We love Summer and Brooke from the Girls with Glasses so much. They are down to Earth, talented, and so refreshing to be around. We’re so excited to have both their birth stories and advice on that amazing time with a new baby today!
Summer:
1. What is one thing you would go back to tell your new-mom self?
I would tell myself, that everything is going to work out fine. However, even if I was able to convince myself, I think it would be hard to not have some anticipation for what is about to happen. Until you experience it, feel it, and survive it, the concept of birth and starting a family can be almost impossible to fully understand.
2. Was there anything surprising or shocking that happened that no one warned you about?
I felt I was overly prepared for most things, but my post baby body was the biggest shock. I didn’t realize how long it would take to get my body back to normal. I wrote about dressing your post-baby bod here. I didn’t realize I would look 6 months pregnant for a few weeks. Even if you didn’t gain a lot of weight, unlike me, that uterus takes it’s time shrinking.
3. Do you have a bedtime routine?
We always brush teeth, read a negotiated number of books, usually an average of three, say a prayer to thank God for each member of our family and all the great things in our life, and ask for his help in anything that “we” are trying to work on, like “not hitting our little brother,” or “not saying penis at inappropriate times,” then lots of kisses, and trying to get out the door.
Brooke:
And an excerpt from Brooke’s birth story with London. It is so beautifully written, with imagery that perfectly captures the feelings of new motherhood, and should be read in its entirety here.
“I looked at the clock, it was just ten minutes past six pm. It was go time, I tried to calm my shaking body with the deep breathing techniques I had learned in my pre-natal yoga class. I wanted to be brave, I said a million little prayers under my breath “please heavenly father, please help me do this”. I begged Dave to not “look”, to stay up above with me, but he couldn’t help himself and wanted to be a witness. He was amazing. I was relieved after my first push to feel pressure instead of pain… though the pressure was intense it was bearable to my worn out body. My tricky doctor would distract me in between pushes by asking me about how Dave and I met nearly nine years before at the Thanksgiving dance in Mesa. I would get to a certain part of the story and suddenly feel the strong urge to push. It was hard physical work. My dad waited just outside of the curtain to be saved from the visual of the birth, but I could hear him cheering me on from the other side. My mom and sister stood at my side wiping my forehead and taking photos that would document the most important experience of my almost twenty nine years of life. We never made it to the end of the story, and those final pushes I squeezed Dave’s hand with all I had left, the doctor exclaimed “she has hair!” I was over the moon with just the thought of her little head of hair and I started to cry, I could hardly wait to see her, and with one motivated last push and she was out by 6:41pm, it was so quick and yet played out in slow motion, she didn’t even cry, as they immediately placed her beautiful little body on my chest.”
And Summer’s birth story too, after the jump!
We woke up at 4am, with my water breaking. The baby was already six days late, I was more than ready. We were planning on inducing later that week, but were thankful that the baby decided to come on his own!
The week leading up to this historic day, I felt good. Although I had gained fifty pounds, and felt as big as a house, I was able to still work and get things prepared for our little arrival.
Because my water brooke the doctor told us to get to the hospital as soon as possible. We made sure our bags had everything we would need, including: our iPod with songs I had chosen for the birth, a small speaker to listen to it, clothes to change into, our Canon 7D camera, our apple laptop, snacks for Kerry, Origins peach shampoo and conditioner, Victoria Secrets body lotion and assorted Lindt truffles for the nurses. When dealing with your health and the safety of your baby, chocolate bribes are always a good idea. Check out What to Bring to the Hospital video here!
Summer:
We arrived at the hospital at about 6:30am. At my doctor’s appointment the day before I had been dilated to a 2, and with my contractions getting less than 5 minutes apart, I was hoping I was dilated to at least a 5. I had no such luck. I was only at a 3. The pain was pretty bad and I knew it was going to be a long day. Bring on the drugs.
We got comfortable in our room and I took a nap, while Kerry began the first of many texts and phone calls. He excitedly let our family and friends know that our little guy was on his way. He called his parents, his brothers, my mom and dad, and almost every friend we have. Since I was still asleep he started watching a show on Netflix.
