Fall is here!

My favorite time of year is finally here!!! This time I get to do fall with a BABY! So surreal knowing that my new title is mama. I love it so much! I have anticipated the pumpkin patch with a baby for so long!!! Ever since I started teaching preschool 5 years ago, I would dream of the day that I could take my own little baby to the pumpkin patch for pictures and to just enjoy a little family day. I was able to do just that last Sunday. I took my own sweet family to St. Thomas's Pumpkin Patch where we took tons of pictures and picked out 6 pumpkins!!! Jax slept on me while I talked with a bunch of my old co workers and parents. It was such a sweet day. I am looking forward to Jax's first Thanksgiving! He is by far our biggest blessing this year :) 

Jax is now 3 months old ...time needs to slow down! I am enjoying each milestone and stage though ..every month he does something new and it is so much fun to watch! Here are some 3 month favorites

1. Stroller Strides- I joined a mommy workout class with a friend and have been able to meet so many wonderful women!! I was at first skeptical to join because honestly how fun does it sound to work out with a crying infant?? However the babies get used to the schedule, there are no germy daycares you have to drop baby off at in order to work out, its interactive and fun, and I work my butt off!!!! I enjoy the company of ALL the mamas - so many are just like me! It is nice to have a group of moms to talk about mom stuff with because lets be honest husbands don't always have the answer!!! I feel so blessed by this group so this is definitely a favorite for us!

2. Rolling over- Jax has rolled over from tummy to back 4 times now! I don't think he intentionally does it on purpose but he gets so frustrated on tummy time that he gets his little legs kickin' and they just sort of topple him over. It is pretty funny to watch

3. Laughing-  Jax has a beautiful belly laugh and I am obsessed with it!

4. The Crib- DUN DUN DUN. Yes we made the transition to the crib recently and it has been glorious! He isn't sleeping through the night which is fine and not expected because he is a BABY! HOWEVER, he is sleeping much longer stretches and much more soundly. 

5. Mamas boy- I cannot say it enough..I am just so incredibly happy God chose ME to be his mommy. I dreamed of having a baby boy who just adored his mother and that is exactly what I have. The way his eyes follow me when I leave the room is so cute..the way he responds to me when I grab him from someone else. It is as if he has been waiting all his life to snuggle his mommy. I am so lucky!

Here are some pictures to document his cuteness :)

P H O T O D U M P

Jax is really starting to come into a tiny personality! He is a very laid back baby ( much like his daddy) and really only cries when hungry, tired, or wet. He is pretty chill .. lately he has started to teethe a little bit so that has not been fun :(  I am mush when it comes to his baby smiles and gurgles. Our three AM feed results in him playing in his crib talking to himself and smiling and as tired as I am I always have a big smile back for him because who can resist that face?!! We  have started " trying" to transition to his bedroom during naps. He has only slept in his crib a few times and he doesn't really like it yet :/ He is mostly in the pack in play in our bedroom and I am fine with it for a little bit longer.  We joined a new group called Stroller Strides which is basically a fitness group for moms and we are absolutely LOVING it!!! Fall has nestled into San Antonio so our morning walks have been bliss! I am still always tired #momlife because my baby does NOT like to sleep that much :) But it's okay I am more in love than I have ever been in my life!! I am really looking forward to all of our firsts this year...Pumpkin Patch, Thanksgiving, Christmas :) Family pictures, Road trip to Conroe, and watching him try all new foods!!! 

Jax 8-11 wks pictures

Always a smile for mommy

Little Man

Stroller Strides!!

Good Morning!

andddddd napping on mommy

Tummy Time

Stinker in our bed!!! 

Obsessed with all of his PJs

Hi baby 

Big chunk and mom at starbucks

Jaxie, 

You light up my life more than I could ever explain. I am so glad God picked me to be your mommy!!!

Jax's Birth Story

July 13th 2016

7 lb &13 oz. 19 3/4 inches long

1:54 Am

20 hours of labor

2 hours pushing..

our precious boy entered the world

This will always be my favorite picture ever. It just shows so many emotions...I will never forget the instant they placed this slimy wet human on my chest. I just started bawling my eyes out. He was perfect ...and he was everything God promised me! 1 year of praying, 9 months of growing, 20 hours laboring, and 2 hours pushing I received my biggest accomplishment, Gods biggest gift to us, my sweet son Jax.  I am still in awe today ( even as I type this he is asleep on me in the baby K'taan) that God chose Brandon and me to be this little boy's mom and dad. Although most of the days I am filled with exhaustion..the thankfulness and gratitude fill me more. You see, for this child we prayed. We prayed BIG prayers to god to bless us with our family. We never knew really why we weren't getting pregnant ( so incredibly frustrating!)  There was never a big problem diagnosed? " So why the wait Lord?" - This was my constant prayer...Why? Why so long!? Well, God's timing is beautiful and perfect and so we waited in trust and faith ( although times very difficult!)...and ya know what? 

