I miss my hubby...

No, he's not out of town. He's here and he's been here everyday since Holt was born. But I miss him in other ways. Another thing no one can prepare you for after having a baby is how your time management changes. We all know it's going to happen, but until you are in that situation you can't see how it will go. So as I am more in love with him than ever seeing him as a dad, I miss my hubby! I love seeing Kyle as a daddy to our little boy. He is everything I knew he would be as a father. He just adores Holt and could spend all day looking at him, just like me. I miss being able to curl up on the couch next to Kyle and watch a movie or tv. We've watched a movie together, but it was often interrupted by an adorable crying baby boy. When given any spare moment when Holt is asleep, I also take that opportunity to catch some ZZZs. Not by choice either, Kyle makes me knowing how sleep deprived I get at night. He bought a new truck 2 weeks ago and I have yet to ride in it. In the past he would have come home and I would have jumped right in for a joy ride. But, he doesn't have the car seat set up in there yet. I miss the one on one time with Kyle that we took for granted before. Don't get me wrong about any of this, we are in love with our baby and would not change anything. We look forward to getting him ready for bed together and reading his prayers every night. We almost fight over who gets to hold him during our nightly routine. Ok, not fight but I secretly want to hold him every time. Although I find it adorable when I glance up from reading to see Kyle just staring at Holt with the utmost of love.

My point is, although we're on this new journey together and we wouldn't change a second of it, I was surprised to look at Kyle recently and think to myself, "I miss him." So with that being said, when Grandma and Grampa Kummer get here on Friday they're sending us on a date! Woo hoo. Now to find the best possible restaurant choice within 5 minutes of our house...

What they don't tell you: Labor and Delivery

As promised, here is what they don't tell you about labor and delivery, and after. Now remember I had a C Section, so I can't speak for those of you that will deliver vaginally.

-So so so thirsty, not so much hungry, but so thirsty. The cup of water or even just an ice chip after that delivery will taste like the best water or ice you have ever had.
-C Section Moms, your mouth will be so incredibly dry afterwards, like not the slightest bit moist. AND you can't have ice or water until they think your tummy can handle it. Could be hours!
-I feel bad looking at people's pictures after giving birth and thinking, "Wow she really packed on the lbs at the end." Those lbs are the bags and bags of fluids they pump in you all day. You will not recognize your own face. And your ankles, pshhh, say goodbye to those for about a week. Can you say tree trunk legs?
-You and your baby will both be in diapers after delivery
-Pooping the table: it happens
-You'll sweat so much the first night even if the room is freezing because of the anesthesia leaving your system. I mean you'll drench the sheets.
-I secretly wished I had a catheter all the time, awesome. C Sections, get up the next morning and walk around. It will hurt and you can't do much about it, but the sooner you get up and moving, the better the recovery.
-You have never feared, yet looked forward, to a bowel movement so much.
-Send your baby to the nursery at night for some uninterrupted sleep
-Pack nightgowns and a robe, pajama pants will get destroyed and be very uncomfortable. (Have nightgowns at home too.) Much easier when they come check you and change your diaper. :)
-It is one of the most emotional days you'll ever experience
-Take everything left in the bassinet when you leave the hospital. (Diapers, tshirts, wipes.)
-C Section moms, get extras of the mesh panties they give you. Unfortunately it's the only think that will go over your incision comfortably for the next week or so.
-Wear a dress home if possible
-Buy Medela Softshells for sore nipples if you plan on breastfeeding. They're made of plastic therefore keeping your clothing off of those sore nips, and they will be sore.
-Once you get home, it does come natural to be a mom. Stay calm and relaxed. Baby can sense that.
-If it works out, go to bed after the last feeding at night, even if its early, while your hubby stays up to his normal bed time. You'll get a couple hours of good sleep before you have to wake up every 2-3 hours to feed.
-The hardest part of it all is resting when they are sleeping. You'll want to do a million other things(like blog when you should be napping) but seriously try to take advantage of the quiet time and sleep. Do other everyday chores when they are awake.
-You'll check to see if they are breathing about a million times a day/night
-Don't be ashamed if you are still in pj's 24/7, weeks after giving birth, you deserve it.


Hmmm, that's all I can remember for now. You will be tired, very tired. We're still adjusting and trying to get a routine down. You'll figure it out.

