Alex is One Month Old!

Posted on March 10, 2018 by Colleen

Happy one-month birthday to our sweet little “29” baby, Alexander Thomas! These past four weeks have been an absolute pleasure getting to know him and there is still so much more to come.

Alex is a sweet-tempered baby who loves snuggles and is just learning to really smile. We can tell that he can see further distances now because things outside or across the room will catch his attention and he prefers to be held up over your shoulder so he can see what’s going on. He seems to want to be where the action is, but is content to watch it. He’s also a good sleeper and he, Mommy and Daddy all just survived his first big growth spurt, where all he wanted to do was eat and suddenly his newborn diapers are almost too small for him.

Our little baby is growing up so fast. <3 I love my boys.

We had a small one-month birthday party for Alex tonight. Party hats are left over from my birthday party, the post of which will be up within the next day or so.

Happy baby:

Podcasting with a sleepy Alex:

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Mattress Shoppin’

Posted on March 7, 2018 by Colleen

Jay and I are at one of those inevitable couples conundrums: disagreeing about mattresses. Jay HATES our current mattress and I hear about it every damn day and night. He needs no excuse to go in Zach’s room and sleep on his new, more comfortable mattress (a year old), haha.

While I freely admit that we don’t have the Rolls Royce of mattresses (it’s from a 2013 Groupon lol), I find it still comfortable enough not to bother me and don’t think we need a new mattress immediately. I am willing to be persuaded and am open to replacing the current one for the right mattress and price. My problem is that mattresses can be so darn expensive. I know investing in the right one can last a long time and make all of the difference in a good night’s sleep. We’ll check out Mattress Firm (where we got our suuuuuuper comfortable guest mattress) but other than that, I’m going to look online. I’ve heard of Casper since they advertise on literally every podcast ever haha but what are some other ones? Jay is a big advocate for Purple Mattress. Are there other good ones that are quality? If we’re going to drop money on a new king-sized mattress, it may as well be a good one that’s gonna last a while.

Anyone have any suggestions? Or even a promo code? I’m a side or stomach sleeper and Jay is a side sleeper. He has broad shoulders and wants a mattress that accommodates that. Thanks!

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The Broadcast Ep. 2.31: “Three Broads and a Baby”

Posted on March 5, 2018 by Colleen

Hello, happy Monday! A new episode of The Broadcast came out on Friday afternoon. On this episode, we discuss Alex’s birth (I promise it’s not too gross…), resume our debate over whether or not Ron Weasley lost his v-card to Lavender Brown, and have a really interesting share session about the weirdest places we’ve found things that we’ve lost (that weren’t where we lost them). I also share a story about a recent DMV trip to renew my license and we answer a question about what we’d do if we had to spend a few hours as a man [*spoiler alert* It’s exactly what you’d think]. All in all, I think it’s a really good ep. Check it out!

You can listen to it here, here or via iTunes here. It’s episode 2.31, “Three Broads and a Baby.”

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Looking for Food Ideas!

Posted on February 27, 2018 by Colleen

I have never been a great chef, especially on workdays. Meals take too long to make after a long day at work. I have a pretty demanding 3.5-year-old at home, who has always commanded at least 95% of your attention at any time. So, dinners have always been a challenge. Last summer, we decided to finally take the plunge and get a Costco membership, mainly to consolidate all of our shopping trips into a few stores on the weekend (vs. running up to Harris Teeter or Target 4-5 times a week and spending way too much money) and to help meal plan through their pre-made meals. We found an offer on Groupon and went for it and haven’t looked back. Go us.

The downside? All of the Costco pre-made meals are pretty much the exact same every week, haha. After a month or so of them, we need a break from the monotony and to switch it up a little. That’s where Pinterest and some old standbys come in. Back in the early fall, we were on a Costco timeout and making fun things from my Zoodle maker and from Pinterest. Now that I’m going to be home on maternity leave for a few months, I’ll have more time to get back to attempting to cook on my own.

