One Month Down, and Infinity to Go

I can not begin to describe the amazingness (yes, I'm using "amazingness" which is obviously not a real word) of this last month. My daughter, London, is now a month old and the changes that happen each and every day are beautiful, emotional, and have been eagerly anticipating the changes to come.

You may remember that London was born with some mild trauma including a little bent nose which I can happily say is completely normal thank you very much. She gets a little more hair each week and is, quite frankly, looking more and more stunning every day. But I may be slightly biased as I am her extremely proud mommy.

Mommy. I'm still getting used to this new role. Well, maybe not the role itself but the word "mommy". I had this conversation with my own Mom yesterday about the adjustment period of a new title. She's still adjusting to being Nana as I'm adjusting to being Mama. It's like the transition from calling Brandon my boyfriend, to my fiance, and now my husband. It was an adjustment period each time and I kept catching myself calling him by the wrong title. And again when I became his wife as Mrs. Nissen. But now saying my maiden name sounds silly. And I imagine I'll have the same reaction soon about being London's Mom. It will sound silly to think of myself of anyone else. I was not a Mom for 25 years but I will be for the rest of my life.

And I'm hoping to get back to posting at least once a week - I know my husband would like that. He's the reason I'm posting today. He's been bugging me about getting a new blog up and this one will be live just in time for him to read it before his check ride. He's back in Dallas finishing up his training to be a Captain for American Eagle Airlines. To say I'm proud of him is an understatement. I know being away from London is hard for him especially so soon in her life when each day is something new - well, it's new to us!

That's the great thing about our world of technology. I can send Brandon pictures and videos, we can video chat through Skype, and he can be as involved as possible. As a military brat, I wish we had the technology readily available when my own Dad was deployed overseas for up to a year at a time. That chat once a month for less than 10 minutes was all we got and we were beyond grateful for it. Now, London's daddy doesn't have to go more than a few hours without seeing her. It really is an amazing thing to have him away from home but so connected.

So, I'm grateful for the technology we have available, for the time and patience and helpfulness of my Mom staying with me while Brandon is away, for our friends who have come over to meet Little London and dote on her, and, finally, grateful for the continued love and support from all of our friends and family. Thank you for everything from the little text messages just to "check-up" on us to spending weeks out of your life to help me keep my sanity.

Here's hoping that the next installment isn't far away!

Breastfeeding, Pumping, and How I Make It Easier on Myself

It's only been 13 days since little London Rose came into my world officially. Each day is something new, funny, and exhausting when it comes to her and my own recovery process. London's mild trauma has corrected itself into a perfectly shaped little nose, no more swollen head, and her bruising is all gone. Now, Mommy's progress is a little slower and some days are better than others of course.

The Day Before London Joined Us! 8/29/13

Having decided to breastfeed, the food I put into my body is just as important if not more so than when I was pregnant. The vitamins and nutrients that I pass onto London are an essential part of her development. Sadly her latching ability was affected by her mild trauma (she's got a really high palette that prohibits a good  latch). So that means I pump every 3 hours - let me tell you that being attached to that machine for 40 minutes every time is exhausting and definitely putting a little strain on me. But I'm sure my tolerance will build as time progresses. The benefits to breastfeeding is numerous but as someone who was formula fed (and my husband was too!) I am not going to lose any sleep if for whatever reasons we need to switch to formula for London. We all turned out just fine. I will supply her with as much breast milk as I can for as long as I can though.

Here are some of the breastfeeding/pumping tips I've come across that have definitely helped me:

• Hydrate! I try to drink at least 3 liters of water every day - that's 13 cups. And trust me I can tell when I'm low.
• I have a designated place that I pump and I make sure I have a pillow, blanket, my iPad, my iPhone, and the remote control so I can stay distracted if need be.
• Set a timer. I pump for 20 minutes on each side but will go longer if I'm in the middle of a let down.
• Use your hands as well as the pump. The warmth of your hands and massaging motions help to get your milk flowing.
• Avoid greasy foods - it hurts your supply and just makes me feel gross in all honesty.

What tips and tricks have you heard? What worked for you? I'm always looking for more help and advice!

And another bonus is the amount of calories you burn from breastfeeding which I'm 100% sure with how well my after baby weight loss progress is going. Let me break it down for you:

Starting Weight: 219

London's Birthday: 247

And Today: 225

So far I'm down 22 pounds of the original 27 that I gained. I am amazed how fast this has fallen off and I am beyond grateful. As soon as I can start working out again I will start easing into it and hopefully continue to weight loss to my goal weight of 150. 

