Masons First Month

Today is Mason's One Month birthday!

This past month has been an absolute WHIRLWIND! We have had such an amazing time getting used to being parents.  In all honesty, it feels like it has only been one really long week, probably because we never sleep anymore :)  If this blog makes little or no sense, it is because I am seriously losing my marbles over lack of sleep.  The craziest part is...I could live in these moments!  When I feel the most tired and run down, all I need to do is look into these eyes and I could run a marathon

He: 

-already weighs over 10 pounds, chunky monkey boy!

- lifts his head when he is laying on our chests or during tummy time

-is a smidgen colicky, but it gets better every day

-didnt poop for a WEEK and it worried the heck out of us! but he has since pooped, and I never thought I'd be so happy to see a bunch of baby turds haha

-still loves bath-time.  So cute. 

-can look Ryan and I in the eyes, and its absolutely heart-melting

-is VERY picky about where he falls asleep.  Example: unless he is in our arms in a blanket, sleep will NOT happen

I:
-travel in and out of sanity on a daily basis, going from mom to girlfriend to friend.  Mason consumes every minute of my day, and I wouldnt have it any other way, but sometimes it feels like SO MUCH

-love falling asleep in the rocking chair with him, just so I can see him smiling at me in his sleep :)

-have the most amazing boyfriend.  Ryan is the epitome of the perfect father, staying up late with Mason even though he has to work on the weekdays, just to let me get some rest

-have had a little trouble maintaining my breastmilk supply in the last week, and its stressing me out, which is making it even MORE difficult to maintain the supply. ugh

-was away from him for 5 hours, and I could barely stand it, I need to be able to hold my little man on an hourly basis.  Returning to work is going to be ROUGH.

We love going out together as a family :)

All in all, I am amazed at how well Ryan and I are adjusting to parenthood.  We may sleep in separate rooms since Mason would rather sleep on the ottoman than his bassinet, get frustrated with each other when we cant figure out why he is crying, and havent had a good balanced meal in a few weeks, but we love it, and we love him, more than anything else. (whoa run-on sentence, told you I was losing it! haha)  We wouldnt trade this for anything in the world.

Have you ever held your heart in your hands?

-Mason's Momma




**photos copyright SavannaSmiles Photography**

One Week Old

Mason is now 10 days old.  This post is 3 days late, but my only chance to blog is when he is sleeping...which happens to be the only times I sleep as well :)

Here is a picture from the beginning of his first week- his first day on the outside!

He:

-has gained an entire pound since we left the hospital last saturday

-is eating and sleeping well, despite wanting to be held while he falls asleep - but seriously, when I can look at a face like that, how could lack of sleep really bother me?

-does NOT like having his diaper changed, he screams like a pterodactyl, and ryan and I think its precious

-had his first bath yesterday, he loved it!

-sleeps in a "bed" we made on the ottoman of our couch, since it has a 'dip' in it, so he cant roll.

-refuses to sleep in his bassinet, we hope this is just a newborn phase!

-has a range of emotions, even though we are pretty sure they all have to do with gas at this point

-has SO many different crys, we are learning what each one means...its difficult! So far, most of them mean "Hold me, mom and dad!"

-has an unbreakable and unconditional hold on my heartstrings, and I wouldnt have it any other way

I:

- am healing VERY well, I have virtually no pain

-am breastfeeding, and *thank goodness* havent had any issues with him latching on or feeding. The pediatrician was shocked to find out that Mason gained an entire pound in a week on JUST breastmilk.  Apparently I make enough milk for twins!

-am beside myself with the size of my boobs...okay seriously...they look incredible! haha

-went on a date with Ryan last thursday, we dressed up and ate steak and I didnt smell like milk and it was SO romantic, even if it was just for an hour!

-have lost 20 pounds so far, im only 10ish (maybe less) pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight

-find myself waking up from naps at every little sound he makes.  I thought I was a light sleeper before, but sheesh! Just need to reassure myself that he is okay...and he always is :)

-am only moderately over-worried and over-protective of him, despite what Ryans friends may think when I refuse to let them hold him if they have been drinking...sorry guys!

- could look at his chubby little face forever, its hard to believe that we made such a perfect little person!

this is love.

Mason Zachary Rodgers - One week old.

As soon as we get our new camera, I PROMISE that all the pictures I upload (minus those sporadic iphone moments) will be higher quality, All these pictures are from my and Ryans phones.

next baby update on July 9th! thats his ONE MONTH! ahhh.

