-Being a {STAY AT HOME MOM} ... Part 2 of 3-

So the first [6 WEEKS] of {JOY'S LIFE}..... 

Lets back track a bit to pregnancy/delivery.... I was the WORST pregnant person ever! THE WORST! I hated it. I didn't enjoy it one bit. I was sick the first and third trimester. It would make me nauseous whenever Joy would move inside me. I had no energy and I gained A LOT of weight... and when I say A LOT I mean A LOT.... I was 136lbs when I found out I was pregnant & I was 209lbs when I delivered... YIKES! 

A Little of my Bump Picture. I took a weekly one!

I did however have a good birthing experience. I didn't have any issues. I didn't have any complications. My water broke naturally. I did get an epidural (which if I could do it again, I wouldn't... I was so swollen... like bad... I'll take the pain over water retention) But the one thing I regret to this day is that I didn't have any pictures taken. I don't have any pictures of the two of us from the day I delivered or the two of us in the hospital!  I was so ashamed of how I looked, how I felt, with my appearance that I wouldn't let anyone take any pictures of me. I regret it every day still. 

The day joy came home from the hospital. One of the only pictures I have of us.

So now to the baby girl! The first 6 weeks weren't the greatest for a new mom. Joy was on a good sleep schedule, but that was about it. I was breastfeeding and something I was eating just wasn't sitting well with Joy. I had to cut out dairy, I had to cut out wheat.. I ate only veggies, fruit, and meat. It wasn't fun! At this time I was so not ready to dedicate myself to a clean eating diet (HA, I still don't, but it is a little better)... Anyways. Every time I would go to feed Joy she would SCREAM!! She would fight me, push away, eat a little, cry some more. It was absolutely horrible! No one warned me how hard it would be to breastfeed! I was fortunate enough to have help and support from others around me. When I had an issue, they would walk me through it. But it still wasn't getting any better.

Joy was the baby who didn't want to be put down... At all! But that was okay! I was in love with holding her, snuggling, cuddling all day long! I didn't do much those 6 weeks while I was home from work and I went a little stir crazy. Don't get me wrong, I still kept up with the house work, and cooking, and the doggies, thanks to the Tula, and I was getting out at least once a week to visit people, but it just wasn't enough. I didn't feel like I was doing enough... I wasn't working!

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Daddy & the Tula

When I went back to work Joy was only 6 weeks old but I was ready! Yes I said it.... [I WAS READY]! It was a change for me to be home full time. I was used to working and I was ready to do it again. Yes it was hard to go back. And yes I cried. But I was ready for the break! For some time for myself... even if it was just at work! 

That lasted about a week... then I was over it! When I had Joy, I went back to work with a different mind set. I had become a mother, and I started acting like one. The first week back to work I had to pull a 24 hour duty. My first night away from Joy... EVER... and she was only 6 weeks old. I knew right then that I couldn't do this. If I was in a position where I had to leave her for a week, a month or on a year long deployment... count me out! Wasn't happening! 

This was a typical day of Joy climbing everywhere...

I became a full time stay at home mom when Joy was 6 months old (that is how long my chapter packet took)

The time was finally here... I became a full time stay at home mom... 

& {I LOVED IT!}

My love

Joy has always been a very active baby (even now as I am trying to finish up, she is climbing all over me)! She always wanted to be on the go... never stop moving. So she kept me plenty busy throughout the day... I felt a sense of relief... I would get things done around the house when she napped. For once I didn't feel stressed with juggling three different lives... work, school, home.... It was nice.... She was worth getting out of the military for!

Then I got bored....