Welcome to the World London Rose!

I can proudly say that as of Friday, August 30, 2013 my husband and I are the proud parents of London Rose Nissen who came into the world at 10:27pm at 6lbs 8oz and 19 inches long. To say she made us work for it is an understatement but any child of mine wouldn't enter the world with any less fun and excitement. Fair warning, if you don't want to know the details of day don't read ahead. I promise to leave out the gross bits though! And know that this blog is more for me to record the day so I can go back and remember all the little things.

Mommy and London

If you've been reading along with my blog or are a friend of mine you know that my husband has been in Dallas for work since the 15th of August. So, the anxiety of ensuring that he made it home on time for his daughter's birth had been weighing on my mind. Friday at around 1am I got my first contraction - and I knew right away what it was. I had been having Braxton Hicks and this felt nothing like that. This was like the intensely awful menstrual cramps I used to get when I was a teenage and hadn't discovered Midol yet. Because I have an obsession with social media, technology, and all things iPhone I immediately pulled out my phone and started up my Enfamil Expecting Baby Pregnancy App. This handy app was free to download and came with a contraction calculator. I started keeping track of the length of the contractions and the time between them.

At 2:34am I called my husband in Dallas to let him know what was happening. With any luck he'd be able to catch the first flight out of Dallas at 6am and meet me at the hospital. At 3am I woke up my parents (Dad and Step-Mom) who were sleeping on an air mattress in the nursery and let them know that today was the day! My husband let his parents know and I then called my mother in Colorado so she could get started on her journey to Chicago.

Per the doctor's orders I waited till my contractions were 10 minutes apart before calling the office to alert the Doctor that I would be coming in soon. That was 3:48am and now we're off to the hospital! Thanks to Dad for driving us through Chicago so early. I know you were not enjoying the early hour but at least we avoided Chicago traffic and Labor Day weekend traffic!!

Now we're at the hospital, it's about 4:30am and if you remember Miss London is not going to join the world till 10:27pm. That's right I am looking right at 21 hours of labor. And if that time frame tells you anything it should be that not only did Brandon, her father, make it to the hospital before her arrival so did all of her soon-to-be grandparents! It was an incredible blessing to have everyone there (minus Papa John who could not get away but we do have a special visit with him planned in just a couple of days! Can't wait!).

The decision for pain relief, namely epidurals is on each woman to decide. I opted in favor of the epidural and am so glad that I did. I got my epidural around noon and truly believe I could not have made it through without it. I was able to nap through contractions! (How awesome, right?!)

Let's fast forward through the day and now we're at 9cm dilated and I've got a fever. Over 101 degrees which means my little girl's heart rate is really high and the doctor is thinking about getting me to start pushing soon but hoping I'll have the urge, which never came. The doctor assures me that the fever I've got happens to some people with extended labors and that it just means that I have to antibiotics after delivery and so will our little girl.

Now, we're at 10cm dilated and getting close to push time. But, we have wrench thrown in! Low and behold that it's 8pm and we have a conflict - my husband's fantasy football draft starts at 8pm....yes, you read that right. Fantasy football draft starts at 8am and it's important. My husband and my father are now sitting in the room on the couch on the iPad doing the draft. Yes, I'm 10 centimeters dilated, fever, and getting ready to start the pushing and their chatty away about good running backs! My husband knows what he's doing is not going to go unnoticed or untold - he even looked at me and said, "This is going to go in your blog isn't it?". Oh yeah, it is.

My very cool doctor comes in and tells me she's going to have me start pushing now so Brandon hands over the iPad to my Dad to finish his draft and all of the parents leave the room. All day I've had Brandon with me and our 3 sets of parents have been in and out visiting with us. But now, it's just about this time with Brandon and me and becoming a family.

Two hours of pushing later my daughter comes into the world "sunny side up" which basically means she made delivery very difficult and painful (even with my epidural). She had mild trauma from delivery including her little nose looking like she had it pressed up against the glass on a fish tank. But everyday it sorts itself out and she gets cuter and cuter (if that's possible).

