Amy Marie

Summer is my favorite time to read! I have fond memories of my mom taking my brother and I to the library to pick up books each week, reading on the beach and by the pool, and staying up late at night to finish “just one more chapter.” Over the past year I struggled to pick up a book. The weight of the world made it feel almost impossible, so instead I drowned myself with mindless TV shows and endless scrolling on various social media platforms.

This year I’ve been making an effort to read more. I try to make it more of a priority and find that I feel better after I do. It has been relatively easy to prioritize reading these past few months. By the end of my pregnancy there weren’t many physical activities I could do.

Reading with a newborn baby is not the easiest, but I’ve designated my pumping time as reading time… because again I found myself caught in scrolling mindlessly on social media. I’d like my brain not to be total mush when I go back to work in August.

My Summer Reading List:

It’s a short and sweet list, but I can’t imagine I’ll have much time for reading, I’ve got lots of baby snuggles to be doing! What is on your summer reading list?

If you were to tell me that I would go PAST my due date I would have laughed and confidently bet against you that I wouldn’t. I was extremely confident that I would go into labor 2 weeks early, just as my Mom, Aunt, and Grandmother all had with ALL of their children. I kid you not. No child born on my mothers side of the family made it to their due date. Well, that was not going to be my story. Week 37, 38, 39, and 40 came – no baby. At my 40 week appointment I wasn’t even a bit dilated and my cervix was in the posterior position, meaning tucked back behind babies head. There would be no baby anytime soon. I left the office, walked to my car and cried. My body was extremely uncomfortable at this point, I was taking at least 3-4 baths a day because it was the only time my entire body wasn’t throbbing, I was exhausted from not sleeping, my chest was on fire, and I was done. I was done being pregnant.

The next 5 days were pretty rough, I tried to keep myself distracted, but was fearful to go places alone as I thought “my water is going to break any minute, I just know it!”. For the next 5 days I read, needlepointed, painted my nails, watched Netflix, bounced on my ball and tried all the old wives tales of inducing labor… yes even sex. Still nothing.

May 24th

On Monday May 24 I woke up doubled over in cramps and I (TMI) passed a small blood clot. After searching online at what a “mucus plug” was I determined this was not the same thing and called my doctor. Once there I got checked out, a non-stress test, and was told I was not in labor yet. I had an appointment scheduled for the following morning for an ultrasound, another stress test, and to start discussing induction options. Again I went home and continued to let the clock tick.

Later that night…

After my 4th bath of the day I started to feel a bit crampy. I did not get too excited as this had been occurring for the past few weeks and always went away after an hour or so.

11pm – Around 11pm these cramps were consistently 10 minutes apart so I woke Justin up and told him I thought I was in labor. I started to track them and he called his mom and sister to come pick up the dogs – just in case. Justin started to rush around the house to gather last minute items, take a shower, and pack our car. Little did we know the long night we had ahead of us…

May 25th

2am – My contractions started to progress and by 2am they were lasting approximately 1 minute and 5 – 7 minutes apart, so I called the on call OB to check in. She told me I was definitely in labor, but not progressed enough to come in to the hospital. I was shocked… my whole pregnancy I was told to follow the 5-1-1 rule. Contractions 5 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute, for 1 hour. I was shocked when she told me she wanted them 4 minutes apart. She wanted me to labor at home. “Take some Benedyl and take a bath” she told me “Go to your morning appointment and they will assess you then.” So… for the next 6 hours I labored at home… it was awful. Between contractions I was either throwing up or trying to power nap.

Justin sat with me through the night helping me track my contractions. I was most comfortable being on the floor on all fours or leaning against my ball. My contractions never got to the 4 minute mark and I waited for the morning to come so we could head into the office.

7:30am – I called my doctors office. I had been counting down since my 2am phone call with the on-call OB for the office to open. I had described my night to them, where I was with my contractions and they invited me to come in right away. That was not the answer I wanted. I wanted them to tell me to go to the hospital, that the baby was coming any minute… again no. So Justin and I drove the 15 minutes down the road to the office. Sitting in a car while actively contracting every 5 minutes = misery. Would not recommend.