At 4pm-ish the time had come to start pushing. We turned on the music to help calm the room and sweeten the atmosphere. A few songs we vividly remember playing were Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah, Cat Steven’s Father and Son, Ben Fold’s The Luckiest and Priscilla Ahn’s When You Grow Up. I pushed hard at every contraction, but as he started getting down lower his heart rate would drop as I pushed, which worried the nurse. The Dr. had us only push every other contraction to give the baby more time to recover between pushes. An hour past and still no baby. We talked about the possibility of clamps, the vacuum, or the dreaded “C” word. The last thing I wanted was a Cesarean section. I said a little prayer to myself. I asked ” If Rockwell could hear me to trust me, and together we could do this.” I felt a warmness in my heart and knew that it would be okay. I concentrated and with a few more hard pushes Kerry saw his little head. The umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck. Kerry was able to cut the cord, with the Doctor’s help, of course, and the baby was able to come out the rest of the way. They put my beautiful baby on my chest and we sat there looking at each other. I couldn’t believe that this was my baby. We had made him and now he was in the world.
5:33pm Rockwell Clark Bellessa was born. We had been given the opportunity to be parents and to do our best to protect, teach and learn with him. He was a gift from God and we couldn’t be more excited. It had taken us over 5 years to get pregnant, yet he had come at the perfect time.
76 Comments
Jenelle
February 21, 2014 at 6:16 amLove these chairs. I don’t have one for my own LO, but I use them in my job as a pediatric physical therapist. They make a great adaptive high chair for some of my students with special needs.
courtney d
February 21, 2014 at 8:12 amI would love to have this chair! so pretty.
Kaylene
February 21, 2014 at 9:13 amWow, such beautiful amazing stories.
Christina Adams
February 21, 2014 at 9:44 amI love reading these stories! I have a little one on the way and this chair would be awesome to put baby adams in 🙂
Jemaica
February 21, 2014 at 10:34 amWhat a great chair and beautiful stories!
sarah
February 21, 2014 at 10:49 amon the top of my list!
Annie white
February 21, 2014 at 1:16 pmWe love our Stokke highchair for our 3yr old, we’d love another for our 6 month old.
Sharon Roche
February 21, 2014 at 1:28 pmI have always wanted one of these high chairs!! Fingers crossed!
Kennebec Vial
February 21, 2014 at 1:54 pmAlways been a fan! Awesome products!
Anne
February 21, 2014 at 2:25 pmI would love the Tripp trap chair!!
Sharice
February 21, 2014 at 2:26 pmWould ❤️ to win !!
EllaY
February 21, 2014 at 3:39 pmWe would love this!!!!
clarissa
February 21, 2014 at 4:14 pmWould love love love to be the lucky winner!!
Jannelle Howerton
February 21, 2014 at 4:28 pmI’d love to win anything Stokke. All their products are exquisite.
noelle l
February 21, 2014 at 4:53 pmI am looking for a high chair that grows with little guys and think this might just be it!
Sheena Childs
February 21, 2014 at 5:16 pmThis is awesome! Live the color!
Janet
February 21, 2014 at 6:43 pmBaby’s joining us at the table soon and would love this!
Emily Bellassai
February 21, 2014 at 7:10 pmI love this chair. A friend has one and it is so versatile!
Jenny
February 21, 2014 at 7:17 pmI’ve always wanted one of these! I have a toddler and am now expecting twins so we could use it! 🙂
Arin
February 21, 2014 at 7:18 pmWould love love love this for baby 2!!!
Kirsty Quinlan
February 21, 2014 at 7:25 pmWe would love this chair for our teeny tiny apartment
Ashley L
February 21, 2014 at 7:32 pmThis is so awesome! I would love to have this at my table versus the traditional high chair!
Carolyn
February 21, 2014 at 7:54 pmI’ve been dreaming of one of these but just can’t seem to pull the trigger!
Leah
February 21, 2014 at 8:09 pmNeed this!
Courtney Messick
February 21, 2014 at 8:28 pmI’m seriously loving all these stories! It’s so refreshing to be upon such a great community of moms! I would absolutely love to win this high chair!! Fingers crossed!
Faith Kezos
February 21, 2014 at 8:32 pmI LOVE this!! My name is faith I’m a brand new mommy and I am LOVING IT!! I just had my first son, Teddy, he is crazy awesome and I have so much fun with him! is 2 months old now but this would be so perfect for my home! I love it so much!
Rebekah
February 21, 2014 at 8:34 pmAwesome possum!
Mea bradshaw
February 21, 2014 at 9:12 pmLove your website! Love this giveaway!
nancy
February 21, 2014 at 9:55 pmI love that this chair grows with the child. I’ve been wanting one for years…
Olivia
February 21, 2014 at 10:09 pmI have high hopes!!
Yvonny James
February 21, 2014 at 10:27 pmI love seeing everyone’s different post delivery/new mom stories!