On a side note, Holt had his 2 week checkup today. He is still under his birthweight at 7lbs 10oz, 25th percentile, and is now 22inches long, 90th percentile. Tall and slim, hopefully he stays that way like his Daddy! All is well with him. Now I'm off to fold his 4th load of laundry in a week before taking a little nap!

Birth Story

Wow, I'm getting around to this much sooner than I expected. My baby boy is sleeping in his bouncer right in front of me. I can't believe he's already a week old. Here is his birth story.

I was induced on July 20th. We got to the hospital around 6:15am and the doctor broke my water and started the pitocin drip around 8:15. The contractions started shortly thereafter. I managed them for a couple of hours so I could experience the labor process. They weren't too bad, but it was a full house that day in labor and delivery and I didn't want to get stuck waiting for the epidural for longer than expected. I'm glad I asked for it when I did because it still took about 45 min to get situated. I got the epidural around 11am. My mom thought my contraction faces were funny because I didn't make a big deal about them. I'd be mid sentence and say, "Hold on", make a face for about a minute, and continue my conversation.



Holt's heart rate was dropping on an off throughout the day depending on the contraction. Around lunch time they put me on oxygen until he made his debut!



I was progressing exactly how I should for a first timer, 1 cm an hour, and the doctor was ecstatic with our progress. This went on until about 6:30 when they determined I was fully effaced and 10cm. Ready to start pushing! The doctor had her doubts all along that Holt would arrive vaginally, but honored my wishes and let me try as long as we were both doing well. Unfortunately, it was not progressing as well as she hoped. His heart rate would drop drastically when I pushed and come back up again with my intense breathing methods once it was over. It was a well coached "Deep breath in, slow breath out" between each contraction. This was proving to be exhausting for both of us. They could see his head, but it was not crowning like they hoped it would have after an hour. Dr. Westerholm made the final call and rushed us to an emergency C Section about 7:30. I was prepared for this all along so I was able to remain calm. Kyle did too. Within minutes they had thrown him some scrubs and started me on the right meds. Although I could not feel anything, the pressure of what they were doing was INTENSE. I couldn't believe it. Kyle said the table was shaking violently as they tried to get Holt out. I kept hearing the doctor say, "This is a big baby, this is a big baby." At one point Kyle said she was on the table pushing down and pulling with her other hand while another doctor also pushed down. All I could think was, "This is going to suck tomorrow!" Haha. He was out at 7:55pm and it took them another 20 minutes or so to put me back together again. The medicine made me so sleepy after his birth that I barely got to experience his first moments. I heard him cry and tears just started flowing. It was one of the most emotional experiences I have ever felt. To see and hear your baby cry is indescribable. The doctor was right about his size, he weighed in at 8lbs and 20.5inches long. That is a big baby, but an especially big baby for me. Kyle got to cut the cord and hold him right away. I was a little out of it, but so happy to have him here.




The first time he recognized my voice, I'm a Mommy!

So he was finally here! I didn't know but after the C Section they take out the epidural. A little too soon if you ask me! They gave me some morphine but I could feel the pain immediately. This forced us to wait on inviting in the anxious visitors in the waiting room! They were going crazy. I kept telling Kyle, "It's ok, I can do it. They can come in." He was adament and said, "No, this is about you, not them. They will get to see him, you need to feel good first." About 30 minutes later I started feeling better. This was about 9:30 and they were going nuts! I was shivering from the medication which was not helping my soreness. Who knew how swollen I would be!

Mommy to the rescue

Grampy and G

Grandma and Grampa

Uncle Trent

First Family Photo

We were discharged on Friday. All of his initial visits with the pediatrician went perfect! We have our 2 week appt next Tuesday.


We're adjusting to our new life. He's waking up once in the middle of the night, and having a hard time going to sleep again. We'll get through it. My mom left today and I am still not sure how we'll get by! She was such a big help. It was harder saying goodbye to her this time than it was when I left for college. I'm nursing him and that is going well too. I turned into Heidi Montag overnight! That is our story and we are so very happy to be home with him. The entire experience has been so surreal. I'm looking forward to seeing my expecting friends and family members go through the same thing over the coming weeks!

What they don't tell you...