*I really hope you weren’t hoping to read this and find out I gave birth on a cloud with angels singing, that’s not this story… but I promise you its not awful, but I did push a human out of my body… so theres that.*

8am – I most definitely scared a young happy newly pregnant couple in the waiting room at my OB’s office. I looked haggard from laboring all night, could barely walk, and most definitely moaned and groaned a bit too loud during my office visit. I did another non-stress test and got checked. Good news I was 3 cm dilated… but guess what they wanted me to go back home and labor some more. Again, I was told to take a Benedryl and get in the bath for a bit. Tears in my eyes I nodded my head. I felt like I kept running towards the finish line and just when I was about to approach it, it was moved farther away.

Justin and I walked to the car, discussing our game plan for the rest of the day when my phone rang. It was my doctor. She had looked over my non-stress test and it appeared that there were some dips in baby’s heart rate during some of my contractions and she would feel more comfortable if I headed to the hospital now and have them assess me there. There was a chance they wouldn’t admit me, but at least I was going to get checked out.

9:30am – Justin and I checked into labor and delivery and I got assessed. Another non-stress test… I was getting good at these and I got checked out again – 4cm. Woo! Things were moving along. Then I heard what I had been waiting to hear for hours “you’re admitted”. Fear, excitement, joy, and panic were just a few of the emotions I was experiencing.

11am – Justin and I were in our labor room. The size of a shoebox, definitely not as glamours as described to me when I did my virtual maternity ward tour… I had a sweet nurse named Cara who was calming and friendly. She shared how this was her 3rd baby girl birth of the day and she helped make Justin and I feel comfortable. The next two hours I labored in our room. I told myself I would allow myself to ask for an epidural when I was 5 cm dilated. There is no rule as to when you can get an epidural, but I was still trying to “be strong” during my labor. Around 1pm I remembered that there was no trophy or pony I’d get at the end of all this for not getting an epidural so I looked at Justin and told him to call the nurse. I needed some drugs.

1pm – 3 new friendly faces walked into the room an Anesthesiologist, a resident, and a medical student. Come one come all I said, lets get this going. I make jokes when I’m nervous. Cara helped me to the edge of the bed, told me not to look at the needle and to curl into her. I asked her if I could hold on to Justin but she said for the procedure she had to make sure I stayed still. I started to get upset and cried a bit about how I was nervous that I would flinch and paralyze my whole body. The Anesthesiologist laughed and told me that was not even a possibility. They numbed my back and then stuck in the needle and the tube. I promise you, it did not hurt. It felt strange and cold and uncomfortable, but at that point I was in such pain from the pressure the odd sensation in my back was nothing. In the beginning they told me the procedure could take anywhere between 5-20 minutes depending on how easy it was to place the needle and tube. My procedure was done in 10! It was fantastic. I was feeling great, I did not need a catheter as I had suspected, instead Cara got the joy of coming in every 4 hours to empty my bladder for me… lucky her.

The gave me a small bit of Pitocin to keep my labor moving with the epidural.

Then ensued the greatest nap of my life.

5pm – I was 7cm dilated – the epidural and nap worked! Most people fear that getting an epidural too early might delay or slow down labor. In my case if helped! My body was no longer tense, I was able to relax and let me body do what it needed to do. I started to get jazzed that my lil babe was coming soon. At this point, I started to become more uncomfortable and feeling more pressure. The nurses suggested that the Anesthesiologist come back to give me a fast acting dose of some drug that I cannot remember at this time! This is was just to help me along until I was fully dilated. This made my legs go numb. Another weird feeling.

6pm – I thought my water broke, but instead I had lost my mucus plug. I was getting further along and my doctor decided to break my water to really get things going… and boy did it pick up from there.

6:30pm – I had to say goodbye to Cara and hello to our new nurse… Unfortunately, this new nurse did not get epidural bliss Amy, she got active labor Amy… and by 6:30 I was given the ok to start pushing – it was baby time!

