2 Weeks of Life

If you haven't heard from my last few blog posts (or if you can't tell by my lack of visibility on here for the past 6 weeks or so)... we have a new bundle of joy! I wanted to share these snaps that Kate from Kate Florian Photography who captured of our love at 2 weeks old [she also captured our blissful maternity snaps you can see from this post]. I can't believe I'm 6 weeks into this life of Mommyhood... as many memories have already been made and Mata is growing before my very own eyes.

When they say, "things happen so quickly"... they really mean it with sweet precious babies. So I will forever stare at these amazing pictures of my baby at 2 weeks old and live in that moment of life because I never want to forget it!

Fight On!

If you're submerged in the football world like I am, you have probably heard the news about USC's head coach, Coach Sarkisian. For those of you who aren't familiar with Coach Sark's latest, let me update you in the short version way (don't worry... I have a point coming!). He's had some things happen in his personal life that has caused him to turn to what most of us like to numb our sorrows in... alcohol. There is a lot of speculation out there saying that he has shown up to practices and perhaps a few games under the influence. Whether or not it's true... who knows.

BUT, one fact that I do know is that unfortunately, he was fired as USC's head coach. Yes... during the middle of the season, Athletic Director, Pat Haden, decided that it was best for the players and the University to part ways with Coach Sark. Since then, Coach Sark has been seeking help for himself to get well which is the point of my post today...

When you take a coaching job at a University (or with the NFL), you are basically signing up for your professional AND personal life to be out in the public. These men go through the good, bad and ugly with fans, the press, and anyone else who might read up on their business. It's just the name of the game. I've been thinking a lot about Coach Sark and how brave it is for him to go through these things publicly. Not only is he going through a rough start of a season, but his issues are being aired out there for everyone to criticize. Instead, I choose to celebrate his journey because if it weren't for being in this situation, he wouldn't be in the shoes he's in now seeking out the professional help and getting stronger by the day. Furthermore, he is setting a great example for those who need inspiration to get through some dark moments in life. Whether it be with the use of alcohol, a bad season, kids who just aren't 'getting it', or whatever troubles you may have. There are brighter days ahead of you, so long as you choose to love yourself, take care of yourself, and prioritize your well-being over ANYTHING else. If you don't take care of yourself, you can't take care of others!

Do you know anyone who is need of help? A boost of morale support? Offer some words of encouragement... stay positive... and never be too ashamed to share your story!

Life Lately

It's been a good while since I've posted or even thought about blogging. If you didn't know, I've had some major changes welcoming our sweet baby boy into this world.

MOMMYHOOD // It's been a whirl wind of events, each day bringing a different set of adventures, but ones that I wouldn't trade for the world. The lack of sleep and forgetfulness of life is SO worth every moment of being a mommy! Today marks ONE MONTH since the day we welcome our son on earth. Cheers to many more celebrations as the days, weeks and months go by.

FAMILY // My hubs and I have been beyond blessed to have our family with us throughout every step of this journey. We had family here in the prep stages of baby making his big debut... family in the deliver room... family after to help with the transition... and of course family now (especially since it's during the football season!). They have helped us clean, cook, take care of baby, and just be there for morale support. I am SO grateful they were able to fly out from all over the world to help welcome our son into the loving family that we have.

FOOTBALL // No lie... we've had a rough start this football season in Cornhusker nation. We've had a pretty tough schedule starting with our pre-season games into our conference games. We've managed to play our hearts out, but fell short in FOUR games all down to the last minute! The coaches and players have been working together to find their rhythm, but as we all know... that's easier said than done. Watching from the eyes of a wife and fan, it hurts my heart to see us ALMOST with the W game after game. BUT if we keep thinking positively, we are bound to turn this around and make the most of our season day by day. With that said... we have a big game against Minneapolis this weekend that I just know we can dominate. Balls to the wall and POSITIVE THINKING!! That's just how we get through the days ahead of us!

What have you all been up to for the past month? How's your football season going? Have you watched the Walking Dead yet (I haven't had a chance to watch the season opener so PLEASE don't spoil it for me)?

