Royal's Modern Sports Nursery

I loved putting Royal's nursery together. Such a fun change to be decorating for a boy! Blue is my favorite color, so it wasn’t hard for me to decide that I wanted a navy blue wall. We chose the same color that we had painted our powder room since we already had it on hand! The color is Van Duesen by Benjamin Moore. We left the rest of the walls white as they were before.

Jordan really wanted the nursery theme to be sports. But I don’t love a ton of colors or the mostly orange themes I kept finding. I agreed to a sports theme if I could find something more modern and classic looking. I finally found the perfect wall hangings at Hobby Lobby! So I based the rest of the room around those pieces.

I chose the colors black, white, navy, and natural wood to be the main highlights in the room.

The crib I chose because it is modern but still classic looking. I loved the slanted legs on the bottom of it and the different sized slats.

My favorite thing in the room just might be the rug. I found it here for a really affordable price! It was the last thing we added to the room and it just pulled everything together perfectly.

I really wanted a dresser that could grow with him rather than buying a changing table that we would only use for a year or two. I loved this one from Walker Edison, and was okay paying a little more for it since I knew it would be a piece we would use for a long time. I love it so much!

Jordan has been holding onto his jersey’s from when he played college ball and I knew we wanted to hang them somewhere eventually. One day I was chatting with his dad about what we could hang above the dresser and at the exact same time we both had the idea to frame one of Jordan’s jersery’s! It was so funny that we both thought of it at the same time and I was super excited to get that hung in the room.

We found a medium sized shadow box at Hobby Lobby along with the cute triangle shaped shelf and grizzly bear metal wall hanging. Both of those things remind us of our time in Montana when Jordan played for the Griz, so they were the perfect finishing touches to go above the dresser next to his jersey.

Oilo had a sale at the perfect timing and I was able to snag a crib sheet, blanket, and changing pad cover at a great price!

We bought a new rocking chair when we moved into our home over a year ago. I loved the wooden rockers on this one and knew it would be great for a nursery some day.

The plant was a gift from my mom. She knew I wanted a plant for the nursery and she had the perfect one for me. I think the metal bucket it is in is from IKEA.

The final touches I added after Royal was born and we had officially decided on a name. The R shaped pillow I made myself. The name cut out is from Knox and Navy.

Metal Bear

Triangle shelf (similar)

Shadow box (similar)

Iron football

Iron basketball

Iron baseball

Sports wall hanging

Changing pad

Teddy Bear

Rug

Box on top of dresser (similar)

Bassinet basket

Dresser

Crib

Blanket

Crib sheet

Changing pad cover

Chair

Book shelf

Mirror

Name Cut Out- Knox & Navy

Letter R pillow (similar)

6 Top Things for Postpartum Recovery

These five things are ones that helped me through the last 8 weeks of postpartum. The first 3-4 can be really rough... even 5-6 let's be real. It is exhausting in every way. Not to mention you are leaking from multiple locations, it's just not fun. Yes, there might be some TMI in here, but I am guessing you are wanting to hear the real reasons behind why these are my favorite things. I am an open book when you ask me questions. So be warned now! Back to my favorites... there are some things that can be real life savers when recovering from having a baby. These are my top six!

1. I live in this Sleep Nursing Bra by Lamaze for the first couple of weeks. It's so comfy you can sleep in it (hence the name) which really helps when you are dealing with over production of breast milk and to keep the nursing pads in place. Which brings me to my next top item.

2. My favorite nursing pads are these Lansinoh Nursing Pads. I have tried reusable nursing pads, and I was not a fan. They would stick to me when they dried and really hurt when you have to un-stick them...

3. Speaking of sore nipples. The two things that save me when nursing around the clock are Lanolin and breast milk. Every time after I nurse for the first three ish weeks, I first express a little breast milk and pat it on the nipple, then let it air dry for a minute. After it's dry, I put a pea sized amount of Lanolin on. These two steps make a world of difference for me, I hope they help you too!