I pushed from 6:30pm till she was born at 9:13pm. The epidural was super helpful, but I could definitely feel pressure. I never understood before when moms said that I would feel the need to keep pushing and not stop. I started by pushing at each contraction that were a few minutes apart, then they became rapid one after another. Just at the end I started to panic and felt like I “couldn’t do it”, and went into a full blown panic attack. I couldn’t breath. I looked Justin in the eye and told him to kill me. I even asked the nurse to knock me out. I was very pleasant. I later identified this as the “transition” part of labor. Our nurse tried comforting me with small hand cloth towel to cool me and Justin fed me ice chips in between contractions. But I was in a full panic attack mode and honestly needed to be slapped. Justin was smart enough to go into the bathroom grab a large shower towel, soak it in cold water, then put it on top of me covering my entire body. It was the equivalent of someone dumping a bucket on me and I needed it.

A few moments later my midwife and doctor had left the room to check on a few other patients on the ward. As night was approaching the maternity ward started to get busy with lots of moms to be coming in. However, my sweet girl decided now was time. She was coming and there was no stopping her. Our nurse paged everyone back to room and it felt like eternity. I could see her getting a bit nervous as she hit the button repeatedly and asked me to hold off on pushing. I couldn’t. Suddenly our room was full and someone asked if anyone had gloves on… our gal arrived at 9:13 with a full head of hair. Justin cut the cord and she was placed on my chest. It was pure magic. I looked at Justin confused as to how I managed to grow and birth a whole human. She was perfect.

I had minor tearing which was mainly internal. Recovery has been fast and easy (writing this 3 weeks PP)!

The next few hours were a blur… We settled into our recovery room around 11pm and by 1am she was taken from us for monitoring in the NICU which turned into a longer stay then we would have liked. Around 4am I had multiple people in our room explaining to me why she needed to stay in the NICU for observation. I was exhausted and a bit delirious. Her blood sugar was low and and after minimal intervention still remained low which resulted in her having to get an IV to help help stabilize her blood sugar. The next couple days were exhausting. Getting discharged and leaving the hospital without our baby was the hardest thing. Watching other families with their new babies, brining home the suitcase of untouched swaddles and clothes I had packed for her… This is something I am still working through and will talk about more at a later time. I had pictured my labor and recovery (honestly my entire pregnancy) to be different. I’m working on being ok with changing plans and expectations of experiences.

Eloise came home with us after the scariest 4 days for Justin and I and we’ve never been happier.

Last week I shared Valentine’s Day gifts for the special gal in your life…today this one is for the boys! We are just two weeks away from the hallmark holiday and whether you celebrate or not these gifts are year round.

I shared the sweet story about how Justin and I met on Valentine’s Day many year ago, so hop over to that post to read the story!

Now lets get to those Valentine’s Day gift ideas!

1 – Amazon Fire Tablet

Fun for some at-home entertainment!

2 – Travel Toiletry Bag

If we ever get to travel again… I have the Vera Bradley version of this and it works great and is great for travel!

3 – Keruig Mini

A lot of people have transitioned to working from home, this is the perfect gift for any home or home office!

4 – Toolbelt

This idea stemmed from Justin and I doing a lot of work on the house recently and him saying “I need a tool belt.”

5 – “What I Love About You” Book

You can’t go wrong with a thoughtful gift!

6 – Slippers

A great cozy gift!

7 – Tissue Massage Gun

Those at home work-outs getting your man down? Here is a special treat!

8 – Timex Watch

*hint hint* for the man in your life thats always late… or just a thoughtful gift!

9 – Fire TV Stick

Great for the man in your life who has “seen everything on Netflix”.

What are your favorite Valentine’s Day gifts to give?

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I can’t believe that it is the end of January and that I am writing this post already. This month I read two books this month which is a lot more than I read all of last year so lets get a little applause for that! I go through seasons with reading where I either read a ton of books in a year or I don’t read at all. 2021 is going to be a reading year for me. I set the goal of 24 books, 2 a month and were already on track per my Goodreads account.

Justin got me a Kindle for Christmas and I was shocked at how much I enjoyed reading on it! I’ve always been a “physical book” person, however there is something about the lightness and portability of the Kindle. I can read anywhere and not feel like I bringing a bulky book around with me, read in the bath, etc.

I also started a bookstagram! There is not much content on it currently as I am trying to figure it all out, but I thought it might be a fun project to work on this year and motivate me a bit! Let’s be bookstagram friends! And if you have one, let me know!