-Masons Momma

Masons Birth Story

When our doctor told us that we were going to be induced, it was a mixture of emotions.  At first we were glad that we finally had a date we could meet him, then disappointed that it wouldnt be a surprise, but then the joy of knowing that we would meet our son in less than a week made all the bad feelings go away!

We went to the hospital to get induced on Wednesday, June 8th, at 8pm.  They started the pitocin drip and we were on our way! I got NO sleep.  How could I have possibly slept knowing that my baby boy was on the way!?  Through the night, Ryan and my momma slept, and the nurses came in to check on me and turn up the pitocin drip.  Around 3am they started asking me if I had a "really high pain tolerance", I didnt think I did, but they said usually people with contractions like the ones I was having, had already asked for an epidural.  But I wanted to wait.

At around 8am I got the epidural, and a doctor came in to break my water, it was SO. WEIRD! I wont describe it, but seriously, it felt crazy.  And no, the epidural did not hurt, I was pretty worried about that and it just didnt hurt at all! yay!  The dilation progressed somewhat quickly from there. Ryan was getting anxious, which was making me even more excited. At 3pm, the urge to push was pretty intense, but we had to wait for the doctor. All of our family and most of our friends were already at the hospital by this time.  It makes my heart sing to think about all the love that filled that hospital room before mason even came! at 5:10 (yes, I was watching the clock like a hawk, willing it to move faster so we could get the show on the road) we started pushing with each contraction...the feeling was incredible, and with Ryan holding my hand (then eventually my leg)I felt so strong! 8 contractions later and Baby Mason was born at 5:50!

There arent even words to describe the flood of emotions I felt when he finally came out and they set him on my belly.  He is perfect.  I have that memory engrained in my mind.  I had never seen a more perfect sight;  I could live in that moment forever. His first cry was like an angel, and thats when I started crying.  All I wanted to do was snuggle him and Ryan close and never ever let go! when they finally finished cleaning him up and handed him back to us, this is what we saw:

perfect, right? and he opened his eyes so early.  I've had to pause at least 5 times in the blog so far to wipe away the tears, I seriously couldnt have asked for a more perfect baby.  I must have told Ryan "you did so good" like 10 times... He kept looking at me like I was crazy and telling me "you did all the work, babe"...but just LOOK at that FACE! hes like Ryans mirror image. Love it.

After we left the birthing suite, we took the long trip to our room.  We passed by the waiting room...and MUCH to my surprise, it was full of ONLY our family and friends. so much love. It had to have looked like a parade going down the hall and filing into our room, Im not positive how many people were there, but Im thinking it was around 20 all at once, with our families and friends! ahhh, my heart just explodes. Baby Mason is so lucky to come into such a loving environment.

Life is beautiful, incredible, and GOOD, and we cant wait to see where this journey takes our new little family.

-Mason's Momma

Dear Baby

Dear Baby Mason,

I suppose this is my last week that I'll have a surplus of time to just sit around and write, so theres just a few things I wanted to say to you:
I love you.  I've loved you since you were just a scary little "plus" on the pregnancy test.  I cant wait to meet you.  I cant wait to see your face and squeeze your chubby cheeks and laugh at how much you look like your adorable father :)  I cant wait to find out things you like and things you dont like, I cant wait to see if you love PBJ as much as I do. I cant wait to read you your favorite book, and then someday, for you to read it to me.

Its like one day you just suddenly popped into existence, changed my whole life, and im just totally 100% okay with that.  You're going to be so perfect, I seriously cant think of anyway you could be less than perfect, except maybe if you turn out to be your fathers clone...nope, that'd be perfect too.

Your daddy already has camo overalls for you to wear when you go "hunting" ...(which at 12 months old, im not sure what hes thinking), and he has been talking about buying you a tiny little bow so you can go bow-fishing with him.  People ask me if he will be a momma's boy, but from the looks of things, I think you'll be a little manly man just like your father.  Oh I just cant wait.