I’m putting out a call for recipes that are inexpensive and fairly uncomplicated. Please share! The best part about Costco meals is they keep us from running out to the stores to spend a lot of money every week. Anything that won’t cost an arm and a leg and is easy to make is a huge, welcomed plus.

Thank you! 🙂

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From Z to A

Posted on February 26, 2018 by Colleen

On Sunday, February 11, we were discharged from the hospital, after a slight hold-up due to a quick visit to the NICU. Alex’s breathing was funky sounding, particularly when he cried. The pediatrician and nurses evaluated him and noticed his oxygen levels dropped when he would cry, but after monitoring, they would always come back up very quickly. They determined that he probably has a soft windpipe, which makes him a bit noisy, but otherwise healthy. 🙂 He’ll grow out of it by the time he’s 2-years-old. All is well, thankfully.

My parents brought Zachary to the hospital so he could finally meet his baby brother. (Thanks to the flu, all siblings under 12-years-old were banned from the nursery.) It was one of my favorite life moments ever.

Zach was SO HAPPY and SO EXCITED to meet Alex. Oh, my heart. His face lit up when we got off of the elevator and he jumped up and down and ran over to us. I’ll never forget how excited and joyous his face was at seeing me after a few days and seeing Alex for the first time. My heart. Jay had gone down ahead of me so he could get into picture-taking position and got some great shots. My parents also got some really sweet pictures of them meeting for the first time, as well as our first picture as a family of four.

Alex has now been home for two weeks. Zach is very loving and attentive to him. He doesn’t quite understand why his baby brother, who doesn’t need quite as much constant attention and stimulation as he did, may not want to always be touched, kissed, or talked to while he’s trying to nurse or nap, but his constant attention to what Alex wants, is doing, and whether or not he needs to “eat the nipple” or get a diaper change is great. I can tell that he is struggling a little bit with sharing me (he has said a couple of times that I can’t love or snuggle him because I have to love and snuggle Alex), but I am trying to give him some reassurance and one-on-one time, so I think he’ll come around as time goes on and things become a bit more normal. I’m just glad that he loves his baby brother and has a genuine interest in him and his well-being. He’s a really great kid.

Here’s our first picture as a family of four:

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Alex is 2-weeks-old!

Posted on February 23, 2018 by Colleen

My little Alex is two-weeks-old today! He’s a great eater and more importantly, a great sleeper, and we can already tell that he’s a bit more chill with a more “introspective” personality than his big brother was/has, though he gets this playful look in his eyes when he’s making eye contact with his mommy. He gets along great with his big brother Zachy and his big kitty sister Zoe. He only cries when he’s hungry, sleepy and wants to be held, and has a dirty diaper. He’s very picky about his diaper status and will let you know if there’s even a droplet of something in there that shouldn’t be, lol. He sleeps much of the day and enjoys looking out the windows and around the living room and staring at the mobile in his crib when he’s awake. He hates tummy time but will lift his head up if he’s pressed against mommy or daddy’s shoulders. The song “Here Comes the Sun” generally calms him down when he’s upset.

Xan the Man (yeah, I know; we’re still workshopping cheesy nicknames) generally sleeps from about 10 or 11 p.m. until around 7:30 or 8 a.m., only waking up every 3-4 hours to eat. The other night, he slept from 10 p.m. until 3 a.m. and his parents thought that was just bananas!

As of this morning, he’s 8lbs, 7oz and 20.125 inches long, which puts him in the 47% for weight and 30% for height. He’s the perfect addition to our family and we couldn’t love him more. We are so thankful he’s in our lives and that he’s a healthy and happy little baby.

Here are some pictures and a video of him over the last week:

February 19, 2018:

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The Broadcast/Real Weird Sisters Crossover!