Aprill lytton
February 21, 2014 at 10:29 pmI looove this high chair!! And blog:)
Brittanie Lanier
February 21, 2014 at 10:31 pmLOVE this! Really, really want to win!
Anisa
February 21, 2014 at 10:31 pmLove this chair…awesome giveaway 🙂 have two babies and only one highchair so would love to have this for my toddler to sit in.
Gillian
February 21, 2014 at 11:46 pmLove this chair – so genius
Danielle Cordani
February 21, 2014 at 11:50 pmSo great! Would love to win!
Adrianna Butler
February 22, 2014 at 12:43 amSuch a cool looking high chair!
Christy B.
February 22, 2014 at 3:21 amFingers crossed!! I’ve been eyeing this chair for ages! Wanted it for baby girl #1 (18 mths), but would be perfect for baby girl #2 (2 mths)! Love, love, love your blog!!
Hilary
February 22, 2014 at 4:29 amI just love all of their products!!!!! I would love to win!!
Hannah
February 22, 2014 at 7:57 amJust found this blog and I’m loving it! We also need a high hair for our little one! I don’t think the Bumbo is gonna cut it for much longer!
Amanda K
February 22, 2014 at 10:47 amLove these give always 🙂
Lizzie
February 22, 2014 at 12:20 pmSo beautiful! Love these thoughts & birth stories.
Crystal
February 22, 2014 at 12:30 pmA friend of mine, who coincidentally gave birth two days after me, has this chair and I’m always fawning over it! Would love to own one!
Kendra
February 22, 2014 at 12:51 pmLove the blog!
Monica
February 22, 2014 at 1:45 pmI bought one of these second hand for my older son. We LOVE it- especially his little brother. It would be wonderful for them each to have their own awesome chairs.
kitsie
February 22, 2014 at 1:48 pmI’m expecting my first baby in June! this would be perfect for our sweet baby girl!!
Rachel B
February 22, 2014 at 2:08 pmJust adopted an infant and we will need this soon!
Reina J.
February 22, 2014 at 6:27 pmLove!!!
Amy Landis
February 22, 2014 at 7:11 pmWould adore this for my little cutie pie!
Leah
February 22, 2014 at 7:38 pmWanted this!!
Cassidy
February 22, 2014 at 9:13 pmLove these girls!
stella
February 22, 2014 at 9:19 pmlove love love <3
Meg
February 22, 2014 at 10:03 pmAmazing chair! Fingers crossed my son will be sitting in one soon!!!
Sophie
February 24, 2014 at 6:05 amAbsolutely adore this chair!!
Andrea
February 24, 2014 at 7:57 pmWondering what my little miss would look like with all these awsome giveaways
Holly r
February 24, 2014 at 9:21 pmBeautiful chair
Samantha Monson
February 24, 2014 at 9:32 pmI love this chair. Stokke is Awesome!
Jami
February 24, 2014 at 9:54 pmSooo excited!
Katie
February 24, 2014 at 10:18 pmHope I’m lucky enough to win one of these amazing giveaways!
Danielle
February 24, 2014 at 10:29 pmFingers crossed
Kalli varela
February 24, 2014 at 10:44 pmSweet chair!
Meghan
February 25, 2014 at 5:35 amAhh, I wanted one of these high chairs! Love the clean look and blends right into our kitchen 🙂
Keely Roberts
February 25, 2014 at 7:41 amWould love this for my baby boy due this August’
Marissa M
February 25, 2014 at 8:50 amI love the look of this chair as much as the grow-with-you function of it. <3
Heather
February 25, 2014 at 3:04 pmLove this chair! Baby #1 has one so it’s only fitting that baby #2 has one, too!
Lilly
February 25, 2014 at 10:04 pmStokke=Style= Baby Zara wants 😀
lale
February 25, 2014 at 10:36 pmthis chair would be perfect for my modern “big city” apartment! Space is so hard to come by here in Chicago! I could see my little guy in this chair! <3
Julie
February 26, 2014 at 7:32 amnice!
holly rice
February 27, 2014 at 12:37 amNice!!
Brittany Peck
February 27, 2014 at 11:20 amWhat a awesome highchair and so nice to that it’s not HUGE! like all the others!
Angie
February 27, 2014 at 1:51 pmI’d love a stokke for my little guy!
Mckae
February 27, 2014 at 7:15 pmI would love to have one of these chairs!
Carli
February 27, 2014 at 10:35 pmI am suuuuuppper excited about this giveaway!! Hoping to win this for my 5 month old! 🙂
Jessie
February 28, 2014 at 8:00 amSistahs please!
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