The doctor says that unless you decide to make your appearance in the next 6 days, he is going to induce labor on Wednesday the 8th, at 8pm.  You should be born sometime on the 9th.  Im a little bummed that it wont be a suprise, but then again, ANY way I can see you is perfectly fine with me.  I guess you just want to stay with mommy a liiiiitle bit longer, I dont blame you, I'd miss me too! haha oh Mason, when you come out, please dont enable me when I say things like that! :)

What am I supposed to say to you when you come out and they hand you to me? Do I introduce myself?  Will you know who I am?  I've been reading you books and singing to you and talking for the past 9 months, maybe you will recognize my voice.  Should I say "Hi Mason, Im your mom.".. no... thats too formal.  "Hey baby, how are you?" ... um...you just traveled down my birth canal, I can only assume the answer to that question.  I guess when they hand you to me,  I'll just wing it.  Isn't that basically what parenting is, a form of "winging it" long enough to see if you turned out okay?

Who am I kidding?  I know youll turn out perfect, because seriously, how could you not?  There is a RIDICULOUS number of people who love you, I mean really, both of your grandparents already have all these plans for you.  Im so excited for you to meet them.

Anyways,  I just wanted to write you a letter and tell you how happy I am that you're coming to live at my house and be my baby next week.  We are going to have so much fun, I promise.  When youre older, I hope we can still have fun then, and I wont be a nerd or something...because I know youll be super-suave and probably wont want to hang around your mom very much.  I want you to know, Mason, that I'll support any decision you make, even if you dont like me for whatever reason teens dont like their parents.  I will never judge you, and I hope you know that you can tell me anything, because I love you more than fish love water.

I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be.

weeks 33 through 36

How far along? 37 weeks 1 day

How big is baby? we havent had an ultrasound since week 30, so we can only assume he is growing normally...he is probably around 6.5 or 7 pounds now

Total weight gain:  +28lbs - I only gained 2 pounds in my 7th month, and 1 pound in my eighth month - healthy eating FTW! :)

Stretch marks? negative ... wooo! *fingers crossed that I make it the next 3 weeks without them!*

This is me. Taken in the bathroom at my parents house on Easter - 34 weeks

Sleep: ive been making a conscious effort to stop drinking water at least an hour before bed, to try to stay asleep longer through the night.  It worked! however... through the end of the 36th week, ive been having REALLY strong contractions at night, so im still not sleeping!

Movement: We have been really concentrating on his movement lately, due to his positioning...most of the kicks go to my left side, and hiccups are on the right side. too cute.  We have been using his hiccups to try to predict his location and position

What I miss: having a personal bubble where people couldnt touch me.  It's like being pregnant is a magnet for ANYone and EVERYone to touch me.  I feel like I need to wear a sign that says: "I am not friendly. please dont touch" haha.

What I am looking forward to: kissing those sweet baby cheeks!!! also, I cannot wait to see Ryan holding his son for the first time. Im tearing up just thinking about how amazing of a father he will be to our little man!

Worries: we found out at our 36 week appointment that Mason has turned himself, and is now breeched.  This worries the HECK out of me.  If he doesnt turn himself around by next week (week 38) theyre going to schedule the c-section for the following week.  I DONT WANT A C-SECTION!!!!!! It's not that I am scared of surgery (I've had 4, its not a big deal) its just that I dont want to be under anesthesia and not get to hold MY BABY as soon as he comes out!  I dont want him to be all cracked out on c-section drugs and unable to breastfeed. I dont want there to be "complications" or any "accidents" during the c-section that end with Mason being injured, or me having a hysterectomy... I just dont "want" any of that.... but if my OB says thats our only option then fine.... but I cant help but pout.  So I've been spending the last week and a half crawling around our house and laying upside down and putting frozen peas on top of my belly to convince him to turn...and sometimes it feels like he has....sometimes...

What did you just say to me?!?:

"are you excited?" ........SO TIRED OF HEARING THIS! 

"it's so good that you and the babys father are still together...that NEVER happens" - uhhh...since when does that NEVER happen?! haha I actually laughed out loud when a girl said this to me.

"I cant wait to meet your baby!" - awww. me too! It makes my heart sing to find out that So many people already love little Mason Zachary Rodgers... (or Juan Pablo McQueen, if Ryan goes bowfishing while im in labor...although who is that REALLY punishing?! hahaha)

Oh, and THIS: 

We had an INCREDIBLE baby shower, Masons room is FULL of so many wonderful brand new baby things!  I was amazed at how many people came to support Ryan, Mason and I! We feel so blessed :)

Another weird pregnancy thing: CRAZY DREAMS!