Yes, being pregnant is such a joy and a miracle. For some reason, people who have done this before fail to tell you EVERYTHING. Well I'm going to. I'll do it again after I give birth to really scare those of you preggies into wanting to keep that bundle inside you forever. Now I'm sure not all of this happens to everyone, I will call you people freaks. Here are just a few things I've noticed in the last weeks of pregnancy. Holt will join us, for sure, on Tuesday when I get induced. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that he wants to come tomorrow or Friday. Again because we're picky and want to make his arrival convenient for everyone. And for some more TMI, I was 70% effaced and 1 cm dilated at my last appt on Thursday.

-You will run out of clothes that fit, even those maternity pants that you started wearing before you needed too and they were huge. Good luck getting some of them over your buttocks at the end. Your husbands T-shirts have never been more appealing. Sometimes it's 3pm before I realize I'm still lounging in it.
-You'll look in the mirror and not recognize your face because it is so "fat". Goodbye cheekbones, goodbye chin, hello double chin and puffy eyes (oh go ahead and roll that de-puffing syrum on there...there's not enough in the world)
-It's a miracle! That stretch mark cream really works! What a relief to not see any stretch marks on my belly, boobs, thighs, and hips. HOLY! What is that? Did I sit on something too long, nope, it's stretch marks on the one place I didn't think to put the cream...my butt.
-I cherish every movement my son makes, I really do. But they go from sweet somersaults to pinching and poking. I really think he is pinching my uterine wall sometimes with those tiny, although I'm sure adorable, fingers. Oh and the protruding foot on my right side, love it. And yes son, those are my kidneys and bladder you love so much.
-The term "lightening" for when your baby drops, is perhaps the worst oxy moron I've ever heard. There is nothing light about when your baby drops from below your boobs down to your knees in less than 24 hours. There is so much pressure, I literally feel that when I stand up, he's going to fall out. If only it were that easy. I am finding it hard to walk these days, or at least look like what I'm doing is walking.
-When people tell you to start walking to speed up labor, good luck. The people that do this are amazing. I cannot even fathom walking around the cul-de-sac, much less the neighborhood right now. It hurts bad enough walking from the couch to the bathroom. Don't get me wrong, I'm still going to attempt this...at some point.
-Don't be surprised when you gain 10lbs, or more...ahem...in one month. And when people say "It's just water retention or water weight." or "I'm sure it's just the blood volume." Believe them because you too will believe this just disappears once your baby is here. I'll let you know how that goes.

We're just a few days away from welcoming our baby boy, hopefully a few hours, but it doesn't look promising for today. I have a doctor's appt on Friday and I'm hoping we've progressed so much she sends us to the hospital. I'll be sure to post after he is here and let you know ALL about that experience.

Almost there...

I didn't keep my promise of keeping these posts short. Too much time goes by before I sit down to update my blog! Most of you probably know about these updates, but just in case here goes.

The beginning of June I started to experience the dreaded swollen legs and feet. I thought this was very normal and made fun of the fact that I had one "cankle", my right foot. It was so much more swollen than my left you literally could not see a bone in my entire foot. I went to the doctor on June 7th and pointed this out, what I thought was humorous, concerned her quite a bit. After my appointment she sent me to the hospital for an ultrasound on my right leg to check for blood clots. She was fairly certain I did not have them, but because the swelling was more severe on the right side, this was a symptom she did not want to risk. Luckily it came back negative however I was ordered to wear compression hose the remainder of the pregnancy. I at least bought the thigh high kind so they are much more manageable to wear. They are soooo HOT in this weather. There is no air circulation, but within hours of wearing them, I could see my ankle bones again. The best part is that Kyle has to help me in and out of them everyday because they are way too tight for me to put on myself. And I have a huge belly in the way. As miserable as they are, I highly recommend them if you are pregnant and experiencing severe swelling. They get me through the day and I am actually able to walk.

I have had 2 amazing baby showers since my last post and I am still amazed by my friends and family and their generosity to my family! I am so blessed to have all of them in my life. My Houston shower was hosted by my sister in law, Amy, my sister, Ashley, and my cousin Tammi. It was a fun shower because I got to see people from my past (the kiddos I used to babysit who are all grown up now!), present, and people I know will be in my future. It's always great to see my friends from High School! I'm lucky to be close to them still. The second shower was hosted by my friend from elementary school, Missy, and 2 friends from college, Katie and Becca. This was a couples shower. Kyle was very happy to be part of this shower and share this fun time with his friends. Although I felt huge, he was happy and proud to show off my growing belly knowing his baby boy was inside.