And due to that fever I had I don't get to keep her too long. The policy at our hospital is that they do a quick check with her and then immediately encourage skin-to-skin contact and the first attempt at breastfeeding within 30 minutes. But with the infection they have to get her started on antibiotics asap so I get to hold her briefly, and so does Brandon. Then he takes her out to see the grandparents in a show and tell. After that they cart her off to the NICU.

An hour later in a new room we are reunited with our little one and finally get to start being an inseparable family. We're now just over a week into this parenting thing and I have learned more than I ever thought possible. I am more in love with my husband, head over heels for my daughter, and can honestly say that I am more excited for each new day than ever before.

Do you have any fun labor stories? I'd love to hear them!

Braxton Hicks, Nervous Ticks, and Preparing for Baby's Arrival

We've entered into Week 39 of my first pregnancy and each day is still bringing in something new or something painful - most of the time both! While I want my little girl to hold out at least another week and hopefully a few days after that even so her father can finish his work training for his promotion, I am also getting very antsy and anxious to meet her. I feel like I've been waiting on her forever! But I'm sure every pregnant mommy-to-be feels the same.

Little London's room is ready for her arrival and so am I!

So, while I power through these Braxton Hicks contractions how am I supposed to keep myself entertained? Thankfully I've got my Mom and Dad staying with me so I'm not completely alone inside my own head. My Mom's even been helping with the housework and cooking so I can really take it easy. (I know I'm going to miss all the help when my little girl is here!) Thanks Mom!

I am realizing that as I set out to write this post I really didn't have a plan as far as tips, tricks, or information to pass on. This one was really just to write as I find that relaxing (and my husband has asked me for a new post to read! Hi Buby!). Sometimes a blog post is just a blog post and it's for no one else other than the writer. I do promise to have plenty of information and observations that I'll pass on as I continue on down the Mommy Blogger road.

Right now, the only information I have is to make sure you have done all your pre-hospital stay preparations done. Those things include:

1. Install the Infant Car Seat - And remember that most, if not all, hospitals won't let you leave with your little one unless you have one!
2. Pack Your Hospital Bag - There's no way to really know what you'll need at the hospital and frankly most will be provided to you including diapers and the like. But a simple Google search will give you hundreds of "fool-proof" lists to follow for what you could need. My husband and I have a small duffle (I realize I have no idea how to spell that and spell check doesn't seem to know what I mean.) bag packed with some toiletry items, a coming-home outfit for my little girl, and a change of clothes for the both of us. 
3. Map Out Your Route - Most likely you won't be the one taking yourself to the hospital, and if you're like me my husband won't be the one taking me either. So, making sure you have the map printed out or at least the address written down so you can plug it into your phone's GPS is a no-brainer. My parents and I actually drove the route last weekend so it wouldn't be completely unfamiliar with the inevitable rush to the hospital panic ensued. 
4. REST! - I can not put the emphasis on resting enough. Sleep as often as you can, take naps, stay off your feet and just take it easy. I've heard it a hundred times and I'm sure you have to - once that baby comes it's not about you anymore and you will be on the move pretty consistently. I am more than grateful to have my family and friends around me to support me in every way that they can. It takes a huge weight off my shoulders and helps me focus on all the exciting and tiring things to come!

Got any major things that I should add to the list? You can find pretty extensive lists with a little searching but for me, this is the bare essentials list before your little one makes their grand debut! Who knows? My next post may be about the exciting process itself of bringing home baby London! We'll see....

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I made these last night for my parents and they were a hit so thought I'd share the recipe. I'm sure my Mom will also appreciate finding this recipe easier since I'll pop it on Pinterest too. On a side note, I got her all set up on Pinterest a few days ago and she's a pinning machine now! Have fun Mom!

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 4lb Pork Roast
• Minced Onion - this is a family preference. You can use one large onion.
• 5 Whole Cloves
• 3 Cups Water
• 16oz BBQ Sauce
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Rolls or Hamburger Buns

Directions:

1. If you are using the large onion, slice it and place it on the bottom of your slow cooker.
2. Cover your Pork Roast in salt, pepper, garlic pepper, minced onion on all sides and place in the slow cooker.
3. Place cloves on the top of the roast.
4. Fill the crock pot with the water - it should be about 2/3's of the way full and not covering the roast.
5. Cook the roast on LOW for 8 to 10 hours. You can cook it on HIGH for 4-6 if you are in a hurry or get up late!
6. Remove the roast from the cooker, discard the cloves, and remove excess fat.
7. Place roast in a large bowl and shred with two forks. It should fall apart very easily.
8. Once shredded, add BBQ sauce to the bowl and mix well. You can use as much or as little BBQ sauce as you like.
9. Serve on rolls or hamburger buns with your favorite toppings! Enjoy!