I've gotten used to having odd dreams (I burp and the baby comes out of my mouth and I wonder if i should just swallow him to put him back...?!?!) but now the dreams are frighteningly realistic. For example, I had a dream a few nights ago that Mason came out unexpectedly, and for whatever reason, I was unconcious for the birth.  When I awoke in the dream, I was alone and had to search the hospital, only to find my family holding a baby GIRL and telling me that there was a mistake.....AHHHH PANIC, FEAR, ANXIETY! I'm not prepared for that!!!

I keep dreaming that I go into labor and for whatever reason, I cant find Ryan.  This worries me, mostly because its wholly possible that I'll go into labor in the next 3 weeks while he is at work.  Its possible that he will be on a roof and un-reachable for an hour or 2.  I know that Ill be in labor for probably 20 hours, but I just feel like I NEED him there for all of it.  It really REALLY panics me to think that he wouldnt be there for every contraction, even though he really cant do anything.  I just need him.

Speaking of being Needy- the 9th month has brought on an emotional side of me that Ryan and my mother find hilarious.  Example- my mom said she thought a dress I liked looked like a swimsuit cover-up.  My response? As soon as I get home, breakdown into a sobbing weeping mess and scare Ryan because he came home and saw me on the floor, in fetal position, crying.

Example 2- rainwater leaked into our basement, and got an old rug wet and it smelly like mildewy towel in the whole house for 2 days.  My response? breakdown resulting in calling and scaring Ryan at work (Im not supposed to call unless im in labor) for him to immediately come home and get rid of the rug.  Apparently I was sobbing about "I dont want a moldy baby" or something.  Ryan says that I did so good for the first 8 months, but apparently it takes VERY little these days to completely crush my world and make me cry for 20 minutes.  Im so lucky to have Ryan...he picks me off the floor and lets me cry and slime all over his shirt while I explain whatever irrational sadness is plaguing me. haha, poor guy. He deserves a medal :)

Weeks 29 through 32

How far along? 32 weeks 3 days

How big is baby? at our 30 week appointment, the ultrasound tech said he weighed 3lbs 7oz - so i assume now he is a little over 4 pounds

Total weight gain:  +27lbs - I only gained 2 pounds in my 7th month, im trying to eat less fatty foods and more healthy stuff.  Makes me happy that Im only gaining baby and not fat now!

Maternity Clothes?  still nope - they fit funny and are itchy.  Ive been getting by with longer tank tops and yoga pants/shorts - i have ONE pair of cute jean shorts that still fit- SO STRETCHY! woo!

Stretch marks? negative - could I really be this blessed?  I've heard I could get them after he comes out- either way, no biggie :)

This is me. Taken on the boat last week while Ryan and I were bow-fishing :)

Sleep: non-existant- is it normal that I'm looking FORWARD to the exhaustion of a crying baby? at least then I could be so worn out that I could sleep!  sleeping with an 8lb bowling ball on your belly is a lot more difficult than I thought...and its going to double in size! yikes!

Movement: He is moving allll the time, in response to bright light, in response to my singing, in response to Ryan talking and then poking at his (what we assume is) feet.  I feel like im getting to know him before hes even here :)

Food cravings: Im always craving baked goods. always. 

What I miss: being "Amanda" and not "Ryans pregnant girlfriend", also, I really miss my friends, its unfortunate that being pregnant has made some of them drift away...like really really far away :(

What I am looking forward to: welp, at this point, I have my eye on the prize! Mason could come anytime in my 9th month, which is only 4 weeks from now! yay! also, cant wait for my baby shower to see my girls and my 2 amazing families...oh and there will be cake there. mmmmmm cake.

Worries: I've been consciously trying to NOT worry about Baby Mason lately.  I can tell you one thing im NOT worried about - labor.  People ask me if i'm scared of labor all the time.  My response: Im not scared at ALL.  I'm fairly convinced that there have been billions of babies born with no complications, Mason will be no different.  Am I scared of the pain? Negative.  I'll take 20ish hours of pain (epidural or not) to see the most perfect face in the world.  WORTH IT! 

What did you just say to me?!?:

"you are ALL belly" - yeah I look like a stick figure with a basketball on my stomach. thank you. haha (:

"When IM pregnant, Im going to be in better shape than you, I cant believe you cant run/walk 4 miles.  Maybe youre one of those "skinny" fat people who look skinny but theyre just really unhealthy...I guess its not your fault, Ryan is really chunky and unhealthy too."