My mom was also in town for the shower and she helped finish the nursery. Kyle and my mom were very hard at work on this all weekend long. It looks fantastic! He is one lucky little boy to have such a unique room.



This same weekend, we were told that Holt was now breech. Silly boy was in the perfect position at 29 weeks! If he did not flip, we were looking at a scheduled C Section. I had mixed emotions about this. It would very nice for us to tell our families a date to be in town and not have to rush in the middle of the night or another time of day. However, I think all Moms to Be have this vision of telling their husbands, "It's TIME!" Although this is equally as frightening as being cut open on a table, it's how I've always pictured it. We have since learned that he is not breech, and I have my doubts now that he ever was. I feel his movements and body parts in the same places, so he might be taking after his Mommy and have a bony butt! His feet stay very busy poking me on the right side and sometimes I think he's doing push ups on my hip bones. We were told at our 37 week appt sonogram this past Friday, that he is approximately 7lbs give or take a half pound. The sonographer said if I go another 2 weeks he could be a 9pounder! The doctor already told me this is not possible for me, so I am anxious to see what she says at our next appt. I'm hoping to be induced next week sometime, ideally the 16th. We're being very picky about his birthday. Trent's birthday, Kyle's brother, is on July 13th and my Stepmom Leslie's birthday is on July 14th. We're hoping to get past these 2 days although they have both kindly told us it would be just fine if he came on their birthday!

Our first child, Bentley, has been acting very strange poor guy. He is constantly sniffing me, especially my belly. He follows me everywhere, like he's just making sure I'm ok. If I'm sitting, he wants to be nearby or touching me. I know he senses that his world is about to change. He's also had an upset tummy the past 2 days which I am hoping is from something he ate, although I don't know what because he has only had dog food, and not because he senses something I don't know! I've heard dogs can sense oncoming labor!



This could be my last post before I become a Mommy! I am very ready to see this lil guy that has been so busy in there the past few months. We love him so much already, and I can't wait to show him! We're also looking forward to seeing all of our family members when we welcome him in the hospital! God is great!

Time is flying!

Words cannot describe how quickly time is going by! I cannot even believe that May is almost over. This is exciting yet terrifying. Once May is over and it's June, I can officially say, "We're having a baby next month!" Oh my gosh, I can't believe it. In preparation of Holt's arrival, we have everything we need for his room. The only thing we are lacking is Meme Bubble's (my mom) decorating touches. She'll be here in June to put the finishing touches on his room. Thank goodness we have a decorator in the family because I pretty much have zero interest in decorating. I also had my first Baby Shower hosted by Joni and Katie Werner (Kummer family friends), Beth O'Dell (Kyle's Aunt)and Erin Parker (Kyle's cousin) at Apple Annie's in San Antonio. We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family. Everyone's generosity is truly amazing and so very appreciated by Kyle and I.

We also had a 3D/4D sonogram so we could see our little guy up close and personal. Although he was not 100% cooperative, we did manage to get some pretty neat pictures. From what I can tell, he is going to look like his Daddy, right down to the full lips. Kyle and I are such opposites as far as our looks go, that it will be quite interesting to see what Holt is going to look like. Of course we're keeping our fingers crossed that he gets Kyle's height! We both had braces twice so we know that is in our future no matter what. We're also hoping the Poorter (my mom's side of the family) ears, cute as they may be as a baby, do not make an appearance. For those of you that don't know, I had my ears pinned back when I was 13 because they stuck out. We shall see! No matter what he will be the cutest baby we have ever seen.

Our other baby, Bentley, is pretty sure something weird is going on but he can't quite put his paw on it. As soon as we enter the nursery to do something, he's right there in my face or on my lap, like he's preventing me from getting anything done in there. He's even gone as far as to push me out of the glider so he could take a comfortable nap. He's more clingy than ever, in fact every morning when I am putting my makeup on at my vanity, he rests his head on my chest and makes his way down to the belly as if he is saying hello. Or maybe he just thinks it's a great pillow. He just can't get enough of his Mommy, I think he knows his one on one time is quickly coming to a close.

I'm doing just fine. My weight gain is right where it should be although I will surpass the 25lbs they told me to gain at my first appointment. I'm going to chalk this up to carrying Kyle's baby, who was 9.8lbs himself at birth. I'm starting to get uncomfortable when it comes to almost everything, sleeping, sitting, standing, walking. Kyle finds it amusing that I have to hoist myself up on our bed or roll off the couch, so I had to nicely remind him that this is not funny, and that I could actually really use his help. We're going to the doctor twice a month now and start our child care classes this week. First up, Infant Safety and CPR!