Posted on February 20, 2018 by Colleen

My main jam podcast, The Broadcast, is still going strong, almost two years later! This week, we released a “maternity leave podcast,” a crossover with Alice and Martha from The Real Weird Sisters. If you’re a Harry Potter fan, and want to hear a more “adult-themed” Harry Potter-related podcast episode, then I have the perfect podcast for you! Check it out, it’s really fun! I think the Harry Potter talk starts around 25 minutes in, but the beginning is fun too.

You can listen to it here, here or via iTunes here. It’s episode 2.30, “I’m With Hersicus: The Real Weird Crossover.”

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Valentine Appreciation

Posted on February 15, 2018 by Colleen

I’m a day late for Valentine’s Day but I wanted to wish my Smoopsys a happy v-day and sing his praises. Thank you for everything you have done for me, Zachy & Alex, *especially* over the last few months. Thank you for picking up my slack when I was too tired or uncomfortable to do much. Thank you for being a spectacular daddy and for patiently working with Zach on potty training every single day for months. Thank you for working hard to give us Perfect House. Thank you for being the best labor partner ever and for everything you’ve done around the house this past week. I love you and am forever grateful for you, our life, and our little family. Our boys have a wonderful example to watch as they grow up and learn to be men. Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Introducing Alexander Thomas!

Posted on February 13, 2018 by Colleen


He’s here! Alexander Thomas, born on Friday, February 9 at 10:22 p.m. He was 8lbs 4oz and 20 inches long at birth. He looked a lot like his big brother did when he was born, but now, at four days old, the postpartum swelling has come down a bit and his own individual features have begun to come out.
 He’s so adorable!

Name: Alexander was our second choice for Zachary’s name and although we had a decent list this time around, it was still the one that we solidly agreed on, the one that felt most “right.” Thomas is Jay’s paternal grandfather’s name.

Birth Story: I had assumed that Alex’s birth story would be fairly straightforward and uneventful. Thankfully, his actual birth itself was normal but man, was it an eventful few days leading up to it. I’ll break up the story by days and you can skip to Friday if you don’t want to hear about Wed. & Thurs. Hosptial part starts where it’s labeled “Hospital Time.”

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40 Weeks and Counting

Posted on February 6, 2018 by Colleen

Well, here I am, officially overdue. I’m uncomfortable, but it’s mainly the constant ab pain from my diastasis recti that’s making the wait so much worse. At my 40 week appointment on Monday, I was put on a waitlist to be induced at 41 weeks, 1 day on Monday, February 12. My doctor assured me that I’d make the list because surely someone would have their baby before then. This morning, I heard from their office that I was being bumped off of the Monday list and moved to Tuesday morning, February 13.

Yeah, I’m a big old baby and I totally ugly cried once I was alone, haha. I just want the discomfort radiating from above my belly button to stop. Right now, there’s no relief no matter how I stand, sit or lay. It feels like that sensitivity you get when you have a fever and it hurts to touch/be touched, only it’s ongoing, like 90% of the day. But, it’s not a pain that’s nearly as bad as a lot of people with chronic pain conditions are in, so I need to get control of myself and suck it up. I keep going back to the constant, actual pain that my grandpa was in during the last few months of his life thanks to his cancer. That had to have been about a million times worse, and if he brave it, then I can handle a little stomach pain now.

So anyways, yes, that’s where we stand right now. I reeeaalllyyyy wanted to have a baby before my birthday on Thursday, but c’est la vie. I get signs and symptoms but they just don’t last long enough to get going into anything that will get a baby out, haha. I’m pretty sure she’s swept my membranes at least twice already and there’s been nothing. I’ve tried all of the old wives tales, but they don’t even cause mild contractions. I may get a reflexology massage as a birthday present to myself because I’ve heard that there are pressure points to help jumpstart labor along, but I’m also wary of setting myself up for disappointment if nothing happens! After all, my doctor never expected me to make it past 39 weeks, let alone past 40…

My next baby update will either be my “night before induction” post or a “surprise, look who finally showed up on his own” post. I’ll plan for the former but hope for the later!

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