-EXCUSE ME? it is one thing to say im bad at being pregnant(which is odd because she has no children), but dont insult my boyfriend.  I picked him for a reason, because I think hes perfect. 

"aww look at her, shes such a cute pregnant person" - why thank you, random precious couple walking down the street - makes my heart sing :)

"are you excited?" - of COURSE?! I could go on for days about all the things I cant wait for

Oh, and THIS: this is right along the lines of that rude comment that was said to me... okay maybe its just my pregnant emotions...but I just cant take any more of this girl insulting Ryan.  She calls him a hoosier because we like to bow-fish and we like camo, etc..she calls him fat because he doesnt have a six pack, she says hes not good enough for me, based on one argument she heard about 5 months ago...I just dont understand.  Theres being "truthful" and then being "hurtful". No one is better than anyone else.  It makes my blood BOIL to hear ANYone trash talk the love of my life.  watch it, broad.

Along the lines of people who think they are better than other people - i am also extremely tired of the judgment I get since ryan and I arent married yet.  We will get married when we feel like it.  Just because we arent married doesnt mean that we arent deliriously in love, and happy where we are.  Yeah, I get it, youve been with your boyfriend X amount of years and youve never had a fight and you spend all your time drunk or smoking weed or something so your life is just a little bubble of sunshine and perfection... blah blah blah Well congrats.  Id rather have a real relationship where we work through our issues and come to a mutual respect than be in a relationship where you hide things and pretend everything is perfect.  

I read a quote once that said "Love isnt finding a perfect person, its learning to see the imperfect person perfectly".  When I wake up in the morning and Ryan tells me he loves me and kisses my yucky morning breath face before I get up to make breakfast, I know this is what perfect feels like.

-Mrs. Rodgers (mostly)     (;

Weeks 25 through 28

How far along? 28 weeks 6 days

How big is baby? around 2 and a half pounds

Total weight gain:  +25lbs yikes! its so weird to be carrying this much weight around

Maternity Clothes?  I have one pair of maternity pants that I wear, theyre velour (haha yeah its a track suit, i laughed that im actually wearing that) but I really cant stand the belly elastic, especially now that its all warmer

Stretch marks? still NONE!!! ahhh! (knock on wood) My OB says that I may escape this pregnancy mark-free!

This is me. Taken yesterday :)

Sleep: What is sleep? I wake up hourly, and can no longer take comfortable naps, prob has something to do with this basketball-sized uterus

Movement: Baby Mason has discovered a new form of movement in the past week...yoga-like stretching! we can feel his foot-ankle-elbow-hand...not sure... slide from one side of my belly to the other! it is SO CRAZY! but presh.  He also gets frustrated when he hiccups for long periods of time and starts kicking and punching

Food cravings: Im really not craving much of anything these days, besides my usual: cereal, baked goods, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

What I miss: sauntering around - its more of a waddle now, being able to go out and walk around (for example: St. Pats KILLED me.  3 hours of walking and my back and ankles and knees were excruciating) for long periods of time without pain, feeling sexy

What I am looking forward to: BABY SHOWERS!!! oh and Easter is coming up, i love spending holidays with our families

Worries: sometimes Baby Mason doesnt kick as often as usual, and it FREAKS ME OUT.  So much in fact, that we went to the hospital last week to make sure he was okay.  He was perfectly fine, just positioned in a way that the kicks were harder to feel

What did you just say to me?!?:

"how far along are you?" - this question doesnt bother me.  the fact that ANYONE and EVERYONE feels like they need to ask this, at the grocery store, mall, walking down the street...ugh

"you know how that (jabbing finger at my belly) happens, dont you?" said by a guy on the street at St. Pats after he jabbed my belly with his dirty old-man finger. GAG

"you are SO lucky! youre so petite and in shape!" -well thank you, ill just bask in the glow of compliments like these!! :)

Oh, and THIS: not sure what has changed...maybe its because Im a LOT bigger now...but Ryan cant seem to keep his hands off me! I was so sure that he was just one of those guys that are turned off by pregnancy, but nowadays hes always rubbing my belly and feeling Mason kick and kissing me and telling me how much he loves me.  ahhhhh life is SO sweet.

The Nursery is finished! After the baby shower we will be complete! ahhh!

 We ordered little stick on decals for the walls with windows that are made by the same company as the bedding set we have, so presh

 Ryan likes the letters staggered like this... I would rather have them straight. opinions?

-Mrs. Rodgers