Anxious People by Fredrick Backman

3.5/5 Stars

I loved the storyline of this book, but over the book didn’t wow me. This was my first time ready a Fredrick Backman book and from what I have understood from speaking to others he does have a specific writing style. Like I said the storyline was great, but there were a lot of characters, which made the story difficult to follow at times. I listened to this book on Audible and the reader was also not my favorite either, I think if I actually read the book, I may have enjoyed it more.

American Royals by Katherine McGee

5/5 Stars

I loved this book! If you also enjoy a YA read then you would enjoy this! I read this book pretty quickly and couldn’t get enough of it! It was a sweet story with love and drama… which is my favorite to read! I’m excited to dive into Majesty!

What did you read this month? Whats on your TBR?

My TBR list:

How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams

One to Watch by Kate Stayman – London

Followers by Megan Angelo

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and whether you celebrate the hallmark holiday or not. I put together a little gift guide I’m sure the special gal in your life with like anytime of year!

Valentines’s Day is special day for Justin and I… its the day we met! I always enjoy telling this story! Short version: Two kids walked into the same bar on Valentines day (we has a mutual friend) not looking for love, hit it off, did not exchange numbers, ran into each-other at the gym the next morning and the rest is history! Now we have a house, 3 dogs and a baby on the way! This year there will be no big night out for dinner, but I’m planning on making something special and maybe ordering dessert from a local bakery. Maybe chocolate cake (topped with ice-cream for me) and Tiramisu for Justin – his favorite!

I put together a Valentine’s Day gift guide with items that I already use and love or are on my personal wishlist!

1 – Kate Spade Heart Earrings

I love these cute statement earrings! They are great all year round and can be worn casual or dressed up.

2 – Beautycounter Flawless in 5

Always a favorite to include on my gift guide. 6 clean beauty products for one great price. You can’t go wrong with that! I use all of these products daily.

3 – Keurig

A lot of people have transitioned to working from home, this is the perfect gift for any home or home office!

4 – Top Knot Headbands

Headbands are my favorite accessory to add to any outfit. It comes in handy hiding my unwashed hair during my pop-up zoom meetings!

5 – “What I Love About You” book

You can never go wrong with a thoughtful gift!

6 – Kindle

I got one for Christmas and am obsessed with it! Perfect girl for anyone who loves reading!

7 – Slippers

A great cozy gift that pairs well with #9!

8 – Dry Brush

Self-care is the most important gift! Dry brushing smoothes skin, removes toxins, and improves circulation!

9 – Pajamas

Who doesn’t love a fresh pair of matching pajamas!

I hope you enjoyed this Valentine’s Day gift guide, let me know what is on your wishlist?

I thought it might be fun to share my recent Amazon purchases every once in a while. There are a lot of nursery themed items here so be warned . I did buy one thing for myself… 😬

Shop my recent Amazon purchases here!

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When Justin and I bought our house we took a lot of time to research home security systems. We are thankful to live in a community that is pretty private (one way in one way out road), mostly retired neighbors who are home most of the day, and were everyone knows everyone. We feel pretty safe here. However, that doesn’t bad things can’t and won’t happen. Although, I work from home most of the week there are days when I am out of the home for multiple hours. We wanted to ensure not only was our home safe when we left that our dogs were safe inside as well.

We looked at a variety of security systems until we found one that fit our needs. We did not need anything high-tech, but we wanted to be notified when there was action or movement by our front door or garage. We settled on a Blink security system. This motion censored camera connects to our phones and notifies us of movement as well as records any movement where we have them stationed.

These came in handy around the holidays when we were have packages delivered daily and you were hearing all those horror stories about presents being stolen. We’ve also had some big packages delivered such as our nursery furniture. It was nice to be able to check on the package during the day when we were not home.

The camera system also comes in handy when the dogs are playing outside. We have an electric fence, which the dogs do a great job at however they often wander from the back yard to the front if I am occupied in the house with something. Our fence stretches the front, but it is nice to get a notification right to my phone so I can monitor that they don’t cross the line. They get easily distracted by the walkers… we have a pretty active neighborhood.

