What Do You Really Want For Mother's Day?

Mother's Day is coming soon. My husband mentioned to me today that he had to go to the mall with my daughter some time tomorrow to run an 'errand'. Yes, he remembered! But does he know what I really want for Mother's Day. What I really want is not in the mall.

You can't buy what most mom's really want. Don't get me wrong. We'll be happy with a bought gift. We'll be even happier with a made gift. What's more thoughtful then a gift made with love! Check out momstown's Art's and Craft's blog for some ideas. You may want to casually leave the 10 Homemade Mother's Day Gift's blog page open on the computer for daddy to see!

Egg Carton Flower

I do want to spend Mother's Day with my children. But I also would love to have some 'alone' time. When you are a stay-at-home mom with a newborn, personal space is non-existent. A break for me is having someone watch the kids while I clean the bedroom or get groceries. Oh 'alone' time. How I miss you some times. It's not uncommon for my daughter, the baby and my dog to climb on my lap at the same time. Although I love the feeling of being so loved and wanted, I do miss being alone sometimes. And there is actually one gift that would be on the top of my list this year. Sleep! I have a 3 week old baby at home, so sleep is a luxury now a days. I know that this isn't very possible with the hungry baby boy I have at home. But even 4 hours! How I'd love a good 4 hour stretch! Here's to hoping my baby boy gives me the greatest gift of all this year!

So mama's, what is on the top of your wish list this year? Perfume, flowers, brunch, being alone, being together, home made gifts? What will make your Mother's Day perfect?

There's A New Kid In Town

We are pleased to announce the newest arrival to our family. Benjamin Thomas Raftis was born April 13, 2011 at 2:28 pm. He was a big boy, weighing in at 10.3 lbs and 21.5" long.

Mommy & Benjamin

As most deliveries, our delivery did not go as planned. After several ultrasounds showing his shoulder in the way and the prediction that he was going to be at least 10 pounds (big for my little 5 foot frame), the doctors recommended a c-section. This was also recommended because our first delivery with Isabella ended up with shoulder dystocia, which lead to a rough delivery and lots of blood loss.

In the end, our ultimate goal was to have a healthy mom and baby. So we agreed to the c-section. I was definitely nervous. But I had great doctors and nurses looking after me. They did an exceptional job, and my husband kept me calm through the procedure. I also have an awesome doula named Becky from Birth Roots Doula Collective. She has been such a support for both my husband and I. She has been supportive, kept us calm, kept us informed of our options pre and post delivery, and is still there for us whenever we have questions.

Proud papa!

Surprisingly I've been recovering much better this time around, even though I had a c-section. With our first child, I had a 36 hour delivery and was in recovery for over 8 hours before I even got to see my daughter due to the blood loss. I pretty much had no energy and was on bed rest for over a week. This time around I wasn't tired from a long delivery, they kept my blood loss under control and I never had any nursing issues. He latched right away!  Anyone who's had difficulty with nursing will know how frustrating and emotionally draining this can be.

So even though things didn't go as planned, it all worked out in the end. I have a healthy baby boy who his big sister adores! It's hard to believe it's been a week and a half already. It just seems like yesterday I was counting down the days on the calendar waiting for his arrival.

Big sister Bella visiting her baby brother for the first time.