Kyle has been very hard at work on his new company, I can officially make the announcement now, X Factor Realty LLC is up and operating. He has brokered a lease and is making huge strides to getting several listings. As much as real estate has been down in past years, it really is his passion and he is excited to get a taste of the action again! If you know anyone that needs to sell, lease, buy, invest, or need a property manager, send them Kyle's way!

This weekend we're heading to Horseshoe Bay for Memorial Day weekend and I will be rockin' a bathing suit. I'd like to say pictures to follow, but don't hold your breath. The following weekend Kyle, his dad, and brother's make their annual Guys trip to St. Louis. They look forward to this every year. I am lucky enough to have my sister in law, Amy, (also expecting a boy, yay!) stay with me that weekend. June 12 I have a shower in Houston and June 19th we have a couples shower here in Dallas. After that, I will be going into hiding.

God Bless everyone! Have a safe enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend!

Lots going on with the Kummers

Hello Blog World! Where to start, there is so much going on right now! I should start by thanking my sweet husband for doing such an amazing job on the nursery. It turned out even better than we could have expected. The furniture is all in, we're just waiting on my glider to come in. That should be this weekend sometime. Kyle was up late 3 nights in a row painting, hanging chair rail, and going back for touch ups. He is so picky about the room because I think he secretly wishes it could be his. Aside from having to hang a few things and add some more decorations, we're almost done. Thank you also to my Mom, or Bubbles as we like to call her, and Russell for helping put the border (TCU program covers) up when they were here Easter weekend.

Speaking of Easter weekend, we had a wonderful time with my family. Ashley and her boyfriend Mason, my mom and Russell, and Trent all joined us for the weekend. My cousin Kelly and his wife Dabney, as well as Mama Laurie joined us for Easter lunch. We had a great time catching up with everyone and were so blessed to spend that joyous holiday with family!

Now, on to the entrepreneurial spirit that has taken over the Kummer household! Although we both enjoy our current jobs in sales, we can't help but feel that we should follow our passions. With Holt on the way, we're both trying to figure out how to spend as much time with him as possible when he gets here. Kyle and his dad have decided to follow their hearts in the ,risky yet rewarding, industry of Real Estate. Their new company will be up and running by the end of April. They plan on specializing in leasing, buying/selling, property management, and everything else Real Estate in the TCU area. Of course it's not limited to the TCU area though. There is a good chance Kyle will have his first listing by the end of the month! As for me, I am a Scentsy consultant. For more information or to place and order, please visit my website. https://sheakummer.scentsy.us/Home. That is not my passion though. Ever since I left Zales as an assistant buyer a couple of years ago, I've been itching to use my knowledge of the jewelry industry. My mom and I have started our own company called Everlasting Love. We specialize in custom jewelry for special occasions such as engagement rings, wedding bands, push presents, or just because gifts! We're currently working on our first engagement ring and see several more orders in the pipeline for later this year. My mom has put a lot of sweat into starting this business for us and I can't thank her enough. I promise I'll pull my weight soon Mommy! Please keep Kyle and I in your prayers as we take on these new business ventures. We're very excited about them.

As for Mr. Holt Cannon, he is a growing boy! I can literally feel how much he has grown in the past 2 weeks just by how he is moving around in there. I can feel his head and lil bottom now as he tries to get situated in his tight living quarters. Kyle can now watch as Holt moves from one side of my belly to the next and always says, "That's really weird, but pretty neat at the same time." Not going to lie, it is really weird! I still can't believe this amazing life is growing inside me. I thank God several times a day for all the blessings he has sent my way these past few years. The first blessing being Kyle. No joke, a girl could not ask for a better husband and soul mate. He is going to make an amazing daddy to our little boy! I have my gestational diabetes testing this Friday and am keeping my fingers crossed that all is perfect!

As usual I'm sending lots of prayers out to my expecting friends and family members, some of who are nearing their due dates! Also in my prayers are our grandparents, some of whom are healthy as a horse, and the others that are going through some struggles right now. Lots of love to our friends and family!

(I promise to post pictures again soon, I'm just still trying to figure out this blog thing!)