Using this device has helped Justin and I both feel safe and know that our dogs are safe too! But… how can we keep our device safe?

It’s easy to put a camera on your house and think all is well and fine, but someone could easily dismantle it… hit it with a bat, rip it off… who knows. If someone is desperate enough I’m sure they would be willing to do anything. So how can we ensure that our camera stays safe from natural weather occurrences, people with ill will etc.

“The best camera or optical sensor is only as good as the dome that covers it. “

Criterion Technology, Inc.

This is where I would like to introduce you to Criterion Technology, Inc. 100% made in the USA with over 30 years of experience Criterion Technology is the industry leader of the highest quality clear component parts molded out of polycarbonate, acrylic, and an exclusive optical grade nylon. Criterion’s injection molded optical domes and enclosures provide excellent coverage and protection for high definition cameras up to the latest 4k camera technology. 

How great is that? There is no use in buying an expensive security system if you are not going to invest in protecting in. Keep yourself and your loved ones safe this year with a little help from Criterion Technology, Inc.

You may have not thought of home security until today or maybe you just stumbled on to this post. Home security was completely new to me and as I did more research I learned why is was so essential. Now that we have a bebe’ on the way keeping our home safe has become our #1 priority. I am thankful that there are companies out there that safety is there #1 priority as well.

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In our home we have hardwood floors, which is new for me. The home I grew up in did not have hardwood flooring so learning how to care for them was something I needed to learn how to do. You might think… really Amy? Do you needed to learn how to take care of a floor… uh ya… You want you floors to last? Cause little damage to them? Increase the value of your home? Well, you have to take care of your floors.

Methods for Cleaning

• Soft Bristled Broom
• Damp Mop or Microfiber Pad
• Remove Sticky Debris ASAP
• Vacuum with Soft Nozzle

When it comes to cleaning your hardwood floor always take into account the type of product you are using. You want to avoid using items that might scratch or nick the flooring. Think of products that are soft and will cause the least amount of damage to the floor. Care for spills or sticky debris immediately rather than letting them sit. For my floor I regularly vacuum as well as use a microfiber pad cloth to pick up any additional dust. We have *3* dogs, so vacuuming is a every other day thing for me. I usually do a deep clean one time a week where I pull out every things, get in all the corners, but every other day its just a quick sweep of the house.

How to Avoid Damage

• Don’t Ignore Wet Spots or Stains
• No Need for Heavy Equipment
• Avoid Harmful Cleaning Products
• Do Not Steam Clean

As mentioned about its important to not use any products that would cause harm. This includes old fashioned remedies that use baking soda, vinegar and dish soap to clean floors. Those items are a no-go these days. Same with steam cleaning, save that for your tile floors!

Address any wet spots immediately, over time those wet spot can cause unseen damage under your floors. Observe in your kitchen where you are more likely to have water on the floor. Is it in front of your sink? Get a mat! For us, its where the dogs water bowl is… they can make quite a mess. We have a mat rubber mat to collect the water as well as towel to collect and wipe up sloppy dog drinking water!

Safe Cleaning Products

Where going to need some dive deep into our brain back to high school Chemistry to unlock our knowledge of a neutral pH… anyone remember – its 7! Keep this in mind when looking for products. Anything with a pH 7 and lower is fine… anything higher will have too much alkaline.

Replacing Hardwood Floors

Could your home use an update? Do you have hardwood floors in your home that have been neglected for years? If you are on the search for high quality, hardwood flooring in Atlanta consider TriArt Hardwood Floors. TriArt Hardwoods Floors – Atlanta is a hardwood flooring company that has built its reputation on our commitment to quality craftsmanship and excellent customer experience. This was the goal Hugo Simoes set for the company when he started the business.

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I wanted to put together a practical gift guide together for our teachers this year. A lot of teachers had to transition to teaching online overnight, which meant they might not have have all the materials they needed to be prepared. I have taught online for a few years and wanted share some of my favorite online teaching items that a teacher in your life may also enjoy!

1 // Laptop Stand

This is one of my favorite items – after stacking my laptop on books, boxes or anything else I could find I finally purchased a laptop stand. This is a key item for those who spend most of their day working on their laptop. Its an ideal height for zoom call and helps with posture (so that your not leaning over your laptop).