4. Tubby Todd Freshening Spray this one is for mama's. I love all Tubby Todd products, but this spray smells like vanilla and aloe and it's so refreshing. I don't like to use perfume when I have a newborn baby who is nursing all the time. So I love that this is a more natural option to still smell nice when covered in spit up! If you are wanting to purchase Tubby Todd, click here to get 15% off through an affiliate link Tubby Todd gave me to use. My other top item is Tubby Todd All Over Ointment.

5. All Over Ointment is amazing for so many reasons. This is one I mostly use on my babies, but I have used it on myself as well! Some of the things it's great for: dry baby skin, eczema, dry mama hands, baby acne etc. We use it every day and it has literally cured both of my girls from terrible eczema breakouts. We tried everything to get rid of them. Steroid creams, coconut oil, petroleum jelly, you name it nothing worked until this! Again, you can use this link to purchase Tubby Todd for 15% off.

6. Now let's talk postpartum hair loss. This is one of the top things I am asked about as a cosmetologist. Did you know that it's normal to lose 100 strands of hair a day? Did you also know that you stop losing almost all of those 100 daily strands when you are pregnant? Once the baby is delivered, all of those hairs that stopped falling out, start to fall out again at a much more rapid rate. So don't feel like you will lose all of your hair, you won't! It will stop eventually. With Quincy, my hair fell out for 5-6 months. After Lucy, my hair fell out much quicker for about two months. My re growth was much more apparent with Lucy than it was with Quincy. Currently, my hair has been falling out and the number one thing that saves me during this time is the Wet Brush. Seriously, if you are dealing with postpartum hair loss, you need this. Have you tried combing through your hair after a shower? It used to take me literally 15 minutes to comb through my hair when I was dealing with postpartum hair loss. But the Wet Brush changed my life!

I hope these six things help you in your postpartum recovery. I wish you luck mama. You've got this! You are amazing and I am glad you are here!

Tubby Todd Spray: https://tubbytodd.com/collections/all-1/products/mama-freshening-spray
Tubby Todd All Over Ointment: https://tubbytodd.com/collections/all-1/products/all-over-ointment
Lanolin: https://amzn.to/2QbSPUo
Lansinoh Nursing Pads: https://amzn.to/2DfCr2r
Sleep Nursing Bra: https://amzn.to/2DhDtL4
Wet Brush: https://amzn.to/2Okycn8


This post contains affiliate links through Amazon.

Newborn Royal

Royal has been a name that we liked for a few years now. We had a boy name and a girl name picked out before we started trying to get pregnant with our third baby. This was very rare for two indecisive people :D But when it came down to the last half of our pregnancy with Royal, we both became unsure if we wanted to name him that. Jordan's sister was naming her little boy a name that was similar, and we had become unsure if we wanted his name to be Royal after all. We came up with another name that we liked, but it just didn't have a lot of meaning behind it. Both of our girls names have meaning to us, and so we wanted to keep that tradition.

Royal is the name of Jordan's great great grandpa. He was a hardworking pioneer who sacrificed a lot for his family and to gain an education. We really admired him as we read about him in Jordan's family history, so we were happy to name a child after a diligent man. Jordan's middle name is his father's name. So we decided to carry on that tradition giving Royal the middle name Jordan. We have been asked a lot if we will call him Royal or just Roy. We call him both. Roy is more of a nickname.

I have enjoyed taking my babies newborn photos myself. I have definitely improved since I attempted Quincy's years ago. But it's a fun time for me to bond with my baby and capture their sweetness when they are so tiny. Royal is a sweet boy and I was so happy to capture a few of his cute smile.

Mama of 3: What I Pack in My Hospital Bag and Playlist

After having three babies, I thought I would share what I like bringing to the hospital! Mind you, I typically stay the minimum amount of time. So I don't need a lot of clothes or other things. But this list is helpful for keeping comfortable while there along with a few things for baby and dad. As a bonus I also included the playlist I listened to while there!