My Birth Story

It was a nice Sunday afternoon last week when my family and I went to enjoy a scrummy brunch. I was scheduled to go into Labor & Delivery early Monday morning to be induced, so the plan was to eat good, and mentally prepare myself for this hard labor that I would partake in. I don't know if it's better to not expect when you would go into labor, or to schedule it ahead of time... either way there's nothing you can possibly do to completely prepare yourself. In my case, I didn't have my hospital bag or the baby's diaper bag that have been sitting in my living room ready and prepped for the past few months. It was just my purse, my husband, my aunt and mother-in-law and I checking into L&D that day.

By the time I started this thing called labor, it was 3:30pm. Since they induced me to jump start my contractions, I wasn't sure what to expect. Mild contractions started to make their appearance, and it wasn't so bad. I was able to breathe through them and patiently await for 4-5 minutes to pass until the next one came. That is until they started to get more and more intense. I called for the epidural as I squeezed my eyes shut trying to bear the pain of the contractions in the meantime. Once I got the epidural, it felt like the time just flew by. I went from 4cm dilated... to 6cm... to 8cm then to 9cm. I was told to get ready to start pushing in about an hour. SIKE to me... what they really meant was to start pushing in about 15 minutes because I dialed to 10cm that quick!

Pushing was a task for me. I wasn't sure if I was pushing or not, but I shut my eyes so tight so I could stay in my own element as my husband coached me like I was one of his athletes. Before you know it, my sweet baby boy has finally made his arrival at 8:39pm. Words can't express how I felt in the moment, or even today. 

I can say this one of the most precious special moments I've ever had in my entire life (besides the day I married my best friend). I'm head over heels over this little human being that has taken over my life in the most fascinating way I can imagine.

I can't wait to build special moments with my little family. Cheers to our party of THREE!

Nursery

I am beyond pleased with how my sweet baby boy's nursery came out! The hubs and I put some TLC into this room, and it totally feels like home for our boy. We wanted it to be neutral colors with a simple animal theme to it.
I can't wait to sit in that glider and rock him to sleep or read to him! I know it'll come hand for those late night/early mornings feedings and changing times!

Hubs and I tag teamed on those bookshelves and made em' from scratch wood. It was a fun process and easy peasy fresh and easy!

This nursery will be even more full of love this week... I'm exited to start sharing pictures and baby stories of our son sooner than you know!

Cornhusker Season Opener

So our first kick off for the season was against BYU last Saturday. It was an amazing (sold out) game that was HEATED... in the actual game AND the weather! I was happy to catch a game before baby arrives, so I can't complain too much.

In the end, it came to the very last second on the game clock... like it literally read :01 on the clock. We were up 28-24 all the way to this last second... when suddenly BYU throws a hail mary which was actually caught in the end zone. THE END. BYU took the victory 33-28 and we had officially lost our 2015 season opener.

I must say that these Husker players kept their composure and their heads were held high all the way to the locker room. I was certainly proud of them all... AND the coaching staff!

That made me think of how many teams suffer a loss (since there is one team who loses every single game), and how many fellas have to deal with that loss in and out of the locker room. They may be having thoughts of self-doubt... of weakness... or even lack of confidence in their coaches or players. That's where we (as parents... as a society... as fellow athletes) can play a crucial role in how these student-athletes proceed to work hard for the next game.

We MUST remind these players that every game is an opportunity to get better. Every time they suffer a loss (or even a win!) is an opportunity to course correct and fail FORWARD. Some of the most strongest times I've had in my own performance have been after a failing moment. You can't get better if you don't know what to work on... and you must be willing to take the feedback!

So here's to another great game tomorrow for the Huskers. Let us stay positive for teams... and celebrate each moment throughout all four quarters and be proud of our guys!

40 Weeks

We took these maternity photos with the lovely Kate from Kate Florian Photography when I was 37 weeks preggo, and I'm just so thrilled with the way they came out!

{Fast forward to a few weeks down the line} I'm now a tad over 40 weeks preggo, and I still feel amazing. All that I can ever ask for is our baby boy to bless us with his debut into this world! I'm counting down the days until we get to snap photos WITH him here on earth... outside of my womb. I'm so grateful for this life, and my hubs and I look forward to being the best parents we can ever be to our angel.

I'm also looking forward to getting back to some regular posting (after I get through this hump of labor!) and sharing what the season has been like in Husker Nation!! We've been watching nothing but college football, and it just feels SO right!!