The Day That I Was Born

I was due to make my world debut on December 7, 1984. 

After my refusal to come out no progress towards labor, my mom went to the hospital on Monday, December 10th to be induced.

My mom remembers going in around 6pm, being hooked up to the machines and getting an IV with Pitocin to get the labor train-a-movin'. Turns out the dumbass nurse FORGOT to turn on the Pitocin drip! 

So for 6 hours my poor little mama laid there with an IV in her arm and nothing going in to it AND was no closer to meeting the most beautiful baby the globe would ever see. 

Finally, around midnight, a nurse with a brain realized the Pitocin was not turned on, and flipped the switch. 

12 hours later it was finally go time. After A LOT of pushing and not a lot of results and the refusal to use a vacuum or forceps, my little mama was able to get me out. 

At 3:41pm on December 12, 1984; Kristin Nicole Krosschell made her grand entrance and solidified her place in the world by peeing on the doctor. 

What a classy lady. 

28 years later and I am celebrating that blessed day by having a coffee date with my mom and daughter, spending the afternoon getting pampered and having dinner with my family.

Perfection!

Happy My Birthday to you all!
Celebrate accordingly. 

The First Few Weeks: Mama Edition

Hi friends.
I want to apologize for being the world's worst blogger these past few weeks. Turns out having a baby eats up way more time than I had ever anticipated, having a baby is also way more difficult than I imagined.

I've got to be honest, these first few weeks have been really hard. Kenley is perfect. She is healthy, happy and a GREAT baby. Taking care of her has been great and I love her with my whole heart, BUT the recovery period and the transition has turned me in to quite the hot mess.

There's this little thing called "The Baby Blues" which is the super cute name someone gave the insane hormonal crash women go through after giving birth. I think a more appropriate name would be "Mama Got Hit By a Train." I know everyone's experience is so different, and I want to truthfully share mine so that you ladies who aren't super moms right out the gate don't beat yourself up like I have been.

Here's the key points...

*A slightly inverted uterus will result in your OB's hands up your hoo-ha for an hour trying to deliver the placenta. And as your epidural wears off...it doesn't feel the best.

*Having an episiotomy and tearing (also known as stitches in three different places) makes using the restroom and sitting really, really not fun. NOTE: Tucks Medicated Pads are THEE best invention since electricity.

*If you are a huge wimp like I am, there is a chance you will pass out on the toilet the first time you have to pee. YUP. Woke up...on the toilet...with a cold washcloth on my head...with the nurse saying "can you hear me?" Straight up blacked out on the John.

*If your baby is part piranha (like mine is) your nipples will crack and bleed causing you to cry every time it's time to feed your baby.

*The cracking and bleeding will then lead to neuritis of the nipples, which essentially means breastfeeding will continue to hurt for weeks or possibly months until it heals itself. Sweet.

*Giving birth makes every muscle in your body sore.

*When your anesthesiologist has to give you three different local anesthetics and TWO (yes two...the first one didn't go in right) epidurals your back will get insanely bruised and feel like you'd been beaten by a baseball bat.

*Hormones make you cry....a lot.

*A not-so-common side effect from childbirth, that I have been so lucky to experience, is Bells Palsy. So, hooray, for the past three weeks I haven't been able to use the right side of my face. Which, to me, has been devastating.

*When you have Bells Palsy, you have to get an MRI with a contrast dye. When you are scared of anything medical...this news is terrifying. This news becomes heartbreaking when you find out you can't breastfeed for 24 hours and have to supplement formula and pump and dump for a full day possibly ruining everything you've worked so hard to accomplish with breastfeeding.

*The post-preggo belly, while much smaller, is very strange. It's a whole different beast than the I-shouldn't-have-eaten-that-entire-pizza belly. No, it's more of a loose, saggy, play-dough belly.

*Lochia, also known as the world's longest period, is a real joy. You start out wearing giant hospital diapers and then graduate to pads which you get to wear for WEEKS...yes, weeks. Not cool.

*Taking a newborn anywhere is the world's biggest production, so it becomes much easier to just NEVER-LEAVE-THE-HOUSE making you feel like a shut-in and go completely stir crazy.


As things gets better all the not-so-fun and disgusting things you go through become more and more funny and less and less devastating. But in all seriousness, I wish women would talk about the post-childbirth experience more. Everyone wants to know about the baby and all new moms want to talk about is their baby, but I think it's important that ladies know how hard it is in the beginning. It's been almost a month since my angel was born and I am JUST NOW starting to feel like myself, granted I had some extra, irregular set backs but it's really hard feeling like an alien in your own body while taking care of this new little alien now living in your house.

The First Few Weeks :: Mama Edition

Hi friends.
I want to apologize for being the world's worst blogger these past few weeks. Turns out having a baby eats up way more time than I had ever anticipated, having a baby is also way more difficult than I imagined.

I've got to be honest, these first few weeks have been really hard. Kenley is perfect. She is healthy, happy and a GREAT baby. Taking care of her has been great and I love her with my whole heart, BUT the recovery period and the transition has turned me in to quite the hot mess.