MAMA-TO-BE BAG:

• Robe (love this super soft one from BeachCoco)
• Nursing Bra (this is my favorite postpartum bra)
• Loose shirts
• Nursing Cami
• Socks
• Pillow/Blanket
• Journal for baby from Promptly Journals (with a place to put a footprint)
• Lanolin
• Nursing Pads (my favorites here) (note: I have tried the reusable ones, and I am not a fan)
• Vitamins
• Girls gifts from baby (bracelets)
• Diaper Bag- Fawn Design (including insurance card, ID, and change/cash for vending machines)

ELECTRONICS:

• Laptop and charger
• Portable speaker and charger (we love this one)
• Ipod with soothing music PLAYLIST (find mine here)
• Headphones
• Camera
• Video camera
• Extension cord (to plug phone in)
• Phone charger

TOILETRY BAG:

• Makeup
• Shower kit (shampoo etc)
• Dry Shampoo
• Brush
• Toothbrush
• Febreeze
• Deodorant
• Norwex cloth
• Face wash and lotion
• Hair dryer
• Tubby Todd All Over Ointment and Mama Spray (get 15% off your first order)
• Cute toiletry bags from Penny Dip

BABY BOY'S BAG:

• Going home outfit (linked below)
• Swaddle & matching beanie (my favorites from KBCute)
• Binky and clip
• Nail clippers/file

DAD'S BAG:

• Change of clothes
• Snacks
• Toiletries
• Phone Charger
• Pillow/Blanket

OTHER:

• Carseat
• Boppy
• Girls gifts to give baby brother

I have linked some of the items below, or some similar if not available.

Royal's Birth Story

We are so happy to introduce you to the newest member of our family: Royal Jordan. He is the sweetest boy! Quincy and Lucy love being big sisters and they are so sweet with him. 


We had initially planned to have a videographer come to film the birth and when the girls would meet him. But she was out of town when he made his early debut (9 days early.) So instead I pieced together clips and pictures that Jordan and I took while at the hospital. We don't have actual footage of him being born since Jordan was at my side literally holding me up at that point. But I am so grateful we have this video to remind us of this very special day. We love you Royal!

Saturday morning my neighbors and friends from church threw a “sprinkle” for me. So nice of them! We received cute outfits, diapers and wipes, and a few other necessities. Jordan took the girls golfing while I was gone. They were still golfing when I arrived home so I decided to start putting clothes and gifts away in baby’s room. When they arrived home, we had lunch and then took a nap while Lucy was napping and Quincy was watching a show. I woke up about 4:30 and started having some stronger contractions. They were pretty inconsistent and I had been having contractions like that the night before. So I tried not to think much of it. I decided to run to the store to get a few groceries and things we needed. I was about to leave to the store and felt like I might be in labor, but decided to go anyway. Quincy told me “Mom, if you are going to have the baby, you can go to the hospital and Dad can meet you there.” It’s as if she knew or something.... 

As I walked around Target I was very uncomfortable. Still unsure that I was in labor, but when I got back to my car I started getting very emotional and feeling anxious. I decided that I should just go to the hospital and get checked. I called Jordan to let him know that I was going to pick up the pizza and then be home. I felt like it was pretty pointless to be picking up pizza as I knew I wouldn’t eat it. But the girls needed to eat, so I bought it anyway. I then called Jordan again on my way home. I told him that I thought I was in labor and that was I going to call my mom to come sit with the girls so we could go to the hospital and I could get checked. (6:53) I called my mom to ask her to come. I also told her to just relax as I felt this was precautionary. But she drove to my house extra fast anyway. When I arrived home I packed my last minute items into my hospital bag and had two bites of pizza. My mom arrived and we said goodbye to the girls. They were so excited that they might be able to meet baby brother soon. It was definitely a bittersweet goodbye. I tried not to cry as we gave them kisses and hugs. We headed to the hospital about 7:30.