This recipe is easily altered to make it your own with different spices, your favorite BBQ sauce, some people put the shredded pork back in the crock pot with the BBQ sauce to simmer and really meld the flavors. All up to you! Have your own variation? I've love to hear about it in the comments!

Before You Start Your Small Business’s Social Media Marketing Campaign…

From time to time I will post more business related articles because one of my business passions is social media marketing. I hope you enjoy the content and get ideas for your own business success! Note: This blog was originally published on BusinessOpportunity.com but still an original piece by yours truly!

If you’re at all on the fence about whether or not your small business or business opportunity needs a social media strategy, you need to read this. Did you know that if you’re not on social media, you are potentially losing ground to the 73% of small businesses that are? It’s time to catch up!

Social media marketing can do a number of things for your business, including boosting your brand awareness, increasing sales and improving customer relationships. However, these things don’t happen as soon as you set up your Facebook page, which is why 61% of small businesses don’t see any return on investment as a result of their social media activities, and that’s according to Manta’s latest survey as cited on CNBC just last week.

Too many small businesses think that social media takes too much time, doesn't result in enough ROI or is too difficult to figure out. Truth is social media is not something that just anyone can do effectively. It takes time, research and money to use these free networking platforms to maximum advantage.

Social media marketing can do incredible things for your business. However, you need to be willing to take the time to learn, research what your competitors are doing and how it’s working for them, and spend the money required to do it right, which may include taking a class, hiring a social media manager or whatever else is required to run an effective campaign...

Time

Starting a page and then hoping it will take care of itself does not constitute a social media strategy or plan. Sadly, “Build it and they will come” does not work in this realm of marketing. You need to set aside an hour a day to devote to social media management. Tools like HootSuite will allow you to set up all your posts months in advance so you can spend a few hours and then never have to worry about your networks being up-to-date. But again, it’s not a one-and-done deal. Have your posts set up, but check in every day to read comments from your followers, reach out to new people, share content from relevant pages and see what’s going on in your social media universe.

Research

Signing up for a page doesn't turn you into a social media powerhouse, and just signing up for Facebook isn't enough. You need to go where your customers and potential customers are already hanging out. This is where your research comes into play. The youngest users are on Tumblr, Hi5 and MySpace, while the oldest users are on Facebook, Yelp and LinkedIn. In short, do your homework before you sign up. Are you sure you need to be on Tumblr when you’re business is a luxury real estate company?

Money

Yes, you do need money to run a successful social media campaign, and anyone who tells you differently isn’t being honest with you. It’s going to take hours to run your networks, all of which is time out of your day. But, you also have the option of hiring in-house or outside help from a professional to take care of your social media marketing needs. And lastly, running a paid advertising campaign on social media can help bring your page up from a few hundred likes to thousands in as little as a month, and for the right price. Determining a social media budget is an important first step. Take the time to decide what is right for your business.

If you're looking for information on social media for your small business please contact me either in a comment below or by emailing me. My company, Nissen Media specializes in social media marketing for small businesses! 

The Chinese Gender Chart Prediction

When you first announce your pregnancy you often hear this question: "What do you want it to be?" Honestly, I want him or her to be healthy and happy. That's all you can really ask for. However, most of us still have the leaning towards one or the other in the gender department. Mine was for a boy. But the reality is that when you find out, whether early or you wait and let it be a surprise, it doesn't matter what you thought you "preferred."

I found out I was having a lovely little girl and my thought process immediately changed. I was really amazed at how quickly my mind jumped to buying little dresses for my little princess.

Pregnancy websites like TheBump.com have some fun ways for your to "predict" what your little one will be, namely the Chinese Gender Chart. And of course, it's all for fun and there's a 50% chance it's going to be wrong - go figure! But, it's fun!

All you need to know is your age at conception and the month you conceived. Whether you're pregnant now or already have brought your kiddos into the world, it's fun to see the results. Find out yours by clicking on the link below to be taken to The Bump's website. Comment below with your results!

Click Here to Try the Chinese Gender Chart!