There's this little thing called "The Baby Blues" which is the super cute name someone gave the insane hormonal crash women go through after giving birth. I think a more appropriate name would be "Mama Got Hit By a Train." I know everyone's experience is so different, and I want to truthfully share mine so that you ladies who aren't super moms right out the gate don't beat yourself up like I have been.

Here's the key points...

*A slightly inverted uterus will result in your OB's hands up your hoo-ha for an hour trying to deliver the placenta. And as your epidural wears off...it doesn't feel the best.

*Having an episiotomy and tearing (also known as stitches in three different places) makes using the restroom and sitting really, really not fun. NOTE: Tucks Medicated Pads are THEE best invention since electricity.

*If you are a huge wimp like I am, there is a chance you will pass out on the toilet the first time you have to pee. YUP. Woke up...on the toilet...with a cold washcloth on my head...with the nurse saying "can you hear me?" Straight up blacked out on the John.

*If your baby is part piranha (like mine is) your nipples will crack and bleed causing you to cry every time it's time to feed your baby.

*The cracking and bleeding will then lead to neuritis of the nipples, which essentially means breastfeeding will continue to hurt for weeks or possibly months until it heals itself. Sweet.

*Giving birth makes every muscle in your body sore.

*When your anesthesiologist has to give you three different local anesthetics and TWO (yes two...the first one didn't go in right) epidurals your back will get insanely bruised and feel like you'd been beaten by a baseball bat.

*Hormones make you cry....a lot.

*A not-so-common side effect from childbirth, that I have been so lucky to experience, is Bells Palsy. So, hooray, for the past three weeks I haven't been able to use the right side of my face. Which, to me, has been devastating.

*When you have Bells Palsy, you have to get an MRI with a contrast dye. When you are scared of anything medical...this news is terrifying. This news becomes heartbreaking when you find out you can't breastfeed for 24 hours and have to supplement formula and pump and dump for a full day possibly ruining everything you've worked so hard to accomplish with breastfeeding.

*The post-preggo belly, while much smaller, is very strange. It's a whole different beast than the I-shouldn't-have-eaten-that-entire-pizza belly. No, it's more of a loose, saggy, play-dough belly.

*Lochia, also known as the world's longest period, is a real joy. You start out wearing giant hospital diapers and then graduate to pads which you get to wear for WEEKS...yes, weeks. Not cool.

*Taking a newborn anywhere is the world's biggest production, so it becomes much easier to just NEVER-LEAVE-THE-HOUSE making you feel like a shut-in and go completely stir crazy.


As things gets better all the not-so-fun and disgusting things you go through become more and more funny and less and less devastating. But in all seriousness, I wish women would talk about the post-childbirth experience more. Everyone wants to know about the baby and all new moms want to talk about is their baby, but I think it's important that ladies know how hard it is in the beginning. It's been almost a month since my angel was born and I am JUST NOW starting to feel like myself, granted I had some extra, irregular set backs but it's really hard feeling like an alien in your own body while taking care of this new little alien now living in your house.

birthday wishlist.

My birthday is next week and while I no longer hand out lists of what I would like {though I can certainly start again}, it's fun to daydream about some little things I would love to add to my life...

These Jimmy Choo Viper Pumps!

A day at the spa.

Mama is in desperate need of a mani/pedi! A facial, massage and haircut would be bomb too. 

The FRIENDS complete series set on Blu Ray...sure I have the complete set on DVD but I am far too obsessed to limit myself. 

A revamped wardrobe! My poor closet is crying right now. 

I'm loving casual but cute looks like these: 

Thank you Pinterest. 

Smashbox Pro Starter Kit! You guys know I am obsessed with Smashbox products! How sweet would this professional kit of goodies be? Just a cool $649, no biggie. 

A night on the town with my favorites: 

This Tiffany & Co. Gemea Watch
GORG, right?!

This "Off the Mat" jacket from Lululemon

A lifetime, or year-long, or whatever membership to my FAVE tanning salon!
I know, I know tanning is bad but I DESPISE being pale and PB offers so much more than just tanning! So, someone hook me up. :)

but more than anything, I would LOVE

12 hours of uninterrupted sleep. 

Kenley's Birth Day

Wowza, I am SO behind! 

Kenley is THREE WEEKS OLD today! How did this happen? 

November 15th was definitely a CRAZY day. 

Kenley was born at 1:07am...

...and had quite the first day. 

We were moved up to our postpartum room at around 5:00am (after my dad had brought us McDonalds...LIFESAVER!) 

Me, Jason and Kenley were able to sleep from about 5:45am to 7:30am and then the visitors starting rolling in. Kenley had a lot of very important people to meet!

She had to meet all EIGHT of her grandparents. 

She got to meet 6 of her Aunts & Uncles!

And she got to meet a bunch of her honorary Aunts and Uncles!

Super shout out to our pal, Colin, who held up his promise and brought me a Twisted Tea! Sadly, because of the 9 months without a drink and the medication I was on I got a buzz after half the can and had to stop! 

As if meeting all those people wasn't enough, Kenley also had her first bath!

and, no, she did not love it. 

Thankfully, in between the nurses checking in on us and all the wonderful visitors we were able to get in some snuggles. 

Then, just 36 hours after Kenley was born, we were out of there and on our way home!