Mommy Monday-3 week update and December Flood warning

Flooding in Winter...
 Wow has it been crazy around here lately! So, I was going to post last Monday, but then we had a big ice storm and lost the electricity for 5 days! We had a generator for the water pump and the wood furnace, (forced hot air) but still it was very inconvenient. The wood cook stove in the kitchen meant hot water for dishes, giving the baby a sponge bath, general cleaning up and also cooking meals, of course. We took showers at our parents houses, as well as did a couple loads of laundry. But for the most part, aside from a few oil lamps, the house was dark. The day after we got the power back, our car broke down. That same day my mother-in-love let us use her car. I was heading out to my parents house that night with the baby to see my brother and sister-in-love. While still in the driveway, the transmission line came unhooked and all the fluid leaked out. Darling said crusty ice must have hit it just right and knocked it off. So I texted Darling saying I was "stuck" (I didn't know just what had happened yet) and he came and got the baby and we walked back down the driveway, in the dark to the house. On top of that, my breast pump died and the baby wouldn't nurse, once again, preferring a bottle. Not to mention that the day after Christmas, Darling found out he was one of the workers laid off at the Lincoln mill.
  Needless to say, "mommy" has been a little wigged out lately. And it is affecting my milk production, so I have to supplement with formula. My parents surprised me with a new manual pump, and an electric one. -Thank you guys!- Today I feel a little more relaxed. I started excising again, and am drinking a lot more water. Hopefully things will straighten out now.

Ahem- all that aside, here goes week 3's update:
 Jackson-We had our first story time tonight. I read him Max Lucado's  book "Just in case you ever wonder". He was very, um, unenthusiastic and even burped in the middle of the story lol. But I enjoyed spending the time with him, snuggled up with me :). His umbilical cord fell off last week, so now we can give him a full bath! He looks a lot chubbier to me than he did three weeks ago, mommy's little porker lol. He is more alert when awake now. He looks all around, and sometimes he follows noises, turning his head to see where it's coming from.
 Me-Aside from being wigged out, I've lost more weight, 11lbs to go to be at my pre-pregnancy weight! And-drum roll please- my old jeans fit me again!!!!!!!!! My maternity pants got to the point where I had to keep pulling them up all day. So one day last week, I decided to try them on. I was happily surprised!

Random stuff: I've been fondly thinking of mud season already! I'm done with snow! I am already planning the garden lol. Darling is currently cutting wood to pay the bills. I feel bad that he is out in the cold snow all day :(. But he is a good man, and keeping his little family warm and fed :).
 Future post: Grocery Haul by request. I think it will be fun to do a post about it, it has been a while.
 Well, night all. Hope to post pics soon, too tired to wait for them to load lol. Take care!

Mommy Mondays

So there is a theme going around in the virtual world where new mothers post weekly about their new little ones. They try to post once a week with an update about how they and their baby are doing, milestones, etc. I wanted to start this Monday, and thought it was perfect because Jackson was born on a Monday. Well, I blew that already lol. So, this is a day late, but here is my first Mommy Monday post:

  Jackson had his first check up this Monday. He is doing great! He has gained 10oz since leaving the hospital! He surpassed his birth weight (6lbs, 13oz) and now weighs 7lbs and 3oz! He eats about every 3 hrs. and when he is awake he likes to look around and study the face of whoever is holding him. He still has his umbilical cord, which looks like it could fall off any day now. His newborn clothes are still too big for him, and his 0-3 month outfits are even bigger! He is a very happy baby so far, and only cries when he is getting his diaper changed some times. At night, he wakes up about three times for a diaper change and feeding, then goes right back to sleep.

About me: I feel tired, but am getting more energetic by the day. I'm no longer experiencing pain from the cesarean, just some pain from the incision if I sit up too quickly, or move the wrong way. I've lost 14lbs, 16 to go! I hate to say it but, my regular jeans still don't fit, and my maternity ones are a little too big, so I'm in kind of a limbo with that. Nursing is going very well. He latches on great and apparently is getting enough to eat lol. I haven't had any trouble yet, as far as engorgement, cracked nipples and things of that nature. It just seems so natural, I feel lucky:). Although, this morning when I tried to nurse him he wouldn't because he wanted a bottle instead. (I pump so Darling can feed him sometimes and to make night time easier) So later I tried some sugar water and he is back to nursing again.

Pictures of little Jackson, 8 days old:

 Sneaking a peek

 Hanging with Daddy

 Zonked out!

 Belly shot 8 days postpartum

~Jackson Roy Osgood~

Baby Jackson is here! He arrived on Monday, December 9, 2013 at 4:24 pm, 6lbs 13oz, 20" long!!!!!
 After 24 hours of labor, Jackson's heartbeat kept dipping dangerously low during contractions. I was given Pitocin to see how he would do as labor progressed and it was then decided that to continue would be too much for him. So, I had to have a c-section. I was disappointed, but we all wanted him safe and healthy.

All scrubbed up and ready to go into the O.R.

 Mamma meeting baby for the first time

 Getting checked over and checked in

Proud Pappa

Grammie Osgood

Mamma and Jackson

Dad's first time changing Jackson's diaper!

Grampie Osgood

Aunt Zebra

Aunt Vet

Great-Grammie Osgood

Uncle Gardener

Uncle Engineer

Aunt Pooh

New little family

Grammie Aldrich and the Aunts and Uncles

Great Grammie Osgood, Grammie Osgood, Grampie Osgood, Auntie Kaelie, and Daddy

Proud Aunt Kaelie

Great-Grammie Aldrich

All dressed up to go home!

Recipe Binder

As I said before, I finally finished my recipe binder!  My favorite recipes are now easier to find, and take up less space in the kitchen. So here it is:

The binder is a 2'' Staples Better Binder

 I got the stickers and paper from A.C.Moore

 Labeling with my label maker

 The dividers and contents page are made by Avery (at Staples) This particular one is the 10-tab extra wide dividers. I put the contents page inside a page protector and labeled the outside in case I want to change it, I can just peel off the label.

 In the first page, I have substitutions, equivalents, and average cooking times for meats, etc. The sleeves are Avery, exclusively in the Martha Stewart office collection. They have 4 pockets per sheet with top flaps to keep the contents from falling out. I love them! You can also get them for small binders.

 I can quickly and easily see all my favorite recipes!

 In the back of the binder, I have take out menus inside secure top sheet protectors, also Avery, I think.

 Then in the back pocket, I have my food processor manual and some undated Ball canning coupons.

I also stuck in a few extra empty sheets for adding recipes in the future.
 I got the idea for this binder from www.alejandra.tv
 Hope you liked it, and it inspired you!

Homemade Christmas Ornament And 101st post!

I sanded the cookie, wood burned it, then put several coats of shellac on it.
This is an actual piece of our first tree.

The ribbon is from Dollar Tree :) I don't use a lot of ribbon usually, so a buck for 6ft wasn't bad, I didn't think.
 ~It took over a year but I made it to my 101st blog post!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Zebra!!!!

Zebra turned 6! Birthday party theme: Tea Party!

Tomato ladybugs on Ritz

 Zebra cake, crafted by the Vet

Chocolate dipped and drizzled strawberries

 For one of her gifts, Zebra got a giant handmade "Rainbow Dash" (from My little Pony) made by the Vet's friend, Abby.

 Silly goobers with their tea party pals

 Garfield and Gramps

 Oddie and Grammie

 Make a wish!

Pregnant Bellies! I'm 39 weeks and my sister-in-love is 25 weeks...Babies!