Mine said BOY! :)

Reading is FUNdamental - Books to Read With Your Kids

I have to say that one of the memories I am looking for forward to making with my daughter is reading her bedtime stories. I can't wait to for the first time she asks me to "read it again!" or when she grabs her favorite book that we've read every night for 3 weeks and begs me to "read this one!". And then that inevitable day when she turns around and reads it to me - I'm not entirely sure why but the bedtime story ritual is something I can't wait to be a part of.

In honor of all the reading we have to look forward to we register for some must have books on our baby registry and at one of my baby showers guests were asked to bring a book with an inscription instead of a traditional card - loved that idea.

Below is a list of just some of the fun books I can't wait to read with my daughter:

1. Goodnight Moon
2. The Very Hungry Caterpillar
3. Mr. Brown Can Moo Can You?
4. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
5. Ten Little Ladybugs
6. Green Eggs and Ham
7. The Giving Tree
8. Oh, the Things You Can Think
9. Mommy and Me
10. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
11. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
12. Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?

Seriously my list could go for days and it pretty much includes every Dr. Seuss book on the planet. My list above is books geared around a young child but I'm also secretly (well, not so secretly!) hoping that I'm going to raise a future Harry Potter lover. 

What's your favorite book to read to your kids? Or, what book are you most looking forward to sharing with your kids? 

Stress Reduction During Pregnancy is a Must

My daughter is due on September 4th, of course, I've very aware that she most likely will not be here on that day. If fact, I'm counting on it. I want her to be late, I want to have a long labor. She can take her sweet time.

As a First Officer for American Airlines my husband flies around the United States several days a week. Thankfully, with his seniority that only means, typically, 2 nights away from home. And because he has that seniority his time has finally come up and he has been awarded a Captain slot. We are both thrilled! There is one downside to his upgrade and the timing of it all - the company is sending him to upgrade training this coming Thursday. In Dallas. For a month. Normally, that would be no big deal - but with my due date on the 4th, and his class finishing on the 10th, you can probably see why I'm having minor panic attacks.

But, like any sticky spot, I am trying to see the positive side:

1. All I have to do is call when I'm in labor and the company will send him home immediately.
2. Most first time pregnancies result in a late baby.
3. Most first time pregnancies result in a long labor.
4. The financial gain of his new position is exactly what we need with a new baby.
5. It'll be a heck of a story we'll tell for years and years.

So, what am I doing to relax? I'm keeping myself busy by starting this blog, doing some nesting, taking comfort in the fact that my Dad and Step-Mom are coming up to stay with me while the hubby is gone, going to the gym to walk in the pool, and watching an inordinate amount of Netflix (Thank you to the lovely boys of Supernatural for your constant distraction).

What's your go-to stress reliving activity? Curling up with a good book? A long soak in the tub?  Eating? Working out? I'd love to hear about it and maybe get a few ideas for myself. Leave a comment below.

Anticipating My Own Royal Baby

Blogging has always been on my short list. I've started and stopped so many times and I finally have the urge (and hopefully the drive) to give this another go. Consistency is my goal, so let's get started.

If you couldn't tell by the title of this post, I am eagerly awaiting a little one of my own. My daughter is due on September 4th and my husband and I could not be more excited. I have some serious anxiety but at 36, almost 37, weeks pregnant I figure that's normal. I've hit my nesting phase and every day wake up with the incessant need to empty out the dishwasher, organize my kitchen cabinets, and clean something that I haven't touched in the nearly 4 years I've lived in this apartment. My husband is definitely enjoying the extra cleanliness going around.

A little background on me - My name is Stephanie, I'm 25 years young, raised as a military brat, divorced parents who both remarried to find their soul mates, oldest of 5 children, and firmly and completely in love with my husband of 3 years, Brandon. If you're wondering about the blog name, "Stephactive" is the username I've had on an extensive number of social networks. I took the "active" from the term "Radio:Active" which was the album title on one of my favorite CD's by the band McFLY. Since it was released I've always used "Stephactive" as a username. As for the "Babble" part, you can take that as a warning. I'm going to babble, ramble, and post about a plethora of topics. You get the pleasure of reading about me becoming a first-time Mommy, my favorite recipes, tips and tricks I've found that I think everyone needs to know, social media, being a wife, and all the things in between.

So, now you know about me. I have something I need from you now. If you like the content, comment or share it. If you are looking for something else or have suggestions, please comment. As far as my comment policy - being respectful is all I ask. You can always reach me via Twitter @Stephactive.

Thanks for reading and here's to my first babble!