2 // Wireless Keyboard and Mouse

This is an add on item to the laptop stand above. Typing with your laptop on a stand is not easy… or comfortable. I really love the combination of the laptop stand with keyboard and mouse. Give the gift of better posture this holiday season 😉

3 // Keurig

You can never go wrong with coffee! Early mornings, late nights, zoom meetings, the list could go on. Coffee is always a must and a cherished gift!

4 // Tumbler

Whether to keep your water cold or coffee warm… a tumbler is always a great gift. I may have an overload, but I can’t get enough of cute mugs or tumblers.

5 // Coffee Warmer

Ask your favorite teacher how often they are running to the microwave to warm up their coffee. Personally, I warm mine up at least 5 times… no lie! I can only sneak sips while I’m teaching so my coffee gets cold quickly. A coffee warmer is a life saver!

6 // Oil Diffuser

I’m all about creating a vibe and an environment. An essential oil diffuser is essential (haha) to that! This is great gift for any teacher looking to feel more energized or calm depending what vibe they are trying to create.

7 // Flawless in Five

My favorite set of products. An entire makeup look in an easy 5-minute routine. This is a great gift for any teacher! The set includes:

• Skin Twin Featherweight Foundation or Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer
• Skin Twin Creamy Concealer
• Color Define Brow Pencil or Brilliant Brow Gel
• Lengthening or Volumizing Mascara
• Satin Powder Blush
• Beyond Gloss

8// Blue Light Glasses

Being in front of the computer all day can be harmful. It doesn’t hurt to use a little protection.

Now get out there a show your favorite teacher how much you love them! What are you gifting your favorite teacher this year?

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*This is a sponsored post with Saw Trax, all opinions are my own*

Home renovation can be expensive…. this is probably not news to most. Depending on the size of your project or how many projects there are your budget may vary. In todays post I am going to share a few things to consider before jumping into a renovation project.

What needs to get done? Budget? Timeline?

Start by doing an evaluation of your home… what needs to get done? Are there any projects that hold significant importance? What I mean by that is… any current home hazards that need to be addresses immediately. For Justin and I when we first moved in our home needed to add a radon system and replace a cracked bathtub. Those were items that needed to be addressed immediately upon buying our home – so they were first on the list for us!

Next, lets look at your budget and timeline. The most important thing to remember is that all your home projects do not need to happen overnight, this month or even this year. Pick a project a month or a project a year, whatever works for you!

What can you do yourself? Or have done professionally?

Not everything can be done yourself… plumbing, electrical, structure etc. Many think that all projects can be done yourself but unfortunately this may cause a bigger issue. Which then leads to bringing in a professional and will end up costing more money. Shop around for prices on the projects that you need to get done, get quality recommendations from friends, and include these types of expenses in your budget.

For simple home projects, there are lots of tutorials, books, and classes that can help. Sometimes you can even find a class at your local Home Depot or Lowes.

Quality Equipment

Big projects may require some heavy lifting. When it comes to heavy lifting it’s important to invest in high quality items. Saw Trax is an Atlanta, Georgia based company has been in business since 1988 and focusing on selling quality work equipment.

Their door dolly is equipment to carry up to 800 pounds of weight, which takes the heavy lifting of home renovations off your back!

Buying Items Second-Hand

No, unfortunately you will not find most of the construction items you need at your local thrift store. However, you may find some items at your local Home Deport or Lowes. Here is a little secret… people return paint and you can buy it for half the price! It’s a hit or a miss but most days, but look often! You may find paint for a bathroom or small bedroom.

Search around online, for example: Facebook marketplace. I have found unopened boxes of subway tile and other various items. Some people buy too much for a project so you can often buy it from them for a discounted price.

Look online for a local Habit for Humanity store… or restore as they call it!

“Habitat ReStores are independently owned reuse stores operated by local Habitat for Humanity organizations that accept donations and sell home improvement items to the public at a fraction of the retail price.

Proceeds are used to help build strength, stability, self-reliance and shelter in local communities and around the world — a good deal for you, your community and the environment.”

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