He was worth the wait! 

Here is Jaxie's Birth story

5:30 AM report to Methodist Stone Oak Hospital

and here we are!!! Ready to go!

9:30 Start the Pitocin. I immediately felt the contractions in my lower back...then about an hour later they began to wrap around my front. I opted for the Epidural pretty quick. They gave me a cool little clicker to push up those pain meds..and mama was pretty happy. 

Mama is in Labor!!

Before the contractions got pretty intense..notice my smile :) LOL

Aunt Joanne was here for support of course!!! 

And so was Auntie Leiny!!!

Other people in the laboring room were ( my mom and dad, both sets of my grandparents, and Brandon's dad) 

Yeah those contractions started getting intense so I may or may not have cranked up the meds...ummmm I think I was feeling good here.

Daddy B was SO excited!

Here is a totally raw ( unflattering) pic of me about 10 hours into labor. My contractions were intense, I was throwing up, and water had just broken. IN PAIN! Epidural eventually did nothing. I had this baby ALL NATURAL PEOPLE!!!!

Another 8 hours of intense labor..I was in and out of la la land. I'll never forget literally praying in my mind saying " Please God just let him come out!" This was by far the hardest thing I have ever done. ( The doctors tell me the second baby won't be so bad!! OMG I HOPE!) Eventually my Epidural wore off and by the time I had to push I could feel everything. Had I not been so exhausted and out of it I think it would have been a lot worse. I had an ex military nurse as my labor nurse and she was honestly exactly what I needed. I was So dog tired during pushing that she would Yell at me " COME ON MAMA!! We have to get this baby out now!!! Lets go!!!" I would jolt awake and with all the might in my tired body I would push...1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 and stop. One amazing thing during the birth was that Jax's heartbeat stayed steady and strong. He was never distressed..I specifically prayed for him to be safe and calm because I was so nervous about having an emergency C...and once again God came through. The very last time I pushed took everything out of me ..I remember my mom and Brandon chanting " Come on Callie, You got this!! I see his head!!!! Baby you are almost there!!!" And with one final Scream-  I pushed that baby out! Jax Holden was Finally here!!!!! 

The BEST most incredible moment of my entire life.

I am so tired in this picture...my eyes were blood shot from all the pushing, I am swollen and delirious  but oh how much love I have bursting from inside!!! This was the happiest moment of my life. I had a beautiful birth... this was the best moment ever.

2 AM ..party in our room!! Everyone had to see this baby.

Here is my dad with Jax

and mom..

From the moment I hit the hospital..all the way until the next day..I never slept. Brandon and I were awake for 36 hours before the nurse calmly asked if she could take the baby for a bath and to the nursery so we could rest. Sleep never even dawned on me?? I don't know if it was my adrenaline or the fact that I was so completely in love with this new baby boy but Sleep was foreign.. and still is today :)

Next time. I will sleep.

Our little family of three

I was so emotional the car ride home..probably the crazy hormones but I cried and cried thinking OMG I am going home with my SON! My angel!! We are so happy!

I will always remember Jax's birth. It was long and hard...kind of like our journey for him to get here. I know Brandon and I will have another baby..or maybe even two. I tear up thinking about that because although I will love all of my children the same..I feel like nothing will ever compare to Jax's story. How he got here, how long I labored, the moment I finally held my firstborn son. I don't know...I feel like it will be different?? Just some mommy thoughts to throw out there. I would do all of it over again in five seconds if I could. I feel honored that God chose the path he did for us because we came out so strong!! Being a mommy is hard..I always thought it would be SOOO easy and fun! While there is tons of fun involved ( lots of laughs, snuggles, a love I can't explain) it is very exhausting.  Now that we are almost 7 weeks in we have our groove going again. I feel like I can breathe and we are a little mommy/Jaxie team. I love waking up with him in the mornings...going downstairs and feeding him..just the two of us. Snuggling in our pajamas and drinking coffee. It is pure bliss and I would not change it for the world! He is the best thing Brandon and I have ever done together and he is the biggest gift from our God. We are so in love.