When we arrived to the hospital the nurse started asking questions. I explained my situation about how I typically go pretty fast (read Lucy's birth story here) and that my contractions were about 10-20 minutes apart. So I felt that I was there earlier than I normally would be. They checked me about 30 minutes after we got there and I was at a 7-8. The nurse said they would have the doctor come in and break my water to move things along. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. But the on call doctor came in and did it anyway. I guess my doctor decided to leave town for the holiday weekend after all. (I had asked her on Tuesday if she would be gone and she told me no.) I was really bummed that my doctor wouldn’t be there. We had hired a videographer who was also out of town, so double bummer.

Things went kind of slow for the next 3 hours. I spent my time sitting on and bouncing on a ball. The contractions slowly started getting closer. At one point I really needed to pee, which made us both a little nervous since that was the sure sign Lucy was coming. But it wasn't a baby this time!  Jordan and I became pretty bored and I wished I would have brought a movie or game to entertain us. Jordan found Parent Trap on tv, so we started watching that. I cried at the emotional parts and finally told Jordan to just turn it off. 


About 11 o’clock I asked the nurse to check me again because I was feeling more pressure. I sat on the bed and waited for her to come in. The contractions were becoming much more intense and I began to wonder how much longer I could do this. I looked at the clock and it was just after 11. I grabbed Jordan’s hand with each contraction. Trying to concentrate on breathing and not tensing up too much. I told baby that if he wanted to be born on the first like his daddy that he better hurry up!
The nurse came in to check I was still at an 8 but fully effaced. As soon as I sat up I said, “I think he’s coming” and so she laid me back down to check again. It was super uncomfortable to lay back down. I was cringing and couldn't stay still. As soon as she checked she said "yep your cervix is gone." Then said she would go get the doctor. As I tried to sit up my bed wasn’t working, it wouldn’t let me sit up. I told the nurse that he was coming right now. She said “okay, don’t push yet, let me get the doctor.” But I told her “he’s coming.” She called for backup in the hall and ran back over to my side as Jordan helped me up to squat on the bed because that was the only thing I could think of. I had my arm around Jordan and was trying not to push but that wasn’t happening. Through one intense contraction and a slight push, out he came. A nurse barely made it to the bed to catch him as other nurses were piling into the room and grabbing gloves. She laid him on the bed as I collapsed onto the bed in exhaustion. Another nurse tried to figure out why my bed wasn’t working (it had been unplugged and running on battery power.) I felt like I was slightly in shock and couldn’t do anything but breath and stare at him for about 30 seconds. He was purple and you could tell he wasn’t breathing very well. It was kind of a raspy cry. I asked if I could hold him. They tried to hand him to me but the cord wouldn’t pull long enough. So they had Jordan cut the cord and then I finally had my baby on my chest. The moment I had waited 9 months for.


He had a sweet little face and hair! I could tell he was about the same size as my girls had been. The nurse was still tending to baby because he still wasn’t breathing very well. She said it sounds like he has fluid in his lungs so she would have to make him cry more to see if they could get it to clear up. At this point I realized what a blessing it was that we were at the hospital where they could tend to him as he needed. I didn't want to think about what would have happened if he would have come at home like Lucy. Tender mercies.

The doctor finally made it in. She helped deliver the placenta while I held my baby. She told me that I had no tearing which was a relief. I didn’t tear with Lucy either and the recovery was so much better than when I did tear slightly with Quincy. After I delivered the placenta, the nurse took the baby over to monitor him a bit more and try to clear his lungs out. They had to put a tube down his throat and suck the fluid out a few times. Poor baby. I'm glad I didn't have to watch that. After about 30 minutes he finally started breathing better and they wanted me to try to nurse him. He took a minute to latch but nursed well and he wasn't having a hard time breathing anymore. Such a blessing. Royal weighed seven pounds and eight ounces and was 21 inches long. We feel beyond blessed to have him in our family and can't wait to watch him grow.

Lucy's Birth Story: http://peekatwoodsworld.blogspot.com/2015/12/lucys-birth-story.html
Quincy's Birth Story: http://peekatwoodsworld.blogspot.com/2013/04/our-birth-story.html