect and was moving around a bunch in there. It was incredible to see how much our bean has changed in 6 weeks!

The Bean at 7 weeks

The Bean at 13 weeks

It's also pretty incredible how much better I feel compared to a few weeks ago. Weeks 6-10 were pretty rough for me. I spent most days completely exhausted and feeling like I was just getting over the flu. Poor Mike stuck by me, even when all I wanted to eat was soup. For the fifth day in a row. During a heat wave. I think I'll keep him ;)

At 13 weeks... 

Baby Schell is the length of: a Pea Pod

Weighs: about an Ounce

Heartbeat: 158 bpm

I am feeling: Like myself again!

I'm craving: Fruit and chocolate

My belly looks: Not so pregnant and more like I ate too much pizza

Nursery progress: Not started. Room is still functioning as my office.

Hugs,
a

Welcome to our blog!

I've started many blogs in the past, and never kept up with them. This is partially because I had a hard time forcing myself to write and because I rarely felt like I had something worthwhile to write about (read: something that anyone would have any interest in reading). Well, that all changed on May 1, 2014 when Mike and I found out we were expecting a Little Schell! We have a large family, most of whom live outside of Cleveland. So my goal is to keep this blog updated as we make the journey through the next 7 months. After that, I know life will be very hectic and different, but I hope to continue to use this blog to keep everyone updated with life at the House of Schells!

Let' start at the beginning...
Finding out we were expecting a Little Schell, who we affectionately refer to as The Bean, was one of the coolest experiences we've shared in the seven years we've been together. I had taken a test earlier in the week only for it to say "Nope! Not having a baby this time". After a few more days of waiting, and getting more and more anxious, I took another test (good thing they come in two packs) and low and behold, there was that little blue plus sign! IT WORKED! I stared in wonder at the pee stick for awhile then ran back to bed, teary eyed and in complete shock, and hugged our dog,  Dylann, and told her I was going to be a Mom!

Mike was at work, so I spent the day smiling and sitting on the knowledge that it was going to be a memorable night. I couldn't wait to tell him, but I wanted to make sure he would always remember it. We both love to cook, so I decided to write up a recipe for Baby Schells:

Note: When I found out I was pregnant, we were originally given December 25, 2014 as The Bean's due date. 

After additional ultrasounds to date how far along I was, the due date was changed to January 12, 2015

I waited as patiently as possible until Mike got home that night. Due to a home maintenance issue, Mike's usual evening routine was thrown off causing me extra butterflies in my stomach while I kept waiting for him to pause long enough to give him the good news. Finally, I caught a break, handed him the card and watched as he read it. His eyes lit up and a big smiled flashed across his handsome face as he looked at me. I could melt every time I think about that moment. 

We spent the rest of the night talking about our future as a family of three (or six if you count the menagerie of animals we already share our home with), and how we couldn't wait to share the news with everyone we love. So, here we are, at the point in our journey where we are welcoming everyone else to be a part of it. We're officially eleven weeks along and more excited than ever!

Stay tuned for more updates, photos and feel free to leave a comment below. We looking forward to sharing this exciting time in our lives with everyone!!

Hugs!!